On this day, Shu Yan cleaned up the affairs of the family, and made an appointment with the Han family to plant mulberry trees in the field, and also found some relatives and friends. After a busy day, I came home very late, invited everyone to eat, and fed medicine to Grandpa Xie.

Xie Yi felt very guilty about Shu Yan, and said to Shu Yan: "Yan'er, I'm afraid my illness won't get better, our family is not rich, taking medicine like this every day, it doesn't work, it's a waste of money, starting tomorrow, let's stop the medicine." ”

Shu Yan listened, and immediately said: "Then how can it be done, Gonggong Xie, you don't have to worry, you have to take medicine on time, now it's cold, and when the weather is warm, maybe it will be fine." ”

Xie Yi sighed: "Alas, silly boy, my illness has nothing to do with whether it is cold or not." I'm old, as the saying goes, it's rare for people to live for seventy years, and it's rare for me to have this day as a subordinate. Ever since I came to your house, your parents have never treated me as a servant, but have treated me as an elder. Not only did I not contribute to your family, but I only affected you. Since ancient times, it has never been heard that the servant is lying on the bed, and the master comes to feed and drink, and gives the servant medicine to eat every day. In addition to your Shu family, I'm afraid there is no second family in the world who can do it! ”

The more Gonggong Xie spoke, the more excited he became, and in the end, he simply pushed the medicine bowl, no matter how Shu Yan fed him, he didn't open his mouth, and from then on, he never took medicine.

Shu Yan also saw that Gonggong Xie was terminally ill and his days were running out. Therefore, he tried to spend a little more time with Father-in-law Xie every day.

This year, Zhixin is fifteen years old, and she has reached the age of marriage, that is, the age when she can get married. At this age, if there is already a marriage contract, the girl can no longer keep her childhood hanging head, but will have her hair combed up to show her adulthood.

Although Zhixin has identified Shu Yan in her heart, she has not yet agreed to marry, so she still has a double bun and a more casual headdress. Compared with coiling her hair up, Zhixin prefers the current way, because it is not only more casual, but also more convenient to meet Shu Yan.

Today is the second day of the third month, and tomorrow is the Shangsi Festival. At that time, the Kamitsu Festival was a very important festival. Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chongyang or something are all weak, and they have not yet become popular. The festival is very popular among people, especially young men and women. On this day, there is a custom of purification. People go out in groups and come to the river to wash and bathe. And when bathing, be sure to use orchid grass, which is called orchid soup bathing. It is believed that taking such an orchid bath will ward off diseases and bad luck. The literati and writers also drank alcohol and wrote poems, and there were also various activities such as sacrifices. It's a pity that such an interesting festival, because of the damage to feudal etiquette, gradually faded out of the land of China, and now it is only popular in ethnic minorities and neighboring countries.

It is the happiest thing for girls to be able to come to the river with their sweethearts on the day of the Shangsi Festival, soak their feet in the cool river water, and use bluegrass to drive away filth with each other.

As a girl who is just beginning to fall in love, Zhixin is no exception, but she is embarrassed to come to meet Shu Yan in person. She sent her younger brother Ruoxin.

"Brother Yan, tomorrow is the Shangsi Festival, my sister asked you to go to the Ru River tomorrow, okay?" Ruoxin was still young and couldn't be tactful, so she sold his sister directly.

Although Shu Yan is busy farming and serving Father-in-law Xie, after all, the young man's temperament has been very depressed recently, and he also wants to go out to relax, plus Zhixin has made an appointment, why don't you go, "Okay, okay, you go back and tell your sister, let's see you by the Ru River tomorrow." ”

The next morning, Shu Yan got up earlier than usual to prepare for the appointment of Zhixin's Shangsi Festival. As usual, he washed his face and fed Father-in-law Xie first, and everything was cleaned up, and he was just about to step out of the house, but was stopped by Father-in-law Xie. At this time, Shu Yan suddenly found that Gonggong Xie's face was significantly worse than usual, and his voice became weaker. He grabbed Shu Yan's hand and beckoned to Dr. Shu, who also came to him.

In March, the water of the River Joux is clear and turquoise, and groups of small black tadpoles swim along the winding water. The river water exudes a fishy smell unique to spring, but it is not unpleasant, but it makes people feel refreshed, which is the smell of life. The willows on the banks of the river have spit out new shoots, and the spring grass has paved the earth green. The warm wind of Ji Chun blew the ruddy face of the green gauze girl - I don't know if it was because of the shyness or because of the happy red face. No wonder, who let this age of spring meet the season of spring!

"Ruoxin, go play with your little friends."

"Yes, sister." Ruoxin wanted to play with her friends, so she readily agreed. He didn't know that his sister had deliberately taken herself.

On the bank of the river, there have been a lot of people who have come to the city, including ladies and children of wealthy families who have come from Ruyin City, as well as local ordinary people and naughty children. Zhixin walked Ruoxin, stepping on the green grass alone, bending over to pick the orchid grass, her eyes looked in the direction of Shu Yan's house from time to time, her heart was pounding, she was excited and nervous, like a deer crashing.

A golden butterfly was attracted by the bluegrass in her hand, flew around her non-stop, and finally landed on the bluegrass. Zhixin looked at the colorful butterfly quietly, motionless. Immediately after, a green butterfly of about the same size flew in the distance. The two butterflies touched each other with their antennae for a while, and then flew away in agreement.

Zhixin stared blankly at the pair of butterflies, and they flew farther and farther until they hid among the flowers and plants in the distance. She really envied the pair of butterflies - free, in pairs, unfettered by anything.

"Brother Yan has a lot of things to do at home, he has to cook, and he has to boil medicine for Grandpa Xie, he is very busy, and it is normal to be late." The butterfly flew away for a long time, and there was no shadow of Shu Yan, and Zhixin comforted herself silently.

Zhixin walked aimlessly upstream along the Joux River. In the shallow water near the shore, people leaned against the rocks, took off their shoes, rolled up their trouser legs, and stepped into the cool water. Dip the clear river water with fragrant orchid grass, brush the face, hair, and feet, drive away disease, drive away filth, and drive away bad luck. People laughed and talked, and the naughty children even took off their clothes and swam in the water, frolicking and enjoying the festival.

She looked a little farther away, there were many people gathered near the Shi family manor, and there were cars on the road, carrying large and small wood, stones, bricks and tiles, to her family's original field. What is the Shi family manor doing? From a distance, there are two tall round wooden wheels erected there - oh, it must be the Shi family building a water mill. Zhixin has only seen a stand-alone machine, and she has never seen a connected water machine like this, and the Shi family really has the strength!

"It's almost noon, why hasn't Brother Yan come yet? What's wrong with Brother Yan today? He can't forget about my appointment with him! - Or Ruoxin, this kid is playful, and she forgot to tell Brother Yan at all......" She was a little angry, a little disappointed, and then a little worried, "Brother Yan has never been a person who doesn't talk about trust, he won't have anything to do, right?!" ”

This was her and Shu Yan's first official date, but Shu Yan didn't come. Whatever the reason, anyway, it's a disappointment! She looked at the people playing in the river and on the shore, those who were hiding, playing in the water, drinking, writing poems, sacrificing, and having fun. An hour ago, in her eyes, it was a picture full of joy. But now it seems that it is not interesting at all, and I even think that these people are so boring!

She listlessly sang a poem from "Zhou Nan" in the "Book of Songs", which happened to be from her hometown along the Ru River.

"Obey the grave of the other, cut down its strips. If you don't see a gentleman, it's like a hungry ......"

Walking along the shore of the Rushui and cutting down the branches, and not seeing your sweetheart, it was like not eating in the morning.....

"Huh!" She suddenly thought, "The Ru River is so long, and there are so many people today, maybe Brother Yan has already come, but it is unknown if there are many people and they can't be found." Alas, I blame myself for going too far, or in the wrong direction, hey, hurry downstream. ”

Zhixin turned around and walked downstream. At this time, she seemed to feel that Shu Yan was also looking for her in a hurry downstream. Well, she was in a good mood, looked at the crowd playing, and felt that this was a beautiful picture.

She walked for a while, took an egg out of her bosom, gently placed it on the surface of the river, and let it float on the water. This is a Kamishi custom. On the day of the Shangsi Festival, the girl takes an egg, puts it into the river upstream, and lets it float downstream along the river. Of course, they are most eager for their sweethearts to pick it up.

Zhixin was on a whim, and she decided that Shu Yan must be looking for her downstream, so this egg must have been picked up by Brother Yan. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little excited, and her little face immediately flushed. She followed the drifting egg, along the slow and rapid river, fast and slow.

In the next section, the river flow became rapid, and Zhixin had to chase the egg quickly. The river twists and turns, and the egg disappears from Zhixin's field of vision after turning a big bend to the south.

Zhixin was in a hurry, ran a few steps, and when she turned the big corner, she found that her eggs had been picked up from the river. This person had his back to Zhixin, about the same age as Shu Yan, wearing a green robe, his hair was tied, and there was an entourage standing on his left and right hands.

"Han Zhixin! Hahaha...... It's really fateful. The boy laughed as he read the words on the egg.

"Shi De, give me back the eggs!" Zhixin said angrily.

"Why are you so grumpy? If you throw an egg, I will pick it up. Whoever picks it up is destined to be the one who is destined, and you won't know the reason, right? Shi De smirked.

"You! Zhixin was speechless for a while, but she soon remembered a poem in the Book of Songs, and recited angrily: "The mountain has Fusu, and Xi has Hehua." I don't see the son, but I see madness. ”

There are big trees on the mountain, lotus flowers in the pond, and I didn't see my sweetheart, but I met this madman.

"I see that you are 'there is a lot of money, there is a pheasant.' Jiying is not wet, and the pheasant is begging for its peony', hahahaha. Shi De smiled and leaned back.

Zhixin blushed immediately when she said these two verses, because these two poems meant that the female pheasant was crowing in search of a mate. Because Zhixin said that she wanted to see her sweetheart, Shi had to use a female pheasant to courtship to refer to Zhixin.

When a young girl meets a disciple, can she still bargain?

"With such a beautiful day, why are you alone, your brother Yan?"

"Brother Yan is busy, I'm willing to play alone, how about it, can't you?" Zhixin glared at each other with her eyes.

"Huh? How important can he be on such an important day? Hmph, if you want me to say, he doesn't have you in his heart at all. ”

"Nonsense, Father-in-law Xie is sick, and he has a lot of things at home, so he can't leave for a while." Zhixin defended Shu Yan.

"Oh, but in the river over there just now, how can the person who was playing with the bluegrass look so much like Shu Yan." Shi De pointed his finger into the distance, squeezing his eyes at the person next to him, deliberately angry.

"Yes, yes, Shu Yan is playing with others over there!" The retinue understood what their young master meant, and echoed in their voices.

Zhixin was so angry that her face turned red. Everything is not going well today: Shu Yan did not come today, and Zhixin was not very happy; Just now, the drifting egg that she had high hopes for would be picked up by Shu Yan, but it turned out to be picked up by this wrongdoer, which added another anger; Now, she was ridiculed by Shi De again, although Shi De's words were not very credible, but when she heard Shu Yan playing with others, she was still angry, what if it was true. Hey! It's really angry, and it's hitting the top beam.

"Get out of here, we can do whatever we want, you don't care!" Zhixin roared with a red face.

"I guessed that you two must be separated, right? So, Shu Yan has a new love, and you, playing drifting eggs here, to find a new Ruyi Langjun, right? Shi De continued to ramble nonsense.

"Give me back the eggs, or I'll be rude to you." Zhixin trembled.

"You're welcome? The one I picked up is mine, not only the egg is mine, but even the person who threw the egg is also mine, how about it, I have the ability to grab it. As he spoke, he threw the egg upwards and caught it with his hand, teasing Zhixin repeatedly.

Zhixin had the heart to step forward to grab it, but the two attendants next to Shi De were blocking in front, so she could only be in a hurry, but she couldn't get close to Shi De.

At this moment, a person suddenly walked behind Shi De, stretched out his hand, caught the egg that Shi De threw upward, and sneered: "The egg is mine, and the person is also mine." ”