People live in the world, it is difficult to know the blessings and misfortunes, and if they don't see the word blessing coming to the door, disasters will fall from the sky suddenly. Three years ago, the Shu family and the Han family had nine people, living in the countryside, gathering and dispersing, although they were not rich, but they were also happy. Who would have thought that in the flood three years ago, the pillars of the two families were both lost, and not long after, the old servant Xie Yi also died of illness. There are two families left, old and young, sick women, who have lived hard, and finally survived, but they suffered a catastrophe again, and in one day, there was only one person left in each of the Shu Han families, lonely, miserable and miserable.

On the day of Liu's death, Shujiazhuang's relatives and friends came to help with the funeral. People come and go, ask this and that, and Ruoxin needs to take ideas. Ruoxin only knows how to cry and doesn't care about anything. He needed money to take care of the aftermath, and the principal asked him if he wanted it, but he only cried, but he couldn't come up with the money. Fortunately, Shu Yan took half of his money in time. Two days later, after the funeral was completed and the guests dispersed, he wanted to return the money to Shu Yan. In the past, when Liu and Zhixin were there, Ruoxin was still young, and he didn't have to worry about anything, even the most important thing, how much money was in the family, and where the money was placed, he didn't know anything. Now, he is the only one left in the family, and he can't do it anymore. He began to look for money inside and outside the house, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, from the afternoon to the sunset, turning the house upside down, except for the scattered three pennies and two pennies, he could not find where the real family wealth was. He wondered: Where did the family's money go? The year before last, I got a lot of money from exchanging land with the Shi family, even if my mother was sick, I only occasionally grabbed a few medicines, not often, and then I made a few clothes, bought some oil and salt, etc., and there was no other expense, so it was impossible to spend it so quickly. Could it be a theft?

He was wondering when he heard someone call him, "Ruoxin, what are you looking for?" ”

Ruoxin looked back, it turned out to be Shu Yan, and hurriedly let her come in and said, "Brother Yan, I, I can't find my family's money...... I still owe you money, what to do......"

The friendship between Shu Yan and Ruoxin is sincere and can stand the test. Although the clansmen of both families had some resentful remarks, they did not affect the two young men at all, and they were closer than before, like brothers.

After listening to Ruoxin's words, Shu Yan said secretly: At such a young age, he has just experienced great sorrow, which is pitiful enough, if he gets angry because he can't find money, wouldn't it be even more pitiful? So he hurriedly comforted: "Don't worry, I don't wait for the money, there is still money at home, if you need money, go to me to get it." ”

In fact, this is a lie told by Shu Yan in order to coax Ruoxin. Although Shu Yan's family is richer than Ruoxin's family, there is not much money left in his family now. Because the Han family didn't have much expense except for taking medicine for the Liu family's illness, but Shu Yan was different. Shu Yan once took medicine for his grandfather and Gonggong Xie, and he had to support the two old people, and most importantly, he also handled the funeral for the two old people, and even the money for the funeral of Zhixin's mother Liu was also paid by Shu Yan. It is equivalent to three funerals one after another at a young age. Don't underestimate the funeral, in the poor family, there are many people who can't get the money for the funeral, so it is often heard that there are straw mats and even selling their bodies to bury their fathers.

"Then what's the matter, my family really owes you too much, and I have to pay you back this money anyway, but why can't I find it......" Ruoxin said, and she was about to cry.

Shu Yan said: "Silly brother, what are you crying about, I didn't ask you for money, the money is gone, we are all so young, with faster logistics, are you afraid that there will be no money?" If you are happy, you will have good luck, and if you are lucky, maybe one day the money will come out on its own. ”

Ruoxin nodded with tears, and suddenly burst into a smile: "It's so late, Brother Yan, you're here - call me for dinner, right?" ”

"By the way, you are a little clever, you must have never been able to cook at home before, from today on, you can eat with me, we two still have a companion, saving us both of us from being alone."

Ruoxin followed Shu Yan back to Shu's house. In the past, the meals of the Shu and Han families were simple enough, but now the Shu and Han families are even poorer, and the previous coarse tea and light rice have been reduced, so they can only have enough food and clothing. Thinking that Ruoxin was still young, it was the time to grow her body, Shu Yan gave Ruoxin more of the slightly better of this simple meal.

After eating, Shu Yan asked: "Ruoxin, you are still young, if you feel afraid to sleep alone at night, just sleep here with my brother." ”

Ruoxin said seriously: "I'm not afraid, I want to sleep in my house so that I can keep filial piety for my mother and sister." ”

Shu Yan praised: "Okay, ambitious." We don't have to follow the example of the ancients and the rich people who bought a piece of land as an ancestral shrine and then built a house in front of the tomb for filial piety. We don't have money, we only eat coarse cloth and clothes in our own home, we are not arrogant or rash, we are not lewd or unhappy, we are at ease, and we can still keep filial piety for three years. We have no distractions in our hearts, just like those who are bent on the outside world and want to get out of the sea of suffering as soon as possible, even though we are in the ancestral home. ”

"Well, some people want to eat the best things, put on the best clothes, and their beautiful wives and concubines the day after the end of their filial piety period, in that case, what is the point?"

"Yes, I can't imagine that you have such insight at such a young age! It is better not to keep filial piety as pain, just for etiquette, just to show others, it is better not to keep it. ”

"Brother Yan, I heard that you have to keep filial piety for your parents, you shouldn't need it for your grandfather, right?"

"Of course I did, I didn't have a father, and of course I guarded my grandfather's filial piety. By the way, I have already offered the spiritual positions of my grandfather, Father-in-law Xie, and my parents. In the past, when Aunt Han was there, Uncle Han's spiritual seat was never allowed to be placed, but now you can put your parents' and your sister's spiritual seat ......."

When it comes to Zhixin, Shu Yan's heart is like a needle prick. Although my grandfather is a relative, he is old after all, but Zhixin is ...... is young, and it is the same as these old people...... Ascended to the spiritual position. Shu Yan endured his grief and tried not to show it in front of Ruoxin, and he still had to set an example for Ruoxin.

"Yes, Brother Yan, in fact, I already knew that my father was dead, but my mother didn't want to admit it, and she insisted that we go to Luoyang, and ended up taking my sister's life...... I don't know if I should hate my mother......"

Shu Yan didn't think so, but he could only persuade Ruoxin: "Alas, the matter has come to this, it is useless to say more, it is the right thing to enshrine their spiritual positions." ”

"Well, tomorrow I will enshrine the three of them."

Since then, the two of them have been at home at ease to keep filial piety, study, chop wood, farming, coarse food and cloth, clean and elegant, and celebrate the New Year as usual, no matter what fun the outside world has. Everyone sighed that the two of them were living so hard, but these two teenagers didn't care about these at all.

In the dynasties before and after the Jin Dynasty, whenever there was a major event in the country, the era name must be changed, and the emperor who reigned a little longer had several era names. After Sima Yan destroyed Wu, he changed the era name to "Taikang".

The sun and the moon are like a shuttle, and the three-year filial piety period expires. In the past three years, Ruoxin has made great progress in her studies with the help of Shu Yan, and Shu Yan herself has become even more proficient in all the scriptures. Not only that, but the mulberry trees of the Shu Han family have also grown, and both of them have a little savings.

On this day, Shu Yan got up and just freshened up, when he saw Xia Tingchang riding a donkey and stopping outside the door, shouting, "Yan'er." ”

Shu Yan hurriedly greeted him, "It turned out to be Grandpa Xia, come in and sit." As he spoke, he took the reins and helped Xia Pavilion to get off the donkey.

Xia Tingchang pushed: "I won't go in and sit, I'll come to you, you quickly pack up and go to the county with me, Prime Minister Qiu is invited." ”

When Shu Yan heard this, he was puzzled and asked, "What?" Qiu Guoxiang? What is he looking for me? ”

"Don't ask, just go."

"I don't have to pack anything, you ride the donkey first, and I'll follow behind."

"Then what's the matter, the prime minister is in a hurry, hurry up and get on the donkey."

Shu Yan looked at the donkey of the Xia Pavilion Chief, although it was not small, it was not sloppy, old, thin, and listless, "Father-in-law Xia, you donkey...... Carry two people...... Will it work? ”

"Why not? Don't look at me as an old donkey, my donkey is so powerful, I won't change a horse for me. ”

Halfway through the road, practice has proved that this donkey is indeed very powerful, but it is not that it is good to walk, but it is that the two people are tired and panting, it seems that the age of this donkey is converted to the age of an adult, and it is estimated that it is older than Xia Tingchang. There was no way, Shu Yan could only trot all the way behind. When he was about to arrive at the county office, Shu Yan slowed down, he had to adjust his breathing, otherwise, when he saw Qiu Guoxiang, he was panting like something!

Shu Yan followed Xia Tingchang into the gate of the county office, and found a person standing in front of the second gate wearing a two-beam roll crown and a red court robe, Shu Yan recognized this person at a glance as Qiu Guoxiang. Chief Xia gave a salute first, and Shu Yan also followed suit.

Qiu Guoxiang hurriedly picked them up and let the two of them enter the inner hall. Qiu Guoxiang asked: "This is the famous Shu Gongzi?" "Although Shu Yan has been famous for many years, he is a grass man after all, Qiu Guoxiang has only heard of it, but he doesn't know him.

Xia Tingchang was a little nervous in front of Qiu Guoxiang. According to his rank, he is not qualified to meet the minister in person. There are also county and township levels above him. However, Shujiazhuang is near Ruyin City, which belongs to the direct management of Ruyin State, not the county. The three elders of Shujiazhuang's township officials recently broke his leg and had difficulty moving, so it was his turn. He said half-smiling: "Yes, yes, this is Shu Yan, the grandson of Dr. Shu of Shujiazhuang, whom I often tell you." ”

Shu Yan hurriedly saluted again: "Fujun, in Xia Shu Yan, he is just a grass man, not a son, and he doesn't dare to be a famous person." ”

Hearing Shu Yan's modesty, Xia Tingchang became anxious and said to Shu Yan: "Yan'er, don't be modest with Qiu Guoxiang, who doesn't know your name?" Not to mention the little Ruyin, even the Yuzhou Thorn History knows your reputation. No, Assassin Shi Gong personally ......"