Not too long.

Several men from the village hurriedly ran over.

A man even held a child with pigtails in his arms.

Asked vigilantly.

"What are you doing here?"

Zhao Que bowed his head and said with a smile: "This eldest brother, in Xia Zhao Que, is from Nanyangzhou to study here, and has traveled all the way, he is really tired and thirsty, and he hopes to go to the village to ask for a glass of water to drink......

Several farmers are all wearing bloated coarse cotton robes, it seems that the life in the village is good, and now in this year, the people in the world can wear cotton robes for the winter, and it is still only a part.

Most of the people are busy all year round, either by the imperial court taxes scraped away, or let the local powerful families take away, the money and food left in their hands can only barely survive, not to mention the winter cotton clothes, filling the stomach is a kind of luxury, in case of a disaster year, the grain harvest is not good, the days can not pass, countless disasters are born immediately.

The uprisings of the people in Jiangjinzhou and Nanyangzhou all originated from this, otherwise, even if there were a few careerists, they would still not make much waves.

"You're a reader?!"

The man looked at Zhao Que.

Although this young man is unkempt and dirty, he can vaguely see a handsome face, and if he washes his face, he must be a suave son.

Zhao Que replied without humility or arrogance: "In the next long time at home to study, the idea of coming out for a walk, I never thought that the imaginary study tour at home, wishful thinking, really came out, only to find that the sky and the earth are big, even the stomach can not be filled, sleeping in the wilderness, several times almost eaten by wild beasts, difficult to climb a few mountains, only to see the farm." ”

Two other men walked to the left and right of Zhao Que and observed whether he had any weapons on his body.

"It's strange, you don't even have a weapon, how can you beat a beast?" the man asked warily.

Zhao Que replied without blushing and without a heartbeat: "I am not only reading dead books, but also practicing kung fu all year round, which is a bit of self-preservation." ”

"Well, I can see that your small body may only be able to deal with wild beasts. ”

A man looked at the middle-aged man holding the child and shouted, "Big brother, the patriarch often says that God has the virtue of a good life, why don't you let this little brother into the village?"

The middle-aged man frowned and thought about it for a long time, and it seemed that it was difficult to make this decision.

"Little brother, it's not peaceful now, do you really guarantee that you are not a thief sent by a thief?"

He asked.

Zhao Que bowed his head and smiled back: "Big brother, I'm just a scholar, how can I be a thief." ”

The middle-aged man shook his head slightly, "It's hard to win my trust with one-sided words." ”

"Shicai said below, it is a scholar who travels to study, and when he leaves the house, he wants to see with his own eyes, the great rivers and mountains of Daxia, as well as the hard-working and simple people. ”

Zhao Que said diligently, seriously, and his face did not change.

The middle-aged man looked at Zhao Que carefully and gritted his teeth: "Little brother, let me tell you, everyone in our Liujiazhuang knows a few kung fu, even if you have practiced martial arts since you were a child, if you really fight, you will not be our opponent, if you have a bad heart, I am afraid that you will lose your life in an instant." ”

Zhao Que bowed to the end, "Don't dare." ”

"Well, let's go, your skinny horse is leading by yourself, don't be mistaken for thinking that we covet your skinny horse. ”

The middle-aged man held the child in his arms and led the way into the farm.

The rest of the men, left and right, followed Zhao Que, for fear that he was a cunning thief.

The child with the pigtails asked with an innocent smile: "Guest, how many books have you read?

"The sage said, read 10,000 books and travel 10,000 miles, Zhao has not read 10,000 books, nor has he walked 10,000 miles, the road under his feet and the books in his belly are only worth a few pennies at best, and they are not comparable to Mr. Private School, Mr. teaches and educates people, and his merits are immeasurable. ”

Zhao Que said with a smile.

The middle-aged man holding the child said secretly, after all, he is a scholar, and his speech is good, and there are not many men and women who are illiterate than the big characters in the village.

The child suddenly had a bitter face: "Daddy, the eldest brother is so old, he has walked so far, and the books he reads are only worth a few pennies, the child doesn't want to study, the child wants to make money!"

The middle-aged man slapped the child's buttocks, and the child screamed.

"Why did Daddy hit the child?!"

The middle-aged man said: "What Mr. said, you naughty bastard have been left behind, you now carefully recall your memories, Mr. said why do you study?"

The child rested his chin on his father's shoulder, thought about it, and said slowly: "Daddy, Mr. has said too many words, the child really thought about it seriously, it should be Mr. said this!"

The sage said, "If you do not climb high mountains, you will not know the height of the heavens, you will not be near deep streams, you will not know the thickness of the earth, you will not hear the last words of your ancestors, and you will not know the greatness of learning." The sons of Gan, Yue, Yi, and raccoon dogs were born with the same voice, and they grew up and were different from each other, and they taught them to be. The poem says: A gentleman, there is no eternal rest. Jing Gonger's position, good is integrity. God listens to it, and Jie Er Jingfu. God is greater than the Tao, and blessing is better than no disaster. ’”

Zhao Que smiled and listened to the children's clear recitation of the saint's scriptures.

Word for word!

After hearing this, the middle-aged man asked rhetorically, "Do you think it's right?"

The child looked up at the winter sky with his little head up, and swayed his braids in the wind when he swayed towards the sky: "Since Mr. said that this is a classic left by the saint to educate the people, it is naturally right." ”

"No, I'm asking you to say to yourself, is the answer to the 'why you read?'

The middle-aged man asked.

The child looked at Zhao Que, rubbed his buttocks, suddenly stopped crying and mourned, and said with a smile: "Of course the child thinks that this classic is of course an answer to Daddy's question!"

Zhao Que smiled secretly, the person is small and big, and the child knows that his father is illiterate, and what he said is conclusive.

The middle-aged man stopped and asked Zhao Que: "Since Mr. is a scholar, dare to ask Mr., is what the kid said right?"

Zhao Que said: "I have no merit in the lower body, and I dare not be called Mr." “

The middle-aged man smiled and thought, this young man is really good at talking, and he will bring him home later, fry a few dishes by the way, and have a few drinks with him, anyway, I haven't drunk for so long, and my mother-in-law will definitely agree.

Zhao Que looked at the innocent child and asked with a smile: "What do you want to do when you grow up?"

Now the child can be distressed, he has a lot of dreams, for example, when he grows up to open a shop and become a shopkeeper, he sees the shopkeeper in the city come to the village to collect agricultural goods, but he is angry, and wants to become a hero in the mouth of the storyteller who has been to the village to speak......

The child thought a lot, and his mood was a little low.

When he was about to arrive at the door, Fang Cai looked at Zhao Que and said seriously: "Big brother, I want to be like the gentleman in the private school, teach many children to learn the truth, and pave the way for them in life." ”

Zhao Que exhaled a breath and looked at the child with admiration, "What a paving road for life." ”

However, the middle-aged man was not happy and slapped the child's buttocks.

"Dad, why are you hitting me again?"

"It's a good thing not to beat you to death, and my mother and I paid for your education just so that you could become a poor teacher? ”

"And what do you want me to be?"

The child's face was depressed.

The middle-aged man hoped: "Dad and my mother have already told you more than how many times, I want you to study hard, get fame in the future, and become a big official." ”

"The child doesn't want to be a big official, you and your uncles and uncles often scold the big officials, and the big officials are not good things!"

The middle-aged man sighed and said: "However, when you become a big official, you can eat well, dress well, live well, and even the mother-in-law you marry is all beautiful, don't you want to have it on such a day?"

When it comes to eating well, dressing well, and living well, children who don't know much at a young age innocently ask: "Is it possible to eat as much rock sugar gourd as you want?"

Several men laughed in unison.

"Silly boy, what is the rock sugar gourd, the world's delicacies, you can eat as much as you want!!"

"Oh, my mother, I have so many benefits for becoming a great official?!" the child wondered.

A few croppers who had been busy for half their lives smiled and said nothing.

Becoming that great official is, of course, of course, of all, of great benefits to himself, but if he is not an official properly, he will bring countless calamities to the people.

It's just that who doesn't want to be a big official?

Zhao Que was still smiling, but he sighed in his heart.

"Little brother, since you don't want us to call you sir, but you are a scholar after all, and you don't know how much higher your status is than us bitter farmers! ”

Zhao Que said: "If you resign in the next place, you just don't give face to the big brothers, just Mr. Xiao, just Mr. Xiao, and you should be shameless under it." ”

Not only the middle-aged man laughed, but even the other men who followed him also laughed in unison.

What a beautiful person to talk about!

The child seems to have been said by his father, and suddenly felt that the benefits of being a big official are endless, and he must have a good student to study, and he will be famous in the future, be hired by the imperial court, and become a big official in the future.

The middle-aged man said: "Sir, my name is Liu Dasheng, this is my family, if you don't worry, I will hand over the thin horse to my second brother, and the second brother will give Mr. Xiao's horse and feed him well." ”

After some talking, the relationship between him and Zhao Que quickly became closer.

Zhao Que smiled and put the reins in the hands of Liu Dasheng's second brother, and followed Liu Dasheng into the house.

"Mother-in-law!"

As soon as he entered the house, Liu Dasheng shouted.

A middle-aged woman walked out of the kitchen, and at first glance, she saw her man holding the child, and said angrily: "He is so old, what are you still holding him for? ”

"Oh, we are so old that we have such a baby, how can we do it if we don't love it?"

From the words of the two, Zhao Que knew that since the couple got married, they had not had children for many years, and finally had a male baby with pigtails a few years ago.

This boy's name is Liu Xuezhi, and it is a good name that Liu Dasheng exchanged for a bag of rice.

Liu Xuezhi was born smart, at the age of four or five, in a private school, he can learn as soon as he learns, and he is often praised by his husband.

It's a little bit of a temperament, and he is often beaten and scolded by women, Liu Dasheng is reluctant, Liu Xuezhi is the life and root of the old Liu family, and it hurts him when he bumps into it, don't look at the right person to beat Liu Xuezhi's ass, the strength in his hand is well controlled!

Seeing that his mother was displeased, Liu Xuezhi struggled to slide out of his father's arms, ran to the woman's side, pointed at Zhao Que and shouted: "Mother, look! We brought back a little gentleman!"

The woman had already seen Zhao Que, but it was brought back by her own man, she was extremely confident in her man's life, and knew that the young man who could be brought home by him must be fine, and it would not be Zhao's bold dog leg in the mountains.

The middle-aged woman wiped the water stains on her hands on her apron and said with a smile: "Little gentleman, please sit down, drink some tea first, I'll go cook the vegetables, and the little gentleman will taste my craftsmanship." ”

Liu Dasheng smiled and asked: "Mother-in-law, the little gentleman is coming to the house, I will drink some wine with the little gentleman, isn't it too much?"

The woman is also a good person, "It's not too much, of course it's not too much, the little gentleman has traveled a long way, right? Before drinking tea, why don't you go to my side room and wash up?!"

Zhao Que replied: "Thank you big brother and sister-in-law, Xiaosheng is bothered." ”

There was hot water at home, and the man found a big bucket and filled it for Zhao Que, then turned around with a smile and closed the door.

Zhao Que took off his clothes and thought, this is the honest and simple people, how can they endure it and make them suffer and suffer?!

This place seems to be peaceful, however, it will not be long before it will be said, once the war is ignited, it will spread to the entire Great Xia, the small farm, Mo said that his own small life, he can't hide.

Wash up and clean.

The man put his own clothes aside in advance, and he put them on, and when he was older, he had a warm dress to wear, and it was not easy to care, so he went out of the room with the dirty clothes he had changed.

Liu Dasheng was waiting for him in the courtyard, and when he saw Zhao Que who was washed clean and showed his true face, he sighed.

The woman heard her man's exclamation and ran out of the kitchen.

When she saw Zhao Que, she was also full of praise.

Such a young man with Zhong Lingyu and abundant gods is the first time the couple have seen each other.

The most handsome young man in the village, compared with Zhao Que, is simply a stinky stone in the pit, not worth mentioning.

When Liu Xuezhi saw Zhao Que, he wondered, "Daddy, is there another person in our family?"

Liu Dasheng touched Liu Xuezhi's little head and said with a smile: "Who is an outsider, he is Mr. Xiao." ”

The man hurriedly said: "Come into the house and sit, there is a fire in the house, warm!"

The woman dragged Zhao Que's dirty clothes over: "Mr. Xiao has tea with my man, and the dirty clothes will be washed for you after I finish cooking." ”

Zhao Que said politely: "It's good to wash yourself in the next, how dare you bother your sister-in-law." ”

"Oh, what's polite, Mr. Xiao is the same as going back to his own home, you're welcome. ”

Liu Dasheng dragged Zhao Que into the house: "Outside the village, I mistook Mr. Xiao for Zhao Daring's fine work, but now I look at it, how can Zhao Daring be worthy of Mr. Xiao! Zhao Daring is almost the same as a dog leg for Mr. Xiao." ”

In front of the house, Zhao Que saw bacon and some vegetables in the yard.

I know that this is the rule of the village, whoever has a guest will send some food from home.

Sit down.

Liu Dasheng poured tea for Zhao Que.

Liu Xuezhi held the book and looked at Zhao Que curiously.

Zhao Que asked, "Little guy, what have you been watching me do?"

Liu Xuezhi shy hidden, and said: "Second uncle, they are amazed that the daughter of Liu Dayang's family is a fairy who walked down from the painting, and the little gentleman is better looking than Liu Dayang's daughter, isn't it a real fairy who flew down from the sky?"

Liu Dasheng smacked and felt that what Liu Xuezhi said was also good.

Zhao Que is so good-looking, a man who has to live in the village all his life, where have I seen it!

"You are wrong, Foreign Minister Zhuang is more handsome than me, there are countless men, there is a chance, learn to go out and see, see the world. ”

Liu Dasheng invited Zhao Que to drink tea: "We are destined to be croppers facing the loess with our backs to the sky all our lives, how can we have the opportunity to see the world? ”

Zhao Que asked, "Where did the big brothers who came with us go?"

"Oh, they, each family has its own business, Mr. Xiao is discovered by learning, eating and staying at my house is the rule set by the village, Mr. Xiao, please see, they just sent food, talk about their hearts, Mr. Xiao don't feel that they have neglected Mr. Xiao!"

Liu Dasheng explained.

Zhao Que hurriedly stood up, hugged his fists and said: "Where does the eldest brother say, if you can leave Zhao Que to wash and eat, it is a great kindness to Zhao Que, how can you think of other things!"

"Sit down! Sit down! Oh, little sir, I don't know a single word, and I admire scholars the most in my life, but the rules of reading people make my head big. ”

Zhao Que could only sit down with a smile and toast Liu Dasheng with a cup of tea.

There are a lot of people in the village.

From outside the village to Liu Dasheng's house, everyone in the township greeted them.

In the past, it was not that there were no outsiders who went to the village to find a place to live, and when they saw Zhao Que, they were accustomed to it, and they were not surprised.

"That'...... Zhao Que won't talk to his eldest brother more about etiquette?" Zhao Que said with a smile.

Liu Dasheng said: "Didn't you say it all, Mr. Xiao regards this place as his home, you're welcome." ”

"Big brother, don't call Mr. Xiao anymore, just call Zhao Que with a lot of shame. ”

"Okay! Big brother likes to go straight!"

Liu Dasheng asked, "Are you from Nanyangzhou?"

"Well, Nanyang Bluestone City. Zhao Que nodded back.

"Some time ago, there were passers-by here, and I heard them say that the people of Nanyang can't stand the uprising?" asked Liu Dasheng worriedly.

It's no wonder that he isn't worried.

Nanyangzhou to Zhuangli, feel far away, wolf smoke together, maybe when it will burn here.

Zhao Que thought for a while and replied: "When I came out of my home study tour, I heard a once-in-a-century snowstorm, and countless people couldn't survive, so they raised the banner of righteousness to make a living for themselves and their families. ”

"Alas, the same bitter haha people, their situation I can understand, Liujiazhuang is also in recent years to get better, a few years ago, locust plagues, floods one after another, the villagers really can't get by, with the family to go out to find a way to live, I and a few brothers, also know a little kung fu, every day up the mountain to get some game, chop wood, subsidize the family. ”

Liu Dasheng paused, stared at Zhao Que and asked, "By the way, those officials and masters in Nanyangzhou didn't open a warehouse to release grain?"

"I don't know. ”

Zhao Que shook his head.

"By the way, you have been studying for a long time, and it is understandable that you don't understand the things in your hometown, but Nanyang is in chaos, why do you still have the heart to continue walking? Don't you worry about your family?"

Liu Dasheng was a little suspicious.

Zhao Que replied: "Big brother doesn't know, my parents died early, and my aunt raised me to adulthood, and when I came out, my aunt also left." ”

"Where did you go?"

"Donghai! Nanyangzhou's taxes are too heavy, even if there is no snow disaster, the people are also living a difficult life, I discussed with my aunt, I came out to study abroad, and later to get famous, my aunt went to the East China Sea, went to relatives. ”

"Speaking of the East China Sea, don't look at the eldest brother who has been in Liujiazhuang for a long time, and has never been far away, but I have also heard passers-by say that the so-called relying on the mountains to eat the mountains, relying on the water to draft water, the East China Sea is really a place of ointment, and the people there live much better than us. ”

Zhao Que's head should be: "The eldest brother said well, the East China Sea is vast, and the fisherman can feed the family by fishing for a living. ”

Liu Dasheng listened to it and asked, "What about bad luck?"

Zhao Que sighed: "Either killed by the Haikou or swallowed by the waves in the sea, not to mention, there are often people who practice martial arts in the East China Sea to do evil, even if it is a fishing family that is passing by, there will be no one left in the family who will be killed by the vicious people." ”

"Oh, doesn't it mean that the East China Sea is more dangerous than us?"

"It's been much better these years, the East China Sea division of the imperial court is responsible for clearing out the sea bandits, and with the East China Sea division here, the people who practice martial arts have converged a lot. ”

"Hmph, the government has also done a few good things. ”

Zhao Que asked: "I heard the eldest brother mention a person named Zhao Daring, who is this person?"

Liu Dasheng gritted his teeth instantly: "Zhao Daring should be cut with a thousand knives, we don't know where Zhao Daring came from, only in the middle of last year, this person took a group of bandits and chose a mountain not far from the village as a cottage, and often came down the mountain to ask for money, food and women in the village.

Zhao Daring is highly skilled, and his minions are not ordinary, a few people died in the village, and they were forced to retreat.

Who knows, this year, another group of bandits took refuge in Zhao Daring, this person suffered a loss in our Liujiazhuang, should be a little fearful, but Zhoujiazhuang near Liujiazhuang suffered a disaster, a lot of Zhoujiazhuang's money and food were robbed by Zhao Daring, and many people died, women don't need to say much, it will definitely be no good thing if it falls into the hands of Zhao Daring!!"

He took a sip of tea and eased his throat.

"Last month, Zhao Daring sent his subordinates to infiltrate our Liujiazhuang, wanting to find out the details of the village, but we found out and beat them out. ”

Zhao Que nodded suddenly: "So, when I arrived outside the village, the eldest brother also recognized me as Zhao Daring's fine work?"

Liu Dasheng said: "Exactly, there was originally someone on duty outside the village, this is not the meal, change the person on duty, I went to find Xuezhi, who was disobedient and sneaked out of the house to play, and met Brother Zhao." ”