That year, Ah Zhong was ten years old.

The street where he lived was originally called Longque Street, which was noble and auspicious. But later it fell into disrepair, and it was called Bird Street by the people. Hidden inside are thieves, spillers, and people who do illegal business.

This is the most desperate lawless place in Huangzhou City. The soldiers never patrolled the area, and the white families avoided it, and even the dogs knew how to take a detour when they got to the side of the street, because they knew that not only would they not be able to get food, but they would become meat in people's pots.

From the fifteenth household in the east, there is a big mulberry tree in front of the door, which is Ah Zhong's home.

Ah Zhong was dressed in gray and washed white, with patches stacked on top of him. And the strange thing is that such a poor person has a lot of books on display in his home. Not to mention the Four Books and Five Classics, even the latest policy treatises, the compilation of the courtiers' excerpts, and even the monthly commentary are all available.

Ah Zhong's daily work is to read and write. If he came across a word he didn't know or a sentence he didn't understand, he wrote it down on a piece of paper, and then walked twenty miles to a school in the west of the city to consult a gentleman who liked to chat.

Of course, this often invites ridicule from the students.

But his mother told him that in order to study, this hardship was nothing. Because as long as you study hard, you will have everything in the future. There is a golden house in the book, Yan Ruyu in the book, and many cars and horses in the book.

Reading can change your fate. Ah Zhong is convinced of this.

Ah Zhong's mother used to be a prostitute, but she was ransomed by a military man and became a good person. But I never expected that within a few days of the good days, the soldier was killed in the battle during the expedition to Qinghai, and a little pension money was also deducted by the commander.

Women can only move with their children to the most dilapidated and lowly places in the city. She doesn't know anything but to do laundry for a living.

Wash a hundred pieces of clothing for a penny.

But she firmly believes in one thing: her son is the dragon and phoenix among people, and he will always soar into the sky in the future. Therefore, a woman would rather faint with hunger, but also pull some money out of her teeth to read and write for her son.

Ah Zhong is indeed very competitive, and he learns everything quickly. But he is a child, envious of the free life outside. He also wanted to fly kites, play sandbags, and smoke spinning tops.

But it's too extravagant.

One day, Ah Zhong was writing in the house as usual, and suddenly saw a child about his age lying on the mulberry tree outside the window. The boy also looked at him and asked, "Nerd, what do you write?"

Ah Zhong said: "I'm not a fool. I am writing the words of a saint. ”

The boy smiled, "Is the word of a saint worthy of this?" and threw a bunch of fresh mulberry fruits into the courtyard.

Ah Zhong picked it up, wiped it and put it in his mouth, and a sweet spring seemed to grow on his tongue. In an instant, he forgot all his sorrows.

The child in the tree asked, "What's your name?"

"Ah Zhong, what about you?"

"My name is Zheng Ergou, and I live next door to your house, why have I never seen you go out?"

"My mother won't let me go out. ”

"That's no problem. Zheng Ergou shrugged. "But don't worry, I'll come here to pick mulberry fruits for you to eat when I have time. With that, he jumped swiftly from the tree, and a phrase came from outside the wall, "See you another day!"

In the evening, the mother came back with her tired body in tow. When she saw Ah Zhong, she suddenly picked up the laundry stick without saying a word, and beat him up with her head and face.

While fighting, the mother asked, "Do you know what is wrong?"

Ah Zhong was stunned, he really didn't know. But the mother cried so sadly that he had no choice but to say, "The child knows that he is wrong!"

It turned out that Sango left purple juice on the side of his lips, and just by this glance, his mother knew that he had not studied well today.

The stick hit her son, and the mother's heart was dripping blood.

But she didn't let it go, she wanted Ah Zhong to associate play with pain forever, and she wanted to seam this fear into the depths of his soul.

Son, don't blame my mother, my mother is doing this for your own good.

Early the next morning, Ah Zhong went out. He had a few bruises on his face and dark circles under his eyes. In order to make up for the mistakes he made by being playful, he read books all night.

Zheng Ergou looked at him from a distance and said in surprise: "Nerd, what's wrong with you?"

Ah Zhong shook his head: "I'm fine." ”

He thought for a moment and asked, "I'm going to Hutai Academy to ask Mr. Will you come with me?"

Zheng Ergou looked at Ah Zhong, who was covered in bruises, and nodded. Along the way, Ergou told Ah Zhong some jokes and told him what he had seen and heard in the market, and the road was not so difficult.

More than half a year has passed. Suddenly, one day, my mother fell ill and was very serious. It's a matter of time, and no woman can endure such intense labor.

Ah Zhong took a lot of money to buy medicine, and Ergou naturally still accompanied him. But before he left this finch street, a few scoundrels suddenly flashed on the way.

They are the most well-informed, knowing that Ah Zhong's mother is sick and must have money in their hands.

The leader said to him: "Boy, you hand over the money, kneel on the ground and kowtow to me three times, and respectfully call grandpa, and I will let you go!"

Ah Zhong said: "I can kneel: Heaven and Earth Monarch is also a teacher." What are you, and do you deserve it?"

Splashy knocked Ah Zhong to the ground with a backhand, pointed at him and scolded: "Little bastard, what are you pretending to be high with Lao Tzu? Do you know what your mother does? It's Sister Yao! A bitch who can prostitute for money! The money in your hand is also earned by her selling herself, hurry up and bring it to Lao Tzu."

Ah Zhong said loudly: "You talk nonsense, you are not allowed to scold my mother!"

A few splashes came up and punched and kicked him, but he threw and clung to the money.

At this time, only to hear a loud roar, Zheng Ergou picked up a stone out of nowhere, and rushed towards the splash skin like crazy.

The leader scolded: "Little bastard, you ......"

Before he finished speaking, he was hit hard in the chest. Splashes are people who bully the weak and are afraid of the hard, even if they are crazy children, they don't dare to fight head-on.

After throwing down a few cruel words, Splashy ran away. Zheng Ergou, whose face was covered with blood, pulled Ah Zhong up and said, "Let's go, I have to give your mother some medicine." ”

And Ah Zhong, this hard-hearted child, wept.

He loved his mother, but now he was full of hatred.

Although he didn't know much about the meaning of the word prostitute, he knew that it was clearly written in the book: prostitutes are lowly and their descendants will not be able to become officials for the rest of their lives.

It doesn't matter how many books you read.

The fate of man is often decided by small things. If Ah Zhong hadn't been beaten that day, he wouldn't have been able to meet the person who looked like a housekeeper, and his life would have changed.

He may become an ordinary Mr. Word Measurement and live an ordinary life. When looking back on the past suffering one day, he smiled indifferently.

But God seems to have deliberately beaten him, and fulfilled him in an almost cruel way, the person who looked like a housekeeper was called Gong Qing, dressed in a precious sable fur, and came from the Qin Palace.