Zhang Qian knocked on the door knocker twice, and an old man greeted the four of them, saw Li Shi, and asked, "Xiao Yuan, who is this person?" Yuan Guotian said: "The friends I met on the road, come and stay for a few days." The old man waved his hand and said, "This is not good, the old man does not allow anyone to come into the house." Yuan Guotian hurriedly said: "Uncle Liu don't worry, I'll tell the master." ”

Walking into the house, I saw that the courtyard wall was high, there were many houses around the courtyard, and there was a road in the north, and there seemed to be a wall courtyard behind. The four of them walked along the corridor and walked into a room in the west, Yuan Guotian and the four of them opened the door and went in, only to see Sibi Xiaoran, except for a big bed, a table and three chairs, nothing else, the table was full of things, Yuan Guotian said: "Brother Li will rest here for a while, and the three of us will go to the master to make an errand." Li Shiying said: "Brother Yuan, please." ”

Yuan Guotian and the three of them went to the backyard, Li Shi closed the door, put the burden on the bed, and thought secretly: "It seems that it is not convenient for Brother Yuan to be here, so it is better to wait for them to come back and leave." ”

After waiting for a while, Yuan Guotian and the three of them still did not return, Li Shi felt depressed, and opened the door again, just a woman passed by in front of the door, twenty-three or four years old, pink shirt and plain skirt, graceful posture, shaped like a lotus flower in water, fresh and refined, elegant and fragrant, followed by a maid. The woman was stunned when she saw Li Shi, and asked, "Who are you? Why haven't you seen it?" Li Shi said apologetically: "I am a friend of Yuan Guotian of your mansion, wait for a while and leave." The woman gave a salute: "It turned out that it was a guest, why should I leave in a hurry, since I came, I will stay for two more days, my father is also a hospitable person." Li Shi said blankly: "I don't know who Ling Zun is?" The maid behind him laughed and said: "This is our young lady, the daughter of Du Mansion." The woman sneered, "Little Cui has a lot of mouth!" The little girl stuck out her tongue and said no more. Li Shizuo said: "It turned out to be Miss Du, Xiaosheng was rude." Miss Du returned the courtesy: "Son, polite!"

While speaking, Shi Taiping walked over from the backyard and stepped forward to bow, "I've seen Miss." Miss Du asked, "Is there something wrong?" Shi Taiping pointed at Li Shi and said, "The master asked Brother Li to come over." Li Shi was puzzled: "What! Your master wants to see me! But is there something?" Shi Taiping said: "Brother Li will know in the past." Li Shi looked confused, and Miss Du said, "Why don't we go together, the little girl is also about to go to her father's place." After saying that, he walked to the backyard, Li Shi had no choice but to follow behind.

Walking to the backyard, Li Shi only felt that his eyes were bright, the huge yard was full of various colors of begonias, nearly half of them were blooming, and the fragrance was pleasant. The top of the courtyard is erected with wooden branches, climbing dense maple vines, covering most of the courtyard, walking through the promenade, and potted flowers and trees are also placed on both sides. I didn't have time to look at it for a long time, I had already entered the south house, and I saw a long painting hanging in the main hall, in which a treacherous cliff stood by the sea, and a sheep intestine path on the top of the cliff led to a forest in the distance, and there was a man on the edge of the forest who wanted to go along the road, and a tiger was lying in wait in the forest. Li Shi felt that this painting was extremely strange, slightly eerie and terrifying, the tone of the brush in the painting was sluggish, and the sea was even more choppy. Li Shi secretly thought that this Du Shuming was the owner of this mansion, and saw a man in his fifties sitting in the middle of the painting, with three beards and a beautiful beard, and a medium build, Yuan Guotian stood aside and said to Li Shi: "Brother Li, this is our master!"

Li Shi stepped forward and bowed: "Junior Li Shi, meet Master Du!" The middle-aged man looked at Li Shi for a while, but when he saw that he was dressed plainly and had a scholarly spirit, he secretly said: "What a handsome young man!" Make a gesture: "No need to be polite, Li Gongzi stares at this painting, but what is the high theory?"

"The younger generation is only shallow, so what to say. ”

"Let's talk about it. ”

Li Shi hesitated for a moment: "Between the mountains and rivers in this painting, it is plain and unremarkable, but the brushwork is strong, and it is ...... It's just cold on paper. When the old man paints, he should be in a state of panic and indignation. Master Du smiled slightly, and before he could speak, Miss Du said: "How can Li Gongzi see that this painting is made by my father?" Li Shi secretly thought: "This Du Shuming is really the master of the house." Hug his fists and said: "This painting is not a first-class product, it is not a famous thing, but it can be hung here, and it should be made by the master of the house." However, Master Du is not hanging here to show off, what is the meaning in it, but unfortunately the younger generation has limited knowledge and does not know the mystery in the painting!"

After Li Shi finished speaking, the young lady chuckled at Du Shuming and said, "Daddy, it seems that your painting skills really dare not be complimented!" Du Shuming smiled: "Daddy Danqing is clumsy, everyone knows, Li Gongzi can see through it at a glance, and he has left a lot of face between his words." Li Shiwei was frightened and apologized: "The younger generation is studying in the countryside, the teacher likes to paint, and often talks about it, and the younger generation learns one or two." Just now, he didn't choose what to say, and he made a reckless comment, so don't take it to heart. Du Shuming waved his hand and said, "Li Gongzi doesn't need to be polite. After a pause, he said: "Two days ago, the son drank back the robbers on the road, so that Xiao Yuan and the three of them were safe and sound, and the old man was grateful!"

Li Shi remembered that when Yuan Guotian was robbed, he was afraid that the scriptures he brought would be lost, and today Du Shuming personally thanked the three subordinates, such a master and servant, which is admirable, and said calmly: "The master is polite, and helping others is also helping yourself." Miss Du Jia stood aside, and when she heard this, she was puzzled: "Daddy, what are you talking about robbers?" Du Shuming said: "A few days ago, Daddy asked Xiao Yuan to go to Tianwang Temple to make a vow, and borrowed a few scriptures from Zen Master Wuwen to read, and I didn't want to meet robbers on the way back, thanks to Li Gongzi's rescue." Miss Du Jia's face was full of astonishment when she heard this, and she was surprised: "I didn't expect that the son is still a chivalrous man, the little woman is clumsy and disrespectful!" Li Shi hurriedly waved his hand: "It's not a chivalrous man in the rivers and lakes, it's just a cloth cloth, and the young lady is lifted." Du Shuming smiled: "This is the little girl Du Tingfang, I don't know where the son's home is?" Li Shi hesitated for a moment and said: "The younger Liaodong clan." ”

Everyone was slightly taken aback when they heard this, Yuan Guotian originally thought that Li Shi was from the surrounding area of Youzhou. Du Shuming wondered: "Li Gongzi lives far away in Liaodong, how did he get here?" Li Shi hesitated, let out a long sigh, and said: "The parents of the younger generation are dead, and they have wandered here, disturbing everyone's purity, and please atone for your sins." After that, he bowed to Yuan Guotian and said, "Brother Yuan, my brother has deceived me on the road, please forgive me!"

It turned out that Yuan Guotian intended to let Li Shi play in Du Mansion for two days, so he told Du Shuming about the encounter with Li Shi on the road, Du Shuming thought that someone could scare the robbers away quietly, and they must be people with great status, or even related to robbers. But when he saw that he was not dressed like a wealthy family, and the quality of his words was not like being reckless, when he reported to the Liaodong people, the death of his parents was the most unexpected, but he questioned under pity: "Li Gongzi, Du heard Xiao Yuan say, the robber seemed to know something important about you that day, so he stopped and retreated, I don't know what the son is carrying?" Li Shi secretly thought that the other party should suspect that he was related to the robbers, and said in a deep voice: " The reason for this matter has to start with my father, who was a doctor before his death, and had cured a bandit leader when he was in his hometown in Liaodong, and what the robbers saw on the road that day was a token given by the leader, and he didn't want to save everyone's lives. Yuan Zhangshi and the three of them only then knew the origin of the copper piece, Du Shuming was relieved when he heard this, and said: "It's really fate, those robbers also know how to repay the favor, I don't know what the son plans to do in the future?" Yuan Guotian also said on the side: "Brother don't worry, as long as there is a bite for me to eat in Ye County, I won't be hungry brother." ”

When Li Shi was in the countryside, he didn't make many friends, but after listening to Yuan Guotian's words, he felt very cordial, and said slowly: "The younger generation wants to ask for a job to do first, so as to avoid the worry of livelihood, and then make plans for other things." Du Tingfang said on the side: "Daddy, there is a shortage of flower workers in the house, why don't you let Li Gongzi take care of those begonias?"

"Yes, fifty dollars a month, I wonder if Li Gongzi is willing?"

"Brother Li, you don't know where to go, so it's okay to be here, and my brother can help you when you can't get busy. ”

"Let Li Gongzi decide for himself. ”

Li Shi bowed down and said: "The old man loves him, the younger generation can't ask for it, the kid is named Li Shi, and he doesn't dare to be called a son!"

Everyone was happy, Du Shuming ordered Zhang Qianduo and Shi Taiping to clean up a west room for Li Shi to live in, and Yuan Guotian took Li Shi outside to buy some daily necessities, and everything was already dusk.

Early the next morning, Li Shi walked around the backyard alone, only to see that these begonia flowers have different varieties, some are as tall as small trees, and some are like chrysanthemums, the branches and leaves are short, but the flowers are just as gorgeous. A few flower branches like willow, as if hanging down, in the middle of a bamboo-like branch and leaf on top of a few light white petals, Li Shi couldn't help but reach out to caress it, but heard a delicate voice said: "Be careful!" I saw Du Tingfang coming from the side, Li Shi felt a pain in his fingers, and saw a few thin thorns hidden on the weak flower branches, I didn't care to look at it, I bowed my head and said: "Miss morning!" It is strange to say, Li Shi suddenly felt sad and almost wanted to cry, Du Tingfang saw it in his eyes and asked: "Was it stabbed!" Li Shi nodded, and Du Tingfang said: "This flower is called the thought of the perch, and anyone who is stabbed by the thorns on it will cry, and they will be as sad and sad as when they are homesick." ”

"Is there such a thing? Could it be that this thorn is poisonous?"

"Daddy said that if you only stab one or two times, it will be fine, and you will be fine in an hour, but if you stab too much, it will be harmful to your body. ”