* The worker raised the oar, and the awning boat swayed leisurely and slowly. He thought a lot about the plan! Send Zhang Yuan back to the mountains first. "
When the black-topped boat arrived outside the water gate of Kuaiji, it turned to another waterway and headed west to the mountains. At this time, the sky became darker and darker, and the north wind blew harder. The cabin was as dark as a curtain, and the bamboo canopy on the top of the boat was covered with
The biting north wind was making a crackling sound. Wu Ling, who was sitting next to the cabin door, had just finished the last mouthful of noodle soup in his bowl and was smacking his lips after savoring it. The thick door curtain was blown open by the wind with a "whoosh" sound.
, and then closed it again. Wu Ling felt his face was cold. Looking at the bowl, there were a few crystal snow flowers slowly melting - "It's snowing, it's snowing again."
Wu Ling shouted, put down his bowl and chopsticks, poked his head out of the hatch curtain, looked at the snow falling in the air, and said to Gongsun Shao, who was rocking the oar, "Uncle, it's snowing."
Then Gongsun said: "You kids like snow, right? We don't like it very much. This winter is too cold and the fruit trees will freeze to death. Next year, you won't be able to eat any oranges."
Wu Ling exclaimed: "The trees will freeze to death, so that's not the case."
Shao Gongsun: "It's hard to say."
Wang Siren heard the conversation between Wu Ling and Shao Gongsun and sighed: "In the thirteenth year of Wanli, there was a severe drought in the capital. The emperor walked more than ten miles to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain. However, in recent years, natural disasters have continued, either floods or droughts.
Or locusts, or floods and droughts, and droughts and locusts, and a swarm of rats crosses the river and eats the crops in the people's fields. The emperor is indifferent, and even the memorial for the relief is delayed. This is
The national destiny is getting worse and worse before our eyes."
Zhang Yuan asked cautiously: "Teacher, what is the reason why the emperor has not come to court for many years?"
Wang Siren said: "There are many reasons, such as being angry with the ministers, being too fat and too lazy to move, being sick with gout, and so on." He didn't want to talk to Zhang Yuan about the word ban, so he turned to talk about the famine: "Four years ago, I was in Xi'an Prefecture.
When Ping County was the magistrate, there was a severe drought. When the government distributed money and food for disaster relief, the people starved to death or fled. Only by calling on local wealthy households and organizing charity warehouses could we barely survive."
Zhang Yuandao: "Teacher, students know that there are sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn in Fujian that are resistant to severe cold and drought. They are suitable for planting in mountainous areas. Just sow seeds and there will be a harvest next year. Although there is no rice and wheat is valuable, in the event of drought, it can satisfy the people's hunger and prolong their lives.
, especially Shaanxi, which has two droughts in three years, is most suitable for planting these drought-tolerant crops."
Wang Siren nodded and said: "I've heard about this too. It seems to be a seed passed down from Luzon and Java. Potatoes in the capital are called potato. It is indeed drought-resistant and easy to grow, but no one has grown it in Shaanxi.
It is not something that local officials can promote if they want. Those landowners with thousands of acres of land are only willing to grow rice and wheat that can be sold for money. In the prosperous land of Jiangnan, many fertile fields do not even grow rice or wheat, but instead grow melons and fruits.
Plant mulberry and hemp whatever is valuable. If there is a famine, there will be no food left."
Zhang Yuan thought: "It's just like other places. Shaanxi must vigorously promote the cultivation of sweet potato and jade.
As long as rice can fill their stomachs, people like Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, and Zhang Xianzhong cannot incite so many peasants to rebel. Of course, the demise of the Ming Dynasty was not due to the lack of promotion of sweet potatoes, land annexation, official corruption, and constant party strife.
The main reason is that relying on sweet potatoes to save the country is obviously a bit absurd, but promoting sweet potatoes is definitely an effective shortcut to delay the outbreak of the crisis." He said: "Sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn do not need to occupy fertile land, they can be planted on hillsides and wasteland, and teachers can become officials.
At this time, we still need to work harder to promote it.”
Wang Siren was a little surprised that Zhang Yuan was so solemn about sweet potatoes, but it was obviously a good thing for Zhang Yuan to care about current affairs. Which scholar nowadays cares about these things? He smiled and said: "I am idle at home, and my reputation is not as good as yours now. You work hard."
Let’s take the imperial examination as soon as possible and become an official, and specialize in promoting sweet potato cultivation, haha.”
Wang Yingzi also started laughing, looked at Zhang Yuan and said, "Magistrate Fanshu County."
There is no way, I can only talk about it for this reason. He really has to do this step by step by himself. Nowadays, people are talking lightly, and no one takes it seriously. Although Teacher Wang has a concern for the people, he never expected it.
The Ming Dynasty only lasted for thirty years, and Jiangnan is now prosperous. Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "When students take the imperial examination and become officials, the sweet potato seeds will be rotten and gone."
After chatting and laughing, the boat arrived at Bashi Bridge in Shanyin County. Bashi Bridge was not far from Fuxue Palace. Zhang Yuan said: "Teacher, students can disembark here."
Wang Siren said: "Well, you go ahead. One article a day on art and one article every two days on ancient prose will suffice. In addition, you should read more poems and learn to write. With the basic skills of eight-legged writing, writing poems should not be difficult.
Yes, Mr. Qidong of Dashan Temple appreciates you very much, and you can always go to him for advice. Don't worry, I don't have any sectarian opinions."
Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Students are still willing to ask Mr. Zhen'an for advice, and they can learn a lot of knowledge beyond books."
Wang Siren smiled and waved his hand: "Go ahead and be careful on the road."
Zhang Yuan saluted Wang Siren with folded hands, and bowed to Wang Yingzi in return. Looking at Zhang Yuan, the two Wuling chief planners jumped ashore and waved goodbye to the ship. The snow in the sky seemed to be headed specifically for Zhang Yuan.
Heading straight to Zhang Yuan's head and falling on his shoulders, Wang Yingzi said to her father Wang Siren: "Dad, the snow is getting heavier and heavier. We don't have an umbrella on the boat."
Wang Siren said deliberately: "I have one, I will keep it for my father to use."
Wang Yingzi blushed and bit her mouth. When she looked through the window, Zhang Yuan had already retreated and ran up the Bashi Bridge towards Fuxue Palace, with Xiao Xinu Wuling following closely behind.
.
After walking for more than a mile, Zhang Yuan ran home in one breath, entered the bamboo gate, stamped his feet under the eaves of the verandah, stamped off the snow on the edges of his leather shoes, shook his head and shook his head, "Hanzhong, shook off the snow on his shoulders, Wuling also
Learn from Mr. Yan's example of shaking off the snow. When they look at each other, there is only a little wet mark, which shows that the weather is cold and the snow is not easy to melt.
Back in the inner courtyard, Zhang's mother, Lu, quickly ordered the cook to heat up food for Zhang Yuan and the two of them. Of course, the bowl of noodles on board was not enough.
Shi Shuang moved a red charcoal brazier to the study room in the west building and placed it under the desk. Zhang Yuan stepped on both sides of the brazier while copying small regular script. His legs were warm and his whole body was warm. While practicing calligraphy, he occasionally raised his head.
Look outside the door. The snow is so dense that you can’t see the south building on the other side of the patio. The breath is like clouds.
Yuan gave her three coins and asked her to go to the shoe shop to customize it. Thinking about the way Mu Zhenzhen was washing her feet by the well that day and her feet were red, Zhang Yuan still feels that her feet are cold and snowy, and the snow tightens and slows down intermittently.
In the afternoon of the next day, the snow in the back garden was two feet thick. Zhang's mother, Lu, said: "This is the first time I have seen such heavy snow. It's not even the twelfth lunar month yet."
At the end of the day, the snow finally stopped. Wu Ling, Tu Ting and Shitou brothers were making snowmen and playing in the back garden. Zhang Yuan was warming himself by the fire in his study, making eight-part essays and writing ancient prose.
I can talk about it, but I don’t know what to write in ancient prose. I have to express my feelings. It is quite difficult to write an article in two days. I have some experience in the past life, but I can’t write it. After thinking about it, I might as well write a policy theory, similar to Jia Yi’s "On the Passage of Qin".
Su Shi's "Liuhou Lun" is also one of the ancient texts. It can give full play to its own insights, and can also use the past to satirize the present and criticize the current shortcomings. The little girl Tu Ting may have been taught by Yi Ting, don't be greedy for fun, be timely.
Good young master, so after playing for a while, he came back and poked his head in a bun next to the study door, asking: "Master, do you have any instructions?" After Zhang Yuan said "nothing," he ran back to play, and after about two moments,
Sometimes he would poke his head out and ask like this.
This time, footsteps sounded again, and Zhang Yuan thought to himself: "Why do you ask so frequently? I haven't written a few words yet." Without raising his head, he said: "It's okay, go and have fun with you."
But Mu Zhenzhen said in a shy voice: "Young Master——"
Zhang Yuan raised his head and saw Mu Zhenzhen standing outside the door, with his head wrapped in a kerchief, wearing a green silk narrow-collared long coat and long skirt. He was all green, and the white snow on the patio behind him was reflected clearly and picturesquely.
Zhang Yuan beckoned: "Come in really."
Mu Zhenzhen entered the study. Zhang Yuan looked at her feet. She was wearing a pair of gray and black felt boots. The Ming Dynasty's clothing system only allowed officials and those with meritorious status to wear leather boots. Common people were only allowed to wear leather boots or felt boots.
But since the Jiajing period, these class regulations have become ineffective. Common people and merchants all wear straight-seam leather boots. Zhang E and Zhang Yuan have no fame, so they can wear white leather boots. However, the fallen people have the lowest status after all, and no one dares to wear leather boots.
Yes, you can wear felt boots. Felt boots were introduced to the Central Plains by the ancient Méng people. They are not as good-looking as leather boots, but they are better in protection against cold. Zhang Yuan saw that the felt boots on Mu Zhenzhen’s feet were spotless and had no traces of moisture, so he asked:
"Did you really fly here? How could your shoes not get wet in such thick snow?" She sounded a little unhappy as she suspected that the fallen girl had just put on straw sandals when she came here.
Mu Zhenzhen said hurriedly: "Master, this maid is wearing my father's straw sandals over her felt boots, so that her boots won't get wet."
Zhang Yuandao: "Didn't you lie to me?"
Mu Zhenzhen said: "No, I don't dare. The snow is so heavy, and I'm not a fool who doesn't know the heat or cold." After saying that, he took out a coin and put it on the corner of the desk, and said: "Master, I'm making felt boots."
Two denarii, and one denarius left.”
Zhang Yuan was too lazy to argue with her, put down his pen and said, "Let's go play in the snow in the back garden together. We are tired of reading and writing."
After the snow, the backyard was completely different. The snow was as thick as felt, and every step of the way made a hole in the snow. Wu Ling and Brother Shitou built a five-foot-tall snowman. The snowman’s head was only a little smaller than his body, and he sat there in a daze. Rabbit Pavilion
He looked left and right at the snowman and said to Zhang Yuan and Mu Zhenzhen: "Master, Sister Zhenzhen, the snowman's head is crooked."
Zhang Yuan leaned over, picked up a ball of snow, hit it on the snowman's head, and said with a smile: "This is unruly, teach it a lesson."
In Wu Ling, the Shitou brothers picked up snow balls and beat the snowman one after another. The snowman remained motionless and allowed them to be beaten. Beating the snowman was boring, so Wu Ling and the others beat each other. It was very lively for a while.
Zhang Yuan saw Mu Zhenzhen standing aside with a smile and not playing, so he picked up a snowball and said to her: "Zhenzhen, let's see." He gently threw the snowball away.
Mu Zhenzhen did not hide, the snow ball hit her left chest, and her face immediately turned red. She did not expect that the young master's shot was so accurate, and it hit right there.
Zhang Yuan said "uh", the conscience of heaven and earth, he didn't mean it, it was just a mistake.
At this time, Shi Shuang came over from the well and called out: "Master, Neng Zhu from Xi Zhang is here. Let me know if you have anything."
Zhang Yuan hurriedly went to see Neng Zhu to prevent Mu Zhenzhen from being too shy.@.