In the south of the Yangtze River, as long as the weather is not abnormal, there will always be several heavy rains before and after the Dragon Boat Festival. Shaoxing Prefecture has good weather this year. The heavy rains of the Dragon Boat Festival came as scheduled. On the early morning of May 6th, the three brothers Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dai and Zhang E
Standing by the Bashi Bridge with an umbrella, I watched the servants carry the luggage onto the boat in the rain. The luggage was wrapped in oilcloth to prevent it from getting wet in the rain——
There are two boats with white awnings and Sanming tiles, one is Xizhang's boat and the other is a boat borrowed by Zhang Yuan from his brother-in-law Shang Zhoude. In March last year, Zhang Yuan went to Qingpu on this boat with white awnings and Sanming tiles.
The crew members on the boat are all familiar with each other. Zhang Ruoxi, Lu Chun, and brothers Lu Jie have already boarded the boat first. Because of the heavy rain, Zhang's mother Lu did not come to the bridge to see her off. The elderly people were afraid of seeing each other, and her daughter and two little nephews
This time I left Shanyin and returned to Qingpu, and I don’t know when we can meet again? []
The license issued by the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs regarding Zhang E's donation to the Bank of Communications was issued to Shanyin County on April 29. The county magistrate ordered the clerk to be sent to Zhang Rushuang in the Zhuangyuan District. Zhang Rushuang called Zhang Dai and Zhang E to lecture them and ordered them to do so.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, the two set off to study at the Imperial College in Nanjing. Zhang E said happily: "Then I will be traveling with Jie Zi, who also sent Sister Ruoxi back to Qingpu after the Dragon Boat Festival." Zhang Rushuang also told Zhang E not to cause trouble outside, and to strictly abide by the Imperial Academy.
Zhang E naturally agreed to the supervisor's regulations and study diligently——
Zhou Menong, Qi Yiyuan, Qi Biaojia, Yao Jianshu, Lu Yungu, and a group of Qing travelers from Xizhang were seeing each other off at the bridge. Zhou Menong said to Zhang Dai: "My eldest son, you must visit the Yuewen River at Taoyedu in Nanjing.
Just say that you are my close friend, Zhou Menong, otherwise, Yue Lao may ignore you."
Zhang Dai smiled and said: "Yu is good at cooking tea and I am good at tasting it. We will definitely hit it off right away."
Zhang E said: "What's the point of drinking tea with an old man? This time I go to Nanjing's old courtyard, I will definitely leave a good reputation as a brothel and let those famous prostitutes fall in love with me, Zhang Yanke, haha."
Zhang Dai said disdainfully: "Do you think the famous prostitutes in the old Nanjing courtyard are local prostitutes from Shanyiālou? If you reward them with one or two taels of silver, they will flatter you in every possible way?"
Zhang E said: "My wife loves beauty, my son loves money. I am both pretty and rich. I am good at everything, so I am going to be loved by them."
Zhang Dai shook his head and smiled: "The people who love you must be some vulgar fans. Real famous prostitutes are good at playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting, so they must be impressed by their talents."
Zhang E said with a smile: "I also have talents, but I don't need talents to impress them, I will use money to impress them - Brother, let's make a bet, you will show your versatility, and I will use money, let's see who can impress them."
They——" asked Zhou Menong: "Brother Zhou, who among the famous prostitutes in Jinling nowadays is the number one?"
Zhou Monong smiled and replied: "It should be Li Xiangzhen from the old courtyard, named Xueyi, ranked tenth, also known as Li Shiniang. I have never seen her, but it is said that Pingtingjuan is good-looking, with skin like snow, good at playing the drum, harp and singing, and is quite fluent in writing and calligraphy."
, people who love literary talents——”
Zhang E said: "Well, this is Li Xueyi. I want to see whether she loves literary talents or money. Brother, do you dare to bet with me? You pretend to be a poor but talented scholar, and I am a rich man with no knowledge or skills."
My dear, who does Li Xueyi really love?"
Zhang Dai smiled and said: "I am also a rich man who can't pretend to be a poor scholar. If you want to bet, just bet with Jiezi." Zhang Dai heard Wang Kechian say that Zhang E once made a bet with Zhang Yuan, and Zhang E lost miserably——
Zhang E heard that he wanted to make a bet with Zhang Yuan. He hesitated for a moment. He was a little afraid of betting with Zhang Yuan. Then he thought about it. This time it was not a competition of talent and knowledge. Why should he be afraid? He stood aside Zhang Yuan who said little and said: "Meson
, do you dare to bet with me?"
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "What kind of bet does my brother bet on? Could it be that a brothel girl has fallen out with him?"
Zhang E said: "How can you fall out if you admit defeat? Does Jiezi gamble?"
Zhang Yuan shook his head and said: "I don't want to gamble." He cooed at the white-topped boat and said, "Don't talk so loudly about brothels and famous prostitutes. My sister and little nephew are on the boat. Sister will pull my ears later."
Zhang Dai and Zhang E both burst out laughing. Zhang E lowered his voice and said, "We'll wait until you get to Nanjing. I'll make a bet with you.
"Zhang E didn't grow up. A few days ago, he was gnashing his teeth when he talked about the Dong family in Huating. He wanted to beat Dong Zuchang immediately, and he was so angry. At this time, when he was drinking tea and talking about famous prostitutes, he suddenly thought of making such a bet, and all he thought about was this.
It's over——
The servants moved all the luggage to the boat. Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dai and Zhang Zun said goodbye to their friends and Qing guests, and boarded the boat respectively. The white boat with Zhang Dai and Zhang E took the lead in leaving the Bashi Bridge and heading south to Dongdachi in Kuaiji.
, the boatman of Zhang Yuan's boat asked Zhang Yuan whether to sail the boat? Wu Ling said hurriedly: "Master, Sister Zhenzhen and Uncle Mu haven't come yet." Before he finished speaking, he saw Mu Jingyan wearing a wide-rimmed bamboo hat.
Mu Zhenzhen was wearing a bamboo hat and raincoat. The father and daughter strode over in the dense rain and got on the boat. Mu Jingyan's clothes were soaked and he crossed his hands and said: "Young master, don't blame me. I went to visit the farm."
The ancestral grave outside the mountain, so I came late."
Zhang Yuan said: "No problem, Uncle Mu, hurry up and change your clothes."
The white-topped boat slowly left Bashi Bridge. Mu Zhenzhen, who was taking off his bamboo hat and draining the water, suddenly said: "Master, look quickly, my wife is over there."
Zhang Yuan took a closer look, and sure enough he saw his mother, Yi Ting, Tu Ting, and Cui Gu standing under the eaves of a shop beside the Bashi Bridge, watching the white-covered boat slowly sailing away from the bridge. His mother had told the family before
He didn’t come to the bridge to see her off, but she came anyway.
When Zhang Ruoxi heard that her mother was coming, she hurried out of the cabin to take a look. The river was curved, and the eaves of the shop could no longer be seen. Zhang Ruoxi held back her tears, but said to Zhang Yuan: "Mother likes children, you should marry and have children as soon as possible."
, so that mother will not be deserted."
Zhang Yuandao: "Yes, yes, get a wife as soon as possible and have children as soon as possible."
Zhang Ruoxi smiled, and when she looked at the Bashi Bridge again, it was already blurry behind the white rain.
When the boat passed the Shang's Back Garden Pier in Dongdachi, because Zhang Yuan had said goodbye to Shang Zhoude and Dan Ran yesterday, he had no intention of going ashore today. However, he saw Shang Danran accompanied by his maid Yun Jin under the peach tree on the shore.
Shang Danran, holding a green cloth umbrella, had been waiting in the rain for a long time. Zhang Dai and Zhang E's boat passed by earlier. Shang Danran thought it was Zhang Yuan's boat, so he turned around and looked around. Zhang Dai and Zhang E saw the peach tree.
The beautiful girl who got off the boat was expected to be Shang Danran. Zhang E was still bowing at the bow of the boat and said: "Brother and sister, stupid brother Zhang E is polite, Jiezi is on the boat behind." Shang Danran blushed with embarrassment.
Zhang Dai was worried that Zhang E would continue to talk nonsense, so he pulled him into the cabin. Zhang E rolled his eyes and said, "I'm not a fool, so I would be so ignorant. How could I still tease her, just as a courtesy?"
But he felt disappointed and said: "I went on a blind date, but unexpectedly it became Meson's fault."
Zhang Dai smiled and said: "Who told you not to restrain yourself during a blind date, but also beat and scolded the maid in Dongtao Garden? This is the fate of Jie Zi, so don't think too much about it."
Zhang E said: "Look, Jiezi is about to go ashore and hold hands with the Shang girl to say goodbye - the boat stops, the boat stops." Zhang Dai and Zhang E's brothers watched Zhang Yuan and the Shang girl in Taoyuan from the tent window. They met under the tree and saw Zhang Yuan shaking the hand of the Shang girl. Zhang Dai and Zhang E were very envious. This time they both went to their father-in-law's house to bid farewell because they were going to study far away. Zhang Dai's fiancée was Shuicheng Liu. Zhang's fiancée is a girl from the Qi family of Shanyin. They have never met each other. They are not like Jiezi holding hands and looking at each other. The look of love between the man and his concubine makes the two of them truly envious——
The rain curtain is diagonally woven, the river is overflowing, and the grass on both sides of the river is separated. On the river bank, under the peach trees, Zhang Yuan, wearing a square scarf and a thick shirt, holds an umbrella to protect Shang Danran from the rain. The two of them are whispering under the umbrella. The scene is like a picture.
Zhang E smiled and said: "This looks like Xu Xian and White Snake meeting across the bridge.
Zhang Dai laughed.
Zhang Dai and Zhang E. In addition to the two boatmen, there are ten people on this boat. Zhang Dai's personal servant Suzhi, a young boy Mingyan, and two healthy servants. Zhang E's personal servant Lu Mei and young servant Fu'er. , there are also two healthy servants, Neng Zhu and Feng Hu. Zhang Yuan's boat has Mu Jingyan, Mu Zhenzhen and his daughter, Wu Ling, Zhang Ruoxi's mother and son, Zhou Ma and two maids, on both boats. Twelve people——
Two boats with white awnings and tiles with three tiles were sailing in the rain. Zhang Yuan remembered that he was on this boat last year. In front of him was Shang Zhoude's big boat with five tiles. Shang Jinghui's clear and sweet voice called: "Brother Mr. Zhang." "I haven't seen Shang Jinghui for more than a year. That lovely girl is eight years old this year. I remember the first time I met Xiao Hui, she was only six years old. She was playing chess with her sister Jinglan. Jinglan wanted to make her cry, but she didn't Cry, two years have passed in the blink of an eye, time flies like an arrow——
Arriving at the bustling town of Qianqing in the evening, Zhang Dai and Zhang E went ashore to find a restaurant for dinner. Knowing that Zhang Yuan wanted to accompany his sister and nephew, they did not ask Zhang Yuan to go with them. Zhang Yuan and Mu Zhenzhen went ashore to buy some cooked food. , return to the boat and let the boat girl steam it again before eating it. When you go out, you are afraid that the food is unclean——
It was getting dark and the rain was still falling. Brothers Zhang Dai and Zhang E returned to the boat. Zhang E called out: "Meson, come to the boat over here and join us."
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "Zhang Yanke, do you want to study hard all night? The sun will come out from the west."
Zhang Ruoxi heard this and said, "Xiao Yuan, please go over there. I'll teach Xiao Chun how to write big characters here."
Zhang Yuan then took Wu Ling to the boat over there. Zhang Dai was very particular and would not give in even during the journey. 1 The boy Mingyan cooked usne tea, using the spring water brought from Shanyin, and the three brothers drank the tea. While chatting, the boatman saw that the rain had subsided a little, so he greeted the boatman of the boat behind him, and the two boats left Qianqing one after the other and sailed toward Xiling in Xiaoshan at night.
The sound of water flowing under the boat, the soft sound of rain on the boat awning, and the two candlelights on the boat's balconies are bright and warm. Such a situation will make people feel inexplicably excited. Zhang E gently caressed the hand of the beautiful maid Lu Mei beside him, Said: "On a night voyage, you have to talk for a long time to kill time. How about telling jokes to entertain you?"
Zhang Dai was very knowledgeable in miscellaneous knowledge and said: "Okay, let me tell you something first - there was a scholar who passed the last grade, which is the sixth grade, in the exam. He had to be stripped of his clothes. He was afraid of being scolded by his wife when he went home. I thought about it. , I thought of an excuse and went back to my wife and said, "In the past, the master only took the sixth grade exam. Now, this plague official has added another grade. Is it hateful to you?" His wife asked, "What if I took the seventh grade exam?" The scholar said, "You will lose your future by taking the sixth class examination. The seventh class is going to be castrated." His wife was shocked and lost her temper. She asked him what class he was in. The scholar said, "Thanks to me, I was in the sixth class. Fortunately, I was in the sixth class." Eliminate castration." The whole boat laughed.