Chapter 2 Leaving the Fortress (Second Time) After a smile, the gap between the two became lighter. Seeing that it was still early, I was not in a hurry to report back to Liulaozhuang, so I simply found a cleaner-looking tavern on the official road and put the reins on my horse.
Still giving it to the waiter, he walked in directly
The shopkeeper was worried that the entrance was so clean that the birds had already built their nests. When he saw two bookish young men walking in, how could he not try his best to entertain them? After a while, a few local side dishes and half a jar of rice wine were placed on the small table.
Big Eye and Li Xu put two short tables together and chatted while eating. The more they talked, the more they became more and more speculative.
After talking with each other, Li Xu discovered that it is not easy to be a child of a wealthy family and be restrained like a prisoner since childhood. There are many rules on how to walk and eat. As for reading, practicing martial arts, writing, reciting poems, etc., Li Xu finds it fun.
The things in it are a daily chore for Xu Dayan. If there is a slight mistake, frying meat slices with bamboo shoots (spanking the buttocks), burning bear paws with an iron ruler (beating the palm with a ruler) are all commonplace. The rest is to observe the world's major events.
Participating in family affairs, interacting with other families, and socializing are even more troublesome.
And Xu Dayan was very curious about Li Xu's daily life. Causing grass, catching rabbits, playing with mud, and fighting in groups were all games he could never dream of. As for blocking other people's chimneys with thatch, and throwing lit wild animals into the livestock pens.
Sichuan peppercorns and other "evil deeds" that can be the same as "unveiling tiles in the house" are unheard of. Xu Dayan can't even imagine how happy and exciting they are.
Compared with Uncle Zhang's private brew, the wine in this tavern is as tasteless as plain water, but Xu Dayan and Li Xu still feel that they have the most enjoyable drink in their lives. As they talked today, they talked about it.
Come to the most proud thing in your life
"That boy was also very stubborn. He knew clearly that he had fallen into the trap I had set in advance, but he went to my rice store carrying sacks all afternoon without even frowning. Although he was beaten half to death by his father when he got home, he still remained the same the next day.
I stumbled to school, and when I met everyone, I was still so arrogant!" Xu Dayan happily drank a glass of wine and introduced proudly.
His most proud feat occurred last year when fifteen-year-old Xu Dayan set a trap to make a boy named Hou, who usually looked down on him, lose a bet and volunteered to work as a waiter in Xu's rice shop for half a day. Although he was beaten by his parents afterwards.
I was stunned, and was ordered to go to the door to apologize, but so far, all I can think of is pride.
"Then, does the family named Hou have more land than yours?" Li Xu asked in surprise. During the conversation, he learned that Xu Dayan's family had hundreds of acres of grain fields and more than 40 shops under his name, all over the country.
In the memory of Li Xu from the surrounding counties, with such a large family property, almost no one in the Shanggu area could compare with him. How come in Xu Dayan's hometown, there are still people who look down on him?
"It's not because of family wealth. In terms of family fortune, the Xu family is not a small family, but it is a real poor family. It can only count the good days for fifty years. And the Hou family has been a prominent family since the Han Dynasty, lasting for dozens of generations.
So, usually I can't even get close to their door! When I get close, his servant scolds me. Even though I was going to apologize, I went straight in and no one dared to stop me!" Xu Dayan said with a hint of drunkenness.
He said the word "humble family" loudly, "If his family doesn't accept my apology, they can't find a place for me to come in and apologize. They can't say that they have never had any contact with me, a member of a poor family. That day, their old man's expression was worse than that of a monkey."
Butt looks pretty good!”
There are some wealthy families scattered throughout the counties in Hedong, such as Yingji Liu, Qinghe Zhang, Song, Bingzhou Wang, Puyang Hou, and some wealthy families with the blood of emperors and generals such as Xiao, Liang, Li, Zheng, and Hao.
In the eyes of the rich family, only powerful people with a history as long as their own are in their eyes. They have no regard for the newly rising nouveau riche like the Xu family. Even the current emperor, because his surname was Pu Liuru, they are not willing to marry him.
On the contrary, because these families had noble blood and large populations, the imperial courts of the past dynasties had to grant high-ranking officials to show appeasement (Note 1). Therefore, Xu Dayan was as disgusted with wealthy families as Li Xu was, but as he grew older, his mentality changed.
Gradually, he became calmer and didn't want to cause trouble to these people anymore. He just looked forward to making his family more powerful than those hereditary wealthy families one day, so that all those who had slighted him would regret it.
"It all depends on human effort. The so-called wealthy family is just a matter of chance. I don't believe in the few heroes who have emerged. Ten years of hard work can't buy me a worthy brother with a foundation that I can be proud of. What is the happiest thing for you? Can you
Are you talking about drinking with Brother Yu?" Xu Dayan drank a cup, poured another one for himself, and held it high, showing his youthful and frivolous attitude.
"Me?" Li Xu was speechless again. Ever since he was sensible, he had not only studied and played every day, but also helped his mother with housework. In his memories of more than ten years, they were all daily chores with a bit of warmth and warmth.
It's a bit bitter and can be savored slowly by yourself in the cold night, but if you take it out and share it with others, it will become boring.
"Yes, brother Xian, has he never done anything out of the ordinary or proud of you?" Xu Dayan's eyes were so wide that he could stuff a bun into them, and he looked forward to chatting with Li Xu today. He saw what he saw with Li Xu.
My life is completely different, curious and fresh, which also makes up for the shortcomings of not having enough fun since I was a child. In my mind, I always regard the story of Li Xu's youth as my own, imagining how if I were Li Xu, how he would be naughty and catch people.
Cat teases dog
"Just last month, I killed a wolf by myself, and it was so big!" Li Xu gestured with his hands on the two small tables in front of him, and said proudly that this was the biggest thing he could think of.
It was the proudest thing in my life, even though I almost wet my pants when I was scared by the she-wolf
"Then you took out the kid and named it Gan Luo?" Xu Dayan asked with a smile. In his eyes, although Li Xu was stupid and had little knowledge, he could be regarded as a young and talented man.
Xiaoxiao dares to go up the mountain to hunt wolves alone. With this courage, he is worthy of his friendship.
"Well, they said the little wolf was a disaster star, so I called him Gan Luo!" Li Xu nodded, with a bit of sadness on his face. On the night he got the little wolf, his father ordered him to drop out of school and evade military service.
All my assumptions have been overturned. Even now when I think of these things, I still feel vaguely regretful.
"Name a beast Gan Luo, you really deserve it!" Xu Dayan laughed and raised his cup to his eyebrows, "Come on, do this. I admire your courage. Two years ago, I couldn't even talk about chasing you."
I killed the lone wolf and never left the house!"
"What's the chase? I almost got eaten by it!" Li Xu was a little embarrassed by the praise, took a sip of wine and said sarcastically. Looking at Xu Dayan's confused look, he could only briefly describe how he got along with him.
When wolves met, they were almost killed by a "treasure bow" worth three ounces of money, how they shot the mother wolf to death with their eyes closed, and how they tracked down the blood trail to find the cub.
After listening to what he said without missing a word, Xu Dayan thought for a while and reminded: "Brother Zhongjian, your bow might be worth three ounces of money. According to the length and strength you said, it should be from our Sui Dynasty.
Riding a bow, a good thing that you can’t find on the market at all.”
"After hearing what you said about the horse bow, I also wanted to ask Brother Xu, is there any difference between this riding bow and a walking bow?" Li Xu nodded and asked about the performance of the bow that his uncle gave him.
Gong, he always loved and hated it and transferred it to others, but he was very reluctant to keep it for himself, but he didn't know when Uncle Gong lost his temper and lost his life in vain.
"The riding bow is short, but its power may not be weaker than the walking bow." Xu Dayan slapped the small table in front of him and sang in a low voice the secret of bow healing: "Cure the bow stem in winter, cure the horn in spring, cure the tendons in summer, and combine everything in autumn."
Materials, cold repair surface, wine steaming, fire sectioning, clamping, hand tearing, slow smelting and twisting of strips, dry glue, painting, quilting, and heavy training..." This is something Li Xu has never heard of before.
After a while, his eyes widened, like a child hungry for food, desperately absorbing the nutrients in the song.
"The art of riding and archery originated from King Wuling of Zhao's method of bowing, but it is a unique skill that has been passed down in the Central Plains for hundreds of years. Making a good bow, like making a good bow, requires selecting materials, gluing, etc. It is said that every step is
It's very strict. It usually only takes four years to get a good bow. In the Sui Dynasty, for the southern expedition, I gathered all the bow craftsmen in the country, but they could only make more than 10,000 such good bows. Later, when the new emperor came to the throne, he spent all the money for fun.
Good bows and good craftsmen are all rare. Hehe, if you sell your bow, let alone three bows, to Bu Xiaowei, he will pay thirteen bows!"
"Pfft!" Li Xu couldn't swallow a sip of wine, and he choked out all at once Thirteen hangings?! Thirteen thousand dollars?! Grandma, this is a big number that he has never heard of when he was so old.
With so much money, it is enough to open a shop, so why bother going back and forth and suffering?
While he was calculating, he heard Xu Dayan say: "However, the generals all wear heavy armor during the battle, so it is difficult to really hurt the opponent with a bow. That's why Luo Gong was able to survive without dying because of his heavy weight. Without the protection of my Sui Dynasty's armor,
Don’t talk about too many arrows, one arrow will pierce you!”
"That's natural. Brother Xu knows how to ride and shoot!" Li Xu picked up the wine glass and humbly asked for advice.
"Not sure! When I was learning archery, my master always said that if you shoot a few more times, you will naturally become more familiar with it. I don't have that much time to play with archery. Think about it, people who ride war horses and wear heavy armor are not so easy to be beaten by me.
Shoot!" Xu Dayan shook his head and provided a disappointing answer.
Seeing that the sky was already dark, Xu Dayan took out a dozen copper coins, paid the bill, and followed Li Xuxiang back to Liulaozhuang Qiugao. It was also a full moon, and the ground was very bright, so he could see the faces of the people opposite him without lighting a lamp.
The two of them had just tied up their horses. Before they could take a breath, they heard someone say in a strange voice: "The two heroes are back. Have you seen General Luo? Did he give you some copper coins to reward you two for this afternoon?"
Do it bravely when you see justice!"
Li Xu looked up and saw Sun Jiu, Zhang San, Wang Mazi and other senior merchants looking at him in the moonlight. Judging from the situation, everyone had been waiting in the yard for a long time.
Just when he was thinking about how to answer, Xu Dayan stepped forward and said first: "How could General Luo pay attention to such a trivial matter? It's just that the infantry captain under his command praised us for our righteousness and forced us to have a drink."
Now he also promised that if the caravan has something to do in Zhuozhou, Yuyang, and Anle in the future, just report his name!" As he said that, when others were not paying attention, he lightly kicked Li Xu's calf with his heel.
"Yes, it was Captain Luo who was so enthusiastic that we couldn't leave, so we came back late!" Li Xu, who had never lied before, stammered. He felt a deer on his chest.
Keep dancing
"Well!" Zhang San, the deputy leader of the caravan who was about to get angry, lost his temper and scolded with a livid face: "Businessmen welcome guests from all over the world with a smile, when will it be our turn to report the injustice once we reach someone else's ground?"
Go up..." Halfway through the scolding, I thought about the fact that we are still in the territory of Zhuozhou. If we offend the government, there will be no good consequences. I spit out thick phlegm on the ground, stomped a few times with my straw sandals, and left in anger.
Seeing that the deputy leader stopped talking, Wang Ermazi also lost his words. During the day, he, Lao Du and others saw with their own eyes the captain surnamed Bu sending the two little bastards Xu and Li out of the city with a smile. Although this man was just a
He is a sixth-grade captain, but in various places in the border fortress, the captains of the Huben Cavalry are more majestic than the head of a county. If he loses face with the Huben Cavalry, he will never want to pass through Zhuozhou again in the future.
"Be careful in the future, and don't mind your own business. Once you are hurt by those two beards, your family and I will have nothing to say to you!" Sun Jiu saw his companions walking away, shook his head, sighed and advised to look at it.
Seeing the flushed faces of the two teenagers, he lowered his voice and said: "They lost money in gambling this afternoon and are not happy, so you two don't mess with them. The vendors you rescued this afternoon are from Yangzhou.
I came to your door and gave you two large pieces of Su silk as a thank you gift. I tucked them into the bed for you, and you just kept them! They should be worth a lot of money!"
"Thank you Uncle Jiu!" Li Xu and Xu Dayan saluted the leader of the caravan at the same time. Sun Jiu's temperament is completely different from that of several other lakes. He is open-minded, generous, and knows how to cherish the younger generation. Such an old man, regardless of his status, can
Respectful
"Go to bed early and get up early tomorrow!" Sun Jiu smiled kindly, turned and left.
A sudden storm disappeared without a trace thanks to Xu Dayan's calm response. The two teenagers stuck out their tongues at each other and followed Sun Jiu towards their respective bedrooms.
The so-called bedrooms are just two large houses facing each other. In each room, there are two rows of wooden bunks built opposite each other with some straw spread on them for the merchants to rest. Although it is a bit crude, compared to sleeping in the wild, it is already high-end and elegant.
It's been a while, so at this time, snoring could be heard in the room one after another.
Li Xu tiptoed into the house, followed Sun Jiu's instructions in advance, and found his bunk. The quilt roll had been unfolded. Judging from the neat creases at the corners, it was Uncle Jiu's personal help. Li Xu felt grateful and rushed.
He nodded vigorously at the figure outside the window and reached out to touch his bed.
A soft feeling like warm water immediately slid down his fingertips to his chest. It was made of fine Su silk. No wonder several old merchants who had lost money in gambling were jealous. Li Xu took advantage of the moonlight shining in the window and held up the silk noodles.
Seeing the silky color of clouds in the blue sky, this is the favorite color of scholars from wealthy families. Xu Dayan wore one like this. Zhang Xiaowu also had a similar straight skirt, but he didn't want to wear it all the time.
Only wear it on important days to show off
Thinking about what happened during the day, Li Xu couldn't sleep. The image of Bu Xiaowei riding his horse and holding a sword was imprinted in his mind like a knife. As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with the image of that majestic and heroic hero.
This clear image of a hero, but the appearance of General Luo, whom Bu Xiaowei admired, is a little blurry. Although General Luo is a great hero, his story is exciting.
After turning back and forth several times, Li Xu still couldn't sleep. He knew that he was destined to have no fate with Ma Shan in this life, and had no chance to become a sixth-grade military officer at such a young age like Bu Xiaowei. When chatting with Xu Dayan during the day, he
I understand that even if they join the army, it is difficult for ordinary soldiers to get ahead. Children from aristocratic families have a better background than themselves and have better martial arts skills than themselves, so they will naturally rise faster than themselves. However, children from small families like myself are usually only qualified to transport baggage or work in the military.
When you siege a city, you will not find your body wrapped in horse leather after you fill up the ditch with firewood. Instead, you will bury it casually, and within a few days it will be easy for wild wolves and vultures to eat.
Thinking of the wild wolf, Li Xu also thought of Gan Luo, who was placed in a corner of the stable. As his master, he was not liked by everyone. Gan Luo probably climbed down from the bunk without anyone to look after him. Then Yue Guang took out a large piece of dried meat from his luggage.
, Li Xu crept into the moonlight.
The moonlight shines like water in the yard full of donkey and horse dung. The whole ground seems to be stained with a layer of frost, soft and beautiful. The surrounding fields are very quiet. Occasionally, the sound of crickets comes from the corner of the yard, astringently,
It seems that the autumn wind blew his throat. Li Xu remembered that before he left, his uncle always coughed. He didn't know how his throat was now. After eating the herbs he dug, would it feel better? His mother, under such moonlight, should she?
Sitting in the yard under the moonlight, stepping on the loom for three days, my mother, who was always weaving linen, rarely wore new clothes. In my memory, every piece of her clothes was patched.
After only a few days away from home, Li Xu found that he was already very homesick.
