On Shuangnan Avenue, the Zhang family’s motorcade left Nanzheng and was heading towards Nanxiang.
"Madam, madam, this road is so smooth."
In a four-wheeled carriage in the middle of the motorcade, Zhang Xingyi's personal maid was in an excited mood. She sat in the carriage and looked around, and poked her head out from time to time.
This car is much better than Jincheng's car. Not only is it spacious, but it also drives extremely smoothly on such a flat road.
Zhang Xingyi was holding a book and was reading fascinatedly. He didn't even raise his head when he heard the words, and just said "hmm".
"This car is comfortable to sit in. I heard that Feng Langjun made it, but I don't know if it's true..."
This sentence finally stimulated Zhang Xingyi, and there was only a "bang" sound. Zhang Xingyi directly hit the maid on the head with the book and scolded, "You are also a person from the Hou Mansion, can you stop being like this and have never seen the world?" What does it look like?”
The maid flinched, said "Oh", and crawled to the corner obediently.
Zhang Xingyi threw away the book in his hand irritably. He felt his chest was very tight, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.
The maid carefully picked up the book and said, "Madam, why don't you read it?"
"It's so good to read. I've read it twice. This book has no ending, which makes me heartbroken."
Zhang Xingyi said angrily, she lifted the car curtain and called out, "Zhang Sanlang!"
A member of the Zhang family rushed over and asked, "What are your orders, Madam?"
Zhang Xingyi took the book and raised it, "Let me ask you, do you know the ending of this book?"
"Madam, I am illiterate."
"Zidian Qingshuang Ji."
When Zhang Sanlang heard this, his spirits perked up and he quickly said, "I know, I know! I just heard this from a rapper from Nanxiang a few days ago."
"Did Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo get married? What happened to Zhao Min in the end?"
The young lady of the Hou Mansion is going to Nanxiang to inspect the property. Naturally, the servants of the Zhang family who are managing the property in Nanxiang have to take good care of the young lady.
All Nanxiang-specific food, utensils, clothing, etc. are all prepared.
In view of the fact that the little lady is famous in Jincheng as a fairy-like figure who is sung in poems and prose, and she also reads books on weekdays, some thoughtful people sent some Nanxiang-specific books to relieve the little lady's boredom on the road. .
This "Zidian Qingshuang Ji" is the latest biographical novel. Not only is the paper unique to Nanxiang, but even the book was printed using a special method in Nanxiang, instead of being copied from other places.
What is recorded in it is currently the most popular biography of a knight-errant in the countryside among Nanxiang rappers.
When Zhang San was in Nanxiang, his biggest hobby on weekdays was to listen to rappers telling biographical novels.
Thinking about the entanglement between Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo and Xiao Zhaozhu'er, with love and resentment at the same time, it really makes people feel itchy after hearing it.
"Then Mr. Zhang and Madam Zhou were about to get married, but Madam Zhao barged in, and they failed in the end."
"What about the end of the book?"
"There are many versions of the ending," Zhang Sanyi said with excitement on his face, "In Nanxiang, different rappers have different endings, but I don't know which one the lady wants to hear?"
"Of course I want the ending as written in the book, not what the rapper said!"
Zhang Xingyi scolded.
"My dear lady, I can't read, so I really don't know which one is the ending written in the book."
Zhang San looked ashamed.
"Then tell me everything you know about the ending.
"Oh, okay. The first ending, it says that Zhang Langjun and Madam Zhao have retired to the mountains and forests hand in hand, and no longer care about the affairs of the world..."
"Return to the mountains and forests?" Zhang Xingyi was startled, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of someone thousands of miles away: He was born in the mountain sect, will he return to the master's sect in the future?
"Yes, she will go into seclusion in the mountains and forests. As for Madam Zhou, she later followed them to find them, but it's a pity that Madam Xiao Zhao and Madam Zhu'er..."
Zhang San was still chattering, but Zhang Xingyi had no intention of listening any more.
She put down the car curtain and remembered that Feng Lang was now Sister Guan's husband. Then she recalled that Zhao Min in the book had the courage to look for Zhang Wuji when her lover got married. Finally, she thought of herself...
At that moment, I felt a pain and then a sigh in my heart. If it were me, I could only escape. I really couldn't compare to that Zhao Min.
When Zhang San heard the young lady asking about this matter, he suddenly felt that he was a confidant. He was about to talk to the young lady about what he knew. Unexpectedly, the young lady was not interested in listening. At that moment, he felt a little regretful.
.
He was about to leave when the car curtain suddenly opened again.
The young lady's expression suddenly turned very bad for some unknown reason, "Who is this Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng?"
"I don't know, I just heard that this person specializes in writing such wild histories and popular biographies. The rappers in Nanxiang all tell stories written by this person."
"Did he write a lot?"
"I have only written three books so far, and this "Zidian Qingshuang Ji" is the latest one. There are also "The Legend of White Snake" and "The Legend of the Gods" before it."
"When you get to Nanxiang, quickly find me the two books he wrote before."
"promise."
"Also, I need to find the second half of "Zidian Qingshuang Ji" quickly!"
"The villain understands."
After Zhang Xingyi finished speaking, he lowered the car curtain, hesitated, opened the book again, and started reading for the third time.
Although I just said it was heartbreaking, I don’t know why, but my heart is always thinking about the ending recorded in this book.
If Zhou Zhiruo eventually follows Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min to retreat to the mountains and forests, then who is the elder among the two maids serving the husband? Who is the younger?
Besides, how can the two women get along peacefully when they are as powerful as fire and water?
Zhang Xingyi was in a trance, turning the book in his hand, and his eyes fell on the book, but he only felt that the words on the book were like small black dots, but he could not understand the meaning of the book.
I don’t know how long it took, but the carriage suddenly stopped, and I heard someone outside say, "Madam, Nanxiang has arrived."
Only then did Zhang Xingyi come back to his senses and smiled to himself. He was really possessed and worried about the fictional person in the book.
She raised the car curtain again, and when she saw the outside, her expression immediately changed, and she exclaimed in a low voice, "What is that?"
As far as the eye can see, black smoke is rising in the distance. Even in broad daylight, it is impossible to see what is under the black smoke. You can only vaguely see what buildings there should be.
Shrouded in black smoke, the looming buildings looked like a ghost town.
Thinking of the legend about the dancing demons in Nanxiang, anyone who sees this scene for the first time will have a thought: Could it be that there are evil spirits appearing in the world?
"Young people don't know, because outsiders are never allowed to get close to it. I only know that there should be a kiln inside, and the fire is burning day and night."
As the servant of the Zhang family in Nanxiang who is most familiar with Zhang San, Zhang San doesn't even know what is under the black smoke.
"How much firewood will it cost?"
"I heard that what was burned was not firewood, but charcoal."
Zhang Sanlang said, stamping his feet, "The material of this artificial stone is produced there."
Then he pointed to the mountains behind the black smoke and said, "That coal is transported from the mountains."
"It's really like a group of demons dancing wildly..."
Zhang Xingyi looked at it for a long time before murmuring.
Then when she looked at the road ahead, she realized something wasn't right.
"Didn't we mention it? Why is there no city wall?"
I saw people coming and going in the front, and there were also many convoys among them. The cars were covered with linen or oilcloth, tightly covering the things on the cars.
There are many houses on both sides of the avenue, including thatched houses, mud houses, and even tall brick houses, but there are no city gates or walls.
"Back to Madam, the city wall is still in front, but this is already Nanxiang City." Zhang San explained, "The original Nanxiang City was too small, but now it has become an inner city. Most of it is workshops and pastures, and there are
There are families from the mines in the mountains who live there.”
"The outside of the city wall is more lively. It is where people who later moved to Nanxiang live. There will no longer be another city wall."
Zhang Xingyi asked in surprise, "Why not set it up?"
"Because the number of people traveling to and from Nanxiang is increasing every day, no one knows how many people there will be in Nanxiang in the end." Zhang San pointed to the thatched huts in front, "Madam, please look, these are nearly three
He came to Nanxiang just a few months ago to seek life."
"It used to be a wasteland that no one wanted, but now there are houses built there, so no city wall has been built in Nanxiang County."
As we walked along the main road, the thatched houses gradually became fewer and fewer, and in the end, even the mud houses were gone, leaving only tall brick houses.
Pedestrians on the roadside no longer have the shabby atmosphere outside, they all have rosy faces and are in high spirits.
There were more and more shouts.
Nanxiang is already considered a prosperous place among the few Han Dynasties, so the streets are naturally very lively.
But Zhang Xingyi was used to the streets of Jincheng, and felt that this place was even better than Nanzheng, the Hanzhong Administrative Office, but he was not surprised at all.
She simply hung up the car window and looked out, only to feel a very familiar feeling. After a long time, she finally realized, "How can the streets here be so clean?"
Even on the streets of Jincheng, there are always cows, horses and livestock defecating.
The reason why Zhang Xingyi felt familiar was that Feng Zhuang's path was also so special.
Neat and clean, there is nothing that makes people feel uncomfortable. Walking on it makes people feel very comfortable.
"Madam, you are not allowed to litter on the streets of Nanxiang. Even if you are driving into the city, you must be prepared."
Zhang San pointed at his carriage and saw that behind the buttocks of all the cows and horses, a cloth bag had been installed at some point.
"Why are there such weird rules?"
"I heard that it was Feng Langjun who set the rules. Anyone who litters will be fined. If he has no money, he will be arrested for three days of hard labor to clean the streets."
Zhang San pointed not far away, "Madam, look, that's the person on patrol."
Zhang Xingyi took a closer look and saw a person at the corner of the street, wearing black clothes and a strange hat on his head, staring closely at everyone on the street.
"Is there no one who violates such weird rules? And I think he is only one person. If someone breaks it in a group, what can he do?"
Zhang Xingyi felt that it would be absurd for one person to control the entire street.
"My lady doesn't know. There are soldiers patrolling Nanxiang Street from time to time. If someone makes trouble, as long as a whistle blows, the nearby soldiers will gather. Moreover, these soldiers are also specially equipped with iron hooks, fishing nets and other things. You can do whatever you want.
No matter whether you are a knight-errant or a green-skinned person, you cannot escape."
That man's love for cleanliness is truly rare in the world.
Zhang Xingyi thought to himself secretly.
"Madam, do you want to go back to your house to rest first?"
Zhang San pointed to a fork in the road ahead, "Go forward and turn left, and you will enter the inner city. The other courtyard where the lady rests is in the inner city, and it is quite quiet."
"There is a bookstore on the edge of the inner city, just to the right of the intersection. There are all kinds of books in it. My wife is looking for the latest version of "Purple Lightning Green Frost". If you can't find it inside, you won't be able to find it outside."
"Bookstore? What kind of place is this? From the name, could it be someone's book collection?"
Zhang Xingyi asked curiously.
"Madam, I have misunderstood. It is not a place where books are collected, but a place where books are sold in Nanxiang County."
"Selling books?"
Zhang Xingyi became even more curious. She felt more and more strange about Nanxiang.
This book is a precious thing in the world. If others are lucky enough to get a book, they will only treasure it. If they are more petty-minded, they will not give it to relatives and friends even if they come to borrow it. How can there be such a thing as selling it?
If you sell your family's books, it is the same virtue as selling your ancestral property, and it is a waste among losers.
"Yes, Madam, I don't know. The woolen workshops, pastures and mines in Nanxiang all require literacy. Especially children under the age of twelve must go to school. Therefore, this bookstore was originally built in
It is set up in the inner city to facilitate their reading."
"Later on, the number of outsiders in Nanxiang gradually increased, and some even came here after hearing that there were books here for free reading. The magistrate of Nanxiang County then ordered the bookstore to be expanded outside the inner city."
"If you have settled in Nanxiang, you can apply for a library card. As long as the doctor in the library registers it, you can take the book away directly. You only need to return it within the specified time."
"If you come from other places, you can only buy a book before you can take it away. However, the price of the book is not low, and most people can't afford it. Therefore, most people buy pen and ink at the pen and ink shop next to the bookstore, and then buy it.
Go to the bookstore and copy books."
"Copy it directly?"
"Yes, there is also a special place for reading and copying books."
While talking, the motorcade arrived at the intersection. Zhang Xingyi looked in the direction pointed by Zhang Sanlang and saw a huge courtyard not far away. Even standing at the intersection, he could see the big characters on the sign of the courtyard: Xinhua.
bookstore.
The courtyard has a huge facade and dominates the area, making it look majestic and solemn.
"You take me to take a look first, and the others will go back to the other courtyard first."
Along the way, Zhang Xingyi thought about the relationship between Zhang Wuji and the four girls countless times. It was really heartbreaking to think about it. Now that the bookstore was right in front of her, she naturally wanted to go there first.
With that said, she straightened her appearance, opened the car door, got out of the car, and walked towards the solemn courtyard.
The door of the bookstore is open, and from time to time people come in and out holding books, or holding pens, inks, paper and inkstones. There are also many servants dressed as servants waiting outside.
Many people couldn't help but look surprised when they saw Zhang Xingyi. They were all thinking about whose young lady this is? How could she have such a rare appearance?
Zhang Xingyi stood at the door of this bookstore, which was larger than her house. She felt a solemn atmosphere inside, and felt a little shrinking in her heart. She asked Zhang San in a low voice: "What are the rules of this bookstore?"
?”
Although Zhang San saw this bookstore from a distance more than once on weekdays, he had never gone in. When he heard the lady asking, he hesitated: "Back to you, little lady, I don't know..."
Zhang Xingyi glared at him dissatisfied.
At this time, I saw a child sneakily looking left and right, and then slipped past Zhang Xingyi like a mouse, preparing to run into the bookstore.
Zhang Xingyi had quick eyesight and grabbed the child by the collar.
The child was unprepared for a moment, his scalp tightened, and he thought he had been caught by his own adults, so he quickly shouted, "Sir, I was wrong!"
Then he turned around and took a look, but he didn't expect it to be a good-looking sister. He felt relieved, then he fluttered twice and said angrily, "Who are you? How dare you attack me from behind!"
Although Zhang Xingyi does not have the same martial arts skills as Guan Yinping, she has practiced martial arts at least. In addition, she is older than the other party and has a height advantage. She just picked up the child in her hand and flipped it over.
, and shook it twice.
"Which family are you a kid from? You don't know where to play. Is this a place where books are stored? Is this where you come from?"