The day before, Li Xiaonan received a message from Gu Yan: On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, if she was free, he would take her to Loutou Town to visit, and Li Xiaonan immediately agreed.
Ni Rushi's mother and son live in Loutou Town.
On the morning of the 16th, just after breakfast, Wan Qing arrived. Li Xiaonan got into the car with Wan Qing and left. Li Jinzhu and others unhurriedly packed up the two large cars and set off back to Pingjiang City.
Gu Yan was waiting by the post road in the north of Kunshan County, facing Li Xiaonan who leaned out of the car, and said with a smile: "A horseback ride? There is already the breath of spring in the wind."
"Okay!" Li Xiaonan smiled.
Not only is there the breath of spring in the wind, but there is also the breath of spring everywhere, and the buds of the peonies in the hall's house are bursting out.
Li Xiaonan stood up from the carriage, and her beautiful mare with a good temper was led close to the cart. Li Xiaonan grabbed the saddle and stepped on the horse.
Shi Gun handed a riding whip to Li Xiaonan. Li Xiaonan took it, shook it, and handed it to Shi Gun. She couldn't use the riding whip well, and it got in the way while holding it in her hand.
Gu Yan watched Li Xiaonan sit firmly and said with a smile: "Can I still run a horse race?"
"Of course!"
Li Xiaonan shook the reins a few times, and the horse sneezed and continued walking steadily.
"Run!" Li Xiaonan patted the horse's neck, "Look at these spring mountains and rivers, don't you want to run for fun?"
Gu Yan laughed loudly and tapped Li Xiaonan with his riding crop, "Hold the reins and sit firmly."
Li Xiaonan quickly gathered the reins and held on. Gu Yan urged the horse forward, and Li Xiaonan's little mare started running after her.
From the meeting place with Gu Yan to Loutou Town, it is the distance that a horse can run for a breath.
Only half a mile away from the town, Gu Yanle stopped his horse, looked at Li Xiaonan who was still full of emotions, and laughed, "I will take you to the grassland in the north and let you run as fast as you can."
"That's enough." Li Xiaonan wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Alas, now she is riding a horse and running, and she feels like she is flying like lightning. People, it is so easy to degenerate and adapt too easily.
"Go over there?" Gu Yan suggested.
"Okay."
"Wait..."
Before Gu Yan could finish speaking, Li Xiaonan had already rolled off the horse neatly.
Although her dismounting posture is ugly, it works well and is so fast!
Gu Yan swallowed angrily.
Next time before asking her to dismount, she must be prepared first!
There is an early market in Loutou Town, and the 16th is the first big market after the New Year. The market has dispersed by now, and there are not many people on the spacious main street. The shop assistants on both sides are sweeping the floor with big brooms, high and low.
Talking and laughing.
Li Xiaonan followed Gu Yan and entered through the back door of the two-story restaurant in Zhentou. She followed Chang Sui, who had been waiting for her, and went straight to the second floor.
The entire second floor has been cleared, and there are servants guarding the stairs on both sides.
Gu Yan went ahead and entered the private room in the middle.
The windows of the private room facing the main street are all raised high, and the fine bead curtain hangs down from the middle of the window, blocking the outside view, but it does not affect the view from the private room at all.
Shi Gun made tea and served it.
Gu Yan stood next to Li Xiaonan and gestured to a small alley diagonally opposite the restaurant.
"Ni Rushi's mother and son lived in that alley. They rented a house with three side-by-side rooms. The side-by-side room borrowed the gable of the school in front, and Ni Rushi studied in that school.
"Ni Rushi's father lives in Nijia Village, five miles away. Twenty-seven or eight years ago, Ni Rushi's father went to Qinfeng Road alone to do business and never returned.
"When Ni Rushi was eight years old, his mother took him back to Nijia Village with a marriage certificate.
"The Ni clan says that Ni Rushi is not like his father and is a bastard, and Ni Rushi is not allowed to recognize his ancestors.
"Ni Rushi's mother submitted a lawsuit to the Yamen. The lawsuit went on for more than half a year, and the documents reached Qin Feng Road. The marriage certificate was true, but the bloodline was not clear. Ni Rushi was indeed not like his father. In the end, they reconciled:
"Since the marriage certificate is authentic and Ni Rushi's mother is the wife of the Ni family, even if Ni Rushi is her adopted son, it should be included in the Ni family tree. Since the Ni family does not recognize Ni Rushi, they will choose another suitable person to adopt the name of Ni Rushi's father.
Inherited thirty-seven acres of paddy fields from Ni Rushi's father.
"Ni Rushi's mother only wanted to be included in the family tree so that Ni Rushi could take the boy's examination. After that, Ni Rushi's mother and son moved to Loutou Town and rented a bureau behind the school wall.
"After the lawsuit was settled, Ni Rushi's mother was ill on and off for nearly three years. Ni Rushi ran errands and did odd jobs in this town to earn some money to support the mother and son.
"After Ni Rushi's mother recovered from her illness, she washed vegetables and dishes in the back kitchen of this restaurant. After saving some money, Ni Rushi entered the school behind the house.
"Although Ni Rushi did not enter school until he was fourteen years old, he was already able to start with poetry and rhyme.
"Your workshop is between Loutou Town and Pingjiang City. Most of the people who use it are from Loutou Town. Ni Rushi's mother was one of the first to enter your workshop. Ni Rushi often came to your workshop to do things like loading and unloading preserved eggs.
Work hard."
After Li Xiaonan listened attentively, she couldn't help but admire, "You checked so carefully!"
"This is not careful." Gu Yan pushed Li Xiaonan's shoulder with a folding fan and motioned her to look at a brocade bag on the table, "In it are Ni Rushi's ink scrolls from the last boy's test, as well as several of his usual articles.
, you go and take a look."
Li Xiaonan hurriedly sat over and took out a few small folds from her brocade bag.
Gu Yan followed and sat down, watched Li Xiaonan finish reading, and said with a smile: "I am not as good as you in policy theory. I am much better than your brother. I am much better than you in poetry. Gezhi seems to have gone astray."
"The policy theory is better than what I wrote, but it's just a little less knowledgeable." Li Xiaonan finished reading and put the fold back into the brocade bag.
"I have read too few books. There is a murderous and murderous meaning in the lines of his articles. In the past five or six years, he took well water and washed himself every evening, saying that it was to strengthen his mind and body. This is a man with great ambitions." Gu Yan laughed.
Tao.
Li Xiaonan frowned and was about to speak when the boy standing in the corner of the window whispered: "Master, come out."
"Come and take a look." Gu Yan quickly stood up and motioned to Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan followed closely and stood at the window to look down.
In that small alley, first there is a head with an old turban, and then you can see everything.
Ni Rushi is very tall and thin, with a straight body, light feet, and fast walking. The whole person looks strong and agile.
Turning a corner, Ni Rushi subconsciously raised his head and looked towards the second floor of the restaurant.
Li Xiaonan looked at Ni Rushi's face and let out a light sigh.
This face has eyebrows like long swords, eyes like cold stars, a straight nose, slightly thin lips, full of heroic spirit, and is so beautiful that it is so beautiful.
"Very pretty?" Gu Yan looked at Li Xiaonan.
"You're so good-looking, why haven't you said goodbye yet? He's twenty-three this year, right?" Li Xiaonan kept looking at Ni Rushi.
