The caravan steward and a few prominent people were also invited in and sat in the living room.
"Xianggong Bai returned from studying in Japan and came to a humble abode for the first time. I should try my best to be a landlord..."
Guo Juren said.
The martial arts test not only tests bravery, but also military strategy.
When it comes to learning, he is not good at it, but he has read poetry and books and can be considered a scholar.
"This time the roads are blocked due to heavy snowfall, so there will be a lot of disturbance when we come here."
"Please don't blame Guo Juren."
Bai Gui cupped his hands and smiled.
The two talked for a while.
The sounds of sheep and pigs being slaughtered could be heard in the backyard.
From time to time, several long-term workers came in carrying a large iron stove.
Freshly slaughtered lamb chops were stewed in a casserole.
Steaming and gurgling,
The bottom is lined with red-hot charcoal.
Hospitality is thoughtful!
"This is just an appetizer..."
"Xiangong Bai and all the brothers in the caravan encountered wind and snow, and it was inevitable that the cold would invade the body. This is the best goat meat. It can nourish the spleen and kidneys, warm the heart and dispel cold, and nourish blood and nourish qi."
"The cook in the courtyard is cooking. Let's eat the mutton first to fill our bellies."
Guo Juren pointed to the large pieces of lamb chops in the casserole and said generously.
There is also a need to pay attention to what you eat. Generally, when you come in this kind of snowy and cold weather, the first meal is usually mutton stew. If you don't have the conditions, you will cook a bowl of ginger soup. It is considered a dietary therapy. It helps the body to dispel cold and prevent diseases.
catch a cold and get sick.
Several people followed the situation and gathered around the stove with Guo Juren, eating and drinking.
Guanzhong has been an imperial state since ancient times, and mutton has been eaten for thousands of years from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the present. Anyone who knows how to cook will remove the mutton smell. In Guanzhong, there are many ways to eat mutton.
Finished eating the lamb chops.
The long-term worker brought a few more large porcelain bowls. The soup was fragrant with rotten meat, similar to mutton soup, except that the soup was not white and clearer. There was no mutton smell when drinking, and it was similar to ramen soup.
Next to everyone's tray, there were a few freshly baked white buns that exuded the aroma of wheat.
"This is Pucheng's mutton water basin."
"But in our provincial capital, vermicelli is always added to the soup..."
Guo Juren took a sip of the mutton soup and said with a smile.
There are no vermicelli in the authentic water basin mutton, only soup and meat, and some small side dishes of fungus and day lily. The more extreme version only has soup and mutton.
Bai Gui also echoed a few words. He was from Qin Province and knew this very well. He took the Bai Ji bun, separated the two halves from the middle, added a little pickled shredded cabbage, and fished out a few pieces from the basin.
Slices of mutton.
Take a bite of the steamed bun and sip the soup.
From time to time a cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew in outside the house.
It feels really good!
"Xianggong Bai has also practiced martial arts? What a great appetite!"
Guo Juren's eyes were slightly bright. Just now Bai Gui was wearing a coat, which could not reveal his body, and could only make outsiders think that he was in good spirits. But now that he knew how to eat, Bai Gui ate lamb chops and a basin of water.
The mutton was not enough, and the understatement made Guo Juren, a martial arts practitioner, immediately suspicious.
"When I was young, I could eat three to five kilograms of meat in one meal, and I also had a lot of wheat cakes with it."
"Now that I am older, my appetite is stronger than that of ordinary people. Even ordinary young men cannot eat as well as I can."
he said.
Having practiced martial arts consumes a lot of energy, so eating meat is essential for every meal. Not only eating meat, but also being able to eat it. Otherwise, there would be no such thing as learning literature and martial arts while being poor.
The average family really cannot provide enough embryos to take the martial arts examination.
"Have practiced some martial arts."
"Under the gate of Phi Hang Men, the master is one of the Three Heroes of Yannan, his surname is Huang Tao and Lin Biao..."
Bai Gui put down the sheep and scorpion meat he was holding and said casually.
There's nothing to hide about this.
Although mentioning his martial arts background seems to be a bit of a show off, in fact it is common sense. What is the Guangmen sect?
…
This is a respected teacher!
Now that you are famous, let’s promote the reputation of your sect.
"Although I'm old, my skills are still there. If Mr. Bai doesn't mind it, you can go out with me later to help me eat."
When Guo Juren heard that Bai Guiguo had martial arts, he looked delighted and said.
He had heard of the name of Huang Linbiao, the Three Heroes of Yannan, when he was young, and he was from the same era as him. Huang Linbiao was born as a scholar. After practicing martial arts, he became the chief instructor of Yanjing Green Camp. He was well-known among their martial arts practitioners.
Not small.
"Can."
Bai Gui nodded, he also wanted to try Guo Juren's martial arts skills.
Learned the art of literature and martial arts, and brought goods to the emperor's family.
I have a background in martial arts, I will never be a reckless hero, fight in boxing matches, play on the battlefield, and take the exam to be a martial arts examiner and the number one scholar in martial arts. This is a serious background and path...
When he was in the Jingwu Sect, he heard Huo Yuanjia mention that in the first year of Xuantong, he had a martial arts competition with Zhang Sanjia, the top martial arts champion in the 24th year of Guangxu, but Zhang Sanjia hit his horse and he kicked him three times.
Zhang Sanjia did not move at all. After a few moves, he felt ashamed and gave up.
This doesn’t mean that Huo Yuanjia is much worse than Zhang Sanjia, but it’s just that he knows he can’t beat him, so there’s not much point in fighting again. Both of them are very old, and a fight will hurt their muscles and bones, and it’s not worth losing their longevity.
Already.
Although Qin Province is not as well-known as Ji Province in the martial arts world, as a border area, wars have not stopped all year round. If we talk about competition, the southern provinces are seriously involved in involution, but in terms of martial arts, the northern provinces are not far behind in involution.
If you can pass the martial arts examination in Qin Province, Guo Juren's quality will not be too bad!
After eating the mutton, wash your hands.
The two of them left the living room and went to the backyard. There was a martial arts training ground in the backyard, which was clean and tidy. Under the eaves, there was a weapon rack with eighteen kinds of weapons, including knives, guns, swords, halberds, hooks, hammers, etc.
.
The weapons have never rusted.
You can see that it takes a long time to practice.
There are also several stone locks placed in the courtyard, of different sizes, but the places where they fall are all covered with paste and shiny.
The Guo family's clerks, long-term workers, chefs, and their wives and concubines all came out.
It was a snowy day, and I had been playing music at home for a long time. When I saw the excitement, I didn't want to join in. Besides, people in the courtyard had spread the news that the family received an important guest, a scholar who had returned from studying abroad.
Studying abroad is still a new thing, and everyone wants to see what happens.
"Come on, let's compare our strength first."
Guo Juren raised his arms, moved his body bones, took a step forward with his right foot, bent his knees and squatted slightly, and held the stone lock under his crotch.
Holding his breath, he threw the stone lock upward with his right hand, above his head, and flipped it over his head. Then he bent his elbow with his left arm to meet the stone lock. At the same time, he bent his knees and squatted down into a horse stance.
With a loud sound, the stone lock fell on the bluestone slab, and the ground trembled slightly.
Only then did Guo Juren exhale, and fine beads of sweat immediately seeped out from his forehead and temples. The wife on the side, Guo Pan, walked over and wiped Guo Juren's sweat with a sweat towel. She was very used to it.
Look.
A boxing proverb goes: "If the two lips are united, the sealing force will be greater."
Bai Gui took off his jacket and put on a long gown. He walked closer and took a look.
This stone lock carved from bluestone weighs fifty kilograms.
Not bad.
This is just an appetizer.
In the martial arts examination, the first horse-step arrow is shot at a target 150 steps away. If you shoot nine arrows, you will be qualified if you hit three arrows. The step arrow uses a step bow with a force of fifty kilograms.
To shoot an arrow with a bow, you must be precise and fast, and you cannot draw the bow slowly.
Therefore, the strength of a general martial arts practitioner is much greater than fifty pounds.
In the martial arts examination, there is also the second test of "skill and bravery" by lifting large rocks. It is divided into three levels. Those with more than 300 kilograms are called "No. 1", and those with 250 kilograms are called "No. 2"
", two hundred kilograms is "No. 3". The test requirement is that the examinee is required to lift the stone to the stomach, and then turn the left, right and bottom sides of the stone once. This action is called "presenting the seal".
"Guo Juren, you are looking down on me."
Bai Gui smiled and shook his head. He lowered his elbows, crouched slightly, and reached down with one hand. The fifty-jin stone lock easily landed on him, like a lion dancing with a hydrangea. The fifty-jin stone lock fell on his body with ease.
One throw, two twists, three throws to catch.
Relaxed and casual, without even a drop of sweat.
"Xianggong Bai is not only good at academics, but also good at martial arts. If the Qing Dynasty had not disappeared, with Bai Xianggong's skills, Xiong Tingbi, who had learned a lot from Qianqing, would have been able to take the martial arts exam..."
(Xiong Tingbi was both a literary Jinshi and a Wu Jieyuan. People at the time praised him: "Three Yuan exists in the world, but Lijie does not exist in the world.")
Guo Juren praised.
He then walked to the 100-jin stone lock, thought for a moment, and moved to the 200-jin stone lock.
"Master, this is not allowed. You are old now. You don't dare to dance with this two hundred kilogram stone lock, or you may hurt your waist." Guo Pan advised after seeing this.
"Isn't this just taking advantage of the mood? You are from a mother-in-law's family, what do you know?"
Guo Juren scolded him in a low voice. He walked to the 200-jin stone lock and smoothly completed the same movement as before. However, after falling into the stone lock, he gasped for breath and sucked in the cold air for a moment.
"Two hundred pounds..."
Bai Gui shook his head. Two hundred kilograms was nothing to him. He had the courage to carry the cauldron in exchange for the strength to carry the cauldron. After years of hard training, the two hundred kilograms of stone locks were easy for him.
He didn't know how much the tripod was lifted by Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu. However, Ying Dang, the king of Qin Wu, lifted the tripod. He was lifting the Yongzhou tripod, one of the nine tripods, to see how heavy it was. I don't know how heavy the tripod was, but the Simuwu tripod was eight hundred pounds.
If it weighs more than 1,000 kilograms, Jiuding will definitely not be too bad. It will definitely weigh around a thousand kilograms.
He walked to the largest stone lock in the martial arts training ground, with five hundred kilograms engraved on it.
This "five hundred kilograms" stone lock has much less patina, and is deliberately used to practice strength. Most people can't lift it, but they can use it to practice strength.
"Ms. Bai, please don't be brave. These five hundred kilograms... were what I could only lift for three breaths when I was young."
"If it takes longer, I won't be able to lift it anymore."
Seeing this, Guo Juren was a little shocked and advised him.
However, he didn't try to persuade him too much. He could handle this stone lock at a young age. As long as he didn't imitate Ying Dang and resist hard, nothing would happen. Just be careful and you'd be fine.
"Guo Juren, just watch."
Bai Gui smiled faintly, walked to the "five hundred catties" stone lock without explaining much.
He lifted it with all his strength, and in the blink of an eye the stone lock passed shoulder height and reached the top of his head. Then he danced with it, and after ten breaths, it landed firmly on the ground.
However, lifting the 500 kilogram stone lock was not as easy and casual as before, and there was a trickle of sweat on the temples.
"I admit defeat in this round. Mr. Bai really hides his secrets."
Guo Juren laughed several times.
It's a test of strength. It's not a big deal if he loses. He's not really angry because he can't compete. What's the point of being angry with a junior from Xiangzi? It's too late to make friends.
"Xiao'e, please wipe Mr. Bai's sweat."
Guo Juren said to the young woman next to Guo Pan.
Guo Pan is a wife and will not work easily. Tian Xiao'e is a concubine. The status of a wife and a concubine is one and the same. It is not an exaggeration to let a concubine wipe the sweat of an honored guest.
"Yes, sir."
Tian Xiao'e, a young woman, bowed and came forward.
The woman's scent mixed with the cold wind seeped into Bai Gui's nose.
She took out the pale pink silk scarf from her sleeves, raised her arms, and a section of her beautiful wrist was exposed from the cuffs. She wore a engraved silver bracelet to match it.
Seeing this, Bai Gui took a step back, waved his hand and said: "Guo Juren, no need, I can just wipe it myself."
On snowy days or cold days, if you sweat, you must wipe it off as soon as possible to avoid being infected with wind and cold. This is the experience of the older generation.
But what is unexpected is that Tian Xiao'e moved her arm, reached Bai Gui's face, wiped it with a white silk scarf a few times, and gave Bai Gui a wink. Before leaving, she said to Bai Gui where no one could see her.
The arm scratched slightly.
"This is……"
"Unexpectedly, I, Bai Meihe, became a high-ranking official in Ximen?"
Bai Gui secretly imagined.
But he just thought about it. If he really messed with a woman like Tian Xiao'e, he would be really coquettish. Although he said he would marry a good wife or a concubine, but if he really didn't care about his character, there would be no room for regret.
As for Guo Juren, Bai Gui thinks he won't mind too much.
Concubine, not wife.
For example, Su Dongpo often gave his concubines to his friends. According to legend, Liang Shicheng, one of the six thieves during the Song Dynasty, was conceived and gave birth to the concubine given by Su Shi. He was the son of Su. Su Shi's own son Su Guo had a close relationship with him.
, does not deny it.
Liang Shicheng once said to the accountant at home: "Whenever Xiao Su spends less than 10,000 guan, there is no need to sue me, just pay it."
Feng Menglong's "History of Love" mentioned: "Po Gong also had a maid named Chun Niang. The prince was banished to Huangzhou. Before leaving, there was an envoy from Jiang Yun to greet the prince. The prince's name was Chun Niang to persuade him to drink..." Jiang asked: 'I
Is it possible to use a white horse to change Chun Niang?' Gong Nuo said.
Jiang Wei wrote a poem: "I don't care about the frost, rain, snow, and hoofs, I will pay for the redemption of my eyebrows. Although there is no gold and a bright moon, there is a beautiful woman holding a jade."
The duke replied: "Chun Niang left in a hurry and did not dare to cry out in regret. She only exchanged the red powder for chasing the wind because of the many dangers on the mountain journey."
Gifting a concubine... This was a very common way in the old times.
However, even though Bai Gui likes beauty, he also likes to tick boxes.
However, he absolutely does not want to get involved in this kind of bad habit. It cannot be said that he despises these people of the old era, because their thoughts are like this. It makes no sense to criticize them outside the background of the times...
But he himself must "keep himself as pure as jade".
"Since I can't match your strength, Mr. Bai, let's compare weapons."
Guo Juren laughed loudly and asked: "Mr. Bai, what weapon do you use and which hand do you prefer?"
