There is heavy snowfall, and it is a vast expanse of white from Yuhuang Mountain to Jiuyao Mountain. The temperature is below freezing point, and the snow accumulates quickly. Those evergreen pines and cypresses are covered with snow and ice, and their branches are often crushed and fall to the ground.
There was a sound, and even this sound was cold.
Ran Sheng had a loud voice, so Chen Caozhi asked him to shout: "Don't come up yet. The mountain road is icy. Be careful of slipping. We will come down to pick you up."
Chen Caozhi, Lai De and Ran Sheng put on high-toothed wax clogs. Chen Caozhi also ordered Lai De to bring some pieces of hemp rope. The three of them wore bamboo hats on their heads and each held a staff. They stepped on the thick layer of snow to reach the mountain.
When I came to the mountain, I saw two oxcarts parked at the foot of the mountain, with a plain silk lantern hanging on each cart. My sister-in-law Ding Youwei, Yinggu, Xiaochan, Qingzhi, Yuyan, Axiu, Zongzhi and Runer were all here. The driver was
Laifu, Laizhen and his son, and Jingnu also came.
Chen Caozhi was both happy and worried, and said: "Sister-in-law, why are you all here in this snowy day? What will you do if you are frozen?"
Ding Youwei was wearing linen and wearing a funeral bun. She was elegant. Under the reflection of the lantern and the snow light, her cheeks were almost transparent and her lips were faintly red. She shrugged slightly, smiled and breathed into the tip of her hand, and said: "It's so cold.
Ah, but both Zongzhi and Run'er said they wanted to come over to spend New Year's Eve with Uncle Chou, so they just came over so that the whole family can stay together and watch the New Year together, so it won't be deserted."
Zongzhi and Runer's faces turned red from the cold, and they said: "Uncle Chou, we are not cold, please take us up the mountain quickly."
Chen Caozhi ordered Lai De and Ran Sheng to carry Zongzhi and Run'er up the mountain. Seeing Ran Sheng squatting down to carry her, seven-year-old Run'er felt a little shy and said: "Uncle Chou, you carry Run'er, or Run'er himself."
Walk."
When Ran Sheng saw that Run'er didn't want him to carry her, he couldn't continue squatting or standing. His face turned red and he was very embarrassed.
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Uncle Chou wants to take care of your mother and Aunt Ying, so let Xiao Sheng carry you."
Run'er then said "Oh" and leaned gently on Ran Sheng's broad back. Ran Sheng stood up with his waist bent, and went up to the hut halfway up the mountain with Laide, who was carrying Zongzhi on his back.
The snow was a little lighter now, but it was still blowing in the wind and got into my collar, making it a little damp.
Ding Youwei, Yinggu, Xiaochan and Qingzhi were all wearing cloth shoes. Chen Cao said: "Sister-in-law, how can this be done? When we got to the straw shed, our socks and shoes were all wet."
Ding Youwei said: "It doesn't matter, we all brought extra socks and shoes, and we will change them when they get wet."
Chen Caozhi knelt down, took out a few pieces of hemp rope, raised his head and said, "Sister-in-law, wrap the hemp rope around the bottom of your shoes so you don't worry about slipping when going up the mountain."
Ding Youwei raised his left foot slightly, and Chen Caozhi quickly wrapped a piece of hemp rope around his sister-in-law Ding Youwei's ankle to the bottom of the shoe, and quickly wrapped it around his right foot as well -
Ding Youwei felt a little strange and slightly embarrassed.
Chen Caozhi went to bind Aunt Ying's feet again, but Aunt Ying kept saying: "I don't dare, I don't dare, how dare you bother me." If he wanted to do it by himself, his waist and legs were stiff, which was quite inconvenient. Chen Caozhi had already
It was wrapped three times or two times.
Xiaochan, Qingzhi, Yuyan and Axiu smiled and tied them up. Xiaochan lowered his head and looked at the hemp ropes wrapped around the feet of Ding Youwei and Yinggu. Xiaochan said: "It's the young man who is so good at wrapping them up. It's really strange, Xiaochan."
Mr. Lang is good at everything he does."
Chen Cao smiled: "Okay, let's go up the mountain." He handed the bamboo stick in his hand to Aunt Ying.
Yuhuang Mountain is not high, and the thatched hut is halfway up the mountain, less than a hundred feet away from the foot of the mountain. Chen Caozhi carefully followed behind the nearly fifty-year-old maid Yinggu and his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. If they made any mistake, they could catch her in time.
.
Ding Youwei walked very carefully, fearing that she would slip and ask Xiaolang to help her. Xiaolang was tall and taller than her. He would be seventeen after the Chinese New Year, so he could not be considered a young man. There had to be some taboos between uncles and sister-in-law.
Although the mountain road was difficult to navigate due to ice and snow, the distance was short. It only took a quarter of an hour to reach the thatched hut halfway up the mountain. Zongzhi and Runer stood under the eaves and waited. Runer smiled and said: "Mother, ugly uncle,
Xiao Sheng just fell down——"
Ran Sheng's face turned red and he said, "That doesn't count, it's just a hand on the ground."
Run'er said: "Does it count as falling if you are covered in snow? Fortunately, I held him firmly, otherwise I would have fallen out, but it doesn't matter even if I fell out, the snow is thick and I won't be hurt."
Ding Youwei smiled and said angrily: "You are the only one who talks a lot. Hurry in and don't let the cold wind blow."
The cloth shoes of Ding Youwei, Yinggu, Xiaochan, Qingzhi, Yuyan, and Axiu were all soaked by the snow. Qi Xi's socks were not wet. They went into the hay shed and put on clean cloth shoes. Laifu and Laizhen carried them
Two large food boxes came in. In the food boxes were soup cakes, wheat rice, and some pastries. During the period of mourning and mourning, these were the only things to be eaten.
Chen Caozhi asked Laide to follow his father and brother back to Chenjiawu. He would drive back to pick up his sister-in-law Ding Youwei and his party before noon tomorrow. Jing Nu would stay here.
The one-armed Jing slave was boiling water and hot soup cakes in the left hut. Ran Sheng took action, and within half an hour, the steaming soup cakes, wheat rice and pastries were brought over.
Eleven people were crowded into the small thatched hut, which was very lively. Two braziers were burning brightly. Zongzhi and Runer felt extremely happy to be squeezed in the crowd.
Ding Youwei's eyes were moist. During the four years in Ding's villa, she had longed to return to Chenjiawu. Now she is finally back, but Qingzhi will never come back. Auntie is also gone. There is no such thing as everything in this world.
, a perfect thing, with these pair of cute children accompanying you, what more could you ask for!
Both Zongzhi and Run'er thought of their grandmother. Run'er asked Chen Caozhi: "Uncle Chou, can grandma see us in this snowy day?"
Chen Cao said: "Yes, the stars are always in the sky and cannot be blocked by wind and snow. Grandma is in the sky and in our hearts. When we think of grandma, grandma will always be with us, right?"
The two children said in unison: "Yes."
On the New Year's Eve of the third year of Shengping, it was simple and warm. The cold wind passed over the grass shed and passed over the tops of the pines and cypresses, making a low whistle. Snowflakes floated in from the gap in the door. Zongzhi and Runer smiled and chased after them, saying
This is Snow Butterfly.
Chen Caozhi had ten volumes of Master Ge's "Biography of Immortals" borrowed from Chuyang Taoist Temple on his desk, so he told some stories about immortals. The four maids Xiaochan, Zongzhi, Run'er and Ran Sheng all listened with great interest. Later in the night,
The two children were really sleepy and fell asleep on their mother Ding Youwei's lap.
Ding Youwei and Xiaochan carried the two children to the straw mat where Chen Caozhi usually slept and covered them with rough quilts. Jing Nu and Ran Sheng also went to the thatched shed next door to rest or talk.
There is a simple pine wood table with bark, which was made in Lai De to facilitate Chen Caozhi's reading and calligraphy. Ding Youwei knelt down on the side of the pine table and read the "Ming Sheng Lake Lun Xuan Ji" written by Chen Cao Zhi.
, smiled and said: "My sister-in-law can hardly read the articles Xiaolang writes now."
Chen Cao said: "They are all vague and empty theories. They are prepared to be presented to the adults and gentlemen in Jiankang in the future."
As the uncle and sister-in-law talked, the snow suddenly entered the house and the sky gradually became brighter. Chen Cao said: "It is the first month of spring in the fourth year of Shengping."
At this time, the three brothers Lai Gui, Lai Zhen and Lai De drove three ox carts to pick up Ding Youwei and his party back to Chenjiawu. Chen Caozhi also went back together to participate in the ancestor worship ceremony at the Chen family ancestral hall in Qiantang.
On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Shang and Sun Tai went to Jiankang together to wait for the news of naturalization. Chen Caozhi was still guarding his mother's tomb in Yuhuang Mountain. The grass sprouted, the spring warmed and the flowers bloomed. Most of the pine and cypress saplings planted by Chen Cao survived.
, spread out its branches and sway in the spring breeze.
On February 24th, Liu Shangzhi came to Yuhuang Mountain to discuss with Chen Caozhi his learning experience in "Jiao Shi Yi Lin". Ran Sheng outside the hut called out: "Xiao Langjun, there are guests here, and there is a clan leader."
Fourth uncle, and Prime Minister Feng County, ah, that’s Dr. Xu——”
Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi came to the outside of the hut and looked down the mountain. Three elders and five followers were coming up the mountain. Chen Xian, the leader of the Chen family, led the way, accompanied by Feng Mengxiong and Dr. Xu Zaoxu.
Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi rushed down to greet Dr. Xu Zao. Xu Zao solemnly said: "We will talk about it after I pay homage to Chen's mother, Mrs. Li."
As a filial son, Chen Caozhi accompanied Xu Zao to pay homage to his mother's tomb, and then invited Dr. Xu to sit down in the thatched shed.
Xu Zao looked at Chen Caozhi and said: "It has been nearly a year since I left Wu County. Cao Zhi has grown up. Although his appearance has become thinner, his spiritual content has not been decadent due to grief -"
Then he looked at the stacks of books on the pine table, nodded and said: "The Book of Filial Piety says, 'The hair and skin of the body are received by the parents, and they dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety; it is the beginning of filial piety; it is the end of filial piety to stand up and practice the Tao, and become famous in future generations to show off your parents.
Also, "Cao Cao never forgets to study while in mourning, which can be said to be the ultimate way of filial piety."
Speaking of Xu Miao, Xu Zao said: "Xu Miao has gone to Jingzhou with Gu Kaizhi at the beginning of the month. I am here to propose to Brother Feng's beloved daughter for Xu Miao——"
Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi were both stunned.
On the side, Qiantang County Prime Minister Feng Mengxiong smiled slightly, obviously agreeing to the marriage.
Chen Caozhi congratulated Dr. Xu and Uncle Feng and said in his heart: "The immortal people are upright and prudent, rich in knowledge, have the ambition to be the emperor's teacher, and have a bright future. It is a good match for my sister Lingbo to marry the immortal people."
Good couple."
Liu Shangzhi was concerned about his future and asked Xu Zao: "Does Dr. Xu know whether Wu Commandery Lu has resumed his post as regent?"
Xu Zao said: "The imperial edict has been issued to conscript Lu Shijun as Minister of Zuo Min. Lu Shijun has not yet decided whether to accept the call."
Liu Shangzhi asked: "Then who will take over as the governor of Wu County?"
Xu Zao said: "Chu Chenglang is still acting as the prefect." Xu Zao must have heard the rumors about the relationship between Chen Caozhi and Lu Weirui, and said: "Chu Chenglang's conduct has been criticized by the people of Wu County. He cannot hold the position of prefect.
I heard that Chu Chenglang wanted to join the Chu family in Yangzhai, but I'm afraid it's just wishful thinking."
The Chu family of Qiantang was a low-ranking clan, while the Chu family of Yangzhai was a high-ranking noble family. The current Empress Dowager Chu Suanzi came from the Chu family of Yangdi. Chu Jian wanted to climb the high branches of the Empress Dowager Chu, and he was really a very thoughtful person.
Just like Liu Shangzhi wanted to join the clan of the Han Dynasty, Empress Dowager Chu once listened to politics from behind the curtain. She was a woman with great vision and skill. How could she let the Chu family of Yangdi and the Chu family of Qiantang, who had a bad reputation, join the clan?
Xu Zao stayed in Qiantang for more than ten days and returned to Wu County on the sixth day of March.
On the day after Xu Zao left Qiantang, on the seventh day of March, Chen Shang returned from Jiankang. Chen Shang left for Jiankang on the sixteenth day of the first month and came back in less than two months. What's the big deal?