The ordinary jute paper sent by Hanyin Inn is incomparable with the high-quality jute paper produced by Lu's Manor in Huating. It is rougher, but the pen is good. It is a small-sized langhao.
When touching the hemp paper and sketching, there is sometimes a feeling of sluggishness, but it is also very interesting to write.
According to historical records, Ouyang Xun had no choice of paper and pen. He could write whatever he wanted, and he could write to his best. However, based on Chen Caozhi’s experience, paper with a tough texture could use soft paper, and paper with a soft texture should be fine. Short-edged paper should not be written with fine pens and small characters, and long-edged paper should not be used.
The front should not be thick and round with round fonts. It is better to write with a dry pen and the grass will turn white. If it is soft, it is suitable for regular script. But now, he writes the music score on the rough linen paper with a small tube wolf hair, the string score of the half-character score of Yanle, and the light is shaking.
In the middle of the shake, incomplete Chinese characters and tadpole-like notes come out one after another...
Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan sat across from each other around the fire. Xie Xuan only drank wine and laughed secretly in his heart. My sister and Zizhong had been alone together for more than one day, but tonight they insisted on dragging him together. Hey, my sister has been an official for half a year and she has not forgotten it.
She herself is a woman.
Xie Daoyun gently sipped the newly brewed Shanyin wine from the cup, feeling the warmth and sweetness of the wine. He looked at Chen Caozhi, who kept writing. Suddenly, he frowned slightly and raised his eyes to look at her intently.
After a while, he lowered his head and started writing again. If Xie Daoyun hadn't seen Chen Caozhi writing, he would have thought that Chen Caozhi was painting a portrait of her.
Tonight or any other night, we share the light of candles. No matter what, just sitting in this simple guest house, listening to the low whistle of the north wind, and feeling the warmth of the wine and incense stove, Xie Daoyun is very happy. The charcoal fire in the small red clay stove comes from time to time.
There was a slight crackling sound, and the atmosphere was really intoxicating.
A moment later, Chen Caozhi put the pen on the inkstone, holding the long linen paper with both hands, and browsed it over. When the ink was slightly dry, he smiled and said to Xie Daoyun: "This is a birthday gift for Brother Yingtai. I present it now."
, or tomorrow morning?”
Xie Daoyun said: "Of course it is now. If we wait until tomorrow, we will have trouble sleeping tonight."
Chen Caozhi then stood up and walked to Xie Daoyun, handing over the roll of hemp paper with both hands. Xie Daoyun took it, his slender eyes flashed, and he said happily: "It's piano music!"
Chen Cao said: "Brother Yingtai must have heard this piece of music before."
Xie Xuan was also good at music and was good at playing the thirty-six lutes, so he came over and sat side by side with his sister to read the music score.
Xie Daoyun spread the hemp paper music score in front of his knees, pressed and rubbed it with his long fingers on his knees to make the shape of a drum and a piano. He suddenly raised his head and said, "This seems to be the second half of "High Mountains and Flowing Waters"."
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Yes, the title of the song is "Flowing Water", and it has eight sections in total. Brother Yingtai, let's take a closer look and see how it is different from the second half of "Mountains and Flowing Water"?"
The guqin music "High Mountains and Flowing Waters" has been circulated since the Han Dynasty. It was not the original piece played by Boya to Zhong Ziqi, but was composed by a descendant under his name.
Xie Daoyun lowered her head to play the invisible harp. She brought the banana leaf harp from Wuyi Alley, but left it at the manor when she returned to Dongshan at the end of last month. Xie Daoyun did not dye her hands with coptis today, and her hands were as white as jade under the light of the charcoal fire.
, the right hand wipes, picks, hooks, ticks, the left hand chants, moves, advances, retreats, the serious look really looks like a banana leaf qin lying across the knee.
After a long while, Xie Daoyun stretched his fingers and put them on his knees and said: "Compared with the second half of "Mountains and Flowing Waters", this "Liu Shui Song" is more exquisitely structured, complex and beautiful, and the seventy-two rolling fingerings in the sixth and eighth stanzas are more elegant.
Ruojianghe's style." Suddenly he raised his eyebrows and asked: "Zizhong doesn't know how to play the piano, how can he change this song "High Mountains and Flowing Waters"?"
Chen Cao said: "I have often heard Yingtai brother play the drum and harp, and I am familiar with it. The guqin and recorder have the same tune."
Xie Daoyun nodded and said: "When I play the song "High Mountains and Flowing Waters", I often feel that the first half is inferior to the second half. Zi Zhong composed "Flowing Waters" into a separate song, which is very wonderful." He cupped his hand and said, "Thank you Zi Zhong for the gift."
Xie Xuan was a little unhappy. Chen Caozhi came out of the cold to come here, which was very affectionate, but what was the meaning of writing the song "Flowing Water" as a gift? Good friends in the mountains and flowing water, upright sleeves and cool breeze, do Zizhong and his sister really only have friendship?
Late at night, the Xie sisters resigned and returned to the Kaiyuan Inn to rest. When they went out, they found snowflakes falling. Silently, the roof and ground were already hazy and white. It was cold, and snow accumulated as it fell.
Chen Caozhi stepped on a thin layer of snow to send Xie Daoyun off. Xie Xuan left the Hanyin Inn. Xie Daoyun suddenly said: "In the world of life, I am like a traveler. Tomorrow is my twentieth birthday. I always think that I am still young.
"The world is really magical, and there are always unpredictable endings."
Chen Caozhi was also very touched when he thought about his two lives as a human being, and said: "There are always unknowable mysteries in this world. Even though there are countless wildernesses throughout the ages, life has limits but we know no limits. We are so small and ignorant.
Are you sad? No, we have conscience. We pay attention to and cherish the beauty of the world. Regardless of family and friendship, pity or compassion, these beautiful emotions, even music, chess, calligraphy and painting, flowers, birds, insects and fish, all make us feel the preciousness of life. We hope that
Strive to reduce suffering in this world, no matter if we are less than a hundred years old, we are here in this world once, we have worked hard, and we have known each other."
The Xie sisters stood still and looked at Chen Caozhi. Xie Daoyun's eyes were bright, and her heart was filled with unspeakable emotions. She was afraid of tears, so she raised her head and saw the fine snow falling from the sky, touching her face with the cool tenderness.
, above the snow, outside the clouds, the fifteenth full moon and the stars in the sky are still there.
On the early morning of the 16th, when the sky was dimming, Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng had finished washing up. Liu Xu, the maid, came over with a smile and said: "Two Mr. Chen, Mr. Mr. Mr. Xi, please come and eat leek spit water and lead cakes. My Mr. Mr. Xie knows."
Mr. Chen wanted to go back in a hurry, so he rewarded the shopkeeper with money and ordered him to prepare leek leaf water cakes early." He also said: "My Mr. Mr. Chen was very happy when he saw that there was a thick layer of snow, and said that the drought in Kuaiji could be alleviated.
Yes, and according to my third mistress, A Yuan, no, no, my husband Mr. Xie was born on a snowy day. Today, although I am traveling to celebrate my birthday, and I am glad to have a good friend like Mr. Chen Langjun here, my husband Mr. Xie is here.
Very happy, I woke up with a smile on my face early in the morning.”
Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng walked through the snow to the Kaiyuan Inn. They ate Xie Daoyun's longevity noodles with Xie Daoyun, Xie Xuan and the servants of the Xie clan.
He said goodbye, got on his horse and was about to go, but he saw a horse galloping from the east, with snow splashing on his horse hooves, and he was walking in a hurry, but it was a servant of the Xie family. There was a layer of snow on his wide-brimmed bamboo hat, and he said happily: "I finally caught up with Mr. Chen."
Your Majesty, I’ve got the Banana Leaf Qin.” He got off his horse and presented the tightly wrapped Banana Leaf Qin to Xie Daoyun, but it turned out that Xie Daoyun had ordered his servants to rush to Dongshan Villa overnight to get the Qin.
Xie Xuan smiled and said: "It's such a coincidence. It can be said that Zizhong and my brother have a good understanding of each other."
Xie Daoyun was playing the piano under the eaves of the Kaiyuan Inn. Chen Caozhi immediately listened to it. The bright and brisk prelude was like a stream coming from a distance, twisting and turning, stopping when it encounters rocks, and gurgling slowly when it encounters an open space, with broken beads dancing like jade.
Gradually it gathers and grows, the river has nine meanders, rushing water, the wise move, the wise enjoy the water, the perception of life and the experience of life, turn into the song "Flowing Water", few close friends, the sound of "Flowing Water" is in vain, and now
, with a close friend in front of me, the courtyard is covered with snow, the song "Flowing Water" is not in vain!
It was past noon. Zongzhi and Runer had lunch at the Qingdian Town Inn and waited for a long time. Uncle Chou and Xiao Sheng had not come back yet. The waiting time was so unbearable that Runer said to Xiaochan and Yuyan: " Sister Xiaochan, Sister Yuyan, brother and I want to meet the ugly uncle in Zhendong and play in the snow, okay?"
Zongzhi added: "I came here yesterday and saw a plum forest in bloom in the east."
Xiaochan said: "Little Master Cao is about to come back."
Yuyan glanced at Xiaochan and whispered, "Sister Xiaochan, please take them there. I'm not feeling well these two days."
Xiaochan said "hmm", took Zongzhi and Runer's hands, and said, "Don't run around, do you hear me?"
The two little brothers agreed and followed Xiao Chan out of the inn. Jing Nu brought two private soldiers of the Chen family and four Xifu sergeants to follow for protection.
It was cold and the snow had been trampled into ice and was very slippery. Xiaochan asked Lai Zhen to drive the ox cart. She, Zongzhi and Runer sat in the cart and rolled through the ice and snow. When they arrived at the east end of the town, they saw the Pingchou wilderness. , are covered with white snow, the air is fresh and cold, and breathing can cleanse the heart.
Run'er clung to the car window and recited: "In the past, when I left, the willows lingered, but now I come to think about it, the rain and snow are falling. Uncle Chou once praised this as a beautiful line from Mao's poem, and Run'er understands it deeply today."
Zongzhi said: "This is a poem about the homesickness of soldiers who went on an expedition."
Run'er knew the meaning behind his brother's words, and said crisply: "Emotions are based on the sense of things, and writing is born from emotions. According to the four seasons, we have sighed and passed away. Looking at all things, I have many thoughts. I am sad for the fallen leaves in the strong autumn, and I am happy for the soft branches in the spring. Although the hearts are different, the emotions are the same. Brother, look at the sergeants under Xiao Sheng. They are also homesick, and they are also attached to Yangliu, but we don't understand it."
Zongzhi said in surprise: "Where did Run'er read this? It's so brilliant and clear, but I haven't read it yet?"
Run'er was a little proud and said with a smile: "Uncle Chou taught me, brother, didn't you hear it?"
Zongzhi scratched his head and said, "I haven't heard Uncle Chou tell you that." He asked, "Did Uncle Chou tell you when he was young?"
Run'er held back her laughter and said, "It was when I went to visit Mr. Andao in Shan County."
Zongzhi thought about it and said, "Yes, I went to Pianyunyan with Mr. Andao once, was it that time?" Seeing Run'er couldn't help laughing, Zongzhi realized, "Run'er is teasing me again!"
Run'er saw that brother looked a little unhappy and said hurriedly: "Run'er and brother are joking. Uncle Chou didn't teach this, it was Miss Lu. Didn't Run'er and her mother go to Huating to meet Lu last time? Madam Lu, Madam Lu dictated this "Wen Fu" in the boat when she took me on a trip to Pinghu. It was written by Madam Lu's great-uncle, the famous Lu Shiheng. Brother, when we return to Chenjiawu, Run'er Just copy it and show it to my brother, okay?"
Zongzhi said "hmm" and did not blame Runer for teasing him. Zongzhi was very accommodating and loved Runer.
Xiao Chan on the side sighed: "Sister Xiao Chan is really old. Run'er spoke so profoundly that I felt dizzy."
Run'er smiled and said: "Sister Xiaochan and Sister Qingzhi are both better than maid Zheng Kangcheng. Sister Xiaochan has followed Uncle Chou for so long, so she is naturally even more powerful now."
Xiao Chan said with some embarrassment: "How can I learn the knowledge of Mr. Cao Zhi? I only have a rough understanding of poetry and theory."
The oxcart drove to the plum forest at the east entrance of the town. Xiaochan, Zongzhi, and Runer got off the car and looked at the road ahead. The fields were filled with snow, which was very different from the day before.
Run'er worriedly asked: "With such heavy snow, can Uncle Chou and Xiao Sheng make it back?"
Jing Nu chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Miss Run'er. This kind of snow is nothing. Horse racing is faster in the snow. Young Master and the others will be back soon."
On both sides of the road, thousands of plum trees stand staggered in the snow. Half of the heavy branches are white and half are black. The white ones are snow and the black ones are the branches.
Run'er walked through the snow and walked to a plum tree, raised her head and said, "I wonder if this plum tree has bloomed yet. Is it a white plum or a red plum?"
Chen's private soldiers and Ran Sheng's sergeants all loved the beautiful and smart little lady Run'er. After hearing what Run'er said, two sergeants came forward and said, "My lady, please get out of the way."
Run'er stepped aside and saw the two strong sergeants hugging the old plum tree and shaking it vigorously. There was a heavy snowfall within a few feet, and the snow powder was flying. Run'er laughed out loud.
, when I looked again, the ice and snow were shaking down, dots of red plums appeared, and the fragrance of plum blossoms was faint.
The two sergeants ran out of Merlin shouting. Their heads and faces were covered with snow, and there was snow in their collars. They were busy cleaning up, making everyone laugh.
Run'er got close to the plum tree and admired the branches full of red plums. The cores were covered with snow, the red petals were ice-cold, and the cold fragrance was refreshing.
There is a small ditch not far from the plum tree. On the other side of the ditch is a patch of low bushes with scattered snow. At this moment, the bushes shake, and suddenly a gray-white wild dog jumps out. The dog's ears are erect and its dirty tail is
Dragging on the ground, sticking out his scarlet tongue, drooling, looking extremely disgusting, he jumped very fast and rushed towards Run'er.
Zongzhi first saw the ferocious and strange dog and shouted: "Run'er, be careful of the evil dog!" while running towards Run'er to protect his little sister.
Run'er was startled when she heard her brother shouting. Then she heard the hoarse and dull barking of a dog. She turned around and saw that the drooling wild dog had jumped in front of her, staring blankly at Run'er.
.
Run'er was young, and the dog was really scary. He screamed in fear, turned around and ran away. The dog jumped to the ground, clawed at Run'er with its front paws, and tried to bite him with its salivating teeth.
The one closest to Run'er was Xiao Chan. She only discovered the vicious dog when she heard Zong Zhi's shouting. She suddenly felt chills all over her body. She was also afraid of dogs, but when she saw Run'er's face turned pale with fright, Xiao Chan rushed over desperately.
He went up and kicked the dog on the neck. The dog made a sound of "ouch" and took a few steps back. Xiaochan lost her footing and fell to the snow. She quickly got up and saw the vicious dog rushing towards Run'er again.
But Zongzhi had already rushed up and grabbed Run'er, and the dog bared its teeth at the little brother and sister.
Xiao Chan picked up a branch from the ground and beat the wild dog hard. The wild dog roared, turned around stiffly, and bit Xiao Chan's calf with a sharp bite. The sharp dog teeth bit through several layers of cloth.
Chan's calf, Xiao Chan didn't feel any pain at this time. The branch in his hand twitched violently, and with a "crack", the branch broke. The dog took the opportunity to bite Xiao Chan again on the back of her left hand.
Jing Nu shouted and came over with several sergeants. With a "Huo" sound, the oak stick in Jing Nu's hand flew out and hit the dog's body. The dog was hurt and rolled twice on the ground, "Ouch" in pain.
Yelled, jumped into the bushes and disappeared.
Xiaochan endured the pain and asked Zongzhi urgently if Run'er had been bitten. Zongzhi shook his head and said, "No." Looking at Run'er again, his face turned pale and he was frightened.
Xiaochan squatted down, nervously touched Run'er's hands and feet, and asked repeatedly: "Run'er, did you bite her, and where did you bite her?"
Run'er burst into tears, hugged Xiaochan and cried: "I wasn't bitten, but sister Xiaochan was bitten."
Only then did Xiao Chan feel throbbing pain from the bites on her hands and feet. She forced a smile and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Sister Xiao Chan is an adult. Run'er is not afraid." She patted Run'er's soft back.
Jing Nu, Laizhen and others all ran over and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the two young masters were not bitten. Zongzhi and Runer helped Xiao Chan sit on the bullock cart. Jing Nu looked at Xiao Chan.
The wound on the calf was shallow with only a trace of blood, and the back of the left hand was deep with blood flowing out. Jing Nu had some medicine for the wound and applied it to Xiao Chan, then bandaged it with a clean cloth.
The white-haired Jing Nu said angrily: "It's all because the old slave was careless and didn't protect himself well when he was far away. Unexpectedly, a vicious dog suddenly jumped out of the forest, causing the two young masters to be frightened. Xiao Chan was bitten. Wait for Xiao Lang."
When you come back, I will be punished willingly."
Xiao Chan forced a smile and said: "How can you blame Uncle Jing? Who would have thought that a vicious dog would come out!" There was a deep worry in her heart, remembering that the son of the meritorious Cao Shi of Shanyin County was also bitten by a dog a few days ago, and she felt weird.
I was sick, afraid of water, sound, and light. I asked Mr. Cao to go and treat him. He said that the poison had already taken hold and there was no cure. In less than ten days, the man died!
The way the vicious dog was dragging its tail and drooling just now was very much like what Xiao Langjun said about a sick lynx. Xiao Chan's hands and feet were cold and she was very scared.
Jing Nu said: "Go back, go back to the guest house, don't wait here, the weather is freezing and don't let the two young masters catch the cold."
Run'er said: "Leave two people here to guard, don't let the vicious dog bite Uncle Chou and Xiao Sheng."
Jing Nu praised Miss Run'er for her carefulness and left two sergeants behind while the others went back to the inn.
The wheels made a creaking sound as they ran over the snow. Seeing Xiaochan's pale face, Run'er in the carriage asked in a low voice: "Sister Xiaochan, does it hurt?"
Xiaochan stretched out her right hand and touched Runer's pink cheek and said, "It hurts a little bit, but I'm not afraid. I'm just afraid of biting Runer and Zongzhi."
Run'er said: "If Sister Xiaochan hadn't stopped the vicious dog, Run'er would have been bitten."
At this time, he heard the rapid sound of horse hoofbeats coming closer and closer. Run'er said happily: "It's Uncle Chou and Xiao Sheng who are back."
The two little brothers and sisters got off the oxcart and looked towards the way they came. They saw the two riders riding "Zidian" Chou Shu and "White Horse" Xiao Sheng.
"
Chen Caozhi reined in his horse, strode over and asked, "Xiaochan was bitten by a dog? What kind of dog was it?"
Chen Caozhi would only call Sister Xiaochan in private as he did when he was a child. He had just met the two sergeants at the plum forest in the east of the town. He learned that Xiaochan had been bitten by a vicious dog and asked the two sergeants what they were like.
Dog? The two sergeants said they didn’t see it clearly.
Run'er said: "Uncle Chou, Sister Xiaochan was bitten by a vicious dog while trying to save Run'er. The vicious dog pounced on Run'er, and Run'er was frightened to death!"
Jing Nu came forward to plead guilty. Chen Caozhi waved his hand and asked what the dog looked like.
Zongzhi observed it most carefully and said: "It is a gray-white dog, maybe a white dog. The fur is dirty, the tongue is sticking out, saliva is flowing, the tail is dragging on the ground, and there is a piece of fur on the back that looks like a burn."
The owner of the inn heard this and said: "That is the dog of the Fang family in the town. It is a mad dog. It has bitten several people. One person became ill and has been locked up. It seems that there is no way to save him."
When Run'er and Zong Yi heard this, their faces turned pale. The two younger brothers and sisters had also heard that the son of Shanyin Gong Cao Shi was bitten by a dog and died of poison.
Chen Caozhi frowned deeply, looked at the wounds on Xiaochan's hands and feet, and said: "Xiao Sheng, Uncle Jing, gather everyone together, bring swords, guns and sticks, and we must kill that dog today."
Six Chen's private soldiers and twenty Xifu soldiers lined up in front of the inn, waiting for orders. Chen Caozhi asked Jing Nu and six Chen's private soldiers to stay in the inn, while he and Ran Sheng came with twenty Xifu soldiers.
When we arrived at Meilin in the east of Zhendong, we formed a team of three people and divided them into seven groups to search together.
Ran Sheng said to Chen Cao: "Brother, just leave this matter to me. Brother, just wait at the inn."
Chen Caozhi held an oak stick in his hand and said: "I will go with you. I must find the dog. If you are bitten by such a sick dog, you will not necessarily be poisoned and sick, but once you get sick, there is no cure.
We must find the sick dog before the virus spreads and apply its brain to the bite area, so that the virus can be eliminated."
This kind of rabies can only be prevented but not cured in later generations. Now Chen Caozhi can only follow the strange prescription of "kill the bitten dog and take the brain and apply it" recorded by Ge Hong in "Emergency Prescriptions"
He was treating Xiaochan, and it was said that this prescription had miraculous effects.
The snow smoothed the hills and ravines, and everyone dispersed to search, walking deeper and deeper into the plum forest in the white snow, carrying swords, guns and sticks in front, while shouting and shouting, trying to scare the vicious dog out.
This plum forest and shrubs are hundreds of acres wide, and there is a hill behind the forest. The hill is also thick with shrubs, so the search is very difficult.
Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng and the twenty-two people searched from late afternoon until the end of the day. It was almost dark. Before the vicious dog could be found, even Chen Caozhi, a very patient man, began to get anxious.
stand up.
Suddenly, I heard a sergeant shouting from the front left: "Over here, over here!" Then I heard a dog barking, obviously being beaten in pain.
The sergeant shouted: "Escape to the northeast, stop him quickly, stop him quickly."
Ran Sheng looked in the right direction and ran away like a leopard. As he ran, he took off the strong bow with chi patterns on his back, bent the bow and set an arrow, the string rang, the dog barked, howled a few more times, and then fell silent.
The sergeant dragged the dead dog over. Chen Cao took a look and saw that it was a white-haired dog with a burn the size of a copper coin on its back.
Back at the Qingdian Town Inn, Chen Caozhi took matters into his own hands, first cleaning the wounds on Xiaochan's hands and feet with sage leaf juice, and then applying the dog's brain.
Xiao Chan was so moved that she almost cried when she saw that Mr. Cao Zhi, who was always very clean, treated her regardless of her filthiness.
Chen Caozhi consoled him and said, "Sister Xiaochan, it's okay. With Ge Xianshi's magical prescription, it will surely cure the poison of the sick dog."
If the hair does not grow after seven days, it means it will fall off. It will take more than a hundred days, which is a great cure."
