Ergou and his master entered Gusu City the next morning. Of course, this was not because the master and the apprentice had any thoughts of boating on the river the night before, but because there was a curfew in Gusu City. After the time,
Then you can't go in or out.
It was raining lightly in Gusu City in the morning, which made Jiang Ergou, who came here for the first time, feel what Jiangnan is called a rainy place.
In addition to vendors, most of the pedestrians on the street are scholars holding books in their hands. It seems that the saying that half of the world's scholars live in Jiangnan is not a joke.
Along the way, the pair of masters with swords on their backs attracted a lot of attention. Almost no so-called knights would come to Gusu City. Even if something happened, they would not blatantly put weapons on their bodies.
!
Literati have two problems that can never be changed in their lives. One is that literati look down on each other. They always feel that what others write is bullshit, but what I write is full of good words. Occasionally, I will reluctantly compliment others for the sake of face.
It's all hypocrisy, and I still look down on what others have written.
Another one is to look down on those martial arts warriors. I always feel that these rough guys who only know how to fight life and death with swords and guns should not come to Jiangnan where there are many scholars.
If you show off your weapons in the city of Gusu and are met by those scholars who are messing around and insisting on polite principles, then they will definitely surround you and talk to you.
Generally speaking, there are only two results for this kind of situation. If the gangster you meet is thin-skinned, he will run out of Gusu City in shame. Don't believe it, you can't imagine how powerful a scholar's mouth can be.
Arrived.
And if you meet a ruthless man with a bad temper, the scholar who stood up and spoke will definitely be beaten up, and then the man who beat him will be invited to the Yamen by the six policemen in the city to eat.
He was whipped and thrown out of Gusu City.
Of these two results, the latter will often be regarded as a hero by other scholars, and the person who was beaten will also be quite proud. Maybe that night, he will go to the local Huimenglou to get drunk.
To celebrate.
Fortunately, the two masters and apprentices were very lucky and did not meet such a person. Probably because they saw the old and the young, no one wanted to argue with them.
"Hey, hey, Ergou, your master will take you to have some food today!"
The apprentice looked at the master with a surprised look on his face. If this old man knew any martial arts masters, it would not be surprising. He had reached the first-level realm at least, and he had few friends. It was fake!
But it is unusual for this old man to know any decent scholars.
"Old man, is there any hidden master in this city?"
The old man who saw through Ergou's thoughts at a glance laughed and cursed:
"Bullshit peerless master, can't your master and I know one or two real scholars?"
Ergou didn't want to speak at first. He guessed that if he said this, he would be scolded, but in the end he blushed and couldn't hold it back.
"That's not impossible, it's just that if you are really a serious scholar, who would pay attention to a smelly old man like you!"
"Don't be such a mouthful, I'm just asking you if you want to go have a meal!"
"Go! Why don't you go? What an idiot if you don't go for free!"
The old man did not continue talking to the apprentice, but turned around and led the way with a smile, leaving Ergou alone and talking quietly to himself.
"This Gusu City is really amazing! Even the old man who always had a bad mouth has become a lot more polite. If we had left it in the past, apart from other things, the sentence just now would have at least been in 'Stop talking too much'.
'It would be more appropriate to add 'f*ck' in the middle of the three words!"
Following the old man like playing hide-and-seek, he passed through more than ten or twenty alleys before arriving in front of a small courtyard.
Originally, Ergou thought that the scholar friend mentioned by the old man would be from a wealthy family, but he did not expect that he would just live in such a simple little courtyard.
Here, Ergou, who was still looking forward to a good meal, was quite disappointed.
The old man who came to call the door saw his apprentice's expression with his peripheral vision.
"Why, are you disappointed?"
"Old man, I'm not telling you, what kind of scholar can someone who lives in a courtyard like this be? It's not that I look down on him, but he simply doesn't have the money to buy books, right?"
The old man sighed.
"Er Gou, your name really doesn't offend you. You really look down on others. Who told you that all those great scholars live in wealthy families? This person in the room was the one who was the leader of Chu Zheng back then.
Dad paid three obeisances but failed to invite the scholars in the court!"
"Old man, you didn't lie to me, did you? Is it really as powerful as you said?"
"It will only be more powerful than what I said! The scholar in the room is called Chen Mu. When the last emperor of the previous dynasty ascended the throne at the age of seven, he became the Taifu and assisted in the government. Not only that, he became the Taifu.
Fu Zhishi was only twenty-four years old. Later, he single-handedly managed to maintain the rule of the Zhao Kingdom for more than thirteen years. It was a pity that the overwhelming power could not be restored by one person!
In the end, the capital of the Great Zhao Kingdom, which is now the capital, was captured."
After saying this, the disappointment in the old man's eyes was undisguised, but then it started to shine again.
"Later, Chu Zheng's father, Chu Tian, came to the door of the small courtyard in front of you after learning about his talents. He bowed three times as an emperor and wanted Chen Mu to become an official in the court.
He also said that he could pick up official positions in the imperial court, and that he could determine all the grades and titles by himself. But in the end, Chutian still failed to recruit this talented scholar who only wanted to stay in Gusu City and become a teacher!
"
After listening, Ergou's eyes showed admiration, but then he became even more disappointed.
Previous dynasty? Doesn’t that mean that the owner of this courtyard is an old man who is much older than his master. I originally thought that this scholar would have a daughter who was knowledgeable and polite, so he could meet him, but now I see
There is no hope here, so just have a meal honestly!
Just as he was talking, the sound of footsteps came from the yard, and then the door of the yard was opened.
"Uncle Wang! It's you who are here! My grandpa will be here in the near future!"
The crisp voice of a young woman reached Ergou's ears, and coupled with the call of grandpa, Ergou, who was looking down at his toes, suddenly realized:
"That's right! My grandma is really smart, but she is misled by her cleverness. She doesn't have a daughter. Even if she does have a daughter, she is already very old, but she has a granddaughter!"
Sure enough, Ergou looked up and saw the face of a well-behaved girl with a unique Jiangnan charm.
The girl is not very old. She looks three or two years younger than Ergou, but she is already a mature beauty. Needless to say, she has a slender figure and a delicate face. The key is her pair of smart, watery lips.
Her big eyes are the most touching.
"Girl! This kid, Jiang Ergou, is the apprentice of this unscrupulous old man. When we first met, I haven't asked the girl for her name yet."
Ergou took one step past the old man and stood in front of the girl. The girl opposite did not panic when she saw the boy who suddenly appeared in front of her. She just covered her mouth and smiled:
"You must be Brother Ergou! Uncle Wang always liked to mention you when he came here before. Please come in!"
After the girl finished speaking, she turned around and went in. This made Jiang Ergou not sure how to call brother Ergou. Anyway, it sounded awkward.
But then, Ergou seemed to have grasped something important.
"Old man, have you been here before?"
"Of course, when you were little, every time I came out of the mountain stream, I would stay here for a while."
"Then what did you say about me to the girl who just came in?
thing!"
Looking at Jiang Ergou with an eager face, the old man smiled sinisterly.
"Tell me if you don't wash your feet before going to bed, you won't take a shower for a year!"
After saying that, the old man crossed Jiang Ergou and entered the yard, leaving him alone, stunned and messy in the wind.
…
We had gotten free meals, and there were only four people at the dinner table. Jiang Ergou and the old man were the guests, and the scholar Chen Mu and his granddaughter were the hosts.
This meal was cooked by the girl who introduced Ergou and the others. There were not many dishes, just four ordinary dishes and one soup, but they were all exquisite and delicious. It was obvious that the little girl had done a lot of cooking.
After Ergou took one look at the famous scholar, he didn't pay much attention to it, because he looked like an ordinary old man, at most older than his master, and he was not as shocking as the old man said.
student.
The rest of Ergou's thoughts were focused on the girl named Chen Xici. It wasn't just for sex. Of course, the meaning was not at all, but it was more because he wanted to explain him.
There is no such thing as not washing your feet before going to bed or not taking a shower for a year.
But in the end, the girl Chen Xici had already started clearing the dishes and he was too embarrassed to say anything.
After dinner, it was time for the two old men to reminisce. This period of time was a huge torture for the two young people sitting at the bottom. Not only did they have to endure the two elders' comments about themselves, but they also had to smile.
It takes cooperation to welcome each other.
Chen Xici was okay. She probably had experience getting along with these two old men and was not unfamiliar with their conversation, but Ergou was a little unbearable.
Until late at night, the two old people who had not seen each other for many years were still chatting enthusiastically. They just looked at the two drowsy young people below and asked them to go down and rest first.
As if the two dogs were pardoned, they rolled around and ran back to the guest room that Chen Xici had prepared for them. The little girl also rubbed her eyes with her hands and went back to her room.
Without anyone else present, the two old men became more casual and unrestrained, even taking off their shoes and sitting together.
The scholar named Chen Mu reached out and touched Wang Xuanlang's head.
"I've told you a long time ago that Jiangnan is a place that is particularly suitable for self-cultivation. I asked you to bring Ergou over here earlier. Have you forgotten the poem I told you that tourists are most suitable for Jiangnan?
?”
Wang Xuanlang smiled softly, looking more like a Confucian scholar than a warrior.
"Hahaha, the saying "only with Jiangnan Lao" is only suitable for a scholar like you. I can't do that. I have been wallowing in the world all my life, but Jianghu Lao, who is a son of Jianghu, is more suitable for me!?"
"What! Coming to my place will delay your sword practice!?"
Chen Mu pretended to be angry and said, but Wang Xuanlang touched his head instead.
Thirty years ago, Chen Mu, an old minister of the former dynasty who had lost his country and his family, met Wang Xuanlang who had just suffered a disaster and touched his head. He would touch Wang Xuanlang's head every time they met.
Except for the first time, Wang Xuanlang would touch him back every time he was unconvinced.
"This place in Jiangnan can blow warm wind into people's bones. If I come here to practice swordsmanship, I'm afraid I won't be able to lift the three-foot green sword in my hand."
After finishing speaking, Wang Xuanlang did not stop, but continued:
"Speaking of which, what do you think after seeing Ergou?"
Chen Mu stroked his gray beard.
"If he studies, his future will be no worse than his martial arts training."
Wang Xuanlang nodded happily.
"Just as I expected..."
After that, the old man fell into a beautiful reverie like drinking wine...