The wild slopes of the autumn field have a look of depression and decay. However, the view in the sparse forest is much wider. The unknown red fruits are gathered on the tops of the trees, making people envious. Only smaller birds occasionally go there.
After a few pecks, maybe the taste was not good, and then they flew away in groups again.
A few careless squirrels were climbing and pacing among the pine branches, maybe just out to try their luck. Occasionally they would find pine cones that they had missed, and they would gnaw them down and drop them on the soft soil. When they came down from the tree to look for them, they would find them.
But there was no trace of the pine cone anymore. He looked around with annoyed eyes, cursed a few more times, and then reluctantly turned back to the tree hole.
Today, this squirrel was unlucky. After walking around under the tree for a few times, he saw a pine cone he had just bitten off. It was picked up by a young man and played with it in his hand. This squirrel seemed to have some intelligence and actually "squeaked and chirped".
, spoke a lot of "rat language" to the young man, then swung his tail and walked away.
The young man seemed to understand, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Do you want this pine cone back? Then I will give it back to you!" After the young man finished speaking, he threw the pine cone, and the pine cone was carried by the strong wind, towards the
The squirrel shot away quickly. Only a few pitiful chirps were heard, and the squirrel was hit on its hind legs and fell from a tree several feet high.
The young man flew over, tied up the squirrel's limbs with ropes, and put it into a cloth bag that he brought with him. He turned around and said with a smile, "Mom! Catch one. When I go back to Lin'er, my sister will definitely like it when she sees it!"
The young man who spoke was Yang Zhaoxi, who was walking slowly on the mountain road with Lu Qiuniang at this time. It was a bit sad to think that after returning to the villa, Guan Lin'er would inevitably pester him for new gadgets. Fortunately, the young man's temperament was good, and
I like to think about some weird things. When I saw a squirrel scurrying around in the tree, I used the "locust stone" technique to knock one down as a smaller gift.
Lu Qiuniang looked at him and smiled helplessly: "Xi'er, after this year, you will be twelve years old. In a few years, I am afraid that even the marriage has been settled, are you still like this nonsense and no formality?
?”
Yang Chaoxi said indifferently: "A man, a real man! As a generation of heroes, practicing Taoism internally and punishing evildoers externally, how can you be in a hurry to get married?"
As Lu Qiuniang left, she teased: "Then why were you and Niu Pang'er still vying to marry Guan Lin'er as your wife when you came back from the farm holiday last year?"
Yang Chaoxi saw that Lu Qiuniang was blaming him for this matter again. Although she was usually naughty, she blushed and said: "How can Lin'er, a pretty girl... marry a fool like Niu Pang'er! Although I'm not that big.
My skills are much better than that of Niu Pang'er!"
Lu Qiuniang smiled again and said, "Is that the reason? If you don't like Guan Lin'er, but you want to marry her, wouldn't it mean that Mr. Ye is a dragon? Besides, Niu Pang'er is also a brother who grew up with you, so you are so cruel.
Stealing love?"
Yang Zhaoxi couldn't defend herself for a moment, so she blushed and ignored Lu Qiuniang's questioning. After walking for a long time, she finally lost her temper and said, "Who said that, I prefer girl Lin'er, and girl Lin'er must also like me.
.If I see her when I go back, I will definitely ask her clearly! Niu Pang'er has suffered from 'pink eye' since he was a child. He will like whatever I like! I can't give in to everything, can I?"
Seeing his angry look, Lu Qiuniang couldn't help but go up and stroke his bun, and said with a smile: "Mom is joking with you! You are serious. If you like Guan Lin'er, mother will ask Aunt Guo to find you.
Guan Shibo went to talk to the matchmaker. Mom is only worried that if you stay outside for a long time and meet a more lovely woman, you will forget about Guan Lin'er in this valley. If so, you will miss her!"
But Yang Zhaoxi had a serious look on her face: "What about the women outside? They are all cunning, weird, and have a harmful temper. I have seen it before. Mom, please don't mention this matter again. In my heart at the moment, I only think about Lin'er.
Girl!"
Lu Qiuniang smiled and said nothing, but many thoughts welled up in her heart: After all, Xi'er and the others are still just teenagers. Their hearts are uncertain and they can express whatever they feel. They are still ignorant of the joy of love, let alone marriage.
After giving birth, those ordinary but real responsibilities have ceased. Thinking of this, I recall how rational and impulsive I was when I decided to marry Yang Sanlang? Or was it just a matter of necessity? Now many years ago
In the past, only the joys and sorrows remain...
Yang Zhaoxi didn't know that she had so many complicated thoughts in her mind at this time. After just walking for a while, she had to stop and wait for Lu Qiuniang, who was out of breath. But she felt a little sad in her heart: mother worked too hard after all! What if father was still alive?
, my mother doesn’t have to deal with such things internally and externally, nor does she have to trek dozens of miles of mountain roads to go to the city to suffer such bullying! After all, I still grow up too slowly, and I can’t make my mother’s life easier.
At the time when Shen and You met, Yang Zhaoxi and Lu Qiuniang finally returned to the Willow Villa after a long absence. The two willow trees at the entrance of Zhuangzi had grown a lot, and the huts in the village were piled in piles by the stream, and the smoke from cooking was scattered in the valley.
The sounds of cows, horses, dogs, and roosters echo each other, adding a lot of solidity and peace to people's hearts.
After only a few dozen steps into the valley, I saw Zhang Xiang'er and several women carrying clothes and going to the stream to wash them. When they saw Lu Qiuniang and Yang Chaoxi, they came back side by side and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law of the Yang family! That silk of yours,
After all, there is someone who knows the rope, and it looks like I have exchanged a lot of money for it. I just saved it for Xi'er, and in a few years I will have a smart little lady, and I will be able to help you a little."
Yang Chaoxi was thinking about the unpleasant incident with Pang Niu'er. At this moment, he saw his mother teasing him here again. He immediately straightened his face, took a few steps forward, passed Lu Qiuniang's figure, and headed towards his thatched cottage.
However, Lu Qiuniang stopped and replied with a smile: "I'm a thin-skinned kid and I'm embarrassed by you. I have to go back and enlighten you. Let's talk some gossip when we have free time."
Among those women, another one was Wang Guanjie's wife, but she stopped her with a smile: "Sister-in-law of the Yang family! I am not in a hurry. Months ago, you gave me the two-piece robe that my husband and I had cut.
They are all full of praise and want to thank you in person! At this time, the two of them are having wine at home, so please come with me!"
Lu Qiuniang refused to go, unable to bear the persuasion of the women, so she had to follow Wang Guanjie's wife into the small courtyard and came to a spacious hut.
Sure enough, Wang Guanjie was at the wooden table in the main hall, pouring wine with the old man Wang Tongru. Seeing that his wife had dragged Lu Qiuniang over, he hurriedly got up and came out to greet: "Sister-in-law of the Yang family! You are back. How many of them have been there in the past few days?
You didn't think much about it, but you were left alone to sell cloth in the city! When our brothers found out, they all scolded us. It happened to be the Double Ninth Festival today, and the chrysanthemum wine brewed by my father had just been opened, so why not sit down and have a drink?
, one is to apologize, and the other is to thank you for making these two robes!"
Wang Guanjie's wife was about to help Lu Qiuniang into the house. Lu Qiuniang smiled and bowed and said: "Brothers from the Wang family are serious, I'm back in good condition! I met my Xi'er in the city and we went back to the mountain together. Now we have just returned.
When you get home, as a mother, I have to go back and take care of you, so I won’t bother Mr. Wang anymore!”
At this time, Wang Tongru had followed the noise and left the hut. When he came closer, he saw clearly that it was Lu Qiuniang.
The old man was in a happy mood, so he wanted to usher Lu Qiuniang into the house. Seeing her tactful refusal, he smiled and said: "Guanjie! Then put a small jar of chrysanthemum wine made by dad, and then put a few buckets of corn that was dried in the past few days.
Bring it and send it to Yang's house together. If you can't deliver it, you will have to eat my crutch when you come back!"
Wang Guanjie agreed with a smile, and then took his wife into the house to get busy.
But Wang Tongru smiled and said: "Madam of the Yang family, I have been here to take refuge in this mountain for more than ten years. Recently, I have been thinking about the past a lot. If it weren't for the things in the mountain to support people, I am afraid that I would not be able to survive.
At this age, most of the clothes worn by people in the village these days are cloths woven by you. You live a poor life, but you are unwilling to accept money from everyone. So! I will give you more rice and grain, but I can't teach you an orphan.
The widowed mother is the one who suffers! The chrysanthemum wine is not very strong, even a woman can drink it, so I invite you to try my craft."
Lu Qiuniang bowed and thanked her, and said respectfully: "My father-in-law gave me the name Xi'er. His father must be grateful for this! If my father-in-law has any instructions in the future, please tell Qiuniang!"
Wang Tongru pondered for a moment, but then said: "The little old man has no choice but to take your word for it and push the envelope. The little old man has now lived to be over eighty years old, and he is no less generous than Master Meng. But that's it.
I know that time is running out, but I have not yet made preparations for my posthumous affairs. If the Yang family is free in winter, I will beg for a birthday robe for a hundred years." After hearing this, Lu Qiuniang nodded in agreement.
Wang Tongru thought for a while: "Besides, a walking monk came to Zhuangzi the day before yesterday. He was wearing rags and rags. It was so desolate! However, the Zen principles he talked about were quite reassuring. I am not afraid of the Yang family's wife's jokes. I used to think of him every time.
Guan Xiong is about to cry. After the walking monk said a few words, I felt relieved a lot. Thinking of what Guan Xiong had done, I actually felt a little happy in my heart. In the past two days, the walking monk was halfway up the mountain.
He cut the grass and built a hut, saying that he would practice hard and meditate, and at the same time help my fellow villagers. If you meet him someday, you may be able to make a set of monk robes for him, and the young man will come out with the necessary expenses."
Lu Qiuniang bowed and smiled and said: "This is a good thing to do good deeds! Why do I need to take care of everything? Don't we women have no wisdom and are not worthy of the Buddha to come and save us? It's just a piece of coarse cloth, it can be regarded as my merit.
.”
The two chatted for a while, and Wang Guanjie and his wife came out of the hut. Wang Guanjie was seen holding a small porcelain jar in one hand and holding a cloth bag in the other. Seeing Lu Qiuniang saying goodbye to her father, he followed her.
, and went straight to her thatched cottage.
But just now, Yang Zhaoxi was alone and returned to his thatched cottage angrily from outside. Looking at the familiar wooden table and earthen stove and the cypress stick standing in the corner, a slightly sour warmth surged in his heart.
So most of his anger was gone, and he jumped on the inner kang, unloading his luggage, planning to tidy it up a little. However, when he opened the luggage, he saw that the female Taoist crown that had been repaired earlier, and the brand-new hair scarf, had long since disappeared.
Wings and flies. Just one more note:
Chong Lingzi, let’s clear up our grudges. When we meet again one day, my Cui family’s swordsmanship will definitely surpass yours! - Cui Wan, Hua Xizi
After Yang Chaoxi read it, he couldn't help but laugh. At this moment, he remembered what senior sister Jing Xiko said when they parted. He speculated about the situation before and after, but it was close to the truth:
It must be that Senior Sister Kagakiko leaked the news of her departure to Hanakiko and Tsukiko after she left the side hall. The two women ran into their guest rooms together first. When one of them left a note for themselves, they conveniently handed Daoguan and
The hair scarf was taken away as an act of reconciliation; the other person sat in the guest room and waited to confirm the news personally.
Thinking of this moment, I took off the sachet from my waist: the originally crystal clear dogwood fruit was already a little wrinkled. The sachet contained fragrant dried rose petals, with something golden in the middle. Pour it out and take a look.
, but there are three golden beans. In the dim light, the golden light is dazzling. This sachet... is really precious!
Yang Chaoxi held the golden beans and was stunned for a while. Then she took out the money bag from her arms and stuffed the golden beans into it, preparing to find an opportunity to return it to Yue Xizi. Then she tied the sachet back to her waist and put it back.
I took out the replacement Taoist robe from my bag and put it in the corner of the kang, planning to go to the river to wash it later.
What's left is a stack of papers that I wrote when I had nothing to do in Linji Temple. One sheet was filled with "Overlord Spear, Night-Zhanying Sword, Gongsun Sword Technique, Cuiyun Dao Kung, Falling Rain Jingqiu Sword"
..." Most of the names of various martial arts skills were learned by me in the past two years; there are also some insights about practicing kung fu and practicing qi, which were written down messily on a few pieces of paper. I don't know if they are wrong, so I have to wait for them to come back.
Go to the temple and ask Gongsun Zhenren for advice.
While her thoughts were being sorted out like this, there were sounds outside the hut. Lu Qiuniang entered the hut before she finished saying goodbye to others, and then there was the sound of items being placed on the wooden table.
Yang Zhaoxi stood up and saw Lu Qiuniang pouring a bag of corn into a large earthen jar in the corner. On the wooden table, there was a small porcelain jar, and the sweet smell came out of the porcelain jar.
"Mom! What good thing is it? Where did it come from?" Yang Chaoxi vaguely guessed what was in the jar, but still couldn't help asking.
"Laozhang Wang's family brewed chrysanthemum wine. Today is the Double Ninth Festival, so I mixed this jar and gave it to us to have a taste!" Lu Qiuniang replied with a smile. After Yang Chaoxi heard this, she happily did two somersaults and directly
Sitting on the kang, Lu Qiuniang laughed and scolded her.
At this time, the setting sun had just set over the mountains to the west. Under the cinnabar-colored sky, the undulating peak lines were particularly clear, drawing an irregular boundary between heaven and earth.
Lu Qiuniang took some beans, boiled them in salt water, dried them, and put them in a coarse porcelain bowl. Yang Zhaoxi also took a wooden table and two benches and set them up in the courtyard.
The mother and son took advantage of the unfinished daylight to take a sip of chrysanthemum wine, eat a few beans boiled in salt water, and talk to each other about things in the village, things in the temple, and things in Luoyang city.
This chrysanthemum wine only has a three-thirds of wine flavor, but more of the sweet taste of honey and chrysanthemum. Hold it in your mouth and let it grow by itself, making you feel indescribably comfortable. Yang Chaoxi thought to himself: What the brothers in Guanzhong often say
Yuye nectar is probably nothing more than that!
Lu Qiuniang then mentioned the incident a year ago when Yang Chaoxi and the four of them teamed up to fight a tiger. Although she was frightened, she was also very pleased with the bravery and wisdom of the four of them.
Yang Zhaoxi couldn't help but boast: with his current martial arts skills, even if he couldn't kill the tiger alone, he would be more than enough to drive away those big insects. Lu Qiuniang thought he was just talking nonsense after drinking, and just responded with a smile.
Don't spoil his interest.
When dusk was getting darker, it was already a bit chilly in the mountains. Lu Qiuniang couldn't help the cold, so she went back to the hut first, leaving Yang Zhaoxi alone in the courtyard, sipping sweet chrysanthemum wine one after another, enjoying herself and forgetting.
By chance, even when a certain thin figure came, he stepped into the courtyard with light steps and didn't notice it at all.
The figure was slim and graceful, her buns were slightly trembling, and her white myrobalan was hidden in a chest-length skirt. Her voice was clear and sweet: "Brother Xi! I just heard from some aunts that you are back, but I don't believe it, so I came here to take a look.
!”
Yang Zhaoxi was slightly tipsy at this time. She raised her head and looked at the eighty-nine-year-old girl. Her body had grown a bit. She was holding a bamboo basket on her right arm. She was smiling and had a somewhat touching demeanor.
Thinking of some random thoughts during the day, I couldn't help but look slightly ashamed, and said: "Lin...Sister Lin'er! Sit down quickly, this chrysanthemum wine is really... delicious. Brother Xi will also pour a bowl... for you to taste."
taste!"
The girl who came in the dusk was Guan Lin'er, who had grown up a lot. She put the bamboo basket on the corner of the wooden table, and when she saw Yang Zhaoxi looking like a drunkard, she thought of her father who occasionally got drunk, and couldn't help but
He chuckled: "How many years have I left the villa? I have learned a lot of bad habits. I can't bear to drink, but I still want to drink this cup!" As he said this, he took the chrysanthemum wine handed over by Yang Chaoxi.
Guan Lin'er's lips were smudged, and she touched the rough porcelain bowl twice before frowning: "It has a sweet taste, but it burns your throat. What's so good about it?" After that, he took it.
The wine jar and coarse porcelain bowl were in front of Yang Chaoxi, "Brother Xi, stop drinking. It's rare for you to come back to the mountain, why don't you talk to Lin'er for a while?"
Yang Chaoxi's head sank slightly, and his consciousness was a little dull. He looked at Guan Lin'er's swaying round face and said with a smile: "What are you talking about... Sister Lin'er just said it. Brother Xi is listening!"
Guan Lin'er nodded with satisfaction, then turned his head and thought for a moment, then said: "Did you know? Brother Xi, a beggar monk came to the village. He was all in tatters, but his eyes were very bright...
...Uh! Some look like the stars above!" Guan Lin'er said, reaching out and pointing to the sky.
Yang Chaoxi looked at her innocent look with one finger pointing to the sky, but was slightly stunned for a moment. This childlike face seemed to overlap with Yue Xiko Tan Qing, which was really strange.
Yang Chaoxi shook his head and said with a smile: "A beggar is a beggar, and a monk is a monk. The beggar monk you are talking about is really strange, but I have never seen it before."
Guan Lin'er's smile was as bright as a flower, and her eyes were curved into crescent moons: "This beggar monk is not only strange, but... he is also quite interesting to talk about! At noon, my father went hunting, so I sneaked to the mountainside.
Up, the beggar monk is kowtowing to a piece of wood!"
Yang Chaoxi also laughed and said: "It's really interesting! We Taoist priests only worship Taoist statues. Since he is a monk, he should worship Buddha and Bodhisattva. He should never worship a piece of wood!"
Guan Lin'er nodded and said with a smile: "I thought so at first. Then I had the courage to look closer and realized that I had mistaken him. The piece of wood was a wooden Buddha statue. I asked him, 'Monk, what are you worshiping?
Who is it?' The beggar monk then turned around, raised his palms, nodded his head and said, 'The poor monk is worshiping me, the Buddha, named Sakyamuni'. I asked him again, 'Why is the Buddha's head covered with bumps'? The beggar monk
Monk Er said, "I am a monk with two feet. I don't lower my head when I touch the door frame. I squat down and don't hold my head when I get beaten. That's why my head is covered with bruises."
When Yang Zhaoxi heard this, she said "Huh?" and couldn't help laughing, and laughed together with Guan Lin'er.
The two of them laughed for a long time, and then Guan Lin'er gasped and said: "Giggle! I also had the same reaction as Brother Xi at that time... Giggle... The beggar monk was not angry either, and said, 'I refuse to bow my head because of the Dharma.
It is the highest, and it is difficult to enter the door of utility; the reason why the Buddha refuses to hold his head is because he wants to be saved and is willing to bear all the resentment and resentment. I asked him what he meant? The beggar monk smiled and shook his head and said, "You can't say it, you can't say it"...
"
After hearing this, Yang Chaoxi smiled and repeated: "Buddha said, 'It cannot be said'... Haha! If it cannot be said, I will not talk about him. If I give you another bowl, the rest will belong to Brother Xi!"
While talking, but at some unknown moment, Yang Zhaoxi quietly brought the wine jar and coarse porcelain bowl to her body and started drinking sip after sip.
Guan Lin'er said slightly angrily: "You are not allowed to drink, but you still drink secretly! Just like my father!" After saying that, he took the wine bowl from Yang Zhaoxi's hand and started to sip.
Yang Chaoxi drank the last bowl of chrysanthemum wine, slapped it on the wooden table, and suddenly said: "Sister Lin'er! You... do you like Brother Xi?"
Guan Lin'er was frowning and swallowing, and there was some burning liquid in her mouth. Suddenly she was asked like this, and she became a little panicked. Before she could even take a breath, the wine choked into her throat, and she coughed quietly for a long time before she calmed down.
After regaining his breath, he raised his head again, his cheeks flushed: "Xi...Brother, why...you suddenly ask this..."
The scene when Fang Qidou was a rogue suddenly flashed through Yang Chaoxi's mind, and he couldn't help but show a strange smile: "Brother Xi has liked you since he was a child... I happened to come back today, and I want to know what you think... I just asked this question
By the way, do you like Brother Xi..."
Guan Lin'er seemed to have difficulty digesting these words in her little head, and she suddenly became confused. But a voice suddenly appeared in her heart, blaming her from somewhere: You shouldn't drink, but the girl actually drank.
Daddy will punish you for drinking... When I raised my head, I didn't know whether it was joy or sadness. It looked a little like a smile, but there were crystal tears overflowing from the corners of my eyes.
She seemed to be answering, but more like saying to herself: "I... like it... Brother Xi, I kind of like it... but... will you marry me as your wife..."
Yang Chaoxi didn't say a word, and stuffed her intermittent answer like a dream into her heart. She suddenly stood up, her face was ecstatic, and she couldn't help but walked towards Guan Lin'er, and gradually stretched out her arms.
arms.
Seeing his reaction, Guan Lin'er suddenly felt that the person in front of her was a little strange. She couldn't help but feel startled and stood up, but refused to run away. She was like a deer surrounded by hunters...