The first Taoist priest of the Tang Dynasty

Zhong Wen stood up from the rock, went to the kitchen, carried a basket and a kitchen knife, and took Xiao Hua to the field.

I didn't check for more than a day. After the brother and sister went there, they found that there were more than a dozen hares hanging on the twenty covers.

Xiao Hua shouted even more happily that she wanted to eat Beggar Rabbit today, and from time to time she yelled how the Beggar Rabbit tasted.

"Let's do it at night, and I won't eat the beggar rabbit for breakfast."

Zhong Wen was carrying the basket, which was a bit too heavy for Zhong Wen's small body, so he had to drag it home, and it took a lot of effort to get back home.

When Zhong Mugen and his wife returned home, they were pleasantly surprised. Since their son knew how to make slings, there have been more and more hares in the house, and they even collected a lot of fur.

"Husband, if this continues, our family may not need to go to Guanli to borrow food. When you are free someday, take the furs of these hares to the city and sell them, so that you can exchange them for some food."

Xiu and Zhong Mugen were by the pool, while tidying up the hares, they said to their husband.

"Well, if our family can really harvest so many wild rabbits every one or two days, I'll go to the city to have a look."

In Zhong Mugen's mind, he has always been curious about his son, and sometimes he doesn't quite understand his son.

Not long after breakfast, Zhong Wen took a leftover hare in his hand and headed for Longquan Temple with Xiao Hua.

This time Zhong Wen went to Guanli, not to borrow food, but just wanted to come and see Li Daochang, and ask some questions by the way. Of course, this is just Zhong Wen’s wishful thinking. As for whether Li Daochang will answer, it is unknown up.

"Hello, Daoist Li."

When Zhong Wen came to the residence behind the temple, he happened to see Li Daochang sitting in front of the house, and hurriedly saluted Li Daochang like an adult.

"Little boy of the Zhong family, why do you have time to come and see me as an old man?"

Li Daochang was actually quite curious in his heart. He knew about Zhong Wen's dullness before, but after seeing him the last time or two, he found that Zhong Wen in front of him was more and more understanding of human affairs.

"Li Daochang, is your injury better? This is a hare I hunted yesterday. I brought it here for you to taste."

Zhong Wen approached and placed the rabbit not far from Li Daochang.

"Little boy of the Zhong family, you can keep the hares you hunted for yourself. You don't need to send them to me, the old man. Your life is also a bit difficult."

Li Daochang saw that Zhong Wen sent him a hare, and he felt a lot of benefit in his heart.

"Li Daochang, can I ask you something? We have never traveled far, and we don't know how things are going outside."

Zhong Wen came here this time, the first is to find out what year the outside world is, and the second is to ask Li Daochang about Dao Wen.

"It doesn't matter. You are probably the only one who can come to ask the old Taoist me for advice. You can ask and see if the old Taoist can answer you."

Li Daochang was curious, whether the villagers or children at the bottom of the mountain, even the Taoists in the temple looked cautious when they saw him, and few people would come to ask him for anything, except for medical treatment or food problems. Besides, at this time, it was rare for a child to look like this, and dare to come over to ask him some questions, which immediately aroused his interest.

"Li Daochang, who is the emperor in the outer world? What is the year name? We have never been out of the house, and we are very curious about the things in the outer world. We also know that Li Daochang often travels. I think you must be familiar with the world in the outer world." I have a thorough understanding, so I came here to ask you for advice."

Zhong Wen said to Li Daochang in a neither humble nor overbearing manner, there are indeed many questions in his heart, and only this Li Daochang can answer himself.

Chapter 31 Teaching

Li Daochang sat on a chair, staring at the little baby in front of him, but thinking in his heart, this little baby from the Zhong family is not bad, he has a calm appearance, but he doesn't know if it is like this now, or it will remain the same in the future so.

"Children of the Zhong family, it's not something you can know about the emperor outside, but the name of the year, you can talk about it, this year is the first year of Zhenguan, the war outside has long since ended, and the world is peaceful, but there are still Some bandits and villains, in the future, when you grow up and come out of this mountain, you will always be able to understand the outside world."

Li Daochang stared at Zhong Wen, and began to speak.

After hearing Li Daochang's answer, Zhong Wen froze on the spot, his mind spinning quickly.

'The first year of Zhenguan?Li Tang world?It seems that I guessed well a few days ago, and now the heart hanging in my heart can finally land. In the year of Zhenguan, it can also be said to be a peaceful and prosperous age. If there is no war, then no people will be harmed , let alone come here. '

In Zhong Wen's mind at this time, apart from knowing the general state of Zhen Guan, he also knew some simple things.

Of course, Zhong Wen is not a history buff, let alone has a deep understanding of the Tang Dynasty. The books he read in his previous life were only brief introductions. I really understand.

As for the prosperity of Zhenguan?It can only see how the next year?However, in Zhong Wen's heart, he hoped that the Han and Tang Dynasties would be united, and all nations would come to congratulate him, but as far as ordinary people were concerned, Zhong Wen had no hope in his heart. There are people who can’t eat enough to eat in the same place, and they will also be hungry. How can it develop in a few decades?Can it really be a prosperous age?Zhong Wen didn't dare to assert.

"Thank you Daoist Li for your enlightenment."

After Zhong Wen was silent for a moment, he immediately came to his senses again, and saluted Daoist Li to express his gratitude.

"You little baby, it's quite interesting. You want to know the world outside this world at such a young age. Do you still want to leave here?"

Li Daochang looked at Zhong Wen, seeming to be joking.

"Li Daochang, you know that we don't have much knowledge, but just want to hear about the outside world. You are the most knowledgeable person here. Naturally, your words are also the most insightful. That's why you dare to ask Li Daochang for advice. If it were someone else, I would be afraid that he would lie to me."

Zhong Wen stood not far from Li Daochang, looked at Li Daochang and said respectfully.

"Haha, you little boy, you are really smart. If you have time in the future, you can come and talk to me, and you don't need to bring any hares over."

Listening to Zhong Wen's reply, Li Daochang found it interesting. The kid in front of him really didn't speak like a ten-year-old kid, but rather like a 30-[-]-year-old.

"Thank you Daoist Li, I don't dare to disturb Daoist Li Qingxiu, otherwise my parents will definitely beat me up, but if I really want to hunt something delicious, I will definitely come to visit you."

Zhong Wen listened to Li Daochang's words, and hurriedly saluted. This is rare. Li Daochang said that as long as he is free, he can come to the temple to talk. That is really to accompany the prince to study, and he has a bright future.

"Don't worry, your parents won't beat you up." Li Daochang said casually.

"Li Daochang, I have a question right now. I don't know if I can ask. A few days ago, I saw a lot of characters on the stones at the corners of the bases of several side halls. I don't know what those characters are for. Yes, I even copied it on a piece of wood, but I don’t know how to read, otherwise, I can read these Taoist scriptures every day.”

Zhong Wen stood there for a long time before he asked what was on his mind, don't make Li Daochang think that he is stealing Guanli's treasured book.

"Oh? Xiaowa, do you know how to copy scriptures? But I don't understand some of the characters in the side hall, and they are a lot mutilated and messy, but they seem to be used for town halls, and I don't know the details. Time to study."

Li Daochang was a little embarrassed. For those characters, not to mention he didn't know them, even his former masters and ancestors didn't know them. His face was a little unnatural, and then he closed his eyes slightly.

After hearing this, Zhong Wen didn't know what to do. Seeing Li Daochang closing his eyes slightly, he seemed to be urging him to leave quickly.

Maybe Zhong Wen misunderstood Li Daochang's meaning. Li Daochang closed his eyes slightly, just recalling that his master and ancestors had come, and Li Daochang was stunned by Zhong Wen's question, and Zhong Wen praised him just now. If you have no knowledge, you say you don't know it in a blink of an eye, so how can you have the face to say anything.

"Li Daochang, you are exhausted, boy, please leave, you can rest and recuperate, if the boy can help, please come and let me know, and leave."

Zhong Wen bowed to Li Daochang and then retreated, but Li Daochang's face twitched.

Asking you, a little kid, to help, isn't it a big joke? How can a ten-year-old kid help you with anything in this world? Isn't it a slap in the face of yourself?

"This little kid from the Zhong family is so spooky. It wasn't like this before. This change is too big. It seems that the little kids in the village are starting to grow up."

Li Daochang opened his eyes, looked at Zhong Wen who was leaving, and muttered something, but no one heard it.

When he returned to the square in Guanli, Xiao Hua had disappeared, and then Zhong Wen walked towards the side hall that was being repaired, only then did he see Xiao Hua standing not far away, watching everyone repairing the dilapidated side hall. temple.

"Little sister, come here, we are going home."

Zhong Wen yelled loudly at Xiao Hua, and Xiao Hua was standing relatively close, it would be bad if he were to be hit by something.

"Brother, is Daoist Li okay? Is the injury on his body healed?"

Xiaohua trotted over and asked Zhong Wen, wondering why this little girl cared so much about Li Daochang's injury.

"Li Daochang is very good, just rest and recuperate for a while."

Zhong Wen walked in front, casually answering Xiao Hua who followed behind him, but he kept thinking about Li Daochang's words in his heart.

The brothers and sisters were walking down the trail, and on both sides of the trail, they picked up some firewood and took it home by the way.

When I got home, I found that there were many birds pecking at the mushrooms in the open space.

"Brother, many birds have pecked our mushrooms, they are really bad, I want to kill them."

Xiaohua put down a small bundle of firewood in her hands, picked up a handful of small stones from the ground, and threw them at the birds in the open space.

'Pull Leng Leng' A group of birds flew away, and Xiao Hua cried out in anger.

"Okay, little sister, don't worry about these birds, when you are free, brother will catch them for you, we will eat them as beggars and birds."

Zhong Wen looked at Xiao Hua's action, and it seemed a little funny, but he also knew the rewards of protecting his own family.

They dragged the firewood and put it in the kitchen. Afterwards, the brother and sister sat under the tree by the edge of the clearing, watching over the mushrooms in front of the clearing, holding a stick in their hands.

Xiaohua even opened her big eyes, staring at the little bird on the house, as long as the little bird flew down, it would always run over, waving the small wooden stick in her hand, as if to catch the little bird that was stealing its beak. knock down.

A few days later, the mushrooms on the open ground were almost dried out, and a lot of dried mushrooms had been dried out of hundreds of catties of mushrooms.

Pack them in the big baskets at home and store them in the house. As long as Zhong Mugen is free someday, he can go to the city and sell these dried mushrooms for some copper coins. sold together.

"Husband, look at these few days, are you going to the city to sell these dried mushrooms and hare fur, and return with some food?"

After dinner the next day, seeing that the food at home was less than a few days old, Xiu became anxious and talked to Zhong Mugen, who was rubbing the numbness.

"Okay, I'm going to the city tomorrow. I really don't have enough food at home. By the way, I'll bring some salt to see if I can change it for something."

Zhong Mugen was busy with the work in hand, responding to Xiu, but his heart was full of joy.

It is true that the food in the family is almost bottomed out, but there are still nearly two months before the summer harvest. If the family really runs out of food, life will be difficult in the future.

Zhong Wen also knew about this, and in the past few days, he was also thinking about how to solve the predicament at home, but he couldn't think of any good solution.

After hearing his parents' voices, Zhong Wen began to think about the knife in his heart. If he had a good knife at home, it would be more convenient for him to do something by himself.

"Father, if you can sell more money, you'd better buy a knife back."

Zhong Wen was lying on the thatched mat, talking about the knife. As for how much the mushrooms could be sold for, he had no idea.

"Xiaowen, this knife is very expensive, let's change to some refined food first and then talk about it when we come back."

After Zhong Mugen heard this, he originally wanted to agree, but he thought that the family was about to run out of food, so it would be better to hold on to the food first. For the knife, he could only think about it after the situation at home was a little better.

"Okay, Dad."

Zhong Wen could only accept his father's opinion. After all, he didn't know the market outside, so it was useless to say more, but he really wanted to go out and see what the outside city looked like.

Late at night, Zhong Mugen and his wife stopped their work, put out the torch, and began to fall asleep. The sounds of insects and frogs outside the house showed that this place is a scene of a paradise.

Before the sun rose on the second day, Zhong Mugen set off with a load of baskets filled with dried mushrooms, hare fur, and two large bowls of salt, heading for the city. It takes three days to go back and forth.

As for how to solve the food problem in the past three days, with Zhong Wen's head, it is basically easy to solve. I just made three big leaf stuffy hares and took them with me to eat. This will not only solve the problem of stomach hunger, but also increase energy. There is also some strength.

Xiu took the two children and sent Zhong Mugen a good distance away, standing on the small road, watching the back of Zhong Mugen who was carrying the load away, until he disappeared, then turned and went home.

Chapter 32 Getting beaten

"Mother, will Father come back today?"

Xiaohua, who was walking back, raised her head to look at the show, and as soon as Zhong Mugen left, she began to think about it again.

"Your father shouldn't be able to come back today. It takes two days to go back and forth to the city, and your father still sells dried mushrooms and hare fur. Naturally, it will delay a day, unless the journey is urgent and you sell If things are fast, you can come back in two days."

Xiu looked at the pair of children beside her, and thought that her husband would go to the city alone, so that no accidents would happen, at least he had to get to the city safely and come back with some food.

Zhong Wen thought as he walked, from what his father said just now, it takes at least thirty or fifty miles to get from here to the city, and the roads are not easy to walk, they are all mountain roads. It will be there in one morning.

But Zhong Wen has lived here for so many days, so he naturally knows that the mountain trails are not so easy to walk, at least two or three times the travel time is calculated.

There are no official roads, and there are no roads. There are only mountain roads, and when walking, you have to pay attention to both sides of the mountain road at all times, whether there are any wild animals coming out, this is what you need to worry about.

In the past, when going to the city, the villagers went in groups of three or five, but now, only Zhong Mugen went forward alone.

Although Zhong Wen was looking forward to going to the city, his parents disagreed, so he had to give up. He was still a little worried about his father going to the city alone.

As far as the family is about to run out of food, it is really a juncture. If I can go a day earlier, I can get some food back earlier, and I will get through the days of food shortage.

After the three returned home, Xiu took a wooden hoe and went to work in the field with a basket, leaving Zhong Wen and Xiao Hua to look after the house.

In fact, there is nothing valuable at home, but it is just a symbolic housekeeping. Even if the door is wide open every day, no one will steal anything. The family is too poor to uncover the pot, so there is nothing worth worrying about. s things.

Zhong Wen was thinking, the ancients said that the house is not closed at night, and the road is not picked up. It is probably written in this state.

"Brother, shall we go to the wilderness?"

Xiao Hua, who is at home, is a restless little guy, active, but also clever.

"Okay, let's see if there are any hares, and if there aren't, we'll have to change places, but we'll have to make some covers before we go to the moor."

Zhong Wen listened to Xiao Hua's words and thought about it, being idle at home is also idle, why not find something to do.

He came out with the hemp rope he had made before, and after making some covers, he and Xiaohua went to the wilderness, with the same equipment, the same people, but feeling a little depressed.

For the Zhong Wen brothers and sisters, the lack of food at home also troubled their two children, and they were also worried about their father.

In the wilderness, two small figures crawled in and out, looking for slings, and twenty slings brought them only two hares.

"Xiao Hua, after we have finished setting up the slings, we have to go home quickly, otherwise Auntie should be back."

While arranging the slings, Zhong Wen looked to see if there was any danger nearby, and at the same time said to Xiao Hua beside him.

"Brother, let's finish it quickly and go back quickly."

Xiao Hua listened to Zhong Wen's words, nodded her head, and agreed with her brother's words.

Zhong Mugen went to the city, making the three members of the family unable to get any energy up, and they seemed a little numb all day long.