Great Sui Guoshi

A cloud of smoke and dust chased after them.

"What the hell... hey... I'm catching up!!"

The two of them turned their heads almost at the same time. A bald old donkey spread its hooves, ran happily, and was at eye level with them. Two bookshelves hung on the donkey's back creaked and creaked.

The gentleman by the edge of the field stared wide-eyed.

"You won't believe it, a donkey overtook the two of us..."

The other man stopped the horse suddenly, panting heavily with a pale face, and in the blink of an eye, smoke and dust filled his vision, coughed a few times, and turned his head to look at his companion who slowed down and stopped.

"...Look...you see, there are... two people on the donkey."

Afterwards, the two lowered their heads together and subconsciously looked at the sitting horse.

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and when the two looked again, the road ahead didn't even see a donkey's hair. They walked along the official road, and on the back of the speeding old donkey, Lu Liangsheng was in a good mood, and the stretches of Qixia Mountain and fields were behind past.

The Taoist sitting in the back, covering his temples, took out a yellow talisman with his other hand and stuck it on the ass of the donkey from time to time, replacing the mana exhausted and throwing it behind, shouting in the wind:

"Next time, change the horse, two big men will be misunderstood!!"

Lu Liangsheng turned his face to the side and laughed loudly: "I forgot when I went out, but the old donkey is not bad, he has feelings!"

The Taoist has no luggage, and Lu Liangsheng’s clothes are all placed on the bookshelf. Master Toad does not take up much space. An old donkey is enough to accommodate it. With the addition of shrinking the ground to an inch and the Taoist’s magical movement, the old donkey’s speed is also very fast. Not slow, naturally there is no need to spend money to buy another horse.

Going forward like lightning all the way, crossing the mountain temple where they rested at the beginning, a straight line leads to Fushui County. It took a day or two for others, and the two of them almost finished the run in half a day.

Seeing the outline of the city wall from a distance, the magic blessing was removed. The old donkey neighed and swayed its mane, and was still striding its hooves, but it was carrying scholars and Taoists, and slowly approached the city gate.

For a moment, it blinked its eyes wide and slowed down without knowing why.

The two got off the old donkey, and Lu Liangsheng took the reins and walked through the familiar streets with the Taoist. At this time, it was time for the yamen to close, so he went directly to the small courtyard where his teacher lived.

Lu Liangsheng knocked on the door a few times, but no one responded. Not long after, he learned from a passing neighbor that Wang Shuhua had been transferred with the county magistrate Min Changwen.

At the beginning, I thought it was a joke, but when I came to the Yamen to inquire, I found out that Min Changwen had been transferred back to the capital to resume his post, and his mentor, Shu Hua, had gone with him as an aide.

Before leaving, he left a special letter in the county government office, waiting for Lu Liangsheng to come back.

On the way out of the city, the scholar opened the letter, and the handwriting on it was vigorous and powerful.

"Good life dear:

As a teacher, I wish Liangsheng won the championship in one fell swoop, but unfortunately I can't congratulate you in person, leaving a letter is my farewell. When you rush to take the exam, the county lord has received the transfer order from the capital. As a teacher, I have shared weal and woe with him for many years. I don't want to see him return to Beijing to face alone Against the stormy sea.

Now that you are successful in your studies, there is not much you can teach as a teacher. You still need to decide how to go in the future. As a teacher, I believe that the provincial examination will not be difficult for you, so I prepared for you in the capital. Cleaning up the dust banquet, hoping for a good life, what a joyful gathering of teachers and students. "

teacher...

Whether it is Master Ha, or Wang Shuhua, who teaches academics, they are all nobles on two different paths of Lu Liangsheng.

"What did it say?" Seeing his melancholy expression, the Taoist couldn't help poking his head curiously.

Afterwards, Lu Liangsheng stretched out his hand and pushed her face away.

"My mentor went to the capital with the county official Min Changwen, and invited me to meet up there."

"It seems that you have a lot of things to do, so go back quickly. After running all the way, I am so hungry."

During the conversation, the two of them walked leisurely along the road to Lujia Village with a donkey. farmer.

Someone saw two people and a donkey walking by the side of the road, rubbed their eyes, raised their voices loudly, and shouted excitedly to the surroundings:

"Don't be busy, look, who is back?!"

The sound echoed in the field, and the busy villagers straightened their waists, and then threw away the straw and farm tools in their hands, and swarmed to the side of the road.

"Good life—"

"Liangsheng is back!!"

"...everyone come here."

Those who ran on the road would gather in a crowd, surrounding the scholars excitedly asking how life was in the big city, whether they were being bullied or not.

"It's okay over there, and there is a place to live. Don't worry, everyone. You should do your work first. When you're done, go back to the village and talk together."

It was impossible for Lu Liangsheng to respond one by one, and he clasped his hands and said something in unison. Some people saw the Taoist, and they went to pat him on the shoulder and greeted him warmly.

Approaching the entrance of the village, Lu Pan, Lu Qing and other eight people also ran out. The eight people's bodies were stronger than two months ago. The improved food, coupled with the diligent practice of the body-building method taught by Lu Liangsheng, made them feel better. Even Lu Qing, who was relatively thin, had thickened his chest muscles, and he jumped from side to side from time to time.

"Get out of the way, let Liang Sheng go back to see his parents first!"

Lu Pan pushed the people away, and Taigong Lu who was following them paused on the ground with his cane. Hearing the old man's words, the people gathered at the entrance of the village gave way.

After passing by the crowd, Lu Liangsheng let go of the reins, and went to help Taigong Lu back to the village together. There were children coming from far and near, and they were stunned for a moment, then bowed together.

"gentlemen!"

"Don't salute, hurry home and eat."

Lu Liangsheng is very familiar with these children, big and small, and he has taught them all. There is a middle-aged scholar standing at the door of the school over there, with a few patches on his wide-sleeved robe. He bowed his hands politely as a greeting.

I bid farewell to the fellow villagers and returned to the fenced yard. The season of morning glory has passed, and the wall of the fenced yard is a bleak withered yellow.

At the gate of the courtyard, Li Jinhua, Lu Laoshi, and 14-year-old Lu Xiaoxian were waiting there early.

"elder brother!"

Lu Xiaoxian rushed forward and hugged her elder brother who was returning home. Lu Liangsheng patted her head and said with a smile, "You are already a big girl, and you are still so irritable."

"I don't care, you are my brother."

The little girl snorted in her brother's arms, and when she let go, the Taoist hurried up and stretched out her arms.

"And me, and me?!"

Lu Xiaoxian glanced at him sideways, folded her hands, turned on her toes, turned and walked back: "I don't hug other people!"

"Hey, that's boring, anyway, I'm also a half-brother!"

Sun Yingxian yelled from behind, and something hit the top of his head suddenly.

Turning around, the scholar had put down his hands and walked past him.

"Be careful, that's my sister."

At the gate of the courtyard, the family chatted and laughed, and returned to the courtyard together. Lu Liangsheng pushed away the room that he hadn't lived in for two months. It was still spotless, hung up the portrait of Hong Lian, and fell on the bed. Taoist Toad ran out of his cloth pocket , stretched a lazy waist.

Turning his head to look around, he took a deep breath.

That is a familiar smell.

Soon, the sun went down, and the small stove was crowded to the brim. Nie Honglian was in mid-air to help refill the rice and pass the bowls. Li Jinhua was busy cooking the last dish, and asked the Taoist who was lighting the fire at the opposite stove to throw more firewood.

Sun Yingxian took out a yellow talisman and threw it in, picked up the finger, and the flames rushed out and licked the edge of the pot, causing Li Jinhua to chase him with a shovel.

Taoist Toad was sitting under the oil lamp, and the old hen under the table stared at him.

Under the eaves, Lu Laoshi weaves the baskets used in the village, and looks at the other eaves with a smile. into a ball.

Lu Liangsheng watched the scene that filled the courtyard.

"It's still comfortable at home."

Chapter 78 Gather briefly and set off again

oh oh... oh——

The morning light pushed away the dark silhouette, the rooster crowed broke the morning silence, and the mountain village gradually became noisy. Before the busy work of autumn farming was finished, the family went to the field with farm tools on their shoulders.

In the fenced courtyard, the wooden doors of the three rooms opened one after another with a creak. Lu Liangsheng, Lu Xiaoxian, and Sun Yingxian came out. Stretching together, they walked to the water tank, picked up a bowl of water, and held twigs and leaves. After dipping it, swiped the bag between the lips left and right for twenty or thirty strokes, took a sip of water, and wrapped it in his mouth.

"Gululu..."

The three faces were facing down, and Qi Qi spat out with a bang.

In the kitchen, Li Jinhua had already cooked breakfast, and the three of them, together with Lu Laoshi who had just woken up, sat under the eaves with a bowl, and sipped the porridge.

Occasionally, Li Jinhua's voice came from the kitchen.

"Then I've finished all the exams, Liangsheng, when do you think you'll get married?"

Lu Liangsheng almost spat out a mouthful of porridge, and the Taoist at the side almost instinctively looked at the room, and then at the cypress trees in the courtyard, but fortunately there was no wind blowing.

"It's dangerous, it's dangerous, I probably didn't hear it." He patted his chest with his chopsticks.

After swallowing the rice porridge, Lu Liangsheng hurriedly drank a few more mouthfuls, and stuffed the empty bowl into Li Jinhua's hand.

"It's still early. On the second day of February, the dragon will raise its head, and there is still a spring exam to take."

After finishing speaking, he picked up Sun Yingxian, who was still eating, and walked out. The latter quickly planed two more mouthfuls, chewed with puffed cheeks, and waved back to the woman.

Unwilling to give up, Li Jinhua chased out of the eaves and shouted at her son who had already gone beyond the fence:

"Then it's okay to take a concubine first, your father and I are waiting to have a grandson!"

Lu Liangsheng didn't dare to respond, and walked around the village with the Taoist. When he saw Taigong Lu who was going to the back of the private school to bask in the sun on crutches, he stepped forward to pay respects, and took his pulse to check the old man's body.

"My lord, you are in good health."

The old man grinned his toothless mouth, lay on the recliner and laughed a few times, then nodded slowly.

"...Can't you see that I'm still young, Liangsheng...how is the exam?"

The scholar put his hands back on his knees, leaned the pear-wood stick to a position where the old man could easily reach it, and while reaching out his hand rubbed the Taigong's calf to expel some cold air with his magic power, he responded with a smile.

"It's okay... I shouldn't embarrass the village, grandpa, sit down for a while, I have to go to other places to see."

Lu Taigong looked at this promising young man with a smile, raised his hand and waved him.

"Go, it just so happens that the dolls should come to school, I'll just watch them here..."

Seeing Mr. Lu talking, his head began to peck bit by bit. Lu Liangsheng also knew that as people get older, their spirits deteriorate day by day. They can't sleep at night and doze off during the day. Sometimes they are talking to people. I fell asleep in the next second and didn't know.

"what!"

"what!"

Walking to other places in the village, there were shouts of Lu Pan and others coming from far away. It was close to the cellar, and the wealth of the village was hidden in it. The eight people were taught the method of body forging, almost every day. Practicing, get together every day to fight hard, even in the winter when you are shirtless, you don’t feel cold.

Lu Pan was the strongest and the most agile of the eight, so in Lu Liangsheng's sight, he lifted up the stone lock of a hundred kilograms with one hand and threw it two or three feet away.

Lu Liangsheng and the seven people over there applauded.

"I can throw it away casually." Sun Yingxian picked his nose.

"That's different. They haven't learned spells, let alone practiced martial arts. It's not easy to have this kind of strength."

Soon, the two walked towards Qixia Mountain at the back of the village. The red rope tied to the tree three years ago was still there.

The Taoist lived in Lujia Village for a year and saw this tree. At the beginning, he thought it was quite miraculous, but after a long time, he didn't see anything.

He prefers to stand on a rock near the old pine and look at the clouds and mist in the surrounding mountains.

When the wind blows, the pine leaves rustle with the branches.

Lu Liangsheng walked to the side of the Taoist, looked at the sea of ​​clouds, and sat down cross-legged. The golden morning light shone on it, and the clouds and mist churned like real waves.

"Every time you sit under this old pine tree, and then watch the clouds surging over there, do you feel that practicing here is much smoother than usual?"

The Taoist picked up a stone and threw it into the distance.

"I knew it a long time ago. Practitioners pay attention to caves and blessed places. Although I have never seen it in this way, it is not bad here."

"Well, if I can't be an official in the future, I might as well build a thatched hut here."

Lu Liangsheng suddenly laughed, stretched out his sleeve, and drew down on the rock with a brush, and scratched in with the other hand, and placed a pot of good wine and two wine glasses in front of the Taoist.

Fill a glass and pass it to the other person.

"Watching the sunrise and rising, the sea of ​​clouds surging, how can there be no wine?"

The Taoist picked up the real wine glass, took a sip, and a faint aroma of wine wafted from his mouth and nose.

The sun rises above the clouds and shines on it. The golden color streaks across the swaying old pine branches, and the spots of light fall on the big rocks. Two people, one green and one gray, sit and drink opposite each other, looking at the autumn mountains.

"Just play chess again."

"Don't think about it, there are too many chess pieces, how can I draw?"

"Then bring a plate next time."

Lu Liangsheng nodded with a smile, looking at the towering old pine on one side, the gap between the dense leaves, there is a piece of sparkling light.