Three swords on both sides

"Are you here to join the army? Where are you from and what is your name?"

The officer at the gate of the city squinted and asked loudly, a brush with the bristles upside down impatiently turning back and forth in a bowl of ink.When the person being asked answered, he jotted it down, and casually threw a bag of millet to the person: "Go over there! Next..." He raised his head and saw a young man standing not far away looking at the person. He stared at him in a way that fit his identity as a military master.

The young man was the one who had come to the inn with shocking words. When he saw the officer noticed him, he hesitated for a moment, and walked away.The officer stared at his back suspiciously for a while, wondering if he should pursue him or not.Based on many years of experience, he instinctively felt that this young man had some background, and anyone who saw a sergeant turn around and leave quickly was not a serious person.However, anyway, he didn't cause trouble here... Then someone signed up, so he didn't mention it.

After walking two streets, the young man was sure that he was far away from the stall where he joined the army, so he slowed down, sat down at the tea stall on the side of the street, and stretched out his hand to greet the shopkeeper.But as soon as he raised his hand, he remembered something, and the next moment he stood up.The little guy had already come up to meet him with a handkerchief on his shoulder, just in time to meet him face to face.The young man froze for a moment, and could only smile: "...the person I was waiting for, he, he didn't come..."

The little guy curled his lips and just smiled: "Guest officer, you didn't wait for a while, how do you know that person won't come? If you want to save money, go there for a while. Here, the stall that writes letters for you is a big guy." My son can sit for a long time, and he can take two pieces of yellow paper to the toilet when he turns back!" The young man raised his eyebrows when he heard what he said was nonsensical, and was about to refute, but his eyes had already seen the gentleman who wrote the letter, hesitating for a moment and thinking about it. Really walked over.The little guy laughed twice, and went about his own business.

The ghostwriter was an old man, and it was not too cold, so he put on a blue cotton robe, the cuffs were greasy black, and there were gray fluffy cotton wool, and he raised his eyelids a little when he saw the person coming: "Who is it for?" Write a letter? One penny for parents and brothers, two pennies for relatives and friends, give it to the little lover, hehe, three pennies, no bargaining!"

"Old man, how did you set the price?" The young man asked curiously.The ghostwriter saw that he was handsome and polite, and he didn't have any other guests at the moment, so he explained easily: "That's natural. Most of the time with parents and brothers is to report safety, or to ask for money. It's very simple. Relatives and friends, although you can't get rid of this Two things, you have to be polite, which takes a lot of time. The little lover is the most troublesome to write a letter, and the dictation is upside down, without a center, miscellaneous, endless, and thinks that what he said is the most ingenious -- no one knows. It’s never leaving, never losing, never forgetting, you are worthy of me and I am worthy of your clichés. Alright, young man, who are you writing to?”

"I, I don't write to anyone." The young man blushed and lowered his voice, "Old man, I have nothing to worry about. If you pay me a penny...can you give me a name?"

"Ah?" Mr. ghostwriter is afraid that he has never heard such an unreasonable request for many years. He raised his eyes and took a solid look at the young man. He saw that he had broad shoulders and a thin waist. Weapons, but it looks like a Lianjiazi, I am afraid that he has caused some trouble and wants to hide his name.He wanted to reject him but was afraid that he would hurt him, so he would not be able to get away with it if the government pursued him in the future if he agreed to it; he turned his eyes, thought about it, rubbed his chin and said with a hey smile: "Young man, you have found the wrong person." I'm here to write letters for you, and I don't know how to name them. Let me show you the way. This name must not be related to the horoscope of the birthday, does it conform to the number of the five elements? Turn across the street, and there is a fortune-telling blind man who knows the five elements and the eight trigrams best. , why don't you go to him?"

The young man looked at the direction he was pointing hesitantly, and shook his head: "I, I don't need to be so, so particular..."

"That's not right. The name is the foundation of a person's life. How about doing whatever you want? Hurry up, Shi Blind is very smart." Mr. Ghostwriter said with a smile, lowered his head and flipped through the book of rulers and letters on his desk, and refused to answer any more. him.

The young man had no choice but to go as promised.Turning the corner of the street ahead, the sun was almost westward. Not far from the entrance of a warehouse, there was a cloth cover with some fortune-telling words written on it. A skinny blind man was sitting behind the stall when he heard footsteps. He yelled at the top of his voice: "The blind man tells fortunes, and he can tell a hundred spirits! Ask a doctor for divination, the future of the imperial examination, the fate of the red luan, and the number of life is fixed. When you go up and ask, all doubts are gone-this one, fortune-telling? Please hold out your hand." .”

The young man knew that the blind man had the best hearing, so he must have heard his footsteps, and was about to explain his purpose when the other party was really good at hearing the wind and distinguishing sounds, so he leaned over and grabbed his hand tightly, just like normal Human strength is already considered great.The young man was caught off guard for a while, and was caught by him. When he wanted to regain his strength, he was afraid of hurting this person, so he had to restrain himself: "Sir, I am-I am not-"

"Hey! This man, don't underestimate these hands! When blood spurts out of your palms, you will have plenty of wealth; if your palms are yellow, your family will die; if your palms are green, there will be worries and fears; if your palms are white and not moist, your fortune will not be prosperous. Now your hands , the fingers are rough, the luck is still stagnant, the joints are too big, and the request has not been fulfilled. Tsk tsk, you are young, you can’t give up by yourself first. Come, put an ingot of silver here, and I will tell you the way to crack it listen!"

The young man was already restless, and he couldn't care less after hearing what he said, so he snorted, and let the fortune teller let go of his hand with a light swipe: "Sir, you misunderstood, I'm not here to tell fortunes! I'm here to let you name it, and I don't have that much money..."

At this time, some people gathered around to watch the fun.Blind Shi heard that his name was a good one, but as soon as the word "no money" fell into his ears, he immediately raised a pair of black eyebrows, rolled up a pair of white eyes, and the compass in his hand was crackling like an abacus. He smiled and said: "Your Excellency is a decent person, how can you entertain me, a blind man? I asked for something before, and I regretted it after I said some good words. This kind of person... Hehe! Whatever it is, since Your Excellency Cherish the money, but I can't do nothing, just give you a few words for free. In my opinion, the fate of your Excellency is just the palm of the lone star of the devil. All brothers and friends hang themselves, and no one cares about his wife, children and mother A life of wandering and depression!"

Hearing his harsh words, the young man couldn't help being furious: This is really a scene where a dragon swims in shallow water and is bullied by a shrimp, and a tiger falls in Pingyang and is bullied by a dog!I want to give him a slap, but it's pitiful to see him blind. I haven't seen a single customer in the past half a day. Isn't it the luck of the lone star of Tiansha?Although he was unwilling to be sympathetic to him, beating him and scolding him after all was not a heroic act. Thinking about it this way, he couldn't help but loosen his clenched fist.Blind Shi saw him silent for a long time, he was a little puzzled, and when he heard his footsteps, he walked away, he just pretended that he was timid, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "The wind and rain are deceiving, Your Excellency, take care!"

This eight-character proverb is like an olive that weighs a thousand catties. The young man was very distressed when he heard it. He gritted his teeth and walked away.But he heard the creaking of bamboo poles behind him, the crackling of footsteps, and a person called out to him: "Hero, walk slowly!"

The young man looked back angrily, and saw a short peddler with a shaved head, looking at him with a smile.He has been ridiculed by others for a long time, with great evil in his heart, not knowing this person's background and unable to answer, he just stared at him blankly.The peddler didn't mind, and raised his face and said: "This hero, I think you have grown up to be a hero, why should you be as knowledgeable as that guy? It's easy to change your name. A teacher named Wen came to Chengnanzhuang recently. On weekdays, I used to write some storytelling and story books, squatting on the side of the road to tell everyone about ancient times. I heard that the names he gave are so famous, such as blood flowing like rivers, and supernatural powers, it is very lively; why don't you ask him to help you? Although the gentleman has no fame, at least he is considered a scholar. He will be happy to see a good man, and he may not ask you for money. How do you think? A villain has no knowledge, these few words are cheap." He giggled, showing his big teeth, squinting his eyes and carrying the burden, he didn't allow the young man to say thank you.

Youdao is a happy lock.The young man's plan to hide his identity was met with this cold reception. He was already in a low mood, but when he was bored, he heard some advice, and he felt a lot better.The barber's words sounded good to others, but he aroused his enthusiasm again, and thought at the moment: "That man has no relatives or reasons with me. He really tried to persuade me with kindness and praised me as a hero. If I If I don’t go, wouldn’t I be disappointing him? Although I can boast of a name, it’s better to be a learned person. Since Mr. teaches, he is literate and reasonable. Even if he doesn’t name me, he won’t Amuse me." After making up his mind, he went to Chengnan Village.After walking for a few miles, the wayfinder found out where the private school was, and rushed to it.I saw a solitary thatched hut lodging by the side of the grove, the twilight was approaching, the rhubarb leaves were crackling in the wind, and there was no sound in the surroundings, presumably the students had finished school.The young man was about to call the door, but he heard a sound of drums inside, and someone sang according to the beat:

"... Don't blame Boya for throwing the piano to reward his confidant. How many people have you known since ancient times? What's more, it's a pity that the kindness is absolutely in the middle, and the two times are lonely and lonely. The dream of a hero with a sword, a west wind, is like falling flowers and flowing water, always empty..." Gu Ban There was another click, and the man said to himself loudly: "Well, is it good? Is it not? Although these few sentences are not good, they are true feelings. A long Gu'er Ci must not be lost. These words are helpful. Reasonable. Reasonable. If it’s good, it’s good. If it’s not good now, it’s not good. Hahaha!”

At first the young man thought it was a guest arguing with the host, but it turned out that he was the only one talking throughout the whole story, and he couldn't help but laugh.It's just that since he came, there was no reason to turn around and leave. If it was speculative, maybe he could stay overnight, so he raised his hand and patted the door knocker, and asked loudly, "Is Mr. Wen at home? The person who seeks advice is here!"

There was a moment of silence inside the door, and the door creaked open.I saw a middle-aged man wearing a square scarf and a long gown. He behaved well and was elegant. He sized up the young man, nodded and smiled and said, "Here you are?"

This question was asked abruptly, the young man was taken aback, and it was not a yes, nor was it a greeting.Then I heard my husband say: "Oh, how good this is. I am happy that you came, but I was very happy just now, and I used up all the joy. Well, what did you come to see me for?"

This is even more ambiguous. The young man is a little suspicious of Mr. Wen's education at this time, but the words he wrote just now are quite bluffing, and he couldn't help asking: "Sir, do you know me?"

"Shouldn't I know you?" The gentleman laughed again, and let the young man enter the door. The room is small, with only a few square tables and benches, a drum board in the corner, an oil lamp on a table, and There are pens and inkstones, and a messy stack of papers, each about the size of a palm, with no discernible purpose.The young man pondered over what the husband said, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt strange. It’s not good to just say "you know me", but can he pretend to be stupid and say "Then who do you think I am?" Him: "Have you had dinner yet?"

"No." The young man sighed.If only all the questions could be answered so well.

"That's right, let's have dinner together." The gentleman said heartily.

The so-called dinner is nothing more than a few hard-faced flatbreads, served with a plate of thin beef slices, which are almost translucent when the light is on.The gentleman looked at the young man's stature, as if he was estimating his appetite, and immediately found half a bottle of chili oil and a jar of old wine, all of which were placed on the table.The young man was very moved when he saw that he was so poor, but he treated him so wholeheartedly, and said: "The Guanshan Mountain is difficult to cross, who is sad for those who have lost their way? When we meet by chance, we are all guests from other lands. I am a wandering person, thank you for treating me like this .”

"It's not a coincidence for you to come." The gentleman said with a smile, "I'm living this kind of life, what can I do. Here, here." He passed a cake, and poured out the wine and drank it slowly.

His words were ordinary, but he seemed to be ignoring everything. The young man didn't want to think about it. After eating the big cake, he took a sip of wine and explained his purpose.The gentleman looked him up and down for a long time, then laughed and said, "No wonder you didn't declare your family name... It's easy to come up with a name, but I don't know what kind of name you think of? Do you have anything to do with the past?"

"What do you mean?" The young man put down his wine glass and raised his eyes to ask.Surprised and alert, it was obvious that something in the past was extremely important.

"The more entangled you are, the more you have to use a name that is completely different from the old name. Otherwise, you have to change the name after saying something cruel, but only change the pronunciation of the name. It's really ridiculous. Look, don't you?" Such a reason?"

The young man lowered his head: "What you said is true. Even the first name and the last name...I want a new name." Naturally, the last name has to be changed, otherwise someone will definitely call himself the eldest brother out of politeness or intimacy.He didn't want to think about it for many days, but now, with the matter of his surname and title, that voice surged up like a tide, lingering in his ears.The man called himself Big Brother.Sometimes he called himself for no reason, but nothing happened, he just smiled with joy, the corners of his eyes crooked.No one will call me like he does, and treat me with confidence like him.

"That's easy." The gentleman raised the oil lamp, walked back to the bill table, set up the lamp, and brought the pile of papers in front of him.The young man was full of worries, so he couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"

"The cards used to teach students literacy can just be used to name people. Well, especially if there is no root and no proof, it is a purely imaginary name. You first grab a word-then grab a word... maybe a name The appropriate name came out. To be honest, many of my flat-language novels have been picked up in this way. I was very lucky. Look... your surname... for example... Qingfeng's word for 'wind' Well, how about it?"

"Wind... No, forget it."

"You're quite picky." The husband said regretfully, and continued to search among the pieces of paper with his mouth clenched. "A while ago there was a novel that was very popular, and there was a hero named Fengli in it. He has strong martial arts skills and behaves like a man. It's free and easy, very chic...have you seen it?"

"No." The young man walked over and stood by the case to watch Mr. Wen pick the words. "Is it your masterpiece?"

"No, no. Those works of mine... um... I don't know if you've heard of them? Besides... besides... well, documentary, there are also some that I made myself, such as Red Sleeve Sword Light, White Horse Cry, A sad little sword, a supernatural stick...you haven't read any of it?"

The young man felt that it was inappropriate for him to categorically deny it, but he admitted that he would definitely not be fooled, so he nodded honestly, looking innocent: "I rarely read novels. What's the matter?"

That gentleman looked as if someone asked him to sum up "The Complete Tang Poetry" in one sentence, but he took a deep breath and finally answered: "It's just a group of heroes who use all their strength to help their friends regardless of their lives. Then... The endings are different."

When the young man heard the words "exhausting energy and disregarding life", he was obviously a little emotional, he cleared his throat slightly and said, "That's right, that's really rare. But it also depends on whether a friend is worth helping. Youth should have a heroic ambition, man It should be a miracle in the world. If a friend has done something wrong, but he still defends it wholeheartedly, I am afraid that he is not considered a hero."

After hearing these words, the gentleman swept the words on the table with one hand, rolled his eyes and said: "Wrong."

The young man felt that after entering his house, everything he said became weird, but under the eaves of others, how could he not follow suit and asked, "Mr. is talking about me?"

The gentleman nodded, and said loudly: "If you want to help a friend, you will do whatever you want, but this may not be fair, and it may not be justified. If you really want to help a friend, you don't have to worry about it at all. To help is to help, what are you talking about?" Fair and just?"

The young man hesitated for a while.Satisfied, Mr. gave him time to think, and continued to fiddle with the character cards, ignoring him.After a while, the young man let out an "ah".The gentleman asked in relief: "Have you figured it out?"

The young man nodded, shook his head again, poured himself a bowl of wine, and drank it down in one gulp.

It turned out he meant that.But it turned out to be that.

I have always felt that I did nothing wrong—accepting other people's requests, and going out to help the owners of darts who were robbed, merchants who were lost and stolen, and Zhuangzi who were robbed.When someone came to the door, he always excused himself and walked away, not coming back for a long time.But why don't I know that he is worried about me-when I come back, he will definitely be waiting for me at home, without saying anything, always asking me if I have eaten?Then he put down the things in his hand in a daze.Sometimes it's a water ladle, sometimes it's two old clothes, sometimes...he doesn't seem to know what he's holding because he only looks at me.

I think he actually wanted to ask something, but I thought that he had already closed the sword and did not mention martial arts. These things are in the past for him, and he doesn’t like to do or listen to them, so I made up my mind to ignore them. , Silently put away the weapon.When he saw my double knives at first, he looked away in a hurry, and then he wanted to take it from my hand to wipe it. Actually a little angry, asked him but refused to say why.

After going back and forth like this, I also started to feel restless.Obviously I did nothing wrong, and I didn't force him to do what I thought was right... I think he blamed me for not keeping the promise, and he couldn't bear to blame me.After all, it was agreed at the beginning not to ask about martial arts, and to withdraw from the arena.But he shouldn't blame me for anything.I am doing a good deed, which is different from the things that forced us to leave the rivers and lakes, doesn't he know?Finally, I couldn't help it once, and I said it outright: "You are from the past, what don't you understand? I'm saving people, what's wrong?" He turned his back at first, but he froze when he heard this , turned his head, the muscles in his cheeks were tense, and his eyes were very bitter.

"Whether you kill or save, what does it matter to me?"

I just felt like a thunderbolt.Killing or saving people, isn't it a huge difference?He was also a well-known young hero in the martial arts back then, how could he not know this?Or did I misidentify him, could it be that he quit the arena not because he was indifferent to fame and fortune as I imagined, but because he only wanted to protect himself-in the end he didn't care about me? ...

Later, I went to save others.Still later, he desperately risked his life to save me.

Then that sentence—the sentence that raised doubts in my heart...

The sentence that made me feel infinitely disapproving turned out to mean this: If you save people, I will help you too!If you kill someone, I will help you too!

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