An Shi

People in the Song Dynasty have a saying: Liuguang is easy to throw people away, making cherries red and plantains green.After a few springs and autumns, it came to the summer of the 20th year of the Republic of China.

The former young man has grown taller and grown into a handsome young man. He even passed the examination of Harbin Institute of Technology three years ago and became the first college student in this small town, attracting the hearts of the girls waiting for him endlessly.

However, Sima Zhao had other plans for his eldest son's marriage.Not long ago, he tried to propose marriage to a family surnamed Ruan in Harbin for Sima Yan, but he encountered a soft nail, and he was so angry that he jumped.

"... After the matchmaker passed by, he left the person to dry in the hall without giving him a cup of hot tea. After the time for two incense sticks passed, he actually sent a charming and enchanting aunt out, and only said that their master He and his wife don’t see customers. Fuck no customers once or twice!” Sima Zhao smashed a teacup with a bang, and said angrily: “It’s nothing more than dislike that our family is Han Chinese and a businessman! But their family What the hell! Died early in the morning! Gege is worthless!"

Seeing this, Sima Yan took a step forward and said, "Father, you don't have to get angry with that kind of family. I'm still studying now, and I'm still a minor, and I'm not yet employed. After I graduate, I can find a job, and it won't be too late to find someone better than that to get married. .”

Sima Zhao stared at him for a while, finally sighed, and nodded slowly.

He called the servants on the side to clean up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground, while he turned his hands behind his back and looked out the window in silence.

Sima Yan who walked out of the room let out a long sigh of relief.He walked towards the wing, walking briskly, looking forward to seeing that person soon - his mentor, the person he had studied for a long time, his... Mr. Pei.

When Sima Yan knocked on the door, Pei Xiu was just like usual, wearing glasses and sitting by the window quietly reading.He seemed to have heard Sima Yan's footsteps, and said without raising his head, "The young master is back."

Although he spoke Russian, Sima Yan, who was studying at a Russian-taught university, was not at all troubled.So Sima Yan also replied in Russian: "Yes, sir, I'm back."

Pei Xiu put down her book, stood up and nodded to Sima Yan.

The two stood facing each other like this, but Sima Yan saw his own shadow in the other's eyes.

So he said with a smile: "Sir, do you think I have grown taller again?"

Pei Xiu seemed to be in a daze for a moment, then smiled and said: "Yes, the young master is already taller than me."

Sima Yan touched his nose in embarrassment.He took out a velvet box from his pocket, opened it with great care, and pushed it in front of Pei Xiu.

He looked into Pei Xiu's eyes, and said cautiously: "A few days ago, I followed the school to the factory to observe and practice, and I missed my husband's birthday. This is a birthday gift for you, and I hope you will accept it."

Inside the box lay a fountain pen, all silver and white, with the trademark "Parker" printed on it.

Pei Xiu took out the pen and gently stroked the smooth body with her fingers. "How dare I accept such an expensive gift." He put the pen back into the box and handed it back to Sima Yan. "What's more, it will be the young master's birthday in a few days..."

Before he finished speaking, Sima Yan interrupted hastily: "Then how about I exchange this pen for something, sir?"

Pei Xiu just took the book and wanted to put it back on the shelf, but when she heard the words, she turned around, raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's the matter?"

Sima Yan straightened his clothes, cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Pei, after this birthday, I will be 20 years old. But now the whole country is engaged in the New Culture Movement to break the old customs. According to the rules of "Rituals", I still have a request..."

With a serious tone, he said solemnly: "Can you please...take the name for me."

Pei Xiu was stunned.The book in his hand fell to the ground with a "click".

Until the night before his birthday, Sima Yan still did not get a positive answer from Pei Xiu.

In August, the Northeast is hot and dry. He opened the window with his upper body naked, but he still couldn't sleep because of tossing and turning.So he simply put on his clothes and shoes, and sneaked around the yard a few times under the moonlight.

He passed by Sima You's room and saw his younger brother sleeping soundly.

Sima You seemed to be having a sweet dream, and was smacking his lips in satisfaction.Sima Yan couldn't help laughing, and tiptoedly turned around and walked towards Sima Zhao's room, only to find that the room was pitch black and no one was there.

When he passed by the wing where Pei Xiu lived, he saw that the lights were still on.He was curious, so he stretched out his fingers to get some saliva, and pierced the window paper.

Inside the room, Sima Zhao and Pei Xiu sat facing each other, with a chessboard in the middle.At this time, the two were holding black and white pieces, fighting between the vertical and horizontal lines, while talking with each other.

Sima Yan hesitated for a moment, and decided to continue listening to the corner.

However, the two of them didn't say a word for a long time, only waiting until Sima Yan's legs went numb.Suddenly, Sima Zhao shouted happily: "Three wins out of five games! This time, Ji Yan, you can no longer shirk... The matter of choosing words for Yan'er is settled like this."

Sima Yan heard that he was being called by his father, and hurried to the window to check the situation inside the house.When he saw Pei Xiu put away the chess pieces calmly, still looking calm and breezy, as if he had never heard Sima Zhao's words, he couldn't help but feel his heart hanging in his throat.

After a long time, all the chess pieces were collected.He saw Pei Xiu get up, took a book from the shelf, carefully took out a piece of paper from the inside of the book, and handed it to Sima Zhao silently.

He heard Sima Zhao read: "'An Shi'".

Sima Zhao inside the house chewed these two words repeatedly, and Sima Yan outside the house also chanted these two words.

Hey, if this is my future name, it would be great.

He saw Pei Xiu signal Sima Zhao to turn the paper over.So Sima Zhao read the words on the back with a look of doubt.

"'Dayu'...?"

Pei Xiu nodded. "The two young masters, one is 'Yan' and the other is 'Yu': Yan, the light of the fire is also on; You, the water is also. Therefore, it is appropriate to take these words together."

Sima Zhao sighed: "Sure enough, scholars talk a lot. Then, of these two table characters, which one is for Yan'er and which one is for Taofu?"

Pei Xiu reached out, turned the paper to the front, and clicked on the word "An Shi".

""Book of Songs·Zhou Guan" says: 'If you were a great leader in the past, you can rule before chaos and protect the country before it is in danger'. 'Anshi' means 'protecting the country'; now that wars are raging and the people are struggling to survive, we... we I hope that the young master can see the day when the war will end and usher in a truly peaceful and prosperous world." He sighed leisurely, and added: "With 'Anshi', the existence of 'Dayou' is meaningful."

Sima Zhao scratched his head and asked, "Then what is the relationship between Yan'er and Taofu...?"

"Young Master You is talented, intelligent and gentle. If you were in a prosperous age, you would be rich and worry-free, and happy years. But now this world is very chaotic, but you have to be as brave and decisive as Young Master to survive." Pei Xiu's voice was deep and low. Stopped, "Where is not the battlefield of life and death? Now that the two young masters are older, the master must have already planned some things in his heart."

After a long silence, Sima Yan heard his father sigh: "Ji Yan, you really understand."

"The master is absurd."

"Having said that, what do you think of the current situation?"

Pei Xiu replied without hesitation: "The Japanese have been coveting the Northeast for a long time, and Shenyang may not be safe. According to the terrain of the Northeast, if Shenyang falls, the Japanese army can go all the way north, and Harbin is also in danger."

"Boss Ma also said so in the telegram sent to me." Sima Zhao tapped the chessboard lightly with his fingers, and continued: "So, if one day Harbin falls..."

"...Naturally, wherever you go, I will follow you."

Seeing Sima Zhao, Sima Yan shook his head. "You, why bother? Forget it, I wanted to give you a sum of money and send you to Shanghai, Guangzhou or other cities, far away from the right and wrong places, but after several trials, you refused. "I'm not going to force you any longer."

"This is my own choice, and I will naturally bear all the consequences."

When Sima Yan thought that the conversation between the two was finally over and he could finally get up and go back to the room, Sima Zhao in the room suddenly held the piece of paper with "An Shi" and "Da You" written on it and exclaimed:

"Ji Yan! By the way, you have already written the words on this paper, right! Then what do you mean by asking me to play chess at night! Three out of five games!"

Pei Xiu smiled and said nothing.At this time, the silver lamp in the house suddenly "cracked", and a flower exploded.

Sima Yan stood up slowly.He raised his head and looked at the moon that had hidden behind the clouds at some point.He walked back to the room step by step, and lay down on the bed in a "big" shape. He was both happy and worried, and fell asleep without knowing it.

The next day is Sima Yan's birthday.Because Sima's family was very famous, and it was a full birthday for him, the dining room of Sima's family was almost filled with guests who came to congratulate him on his birthday. .

As a teacher, Pei Xiu was also invited, but the position was a little far from Sima Yan, who was the birthday star.

Sima Yan sat in the main seat, listening to the sincere or false congratulatory messages from the guests, and accepted the congratulatory gifts with a smile, but his eyes couldn't stop looking in Pei Xiu's direction.

Pei Xiu sat quietly at the table, tasted the dishes gracefully, and tried to persuade the people at the same table to drink a glass of wine from time to time, as if she had fully integrated into the atmosphere of the banquet.Seeing this scene, Sima Yan suddenly felt that his Mr. Pei should belong to such a grand splendor, slick, sought after and respected by others, instead of being aggrieved as an ordinary teacher in a certain merchant's house, unable to get out of this kind of situation in his life. small city.

When everyone was toasting to Sima Yan, he looked over the dark heads and saw that Pei Xiu also raised his glass and smiled at him.

He stared at the slightly swaying fine wine in the cup, and suddenly felt extremely lucky.

So he also raised his glass and toasted a glass of wine from a distance.

Thanks. ...Also, I like Mr. best.

He said silently in his heart.

When the banquet was over, Sima Yan took the initiative to send Pei Xiu back.

Pei Xiu's capacity for drinking is not very good, and the Northeast's wine is particularly strong; although he only drank a few small cups, his cheeks were already flushed, so Sima Yan had no choice but to half-support and half-carry him to the door of the house .But when he was trying to help the man to lie down on the bed, he suddenly tripped over his feet, and the two of them immediately fell on the bed together.

Sima Yan was tall, so he accidentally bumped his head against the bedpost, causing stars to stare in his eyes.When his dizziness finally stopped, he was terrified to find that he was next to Pei Xiu in a very ambiguous posture.

... It's nothing more than an occasional spring dream, but I never thought of making it come true.

Sima Yan cried out bitterly, intending to get up.However, the feeling of hugging was so good that he couldn't help but yearn for the other's temperature and breath for a while.

While hating himself for reacting to the husband he had always loved, he couldn't help but leaned down and gently kissed him on the cheek.

Pei Xiu seemed to be really drunk.His breathing was steady and long, as if he didn't notice Sima Yan's movements at all.

Sima Yan breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart couldn't help feeling sour.

For something that crosses the line, it is enough to do it once.

He stood up holding his still aching head, and helped the sleeping Pei Xiu to lie down on the bed.

When he walked out of the room, the moon had already reached the mid-heaven.There is a saying in the north: "The big hairy man comes out, the second hairy man chases after him, and the third hairy man comes out and stares blankly".Now that Chang Gung and Sirius are all out, there is only one Venus missing.

Morning star, morning star.Wherever you are, is my light.

Sima Yan walked slowly to the bank of the Ash River, sat in the grass with his knees folded and was stunned.The cool evening wind in summer wrinkled the river water, creating tiny waves, and the moon seemed to sink to the bottom of the river, clear and gentle.

After all, it's the moon in the water, the flower in the mirror, you can't love it, you can't get it.