cloudless sky

Zhong Chongtang came back from this trip with a baby less than two years old.

In the past, he also brought other things, including rare treasures, weapons, wine, friends, men, women and children whose families have been destroyed, but this time it is still a little different.

The baby was dressed in brocade clothes, cloud-toed shoes, and a tiger-headed hat. He had a round face and a slightly raised chin. He looked very pleasing. Looking at the various scenery and people you see when you come in from the gate and then pass through the hall, you are not afraid of strangers.Zhong Chongtang was already tall and strong with a rough and dusty appearance, which made him even more amusing with the little tuft of flowers in his arms.

Zhong Chongyun and Zhong Chongwei, who came back together, had strange expressions on their faces. From time to time, they turned their heads to look at the baby Zhong Chongtang was holding, and then shook their heads slightly and sighed after changing their eyes. They disagreed with Zhong Chongtang bringing the baby back to Zhong's house.

Some of the servants waiting at the door had already gone in to pass on the message, and some wanted to take the baby, but Zhong Chongtang did not let go.

After passing the hall, I originally wanted to turn to my own courtyard to settle the baby in my arms first, and then come out to meet Zhong Boyou.The small courtyard where Zhong Chongtang lives is at the foot of a mountain to the west of the North Garden. The uncle Zhong Boyou, who is in charge of the family, mentioned several times to change him to a more spacious residence. It has not changed.

But Zhong Chongyan came out first, called him face to face, and said loudly with a smile on his face: "Chongtang brother! You are back! Chongtang brother went out this time and led the Jiangnan martial arts comrades to kill all directions, wiped out the three corpses, and punished him." Feng Buwen, you really gave our parents Zhong a face! Our Zhong family's great reputation is all due to Chongtang himself, really! Originally, clear water was sprinkled on the road and gongs and drums sounded to welcome Chongtang's victory. Who would have thought that you would be silent? I came back without making a sound, and I didn't let Zhong Peng and the younger generation come back first to announce..."

"Zhong Peng's leg is injured." Although Zhong Chongtang couldn't help interrupting his flattery, he still said kindly: "Several juniors with minor injuries are helping to carry serious injuries behind, and so are Chongyun and Chongwei. Let’s fix all the injuries first, and let’s talk about the celebration.”

"They're all wounded, thank you for your trouble! A fierce fight, those of us who stayed at home, couldn't imagine how scary it would be. Brother Chong, are you okay? Where is the injury?" Zhong Chongyan asked hastily.

"It's okay." Zhong Chongtang said.

"Brother Chongtang has been fighting with that devil Feng Buwen for several hours, and he has internal injuries, so please stop messing with him." Zhong Chongwei said.

"Okay, okay, I won't say much," Zhong Chongyan bowed, waved his hands, and said, "Three great heroes, please show your face and go to the main hall. Uncle Boyou is waiting. There are chairs in the hall, newly replaced soft ones. Pad, don't hinder your injuries."

Zhong Chongtang was about to say something, but he saw Zhong Chongyan bent over and lowered his head, his eyes slanted to the baby in his arms.Zhong Chongyan didn't say a word to the baby, but the invitation was probably for the baby. Since he brought it back to Zhong's house, he had to make it clear to Zhong Boyou, who was in charge, sooner or later.

Zhong Chongtang no longer evaded, raised his feet up the steps, carried the baby with his head held high, and entered the main hall.

Although I had thought about all kinds of plans in my heart, I was still shocked when I entered the main hall. Not only Zhong Boyou was there, but also Zhong Bocheng, Zhong Boquan, Zhong Boxie, and Zhong Bolian were all there, starting from the first place. Sitting one by one, with the sons and nephews of each house standing behind them, all the respectable people of the Zhong family are here.What surprised Zhong Chongtang was not the people in the hall, but Zhong Boyou who was not sitting in the main seat, and sitting in the middle was his uncle who hadn't seen him for a long time and was also the previous head of the family, Zhong Lubai.

Zhong Lu was over seventy years old, as thin as a walnut poked on firewood, his hair is flourishing, his silver hair is rarely combed neatly, two white eyebrows, three long beards covering his shriveled mouth, and sometimes he muttered something incomprehensible. Whether he wants to eat or talk, no one listens to him.

"Hello, Uncle, Uncle has always been in good health?" Zhong Chongtang saluted respectfully.

Since Zhong Lubai fell seriously ill in the early spring of last year, he has never been out of the house. This time, Zhong Boyou actually invited him out, it seems that he is ready for battle.

"You don't need to be too polite," Zhong Boyou sat on the chair on the left, with his sleeves covered, and said with a calm face: "Chongyun, Chongwei, please sit aside, and I will ask you when I have something to say. Chongtang, you stand first , You have worked so hard this trip, and you have not embarrassed the Zhong family. No matter how much you praise you, it is not enough... It is not that the second uncle wants to embarrass you. This family rule must be established. Since I am in charge, I have to say something .”

"If I do something wrong, Second Uncle just teach me a lesson." Zhong Chongtang said.

"Okay, well said," Zhong Boyou said with a serious face, "Since you said that, no matter what I teach you, you have to listen to it."

Zhong Chongtang laughed when he heard this, and didn't rush to answer. He slowly inspected the people in the hall, only to see each of them looking at him with tense faces as if they were facing a big enemy, and looked down at the baby in his arms. Little baby, little baby didn't know what kind of people surrounded him, he just gnawed his fingers and blinked his eyes.

"As long as it's right, I'll listen to whoever it is." Zhong Chongtang said.

"Is that how you talk to the Patriarch?" Zhong Boquan shouted from the side.

Zhong Boyou turned his head and glanced at him, Zhong Boquan swallowed back the rest of his words, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"That's 'right'..." Zhong Boyou focused on reading the word 'right', hummed softly, and said, "I don't know what is 'right' in your mind, Chongtang, we have really realized it all these years. You are allowed to do whatever you want outside, without any rules. The reputation of the Zhong family in Jianghu is clearly your reputation, and the reputation you earned by yourself, no matter what reputation you have, it is not the Zhong family. Even if you have some misbehavior that violates the family rules, no one really cares about you, but we elders are wrong. There is always a limit to everything. After all, the Zhong family is not yours alone. Throw the rules passed down from ancestors to the ground and trample on them."

"Second Uncle might as well say it clearly," Zhong Chongtang said.

"Let me ask you, what is the second rule of the Zhong family's family rules?" Zhong Boyou shouted.

"In the Zhong family's kung fu, foreign surnames are not passed on." Zhong Chongtang really didn't understand why he was so stern, and the words he said had nothing to do with the baby he brought back, and said strangely: "I have never offended this rule. For many years, no one has passed on the Zhong family kung fu with one move and one style. I have learned a lot, even if I compete with two or three friends, I have never used my own style."

"So you've followed the rules, good, very good!" Zhong Boyou nodded, and raised his voice, "Bring it in!"

As soon as the words fell, Zhong Chongyan turned out from the side door carrying a half-grown child, but he disappeared after entering the door, so it turned out that he had gone to arrest someone.The child didn't let him pick it up obediently in his hands, he kept waving his arms, kicking his legs and beating him, scolding him loudly.Zhong Chongyan pinched the back of his neck with one hand, and dragged him into the main hall. He actually hit his feet, and beat him back in front of the people in the hall, so he had to squeeze his neck harder.

"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Look at how you look like a human being, and you think it's disrespectful to bully the little!" the child scolded.

"The fifth day of the lunar new year," Zhong Chongtang called him, and said, "Don't say a few words."

"Mr. Chongtang! You are back! You brought a little guy with you? Oh, it hurts! My neck is about to break! Mr. Chongtang! This man bullied me when you were away, not only bullying me, but also wronging me, Mr. Chongtang! Tell me about him!" Chu Wu pinched Zhong Chongyan's hand and wanted to pull it away, but he was so weak that he couldn't pull it away, so he had to pinch a few more marks.

"Second Uncle, what happened to Chu Wu? Why did Chong Yan arrest him?" Zhong Chongtang knew something was wrong, stared at Chu Wu to be silent, and turned his head only to ask Zhong Boyou.

"This fifth day, who is he to you?" Zhong Boyou asked.

"His first name is Ye Weiliao, and his nickname is Chuwu. He is a descendant of my friend Ye Zhantu. He told my second uncle when I brought him back last year." Zhong Chongtang said.

"Say it again, make it clear, and tell your uncles." Zhong Boyou moved out of Zhong Lubai as he spoke, and he was not allowed to argue again.Zhong Lubai didn't know how much he understood, so he muttered, while Zhong Bocheng fed him a sip of tea.

Seeing this situation, Zhong Chongtang wanted to find trouble with him from Chu Wu, and he didn't know what trouble this kid caused when he went out.Chu Wu stuck out his tongue at him, Zhong Chongtang shook his head slightly, no matter what disaster happened, he still had to help him.

So he said from the beginning: "Ye Zhantu and I have known each other since we were young and have known each other for more than ten years. The year before last, we passed by Ju County and stayed at his house for a few days. The rich family forcibly occupied the farmer's land, and wanted to use it as a cemetery because of Fengshui. The farmer refused, and was beaten to death by the rich man's servant. Seeing the injustice between the two of us, we took action to teach the rich family and others a lesson. The rich man was beaten half to death, and we forced him to pay the farmer a lot of money. After making a written statement, nothing happened. A few days later, I left Juxian County, and the rich man paid a lot of money. Bandits in Lin County burned and killed the farmer's family, and broke into Ye's mansion at night and killed Ye Zhantu and his wife."

When Zhong Chongtang said this, he turned his head and glanced at Chu Wu.

His small face was sullen, he didn't smile, and his pitch-black eyes were fixed on Zhong Chongtang.

"On the fifth day of the first day, he was the only son of the two of them, and he has been an orphan since then." Zhong Chongtang paused, and then said: "That year he was six years old, and when he woke up, his parents were dead, and they died tragically. Relatives were afraid of trouble and did not dare To make a statement, I just planned to collect the funeral hastily and do the funeral. On the fifth day of the lunar new year, I ran away by myself. After running for a day and a night, I finally found me in Anqing. I led him up the mountain and wiped out the mountain. He is a bandit den and avenged his parents. It’s just that the half-dead rich man is still alive. Kill him and his family, and there are many ways to get revenge. We can’t leave Chu Wu alone in the local area. He is also willing to follow I took him all the way to travel, and finally brought him back."

"Isn't he your illegitimate son?" Zhong Chongyan asked.

"Chongyan! What are you talking about!" Zhong Chongtang shouted.

"Huh..." Zhong Chongyan couldn't help shrinking back, and fought back: "You are so kind to him if it's not because of relatives? You know that our Zhong family doesn't keep people with other surnames, and you keep saying that you want to resettle him, why don't you just leave him?" Didn’t he keep it all the time? If it’s true that you were born outside secretly and took it back, then why would you tell me why he knows how to do the work of the Zhong family?”

"The fifth day of the lunar new year?" Zhong Chongtang heard the last sentence, and sure enough this time he was asking this question, and he guessed that it was not completely unfounded, so he lowered his head and asked the fifth day first, so he had to know what happened to him first.

"You're talking nonsense! You're spitting blood! You're shameless!" Chu Wu only scolded Zhong Chongyan.

"Shut up!" Zhong Boyou shouted loudly.

The three standing people, big and small, were silent at the same time. Zhong Chongyan didn't speak any more, he just raised his foot and kicked Chu Wu's knee. leg.

On the fifth day of the fifth day of the lunar new year, he reacted very quickly. He took a half step forward with one foot, and kicked sideways with the other foot, aiming for Zhong Chongyan's ankle.Zhong Chongyan gave way to the kicked foot, Chu Wu circled his arms and rolled over in the air, and kicked his knees with both feet.Zhong Chongyan was still spinning with one foot in the air, and he didn't stop with the other foot. He was forced to take two steps back in succession. There were footprints of him kicking back and forth on his trousers, and he rubbed his knee half more.

Chu Wu turned somersault, stood lightly and deftly opposite him, and stuck out her tongue at him.

"You shameless little thief!" Zhong Chongyan roared.

"See clearly?" Zhong Boyou stared at Zhong Chongtang, and asked in a flat voice, "Is this the work of my Zhong family?"