Seven bitter flowers

Chapter 13: Jiangnan is good, the scenery is old and familiar

A few days later, when everything was ready, Ding Xiu and Zhan Zhao set off to the south.The two first rode horses to the Huaishui River, then took a boat all the way east, reached the Guandao Canal, and then turned south to Songjiang Mansion.

After crossing the Huai River, it is close to the fertile land in the south of the Yangtze River. Along the way, the misty waves are vast and the boats are light.Although it's winter, it doesn't feel cold. The green water surface is surrounded by clouds, like a huge glazed emerald hidden in the dense water mist, which is too beautiful to behold.

Ding Xiu was in high spirits, sitting in the boat and never idle for a moment, chirping and giggling with Zhan Zhao, talking about the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River.Zhan Zhao was slightly surprised when she heard her Jiangnan accent gradually revealed, and asked, "Are you from Jiangnan too?"

Ding Xiu smiled: "Speaking seriously, my hometown is in Changzhou, and I can be regarded as half of the same town as you. However, both of my parents died, and I studied art with my master and wife since I was a child, and my master and wife are both from Suzhou, so I On the contrary, I don’t know how to speak my native dialect.” He lowered his head and wrapped his hands around the hair hanging by his ears.

Zhan Zhao did not expect her to come from such a background, seeing that she was in low spirits, it was inconvenient to ask more questions, so he just picked some interesting allusions to her and told her. Ding Xiu was depressed at first, but then he was engrossed in listening to it, and forgot about it unhappy.

The two of them chatted and enjoyed the scenery, so they went all the way south, and arrived at Songjiang Mansion in a few days. It was estimated that there was still half a day's waterway to reach Xingkong Island.As soon as the two got on the ferry, it was snowing from the sky. Ding Xiu had never seen the sight of snow falling on the water, so he was very excited for a moment, and pulled Zhan Zhao's sleeve to let him look here and there, and almost jumped in place. .

After getting on the boat, Ding Xiu noticed that the person who punted the boat was a girl, with a slender figure and snow-like skin, a black hair was suppressed by a bamboo hat, and a handsome and lovely face appeared under the bamboo hat. With long eyelashes, big eyes, and quick looks, he is a beautiful figure in the water town of the south of the Yangtze River.

Ding Xiu was stunned for a while, subconsciously turned his head to look at Zhan Zhao, and saw that he was asking the girl about the journey to Xingkong Island in his hometown dialect, for some reason, he suddenly felt very unhappy, but it was not good Interrupting him, he only used his fingers to wrap around his hair, wrapping around and around.

I heard the girl say in my ear: "You two, the empty island is four or nine waterways away from here. I can only support you by three or nine waterways. When you get there, there will be someone to meet you." Her voice was crisp and clear, and she spoke Wu Nong's soft language like this Let's talk, listening to the ironing post.

Zhan Zhao responded with a smile, Ding Xiu saw him smiling, and got angry out of nowhere, while the girl turned around to push the boat, she stretched out her hand and twisted Zhan Zhao's arm.

Zhan Zhao took a deep breath in pain, grabbed her wrist and asked, "What are you doing?"

Ding Xiu snorted and said in a low voice, "I'm reminding you on behalf of Mr. Bao, don't be too happy to find Bei when you see a beautiful girl. We have a mission on this trip, do you think it's a tour of the mountains and rivers?" ?” After speaking, he withdrew his hand and gave him a threatening look.

Zhan Zhao is angry and funny, why is he so happy that he can't find Bei?I'm still on a mission, and I don't know who is clamoring all the way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the south of the Yangtze River and taste the delicacies of the south of the Yangtze River...

Sure enough, the girl stopped for three or nine minutes, took out a delicate piccolo from her bosom, put it to her mouth and blew twice, the sound of the flute was loud and distant, almost as soon as the sound of the flute stopped, a small boat came out from nowhere Come, a black-faced man stood on the boat, glanced at Zhan Zhao and Dingxiu, bowed and said, "The villain is ordered by the owner to come to welcome Zhan Zhao and Miss Ding."

Zhan Zhao and Ding Xiu hurriedly returned their salutes and boarded the boat.Ding Xiu was very curious, and asked the black-faced man: "Why did you know we were coming when the girl played the flute twice?"

The black-faced man grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "The boatmen at the ferry have business dealings with Xingkong Island, and anyone who comes to Xingkong Island will send a message by the sound of the flute, and we can know who is coming by listening to the sound." How many men and women, what kind of boat should be sent to pick them up. If someone comes to make trouble, we can also rely on the sound of the whistle to call the police, so we can be prepared." He smiled and glanced at Zhan Zhao, and continued, "Yesterday The owner of the villa ordered us to wait for the two of you, and Lord Zhan has been here before, so we all recognize it."

Ding Xiu let out a "huh" and asked Zhan Zhao, "Have you been here? Bai Yutang invited you to drink?"

The black-faced man chuckled, but didn't speak, just lowered his head and punted the boat.

Ding Xiu keenly sensed that there must be a story in it, and tugged at Zhan Zhao's sleeve: "Hey, what's going on, tell me, maybe you came here to seek revenge?"

Zhan Zhao said with a big head, "Where did Brother Bai and I have any enmity? Take the boat with peace of mind and fall into the water carefully."

Ding Xiu shook her head, nonchalantly: "It's okay if I fall into the water, it's not like I can't swim..." She suddenly realized that she smiled maliciously, "Hey Zhan Zhao, it can't be that you can't swim, right? "

Zhan Zhao turned his head to look elsewhere, coughed and said, "This has nothing to do with being in the water, it's winter, you have to swim in the water, and you won't suffer from the cold."

Ding Xiu didn't like his tricks: "No way, the water is warm, you can just talk about it, I have already seen it, when you cough, you must be guilty..."

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After a while, they arrived at Xingkong Island, and a few people abandoned their boats and landed. Ding Xiu saw that although it was winter, the small island was still lush and lush, and there was a faint fragrance of flowers, which was no different from the withered leaves in the north. Praise: "What a beautiful island."

The black-faced man led the two of them to turn left and right on the island, and after a while, they saw a corner of Zhuangzi's cornice protruding from the trees.Ding Xiu was secretly amazed, the layout of the island seemed to be natural, but the roads were complicated and twists and turns, as if they were built according to the technique of gossip. I couldn't find Zhuangzi's main entrance for a day.

Before reaching the door, several people came out to greet him, the leader was a burly white-faced man, followed by several people, one was tall, with long arms and legs.A big shoulder and round waist, with a face full of flesh.One was thin and unremarkable.There is another one dressed in white, who is romantic and suave, but who is not Bai Yutang?

The white-faced man clasped his fists and said: "Hero Zhan, Miss Ding came to our village, and Lu Fang was far away to welcome her. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhan Zhao hastily returned the greetings, greeted those people, and introduced to Ding Xiu, the white-faced man was naturally the eldest brother Zhu Tianshu Lu Fang, the thin and tall one was the second brother Che Dishu Han Zhang, and the big and round one was the third brother Chuanshu Xu Qing, the thin one is Jiang Ping, the fourth fan Jiangshu.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went into the village.Ding Xiu's eyes lit up, and he saw that Zhuangzili had gorgeous furnishings, carved beams and painted buildings, and extremely ingenious ideas.Ding Xiu admired secretly in his heart, and followed the crowd to the front hall.

The author has something to say:

Xiao Zhan, how can you stop looking at us when you see a beautiful girl?It's outrageous you...