All your life is gentle

I learned how to swim, but it was getting late, so I found a farmhouse by the river to stay overnight.The next morning, I set out to go out. After walking a few steps, I found that there was a stone bridge across the river behind the big willow tree at the intersection.

Zi Shi looked at Chang Sheng: "Why don't we walk over and you swim over?" It was a joke, but the other party said without thinking, "Okay. I also want to practice more." Alas, another super self-conscious and good student.

After all, he was a novice, and fearing that he would get flustered when he swam into the river, Zi Shi found a long bamboo pole, tied a big rope loop on one end, and put it loosely around Chang Sheng's waist, and held the other end by himself, acting as a navigator and a lifeguard.

The two set off at the same time, one swimming in the water and the other walking on the bridge.Changsheng swims smoothly, feeling like a fish in water.Looking up at Li Zishi above, he was concentrating on lowering his head, moving forward at his own speed.Feeling itchy in his heart, he took a deep breath and dived into the water, and pulled down the bamboo pole vigorously—as expected, Zi Shi exclaimed: "Gu Changsheng!" He fell down.

As soon as he entered the water, he immediately dived to save people, only to realize that Gu Changsheng was swimming happily.Knowing that he had been tricked, he was suddenly annoyed, and turned his head to swim to the shore.Chang Sheng chased after him, and almost caught his ankle several times, but he was not skilled enough after all.Climbing ashore with him, both of them were soaking wet.Zi Shi's physical strength was far inferior to Chang Sheng's, he braced his back and gasped for breath, and he didn't recover for a long time.

"Li Zishi, I'm sorry..." After so many days together, it was the first time I saw him with a serious face, and knew that he was angry.I also feel that I am reckless in my heart, but I am inexplicably happy.Well, I was happy to see the plums let go; I was happy to see him startled and anxious; I was happy to see him annoyed... er, I seem to be even happier.

"You dare to play snorkeling just after learning a few dog paddles. You are so courageous... It scares me to death. I should teach you a lesson by choking your neck in the water..." Zi Shi started to get really angry at him for scaring himself, and said Later, it suddenly occurred to him that Gu Changsheng was not like Meng Lang's temperament.Although not very introverted, he doesn't talk much, and he is always a bit old-fashioned.Perhaps, now is the normal and lively state of a 17-year-old boy.Thinking about it this way, I also laughed.

Here he turned anger into joy, but that one made his heart skip a beat for no reason.Chang Sheng thought to himself that he looked so pretty when he smiled like this, but he dared not say those words no matter what, he secretly glanced at him, and then again.Zi Shi thought he was guilty, so he said angrily: "Okay, there will be no next time. It made me wet all over early in the morning..." He mumbled and went around behind the big tree to change his clothes.

After packing up and starting again, the red sun has already risen.The sun in May was very strong, and several people stepped up to try to enter the mountain as soon as possible.

The so-called Wangshan ran a dead horse, and it was just in front of my eyes, and it was almost noon before I walked to the foot of the mountain.I found a small open space on the side of the road and sat down to rest.

There are many hills in Chuzhou, and the height of the mountains is limited, so it often wins with charm.Nanzhu Mountain is worthy of its name, full of bamboo forests.The bamboo in the depths is as thick as a small tree, and can reach a height of more than ten feet.The bamboo leaves piled up under the feet are as soft as a carpet, rustling.There is a piece of verdant green in front of my eyes, which is clear and refreshing.The breeze pierces through the forest, swaying in various shapes and rustling, completely different from the world outside the mountain.

Changsheng has never seen such a scene.After sitting down for a long time, I still stretched my neck and looked up at the bamboo tip piercing the sky.

Zi Shi took out the dry food in the bag and distributed it to everyone. Seeing that Chang Sheng was fascinated by it, he introduced: "Chuzhou is known as "thousands of households and tens of millions of mu of bamboo. "It's pretty much everywhere, and it won't be fresh after a few days."

Zigui asked, "How come our family has never had such a big bamboo?"

"Yuezhou mainly has "qinsi bamboo" and "cold bamboo", which are much slender, so they are also called "xiu bamboo". Isn't it scary to be so tall when they are planted in the courtyard? Nan bamboo can be used to tie bamboo rafts and make furniture. It’s very big.” Zi Shi explained, then sighed, “Wuyue produces talented scholars, and Jingchu has many heroes”, probably this is also the reason.”

"I like Nanzhu better." Zi Zhou was thoughtful.

Zi Shi disagreed.This kid is all about being a gentleman, so of course he prefers the kind that shows more integrity.Then the topic continued: "This thing is flexible and straight, capable of bending and stretching; it is open-minded and strong, and its ambition is to rise to the sky; it is chic and graceful, and it is evergreen in the frost and snow... It can be recorded in a simplified book, and it can be cut into a tube to transmit the five tones... It’s an indescribable benefit.”

Originally, Chang Sheng just thought it looked good, but after listening to his eloquent explanation, the bamboo in front of him was still bamboo, but it seemed to be more than just bamboo.Following his voice, his thoughts extended to the depths of the bamboo forest, as if he had detected something that could be understood but hard to describe.

For a while, the four of them were immersed in infinite admiration.

After taking a few bites of dry food, Zi Shi laughed and said, "Chuzhou Nanzhu has the most temper among all the bamboos."

"How do you say this?" Zi Zhou hurriedly cheered to hear the elder brother talk about classics and ancient times.

"The "Heshi Herbal Classic" says: "Nan, Nan Ye.Because he was born in the south of the Yangtze River, he died in the north of the Yangtze River. "Bamboo has a beautiful posture, wide range of uses, and is easy to grow. Unfortunately, it was only born on the south bank of the Lianjiang River. For thousands of years, countless people have tried their best to transplant it to the north of the Yangtze River. It is a pity that no matter how they take care of the water and soil, they can't succeed. This bamboo is bitterly in love with the spring water on the south bank, and would rather die than move north, with a strong and persistent temperament. Do you think this temper is strong enough?"

Speaking of this, I suddenly thought of my tutor and my father.Grief and indignation have long been separated into images in the mirror, for them, Li Zishi now has his own judgment.However, occasionally inadvertently, the heart will always throb for a while, bringing a moment of confusion.

Stand up and straighten your clothes: "Let's go. Go over this mountain and find a place to spend the night earlier.

As Zi Shi said, Chuzhou is full of bamboos.Needless to say, the waterside and the mountains, the long green shadows in front of the eaves and behind the houses of every house are always indispensable.Looking around, there is a piece of green and watery everywhere, which is very different from Yuezhou's rich and elegant mortal and prosperous temperament.

It was a hot summer, and Changsheng saw all household utensils made of bamboo: bamboo stools, bamboo chairs, bamboo tables, bamboo beds, bamboo mats, bamboo curtains, bamboo baskets, bamboo plaques...

The four of them each wear a sun-shading bamboo hat, carry a semi-circular bamboo basket on their backs, wear a pair of bamboo straw sandals under their feet, and hold a bamboo stick for exploring the road. They look like natives of Chuzhou.Even though Gu Changsheng's incomparably simple head changed into this attire, he also felt an aura of clearness and spirituality.

This day plans to stay in Xianxia Town.Just after Chen's hour, the sun is already quite vicious.Thirty miles away from the town, passing by a pond, the two children did not leave without saying anything, and played for a while longer.The two big ones couldn't help themselves and jumped down.In the end, Zi Zhou and Zigui wanted to go ashore, but the brothers played completely out of shape.Simply four people had a water fight by the pond.At first, Zi Shi led Zi Zhou, Chang Sheng led Zi Gui, and the two sides faced each other.It didn't take long to become Changsheng alone to compete with the three Li brothers and sisters.

Just when he was happy, Chang Sheng suddenly shouted: "Who is it?" He jumped ashore, picked up a pebble and shot it out.Only then did the three of Zi Shi realize that the thief had come.While they were enjoying themselves in the water, the man sneaked up to look over the things in the bamboo basket.The stone just hit his leg, and he staggered and fell to the ground.Just as Changsheng was about to rush up to catch the man, who knew that the thief was extremely agile, he immediately got up, plunged into the water, twisted twice like a loach, and then popped his head out, he had reached the center of the pond.

Chang was so angry that he bent his bow and set his arrows, and was about to strike.

"Don't!" Zi Shi had already landed, and found that only the top bag of dry food was missing, and the bottom bag hadn't had time to move, so he quickly grabbed him.

"why?"

"There's nothing important, just run away. You shot him and wounded him, and you still have to go down to find people. At that time, you can't kill, save, save, let go—"

Really troublesome.Changsheng put down his bow and arrow.While they were talking, the thief landed on the other side and ran away.It can probably be seen that it is also a teenager.

When the four of them were drying their clothes, they learned the lesson and moved the bamboo baskets to their side to watch.Chang Sheng thought of the thief who stole things, and said: "That man's water skills are so good."

Zizhou said: "What is this? People in our place who make waves during the Dragon Boat Festival and perform "Treading on Rolling Logs" and "Water Puppets" are much better than him."

"Treading log" can probably be imagined, but what is "water puppet"?Everlasting doubts.

Zi Shi picked up a twig and explained while drawing a picture: "The so-called "water puppet" is a movable doll carved from balsa wood, about two feet high, with only the upper body. The bottom is supported by a bamboo board, and the back is separated by a gauze curtain. , the manipulator is hidden in the water, the gauze covers the head, and the hands are manipulated under the bamboo board, allowing the puppet to perform various actions."

"It's like a puppet moving on the water by itself, very interesting." Zigui clapped his hands.Immediately his face fell down, "Unfortunately, I only saw it once, and I will never see it again in the future."

After a while, Zizhou went on to say: "I heard that the August [-]th tide in Haikou, Dongning, those who seize the flag at the head of the tide are a hundred times more powerful. It is said in the poems of the predecessors that "the tide-gathering children stand at the head of the wave, holding the red flag in their hands." Not wet", that's what it says."

Zi Shi said, "Treading the waves is as good as walking on flat ground. But if you are familiar with water, you should be a pearl fisher in the East China Sea."

Ever since Changsheng learned to swim and overcame his fear of deep water since he was a child, he has been quite excited.At this time, I heard that the strong are even more powerful, and then I realized that the skill of swimming can be so high.

"It is said that pearl divers can dive four to five hundred feet underwater with a rope around their waists. They can see things in the water, catch clams and kill dragons. Even sailors can't match them."

Hearing what his elder brother said, Zizhou snorted, "Master of the navy? Are there only masters of extortion in the navy?"

"Children, don't be so cynical, they grow old fast."

Zi Zhou moved three feet sideways to pass the chestnut knocked by Zi Shi.Ever since Changsheng mentioned the matter of practicing Kung Fu on the day when they learned to swim, the two children paid more attention to cultural lessons, and took time every day to learn how to punch.After these days, there is actually a small achievement.Among other things, at least the reaction was much faster.

Zi Shi wanted to practice together, but in less than three days he was so tired that he lost all his energy for the journey.Changsheng squeezed his wrist: "You are born with thin bones, and your physique is not very good. Walking dozens of miles a day is enough, and it will be counterproductive, so let's do it." On the contrary, the two children are alive and kicking after a rest. The comprehension shown in martial arts is no worse than that in cultural classes.

"Could it be because of genetic differences?" Zi Shi thought sadly.But there was no way to say this.Regarding the life experience of a pair of twins, the two brothers pretended to forget about it when they came out of Tongcheng, and never mentioned it again.

Zizhou stood outside the safe area, made a face at his elder brother, and continued to talk: "Everyone said that if the Donghai Navy could enter the inland river in time and prepare for war along the river, at least the south of the Yangtze River could be saved. If so, confront each other across the river. It is also unknown who will win the deer."

Zi Shi sneered: "Yes, if..."

"Brother, are they wrong?" Zigui asked.

"Whatever happens in the world, how can we rely on the word "if"? Let's say if, if 30 years ago, the imperial court adopted the advice of General Fubo Han Chao before his death and rectified the navy; if 20 years ago, the first emperor could properly balance his relatives. The dispute with the court and the party should not abolish the crown prince at will; if ten years ago, today's emperor could follow the good policy of the two dynasties of Ruiwen and Xianzhao, and use Wenzhiwugong to educate and appease Xirong, what is the disaster today?"

Both children were silent.Freezing three feet is not a day's cold.

After a long while, Zizhou said sullenly, "Brother, can we really... just wait to be slaves to the subjugated country?"

"Shuzhou is naturally dangerous. There have been several times in history that the imperial court retreated to Shuzhou. The longest time was 58 years. If we are lucky enough, we may be able to spend the rest of the year there. But the road to Shu was even more difficult in the past. Walking, it is probably easier to guard."

Changsheng suddenly asked: "Is there no precedent for retreating to Shuzhou and then counterattacking to recover the lost ground?"

"Yes. Only once." Zi Shi glanced at Zi Zhou, "To test you, which time was it?"

"I see, it's the "Change of King You Yanqin" from the previous dynasty."

Changsheng is not very familiar with the historical facts of the dynasties, but he has heard many stories from his mother.Now I also remembered: Before Jinxia, ​​in the late Xianxi Dynasty, King Jing wanted to usurp the throne, King Yan led his troops to serve the king, and cooperated with the king's division who retreated to Shuzhou, and quickly put down the rebellion.However, later, King Yan himself coerced the emperor to order the princes, the world refused to accept, and disputes arose everywhere, and finally the country changed hands.

"The situation of "King You Yanqin" is not without similarities with today, but..."

Seeing his elder brother looking at him, Zizhou knew that the in-class exam was not over yet.Although he was the one who took the test, it was three people who used their brains.

"The reason why the previous dynasty was able to counterattack was because of the cooperation of King Yan from outside. What the elder brother said is similar, does it mean that there is also foreign aid in Xijing today?" Zi Gui spoke first.

Zizhou thought about it, and said: "However, it took only one year for King Youyanqin to succeed. Now the court has entered Shu for two years. The movement of the army Qinqin is too slow. Either the strength is too weak to defeat the enemy. Or it's..." Although he thought about it, he didn't want to say it.

"Or it's just that you don't want to be king at all." Chang Sheng continued for him.

Zi Shi nodded: "I heard that Liangzhou Weiyuan Army and Yongzhou Weiwu Army fought with Xirong in the northwest for more than a year and were finally defeated. Chuzhou Dingyuan Army followed the emperor into Shuzhou. Now only the remnants of the Weiwu Army and Dingwu Army in the Northeast.”—They didn’t know that the last force of the Mighty Army was wiped out outside Tongcheng—”Looking at the speed of the Xirong army going south, they also know what they are doing.

"Besides, in the last years of the previous dynasty, the imperial court did nothing but rarely harmed the people... Haven't you heard that before Xirong entered the customs, Yongyu and other places rioted several times because of excessive taxes and food shortages, and even Tongcheng came A lot of refugees."

"But," Zi Zhou clenched his fists and stood upright, "Brother, the previous dynasty, whether King Jing or King Yan, was an internal strife. Now the invasion of Xi Rong is a foreign aggression. Could it be, is it impossible that the land of the Central Plains will work together, Rise up to resist and defend against foreign enemies?"

Zi Shi sighed: "The possibility you mentioned requires several prerequisites: one must be of the same heart, two must win people, three must borrow strength, and fourth must use wisdom. You have also seen this journey, and you must stay close to the enemy. Yes, abandon the city and flee, stay away from the enemy, do nothing. The imperial court retreats to Shuzhou and defends passively. Jinxia’s situation is in jeopardy, who has the power to bring back the sky?"

Zizhou showed an angry expression, which meant that he wished he had been born 20 years earlier.

"Besides," Zi Fang spoke slowly, beckoning Zi Zhou to come and sit down, "I have to pray that the army of Xi Rong will not be too fast, and the attack will not be too harsh... I heard that the king of Xi Rong is also a character, if he knows how to choose the right time, let him go The butcher's knife, resorting to Huairou, I'm afraid..."

Changsheng listened fascinated.Suddenly, he remembered the unpredictable Mr. Mo beside his father.At this moment, the feeling Li Zishi gave him was actually somewhat similar to that of Mr. Mo.Unexpectedly, he was so full of knowledge and knowledge, he was actually a general.However, it's really strange, when he talked about these things, including the mention of Emperor Jinxia, ​​he always had a bit of indifference, was it because he was discouraged...

"Brother," Zigui asked sadly, remembering the most practical question, "Tell me, how long can Shu Prefecture be defended now?"

Zi Shi got up and laughed, "Zigui, do you think the eldest brother is a god? No matter how long he stays there, he will definitely stay there until we go. I heard that the strange peaks and deep valleys in southern Sichuan are very steep. When the time comes, let's find a corner Why not live in seclusion and be a free and easy citizen?"

Somehow, after hearing this, Chang Sheng was suddenly inexplicably relieved.

Such a delay, naturally missed the host, and lost dry food, plus discussing important topics, the mood was a bit depressed, the four of them had a very bleak night.

The next morning, when we arrived in Xianxia Town, the two young ones fell ill.Because I played too hard the day before in the cold, and got wind again at night, I had vomiting, diarrhea, fever and headache, and I tossed and tossed for several days.

When they were almost recovered, Zi Shi fell ill.His physique is not as good as that of his younger brothers and sisters. He had to take care of them before, and he was anxious and kept fighting. This time he fell ill, and it came on violently, which made the other three people around in a hurry.Zi Shi knew in his heart that, in fact, his body had been in a state of extreme tension and fatigue since the beginning of April. He hadn't had a good rest in the past two months, and he really needed to rest for a while.Sharpening the knife without cutting firewood by mistake, he immediately decided to stay in Xianxia Town for a while.

Before he got better, he ordered Chang Sheng to rent a rafter house and moved out of the inn, which was economical and comfortable.Regardless of his current situation, let's rest in peace and recuperate first.

"I'm thinner again." On the day of moving, Chang Sheng took Zi Shi into his arms and complained as he walked, "I don't think you need to leave in the future, just wait for the wind to blow..." This man has never been very willing to eat meat, he is very stubborn .

Zi Shi smiled helplessly, and thought to himself, he talked too much.Lie down, watching him go about his business, conscience realized, and suddenly said: "Gu Changsheng, you must have never imagined that the person who saved people would become three big burdens."

Chang Sheng was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "What are you talking about?" He came over and touched it, "I don't have a fever, how can you talk nonsense."

A joke that is not funny at all, told by a person who has always been upright, has no taste.Zi Shi curled his mouth and closed his eyes.