Dai Shengyan didn't really leave him as a closed apprentice. He just dropped the old friend he had just met after receiving the letter from the servant, and rushed back in a hurry, so anxious that he snapped several beards along the way.
"You child." Dai Shengyan looked at Xie Jinglan with a stubborn face, and said quietly, "This old man thought you were a 'junjie' who knew the current affairs and would never confront your father head-on. Well, after all, there are only twelve Years old, you can't escape the heart of a young man."
Xie Jinglan said lightly, "It's bearable, but it's unbearable."
Dai Shengyan let out a long sigh, pondered for a while, and said, "Jinglan, are you willing to leave your hometown and live with me, an old man, living in the open air
Xie Jinglan suddenly raised his head and looked at the old man in disbelief.
He knew for a long time that Dai Shengyan had a rambunctious temperament and had always been bored with living in one place, so he would never be willing to stay in Jinling to spend his later years. He thought that Dai Shengyan was just cherishing his talents, so he was willing to give him a few pointers during his stay in Jinling, and by the way gave him the reputation of "Dai Shengyan's Closed Disciple" to make his life a little easier.
Unexpectedly... Dai Shengyan was willing to take him with him.
"Sir don't give up, the disciple is willing to follow Lu Yanhui and saddle the horse for Mr.!"
"Hahaha, my old man has no money or power, you don't mind suffering."
"Idle clouds and wild cranes, hidden in the mountains, how can these common things be compared?"
The tip of Dai Shengyan's raised beard trembled invisibly, and said, "I am ashamed and ashamed. I have abandoned the world, but I am known to the world. It is not a recluse. Looking at the little apprentice sitting beside him, he cleared his throat and said, "Jing Lan, today I don't teach scriptures for my teacher, just talk about Taoism."
Xie Jinglan said solemnly, "Sir, please speak."
"Dare to ask what are the words of a saint?"
This question made Xie Jinglan stumped.
This question is simply too big. The words of the sage, the four books and the five classics, how many words do they add up? Do you want him to recite it all over again
Xie Jinglan thought for a while, then tentatively said, "Human relations are normal?"
"Oh? Why isn't the slurred language of villagers and villagers not holy words? If you are hungry, you need to eat, and when you are cold, you need to put on clothes. Isn't it a matter of human ethics?"
Xie Jinglan said: "Everyone knows these truths, but the sage cannot speak."
"Everyone will say that there are no saints' words in the world." Dai Shengyan said pleasantly, "However, saints can do what others can't do, can tolerate what people can't tolerate, and can tolerate what people can't tolerate, Jinglan."
Dai Shengyan said something meaningful, and his drooping eyes stared at him, this thoughtful little apprentice, for a moment. Xie Jinglan lowered his eyes and looked at the complicated lines on the edge of the table.
"I took you away for the teacher. First, you can broaden your horizons and concentrate on reading. Second, when the time passes and you look back on the past, you will know that there is nothing you can't let go. If you are my age, you just want to take it to heart. That strength is gone. The sky is high and the clouds are wide, why should I confine myself in a square-inch house?"
But after all, he has not reached the age of Dai Shengyan.
Twelve-year-old is the most energetic time. Although he was calmer than ordinary people, he couldn't escape the cares in his heart. Wenliang, respectful and thrifty, it is the exquisite skin that he made with all his energy. The accumulated grievances, which cannot be expressed in words or expressed in appearance, are all piled up in the bottom of my heart, only to grow into a powerful demon one day.
He can indeed be a hero if he bears his temper for a while, but what if Xie Jinglan is willing to be this narrow-minded villain
"Mr. treats Jinglan very well. Jinglan is not willing to lie to Mr. Xie." Xie Jinglan lowered his eyes and said, "Jinglan is narrow-minded, and he will pay for it. If you don't like Jinglan like this, don't take it with you."
Dai Shengyan shook his head helplessly, and said, "You child, it's really difficult to handle. If you are like this, the old man will really have to take you. Without my old man to come down to you, the three words 'Xie Jinglan' will probably enter the 'Nen Chen Lu'. ". "
"Mr. worry too much, Jinglan won't do anything that will harm the country and the people." Xie Jinglan laughed and bowed, "However, since Mr. is willing to take it in, then Mr. Lao will bother."
Xie Jinglan brought the news back to Qiuwuyuan, and everyone was happy. Xia Houlin stood leaning against the door with his chest in his arms, also smiling slightly, with a shredded light in his eyes. When Xie Jinglan saw him, the joy in his heart suddenly faded. He suddenly remembered that Xia Houlin could not leave with him, and Xia Houlin wanted to stay in Jinling to wait for his mother.
In other words, the day Dai Shengyan set off was the time when the two of them parted.
"Master, you have to study hard, don't forget me when you become a high official in the future, I will rely on you when I am young!" Xia Houlin said with a smile.
Xie Jinglan responded in a low voice and asked, "After you go back to the mountain, do you still have a chance to go down the mountain?"
Xiahou scratched his head and said, "If I inherit my mother's mantle, I will definitely go down the mountain."
"If you don't do this business, you can't go down the mountain?"
Xiahou was silent for a while, and then said, "Yes, to be a farmer in the mountains, to stay in the mountains for a lifetime, planting rice and flowers."
In order to protect the mountain temple, Garan does not allow anyone other than the assassin to enter or leave the mountain. The people who entered the mountain by mistake have never been out alive. Others thought it was because the mountain was so big that they lost their way in the mountain and were eaten by wolves, tigers and leopards. No one knew that the most ferocious jackal in this mountain was the Garan Assassin. Correspondingly, people in the mountain temple cannot leave the mountain unless they become assassins. The descendants of the assassins will either become new assassins or prisoners in the mountains.
Xia Houlin was about to make a choice. In the past, he had always had a firm belief in becoming an assassin for freedom. But now, he suddenly understands that murder is not as easy as he imagined. He remembered the slowly cooling corpse of the housekeeper, and the fear of being caught on the shoulders by hook claws on the big locust tree, as if being strangled by the king of hell. Assassin walks with death, and he is not strong enough to fear life and death.
"Where is the mountain, wait for me, I'll save you." Xie Jinglan said.
Xia Houlin shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "I can't tell."
Xie Jinglan said: "It doesn't matter, I will find out."
"I should inherit my mother's mantle," Xia Houlin blinked at Xie Jinglan and said, "If you really have the ability to challenge us, I will play with you. At that time, I hope Lord Xie will reward you with a bowl. I don’t have any ink in Xia Houlin’s stomach, but fortunately, my martial arts are barely passable, so I’ll be a minister for you and take care of your home.”
"Okay. I'll give you two taels of silver every month, covering your food, drink, and housing, but not your daughter-in-law."
"Hahaha, interesting enough."
The two teenagers looked at each other and smiled, each other's eyes full of sparkles.
The lanterns were hung up outside, Xie Jinglan and Xia Houlin came out of the study, Xia Houlin went to the kitchen to serve meals, Xie Jinglan lifted the curtain and turned into the main room. Aunt Lan had already prepared the meal and greeted Xie Jinglan to sit down.
Xie Jinglan looked around and saw that everyone was there, but Lianxiang was missing, so she asked, "Where is Lianxiang?"
Aunt Lan said, "I don't know. I'll be out of sight in the afternoon. I guess I'm looking for a girl from another courtyard to play. I'll be back in a while."
Xie Jinglan nodded, not paying attention.
Xia Houlin squatted at the bottom of the corridor and finished cooking, put the tableware and chopsticks back into the kitchen, just lifted the curtain, and collided with Lianxiang.
"Xiahou Lin, you don't have eyes?" Lian Xiang rubbed her head and said angrily.
"Is your head made of iron? It hurts so much." Xia Houli curled his lips, looked up at the purse in her hand, and asked, "Hey, isn't this my purse for tickle flowers? Why are you here? Okay you, steal my stuff!"
"Bah, whoever stole you, it's just your broken purse, I don't care!" Lian Xiang rolled her eyes and threw the purse on Xia Houlin.
Xia Houlin was inexplicable. He opened his purse and saw that the tickle flowers in it were gone.
Itchy flowers are picked by him in the house on weekdays. The flowers are very good-looking, the body is pink, and the tips of the flowers are a little purple, but you can't touch them casually. sharp. Xia Houlin has a hobby of collecting strange things, and itchy flowers are one of his collections.
Lian Xiang took his tickle flower, and must have gone to make fun of people. Xia Houlin decided to check his bedding carefully. The two of them were born to be at odds with each other. Maybe this little hoof just wanted to make fun of him.
Dai Shengyan approached Xie Bingfeng to discuss Xie Jinglan's departure with him, and as expected, Xie Bingfeng wished that Xie Jinglan stayed far away, so it was best not to come back. This matter was settled like this, Dai Shengyan told Xie Jinglan that when the weather was warm, they would set off, and the next stop would be Shuobei.
In addition to listening to school every morning, Xie Jinglan stayed in the library. Xia Houlin went to accompany Xie Jinglan after washing his clothes as usual, and brought him tea and water. After what happened last time, and Xie Jinglan was about to leave, Xia Houlin stopped running around and followed Xie Jinglan obediently, not going anywhere.
This day, while boredly clutching the flowers in the flowerbed, Aunt Lan stumbled into the library and shouted, "It's not good! It's not good!"
"What's the matter!" Xia Houlin asked while supporting Aunt Lan. Xie Jinglan also came over.
"Lotus fragrance... Lotus fragrance..."
"What happened to Lianxiang?" Xie Jinglan asked.
"Lianxiang... The eldest lady said that Lianxiang poisoned her and wanted to... beat her to death. Young master, go to the main courtyard, Lianxiang has already been dragged over!"
Xia Houlin and Xie Jinglan looked at each other, and hurried to the main courtyard, only to ask the people in the main courtyard to slow down.
The road suddenly became very long, the Xie Mansion was surprisingly large, and the corridors were twisting and twisting, as if to prevent them from getting to the main courtyard quickly. .
The setting sun hung brightly in the sky, the sky seemed to have been burned by fire, a shocking red, and occasionally birds flew towards the clouds, as if they were plunged into the boundless karmic fire.
The two ran to the doorway of the main courtyard, panting, and the two servants walked out of the threshold carrying a face-covered corpse.
When turning the corner, the corpse's hand leaked out from under the sheet. It was a well-maintained hand. Xia Houlin collapsed when he saw the hand, tears welling up in his eyes, and rushed to grab the hand.
Lianxiang always treasures her hands. She doesn't do laundry or dishes, she only does some needlework. She said that her hands were meant to help Xie Jinglan weave patterns, and they couldn't be wasted. She rubs her hands with balm every morning and trims her nails every few days. In this way, the baby's hand is now full of sawdust between her fingers, which was pinched out on the wooden bench when she was beaten.
Xia Houlin remembered her squeamishness and arrogance, and also remembered that day when she secretly came to the woodshed to bring him steamed buns and water. Qiao Shengsheng's smiling face is still vivid in his eyes, and people are already cold in the blink of an eye.
Several servants rushed up, grabbed Xiahou Lin, and pressed him to the ground. Xia Houlin struggled hard and watched Lian Xiang being carried away.
Xiao shi stood on the steps with a face towel and looked at Xie Jinglan and Xia Houlin indifferently. The face towel was a translucent gauze, and she could faintly see a few red dots on her face.
"This girl poisoned me, and I'll let Steward Liu take the punishment. Xie Jinglan, how are you doing?" Mrs. Xiao looked at Xie Jinglan across the doorway.
Butler Liu? Where did Steward Liu come from? Wasn't he raped and killed by Brother Qiu long ago? Xia Houlin turned his head suspiciously, and saw the man in the yard who should have died long ago, with a familiar smile on his face - that smile belonged to Qiuye.
A chill filled his chest, and frosty hairs appeared on Xia Houlin's back.
The place where the Garan Assassin travels must be filled with blood. He remembered the transaction between Qiuye and Dongchang Fanzi that day. Qiuye pretended to be the housekeeper Liu to kill Xie Bingfeng
"How dare I do it? I just came to see the old servant for a ride. Madam doesn't even give me this face?" Xie Jinglan pushed the servant away and pulled Xia Houlin up.
"Who knows if this girl poisoned you or not!"
"Oh, what about what I ordered? Does Madam want to kill me?" Xie Jinglan said coldly.
"you!"
Xie Jinglan turned her head and said to Xia Houlin, "You go back to accompany your aunt first, and I'll send Lianxiang."
There was deep sadness in the eyes of the two of them. Xia Houlin held Xie Jinglan's wrist and said, "Young master."
Xie Jinglan shook his head and whispered, "I'm fine."
Xia Houlin nodded and glanced at Qiuye. Qiuye gave Xiao Shi a bow and followed him from a distance.
When Xia Houlin walked to the garden, Qiu Ye chased after him.
"Brother Qiu, how do you dress up as..."
Qiuye put his index finger against Xiahou Lin's mouth and said, "Shh, don't ask anything."
Xia Houlin turned his head and left, but Qiuye pulled him helplessly and said, "That girl isn't dead."
Xiahou Rong paused and said, "What did you say?"
Qiuye blinked and said, "I know she is your little playmate, so I gave her a sigh of relief, but I just don't know if my legs and feet can be neat."
Xia Houlin was so moved that he said, "Brother Qiu, thank you!"
"Xiao Lin, do you still want to be an assassin now?" Qiuye touched the top of Xia Houlin's head and asked.
"I… "
"Actually, there's nothing wrong with the mountain, it's just a little smaller, but this world might not be a huge prison."
"Brother Qiu, why don't you all want me to be an assassin? Uncle Duan is like this, and so are you. Am I really inappropriate?"
"I have to ask yourself if it's appropriate, how do I know?" Qiuye smiled, he pushed Xia Houlin, and said, "Okay, go back and pack your luggage, your uncle is here to pick you up."
Xiahou was stunned: "What? So fast!"