The summer is scorching, hot and dry.
Together with Ma Zhong and his wife, Chen Guhong walked along the stream to the western hills. At the foot of the mountain, cross the wooden bridge to the north, and then go up the mountain from the mountain road.
The mountain road was narrow and steep, so Ma Zhong took out the hatchet behind his back and opened the way ahead. Ma Zhong's wife followed behind, while Chen Guhong walked last.
"Young Master Chen, be careful where you step." Ma Zhong's daughter-in-law turned her head and said to Chen Guhong very caringly.
"Okay." Chen Guhong nodded. In fact, he is strong and strong, and it is easy to walk in the forefront and climb mountains. But in the face of Ma Zhong, it's better to keep a low profile.
Walking along the mountain path, the group arrived at a place full of bayberry trees soon after. At this moment, the tree is full of red bayberry, which is immature but also spectacular.
And under the bayberry tree, there are all weeds.
After arriving here, Ma Zhong picked up the hoe and bent over to weed the grass. Ma Zhong's wife smiled at Chen Guhong: "I have ten bayberry trees in my house. I'm afraid my husband's purpose is to ask the young master to help weed. But you can do whatever you want, don't have to work too hard." Saying that, Ma Zhong's wife also started weeding.
"I went to his house for three days to live and eat for free, and now I'm here to weed. Weird people are weird people." Chen Guhong looked around, breathed out in his heart, chose a bayberry tree, and weeded under the tree.
The hoe swung and fell, and grass clippings and soil flew up every time.
Chen Guhong is strong and strong, and he is also very skilled in carrying a hoe. He moves nimbly and weeds quickly, even faster than Ma Zhong. Ma Zhong's daughter-in-law was surprised for a while, and even Ma Zhong's dead face had some subtle changes.
Seeing this, Chen Guhong felt a little happy.
"You are a dead face, calling me to go up the mountain to weed weeds, which confuses me. But no matter what the purpose is, I, Chen Guhong, am not really weak."
Thinking about it, Chen Guhong's movements became more agile. Before noon, the weeds under the ten-bead bayberry tree had been cleared away. Chen Guhong's victory was more than half.
"Thanks to Mr. Chen, I was able to go back to eat at noon." Ma Zhong's wife looked at the sky and said with a smile.
"You're welcome." Chen Guhong smiled.
Immediately, the three of them cleaned up together, how to go up the mountain and how to go down the mountain. After lunch, Chen Guhong followed Ma Zhong's wife to the field to weed the vegetable field.
This time Ma Nong and Ma Geng's two little brothers also followed.
The two little brothers were holding bamboo baskets, their little faces were flushed, and they were very excited. When he came to the field, Manong pulled Chen Guhong by the sleeve and begged, "Uncle, uncle, help us catch the snails together."
"The snail is delicious." Ma Geng couldn't help but nodded.
At the moment, Ma Zhong and his wife are busy in the vegetable field. Chen Guhong looked at it, didn't ask any questions, and casually smiled at Ma Nong: "Okay."
"Giggle."
The little brother burst into laughter, and went with Chen Guhong to catch snails in the nearby rice field.
There are big and small snails, Chen Guhong and his little brother only pick the average sized ones. The big ones are unpalatable with too many seeds, and the small ones are not easy to eat. The medium size is just right.
There were plenty of snails in the field, and soon the three of them caught enough snails for two plates.
"There are snails to eat at noon." The little brother smiled happily and clapped his hands.
Chen Guhong looked at the little brother's innocent smile, and then looked at the snails in the bamboo basket, he was also in a surprisingly happy mood, and said with a smile: "It's a good appetizer."
Soon after, the two little brothers left together first. Looking at the back of the little brother leaving, Chen Guhong returned to the vegetable field and helped Ma Zhong and his wife continue to do farm work.
There is work in hand, and the time is fast. Soon the sun was setting and it was almost evening. Ma Zhong and his wife picked up the hoe, greeted Chen Guhong, and went back home.
In the evening, there were two tables, Ma Zhong's wife, Mrs. Ma, and the little brother. Ma Zhong, Lao Ma, and Chen Guhong sat at the table. The three of them had a large plate of fried snails on the table, plus some appetizers.
A jar of rice wine.
Yellow rice wine with snails, so refreshing!
Another three days passed, and during these three days, Chen Guhong was extremely fulfilled, wandering in clouds and wild cranes, and working in the fields. The feeling of being away from the hustle and bustle and enjoying oneself became more and more intense.
So much so that he almost forgot about the county test, but he had his own pursuits and grudges. Almost forgotten, but still can not forget.
The first three days and the last three days add up to six days. And the county examination was getting closer, and Chen Guhong became a little anxious.
Fortunately, on this day, the situation has changed again.
On this day, Ma Zhong and his wife did not go to work in the field, so Ma Zhong sat under the tree with his back against the pine tree, reading a book. This is the first time for Chen Guhong to watch Ma Zhong read, and it is very novel.
Ma Zhong raised his head and glanced at Chen Guhong, his dead face was still dead. He asked, "How are you these days?"
"Enriched." Chen Guhong replied honestly, and sat down next to Ma Zhong.
"Not only is it fulfilling, it's also fun, it's also long-lived, and it's also practical." Ma Zhong said, the face of the dead man showed a little joy and satisfaction.
Chen Guhong looked at Ma Zhong's expression, and then thought of Ma Zhong's life, he felt a sense of sympathy and recognition in his heart, and was even more stunned.
At this time, Ma Zhong put down the scroll and said: "There are many conspiracies and tricks in the world. Fame and fortune are good, but they are even worse. Today I will plot against you, and tomorrow I will plot against you. Friends and friends will turn against each other tomorrow, enemies today, and allies tomorrow." .Everyone wears a mask. The senior officials in the temple look like smart people, but they are actually absurd and have a short lifespan.”
"So when I study, I think I'm a rich man, but I got the honor of being a scholar and exempted my family from corvée. What do you think?"
Ma Zhong asked.
"The joy of idle clouds and wild cranes is hard for ordinary people to know." Chen Guhong replied. At this moment, Chen Guhong knew that Ma Zhong was a hermit among scholars.
Talented, but happy to be at ease.
Who is smarter and who is more cunning compared with the smart people in the temple is mysterious.
As Tang Bohu said in the song of Peach Blossom Temple, "He has to drive and I have to be free."
Ma Zhong raised his mouth slightly, as if he was smiling. Then he raised his head and asked Chen Guhong: "I see a lot of people, and I know you are leisurely when I see you. These days let you be leisurely enough, and you can also taste the taste of a farmer. Do you still want to seek that kind of fame now?" ?”
"I have something to ask, and it's hard to settle down." Chen Guhong also said seriously.
"What do you want?" Ma Zhong asked.
"Immortal!" Chen Guhong said.
"Immortal?" Ma Zhong laughed, feeling absurd. Said: "Whether there are immortals in this world is still unknown. What you want is too ethereal."
"I know there is." Chen Guhong said.
"Really?" Ma Zhong said in surprise, not thinking that Chen Guhong was a liar.
"Really." Chen Guhong nodded.
"Okay." Ma Zhong shook his head, got up and patted his buttocks, and said, "Then I will write you a guarantee document."
"Wait a moment." Chen Guhong stopped Ma Zhong.
"What's wrong?" Ma Zhong asked back.
"Brother Ma, do you know the grievances between me and Wu Xiude?" Chen Guhong asked.
Ma Zhong laughed and said: "I am also a scholar, what can Wu Jianai do to me? Besides, I am a villager in the mountains and fields. I have no desires and desires. If I have no desires, I will be strong. If he has a sharp blade, how can he destroy me?"
"Instead, I want to laugh at him, and those scholars who didn't protect you, and scholars who didn't get along with you. They read Yan Zi's way of benevolence, forgiveness and etiquette, but they are just the stink of fame and fortune. Disdain them, Disdain it."
Ma Zhong laughed loudly, his dead face suddenly came alive.