He didn't get close to the piece of jade, but Mrs. Zhao picked it up and forcibly shoved it into Jiang Heng's hand. When her fingers tightened, Jiang Heng's five fingers hurt.
"Take it." Mrs. Zhao said coldly to Jiang Heng, "Go."
With fear, Jiang Heng took a half step back and picked up the jade. This was the first and last time he heard comments about his father from his mother.
In Jiang Heng's memory, the concept of father is quite vague. He has been locked up in Jiang's house for a long time, and he does not communicate with the outside world. This makes him neither feel that it is strange that he does not have a father, nor does he need a father so urgently. .
Only vaguely in his heart, he regarded the character who only existed in the tablet as a mystery person in the wilderness.
Confucius, Meng and Mo all mentioned in their writings that "the father is the sky", but Jiang Heng couldn't understand that his sky was only caged outside the high wall of the Jiang's compound, and the blue curtain on that side was in harmony with Su. How much does it matter to the "father" you haven't met
"Come in, come in." Jiang Heng saw that Geng Shu was standing outside his bedroom.
"Just here, don't go in." Geng Shu replied.
"Come in." Jiang Heng insisted. It was raining lightly outside, and the spring night was a bit chilly. He pushed and pulled Geng Shu into the room, frying the medicine on the stove like a little adult, and adjusting it. The medicine paste was cool, and the light was turned on.
Under the light, after Geng Shu took a bath, he was no longer the savage, with bright eyes, fair skin, a high nose and deep eyes, a snow-white neck, and his collarbone exposed in his single clothes. The two eyebrows were thick black, like a powerful stroke made by an ink pen.
I hurriedly glanced at it before, but I didn't see it. Now under the lamp, Jiang Heng almost thought it was a different person, stared at him for a while, and then laughed.
Geng Shu's expression was full of confusion, his brows were slightly twisted, his lips were warm, the bridge of his nose was high, and his lip line was stubborn. He put on a attire that was too big for Jiang Heng, which just fit perfectly. The black robe embroidered with dark lines made his waist line straight, and the young man who was not very strong had a thin and well-proportioned chest and shoulders.
His fingers were fair and slender, and his nails were manicured. After removing the dirt, his hand was slightly larger than Jiang Heng's, and his wrist was also very strong. After washing his tangled and greasy hair, it finally loosened up, and Granny Wei cut him a lot shorter. , with short frizzy hair, simply tied behind the head,
Geng Shu's face was angular and bright, like a beautiful jade. Jiang Heng's family has never had a guest like him. He wants him to talk about the outside world, just like when he was taking a bath, how to be chased by wolves, how to climb through the dense forest with thorns, and how to find the bird's nest hidden in the forest. , crush the raw eggs and eat them raw.
But looking at Geng Shu's appearance, he didn't seem to want to speak, he just looked at this unfamiliar environment vigilantly.
"How old are you?" Jiang Heng asked.
"Ten." Geng Shu replied simply.
"You are two years older than me, and I am eight years old."
Jiang Heng climbed over the table, took the medicine plate, climbed back, mixed the medicine with a small wolf pen, and motioned Geng Shu to take off his shirt, Geng Shu took off the robe and bare his shoulders, Jiang Heng said: " This is the special medicine I made, and it will be fine in a few days after applying it."
"Is it useful?" Geng Shu turned his head to look at the medicine paste, and there was a look of distrust between his brows and eyes, obviously not believing that the wound medicine from the hands of an eight-year-old child would work.
"Of course!" Jiang Heng said. "Last year, a bird was bitten by a cat and fell into my yard. That's how I cured it, and it can fly after the cure."
Geng Shu just sat like this, letting Jiang Heng toss himself, Jiang Heng carefully gave him medicine and said, "On the leg."
Geng Shu spoke very little, no longer the rude and savage manner of taking a bath in the evening. After hearing Jiang Heng's instructions, he simply took off his trousers, sat naked again, and raised his legs to let Jiang Heng take medicine. For a long time, his eyes were always on Yu Jue, who was on the table and thrown aside by Jiang Heng.
"Is that what your mother gave you?" Jiang Heng asked.
Geng Shu didn't speak, Jiang Heng gave him the medicine, and was about to return the Yujue to him, but Geng Shu put on his lining, shook his shoulders nonchalantly, and put on the robe that was supposed to be Jiang Heng. , got up and left barefoot.
"I haven't finished speaking yet!" Jiang Heng said again.
Geng Shu turned his head under the porch, he was half a head taller than Jiang Heng, and looked at him a little coldly.
"How long will you stay at my house?" Jiang Heng asked.
There was a trace of confusion in Geng Shu's eyes, and at the end, he replied, "I don't know."
"Will you still be here when you wake up tomorrow?" Jiang Heng said with anticipation, he was too lonely, if possible, he just wanted to ask his mother not to drive Geng Shu away, but from his mother's point of view, As if impossible.
"Yeah." Geng Shu replied simply, but didn't want to continue the topic, his robe fluttered in the spring breeze and walked away quickly.
This night, Jiang Heng's quiet and silent world seemed to be pushed aside by this sudden intruder. The piece of jade that came here was left to his mother by his father.
So what is the relationship between his father and Geng Shu? Why is my mother so angry? Is it his messenger or his apprentice? At this time, Jiang Heng still didn't understand the concept of "illegitimate child" in the world - it was never mentioned in the books of sages, and there was no other person to instill in him.
Geng Shu brought a sword, a piece of silk and a piece of jade, and traveled thousands of miles to his house from Anyang. He will be staying here tonight, how long will his mother take him in? After leaving here, where will Geng Shu go? Will you come back to see him after you leave? Jiang Heng couldn't help but think of the eerie scene of his mother standing in front of the mirror. He couldn't tell what she wanted to do, but at that moment, he felt a force of fear that made him tremble, as if her hatred was about to hit his face. Come, and swallow him together.
Jiang Heng didn't sleep peacefully that night, until the next morning, the sound of chopping wood woke him up with a thud.
Granny Wei poured water in to let him wash up, but the sound of chopping wood still rang out, and Jiang Heng immediately realized that it was Geng Shu. When he was turning his head, Granny Wei braided a few strands of his hair behind his back and made him sit upright.
"Geng Shu hasn't left yet." Jiang Heng said, looking at himself in the mirror.
Granny Wei showed a faint smile on her wrinkled face. After tidying up Jiang Heng, he put on his clogs and walked quickly to the backyard where the service room was located. There was a simple bed in the firewood room. In the courtyard, Geng Shu was sweaty on his forehead. He only wore a single coat, with a robe tied around his waist. He held a hatchet and split the wood in half on the pile.
Jiang Heng asked, "Have you eaten breakfast? We are chopping firewood so early."
Geng Shu glanced sideways at Jiang Heng, wiped his sweat, and replied, "No."
Jiang Heng is young, but he still understands the truth. It is a pleasure to have friends from afar. The way of entertaining Geng Shu at home is too simple. He hurriedly said, "I'll do it." He was about to pick up the hatchet in Geng Shu's hand, but was dragged away by the back of the neck by Wei Wei, who came in a hurry.
Wei Wei's way of lifting the back of the neck is like catching a cat. From childhood to adulthood, Jiang Heng tried countless methods, but he couldn't escape Wei Wei's mention. Immediately, he was helpless and obediently obeyed.
"Morning, please." Jiang Heng behaved well, raised his hands and clasped them, knelt on the ground and bowed.
Mrs. Zhao returned to her usual appearance, as if nothing happened yesterday, with a little disgust and disdain in her voice as always: "Get up, it's too early."
Madam Wei came in with the food box, Jiang Heng sat under her mother's head, opened the food box, and asked about Geng Shu, but Mrs. Zhao preemptively said, "Have you finished reading "Wan Zhang"?"
"The second chapter." Jiang Heng replied.
"Or the second chapter?" Mrs. Zhao said coldly.
Jiang Heng didn't work hard yesterday, and his back was a little sore, and he probably had to take several canes, but fortunately Mrs. Zhao didn't say anything else, only said: "Read Wanzhang in three days, don't delay any longer."
"Yes." Jiang Heng bowed slightly, looked at his mother's face, and said, "Won't Geng Shu have dinner with us?"
Yawen Library
Mrs. Zhao said, "Ask him a question, and I'll give you a whip. Just ask, and keep it for now."
Jiang Heng had no choice but to ask. After breakfast, he wanted to look into the backyard, but Mrs. Zhao sternly said, "Where are you going?"
Jiang Heng had to go back to the study, spread out the bamboo slips, pricked up his ears, and listened to the movement from the backyard. After a while, the guard swept the front yard, emptied the flowerpots in the yard, and cleaned up a small space, and the backyard came to fetch water. With the sound of washing dishes and chopsticks, it was thought that Geng Shu had also had breakfast and was cleaning up by himself.
Taking advantage of this moment, Jiang Heng pushed open the back window of the study and looked out, but Geng Shu didn't know where he went. The sound of footsteps came. Jiang Heng could hear the footsteps of anyone in the family. It was Mrs. Zhao who came to take the exam. Jiang Heng hurriedly pretended to be studying seriously. Open a reed paper.
Geng Shu also came and stood still in the front yard. Mrs. Zhao held two wooden swords and threw them to Geng Shu, and said solemnly: "After practice, let me see how many unprofessional kung fu I have learned. "
Jiang Heng: "!!!"
Madam Wei set up a chair and a table, poured tea, and when the spring breeze blew up Mrs. Zhao's hair, she blew a few pear flowers into the study. Mrs. Zhao sat lazily on the chair and said coldly, "Jiang Heng, before the sun goes down today, if you can't memorize a sentence of Wan Zhang, I will whip him. Count it yourself, how many sentences are there in the whole book?"
Jiang Heng replied immediately: "I will read it! I will read it now!"
Mrs. Zhao was standing at the door of the study, facing the front yard. Geng Shu, with a hesitant look, tried to lift the wooden sword. However, the wooden sword was made of some unknown material. It was extremely heavy, and Geng Shu realized that it was very different from the weapons he used to use, but he still carried it stubbornly and laboriously.
"Drink!" Geng Shu slashed with his sword.
"Here!" Geng Shu turned around, his robes reverberated, he used all his strength, and the move was actually quite similar.
"You're singing," Mrs. Zhao mocked. "What are you shouting? Can you kill someone by shouting?"
Geng Shu frowned deeply, glanced at Mrs. Zhao, held his chest and abdomen in one breath, waved the wooden sword, turned to advance and retreated, and swept his legs again.
So lovely! Jiang Heng's attention was immediately attracted by Geng Shu's posture of practicing swords, he stared blankly, forgetting the homework in front of him.
"I remember all the whips," said Mrs. Zhao.
Jiang Heng immediately sat upright and read: "Wan Zhang asked, dare to ask about 'friends.'" Mencius said: 'Don't rely on elders, don't rely on nobles, don't rely on brothers but friends; friends are friends, friends with their virtues, There can be no coercion…”
In the sound of reading, Geng Shu's movements clearly stopped, and he met Mrs. Zhao's indifferent and contemptuous gaze, so Geng Shu swung his sword more vigorously.
"Damn swordsmanship." Mrs. Zhao's voice was very soft, but she sighed helplessly, but Geng Shu heard that voice.
Jiang Heng shook his head and recited the words on the bamboo slip. He lowered his head for a while, then raised his head for a while. When he finished reciting the four chapters of the ten thousand chapters, Geng Shu finished a set of sword poses, and Mrs. Zhao finally picked up the other wooden sword on Chen Yu's case. Go to the courtyard. Geng Shu immediately took two steps back and made a sword move. Mrs. Zhao didn't move, and she didn't even know when to go out with the sword in her hand. Jiang Heng saw a flower in front of him, and Geng Shu was tripped to the ground by his mother. , fell hard.
As soon as the chanting stopped, Mrs. Zhao looked into the study, and Jiang Heng hurriedly recited again: "...I dare not. The princes lost their country and then entrusted them to the princes.
Geng Shu got up, put on a stance to fight the beast, held the sword in both hands, stared at Mrs. Zhao, and walked around her slowly around half the yard, but Mrs. Zhao didn't bother to look at him. standing. Jiang Heng read: "Shi Yun' Zhou Dao is like the bottom, its straightness is like an arrow; what the king walks, the villain sees..." Geng Shu rushed up viciously, Jiang Heng's heart suddenly raised his throat, only to see his mother just He turned the wooden sword sideways and stabbed it out, hitting Geng Shu's left shoulder. Geng Shu lost his balance and fell to the ground again.
When Geng Shu got up again, Mrs. Zhao put the wooden sword on his wrist, lifted it up, and adjusted his posture with the sword in both hands. Geng Shu understood, stepped slightly apart, and just stood like that. Mrs. Zhao asked him to raise his sword, and said solemnly, "Look at the tip of the sword, when you stand at You, it will fall once and whip you." Then she turned and walked away.
"...A good person in the world, a good person in the world..." Jiang Heng muttered to himself, Geng Shu held a sword in both hands, took up the sword pose earnestly, and looked at the sword in his hand intently.
Fifteen hours passed, two quarters passed, Geng Shu's hands kept shaking, Jiang Heng had read "Wan Zhang" once and winked at Geng Shu, but Geng Shu just ignored him, the sword trembled more and more, until the end , finally couldn't hold it, and fell down.
At sunset, Mrs. Zhao came back again, with Granny Wei following behind, holding a whip.
"How many times did it fall?" said Mrs. Zhao.
"Seventeen." Geng Shu replied.
"Back," Mrs. Zhao picked up the whip and instructed her son, "start from scratch."
Jiang Heng stood under the porch. He had the ability to memorize any book after reading it once, but in order to avoid Geng Shu being beaten, he deliberately read it twice in the afternoon. error. After reciting it, Mrs. Zhao accidentally put the whip back and left. The seventeen lashes that Geng Shu should have received were not even a single lash.