Old Tao waited for Tao Mo outside Gu's mansion, and when he arrived at the county government office, he handed over the carriage to his servants, and followed Tao Mo to the study.
"What is there to be happy about, young master?"
"Gu She said that he would be my master and teach me how to play the piano, and he also said that there is no need to be a disciple, just being a teacher and a friend."
Lao Tao asked: "What did Gu She say?"
Tao Mo told everything about Gu's residence from beginning to end.
Old Tao nodded and said: "Young master, you are really recruiting villains and nobles. Do you know that in Yang's mansion today, you didn't touch the sink?"
Tao Mo shook his head: "Impossible, the sink almost fell down, thanks to Gu She—"
Old Tao interrupted him: "The sink won't fall, it was Gu She who let you turn around, shake the sink, and then set it up again."
Tao Mo couldn't believe it: "Why would he do that?"
"Because you said, young master, that you can neither play nor drink."
Thinking back, Tao Mo was still a little puzzled: "Then—then the wine glass still stopped."
"The young master and Gu She talked about Gui Geng, and the young man next to him made a move."
Tao Mo suddenly realized: "No wonder Gu She said he is very idle! - Hey, I'm always the stupidest one."
"Master, don't underestimate yourself. The young master is just too simple-minded, so he doesn't understand these little tricks."
Tao Mo grabbed Lao Tao's arm: "Old Tao, you just said that Gu She is my nobleman"
Old Tao nodded and said: "Gu She is sitting with the young master today, it is precisely because he cut the young master's face in the Gu mansion last time, so Gu She wants to show his brothers that not only he and the young master have no quarrel, but also have a personal relationship. Alright, so that those lawyers from the Yang family don't bully the young master."
Tao Mo was very happy: "He is such an amazing person, how could he be willing to be my friend? Old Tao, you don't know, today I saw Gu She's painting in Gu's mansion... as good as him playing the piano! It's not like in the world. can have!"
Old Tao was also very happy, but he still tried his best to keep a straight face: "Although Gu She is kind to the young master, the young master should be careful not to get too close. I won't repeat the mistakes of Mr. Lianjian!"
"No, no, no." Tao Mo shook his head and waved his hands again, "Gu She and his junior sister should have a tacit relationship."
"Master, do you know that after you and Gu She left, the girl from the Yang family chased him out and was called back by Mr. Yichui in a sharp voice."
Tao Mo was shocked: "There is such a thing!"
Old Tao nodded: "Both father and daughter have extremely ugly faces. Young master, even if Gu She and the girl from the Yang family are firmly established, young master should be careful with Gu She. After all, the emperor of the dynasty had broken sleeves, which caused the trend of broken sleeves to prevail. If the two men get closer, it will inevitably cause rumors. The young master and Gu She still have to be cautious, Gu She is so good to the young master, if the rumor affects Gu She's marriage, the young master has failed Gu She."
Tao Mo nodded: "Old Tao, you are right, I wrote it down."
After Tao Mo returned to the bedroom, Hao Guozi came in: "Old Tao, if there are any gossip, it will not only be bad for Gu She, but also bad for the young master!"
"Of course."
"Then why didn't you remind the young master?"
"Do you think, with the young master's temper, would he mind what others say about him? But if he is not good for Gu She, the young master has a kind nature, and he will definitely think about Gu She."
Hao Guozi gave Lao Tao a thumbs up.
During the Spring Festival, the county government has basically nothing to do. Tao Mo asked the three servants to also rest, and sat around the stove with Lao Tao and Hao Guozi every day. Lao Tao and Hao Guozi cooked while cooking while Tao Mo read, practiced the piano or practiced calligraphy.
After more than ten days like this, it suddenly came to the Lantern Festival.
In the afternoon, Tao Mo was practicing calligraphy. Old Tao asked, "Master, this copybook seems to be different from the previous ones?"
Tao Mo replied, "It used to be Zhang Zishu, but now this is Yan Zhenqing."
Hao Guozi was puzzled: "Young Master has always liked Zhang Zishu before, and the money he bought for Zhang Zishu's calligraphy and painting seems to be clods of dirt. Why do you suddenly despise Zhang Zishu recently?"
Tao Mo said: "I have always thought that Zhang Zishu's writing is calm and unrestrained, so I want to learn it. Who knows that the last time I went to Gu's mansion, I saw that the writing style of Gu's couplets was similar to that of Zhang Zishu. It's more than one step better. I don't know who wrote it, it's really fascinating. After reading Gu Fu's handwriting, and then reading Zhang Zishu, it's unbearable. It's not as good as Yan Zhenqing. No one can beat it.”
Hao Guozi interjected: "Master, did you ever ask Gu She who wrote the couplets?"
Tao Mo shook his head and said, "No. I see that Gu She doesn't like to talk about it with others. I want to know how he plans to paint that painting, but he didn't tell me until I left."
Hao Guozi said to himself, "What a weird person."
Tao Mo said solemnly: "Anyway, I learn piano from him, and he is my teacher. Although he says he is both a teacher and a friend, etiquette is essential. What's more, it's always wrong to talk about people behind their backs."
Hao Guozi was not convinced: "I didn't say anything about him."
Tao Mo glanced at him, and he quickly shut up angrily.
But after a while, Hao Guozi interrupted: "Master, didn't Master Jin say that there will be dragon dances and lion dances at night, and you can also watch lanterns and guess lantern riddles. Let's go after dinner early!"
No matter how steady Tao Mo was, he still had a youthful heart, so he agreed, "Okay."
Danyang deserves to be a wealthy county. The lanterns and festoons are decorated at night during the Lantern Festival, which is reflected like daytime. All the stores have lantern riddles, and each lantern riddle has a lottery. If you guess correctly, you can win the lottery. Tao Mo and Hao Guozi walked on the street and solved many lantern riddles, but Tao Mo didn't allow Hao Guozi to redeem the lottery, saying that everyone would have fun. Hao Guozi pursed her mouth in grievance, feeling that it was boring to come out with his young master.
Tao Mo saw that Hao Guozi was really wronged, so he agreed to let him exchange two, but when he turned around, Tao Mo himself saw a sachet—a white deer with a snow-white body, and the black eyes seemed to be still wet.
Hao Guozi said, "Master, this deer has eyes like yours."
A man appeared from behind the lantern: "My lord, this sachet is not for sale, and if you guess this lantern riddle, I will give it to you for free."
Tao Mo and Hao Guozi looked up and said, "Is there any meaning in the mountain scenery—the words used by Da Yilang".
Tao Mo thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. Looking at the store again, it says "Feng's Butcher Shop" in four big characters.
Hao Guozi snapped and said, "Your good butcher's shop, it's a doctor's word to make a lantern riddle, so strange!"
Shopkeeper Feng said with a smile, "We are rough people and can't read a few words. This lantern riddle was made by my nephew Li Yuan."
Tao Mo muttered, "Li Yuan?"
Shopkeeper Feng asked: "Looking at this young man's face, it's not long since he came to Danyang, right? There are not many people in Danyang that I don't know, and there are not many who don't know my nephew."
Tao Mo nodded: "Indeed, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month came, less than a month. Is your nephew Li Yuan a doctor?"
Shopkeeper Feng was quite proud of talking about his nephew: "Of course. My nephew can be said to be the best doctor in Danyang. Some people say that Kuang Zhengyi is a miracle doctor, but in fact he was an imperial doctor. When Kuang Zhengyi was under his master's school, he Master is an imperial physician, when his master resigned and returned to his hometown, he was asked to take over. If my nephew had already worshiped as a teacher at that time, how could it be his turn to correct him!"
Tao Moqi asked, "Your nephew Li Yuan and Miracle Doctor Kuang are brothers?"
Shopkeeper Feng was not happy: "What kind of genius doctor Kuang? My nephew Li Yuan is the genius doctor. He served the old genius doctor until his death, and got the true biography!"
Hao Guozi took a step forward: "Be respectful! This is Mr. Tao, the current county magistrate!"
Tao Mo hastily stopped him, and apologized to the shopkeeper: "The servant is rude, please don't mind, uncle."
Shopkeeper Feng stood up all of a sudden, contrary to the publicity just now, his face was pale and uncertain. A middle-aged woman ran out and said with a smile: "The head of the house is a rough man, please don't take offense. This sachet will be given to you." She said and stepped on Shopkeeper Feng.
Shopkeeper Feng immediately reacted: "Yes, yes! The adults will take it. The younger ones will get another prize."
Tao Mo waved his hand straight: "No! I'll wait here to see who can guess this lantern riddle, and then just buy this sachet from him."
Shopkeeper Feng and Tao Mo argued for a long time, but in the end it was Tao Mo who showed his authority and let Shopkeeper Feng give up.
Hao Guozi said, "Master, let's watch the dragon and lion dance! Turn around and look at this sachet."
Tao Mo shook his head: "I will wait here for the person who can guess this lantern riddle."
"What if no one can guess?"
"No." The shopkeeper said, "All the lantern riddles that cannot be guessed will be sent to the Temple of the City God, and those talented young masters will guess. No matter how difficult the lantern riddles are, they will be solved in the end."
Tao Mo's heart moved: "Isn't the Town God's Temple just a place where sages gather?"
"Master, why don't you watch the dragon and lion dance?"
Tao Mo and Hao Guozi looked back: "Old Tao, why are you here?"
Hao Guozi also said, "Didn't you say you won't come?"
Old Tao said angrily, "How long has it been? I can't wait for you and the young master to go back, so I can't rest assured, so I went to the street to look for it. I went to the dragon and lion dance first, but I didn't find you, so I searched for you from street to street. , so I found it."
Tao Mo pointed at the lantern: "Guess this lantern riddle."
Lao Tao looked at it for a long time, then shook his head.
When the crowds on the street became less and less, shopkeeper Feng brought Tao Mo and his party to the Town God's Temple with a lantern and a sachet.
There were so many people in Chenghuang Temple, Tao Mo saw Mr. Yichui and Lin Zhengyong's disciples were there. When Mr. Yichui's disciples saw Tao Mo, they all greeted Tao Mo kindly, but Lin Zhengyong's disciples all remembered the time they poured wine into Tao Mo, and invariably moved away from Tao Mo.
Each family took out their own lanterns, and the talented scholars showed their skills and guessed one after another, but they all kept their own identities, and no one won the lottery. Tao Mo was concerned about the white deer sachet. Seeing the time passing by and the lanterns being extinguished one by one, but no one could guess the riddle of shopkeeper Feng, he couldn't help feeling anxious.
The ones with the most lanterns left are Kuang's Medical Center and Li's Medical Center. I don't know how many lanterns his family has lit and how many riddles they have produced. Each of the guys has several in their hands. The answers to the riddles are all medicine names or doctor's terms, and ordinary people who don't know medicine can't guess it.
A handsome man in his thirties came out more and more: "Let me guess the lantern riddles at the Li Family Medical Center."
A young man in his twenties from the Li Family Medical Center scribbled and cupped his hands: "Brother Kuang please."
Tao Mo thought: "This young man is probably Li Yuan?"
Doctor Kuang said: "Thousand-year-old fox fur—name a medicine. But tangerine peel?"
The youth suspected of being Li Yuan said, "Not bad."
Doctor Kuang read again: "Black balls—name the name of a medicine. But black medicine?"
The young man confirmed again.
The young man's lantern riddles were all given the name of a medicine, and Miracle Doctor Kuang was also a doctor, so of course he guessed quickly, and after guessing one by one, the young man's face gradually turned pale. Tao Mo was looking forward to it, thinking that he would be able to guess the lantern riddles of shopkeeper Feng.
"Mossy on the stone?" Miracle Doctor Kuang pondered, "Dendrobium?"
The young man shook his head.
"Condensation stone?"
The young man shook his head again.
This time it was Miracle Doctor Kuang's turn to turn pale, he turned his head and looked into the crowd, a man with a short beard who was about his age also shook his head.
A disciple under Yichuimen looked at Tao Mo and the short-bearded man, and whispered, "That's Kuang Langzhong's best friend Zhao Rui."
Tao Mo looked back at the disciple, and nodded gratefully.
Dr. Kuang simply waved his hand: "Please also ask Brother Li to guess brother Zhuo's lantern riddle."
The young man Li Yuan took a step forward and looked up the lantern: "I opened the letter without a single word—but Baizhi?"
Doctor Kuang nodded.
"Everyone dies and I live—but live alone?"
Doctor Kuang said insincerely: "Young brother is smart."
Li Yuan frowned and said, "How can such an unlucky riddle come up during the New Year's Eve?"
Doctor Kuang said impatiently: "Your brother, do you find it difficult?"
Li Yuan stared at him, while Tao Mo shivered for no reason.
After Li Yuan guessed one by one, Miracle Doctor Kuang and Zhao Rui looked both ugly.
But Li Yuan also got stuck at the last lantern: "A meritocracy—human dragon?"
Doctor Kuang said with a smile: "It turns out that junior brother is nothing more than that."
Li Yuan bit his lip and thought for a while, then said, "Ginseng?"
Doctor Kuang shook his head leisurely.
Li Yuan pointed to shopkeeper Feng's lantern: "Uncle She's lantern riddle was also created by my humble brother, and no one has guessed it yet. Senior brother is smart, so he will definitely be able to guess the answer."
Shopkeeper Feng hurriedly handed over the lantern, and Tao Mo also took a step forward.
Doctor Kuang glanced reluctantly, and shook his head for a while: "Junior Brother, the answer to this mystery is probably far-fetched, right? Why don't you say it out, and let everyone comment on whether it is unreasonable or not?"
Li Yuandao: "If no one guesses it in the end, my humble brother will announce the answer."
Dr. Kuang flicked his sleeves and stepped back to stand with Zhao Rui.
With a light cough, someone spoke slowly: "For the lantern riddles of Kuang Langzhong and Li Langzhong, please forgive me for not being able to guess because I don't know medicine. But I can still guess one or two other lantern riddles."
Tao Mo looked, it was Lu Zhenxue who invited him to admire the plum blossoms. When he saw Lu Zhenxue for the first time, he felt that he was personable and eloquent, and he had a good impression of him. Who knows that Lu Zhenxue was restless and kind, and got him drunk with the intention of embarrassing him. If it wasn't for Gu She, he would have caused a lot of trouble! Seeing that Lu Zhenxue is going to guess riddles now, I can't help but hope that he can't guess any of them, especially if he doesn't guess "whether the mountain is there or not", otherwise he won't want to ask Lu Zhenxue for a sachet.
Lu Zhen still had the same demeanor, standing in the middle of the field talking eloquently, and extinguished many lanterns at once. When Lu Zhenxue clasped his fists and said to show his ugliness, there were only eight lanterns left on the field, and "whether there is a mountain" was among them.
There was silence. Tao Mo looked at the faces of all the talents, and saw that everyone's eyes were dodging, and he couldn't help being disappointed.
Suddenly someone said: "Young Master Gu is here!"
"Oh! Mr. Gu is finally here!"
"There is no riddle that Mr. Gu can't guess!"
For a while, everyone was buzzing, and they all looked towards the temple gate.
Tao Mo also looked up, and it really was Gu She. He looked at his steps calmly, but he walked very fast, as if the hem of his clothes was blown by the wind. Wherever he went, everyone retreated by themselves to make way for a passage.
Tao Mo has seen people who walk fast, but any fast walk has nothing to do with calmness; But Gu She has this kind of ability, he moves quickly, but gives people a feeling of chic and calm.