Hezhou is located in the northwest of Chang'an. The terrain is undulating and rugged, with sparse forests and brown and yellow land. Being accustomed to the climate of the south, the wind here feels hot and uncomfortable on the face.
Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, there have been counties and prefectures here. Whenever a war breaks out, this place has been a battleground for military strategists. It is known as the important town of Hehuang and is the only way to connect to the Western Regions. Along the way, Lu Liangsheng also saw the tea-horse trade, and merchants from the Western Regions and the Central Plains gathered here.
However, this trip was not for traveling, so he would not go into Heyuan County, the seat of Hezhou. Instead, he would bypass this city where Han and Hu people lived together, and ask people about Liangjie Mountain along the way.
After walking for a while, they gradually got away from the merchants and travelers on the road. Lu Liangsheng looked back at the bookshelf. The Toad Taoist had set up a hammock and was lying on it, fanning himself with a leaf. The hot wind blew towards him. He tilted his head, opened his mouth, and rolled up his long tongue. There was a small bowl of iced cherry cheese next to him. He crossed his legs and hummed a little tune comfortably.
At the side, Zhu Ganglie, who was following, was sweating profusely. He had finished his portion of iced dessert when he crossed Heyuan County. His saliva was slurping as he looked at the red rooster bowl next to Toad Taoist.
The Toad Taoist yawned, felt the pig demon's gaze, and lazily covered the rim of the bowl with the leaf in his hand to prevent the other party from seeing it.
"I asked you to steal my food last time, but I didn't even let you watch it, humph."
In front, Lu Liangsheng was too lazy to pay attention to the fight between his master and the pig demon. He lowered his eyes to look at the map paper in his hand. This was bought from a merchant who was going to Chang'an when he came to Hezhou. Following the current road, he should pass a place called Jishi Town.
"The divine monkey that the old mother of Mount Li mentioned is in Liangjie Mountain in the Jishi Mountain Range. Well, this township market should not be too far away, so we can go over and ask."
It took about an incense stick of time to follow the official road under my feet, and then I turned around the foot of the mountain in front. A small river flowed around the town in the distance and went between the mountains on both sides to the east.
'This is Jishi Town.'
Lu Liangsheng came down the mountain path, leading the old donkey and Zhu Ganglie who had transformed into a human form into the town. Dust and flies were buzzing on the dry long street.
The people in the northwest are tough and many of them have weapons hanging around their waists. A man with a hunting knife sits on the street gnawing on a leg of lamb. When he sees a scholar in a scholar's robe leading an old donkey, he looks at him with vigilance or ferocity.
The long street was as bustling and noisy as in a big city.
Unlike the inns in the Central Plains, a waiter wearing a square white hat stood outside the restaurant, soliciting passers-by. When he saw Lu Liangsheng, who was dressed as a foreigner, he hurried to the stone steps under the eaves and shouted loudly.
"Dear guests from afar, come and try the delicacies of the Northwest, which are rarely seen in the Central Plains. Hand-pulled lamb, the best tender lamb, juicy when you bite it, and spicy stuffed skin and rice wine meat. If you don't like it, there are other options..."
The waiters' shouts and the clinking of pots and pans from the street vendors outside intertwined into a lively and noisy scene.
"Liangsheng, we have been walking for a long time and there is nothing but dry food on the road. Why don't we go in?"
In the bookshelf compartment, Toad Taoist was leaning against the crack of the door, looking at the restaurant on the street. He could not help swallowing his saliva as the strong smell of roasted mutton came out.
Gu~~
Over there, Zhu Ganglie's stomach also made a rumbling sound. Lu Liangsheng nodded and said, "Let's go to this place. Let's get some information while we're at it."
From the cloth shop on one side of the restaurant, two people came out chatting and laughing while holding cloth. When they saw the handsome scholar walking up the stone steps towards the restaurant, their expressions froze for a moment, and they suddenly stuffed the cloth in their arms to their companion and hurried to meet him.
"Sir! Mr. Lu! Is this really you?!"
Lu Liangsheng, who was talking to a waiter in the restaurant, heard someone calling him. He turned his head and saw a sturdy man in his twenties, wearing a green suit, who was clasping his hands towards him.
The man had a dark face and looked somewhat familiar, but Lu Liangsheng couldn't remember where he had seen him.
"Who are you?"
"It is Mr. Lu indeed."
After confirming that he had not recognized the wrong person, the man laughed excitedly, waved his arms and pointed to the south.
"... A few years ago, Mr. Lu smashed the throne room of the Chen Dynasty Emperor in a rage. At that time, I was ordered to capture... Mr. Lu, but he showed mercy and let us go."
Hearing what the man said, Lu Liangsheng immediately remembered the past. It was indeed true. He didn't expect to meet a fellow villager in the remote northwest.
"Haha, it's better to meet by chance than to see each other in person. I'm planning to have dinner here, why don't you come along?"
"No, no, sir, you have come from far away, how can I let you treat me?"
The man asked his companion who was carrying the cloth to go first, then he bowed and invited Lu Liangsheng back to the street and walked forward: "Sir, you came at the right time, and it's a good thing. There is a happy event at home, so you don't have to spend money."
Lu Liangsheng followed behind him, feeling happy about this chance encounter. When he heard about the happy event, he asked:
"I wonder what happy event is going on in your house?"
"Hey, my wife gave birth to a big fat boy for me. He just turned one month old today and I met you, sir."
The man seemed excited. Seeing that he was walking faster, he slowed down and followed beside him, leading the way while saying:
"Sir, you are a Taoist master. My son is just one month old and has not been given a name yet. I wonder if you can help him choose a name. In the future, he may become a successful person."
Lu Liangsheng would naturally not refuse a banquet for free. On the way back, he also got to know the dark-skinned man. His surname was Liu and his name was Gun. After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, he surrendered to the Sui Dynasty and was sent here to be stationed for two or three years.
"In fact, I am related to General Liu who is stationed in Hezhou. I have not been bullied here and my life is pretty good. Now I have settled down here completely."
Liu Gun smiled brightly, walked across a stone bridge, and pointed to the bustling village over there, "Mr. Lu, it's right in front."
The manor was full of guests. Lu Liangsheng handed the old donkey to the idler in the manor, put the master in his sleeve pocket, and went in with Zhu Ganglie. There was a lot of noise and from the accents, there were quite a few people from the Central Plains and the South. Most of these people brought their families and lived together to take care of each other during weddings and funerals.
"Mr. Lu, and this warrior, sit over here!"
Liu Gun had another table set up, put some chairs here and there, and asked his good friends to come over to join him, so as not to neglect the master.
The yard was not big, with more than ten tables full of people. When Lu Liangsheng came over, the food for the banquet was almost ready. Someone opened his voice and shouted, "Let's start the feast!"
The women from the soldiers' families who had been waiting on the side, with their sleeves rolled up, picked up plates and dishes and placed them on the table. Most of the food was specialties from the northwest, with huge chunks of mutton that were too big to fit in one bite and their mouths were full of oil.
The naked child, holding a lamb rib, climbed down from the table, and ran off with his friends to eat and play amid their parents' scolding and yelling.
Lu Liangsheng picked up a piece of lamb bone, tore off the meat on it, and quietly put it into his sleeve. It was rolled away in a moment. The Toad Taoist lay on his side comfortably, holding the strip of meat and chewing it slowly.
Zhu Ganglie liked this the most. He bypassed the pork in other plates, took a lamb leg, tore off a piece of meat and put it into his mouth, picked up the big bowl and shared it with a few soldiers, then raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, winning cheers from the people around him.
At this time, a voice near a table in the main hall shouted, "Hey, hey, the baby is out!"
Lu Liangsheng turned his head and saw Liu Gun holding a baby in his arms. He walked past the people around him and came towards them. He held up the child and bowed first.
"Sir, please give me your name."
The seven or eight tables further away then noticed that there was a new scholar here.
"When did this person come? He looks very unfamiliar." "He looks like a scholar. Liu Gun is so lucky. Now his child will have a good name."
"What do you mean, the name we came up with is not good?"
"Liu Tiedao, sounds good?"
"As a man, your name must be tough! Iron Knife, Iron Knife, you will be so impressive on the battlefield!"
"roll!"
…
Amid the noisy voices, Lu Liangsheng had promised before, so he naturally would not refuse. He opened a corner of the swaddling clothes and looked at the baby inside. The baby was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. His cheeks were chubby and pink, which was very cute. He stretched out his hand to tease the pink little nose, raised his face and asked:
"Is this your first child?"
"yes."
Lu Liangsheng pondered for a moment and asked someone to help get the bookshelf from behind his donkey. Soon, a man came back carrying the bookshelf.
"Sir, your bookshelf."
"Just let it go."
Lu Liangsheng took out a brush and ink, and while he was thinking carefully about the name, he was grinding the ink. For the first child, he should be named Bo... Well, there we go.
Immediately, he spread out a small piece of paper, touched the tip of the pen to the paper and slowly wrote "Liu", then turned it and moved it to the side. The tip of the pen moved and wrote the word "Bo". People who could read would shout out loud every time they saw a word written, so that people who didn't know it could also know it.
'The soldiers of this family, hearing the sound of gongs and drums, obeyed the orders without stopping...'
After the last word fell, the person who read it shouted: "Liu Bochin! From now on, this child will be called Liu Bochin—"