From Hegu County to Fushui County in the south, official documents were usually delivered by yamen runners riding fast horses. Sometimes one person would go alone, and sometimes two people would ride two horses to escort relatively important official letters.
At this time, two government officials were walking along the official road towards Fushui County. The mountains on both sides of the road were slightly yellow. Farmers who were harvesting crops were bent over in the fields, occasionally straightening up to scold the children playing by the fields. In their eyes, they saw two government officials in service uniforms riding horses and galloping past.
Such scenes can often be seen. Most people don't care and just bend down to continue cutting the grain. In the distance, at the end of the road, a long roll of dust is flying towards them.
I couldn't help but take off my hat and look: "What is that?"
At this time, above the horses galloping on the official road, two yamen runners carrying official letters were cracking their whips.
"drive!"
"They said we could reach Fushui County in the afternoon, but at this rate, we'll probably arrive in the evening."
"Brother, we are lucky. These two horses are the fastest in the government office. Would you like to try using a donkey instead?"
Another laughed out loud: "You're right. If it were a country donkey, it would probably be dawn."
Tap tap tap…
Amid the laughter, there was suddenly the sound of footsteps coming from behind. The official who laughed subconsciously turned his head and glanced behind him.
A cloud of dust followed them closely.
"What the hell... Hey hey... It's catching up with us!!"
The two men tilted their heads almost at the same time. A bald old donkey spread its hooves and ran happily, puffing. It was at the same level as their eyes. Two bookshelves hanging on the donkey's back made a creaking sound.
The official standing by the field widened his eyes.
"You won't believe this, but a donkey overtook us..."
The other man suddenly stopped his horse, gasping with a pale face. In the blink of an eye, smoke and dust filled his vision. He coughed a few times and turned his head to look at his companion who had slowed down and stopped.
“… Look… I see, there are… two people on the donkey.”
Then, they both lowered their heads and subconsciously looked at the horses they were sitting on.
The smoke and dust gradually dissipated. When the two looked again, they could not see even a donkey hair on the road ahead. They went along the official road. Riding on the back of the galloping old donkey, Lu Liangsheng was in a good mood. The stretching Qixia Mountains and fields were all passing by behind them.
The Taoist sitting in the back covered his temples with his hands, and from time to time he took out a yellow talisman and stuck it on the donkey's butt with his other hand. He would then throw the one with exhausted magic power behind him and shout into the wind:
"Next time, let's use a different horse. Two grown men squeezing on top will be misunderstood!!"
Lu Liangsheng turned his head and laughed: "I forgot about it when I went out, but Lao Lu is not bad, he is sentimental!"
The Taoist didn't have much luggage, and Lu Liangsheng's clothes were all placed on the bookshelf. Toad Master didn't take up much space, so an old donkey was enough to accommodate them. In addition, with the ability to shrink the earth into an inch and the Taoist's magical power, the old donkey was not slow either, so there was naturally no need to spend money to buy another horse.
They moved forward at lightning speed, passed the mountain temple where they had rested, and went straight down the route to Fushui County. The journey that others would take one or two days was finished in almost half a day for the two of them.
When the outline of the city wall was seen from afar, the magic was withdrawn. The old donkey neighed and shook its mane, still moving its hooves vigorously, carrying the scholar and the Taoist priest, slowly approaching the city gate.
For a moment, it blinked its eyes, not quite understanding why it had slowed down.
The two men got off the old donkey, and Lu Liangsheng held the reins and walked with the Taoist priest through the familiar streets. It was time for the yamen to close, so they went directly to the courtyard where their mentor was.
Lu Liangsheng knocked on the door several times, but no one responded. Not long after, he learned from a neighbor passing by that Wang Shuhua had been transferred along with the county magistrate Min Changwen.
At first, I thought it was a joke, but when I went to the government office to inquire, I learned that Min Changwen was transferred back to the capital and reinstated, and his mentor Shu Hua Gong went with him as his aide.
Before leaving, he left a letter at the county government office, waiting for Lu Liangsheng to come back.
On the way out of the city, the scholar opened the letter, which showed vigorous and powerful handwriting.
“Dear Mr. Liang:
As your teacher, I wish Liangsheng success in the provincial examination. It's a pity that I can't congratulate you in person, so I'm leaving you a letter as a farewell. When you were taking the exam, the county magistrate had already received a transfer order from the capital. As your teacher, you have shared weal and woe with him for many years, and I don't want to see him return to the capital to face the storm alone.
Now that you have completed your studies, there is not much I can teach you. You have to decide how to go in the future. I believe that the provincial examination will not be difficult for you, so I have prepared a welcoming banquet in the capital to welcome you. It is so pleasant for teachers and students to have a small gathering."
My mentor...
Whether it is Master Toad or Wang Shuhua who teaches academics, they are both benefactors for Lu Liangsheng on two different paths.
"What did it say?" Seeing his melancholy expression, the Taoist couldn't help but stick his head out with some curiosity.
Then Lu Liangsheng put his hand on his face and pushed him away.
"My mentor and County Honorable Min Changwen went to the capital and invited me to join them."
"It seems like you have a lot to do. Then hurry back. I'm so hungry after running all the way."
As they talked, the two men and the donkey walked leisurely along the road to Lujia Village. The sky was setting in the west, and the dusk shone over the hills, illuminating the farmlands in the distance. At this time, there were still many farmers busy harvesting crops.
Someone saw the two people and the donkey walking on the roadside, rubbed his eyes, opened his voice, and shouted excitedly to the surroundings:
"Stop being busy, look, who's back?!"
The sound echoed in the fields. The busy villagers straightened up, dropped the straw and farm tools in their hands, and swarmed to the roadside.
"Liangsheng—"
"Liang Sheng is back!!"
“…Everyone come here.”
There would be a sea of people running onto the road, surrounding the scholar and excitedly asking him about how life was in the big city, whether he had been bullied, etc.
"It's not bad over there, there's a place to stay, don't worry, everyone, just get busy first, and when you're done, we can go back to the village and chat together."
It was impossible for Lu Liangsheng to respond to everyone one by one, so he clasped his hands and said something in unison. Some people also saw the Taoist priest, and those who knew him went over to pat him on the shoulder and greeted him warmly.
When they were almost at the entrance of the village, Lu Pan, Lu Qing and eight other people also ran out. The eight people were stronger than they were two months ago. With the improved food and the diligent practice of the body-building methods taught by Lu Liangsheng, even the relatively thin Lu Qing's chest muscles became thicker, and they would jump left and right from time to time.
"Everyone, get out of the way, let Liangsheng go back to see his parents first!"
Lu Pan pushed the people aside. Lu Taigong, who was following behind them, paused on the ground with his cane. After hearing the elders' words, the people gathered at the entrance of the village made way for him.
After walking past the crowd, Lu Liangsheng loosened the reins, went over to help Lu Taigong back to the village. Children from far and near, who had just finished school, came over, were stunned for a moment, and then bowed together.
"gentlemen!"
"Don't bow, just go home and eat."
Lu Liangsheng was very familiar with these children, big and small, as he had taught them all. Standing at the school gate was a middle-aged scholar, his wide-sleeved robe had several patches on it. When he saw Lu Liangsheng looking at him, he politely bowed his hand as a greeting.
After bidding farewell to all the fellow villagers, I returned to the small courtyard. The morning glory season had passed, and the courtyard wall was a bleak yellow.
At the gate of the courtyard, Li Jinhua, Lu Laoshi, and Lu Xiaoxian, who was already fourteen years old, were waiting there early.
"elder brother!"
Lu Xiaoxian rushed over and hugged her brother who had just returned home. Lu Liangsheng touched her head and said with a smile, "You are already a grown-up girl, but you are still so impatient."
"I don't care, you're my brother."
The little girl hummed in her brother's arms, and when she let go, the Taoist hurried up and stretched out his arms.
"And me, and me?!"
Lu Xiaoxian glanced at him, put her hands behind her back, spun on her toes, turned around and walked back: "I won't hug anyone else!"
"Hey, this is boring. After all, I am still half a brother!"
Sun Yingxian shouted from behind, and something suddenly hit her on the head.
When he turned around, the scholar had put down his hand and walked past him.
"Be careful, she's my sister."
At the gate of the courtyard, the family chatted for a while and then returned to the courtyard together. Lu Liangsheng pushed open the door of the room that had not been lived in for two months. It was still spotless. He hung up Hong Lian's portrait and leaned against the bed. The Toad Taoist ran out of the cloth bag and stretched lazily.
He tilted his head to look around and took a deep breath.
That's a familiar taste.
Soon, the sun set and the small kitchen was crowded. Nie Honglian floated in the air to help add rice and pass bowls. Li Jinhua was busy cooking the last dish and asked the Taoist priest who was burning the fire at the stove opposite to throw some more firewood.
Sun Yingxian took out a yellow talisman and threw it in, then he made a gesture with his fingers. Flames rushed out and licked the edge of the pot, causing Li Jinhua to chase him with a shovel.
Taoist Toad was sitting under the oil lamp, and the colorful old hen under the table was glaring at him.
Under the eaves, Lu Laoshi was weaving baskets for the village. He looked over at the other eaves with a smile. Lu Xiaoxian was holding a brush and tilting her head, looking at the portrait she had drawn on the easel. She tore it off in distress and crumpled it into a ball.
Lu Liangsheng looked at the scene in the yard.
"It's still more comfortable at home."