When I wrote these words, the wind was very strong. My loose hair was flying up and down in the wind, which made me feel helpless. After I finished writing, I let it dry a little and then tied it back in my hair.
I didn't go back the same way, but took the same route I took in the morning. I knew I could pass by that house this way, and I wanted to return the things. Of course, this was my excuse. I didn't know if I could see the girl again, and I didn't know how she was doing. But I wanted to try my luck.
I had some thoughts about the words on the handkerchief, but because of the strong wind, I didn't dare to open the handkerchief. The sun seemed to be much weaker in the afternoon, the fog became thicker, and the wind gradually became stronger. When I climbed the ridge that almost blinded me, the sun was about to set behind the mountain. When the wind got stronger, the ridge became more and more dangerous. The ridge was completely stone, with no trees, only a few boulders standing on both sides, and the wind was raging without restraint. Fortunately, I didn't wear a cloak, otherwise I would have been blown away by the mountain wind.
When I arrived at the gate of the family courtyard, I had already moved forward by relying on the reflection of the snow. I saw the lights coming out of the house, but in the end I didn't call anyone. I just hung those things on the fork of the fence at the gate and left. But after walking a few steps, I turned around, picked up the wine bag again, and drank a big gulp. It's not that I'm greedy, I'm really a little cold. This journey was a bit embarrassing. At the beginning, I was still thinking about the possibility of meeting her and what expression she would have on her face. But later, I was cold and hungry, which made me feel powerless. Those vegetarian dishes with clear soup and water were obviously not suitable for a big-bellied man like me. I was afraid that I would not know where the things had slipped to in an hour.
Being hungry is obviously too cruel for me. My sister knows me very well, because I have always been able to eat a lot. So, as long as I start to eat and show some expression on my face, food will be brought to me. Thinking of this, I can't help but worry about my sister. I don't know how my sister is doing in Wu. I don't know how many generals she has. Pei Gang is not suitable for fighting. Sheng Bin is very diligent and eager to learn, but he is still young and has never experienced a battle. He is not a person who can lead the army to charge and kill the enemy. What should my sister do? The more I think about it, the bigger the trouble she is facing is. I am a little surprised. I made up my mind. After crossing the river, I will go to my sister to help her pacify Wujun. After all, I am her brother. How come this matter is caused by me, so I must go there, even if I am scolded to death by my teacher sister. I made up my mind, and the road ahead became clear. However, when I arrived at the first cave, I found that the people inside seemed to be waiting for something anxiously.
As soon as they saw me come in, Xu Zijiang said, "We all thought you were gone."
"Why should I leave?" I was a little confused.
"At noon, you were speechless in response to Zuo Laodao's attack. We thought you ran away because you couldn't figure it out."
"Am I such a narrow-minded person?"
"That's right, then why did you come back so late?"
"I'm just walking around the mountain, and even if I leave, I will definitely say hello to you all and will never be so rude."
"I'm glad you're back. You're invited to a banquet tomorrow night."
I pointed behind me with a questioning look, and Yu Ji nodded behind Xu Zijiang.
At that time, I didn't have much excitement. I just nodded and understood. However, my expression made Xu Zijiang a little disappointed.
I still respectfully went to Zuo Ci who was also waiting for me, and said sincerely: "Zi Rui, I appreciate your teaching. I was deeply touched by what Taoist Zuo said this afternoon."
Zuo Citou, nothing. But from the expression, it is clear that he has no ill will towards me, and what he has is the kindness of an elder.
Although it was a vegetarian meal with little meat, I still enjoyed it. I must have been really hungry because I didn't say much during the meal. Yu Ji reminded me not to eat so rudely at the banquet tomorrow night. The three of them probably were old and didn't eat much. In the end, they watched me eat up a table of food and a bucket of rice. All they did was smile at me and talk about their youth.
Zuo Ci asked me to live with the two seniors and ordered someone to make a bed for me. All this made me feel strange, so I put forward the doubts I had in the morning. Zuo Ci explained that during the Jianwu period, Taoism flourished, and such a quiet place would certainly be used as a place for meditation, and there were people willing to spend money and effort to build it.
Perhaps Zuo Ci’s words were a bit too straightforward, but Xu Zijiang told me that it clearly showed that he already regarded me as a very close person.
Zuo Ci didn't stay long, he went to the alchemy room again, he asked me if I was interested in going with him, I said no. I should, I was also very straightforward.
I can't go back today. I didn't plan to go back in the first place. Anyway, it's useless to worry now. We can't leave Qianshan for ten days or half a month. I just hope that when they see my note, they won't be too nervous and look for me everywhere.
Yu Ji asked me to tidy myself up tomorrow, and the two of them would accompany me tomorrow. After all, that family was a widow's home, and they were afraid that I would be impolite. Xu Zijiang suddenly became interested in my hair and asked me what was going on with the ponytail. I repeated my explanation in Hanzhong. But he pointed out my idea that the crown was a nuisance. He, in fact, could just wrap a turban over the bun, and didn't need to wear a crown, nor did he need to let it down like this. The consequence of letting it down was that my hair was blown into his face by the wind many times during the trip to and from the Taoist temple.
I suddenly remembered something, so I pulled off my headscarf and showed the words on the stone to the two seniors. Some of them were blurred due to being wet, and I felt a warm sensation on the back of my head. I regretted taking them off earlier. However, they were not in the way. My handwriting was more powerful. It was written very clearly and was easier to recognize. It was obvious that the two were also looking for a pattern, and they would recite it from time to time, but they would soon overturn it. While they were looking for a pattern, I found another piece of paper and copied it again. I also went out to wash my hair a little. I think the ink might have stained my hair.
This action caused some dissatisfaction in Xu Zijiang, but with his temper, he would just joke with me, saying that young people nowadays are mainly thinking about girls, and now my mind is already thinking about tomorrow's dinner. I would just smile and then sit down to study this poem.
They asked me how I saw her write. I didn't pay attention, and I was immediately hit hard again. I was only looking at the beautiful girl. I asked them if it was their first time here. This was their second time. I immediately asked about the other situation of that family, and they immediately scolded me again. I was so anxious that I started to make plans for others. However, they still told me that they found an extra family when they came this time. I immediately asked them if they knew the specific situation of this girl, and then I was scolded again. I was too anxious. Later, they asked Zuo Ci and found out the origin of this family. Zuo Ci mentioned this girl more than once and was very surprised by this girl. Then they knew that there was a young girl in that family. They knew that she was married from Yizhou and had good calligraphy. It was basically the same as what I knew yesterday afternoon.
They suddenly stopped what they were doing and questioned me, asking me if I had done anything yesterday. I quickly waved my hands and said I had done nothing. Xu Zijiang was still a little bit unwilling to give in, and finally Yu Ji smoothed things over for me.
This time I quickly called everyone to look at this hundred-character square formation to see if there was any problem. But Xu Zijiang smiled evilly and said, "I miss that girl."
That night passed like this without any gain, because in the end no conclusion was reached. It seemed that I could only ask her what she meant during the dinner party that night.
The next morning, I found a bronze mirror and took a good look at myself. I felt that everything was fine. But my hair was a little too messy. I remembered that my hair was not dry when I went to bed yesterday, so it was not strange. I went out to comb my hair in the lake water and washed the headscarf, but the ink stain could not be washed off for a while. I found a place in the house to hang the headscarf, but I found a pair of eyes looking at me with ill intentions. I didn't explain it, because I felt that I had to prepare well, so I went to the owner of the ill-intentioned eyes and asked for a hairband.
Everything was ready. I asked for a knife to shave off the stubble on mōmō's chin and washed my face thoroughly.
I looked at myself in the mirror again and felt very satisfied with myself. I took care to smooth out the wrinkles on the clothes with my hands. For some severely wrinkled ones, I soaked them with some hot water, stretched them hard, and waited for them to dry by the stove.
"It's already very beautiful, please don't be so impatient." The two people who continued the chess game were obviously dissatisfied with my restless behavior, but they still smiled and said, "Don't keep wandering around. There are still five hours left. You won't keep doing this, right?"
"Behind the screen at the back, there is a large bronze mirror." Finding that I was not moved by their words, they decided to come up with a more attractive method.
I was really attracted by this idea. I ran over immediately, and then ran back a moment later. I picked up a piece of charcoal from the stove, took two steps, and suddenly it fell. I couldn't find where it fell for a while. I muttered something and picked up another piece, which scared the two elderly people on the couch. They jumped up and looked for the burning thing everywhere. I used the charcoal to light the lamp behind the screen, and I sorted my clothes in front of a large bronze mirror.
"Zi Rui, you have been there for two quarters of an hour. You wouldn't have been there for five hours."
"Uncle Xu, Uncle Yu, how about you help me take a look?"
"It seems that you have fallen in love with that girl." He muttered but still came over.
"Yes, I like her." I felt that there was nothing to hide.
"Very directly, how long did you meet with her and how many words did you say?"
"Yesterday, about three quarters of an hour, I said about five or six sentences."
“So soon?”
"I don't know, I just want to see her soon. How are you guys seeing me?"
"Not bad, very good, the body is straight, the back seems to be hunched... Don't lift your belly, oh, you don't have much belly, not bad, good figure. Keep your waist straight, oh, your legs are long... they seem to be too long." I know this, my legs seem to occupy a particularly large proportion of my body. When the belt is tied around the clothes, my legs seem to be six and a half feet long. I pushed the belt down, but found that my waist was too thin and my hips were too thick. I suddenly felt that I was a little deformed in the mirror, and I couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. Now I understand the other reasons why the sisters in Xiangyang laughed behind my back.
"It's okay, it's okay. Long legs are still pretty good-looking. But when you reach adulthood, remember to wear the high school cap." This sentence still hit me hard about my short upper body, making me even more depressed.
I have always been proud of my figure, but now I realize that I am not very well-proportioned.
"How do you know I like that girl?" I finally let go of the issue of my body shape and wanted to ask them for some experience. "You can't be dirty when attending other people's banquets, right?"
"You don't think about anything but doing these things. If you are here for a banquet, then you are being too disrespectful to Taoist Zuo. He has treated you to three meals and you almost broke him. I haven't seen you dressed up like this. Why are you showing favoritism?"
"Why do you use such feminine words? I just tidied them up a bit..."
"It's been a whole hour."
"Oh." I finally felt a little embarrassed.
"It's okay, we were like this when we were young." After criticizing me, Xu Zijiang tried to smooth things over for me.
"Don't use us, that's you." Yu Ji didn't give Xu Zijiang any face.
"Don't be silly, don't think I don't know, you and Ruirui..."
"Shut up!" Yu Ji was angry. Xu Zi rolled his eyes, turned around and left.
Finally, I had to smooth things over for them. Fortunately, Yu Ji didn't seem to be angry. It was mainly because Xu Zijiang was so mean, so mean that I wanted to throw him into the lake.
I didn't see Zuo Ci at lunch that day. His disciples were refining elixirs and couldn't come to eat for the time being, so we were allowed to eat as we pleased. I ate a lot at noon that day, mainly because I thought I couldn't drink and eat too much at night, so I had to save some food for lunch. As a result, the other people eating at the Taoist temple looked at me strangely, and I didn't know what they were thinking.
In the afternoon, seeing that it was still bright outside and knowing that it was still early, I took out the paper from yesterday and continued studying.
Why should I be sad? Snow is better than white clothes.
Sitting in my heart, I have truly witnessed the bright moon and clouds
How can I be afraid of being happy
The window is open and the sky is full of stars.
Outside, like the blue sky, carrying the wilderness with it, it rises and floats
The crowd was in a hurry, and the sky and the moon were in the market.
The wine is so busy, but I don't regret staying in the street room late
It's getting harder but I don't regret staying with you in the boudoir
Falling in memory of the text of abandoning the hometown far away from home
A solitary swallow flies by the stream in front of the hall, hiding between the fragrant lattices
After I calmed down completely, I suddenly realized the cleverness of this girl. I only understood one line, but that was enough. Xu Zijiang saw the sudden realization on my face and immediately asked me what I should do. I didn't answer, but took out a piece of paper and copied down the words one by one.
Sitting alone by the window,
The flowers outside the window,
The flowers gradually faded,
The fragrance gradually faded.
After finishing this paragraph, I couldn't help but praise it: "It's clever." The two of them nodded repeatedly. I continued.
A solitary swallow in front of the hall,
Swallows pass by the flowing fragrance,
In the room with flowing fragrance,
Hidden between the incense lattices.
Hidden in the boudoir,
The house is filled with fragrance.
The fragrance spreads across the sky,
The fragrance fills the air.
The white dress is whiter than snow,
The snow piles up my heart,
Why is the heart broken
How happy I have ever been!
As joyful as ever,
As smooth as the old days.
It is hard to catch up with the past.
Recalling Wen Xiang,
I paused when I wrote this and looked back at Xu Zijiang. Xu Zijiang had an expression that took it for granted, "Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru, this is a poem that is closely linked together, so of course I should use the name in the middle." I was a little dazed and continued.
Abandoned from their hometown,
Abandon hometown and go far away.
Home in the market,
Street market,
The city’s shape hides the emotions.
The appearance hides the clear feeling.
The bright moon is my witness,
To prove my sincerity,
Prove that the true heart is there,
In the sky.
The sky is vast and boundless,
Vast and boundless,
But no regrets,
No regrets staying together.
The moon rises in the evening,
The moon rises beside the stars.
What do others say
What is there to fear
I am afraid that time is running out.
The rest of the time is busy.
I am busy but I don't regret it.
Why regret
Holding hands,
Hand in hand for eternity.
I put down my pen, read carefully, and memorized it as quickly as possible. Her conception was very clever, with circles around each other, and every time it turned, the design was so clever. Moreover, many words in the middle had one meaning in this sentence and another meaning in the next sentence. There was no flaw in the connection, at least I couldn't feel it, maybe my foundation was not enough. However, she was definitely a very talented girl, at least better than me. But when they asked me what I thought, I didn't say so, otherwise Xu Zijiang would probably say, the only people with less talent than you are probably illiterate.
"Very talented and clever." I think I have expressed my opinion very plainly. In fact, I would like to add, "I like it."
"You like her very much, right? I've heard Taoist Zuo constantly praising this girl, and I think this girl is amazing. This old man Zuo rarely praises people. So far, one is you and the other is her. So, behave well tonight and see if you can succeed in your wooing. After all, she is still an unmarried girl."
I didn't blush when I heard him say that. I was already looking forward to the evening, and even thinking about running away with her. This time, I felt like my face started to get hot.
Finally, at night, Xu Zi turned me around in the house until they were all dizzy. Yu Ji refuted him again, saying that he was calm and not as dizzy as he was.
Due to some special circumstances of that family, we went there on our own without waiting for anyone to invite us. They were obviously prepared because we saw a welcoming lantern hung in the direction of her house.
We sat on this side and they sat on that side.
We sit at a table with three people, while they sit at a table with two or three people.
The food was quite rich, and there was even hot wine in front of us. They were living a pretty good life. In comparison, was Old Man Zuo too harsh on himself and his Taoists
At the very edge of those women, I saw the person I wanted to see. Her face was a little pale, and her pretty face was lowered, but she didn't look at me, which made me feel a little lost.
It was the woman who spoke first. She thanked me for saving Xin'er's life yesterday, and I should do that.
"You are so young, yet you are already a noble. Please accept our greetings." As soon as this sentence was said, most people around were a little surprised. The only ones who were not surprised were the girl and the two people beside me, and of course the noble woman who said that. I learned from Zuo Ci that they came here more than a year ago. More than a year ago, I was nothing. How could she know? I turned my face to ask for advice. "Old Zuo." The answer was indeed very simple.
Several former wives of princes saluted me, which made me feel a little embarrassed, so I quickly returned the greetings.
But they also had some requirements for me. After three rounds of drinks, before I could get the look I hoped to see, the noble lady spoke.
"Your Excellency is the nephew of Taoist Zuo, who is very proud of you. Therefore, we will not hide anything from you. But I think you already know our identities, right?"
I'm confused.
"We have nothing to ask for, but it's a pity for Huang Xinmei. She has to be a widow before she even gets married." Not only she sighed, I sighed too, it seemed like many people sighed, only Huang Xin seemed very strong. Instead, she raised her face, but she still didn't look at me.
"I hope that Ping An Fengyun Hou can escort my sister Huang Xin out of Jiujiang. If he can send her back to Yizhou, we will be very grateful." All the fathers bowed together again. Huang Xin was a little excited, and she bowed to those fathers.
"Xie Zhi accepts the order." I bowed again respectfully and nodded towards Huang Xin with mixed feelings, but did not look at her.
"What happened to you?" After returning, before entering the cave, Xu Zijiang seemed to be a little disappointed and started to get angry. "Why did you suddenly become brave, or did you suddenly want to act like a gentleman? We originally planned to act as a matchmaker for you. But you gave up on your own, leaving me speechless."
"Neither, although I agreed. But... First, I may not be able to send Yizhou back for the time being. Second, the people of Yizhou must hate me to death. In their minds, I may be only better than Dong Zhuo, so that seems impossible to me." I was discouraged and felt that a high barrier had been erected between her and me, and I thought it would be difficult to break down.
"What's impossible?" Zuo Ci seemed to have been waiting for us in the cave, but he was still a little slow in this regard.
"We originally wanted to bring together a couple, but Zirui got scared first."
"Zirui and Huang Xin?" He suddenly seemed to become alert.
"Well, who else?"
"No, no, absolutely not!"
"Why?" Even Yu Ji felt strange and turned to me: "Zi Rui, you don't have an engagement, right?"
"No!" No one told me for eighteen years, but I felt vaguely uneasy.
"I know you don't know your parents' wishes. I had planned to tell you when you were eighteen, but now I have to tell you that you are engaged. This engagement has existed since you were still in your cradle! Unless that girl gets married first, you must marry her. I can't tell you her name now, but you must marry her." He told me very seriously, leaving me no reason not to believe him.
Just like that, I suddenly had a fiancée whom I hadn't met in eighteen years.