Just as Hsu Fengnian was about to leave, a young man rushed into the small courtyard, carrying a bag of rice on his shoulder. Hsu Fengnian did not stand on ceremony with him, accepting the bag of rice with a smile and pouring it into the rice vat. The young man beside him was surnamed Zhu, and his name was Zhengli. They had gotten to know each other through drinking. He was a local born and raised in Bishan County, and he claimed to be a poor son of a small family that had been rejected by a wealthy family in Yanzhi County. How could Hsu Fengnian not have guessed that he was a true descendant of the Zhu family? However, since Zhu Zhengli was unwilling to admit it, he did not expose him. Zhu Zhengli had a free and easy temperament, and was one of the few righteous sons of a large family. It was probably because of his Beiliang's knight-errant nature that he did not mix well with the other sons in Bishan County. Instead, there were many disputes. A few years ago, because of an incident that implicated his family, he had gotten into a heated argument with the previous county magistrate. One must know that the county magistrate was not an official. The county magistrate's position was not high, but it was the local emperor under the provincial governor. To be able to sit in this position, one must have a background that was not to be underestimated, and one must also have an extraordinary knowledge of officialdom. It was easy for him to cause the downfall of the commoners. Zhu Zhengli dared to provoke the county magistrate because he himself did not understand the ways of the world. Moreover, the Zhu family in Bishan County did indeed have a deep foundation. If the head of the Zhu family really spoke, not only the county magistrate, even the governor of Yanzhi County, Hong Shandong, would have to obediently keep quiet. It was only because the Zhu family had retired in recent years that the monkeys in Bishan County were able to become kings. Zhu Zhengli was a guy who liked to nag. At this time, he was laughing at how Xu Qi's position as a Registrar was too shabby. He couldn't get anything out of it, and it would be hard for him to not be filthy rich. He even said that Xu Qi's family must have used up all their savings to donate such a lousy position. Otherwise, how could he have fallen to such a miserable state without food? Hsu Fengnian didn't refute him. He just smiled and reminded this guy not to expose others' shortcomings in front of a dwarf. Zhu Zhengli laughed loudly, but didn't continue to nag about Xu Qi's dire situation. Hsu Fengnian took out a pot of Green Ant Wine. The two of them sat under the grape trellis, each holding a large white porcelain bowl. The sun in Beiliang was particularly vicious. Summer had just begun, but it was already as unbearably hot as Jiangnan. The good thing about it was that as long as they stayed in the shade, the wind would cool them down. With a bowl of Green Ant Wine for each of them, the two of them were even more carefree than immortals.
Hsu Fengnian drank a mouthful of wine, squinted his eyes and smiled drunkenly. He asked, "Today, there are real shortages everywhere in Youzhou. Why don't you tell your elders to find a loophole? Make up your mind and take out a few hundred taels of silver to find a backdoor. Then, find a famous person with a bit of reputation and ask for a recommendation letter. Even if I don't become a County Registrar, it won't be difficult for me to get an official position. In the future, I won't be able to make a name for myself in Beiliang's underworld. It's even more impossible in the future. It's better to be a civil official. "
Zhu Zhengli shook his head like a rattle-drum. "What's so good about being an official? It's not good to ride on the heads of ordinary people. Not to mention that I came from a poor family, even if I did have money, I wouldn't waste it. If I really want to be an official, it's better to join the army at the border. It's more comfortable to rely on one's own ability to earn real military merits. "
Hsu Fengnian joked, "With your mediocre skills, it's fine if you fight in an ordinary battle. Not to mention encountering crows, even if you run into the second-rate cavalry of Beimang, it's no different from throwing your life away. No matter how boring it is to be an official, is it interesting to be a dead man?"
Zhu Zhengli sighed and rubbed his chin. "That's why my grandmother doesn't want me to join the army. She said that she'd rather have me eat and wait for death in Bishan County than to see her own child die. She also said that if I dared to sneak out of Yanzhi County, she'd find someone to break one of my legs. Heh, my grandmother always keeps her word. Everyone in my family is afraid of her, like a mouse in front of a cat. I wasn't afraid when I was young, but I became more and more afraid when I grew up. "
Hsu Fengnian mischievously asked, "How's your little sister, who fell in love with County Magistrate Bai at first sight?"
Zhu Zhengli felt a toothache when he heard this. With a bitter face, he said, "I'm puzzled. You have the same rank as that embroidered pillow Bai Shangque, and you're even more handsome than that pretty boy. It's strange, my little sister doesn't like you and insists on getting close to that guy surnamed Bai. She doesn't even have the modesty that a woman should have. That's fine, but there's an old saying that a man chasing a woman is separated by a mountain, and a woman chasing a man is separated by a layer of gauze. I don't think that guy surnamed Bai gives my little sister any face. That's why I'm so worried. And if that scowling guy really becomes my brother-in-law, I'll definitely … Xu Qi, what's that saying again? "
Hsu Fengnian laughed, "Chickens and dogs hear each other's voices, but they don't interact with each other for the rest of their lives."
Zhu Zhengli slapped Registrar Xu's shoulder and didn't forget to wipe the wine off his hand. He laughed, "Xu Qi, no wonder you can become our Bishan County's registrar. You've studied for a few days. I can't do that. Once I touch a book, I faint and want to sleep. If I were to practice martial arts, I wouldn't have a problem even if I didn't rest for a few days and nights. But my grandmother wouldn't let me practice martial arts no matter what. Sigh, brother, I'm just a waste of my talent. "
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said bluntly, "Your talent is average and can't be much better. I'm only telling you the truth because we're friends. "
Zhu Zhengli didn't get angry. He glared at him and said, "When Wang Xianzhi first started out in the martial arts world, the seniors in the martial arts world said that her talent was average! Besides, I don't have to be a world-shaking hero to practice martial arts. It's fine if I can beat up a few bullies in the village. "
Hsu Fengnian nodded. Zhu Zhengli finished a bowl of wine and shook the wine pot. There was about half a bowl left. He put it down and said that he had snuck out from home to get some fresh air. He still had to go back and deal with the books of the saints. If his grandmother found out, he would be crippled the next time they met. Hsu Fengnian didn't send him off. He laughed, "Remember to bring wine the next time you visit."
Zhu Zhengli, who had jogged away, turned around and raised his middle finger.
Hsu Fengnian smiled and poured himself another half bowl of wine. He sat alone under the grape trellis. The breeze caressed his face and he was in a good mood. Before he finished drinking the Green Ant in his bowl, he put the bowl on the bamboo chair and stood up to welcome the guest.
A white-haired old woman slowly walked into the courtyard with a walking stick. She was stunned when she saw Hsu Fengnian. She sat down in front of Hsu Fengnian. Hsu Fengnian only sat down after she sat down.
The old woman was the head of the Zhu family in Bishan County. The Zhu family had four generations. In the previous three generations, there were more females than males. Zhu Zhengli was the only child in his generation. According to the family tree in the ancestral shrine, there should be six or seven uncles. However, none of them were alive today. It was the same for the previous generation. The old woman was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhu family. As time passed, she became the true backbone of the Zhu family in Bishan County. She was considered a virtuous and respectable mistress in the entire Yanzhi County. It was said that when the Xu family took over Beiliang, General Xu Xiao and Princess Consort Wu Su had stayed in the Zhu family. Just based on this, who would dare to belittle the Zhu family in Youzhou, let alone Yanzhi County? Moreover, the twelve men of the Zhu family of two generations had all died at the border in the past twenty years.
The old woman was slightly lost in thought. She looked at Hsu Fengnian and said softly, "You really look like him."
Hsu Fengnian wanted to say something but stopped.
The old woman waved her hand. She leaned on her walking stick with both hands and looked at the door of the courtyard. She said, "At first, I wanted to see the Registrar General who could make my grandson call him brother. After seeing him, I understood. Back then, when the head of the Zhu family met the General, it was more or less the same situation. The General didn't put on airs. My husband wanted nothing more than to repay him with his life. He was clumsy and didn't say much, but he did. "
Hsu Fengnian said in a low voice, "This Old Man, please don't worry. I definitely won't let Zhu Zhengli follow in his ancestor's footsteps. This time, I took root in Bishan County and didn't even dare to visit the Zhu family. It was a coincidence that I met Zhu Zhengli. In the future, when I leave, it's likely that we won't meet again. I hope This Old Man won't worry. "
The old woman grunted and didn't say anything else.
The old woman sat quietly for the time it took for a stick of incense to burn. She slowly stood up. Hsu Fengnian stood up and walked her to the door. The old woman suddenly asked, "Can you really defend it?"
Hsu Fengnian replied calmly, "If we can't, I'll have to trouble This Old Man to tell Zhu Zhengli that Xu Qi ran to the Central Plains to become an official."
The old woman reached out her trembling hand and touched Hsu Fengnian's head.
The old woman slowly walked towards the carriage that was parked at the corner of the alley. Before she got on the carriage, she saw the young man at the door silently watching her leave. She murmured, "So similar."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
