Chapter 24
Xuanyunfu was so sleepy after eating that he went to sleep first.
When Xu Xiaoman saw her, he glanced at Wang Yuanyuan, who had an expression that said, "I understand, just go ahead and meet me happily." Xu Xiaoman: ...Okay.
He was quite happy too.
On the way to Zichen Palace with Zhongyun, Xu Xiaoman said, "Master Yan is really good. It's only half a day of class, and Duoduo is really happy today."
Zhong Yun didn't say anything, just held Xiaoman's hand.
"I used to feel sick after eating lamb in Wuzhou, but today I remembered the past when I ate it." Xu Xiaoman had just drunk some wine and was talking a lot. His eyes were shining. He leaned over and gently bumped Zhong Yun's arm.
It was also because Zhong Yun practiced martial arts, otherwise with the 'light' force of a Nine Thousand Year Old, ordinary people would have staggered.
"The little lambs are so cute, but I was greedy at that time and didn't want to kill one to eat. I told you to wait a little longer. When the lambs grow up, you can eat a lot. Don't break the rule yet. Once you break the rule, it will be too tempting..." Xu Xiaoman said incoherently.
But Zhong Yun could understand it.
It was really poor then, but no matter how poor he was, the King of Wuzhou could still afford a lamb. However, as the King of Wuzhou, his first decree after taking power was to distribute lambs to villages in Wuzhou where it was difficult to grow crops, and the people would raise them. In the autumn of the following year, the sheep would be used in lieu of grain tax, and he would receive an extra 20% - the money from the lambs.
The rest, including lambs, can be kept by the people.
It was hard to get a lot of lambs, so Xiaoman spent some effort to buy a lot. The lambs were bleating, and Xiaoman held the lambs and stroked their heads gently with her frozen and swollen fingers.
If someone speaks unclearly, it is because of greed.
Xiaoman was greedy for sheep, swallowed a big mouthful of saliva, suddenly looked up at him, and said seriously: Let's not eat them for now, and wait for them to grow up well and grow in large numbers, so that the people can afford to eat mutton in winter. In one or two years, the sheep will run all over the mountains and plains...
Xiaoman, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, had her fertilization done early, so her appearance was so pretty that it was hard to tell whether she was a boy or a girl. In Zhong Yun's eyes, she was full of vitality, like a ball of fire. Through Xiaoman's words, he seemed to see the future of Wuzhou.
And him.
That ball of vitality could not be extinguished.
Zhong Yun, who was only thirteen years old, couldn't take his eyes off. He didn't want to kill the sheep for Xiaoman on his own initiative, because he knew Xiaoman was greedy, and he also knew that what Xiaoman said was not "reluctant to accept" or "saying one thing and thinking another". At this moment, he thought it was good to hold back, so that he and Xiaoman could eat more mutton in the future.
Then just bear with it... He is very patient.
But before, endurance meant constantly torturing himself, feeling the pain, and reminding himself to stay awake at all times, but now endurance has turned into anticipation and excitement.
He said: Okay, then let’s endure it together.
Kind of enjoying the process.
Later, there were a lot of sheep in Wuzhou, especially in areas with poor grain production. The sheep were the most famous. The mutton had no smell at all and was just the right amount of fat and lean. There were also a lot of sheepskins, which became very cheap later. People wore sheepskin coats to keep warm in winter.
"Xiao Man, we have a lot of sheep now." Zhong Yun said, looking at Xiao Man's drunken eyes. The sheep here, of course, does not refer only to sheep.
Xu Xiaoman was smart and said, "It's okay to eat it today. I don't want to eat it every day. Please don't do anything rash."
"...I got it." Emperor Ningwu felt emotional. He couldn't talk to this fool about the past.
Fortunately, he doesn't like being under the moonlight and flowers.
"It's okay to eat it occasionally, but don't do it every day."
"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Lengzi was afraid of hurting his kindness, so he took a step back. Emperor Ningwu knew everything, and he held Jiuqiansui's hand tightly, "I'll do whatever you say." He said it again.
Xu Xiaoman: Zhong Yun was really drunk tonight. When he was drunk, he looked like a good person - although Zhong Yun has a very good heart.
"Can we sleep on a plain bed for a while?"
Zhong Yun looked at Xiaoman. Seeing his wife's unsatisfied eyes, Xu Xiaoman immediately said, "Okay, okay, do it, I am young and strong, and I am in my prime, so what am I afraid of?"
Emperor Ningwu: That’s not what he meant. He wanted to ask if Xiaoman was too tired.
Silly.
Emperor Ningwu praised him with a smile: "You are truly a hero."
"Of course." The Nine Thousand Year Old Man puffed out his chest with pride, and even pulled Emperor Ningwu to walk a few steps faster to prove that he could do it.
At first I was a little weak due to the alcohol, but after arriving at the Zichen Palace, I washed up with hot water and drank hot tea, and my body became strong again, but my brain became slow and a little excited.
Zhong Yun kissed his eunuch possessively.
Xu Xiaoman soon blossomed, and then the inertial desire to win came out. His wife had already served him like this, and now it was his turn. Zhong Yun put his arm around Xiaoman's waist, stroking it carefully, and said, "Wait a minute, drink a sip of water first, are you tired?"
"I'm not tired, I'm not tired. Don't look down on me."
"I never underestimate Xu Xiaoman."
"Hmph." Jiu Qiansui was happy. He tugged at Zhong Yun in a daze. After a while, he said, "Zhong Yun, Duoduo asked me where my home was today. I was thinking of Wuzhou. We endured the cold, herded sheep, rode horses, and learned martial arts in Wuzhou. Hahahaha, Master scolded you for not being as good as me."
Emperor Ningwu smiled and said to the man in his arms, "Lord Xu has an extraordinary talent for martial arts that is unmatched by anyone."
"That's not it." Xu Xiaoman retorted, looking at Zhong Yun, and said in a drunken tone: "I was wrong just now. You are very smart and good at studying. You are good at strategy. Learning martial arts will hurt your bones. I will protect you, my wife, I will protect you."
Zhong Yun had long known that Xiaoman had secretly called him his wife, and he never got angry about this title. He and Xiaoman had been connected by life and death. They were two people but their lives were intertwined. If one of them dies, the other will not live long.
"Okay. Thank you, Master Xu, for protecting me."
"Hey, you're welcome. I'm such a powerful eunuch."
Xiaoman started learning martial arts at the age of sixteen, which was very late in terms of age. Fortunately, he had a natural talent and had suffered a lot to achieve his current skills.
"I don't miss my parents anymore. My second sister has a child, my third brother's two children died, and my youngest sister is married. They all have a mess of life. They are living well now, and I have nothing to worry about. I have you, which is much more..." Xu Xiaoman spoke out whatever he thought and began to feel sleepy.
The tone became fainter and fainter until it was gone.
The Xu family was really poor, the lowest class of people, and they had to sell their children to make ends meet when they encountered famine. Xu Xiaoman stayed in Wuzhou with Zhong Yun for seven years, and the Xu family barely survived for a few years with the money from selling Xu Xiaoman. They didn't starve to death, and they just endured the child's illness and pain. If they survived, they lived, and if they died, they died.
Three months after Emperor Ningwu ascended the throne, Xu Xiaoman secretly returned to his hometown. His parents' hair had turned gray and most of their land had been sold. The remaining land was not enough to make a living, so they had to farm for the landlord.
None of the children in the family recognized him, and he didn’t recognize the children either. Even his third brother had a hard time recognizing him.
Xu Xiaoman had no choice but to report his identity.
He came here for two things: give money to the family so they could move to a new place, and redeem his second sister.
My second sister was sold to the master's house as a maid. She rose from a small maid to a servant. The master decided to marry her to a coachman. Now she has three children.
Xu Xiaoman interrupted and asked: How is your second sister doing? She is still a slave, and her children will be slaves too in the future. He will pay money to help her get out of slavery, and he will also help her and her husband get out of slavery together.
According to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, slaves and commoners could not marry each other. If they did marry, they would be beaten with 20 sticks, fined one ounce of silver, and all their children would be slaves.
The third brother was shocked. That would cost a lot of money. How do you get it?
"I was a eunuch in the palace, and now I am the chief eunuch. I was the one who gave the emperor a drug and the ministers scolded me every day. I could lose my head at any time. This time I came back to leave the money I earned to you. You can buy land and settle down in a new place. Live an honest and decent life. Don't mention my name, otherwise I will be chopped off and all of you will die."
The parents and the third brother were all shocked. Their numb faces showed some twists and turns. They hesitated but did not ask much. They might have been worried about their son who was sold so early, but in the end, poverty made them go against their conscience and family affection and acquiesce to Xu Xiaoman's arrangement.
From now on, just pretend you don’t know me.
This went on for a few days. After everything was done, Xu Xiaoman was completely severed from her family, but she no longer felt empty inside. She rushed back to the palace. She felt relieved when she saw Zhong Yun for the first time, and she felt at ease when she saw her baby sleeping.
Later he told Zhong Yun about it.
Zhong Yun asked him if he felt uncomfortable.
Xu Xiaoman shook his head and said: I was sold when I was seven years old, but I don’t hate them. My third brother is too old to be a eunuch, and I have a girl under me. Selling me as a eunuch can earn more money, and my family can survive.
I just kept thinking, always thinking about my second sister, and thinking about the year when I came back from town when I was six years old. I wanted to earn money to redeem my second sister and make life better for our family.
Xu Xiaoman did all this just to make him regret.
Zhong Yun didn't ask Xu Xiaoman where he arranged his family, and never mentioned it again. Xiaoman and Duoduo are his family.
Wuzhou is their hometown, Duoduo was born there, and they had their wedding night there.
The backyard of East Factory.
Xuan Xuanfu woke up from a nap, rubbed his eyes, and made a noise. The star-chasing star who was on night watch hurriedly asked the young master if he wanted to get up.
"Well, I'll go by myself." He drank a lot that night.
The roast lamb was really delicious.
The room was brighter, and Zhuixing approached with the candlestick. Xuanyunfu went to the outer room in his inner clothes, put down the candlestick first, and walked back to the room, far away, otherwise the young master would be embarrassed to come up.
Many people finished their prayers and held the candlesticks themselves.
He went to bed early at night, so he wasn't too sleepy after going to the toilet. "Star Chaser, I'm going to the study to look at my handwritten newspaper. Uncle and Dad talked about it during dinner tonight, but I haven't written it down yet."
"Then I will light some more lamps." Zhuixing not only lit the lamps, but also took a thicker robe for the young master to cover.
It was the first time for Xuanyifu to work overtime to do his homework. It was fun on the one hand, but the most important thing was that he finally had a class that he could understand and not feel sleepy, so he had to show his best attitude.
If the east is not bright, the west must be bright.
The lights in the study soon became as bright as day. As he was star-chasing and thinking, Fu recalled the casual conversations about Wuzhou that night and quickly wrote them down one by one, including the food, climate, geographical location, and local customs.
He wrote very quickly.
Finally done, put down the pen and let the ink dry.
It was time to go to bed. Before going to bed, Xuan Duofu went to relieve himself again. This time he slept until dawn without getting up. The next morning, Xuan Duofu dressed neatly and went to the study to pack his schoolbag.
Wang Yuanyuan stood at the door with her hands folded, her eyes full of amused smile. Ever since Xu Xiaoman stole Xiao Duofu's homework last time, Xiao Duofu has checked his homework bag by himself.
Have to check twice.
"Wang Banban, did you bring an extra cup of milk today?" Xuanyunfu asked, he was afraid that Wang Banban had forgotten.
"Yes, I brought it. There's a big cup of boiled milk."
That's great. Xuanyuefu carried a small schoolbag and walked to school with Wang, saying, "I brought this for Jinjin."
"I know, it's Young Master Yan." Wang Yuanyuan said with a smile. Yesterday afternoon after school, Duofu mentioned his little deskmate.
After stepping out of the East Factory gate, Wang Yuanyuan took out her breakfast. Today, she had red bean paste buns, which Xiao Duofu loved to eat. "The young master got up early today."
"Yes, I ate roast lamb and took a nap last night, and woke up in the middle of the night to do my homework." Xuanyufu chatted with Wang Banban incoherently while munching on a soft and sweet bean paste bun.
Because it was early, the two of them watched the fish in the river from the bridge as they crossed the arch bridge.
Duofu pinched off the bun skin and threw it down to feed the fish, then took a big bite himself. Wang Yuanyuan handed over the milk cup, fearing that little Duofu would choke, and praised him, "You are so studious, young master."
"I think it's quite interesting. The main thing is that I can't memorize the book well. If I can't do other things well, it won't work."
Wang Yuanyuan was very protective of his shortcomings, thinking, "How can I be useless if I can't do anything?" He had people under him to do his bidding, but he thought of Xiao Duofu's status and didn't say anything nonsense.
After eating and drinking, we crossed the arch bridge and met some classmates who had just entered the palace gate for class. Several of them greeted Xuan Duofu and asked him good morning. Xuan Duofu also called him back, and everyone walked on the road together.
"How's your homework preparation going?"
"I won't tell you."
“Let me tell you, Yan Kai is very scheming and even brought some delicacies from his hometown.”
Xuanyifu had a look of shock on his face as if to say "it's possible". He turned his head and looked at the people who were chatting with burning eyes. Among them was a classmate wearing a crescent-shaped white dress and carrying a lunch box. That classmate was Yan Kai.
Yan Kai felt a little shy when being stared at by everyone, and said, "I was doing homework yesterday and chatted with my elders for a long time. My grandfather missed the snacks from his hometown, so he made some for me to bring to my master and classmates to taste."
“Maybe not.”
Everyone was curious and asked what it tasted like and what it looked like. Yan Kai was in the middle and could only say that everyone would know in class later. Anyway, he didn't open the box.
There weren't many snacks, so they were all eaten up in a short while. How could we take them out to display in the afternoon class? After the display, we went to the backyard to eat them after class.
Xuanyu Fu walked behind and turned his head to look at Wang Banban. They both felt a little annoyed and miscalculated. Xuanyu Fu took the lead in comforting Banban, "You can't bring a whole roasted lamb to the classroom."
Wang Yuanyuan was really thinking about it. After sending Duofu to class, he would go back and ask the small kitchen to roast lamb. Would it be feasible to deliver a roasted whole lamb to Chongming Hall in the afternoon?
He thought of Master Hu.
Wang Yuanyuan's face fell.
Xuanyuefu pulled Banban's sleeve and said, "Banban, you must not bring the roasted whole lamb into the hall. It smells very good. It is not like snacks that can be eaten secretly. If you eat the roasted whole lamb, Master Hu will definitely find out."
It's like there's a difference between secretly eating a roll of bread and eating spicy noodles in class.
Spicy strips have a strong flavor.
Wang Yuanyuan felt sorry, but there was nothing she could do.
Xuanyun Fu was heartbroken and thought that he had put a lot of effort into preparing the handwritten newspaper, but he didn't expect that there were classmates who were more sloppy than him! It turns out that the top students are top students in everything they do.
When I got to the classroom, I didn't expect that my deskmate was already there. I don't know how early he was. He sat upright, with a book in front of his desk and was flipping through it. Xuanyunfu came in with a milk cup, put the milk in first, then put his schoolbag, smiled and said hello, "Good morning, Jinjin."
"Good morning, and may you have many blessings." Yan Huaijin put down the book and said.
Xuanyu Fu sat down and said, "I've already drunk the milk I brought for you. It's just the right temperature."
"Thank you." Yan Huaijin picked up the milk cup and stood up. Xuanyun Fu was stunned for a moment, then realized that he couldn't eat in the main hall, so he followed him out.
So the two of them stood at the entrance of the hall, and Yan Huaijin said, "You don't have to accompany me out."
"It's boring to sit in the classroom." After saying this, Xu Duofu smiled and said, "You came so early. When did you arrive?"
Yan Huaijin said: "About half an hour ago."
Many Blessings: A Shock!
Class starts at 8 o'clock, so you should be in the classroom at 7 o'clock.
"Why are you here so early?"
Yan Huaijin was drinking milk. Xuanyuefu said hurriedly, "No need to answer. I'm just shocked that you got up so early. Drink it first."
When Yan Huaijin finished drinking the milk, Xuanyu Fu handed the cup to Wang Banban, and they entered the classroom together. Xuanyu Fu shared with his deskmate that he heard Yan Kai brought some snacks on the way.
"Did you bring any food? I ate roasted whole lamb yesterday, so I can't bring this. Actually, I forgot about it, haha." Xuan Xuanfu felt embarrassed after he said this. He had never been a top student, so he didn't expect her to be so thoughtful.
Yan Huaijin shook his head and said he didn't bring any, "My mother's hometown is rich in stone carvings."
“The stone sculpture is good.”
So the topic turned to stone carvings. However, Xuanfu didn't know much about stone carvings, he just knew they were awesome. In the end, the foodie got back to the topic: "The roasted whole lamb is really delicious, so delicious. Next time, I'll invite you and Li Ang and Zhou Quan to my house to eat roasted whole lamb."
"good."
Even before class started, the atmosphere in the classroom was different. The students were a little excited. But when Master Hu arrived, everyone behaved well and the atmosphere in the class became serious.
Good.
Xuanfu was a little distracted again. He ran for a while, listened for a while, and then continued running when he found that he couldn't understand. However, Master Hu didn't ask him to answer questions in this class. He picked a few top students to answer. Everyone spoke freely, and it sounded impressive.
The get out of class is finally over.
Yan Huaijin was still writing something. Xuan Duofu waited for a while. Yan Huaijin put down the pen in his hand and said, "Sorry for the long wait."
"It's okay. Lunch hasn't arrived yet anyway." Xuanfu looked at his deskmate's notebook. The words on it were very small. At least they looked better than his handwritten homework. He couldn't help but admire him, "How can you write so small?"
"I saw it yesterday but forgot to mention it."
My deskmate is only six years old but his handwriting is amazing.
Yan Huaijin shook his head, "Don't praise me, this character is very ordinary, there is no character structure."
His little classmate is really humble. Xu Xuanfu stretched out his hand to pinch his little classmate's hair, and praised him with a smile: "You are six years old now and you can write such words. That means you are good at six years old. If you can improve as you grow older, that means you will be good in the future."
Yan Huaijin was slightly stunned. Xuanxuanfu's words always made him feel very special.
"Yeah." He accepted the compliments from Fu and added, "Thank you."
Xuanyu Fu: Who understands? My little deskmate is really cute.
"Let's go, let's go have lunch. It should be ready soon. I'll show you my homework in the afternoon. I made some small changes." Xuanyufu said as he winked at Jinjin.
Yan Huaijin understood silently in an instant.
Xuan Fu had said in the morning that Yan Kai had brought snacks from his hometown. He was a little annoyed that he hadn't thought of this, but at this moment he was full of energy and vitality and was looking forward to the afternoon.
It must be——
Xuanyu Fu: Hehehe, he wants to draw a picture of his greedy classmate roasting lamb.
It is an upgraded version of painting cakes to appease hunger and quenching thirst by looking at plums.
So I had a very enjoyable lunch and ate two bowls of rice. The bowls here were not big or very small, so two bowls were not a lot, but other students only ate one bowl, and no one ever asked the eunuchs to add more rice.
Only after Duoxianfu opened the door, more students came to add food.
It is true that children in their teens are still growing taller.
Yan Huaijin followed the Yan family's dietary habits, eating 80% in the morning and 70% in the evening. He was not allowed to drink tea within one stick of incense after a meal. He did not eat snacks before meals. He seldom ate snacks.
Eating less makes the mind smarter, and being thin means elegance.
As solemn as the wind blowing under the pines, high and slow.
But when dining next to Xuan Duofu, he ate with great relish, not paying attention to dining rules. He ate naturally but not awkwardly, which made the food taste delicious.
And many people would take care of him and serve him food.
When he was five years old, he could eat by himself without being served or cared for, but Yan Huaijin did not mind when Xuanfu picked up food for him.
"Shengdu likes spicy food. I see that you only eat vegetarian dishes, which are light in taste. Why don't you try shrimp and fish? They are also light and refreshing. The most important thing is that eating more meat will help you grow taller." Xuanyunfu recommended to his little classmate with sparkling eyes.
They're going to grow up together.
My father is 1.8 meters tall, and my emperor father looks to be over 1.9 meters tall, so as long as he has a healthy diet, he will be fine.
"I want to grow to 1.88 meters, 1.83 meters is fine." Xuan Fu still has some requirements, at least he wants to be over 1.80 meters.
Confusion flashed across Yan Huaijin's eyes. "How high?"
Now he used the length of a foot. Manyu Fu was stuck for a moment and forgot how to convert it. He stood up and gestured at the door frame. He couldn't reach it, so he pointed with his fingertips, "There, I want to grow tall and big." He sat back down and saw that Li Ang and Zhou Quan were looking at him. He raised his head and said, "I will definitely grow taller if I eat more food, meat and drink more milk."
So Li Ang and Zhou Quan also added more rice.
Yan Huaijin lowered his head silently and ate all the fish and shrimp balls that Duoyufu had picked for him.
Many blessings: Lead the whole class to roll up their height.
You are all children, just eat your food obediently and you won’t need to thank us in the future!
In the afternoon, I had Master Yan's class. When the chimes rang, Master Yan arrived. When Master Yan arrived, he said directly, "Time is limited. Those who have prepared enough homework for today will take the initiative to speak up. Those who are not ready will do so tomorrow."
Although Xuan Fu did not bring in the whole roasted lamb, he planned to talk about it today.
As a top student and a fanatical fan of Master Yan, Li Ang was the first to raise his hand. He also held the small scroll, went up to the podium, opened the scroll, and began to talk about Anle County.
Anle County is not far from Shengdu and is very rich.
Xuan Fu picked up the brush, opened the paper, and his mind was like a puzzle, with Shengdu in the middle. He began to piece together the map of Dasheng piece by piece. It was very interesting, just like what the Taifu said yesterday, Hengwu Mountain is south of Fujiang River.
There is a river in Dasheng called Fujiang River, which runs through the Central Plains from the south and then turns to the east.
Shengdu should be just above the turning point, so there is always seafood in the palace. Anle County is east of Fujiang River, half a month's drive from Shengdu, not too far...
Yan Huaijin tilted his head and saw Xuanfu writing and drawing on the paper. There were lines, circles and triangles on the paper, and next to the triangle was a big word: Zhou Baishan.
Now the newly drawn circle is on the east side of the line, with big words on it: Anle County.
...Many blessings lie in drawing your own topographic maps.
Yan Huaijin nodded. Xuanyufu was very smart.
Appreciate your friends.
The author has something to say:
When Yan Huaijin saw the topographic maps painted by Fu, his pupils dilated slightly, and then he nodded in praise seriously.
good!
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