Chapter 85 Chapter 85 A letter.
Three days after the Cold Food Festival, when fireworks are banned, comes Qingming Festival.
Qingming at this time is also one of the 24 solar terms, marking the middle of spring. When the temperature warms up, people will have some spring sacrifices to nature, praying that insects will retreat and spring farming will go smoothly.
However, customs such as offering sacrifices to ancestors, sweeping tombs and going outings have not yet been formed.
It was because Tian lost his life in a canal boat capsized in the Mian River on the Qingming Festival last year.
Ji Xu bought some spring wine, preserved dates, mulberries and other fruits, put them in a basket, strung them together with a hoe and carried them on his shoulders. He took his two sisters to pay tribute to Tian and repaired the grave.
The news that the boat capsized in the Mian River and even the bodies were not recovered was reported by the government.
The Chen family approached their neighbors, and it was the Deng family who responded warmly. They were the family that was helping to buy tofu skin. The two families helped the orphaned sisters by clearing a piece of land on the cemetery and building a cenotaph for them.
It is said that this way Tian will not become a wandering ghost, her soul can be found and see her daughter, and her sisters will have a place to pay tribute to their mother in the future.
Fenshan is also a small hill on Niupi Mountain. Because it has sparse trees, people in the village build their graves here when they die, so it is called Fenshan.
As you walk along, you can see steamed bun-like graves, some of which are covered with grass, and some of which are still covered with new soil.
Ji Feng walked in front, holding a hatchet to chop the weeds and thorns that were tripping them. Ji Zhu walked in the middle, and Ji Xu followed behind with a hoe on his shoulder.
The two younger sisters were familiar with the place, as they often came to the grave site because they missed their mother.
Later, Ji Xu came back and often came to tell his mother the good news that the family had made money and was getting better and better. He would also tidy up the grass on the grave, so the grave did not look like it had been neglected for a long time.
It's just that the sisters didn't go out for safety reasons a while ago. It was the Rain Water season when grass grew luxuriantly, and some grass grew up to the ankles. The roots were not deep, so they could be dug out quickly with a hoe.
Ji Xu hoes from the bottom up, throws the grass aside, and gradually clears the muddy ground.
Ji Feng was arranging fruits in front, and saw that the wooden tablet was engraved with "The Tomb of Ji's Wife, Tian".
"Mother, I'm home to see you. My sister is doing very well now. She opened a tofu shop. We not only raise chickens, but also cows and donkeys. We have a tiled house and a small courtyard, and we even have a well.
Tell mother quietly that we didn't come to see you recently because the thief who kidnapped my sister has reappeared. However, she has finally been apprehended by the authorities."
Speaking of this, Ji Feng was filled with hatred. It was because of this thief that her sister left home and became a slave, suffering hardships. Her mother died without being able to see the eldest daughter she had been looking for for more than two years.
"I heard that her head was cut off. My mother is over there and can rest in peace now."
"Oh, by the way, Mother, my sister sent me and my younger sister to school. She said that this would help us become more intelligent. Mr. Yang from the library praised Xiaozhu's handwriting and said she was very talented."
After saying that, he lowered his head and said to Ji Zhu, "Xiao Zhu, now that you are here, why don't you talk to your mother?"
Ji Zhu always kept shaking her head with a frown on her face, but Ji Xu could see that her eyes were red, so he said:
"Xiaozhu, can you recite a few new classical Chinese lines for me?"
Ji Zhu nodded and recited the "Jijiupian" in a childish voice:
"I have hurriedly prepared a unique and distinctive work, listing the names and surnames of various objects. I have separated them into their respective departments and not mixed them up. I have kept my time to a minimum and have truly delighted you. If you work hard on this, you will surely be happy. Please share your thoughts on the chapter. Song Yannian, Zheng Zifang, Wei Yishou, Shi Buchang, Zhou Qianqiu..."
Ji Feng tilted her head and looked at her sister reciting ancient texts with pride. Ji Xu, who was weeding nearby, also stopped and looked at the scene with satisfaction while leaning on his hoe.
But there are always regrets when burying relatives underground. I think it would be great if Tian was still alive.
On the way home from the grave mountain, I met You Youjiao who was on patrol.
"Patrol, sir." Ji Xu called out.
I saw You Youjiao bringing a young man with an unfamiliar face and introducing him:
"This is my new village guard, Zhang, a filial fellow."
Ji Xu greeted the new patrol officer and asked:
"You Youjiao was promoted?"
Speaking of this, Yulu said with great ambition:
"I've resigned. My brother is going to Wu County as a filial and honest official to meet the prefect. I will follow him. We brothers will definitely make a name for ourselves when we go!"
Wu County was the seat of Kuaiji County, and the county magistrate usually lived in Wu County. If Tian Shefu succeeded, he would become a disciple of the doctoral student, and if he failed, he would return to his original place to serve. You Lu's resignation showed that he was extremely convinced of his brother.
Ji Xu heard this and said with a smile: "Then I wish you two brothers great success."
When he got home, he prepared some food, all dry food, twenty baked sesame cakes, and twenty boiled eggs. He wrapped them in two pieces of linen and took them to the public field.
There was no one in the thatched hut. After waiting for a while, the farmer came back with a shovel on his shoulder, having finished digging the irrigation canal.
She stood in the field, and at her feet there was the sound of rushing water, the sound of the river flowing into the irrigation canal, irrigating the rice fields. She said:
"I heard you're leaving for Wu County tomorrow morning. Take these dry rations with you for the journey. We don't have enough time, so I only made some sesame cakes and steamed eggs."
Lingshui County is more than 500 miles away from Wu County. She asked You Youjiao, and he said that since they were traveling on official business, they could change to the lower-grade horses of the post station along the way, and could travel more than 100 miles a day. It was estimated that they would arrive in three days.
There will be pavilions or post houses along the way to accommodate overnight stays, but you have to be self-sufficient in food and drink during the day's journey.
Therefore, she prepared these amounts because she was in a hurry and did not pursue deliciousness, but only wanted to fill her stomach.
"Thank you, that's enough."
Zhuang Gaiyi and Youlu were not so thoughtful and meticulous, but they would just stop by wherever there was rice and porridge for a while. If they couldn't find any food, they would go to the pavilion with empty stomachs at night to eat and drink.
With these, they don't have to go on an empty stomach. They are two grown men with big appetites, so they will definitely be able to eat all of this.
"Stand still for a moment."
Zhuang Gaiyi said this and went into the thatched cottage. When he came out, his food was ready and he was holding a piece of yellowish-brown cloth in his hand.
"This is a map of the Han Dynasty. Take it. It may be useful to you."
Zhuang Gaiyi was going on a long journey this time, and the county government had prepared a map. He picked up a lantern at night and drew a copy according to the map, which he gave to her.
Ji Xu took it with pleasure, and saw her unfold it, her eyes sparkling.
"You can't buy a map like this in any bookstore in the city. Thank you very much."
Since there were two children in her family who were in elementary school, she wanted to go to the bookstore and buy some maps, wooden tablets of geography, etc. to show her two younger sisters, so that they would know where their home was and how big the country was, and then tell them about the scenery outside.
However, the county could only buy maps of Kuaiji County at most, and there were no maps of a larger area. After all, most people guarded the land, and going to the county was a long journey. If the government conscripted them for labor, they would not need to check the maps themselves. Therefore, these were mostly collected as books and circulated among the nobles.
Ji Xu got it, which was like getting a treasure. He pointed at the sign of Lingshui County and said:
"We are here now."
Zhuang Gaiyi lowered his gaze and saw her fingertips lightly move, which was a distance of more than 500 miles. She said:
"You will go here, Wu County. If you can be recommended as a filial and honest official by the prefect, you will go here."
This time she pointed to a more distant place, the capital Chang'an, a short section on the map, three thousand miles away. She only heard her say:
"I wish you success in becoming a doctoral student and being promoted to the rank of General of the Imperial Guards!"
This time, Zhuang Gaiyi saw her off from the public fields. A silent shadow fell on her shoulders. She remembered something and asked:
"What's the connection between the Qiao family and the Wu Liang siblings? My family and the Qiao family have business dealings. I rented a small shop there and also sell their tofu. I'm always feeling uneasy."
She remembered that Wu Liang had gotten off the bus at Qiaojiajiaomen, but was released without a fight after reporting the incident. Therefore, she was worried that the Qiao family was involved with him, but she never heard Tian Shefu mention it afterwards.
Zhuang Gaiyi said, "It has nothing to do with her. It was just a deception. The officials who accepted her bribes have been punished. You can still do business with her family as usual."
There was no mention of County Magistrate Pan, the Qiao family, or their involvement with Wu Liang.
Ji Xu was simply a victim in the past, and Pan and Qiao would not point their knives at her. On the contrary, the more they knew about the inside story, the more difficult it would be for them to make a living in the jurisdiction of Pan County Magistrate, who should now be called Pan County Magistrate.
It won’t be too late to tell you in detail when he is brought down in the future.
The next day, Jixu and her sister returned from outside. The gate of the pavilion was wide open. The gatekeeper saw them and said,
"That little girl at the back of the car, is she the Fengnu from Benguli?
The postman just came with a letter for you, and I'm giving it to you."
At that time, letters were written on wooden slips, and then covered with a piece of wood called "jian".
The teeth between the two pieces of wood are the same, and there will be ropes along the outer ring along the teeth to tie them together.
Then seal it with mud and stamp it on the mud. Once it is opened and peeked at, there will be traces. This way, it plays a role similar to that of envelopes in later generations.
"A letter? It's for me? Did Father Ting make a mistake?"
Ji Feng was confused for a moment. She had never been out of the county, so who would write a letter to her? She didn't know such a person.
Ji Xu was also puzzled, so he took the call for her and asked:
"Father Ting, do you know where this letter came from?"
Tingfu said, "It's far away. I heard from the postman Chen that he came from Youzhou.
And this package came with the letter."
It was wrapped in a plain piece of linen. When it was untied, it turned out to be two sets of ramie jackets. Although the material was of inferior quality, when compared with their body sizes, they were both the same size as Feng and Zhu.
Ji Xu took it and examined the stitches carefully under the sun. They looked remarkably familiar; they resembled Tian's needlework! Her thread-reeling technique was unique, and she had taught Ji Xu how to do it, so she remembered it.
My heart suddenly started beating wildly, and I felt a small bump on my hand. It turned out to be something sewn into my clothes.
"Sister, there's something inside!"
Ji Feng took the other piece and also felt the small bump on the lining of the cuff.
They were so busy that they returned home without even having time to unload the truck and water the cows.
First, I used scissors to pick out the threads of the jacket, and what I picked out were two pieces of silver the size of finger joints!
The rope of the letter also tangled, and the letter read:
My mother is away, and everything is fine. I will find my sister one day and return home to reunite with her. I hope Feng and Zhu take good care of themselves.
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