strayed into fairy mountain

Chapter 16 [Little Scholar]

In the dark night, in the deserted small village, there is the sound of reading aloud, which makes people feel very strange.

Zhang Jingxu led a group of yamen servants, and slowly explored along the small road in the village. There was a cold mist everywhere, as thick as ink that could not be melted.

They searched for the direction of the sound of reading, and finally found that it was at the westernmost end of the village, on the edge, and there was a single residential house.

They were three thatched huts, with a small yard outside the house. The yard was not made of bricks and stones, but a wooden fence most commonly seen in poor families.

The half-covered firewood door can barely be regarded as the door of the small courtyard, but the dilapidated appearance is afraid that even children can't stop it.

From this, it can be felt that this folk house is extremely poor.

But the clear sound of Lang Lang's reading came from this dwelling.

It was already late at night, and the surrounding fog was getting colder and colder. Everyone was standing in front of the house, and Zhang Jingxu was listening to the sound of reading.

"Jade can't be cut, it can't be made into a tool, people don't learn, don't know it, it is the ancient king who builds the country, and the ruler and the people are the first!"

"The current dynasty only knows how to worship the gods, the wine and meat of the wealthy family stink, why do the people suffer..."

"The way to make progress is to study well, or become an official, or set up a school to educate people..."

"One person can save a village by making progress. Therefore, there is great virtue, and I am not afraid of being stabbed by hanging beams. If I can do this, the savior of the whole village will be the savior of the whole village, generation after generation, suffering for more than a hundred years, and escape from the sea of ​​suffering..."

"That's why anyone who stands in my way must have the intention of harming the villagers."

The sound of reading is very clear, every word and every sentence can be heard clearly, it sounds like the way of enlightenment, it seems to be the chapters of exhorting learning in ancient books.

However, Zhang Jingxu listened for a long time, and gradually heard some abnormalities.

He found that these sentences were wrong.

The former sentence promotes the righteous way, and the latter sentence immediately changes, such as the sentence "Jade cannot be cut, it cannot be used, and people do not learn, and they do not know it. Therefore, in ancient times, kings founded the country, and the education of the monarch and the people was the first."

There is no problem with this sentence at all, it is an upright enlightenment.

But the next sentence suddenly turned into a satirical sentence, "The current dynasty only knows how to worship the gods, the wine and meat of the wealthy family stink, why do the people suffer..."

The semantics of the front and back are completely opposite, and it is obviously mixed with the private goods of the people who read in the house.

Another example is the following sentence, "The way to make progress is to study well, or to be an official, or to set up a school to educate people."

This sentence is also no problem, but the essence of the way of exhorting learning.

But following the next paragraph, it made people feel a little creepy.

"One person can save a village by making progress. Therefore, there are sages and sages who are not afraid of being stabbed by hanging beams. If I can do this, the savior of the whole village will be the savior of the whole village. Anyone who stands in my way must have the heart to harm the villagers."

There is nothing wrong with this passage at first glance, but if you read it carefully, you will feel that there is a lot of paranoia in the semantics.

The virtuous and sages hang on the beam and stab the stock.

If I can do this, I will be the savior of the whole village.

That's why if anyone stands in my way, they must have the intention of harming the villagers.

……

This scholar's thinking is very paranoid!

But after listening to it for a long time, I feel that what he said is right...

Zhang Jingxu stood in front of the door for a long time, and decided not to continue listening, so he slowly raised his hand and knocked lightly on the chaimen.

Obviously the door of this house was half-closed, as long as one pushed it casually, the door could be opened and entered, but Zhang Jingxu was not like this, instead knocking on the door solemnly.

And when he knocked on the door, he actually inquired according to the etiquette, as if he was visiting the door, waiting for the owner to agree.

"Dare to ask this family, is anyone there?"

"Please don't blame me for disturbing you in the middle of the night. It's because after I entered the village, I heard Lang Lang reading from a distance. I was so happy that I couldn't help but want to visit."

"Although I came here uninvited, after all, I came because of the book. I just don't know if the owner of the house is willing to see me, a visitor who has taken the liberty to visit..."

As expected of Zhang Jingxu, she had been in the officialdom before time travel. Although she hadn't been a department-level cadre in half her life, she was very skilled in dealing with people.

And with Zhang Jingxu's polite knock on the door, the sound of reading in the hut stopped abruptly.

Immediately afterwards, I heard the owner of the house's slightly surprised voice: "There is a visitor? And it's so courteous! Could it be that he is also a scholar, otherwise how could he be so elegant..."

After hearing this voice, Zhang Jingxu smiled slightly, and deliberately replied: "The master guessed right here, Zhang has indeed studied for several years. Not only have I studied, I have even been a teacher."

Clap!
The door of the hut in the courtyard was pulled open.

But when he saw a weak-crowned young man rushing out with his hair barefoot, his face was full of joy, and he went directly to the gate of the courtyard.

The surrounding mist was as black as ink, but the young man didn't seem to notice it. Instead, his eyes were as clear as water, and he looked eagerly at Zhang Jingxu outside the chai gate.

"Oh, I didn't expect it to be a gentleman? It's really glorious to be a guest at my house."

"Come in, come in, let you wait outside the door for a long time, the students are too rude."

As the young man spoke, he hurriedly opened the firewood gate, making an invitation gesture with both hands, and the sincerity on his face did not seem to be pretending.

However, although his face was sincere and his eyes were as clear as water, Zhang Jingxu didn't enter the door immediately, instead he asked curiously:
"When I knocked on the door just now, I only informed the visitor, but I didn't say anything. I have been listening outside the door for a long time..."

"Dare to ask this little friend, how did you know that I have been waiting for so long?"

"If you didn't know, then why did you say, you feel too rude for making me wait outside the door for a long time!"

what?
This!
The boy seemed to be stunned for a moment, with a strange expression on his face.

He stared blankly at Zhang Jingxu for a while, then he seemed quite shy, and explained softly: "Student...student, I'm just saying that politely, don't you...can't you hear it?"

Zhang Jingxu made a deliberate 'oh', and said meaningfully: "It turned out to be a polite remark, so I blame my over-heartedness! I hope you don't blame me, please forgive me."

"Don't dare!" The young man smiled shyly again, and said very sincerely: "You are an elder, and you are a gentleman. Even if you misunderstand a little, the student should listen obediently."

Zhang Jingxu seemed very relieved, nodded and praised: "That's not bad, he's a honest young man."

The little scholar seemed to be getting more and more shy, his face blushed faintly after being praised.

Zhang Jingxu smiled, walked into Chaimen, looked at the three thatched huts in the courtyard, and sighed softly: "My little friend's family is quite poor, so I can't bear to turn on the lamp when I study late at night."

The little scholar was slightly taken aback, then ran into the hut in a hurry, and said in a slightly shy tone: "The elder came to visit, and I forgot to light the lamp. This is really, this is really rude!"

While speaking, the room suddenly brightened up. Apparently, because of Zhang Jingxu's words, the little scholar ran into the room in a hurry to light the lamp.

After he lit the lamp, he rushed out of the house again, his face still shy, and his tone became more embarrassing, he explained: "I made you laugh, the family is really poor, although the lamp is bright, it needs lamp oil... and lamp oil, And lamp oil..."

Zhang Jingxu smiled gently, and said the following words for him: "Lamp oil is very expensive, you are not willing to part with it, are you?"

The little scholar nodded and said, "If you can save a penny, I will save a penny. Besides, because I have been reading all year round, I already like seeing in the dark. Even if the oil lamp is not lit at night, I can still read in the pitch black!"

"Really?" Zhang Jingxu seemed to have no doubts, but praised in surprise: "This is really a good skill, and it can save a lot of lamp oil money a year."

He boasted so much, but suddenly changed his tone, persuading him, "But being so thrifty is not good for your eyes. No matter how you adapt, seeing things in the dark will definitely hurt your eyes..."

The little scholar sighed, as if explaining or talking to himself, and said softly: "Our grandparents in Sunjiazhuang have been impoverished for generations. The situation like mine is considered good. It is only a little damage to the eyes. The rest of the village are pitiful." , They worked hard and were sick all over."

Zhang Jingxu also sighed, and also said softly: "So you study hard and want to take a road of improvement, so that you can change the situation in the village and lead the villagers to live a better life, right?"

The little scholar nodded quickly, not without joy, and said, "Yes, yes, that's what the students think. Sir, you are worthy of being a well-educated elder, and you can see my thoughts at a glance..."

Zhang Jingxu shook his head, and continued to speak softly: "It's not that I can see your thoughts, it's just that I feel the same way. I used to think the same as you when I was young. I want to lead the village by myself. Walk to abundance."

"Then did you succeed?" the little scholar asked urgently.

Zhang Jingxu shook her head again, seeming suddenly lost: "No, I didn't succeed. Although I wholeheartedly want to be good to the people in the village, they don't want to accept my favor..."

Having said that, I didn't continue, but looked at the young scholar and asked, "What about you? Do people in your village support you in studying?"

The little scholar suddenly became silent.

Zhang Jingxu nodded, and said meaningfully: "I understand, they can't understand your painstaking efforts."

The little scholar remained silent.

He didn't speak again until a long while later, but he kept silent on the topic just now, and just stretched out his hand as an invitation, saying: "Mr. is visiting late at night, dare to invite you to sit in the room. Although the student's family is poor, I will offer you a bowl of Boiled water is still ok..."

Zhang Jingxu said with a smile: "We came here uninvited. We are already a bad guest. My friend, if you can give me a bowl of boiled water, this is already a very good hospitality. From this we can see that we have a pure heart."

The little scholar's face was full of joy when he was praised, and his brows showed joyful embarrassment, and said: "Uncle, you are really elegant, no one in my village has ever praised me so much."

Zhang Jingxu laughed, and said, "It's also the first time I've been praised for my elegance."

Taking advantage of the situation, he lifted his foot and walked into the hut.

When I entered the house and saw it, I felt that everything was normal.

Although the house is completely bare, it looks like a poor and humble situation at first glance, but the few pieces of furniture are spotless, and it is obvious that it is a decent family.

However, the next moment, the voice of the ghost nephew Zhang Gui sounded from the bottom of Zhang Jingxu's heart, with three points of eagerness, but also seemed quite worried, and said anxiously: "Uncle Zhang, be careful, this little scholar's breath is very strange, I I feel that he is probably not human..."

The next moment, Zhang Jingxu answered Zhang Gui from the bottom of his heart: "I know, I know, when I heard his voice reading, I already guessed that he is a ghost!"

(End of this chapter)