Old things in Nancheng

The third year of winter in Shaoxing was a warm winter, and the first snow in Yanguan County had not come for a long time. This was great news for the people who were in corvée labor during the slack season.

The sky was slightly bright that day, Wangjiazhuang changed Wodong's idleness, and all the yards were lit up early.In a small yard by the river, smoke was also rising, and the voices of several young women could be heard from inside the house.

"Wang Zimo, take this thick cotton coat too, it might get cold in certain days."

"Brother, I rushed to make a scarf last night. It's windy by the sea pond, so you can take it too."

"Yan'er is careful and dexterous. Look at this scarf, which is thick and beautiful. Even if I think about it, I can't make it."

"I made my sister-in-law laugh. You have prepared my brother well from head to toe. My scarf is just the icing on the cake."

Wang Zimo smiled lightly as he watched Lin Zhilan and Yan'er busy with themselves, but they were warm all over in this cold weather.Thinking back to last year, I was also in corvée, my family was deserted, and it was my first time to go to work. The preparation of clothes was too simple, and I fell ill after only three days on the embankment.

"Wang Zimo, what are you doing standing there, why don't you think about it carefully, everything is there?" Lin Zhilan couldn't help feeling depressed when she saw that Wang Zimo looked like a normal person.

"With two big burdens, we can celebrate the New Year on the seawall." Wang Zimo knew that Lin Zhilan was not feeling well, so he teased her with a joke to alleviate the sadness of parting.

"Try it, I won't let you in if you don't come back early." Lin Zhilan puffed her stomach and gave Wang Zimo a white look.

Yan'er tactfully hid in the kitchen, leaving room for the young couple to talk.

Wang Zimo took a sneaky look at the kitchen, then approached Lin Zhilan, stretched out his hand to stroke Lin Zhilan's slightly messy hair, and fondled Lin Zhilan's growing belly, and said in a low voice: "I will come back as soon as possible, you can rest assured at home That is, take good care of your baby and don't worry about me."

"Can you not worry, go to the beach to work in the cold weather." For some reason, Lin Zhilan was always restless.

"It's not going to the battlefield, it's just a matter of exerting some strength. You also know that this time I'm going to manage accounts and distribute food. I don't have to suffer from cold and hardship. I can feel at ease." Wang Zimo squeezed Lin Zhilan's little hand and comforted: "I During the time you are away, you and Yan'er get along well, although she is young, she is sensible and obedient since she was a child, if there is anything wrong with her, let her go."

"I know, she is your sister, and she is also my sister. I can still argue with the child. You are not afraid that I will bully her." Lin Zhilan pinched Wang Zimo and said coquettishly.

"How can it be? I'm afraid that your heart will not be smooth."

"Wang Zimo, I really don't want you to leave, you never left me." Lin Zhilan couldn't help but stepped forward to hug her when she heard Wang Zimo's words of concern.

I am used to being alone by my side, and suddenly we are separated, and it is a special pregnancy period, so the mood will inevitably be unstable.Although the two chatted for a long time last night, Lin Zhilan was also mentally prepared, but when the time came to separate, she was so reluctant.

"Stay at home obediently, and wait for me to come back." Wang Zimo kissed Lin Zhilan's beautiful hair lightly, feeling extremely reluctant.

The two burdens were heavy, and they were full of family love for him. Behind them were the nostalgic eyes of Lin Zhilan and Yan'er. Wang Zimo turned his head and walked towards the third uncle's house.

At this time, it was broad daylight, and the field in front of the third uncle's house was full of villagers in corvee service, and there were many family members who saw him off.The third uncle followed the officials sent by the government to roll their names one by one with yellow pages. After waiting for everyone, everyone boarded the cart prepared by the village, and shrank away in the cold wind.

All the way to the gate of Yanguan County, there are yamen scribes registering here, surrounded by people who rushed from all over the place, standing in clusters.Some huddled in a daze, some gathered together to talk, and some smoked and listened.Farmers were talking about this year's harvest, businessmen were talking about this year's rice market and oil market, boat runners were talking about anecdotes on the canal, and a few people sneaked around the crowd to observe, so as to make a fortune in the chaos.

All kinds of people are bustling and bustling with fish and dragons, but what remains unchanged are the thin coarse cotton clothes on their bodies and the weather-beaten skin on their faces, revealing their humbleness and shabbiness from the bottom of their bones.

Wang Zimo stood in it, out of tune with this situation.Her slender figure, straight back, well-dressed clothes, unruly combed hair, and the half-worn gown on her body clearly distinguished her from the others.

"Hey, isn't this the Wangshu brother from Wangjiazhuang!"

Wang Zimo heard the angry voice, looked up, but saw a group of people from Lin Village coming, and the leader was a strong young man from their village - Gou Zi.

Chen Wangshu, who was standing beside Wang Zimo, saw him, stepped forward quickly, punched Gouzi, and said happily, "Gouzi, you are here too!"

"I'm the boss of the family. My father is getting old. If I don't come, whoever will come." Although the dog's name is not good, but his body is like a wolf and a tiger. Compared with Chen Wangshu, he retaliated with Chen Wangshu's punch , Chen Wangshu's body actually took a step back.

"Brother Wangshu, is this the 'Scholar Master' of your village?" Gouzi said disdainfully when he saw Wang Zimo.

"Brother Gouzi, please be polite." Wang Zimo bowed his hands.

"Don't, don't, don't give me this set of stupid things, you are a scholar, I am a mud leg, I can't afford it." Gouzi said modestly, but his tone was full of contempt .

"Gouzi, she is my brother, please be more polite." Chen Wangshu was not happy to see Gouzi treating Wang Zimo like this.

"Brother Wangshu, let me tell you the truth. We farmers can't stay with their scholars, so you should stay far away. Otherwise, if they get tired and sick, you will have to do the rest of the work." Gouzi said bluntly.

Wang Zimo's expression was extremely embarrassing when he heard Gouzi's words.

They were all sent to carry river mud last year when they repaired the embankment. Wang Zimo, with his small body, could not do this job. Because of his thin clothes, he fell ill in only three days. Chen Wangshu helped her do the job.Among this group of young and strong farmers, Wang Zimo is like a sheep in a pack of wolves, isn't he being bullied?

"Since we are brothers, we will share the blessings and difficulties together!" Chen Wangshu gave Gouzi a warning look, and then led Wang Zimo back to Wang's family circle.

"Brother Shu, thank you." Wang Zimo said in a low voice.

"Thank you, we don't like this." Chen Wangshu waved his hand nonchalantly.

Wang Zimo lowered his head and walked slowly, feeling as if a big stone was pressing on his heart, stuffy.Gouzi's phrase "Master Xiucai" is extremely insulting. If he is really a scholar, he can be exempted from corvee, but Wang Zimo is not. The dog said this to ridicule Wang Zimo. Pick one, waste one.

"Don't pay attention to those stinky shit, they know nothing!" Chen Wangshu spat and said, "You use your brain, we work hard. Look at the ancient times, hard work can do more than use your brain? Just say In the Song Dynasty, the generals were killed and killed, and the civil servants could wipe away the military achievements by just raising their mouths, saying that you helped the village sell grain. We people have worked hard for a whole year. Without you, we Hard-earned money has long been taken by profiteers."

Wang Zimo was a little surprised when he heard the words, he didn't expect that the rough man Chen Wangshu had such insights.

"Brother Shu, you don't have to carry my work for me this year." Wang Zimo said.

"What can you do? We are brothers. Maybe I can still watch you die from exhaustion. Besides, you are about to become a father, and your mother-in-law is so powerful. If I don't take good care of you, go back She will definitely poke her back." Chen Wangshu pouted, thinking that Lin Zhilan was really a tigress, and Wang Zimo would never even think about raising his head if he married such a wife.

"No, Lan'er looks fierce, but she is actually strong. Besides, she doesn't have any prejudice against you. I still have the pancakes she brought you in my bag, with pork added."

"Add meat? This prodigal mother-in-law eats meat like a god. If she eats a bite of meat, I can't sell it to her. Xiao Er, your mother-in-law is planning to let me do the work of two people?" Chen Wangshu trembled. Dao, I always feel that Lin Zhilan is not so kind.

"Maybe." Wang Zimo smiled lightly, deliberately not telling Chen Wangshu that he would manage the accounts, and he didn't have to work hard at all.

"Then you have to give me your cake, or I will be at a big loss. Also, if you give birth to a girl, you have to marry my boy." Chen Wangshu said nonchalantly.

"I'll give you the cake, but my daughter won't make it. Besides, you haven't found your wife yet. Where did you come from?" On the issue of principle, Wang Zimo has always been upright. If Lin Zhilan knows Chen Wangshu's idea of ​​beating the child, she really doesn't have to answer. home.

After a lot of noise, it was finally Wangjiazhuang's turn to sign the cards. Everyone registered and signed, got a wooden card, and then boarded the cart prepared by the yamen and went to the seawall.

"Are you Wang Zimo from Wangjiazhuang?"

When Wang Zimo saw a yamen servant asking, he cupped his hands and said, "It's the boy."

"Come with me." The yamen servant didn't say much, turned around and left.

"Xiao Er, what's the matter?" Chen Wangshu asked in a low voice, there is a saying that the people do not fight against the officials, and it is sure that nothing good will happen if the official finds him.

"Wait for me, I'll come whenever I go." But Wang Zimo knew that it was her senior brother who had never masked her face who came to find her.

Many people watched Wang Zimo leave, some were worried, some were gleeful, and they didn't know what to be happy about.

Wang Zimo followed the yamen servant into a temporary shed, saw a clerk about 30 years old sitting inside, he understood, bowed his hands and bowed to salute: "Boy Wang Zimo, I have seen Hu Gongfang."

"Yo, junior brother, you are here, tell senior brother to wait." Hu Delai got up, walked up to Wang Zimo affectionately, took Wang Zimo's hand, and brought her into the room.

Wang Zimo was a little confused by Hu Delai's enthusiastic behavior. Although they were from the same family, they had never met each other. Wang Zimo only knew that he had such a senior brother when Xing Rong wrote her a letter.There is no friendship, no status, Xing Rong just said a word, I really don't understand why Hu Delai treats her so affectionately.

The housekeepers in the yamen are used to bullying the highs and the lows. As Wang Zimo, Hu Delai only needs to arrange an errand and it will be done. Even if he doesn't help, it's normal.

In the inner room, a yamen servant served hot tea, and the two sat down. Hu Delai smiled and said, "I don't know you as a brother, but I have heard about you from Master for a long time. Master is outstanding in learning and strategizing." People, it’s a pity that the world is impermanent, and talents are not met. Master once told me that you are smart and studious, and you are the best in Yanguan County. "

"Zimo didn't dare to praise him as a master, but because he was young, the master favored him." Wang Zimo replied cautiously.

"There is a preference. Today I see you with pretty eyes and a bright face. Although I am only a county workshop, I have seen many people. With just one glance, I know that you are not a thing in the pool. You will be a Kunpeng in the future." Spreading your wings, I don't blame Master for being so concerned about you." Hu Delai's words of praise flowed like tides, which made Wang Zimo more and more confused.

"Senior brother, Zimo is just a small farmer in the countryside. He only knows how to farm, but he doesn't know anything else." Wang Zimo said modestly.

"Brother at such an age, it's very nice to be humble and polite. Brother has already arranged your affairs, and when you arrive at Haitang, someone will take care of you." Hu Delai said.

"Zimo thanked Senior Brother." Wang Zimo got up and saluted respectfully. She felt at ease when this major event was over.

"Sit down, you and my brother, there is no need to be polite." Hu Delai stroked his sparse beard and sighed: "Your work is just a word for brother, but brother's errand is difficult to handle. This year's corvee, It really made Brother Wei feel very sad."

Seeing that Hu Delai changed the topic for no reason, Wang Zimo couldn't help being curious.There are corvees every year, and Hu Delai, who has been in charge of the workshop for many years, should be familiar with the way, why would he feel that there is a difficulty, could it be that something big happened?

Although he thought so, Wang Zimo was cautious and didn't answer casually, but Hu Delai didn't intend to fool him.