Encounter with the Four Great Talents

When Zhang Jingyu saw Tang Shen, he was taken aback for a moment. The young man in his memory, who was charming or insipid, became warm and harmonious. The appearance of smiling but rejecting others is much warmer.Obviously, Hua Ding military commander took good care of him.The corners of his mouth were raised: "Long time no see."

Tang Shen looked up and down at his simple attire: "Brother Zhang, are you going back to Suzhou?"

"Yes, my uncle passed away, so I went back to Suzhou to pay my respects."

"I see." Tang Shen felt a little strange to the indifferent Zhang Jingyu in front of him, and his eyes drifted to Hua Dingwu unconsciously, looking innocent and helpless.

Hua Dingwu smiled, lowered his head and kissed him on the forehead: "Get on board, we are about to set sail."

Tang Shen could only nod obediently, and was supported by Hua Dingwu back to the boat from the springboard.Zhang Jingyu and the attendants behind him also boarded the boat quickly, and the boatman set off as soon as he was ready.

Because of the slow travel, it will take about seven or eight days to reach Suzhou according to the voyage.After Zhang Jingyu found out, he thanked the Hua family brothers, entered his cabin but did not come out.

Tang Shen frowned, wondering if he should go over and talk to him.After all, the two were also friends, and seeing his depressed appearance, Tang Shen was also somewhat concerned.Moreover, he believed that with Zhang Jingyu's unrestrained style, his blow to him was considered minor, probably because of the turmoil in the court.

But Hua Dingwu was standing beside him, he was indirectly the maker and planner of the turmoil, so he couldn't go in and speak ill of Hua Dingwu.So he walked around outside Zhang Jingyu's cabin with a little bit of entanglement, making Hua Dingwu laugh.

Naturally, Zhang Jingyu also heard the sound in the room. Tang Shen is thin and lazy, so his footsteps are always limp and slow, especially here in the cabin, and walking on wood is naturally even louder.Knowing that he cared, but he was a little embarrassed to disturb himself, smiled and stood up, and opened the door.

Tang Shen was circling around when he saw him open the door, startled, blinked his eyes: "Uh, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Jingyu turned sideways to make way: "Do you want to come in?"

Tang Shen nodded and walked in.Zhang Jingyu didn't close the door, and walked back to the cabin.Tang Shen sat on the only stool in the cabin, and he sat on the bed.The two were on one side, not too close or far away, just sitting facing each other, talking without pain or itching.In short, there are all kinds of polite greetings, and then talk about the current situation, there is not a single superfluous and intimate word.It's not that Tang Shen didn't want to talk about it, but because he didn't want to be with Zhang Jingyu at the beginning, he deliberately didn't understand the Zhang family's situation carefully, which made it impossible for him to start now.But Zhang Jingyu didn't want to ask in detail. He knew Tang Shen's current state very well, as could be seen from the marks on his neck.

So, after talking for less than a quarter of an hour, Tang Shen stood up helplessly and said goodbye. Zhang Jingyu got up and walked him to the door. Seeing that he was a little disappointed, he smiled and said, "Don't worry too much, I'm fine. .”

Tang Shen turned to look at him, sighed, nodded and said, "Brother Zhang is an ambitious person, and you will eventually have your world. It's just that I couldn't help but want to persuade you, and I was too eager to try a shortcut. , Maybe it’s a dead end. Brother Zhang is talented and capable, wouldn’t it be better to be down-to-earth?”

Zhang Jingyu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled: "Shen'er, sometimes you can't help yourself."

Tang Shen frowned, sighed, nodded and said, "My little brother is thinking superficially." Then he smiled and said, "If Brother Zhang is not tired, you can come to the deck at night. We decided to have barbecue, drink and have fun."

Zhang Jingyu laughed loudly: "You are not afraid of burning the boat."

The two talked for a while and then parted. Tang Shen returned to his cabin, and Zhang Jingyu also closed the room for him to rest.

There is indeed a barbecue at night, because yesterday morning when I was at the port, I saw an old man carrying two baskets of chickens for sale.Because he was curious that he sold chickens to this port, Tang Shen sent someone to ask, and found out that the old man had lost his money bag, so he could only sell chickens to make money and take a boat home.It was rare for Tang Shen to be kind enough to spend money to buy it, but there were too many chickens to finish, so he decided to roast it all at once tonight.

I didn't want to go on a night trip, so I stopped the boat when I arrived at the ferry, and the people in the two boats got off the boat and left quickly. The wine was also brought up, and they were busy preparing for a barbecue meeting on the deck.

On a night with a bright moon and few stars, there is a gentle breeze on the water and sparkling light.One circle for masters, one circle for girls, one circle for boys, and one circle for boatmen.There are plates around them, with marinated meat in them.Tang Shen excitedly picked up an iron bar, pierced the meat, put it on the fire and started roasting.

This barbecue is often made in the Tang family, especially in winter, but the Hua family has never eaten it, so everyone thinks it is very fresh.The others looked at Tang Shen and Dongyue's behavior very curiously, and then followed suit, and then salivated while smelling the aroma and waiting for it to be cooked.

Wei Ting smiled: "This is ordinary barbecue. Brother Shen likes to eat this?"

Tang Shen didn't speak, but stared wide-eyed at the meat on the iron bar in his hand, and nodded when he asked.

Wei Ting said with a smile: "Then let's go hunting together some other day. Brother's arrow skills are very good. Let him hunt some pheasants and rabbits and bake them for you to eat. The taste will be even better."

Tang Shen wrinkled his nose and asked Hua Dingwu beside him: "Roast directly? Wouldn't it be very fishy?"

Hua Dingwu nodded: "It will have a fishy smell, it's better to bring it back and process it before eating."

Hua Dingwen ate less, and looked at the barbecue in his hand brightly: "Is it cooked? Is this skewer cooked?"

Tang Shen looked at his chicken wings and mushrooms and nodded, "It's done."

Hua Dingwen immediately picked it up and took a bite, his eyes lit up: "It's delicious!"

When one person lets go, the others eat more and more, and finally start grabbing.It's rare to be able to eat meat with such open arms, so what if you don't eat more?

Tang Shen always eats politely, except for barbecue, he bites into his mouth immediately after roasting, his hands and face are covered with oil.Hua Ding Wu Aijie couldn't stand the roasted black meat and blackened iron bars, Tang Shen smiled and tore off a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth: "Don't put your noble son's genealogy here, don't you feel tired?" tired?"

Hua Dingwen nodded while biting the meat: "Shen'er is right, what a spectacle! Ah! Wei Ting! That piece of meat is mine!"

Wei Ting was proud with the meat in his mouth: "Whoever grabs it will be the winner! Well, this piece of chicken leg is really delicious."

While eating the meat, Zhang Jingyu stared at the chicken in front of him with wide eyes, and switched the two pieces of meat without Tang Shen beside him not paying attention.Hua Dingwu immediately flew over with a fierce eye knife, snatched the meat back, and did not pass it to Tang Shen, and began to bite himself.

Seeing his greasy face, Tang Shen laughed out loud.

Hua Dingwu glared at him, seeing his bright smiling face in the firelight, and in the end he could only stuff a piece of meat into his mouth.

Eating meat, drinking alcohol, and the bustle and bustle on the deck attracted many people around to watch.

By the time almost all the meat had been wiped out, everyone on board had had enough to eat.The servants began to clean, and the masters disembarked from the boat for a walk to digest food.

This ferry is not small, but it is far away from the town, and most of the ships parked around it are cargo ships. At this time, they all went to rest separately.

Tang Shen muttered while rubbing his stomach, "I don't want to eat meat any more in a short time, it's so exhausting."

Hua Dingwu glared at him: "I'm still trying to eat."

"You stuffed it here." Tang Shen was dissatisfied.Eating also depends on the atmosphere. Everyone eats happily and naturally has a good appetite. If you eat a lot, you don’t notice it. After eating, you find that your stomach is about to burst. "In the future, I should ask brother Shang Zhengming to work with me. If I can't finish eating, I will give him all the food, so as not to overeat myself."

Hua Dingwu laughed: "Do you think he is a bottomless pit? Give him everything." Tang Shen himself has a normal appetite, especially his picky mouth, so if he can't finish eating, he will send all the things he doesn't like to Wen Zhengming. Wen Zhengming Anyone who comes is not rejected, and every time I eat, I am very happy.

Tang Shen shook his head and squinted his eyes and smiled: "We are called one willing to fight and the other willing to suffer." Hua Dingwu shook his head helplessly.

It seems that everyone got to know each other after eating this lively barbecue, and Zhang Jingyu no longer looked dead. Usually, everyone chatted and basked in the sun on the deck, and the atmosphere was very good.

It's just that when we reached the boundary of Jiangnan, the weather began to get worse and worse, and the continuous rain made people almost moldy.

Tang Shen looked at the animal carcasses floating past on the water, and said with a low face, "This rain seems to be heavier than in previous years."

Zhang Jingyu nodded: "And it has been raining for a month, which is really abnormal. Although it has stopped, it still rains most of the time. Looking at the dams on both sides, it has obviously risen a lot."

Hua Dingwen came over to take a look, and frowned: "The water is only a few feet away from the dam, isn't it dangerous?"

Wei Ting nodded: "If it goes up a bit more, it will be troublesome if any dam breaks down."

Zhang Jingyu asked the boatman: "Will you be able to arrive in Suzhou tomorrow?"

"Yes, we will be able to arrive at the ferry tomorrow." The boatman also frowned, and was a little worried. "It seems that this channel will also be out of service, otherwise something may go wrong."

Everyone fell silent, Hua Dingwu said after a while, "When I arrive in Suzhou, I want to go to the magistrate's yamen first."

The others nodded, Hua Dingwu, the leader of Jinyiwei, was there, as long as he went to remind him, the magistrate would not dare to ignore it.In this way, even if there is a flood, there will be no major troubles.

When we finally arrived in Suzhou, it was still raining. Although it was not heavy, it was still unsettling that it almost reached the water surface of the pier.Tang Shen was wrapped tightly and got off the boat. Standing beside Hua Dingwu, watching his eyes staring at the water, he sighed and tugged at his sleeve: "I'm not familiar with Suzhou, why don't we go to the inn and wait for you first. Brother Zhang will accompany you to the magistrate?"

Hua Dingwen also came over with an umbrella and said, "I'll go there too. Although I can't control the flood, if there is a flood, you have to be careful about the epidemic. I don't worry. I'll go over and see how they are preparing. .”

Several people nodded and set the itinerary, Wei Ting and Tang Shen found an inn in Suzhou City to rest temporarily, and Zhang Jingyu led the others to go to the magistrate's yamen immediately.

Standing by the window, Wei Ting looked at the surrounding Jiangnan buildings and old-fashioned paths under the smoky rain, the cornices and white walls under the rain curtain, the wooden windows and black tiles were exceptionally clear and clean, the green leaves washed clean by water and the bright red Lanterns add a lot to the scenery in front of you.He smiled and said, "It's said that the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is beautiful and quiet, and it's true."

Tang Shen was used to seeing it, and didn't think it was special, so he just warmed his fingers with tea: "Brother Wei, have you never been to Jiangnan?"

"I have been to Jiangnan, after all, I have traveled all over the world for so many years. It is true that I have never been here in Suzhou." Wei Ting sat back at the table, took a sip from the teacup offered by Qiuxiang and said, "Good tea, everyone says that Jiangnan is outstanding. The scenery is outstanding, I just hope that nothing will really spoil the aura here this time."

Tang Shen laughed and said, "Brother Wei, when did you become a Fengshui master? In fact, if there is really a flood, there will be no accidents in this city. Naturally, there are aqueducts in the city to drain the water, and the nearby dams There will also be guards and reinforcements. The only worry is outside the city. If there is a problem with the dam near the ordinary people, it will be troublesome."

Wei Ting nodded: "Yes, if something goes wrong, it will be the common people who will suffer. I just hope everything is not that bad."

Hua Dingwu and the others came back very quickly. Seeing the respectful expressions of the government servants behind him, it was clear that his goal had been achieved.Hua Dingwen wiped off the rainwater on his body, took a sip of tea to relieve his breath, and said with a little reassurance: "This magistrate is not bad, he is quite experienced, all kinds of things are fully prepared, and the embankment has also been strengthened to guard day and night. I don't think anything big will happen."

Hua Dingwu said to Tang Shen: "Let's set off quickly, I just hope that nothing will happen on the way to Wu County."

Zhang Jingyu shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter, this road is all by land, although there will be a few bridges, but they are all stone bridges are very strong, and the flood will not damage them, and will not affect the journey to Wu County."

Wei Ting didn't know, so he asked a lot: "Brother Zhang is familiar with this road?"

Zhang Jingyu laughed dryly, and looked at Tang Shen embarrassedly.Last year, he often traveled to and from Wu County, Changzhou to find Tang Shen, so he was naturally very familiar with this journey.

Tang Shen looked at Hua Dingwu's stinky expression and stared at him, and leaned over to kiss him funny. Seeing his face calm down, he said, "If you go faster, the journey will take about two or three days. , there is really no need to worry about accidents. Shall we leave today or take a day off?"

Hua Dingwu's eyes darkened slightly, and his voice was low: "Then let's leave tomorrow."

Tang Shen froze for a moment, seeing something in his dark eyes, gave him an embarrassed look and turned his head away.

At present, the group had a meal of authentic Jiangnan cuisine, and went to bed early after bathing.It's just that there were some strange noises coming from Hua Dingwu and Tang Shen's room all the time, making everyone sleep a little uneasy, and it didn't stop until the middle of the night.Hua Dingwu, who carried Tang Shen downstairs the next morning, received a severe scolding from Hua Dingwen.

The magistrate borrowed a few carriages and the driver to send them off, Hua Dingwu was not polite, asked Qiuxiang Dongyue to pack the inside more comfortably, and sat in with Tang Shen in his arms.Zhang Jingyu, on the other hand, had to separate from the crowd, and made an appointment to go to Tang's house in Wu County to get together again after finishing his business.

The road was indeed smooth, and soon reached the boundary of Wu County.Tang Shen missed it a lot after being away for several months. He lifted the curtain and looked around while showing the way. Even if it was splashed with rain, it didn't affect his good mood.

Seeing the gate of the Tang family from a distance, Tang Shen's mood became even more elevated. "It's there!"

Wu Dao jumped down and knocked on the door. The stone who opened the door looked at the decent young man in front of him and scratched his head: "Who are you looking for?"

"Stone."

Shitou raised his head abruptly, and looked at the familiar person in the carriage and shouted in surprise: "Second Master! You are back!"