continuation [farming]

There was Zhang Shiyi's promise as bait, hanging in front of Xia He, it was rare for Xia He to read the book honestly for more than two months.For more than two months, every ten days, Li Mu would always come to take a look.It seems that Li Mu, who is about to take the provincial examination, seems to be more free than Xia He.

In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of March, Li Mu counted the days, and it was time for him to set off.Aunt Lin and Mrs. Li packed up the soft things, which was much easier than what Xia He packed up during the county examination.Hearing that Xia He was going to follow, Mrs. Li specially stuffed more, telling Li Mu not to wrong Xia He.

How could Xia He be wronged?As long as he can remember, he has stayed in Anle Village, and he is only familiar with two or three places. This is his first time traveling far, and he is very excited. He is afraid that if he is allowed to spend the night in the mountains, he will also get something interesting.

It's a pity that Zhang Shixi and Lan Niang were taking turns staring at him to find the wrong place, planning to find a reason to let him stay, and even put aside their daily work for the time being.Xia He had no choice but to pull herself together and put on the most serious look, never daring to make a mistake at the last moment and let her parents catch her.

In the end, Zhang Shishi, who failed to catch Xia He's mistake, saw Xia He's desperate posture, so he waved his hand and said to Lan Niang: "You should pack his luggage for him, I don't think this place is a big hit. Stay, my heart has already flown, we can't stay!"

Xia He felt a little owed, and before leaving, she quietly asked Li Mudao: "I always feel that I shouldn't leave? Brother Mu, what do you think? —Anyway...Anyway, I'm going to make trouble for you."

Li Mu looked at his father-in-law and mother-in-law, but Zhang Shiyi remained silent, while Lan Niang turned her back to the three men in the family, watching her movements as if she was wiping tears.He thought for a while and said, "It's fine for you to stay."

Xia He shook her head: "I was thinking again, if I don't leave this time, I will really die of old age here in the future!"

"There are also quite a few people who died of old age in their homeland, and those wandering wanderers envy them." Li Mu said.

"But I'm not a person who can settle down peacefully." Xia He whispered.

Li Mu could only touch his head, but Xia He patted it down.Xia He squinted his eyes, and glanced at him: "I'm not a child anymore! — Besides, in a few months, I'll be an upright man! At that time..." Xia He imitated the appearance of a scholar , bowing to Li Mu, saying yes, "Brother Zisi, please give me your advice."

"..." Li Mu shook his head and said yes, "Let's go."

Li Mu hired a carriage to take the two of them to the state capital.The state capital to which Anle Village belongs is called Qingyang, and it is quite far from Anle Village. If it is not for traveling day and night, it will take nearly a month to travel by horse-drawn carriage.The driver was an honest man, seeing that the employer brought a young lady, he didn't ask much.After the two sat firmly, the car set off.

The canopy was much more spacious than Uncle Li's donkey cart, and the inside was also covered with cushions. After Xia He sat down comfortably, she touched and looked around curiously.Seeing that Li Mu stretched out his hand and pulled out the side drawer from the seat, which was full of books, he was even more amazed.

"It's expensive to hire such a car, right?" Xia He asked with concern. After asking, she felt that she seemed to be asking the wrong question. No matter how expensive it was, it was the Li family's money.He is just Li Mu's brother-in-law now, so it's not good to ask this.

But Li Mu didn't blame anything, he just said: "After all, the journey is far away, it's better to hire someone better, so as not to wait until Qingyang, get sick instead, and delay the rural examination."

Xia He nodded, and said: "No wonder the dramas sang about the suffering of traveling. Many poor scholars will get tired and sick in order to catch up with the exam. ——Study is really not what the poor should do." Although it was said It was a difficult matter, but Xia He smiled brightly.

Li Mu saw that Xia He's words were all about the Zhang family, the Zhang family was poor, even if he had a future in studying, he might still be on the way, it's better not to read.Li Mu was helpless, "No matter what you say, look at your father-in-law's posture, he won't let you go easily." Thinking that Xia He is still wearing women's clothes, he didn't say it bluntly for fear that the driver sitting outside would hear it. A few months later, Xia He and Zhang Shiyi will send him to the academy to study, so that he can take the imperial examination in the future.

Xia He was distracted by Li Mu, sighed and shook his head.

Immediately afterwards, a book was stuffed into his arms by Li Mu.

Xia He was holding the book as if holding hot coals, and was about to throw it out immediately, closing his eyes and said: "Don't! I've read the book for more than two months, it's really... I'm going to spit it out if I read it again. Already!"

"Look carefully, I managed to find it for you." Li Mu shook his head, saying yes.

Xia He murmured in his heart, what did Li Mu find for himself?Could it be the scriptures interpreted by some great Confucianism?When I looked down, I saw that it was an agricultural book.

Only then Xia He became happy.

Li Mudao said: "Historically, farming has been passed down orally by old farmers and taught to their children and grandchildren. There are not many compiled books. This is a book in the academy, and I, Mr. Tuoling, borrowed it for you to read." It was a surprise to find this book. In order to teach Li Mu how to be an official, Mr. Ling really took him to read the book of war.Naturally, these miscellaneous books in Qingjun Academy were thrown in a corner, and they were not placed in a separate category.Li Mu saw it by chance, and thought of Xia He, and then managed to borrow it.

Xia He laughed until his eyes were bent, but his mouth showed dissatisfaction, and said: "It is said that they are scholars, farmers, businessmen, farmers are only ranked after scholars, and you who can read and write are just talkative, but I don’t see that you really respect and love those old farmers, and you don’t even want to write this book for them.”

Before he could finish his sentence, he had already opened the pages of the book with great interest;

Li Mu just smiled, shook his head, and let Xia He watch.

There are many mountains in Qingyang, and there are few flat lands. After the coachman drove the car to a small town, he asked for instructions: "Master Li, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach the next place where we can rest before sunset. Why don't we go here tonight?" Rest here?"

"Alright." Li Mu left early, not afraid of delay.He put down the book in his hand, and looked at Xia He again, more engrossed than him.It's just that the posture is very indecent. While reading a book, Xia He cocked her feet and leaned on the cushion at the same time.The coachman jolted the car when he stopped it, and it was only when he came to his senses.

Xia He hurriedly sat upright, opened the curtain, but saw that it was still bright outside, and asked strangely, "Why didn't you leave?"

The coachman had no choice but to repeat: "Madam, the next town is far away, and we have to climb three hills. I'm afraid we won't go before dark. Let's rest here."

Since leaving the Li family, Xia He hasn't been called "Madam" for two years.Hearing this address, Xia He trembled, then silently closed the book in his hand, hugged it in his arms, casually said "oh" as an answer, and got out of the car behind Li Mu.

Seeing that Li Mu asked for two rooms, Xia He asked strangely, "Where does the coachman live?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the honest coachmen along the way gave him rare and strange glances.Xia He was a little confused, did he say something wrong?

Li Mu had no choice but to say: "Lady, we naturally want to live in one room."

Xia He suddenly remembered that on this trip, she still had to pretend to be the wife of the Li family two years ago.He was used to being at ease in the past two years, so he quickly lowered his head and put on a virtuous and virtuous appearance.

Seeing him like this, Li Mu shook his head, signaling Xia He to follow him upstairs.

The small inn was kept clean, much better than Xia He's.Seeing that the door was closed, Xia He immediately lay down on the bed comfortably, and said to Li Mu: "Brother Mu, do I have to act like a good wife in front of people? After all, we are going to Qingyang !"

"Just don't do anything out of the ordinary." Li Mu didn't have so many demands.

Xia He sat up suddenly, thinking of something: "This room... is there just such a bed?"

"I sleep on the floor." Li Mu said.

Before he came, he had thought about it carefully, if he only said that Xia He was the younger sister of his late wife, and that the orphan and widow went to the state capital, it would be too conspicuous.If you want to support each other as a husband and wife, then naturally you cannot sleep in separate rooms.Li Mu thinks that he still has some self-control, as long as he is not sharing the same bed, he can suppress the miscellaneous thoughts in his heart.

But Xia He shook her head violently: "Where can I go? Brother Mu, you are the one who is rushing for the exam. What if you sleep on the floor and get sick? I sleep on the floor! My body is strong."

Li Mudao said: "I am older than you, so naturally I have to be courteous to you."

Xia He curled his lips and said, "I'm young, so I should abide by the way of filial piety." After finishing speaking, he proudly raised his chin and looked at Li Mu. It was clearly written in his expression that he had written in the past two months. It's not for nothing, let's see who said what?

Li Mu laughed again: "My mother entrusted me to take good care of you before leaving the house. If you sleep on the ground and get sick, wouldn't that make me unfilial?"

"I..." Xia He held back for a while, then suddenly remembered something, and said strangely, "Brother Mu, we are all men, why can't we sleep on the bed together? This bed..." He lay down, measured it, Said, "It's quite big! It's enough!" As he said, he patted his side, completely unaware of what his actions looked like in Li Mu's eyes.

Li Mu was taken aback, and then felt that his heart softened at this moment, and he seemed to have done something wrong by bringing Xia He out.

He thinks too highly of himself.Now, he couldn't bear it anymore.