Chapter 127 Bank of the Qinhuai River
Ying Tian was really generous. When Zhu Pingan woke up in the morning, he found that the rain outside the window had stopped, and the eastern sky was reddish, as if the sun was about to rise.
Today’s morning is particularly precious. It has been raining for more than a month, and it will finally clear up today.
Zhu Ping'an put on his clothes, washed a little, put the linen, bamboo tube, copybook and calligraphy brush into his schoolbag, as well as a book he had just copied at home some time ago, slung the schoolbag across his body, and folded it He walked out of the room holding a piece of black board.
Zhu Ping'an was not the only student and scholar in the early days. There were also several students and scholars whom he did not know who had already gotten up and opened the window, or were reading in the morning with papers or reading by the window. Of course, the morning reading was not what it was last night. The kind of wolf howl is the kind that people can accept. When he saw Zhu Pingan going out with a strange cloth bag and a black wooden board slung across his body, he looked slightly sideways and was a little surprised. Zhu Ping'an said hello with a naive smile. These students and scholars were slightly surprised and nodded in response.
The overall feeling of the college examination is that it is at a higher level, and the overall quality of the candidates is also a level higher than that of the county examination and the government examination. It is not as mixed as the previous two times. After all, those who can take the college examination have obtained the title of child student. At least there are two brushes.
After leaving the inn, Zhu Pingan walked all the way towards the Qinhuai River. I didn't feel it yesterday evening, but today, standing on the bank of the Qinhuai River, I was shocked by the prosperity of Qinhuai, which is ten miles away. Ten steps to the first floor, five steps to the pavilion, row upon row, full of tourists, it is beautiful.
It has been rainy in recent months, and with rare sunny days, the other side of the river has become lively.
On the other side of the river, there are girls holding up their skirts and chasing and playing, there are girls who sing slowly in Wu language while washing, and there are also shrewd girls who were teased and scolded the young master on the boat and fell into prostitution, but there are more girls than ordinary girls. Got some freedom.
“The beautiful land in the south of the Yangtze River, the imperial state of Jinling” is true.
Zhu Ping'an found a relatively secluded river bank, wiped the bluestone slab with the torn linen cloth in his schoolbag, then sat down on his own, took out his copybook and other items, and placed the black wooden board on a high stone step. He leaned over and poured a bamboo tube of Qinhuai water. After reading the calligraphy for a while, he rolled up his sleeves and started practicing calligraphy with his wrists hanging.
When Zhu Ping'an was getting up to practice calligraphy, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with a ponytail came from the other side of the river. She looked pretty and was neatly dressed. She bent down to wash herself by the river. When I was carrying my handkerchief, I suddenly found Zhu Ping'an on the other side of the river practicing calligraphy on a black wooden board dipped in river water.
The girl stared at Zhu Pingan who was practicing calligraphy, giggled, turned her head and stretched out her little hand and shouted, "Sister, come and see, there is a half-college student on the other side of the river dipping in the river water to practice calligraphy."
Hearing the sound, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old gauze girl came over. Tingting walked up to the girl, glanced at Zhu Pingan, and couldn't help but giggle.
“Hey, that poor scholar, look here, look here quickly, giggle, why are you using our foot-washing water to practice calligraphy.” The older girl in gauze made a trumpet shape with her hands and looked at her. Zhu Pingan shouted, and then chuckled.
It seems that I won’t be able to practice calligraphy here anymore. I’ll find another place tomorrow.
Hearing this, Zhu Pingan stopped writing, glanced across the river, then lowered his head and continued practicing calligraphy.
"You are such a scholar, have you read all the stuff in the dog's belly? You are so rude, my sister is talking to you." The younger girl stood up for her sister and pointed at Zhu Ping'an with her slender little finger. Rao said.
Zhu Pingan turned a deaf ear and continued to practice his calligraphy.
"Hey, scholar, are you deaf or mute?" The older gauze girl asked with a smile, "What's the matter with being silent?"
"Believe it or not, I will go across the river to argue with you." Seeing that Zhu Pingan still ignored him, the older Qingsha girl added with a smile.
“Yes, that’s right, cross the river.” The younger girl also giggled and echoed.
"See nothing inappropriate, hear nothing inappropriate, say nothing inappropriate, and do nothing inappropriate." Zhu Pingan shook his head and said calmly.
The two girls on the other side, one big and one small, heard this and couldn’t stop giggling.
“Hey, he is still a sour scholar.”
"My teeth are so sour, giggle."
After laughing, the older girl pursed her lips at Zhu Ping'an and smiled charmingly, "Hey, you sour scholar, come to me today. Would you mind teaching me the scriptures in that room? I will You can play the flute and watch the mandarin ducks in front of the window.”
“And I, too, can play the flute. My sister and I will listen to your sermon together.” The younger girl also giggled at Zhu Pingan.
The wind and moon beside the Qinhuai River is not a good place to practice calligraphy. Zhu Pingan put away the brush and black board, put the copybooks and other items in his schoolbag, and crossed the two smiling girls on the other side of the river casually. He handed over his hands and left the Qinhuai River.
“Hey, don’t leave, that half-grown scholar, come come and play with us.”
The two girls behind him were smiling and moaning.
Gentle and beautiful lady, no wonder so many scholars fall into it and forget their life ambitions.
Ten miles across Qinhuai are filled with golden and jade buildings. Zhu Pingan left the bank of the Qinhuai River with a black wooden board in his schoolbag and walked slowly in other directions.
After not walking far, he saw a remote forest. Zhu Pingan walked into it with his schoolbag slung across his body. He found a stone and sat down. He took out the book he had copied a few days ago and started to read it quietly. .
When the sun rose in the sky, Zhu Ping'an packed up his things again, slung his schoolbag across his body and walked towards the inn with the black wooden board under his arm.
There are many kinds of snacks in Yingtian, especially in the Qinhuai District of Confucius Temple where Zhu Pingan is now located. Snacks can be found everywhere, but the most delicious and cheap ones are the pot stickers that can be seen everywhere along the street.
Zhu Ping'an ordered a big meat pot sticker, and after the boss's persuasion, he also ordered a duck blood vermicelli soup, and ate it deliciously on the table facing the street.
After the big meat pot was put on the plate, Zhu Pingan took a bite while it was still hot. He may have bitten too much, and the juice flowed down his fingers.
"Hahaha, this is your first time coming to Yingtian, young man." An old man next to him said with a smile, and then he held the pot stickers with chopsticks and told Zhu Pingan, "Eat the pot stickers from our Yingtian, it tastes like It's the same as eating soup dumplings. If you take the first big bite, the juice will leak out; if you bite too hard, the juice will leak out. The juice will squirt; the bite is too small and can’t hide it!”
“Oh, thank you for your advice.” Zhu Pingan took another bite of the pot sticker according to the old man’s instructions, regardless of burning his mouth. Paired with the duck blood vermicelli soup served by the pot sticker owner, it is really a feast for the eyes.
Pot stickers are a bit like dumplings, and one portion is not much more. Zhu Pingan soon had only two left.
"Please, shopkeeper, give me another pot sticker." Zhu Pingan shouted loudly.
"Okay, sir, wait a moment." The store owner said with a smile, "The keeper of the house has eaten this time, and he will come back for a second time."
The second portion of pot stickers has not yet been served. When I came up, I heard a complaint.
“Oh, Brother Zhu didn’t even call me when he discovered such delicious food.”
Zhu Ping'an turned around and saw Fatty Xue Chi running up to him. He still looked like a nouveau riche, with a big golden lock on his neck and two big daggers on his fingers that were dazzling. (End of this chapter)