Chapter 065 – Appetite

There is a merit forest in the Shangyin Academy Palace, do not look at it or go there, only Mr. Jik Shang can enter, Xu Fengyen studied the geographic map of the Academy Palace, and was familiar with it, he thought that he would be blocked along the way, and it would not be easy for him to go through a lot of ups and downs, but when he entered the monumental forest, the sky and the earth were silent and only the snow was left behind, and his footsteps left a series of small craters on the snowy ground, which were then covered by the snowflakes in a continuous procession. Before he went to the second sister to study in the small building of the Lotus Lake, sit for a few moments, but also no one stepped forward to point fingers. Xu Fengyen walked into the record of the merits of the ancestors of the sages of the monument forest, stone monuments of different sizes, monument inscriptions are mostly epitaphs, but the graves are often not behind the monument, monument forest is like an alternative history, page by page in the back of the hill of the Shangyin Palace of Learning quietly erected. Xu Fengyen in an exceptionally small monument in front of squatting, take the sleeve to wipe off the snow, the monument epitaph handwriting has a great Qin before the jade chopsticks body rhyme, Xu Fengyen looked up to see the rustling snow flakes, picked a relatively majestic monument around the back and sit, I do not know how long it took to open his eyes and look, a cloak straw raincoat of a petite figure hobbling to the arm of the arm of the arm of a covered with a bamboo basket of cotton fabrics, walking hard to strain, the way! Xu Fengnian side, only to squat down, as if to see a pair of black eyes hanging in the air, scared to sit on the ground, Xu Fengnian stood up and shook off the snow, a face of apology, reach out to the non-fighting goat horned girl to pull up, he had thought that the little girl would walk straight through, did not think that she happened to be in front of this monument stopped, so that she was subjected to a false alarm, the goat horned girl patted the chest, glared at the God out of the ghost of the white-headed enemy, Xu Fengyen asked, only to know that there is no coincidence, the little girl surnamed Ouyang, ancestry Takigaoka, behind the inscription is her father made a memorial, Xu Weixiong read every time are in tears, Xu Fengyen thought it was the rhetoric of how transcendent, read only to know that there is like a letter of the family, such as the parents of the nagging minutiae, the first time and did not feel it, only feel the simplicity of the plain white, read it over once and then thrown out of the mind. Now and after the crown, suffered a change, this moment to help the little girl wipe off the snow flakes, turn back and read the text, actually pursed up the corners of the mouth, do not dare to let the little girl to see the face. She is still innocent years, grandparents died, she was not yet born, naturally not too much personal pain, grew up in the school palace, and is carefree, she put down the basket, she was left to her own thoughts, Xu Fengyen realized that today is her grandfather’s sacrifice, this place is indeed a grave, just parents far away, on the instructions of the account of her today to the grave, not an unforeseen snowfall, so that the little girl ate a big pain! The girl has cursed God countless times along the way. The little girl was not easy to catch a guy who can speak, whispered to the tombstone: “I admire Mr. Xu said my father’s sacrifice from the bottom of his heart, there is no word deliberately fat tomb, is the top of a good sacrifice, I do not know much about these, I only think that my father wrote a simple and calm, and he taught teaching in general, always can not tell the truth, so many years in the Palace did not teach a few good at the time. Several years in the school palace did not teach a few outstanding students, if not Xu everyone said a good word for him, some years ago the family will not be able to cover the pot. My mother’s dowry box, also more and more empty, I was a child can take advantage of my parents are not there, secretly in the head full of hairpins jade hairpin, this time not.”

Xu Fenian softly laughed: “You will also be a child.”

Ouyang’s goat horned girl gave a blank look, “You have a poisonous mouth some times, just like eating a green snake, centipede, scorpion, you can make our Palace’s Duke Qi angry, but you are also stupid, how can you talk to a woman like this, I think ah, you definitely did not get the better of Sister Fish, isn’t that right?”

Squatting Xu Fengyen put his hands in his sleeves across his chest and smiled, “I ate the green snake centipede, you ate the crow?”

The little girl was smart and raised her fists, pretending to be fierce, “You’re the one with a crow’s mouth!”

Xu Fengyen smiled and narrowed his eyes, this moment, it appears that the eyes are long and narrow and spiritual, the whole handsome face is filled with warmth, it is hard to imagine that this is the year that the feminine and hostile full of Northern Liang’s number one playboy. Public practice is the most able to train a person’s eye power, when other people want to jump into the official field of dye tank, Xu Fengyen has long been in the tank to see all the strange and bizarre play. Next to the goat’s horn girl although acting as a warrior, like a child king, can be thin clothes, at this time the body is wearing too loose straw raincoat is more tattered, the family’s situation is obviously not as good as the Buddha palm lake on the edge of the people of the same age, and then after five or six years, the children know the world of those soft knives of the powerful, I’m afraid that we will have to be in turn by the original two small playmates of the playmates were bullied. Although since ancient times on the Yin Palace is to do the holy land of learning, but since a hundred schools of thought, there will be strife, such as the Spring and Autumn chaos when the military is particularly flourishing, even if it is indiscriminate generation, can have been the Spring and Autumn countries as can pull the ripples in the downfall of the male talent to snatch away, but then the wave of blind coaxing, it is really a few countries to pick up a few times. Now that the world is settled, the scene of the scholar to save the country, has long since ceased to be the scene, Mr. Jik Shang and Jixia students mostly hibernation, inevitably entangled in the firewood, rice, oil and salt and fly camping, Liu Wenbao recommended dozens of people, single force, most of them so, depressed and uninspired, wasting time and wasting time only.

Yangjiao Ya’er lifted the basket and asked, “Do you follow me?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head, “About to leave the school palace.”

She wrinkled already have a pair of willow leaf prototype delicate eyebrows, looked down at the bamboo basket, poor children early home, the basket of ancestral food can not be wasted, but she has a small appetite, although the winter is not easy to be bad, after all, the meal is warm, but also bad taste, of course, the main thing is that she felt that a person to return to walk this one or two miles, the Commission is uninteresting, the return journey there is a companion to talk to, it is always better than a person forlorn and desolate. Xu Fengyen smiled, “If you don’t mind me rubbing a meal for nothing, I’ll go with you.”

The goat-horned girl snapped her fingers in a generalized manner, or that playful mantra: “Granted.”

Wind and snow back to the road, sheep horns girl’s feet stepped on a pair of texture weaving are good brute brocade boots, just not change for many years, satin silk is worn out can not withstand the wind and rain, from home to walk to this moral forest, has been almost soaked, the little girl is chagrined just cooking in a hurry, out of the door forgot to change the shoes, both heartbroken and self-condemnation, but think of the upcoming New Year, her mother promised that in the first month she will buy her a new pair of shoes, there is some anticipation. Xu Fengnian took over the bamboo basket, let her walk behind himself, in the monumental forest in the cold unexpectedly picked up a big living person, the little girl is quite excited, there is no taboo of handing over shallow words, self-reporting the family name, said some of the old story of the old sesame seeds and rotten grain, said that her grandfather is the old Northern Han dynasty of the old clean and clear of the breeze of the great man of letters, do a handful of beautiful articles, only on the eve of the destruction of the country, in the temple to give a few fair words to a great general surnamed Xu, was Strike the official, but also almost cut off the head, to the school palace, teaching the king of righteousness, but also be sidelined, her father took over the mantle of family learning, but also the family is four walls. Little girl is not afraid to reveal their shortcomings, Xu Fengyen with her and a few Mr. Jik Shang live together in two small courtyard, the rest of the several school court priests most of the windowpaper is also permeated with a share of festive, but only in front of her house only a rack of grapes, after the winter, no green, leaving only the vines, more dismal, the little girl is poor and happy, is estimated to follow the temperament of her parents, walking through the grapevine, looked up and laughed:” You’re not here at the right time, summer is good, pick two or three bunches, go to the Buddha’s palm lake on the shelf for an hour, delicious heavenly peaches can not be compared to the mosquitoes at night, a family to cool off, my father always let me give him a fan to shake to catch mosquitoes, I’m not very happy about it.”

Inside two rooms, outside the narrow corridor out of a small stove room, sheep’s horns girl for a pair of boots, set up a fireplace, put the soaked boots on the side of the fireplace, and then went to uncover the pot to warm up the food, let Xu Fengyen to make himself at home, he carried a small bench to sit in the doorway, corner of the eye can see the corner of the little girl’s “boudoir”, a small table and small cabinets, simple and clean.

The day gradually twilight, just snow reflection, than usual to brighten up a few points, the rest of the yard a few families are closed to block the wind and snow, Xu Fengyen is measuring the time, squeak, the door to open, ran out of the previous in the lake by the goat’s horns Ya’er knocked over on the ground of the child, red lips and white teeth, grow up will be more than likely to be a bone elegant handsome scholar, the little boy does not hold a grudge, had thought to eat, ran to the door to find the childhood sweethearts! The boy did not hold a grudge, originally thought after dinner, ran to the opposite door to find a childhood friend of the girl, even if not to speak, even if you have to risk being beaten by her, as long as to see a few eyes good. But when the child saw the stranger who had annoyed Mr. Qi in the pavilion, he was a little timid and stood in the doorway, in and out. A middle-aged man who held an ancient scroll in his hand and read softly and silently came to the doorway somehow, followed his son’s line of sight and saw Xu Fengnian sitting on a small bench, thought briefly, held the book with one hand negatively behind his back, dashingly stepped over the threshold, nearing the door of the Ouyang family’s room, smiled and said, “Little wood fish, guests at home?”

As the elegant man spoke politely, he smiled and nodded with Xu Fenian, who also stood up and addressed him without losing his manners, “Greetings Mr. Jik Shang.”

This statement is moderate, the advantage is how it will not be wrong, the dynasty and the countryside are laughing that the sweeping and miscellaneous in the academy palace, to the outside, can be honored by the title of sir. Nicknamed the little woodfish goat horn girl from the stove room poked out a small head, smilingly said: “Uncle Qin good.”

A few polite pleasantries, Mr. Qin turned to leave, closing the door with a slightly louder sound. The goat’s horn girl only grunted: “This guy is almost regarded as Qi Shenze’s imperial helpers, every now and then they give each other poems, there are a few points of knowledge, the bones are not half a point. These years to earn a lot of pen, three days to run my house to move away, said on the mouth is better than a close neighbor, how how not to give up, but every time to talk about, will talk about living in a private house and Wang Da Priest not far away, hey, is to show off with my parents his solid family miles.”

Xu Fengnian took the rice bowl, chewed slowly, looked up and stood to eat with the little girl laughed: “To see others good.”

The little girl said with blank eyes: “Just you have a lot of reasoning.”

Xu Fengyen a sudden turn, said with a bad smile: “But poetry and the matter, nowadays, in addition to the parting gift to a friend, do the most is the literati with the famous prostitutes of the green house, also do not know that you this uncle Qin and Qi Dazhong is who whoring who.”

Sheep horns girl listen to the little face red, but eyes flooded with heartfelt joy, laughed “you really damage.”

After eating the meal, the little girl is very unladylike pat round belly burp, Xu Fengyen took over the bowls and chopsticks to go to the stove room, goat’s horn girl face to see the shocked expression of the gods and goddesses, both hands end of the bowl to take chopsticks Xu Fengyen laughed: “Gentleman is far away from the kitchen, you think I’m like it?”

The little girl with a sullen face said, “Fish sister met you, really met a bad man.”

Xu Fengnian laughed: “Yes.”

After slowly washing the dishes, Xu Fengyen used his sleeve as a rag to dry his hands, the little girl sat on the edge of the fireplace with her cheeks in a daze, Xu Fengyen was still sitting on that small bench, the little girl glanced at the flying snow outside the door and sighed helplessly, “If it didn’t snow, I would be able to count the stars at night. I can count to over a thousand, awesome or not?”

Xu Fenian nodded with a smile and said, “Awesome.”

The goat-horned girl skimmed her lips and said, “Insincere.”

Xu Fengyen followed her and looked out the door together, together in silence, after a long time softly said, “When I was little, I heard adults say that the starry sky at night is a big lantern with fireflies parked all over it.”

The little girl heatedly laughed: “I see fireflies in the summer are see a pounce on one.”

Xu Fengnian glanced at the bad-smiling goat-horn girl, “Whoever marries you in the future will have bad luck.”

The little girl held her cheeks and said sadly, “Who says otherwise.”

In the dusk, an emaciated old man slowly stepped into the courtyard, green shirt and hemp shoes, with a sheep’s fat jade pendant hanging from his waist. Thousands of people in the academy palace, sheep horn girl thinks she can’t forget, still don’t recognize this old grandpa, Xu Fengyen does know, a big stinky chess basket who thinks he is the top national player, back then at the top of Qingliang mountain with Xu primrose fighting to be equal to each other, good at repenting, Xu Fengyen watched the battle and his head was as big as a bucket. However, this old man, is the second sister’s master, the world’s elite in the king’s battle deserves the first person.

In the goat horned girl’s sidelong glance, the old man sat down with a big grin, shamelessly asked: “Little girl, there is food or not?”

Although the little girl was spirited, her family’s education was actually extremely good and strict, she got up and smiled, “Old sir, my family has it.”

Xu Fengyen reached out and snatched the jade pendant on the waist of the old man who had almost become the Grand Priest of Shangyin Palace of Learning quietly in his hand and handed it to the little girl, “Worthless white jade edges, take it as my meal money with the old sir.”

The old man’s face was as usual, smiling and nodding, not giving the little girl a chance to refuse, “If you don’t accept it, I won’t eat it.”

The little girl shook her head vigorously and said in a serious manner, “Let’s all not be so tacky, okay?”

Xu Fengyen and Sacrificial Drinker Wang looked at each other and smiled, Xu Fengyen did not return the jade pendant to the Sacrificial Drinker, the latter waited for the little girl to go to the cookhouse to pound the meal and calmly asked, “I have 600 people, how dare Beiliang eat it?”

Xu Fengyen thought for a moment, “There are only those who starve to death, I haven’t heard of those who hold out.”

The old gentleman shook his head and said in a deep voice, “Not necessarily.”

Xu Fengyen laughed, “Half of these people who can end up in Beiliang, it’s a toss-up whether they have half or not, they can’t hold up death in Beiliang.”

The old gentleman hmmmed and nodded, “That’s true.”