Nativity

Chapter 391 Going to the City to Purchase Winter Supplies
Li Changshou was still an ignorant young man, and he couldn't bear the shock of his father's disappearance.

Therefore, Sima Ao did not tell his student Li Changshou the truth about Li Fulai's disappearance.

Dean, when will my father come back to see me; I really miss my father; why hasn't my father come back to see me for so many years; is something wrong with him?
Whenever Li Changshou asked his father a question, Sima Ao's heart felt cramped, and he didn't know how to answer Li Changshou.

Sima Ao, who is not good at lying, could only make up some reasons against his will in pain.

For example, the imperial palace is as deep as the sea and heavily guarded, it is not that you can leave the palace if you want to.

Your father is a good old man, so he gave up the place to go out of the palace to other painters.

I heard from people in the palace that your father was appreciated by the emperor and sent to Mogao Grottoes.

Li Changshou was dubious.

Every day when the sun was about to set, I would climb to the roof tiles and look into the distance, waiting for my father to come back.

Every time they saw Li Changshou sitting alone on the roof tiles, Sima Lian, Fat Ya, and Houwa felt very uncomfortable.

The three of them didn't know how to enlighten Li Changshou, so they also climbed onto the roof tiles, quietly accompanied Li Changshou, and waited for his father to come back!
..............................

Year after year, day after day, I don't know how many springs and autumns have passed.

The cool wind is blowing, the fallen leaves are flying, and another winter is here!
Sima Ao watched the students grow up year by year, and he unknowingly stepped into the year of the tomb.

Sima Ao, who entered the year of the tomb, had gray hair, even his eyebrows and beard, his face was covered with weather-beaten wrinkles, and his back was slightly hunched, but his spirit and complexion were full, and his body was still hard.

In the year of the tomb, Jiang Min looked a little wet and haggard!

Seeing that winter was coming, Jiang Min packed the students' quilts and prepared to take them out to bask in the sun.

While tidying up the quilts, Jiang Min found that many quilts were yellow and unusable, and some quilts were bought by Jingjing ten years ago.

"This winter will definitely be colder than in previous years. The quilts used by students have turned yellow and are covered with cold stone strips. Shouldn't they be replaced with new ones?"

Sima Ao was quietly listening to the lady's nagging, and calmly replied, "Then change it!"

"The three of you come in for me."

Sima Ao called his daughter, along with his students Li Changshou and Houwa.Sima Ao sent the three of them to the city to buy a batch of quilts, fifty catties of rice, and some oil and salt.

Sima Lian took the money bag from his father, and drove into the city with Li Changshou and Houwa in a carriage.

There are many more soldiers guarding the city today, and strict investigations are required when entering and leaving the city. It seems that something major has happened?
Two city guards stopped the carriage of Sima Lian, Li Changshou and Houwa.

Two soldiers guarding the city asked, "What are you going to do when you enter the city?"

"Brother Guancha, hello! We are from the 'Scholarly Academy', isn't it the beginning of winter, we went to the city to buy some quilts for the students."

The Sima family has declined, but the Sima family's reputation is still there.Therefore, the "Scholarly Academy" opened by Sima Ao is quite famous in the local area.

After all, Sima Ao once won the first prize in the examination, no matter the children of the common people in the city or the children of the common people outside the city, they will all go to the 'Scholarly Academy' to study.

When the two city guards heard that they were from the 'Scholarly Academy', they glanced at Sima Lian.

When the two guarding soldiers looked at Sima Lian, Sima Lian smiled at the guarding soldier.

Sima Lian went to the city with his father to buy daily necessities, so the soldiers guarding the city recognized Sima Lian.

"It turned out to be the daughter of the academy."

The two city guards saluted Sima Lian and let him go.

Sima Lian drove the carriage gracefully into the city.

The first thing the playful Sima Lian did when he entered the city was not to pick out quilts, but to go to find his uncle.

The job of purchasing winter supplies was handed over to Li Changshou and Houwa.

........................

Sima Lian quietly came to Uncle's jade shop.

Sima Lian saw his uncle's shop, it was deserted, no one patronized it.

The poor uncle sat alone at the counter, resting his chin on one hand, thinking listlessly.

Sima Lian smiled happily, walked quietly behind her uncle, patted her shoulder with gravity, and shouted loudly: "Uncle!"

Ah!
Jiang Bin was so frightened by this ghostly niece that he almost fell off the stool.

Hahaha!
Having successfully frightened his uncle, Sima Lian burst out laughing happily.

Jiang Bin looked at Sima Lian angrily, and said, "Why are you so bad? Uncle's heart almost died because of you!"

Sima Lian pouted and said, "Uncle, why are you so timid?"

"It's not a matter of being timid or not. If you scare me like this, everyone will be scared to death by you."

"Okay, I was wrong, and I will never do it again!" Sima Lian apologized to his uncle knowing his mistake.

Jiang Bin was still angry, and his niece Sima Lian glanced at him.

"Uncle, I know I was wrong! Just forgive Jinlian!"

Seeing that her uncle was still angry, Sima Lian had no choice but to play tricks, begging her uncle not to be angry with her.

"All right! All right! Uncle is not that stingy!"

Jiang Bin pinched the face of his niece Sima Lian lovingly.

"By the way, in the past, my uncle's jade shop was full of customers, and I couldn't keep busy even after hiring more than a dozen workers. Now my uncle doesn't hire any workers anymore. He looks after the shop by himself, and is too busy looking for fly swatters. The business of my uncle's shop, Why are you so cold?" Sima Lian asked.

Jiang Bin couldn't help sighing, "Hey! You will say that in the past, the Tang Dynasty was still there, but now the Tang Dynasty is no longer there. People can't afford enough food and clothing. Who can afford these things? They are expensive and can't satisfy their hunger. , something that can’t keep warm.”

What?
Datang is gone?

Sima Lian couldn't believe it, and was even terrified. It's a good dynasty, and it will be gone if it doesn't exist?
Jiang Bin knew that he had leaked the news, but after all, the news was to be announced to the world.

Jiang Bin roughly talked with Sima Lian about the real reason for the demise of the Tang Dynasty.

Jiang Bin didn't know if his young niece could understand, but whether he could understand or not, he warned his niece Sima Lian not to let your father and Li Changshou know the news.

Knowing that Datang is gone, Father will be sad to death.

The Great Tang Dynasty has perished, so Uncle Li Fulai will be able to come back?
Sima Lian could understand not letting Father know that Datang was destroyed, but it was difficult for Sima Lian to understand if Li Changshou was not allowed to know that Datang was destroyed.

"Uncle won't let me talk, so let's not talk about it." Sima Lian replied when he received it.

After Sima Lian visited her uncle, she went to visit her godmother (Jingjing).

The mother and daughter talked for a long time!
Sima Lian looked at Shi Chen, it was time to go.

Sima Lian said goodbye to her godmother, and went to the bridgehead that she had agreed with Li Changshou and Houwa.

........................

Houwa picked up daily necessities such as quilts, rice, oil and salt early, and waited for Sima Lian and Li Changshou on the bridge.

Sima Lian looked at the carriage, but did not see Li Changshou, so she asked, "Why are you alone, where is Li Changshou?" Sima Lian looked at the carriage, but did not see Li Changshou.

Grandpa and grandma passed away a few years ago, and there are only mother and servants in the family.It was rare to enter the city, and Li Changshou also wanted to go home and have a look.

The work of choosing quilts, rice, oil and salt is left to Houwa alone.

Houwa could understand Li Changshou's homesickness, and took over all the work without complaint.

(End of this chapter)