The Record of Swordsmen in the Late Sui and Early Tang Dynasties

Chapter 142 Chapter 130

The two of them led the horse along the way, and two days later, they finally arrived at the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain. It was noon and the sun was warm.

The two led the horses to the mountain gate of Shaolin Temple. Duan Wuji and Tie Niu tied the horses to the pine tree in front of the temple gate. The two climbed up the steps and came to the gate of the temple, facing the young monk guarding the temple gate with both hands. Heshi said: "Little Master, please inform me that Duan Wuji and Duan Tieniu from Taiyuan Mansion in Shanxi are here to find Master Zhizhi."

The little monk laughed and said: "You guys wait here for a while, let me go in and make an announcement."

Duan Wuji smiled.

"Little master, we are waiting here, you go."

The little monk turned around and went back to the temple. After a short time, the wise monk came out of the temple.

When Duan Wuji saw him, he took two steps and knelt down to greet the intelligent monk.

"Master, disciple Duan Wuji pays respects to Master. Master, how are you doing recently?"

The wise monk twisted his beard and smiled.

"What's wrong with me? I just read scriptures and meditate every day. Alas, people of our age have already reached the point where they have no desire for foreign things. What do you think is good? of?"

When Tieniu saw it, he hurried over and pulled up his clothes and knelt down.

"Master Zhizhi, Tie Niu greets you, old man, old man, we miss you so much!"

When the smart monk saw it, he quickly reached out to help him.

"Little benefactor, don't be too polite, get up and talk quickly. Wuji, get up too."

The two stood up after hearing this, and the wise monk looked at the two and said, "Wuji, Tie Niu, do you have anything to do here this time? Just tell me if you have any."

After hearing this, Duan Wuji said with a smile: "Master, I went to Sichuan this time and brought some fruit back from that place. I think this kind of fruit is rare in our Central Plains, so I plan to keep it for you. Taste a basket."

Smart monk listened and said with a smile: "What kind of fruit? Is it worth sending it all the way?"

Duan Wuji thought for a while and said: "I heard from people in Sichuan that this kind of fruit is called an orange. Let alone eat it before, we have never even seen it!"

The wise monk laughed when he heard this.

"This kind of fruit is really rare in the north, well, ordinary people really don't know much about it, eating one is indeed a great opportunity.

As a teacher, I went to the south with the old abbot 20 years ago, and I was lucky enough to taste this fruit. Alas, it has been more than 20 years.

Today, I am lucky enough to eat this kind of fruit again, it is really a blessing for three lives! "

Duan Wuji ran over to untie a basket of oranges, brought them over and placed them at the gate of the temple, the intelligent monk waved towards the temple, and immediately two young monks came out.

"Master, what are your orders?"

The wise monk said with a smile: "Move this basket of oranges to the abbot's room. I still want to chat with my disciples in front of the temple gate for a while, so you go in first."

The two young monks promised to carry the basket of oranges and left.

The wise monk looked at Duan Wuji and said, "Wuji, where are you going?"

After hearing this, Duan Wuji hurriedly said: "Reporting to Master, we are going to visit a friend of ours in Dengzhou, Shandong."

The intelligent monk listened and nodded.

"Well, you have to be more careful on the road. It's almost Chinese New Year, and the road is a bit uneven. Be careful along the way."

Duan Wuji and Tieniu listened and nodded.

"Don't worry, Master, we'll be fine."

The three sat on the steps in front of the temple and chatted for a while, and the wise monk stood up.

"Wuji, Tieniu, it's getting late now, I think you should go on your way early. If there is a chance, let's get together again."

Duan Wuji and Tie Niu stood up and bowed their hands at the intelligent monk.

"Master, take care, we're leaving, let's meet again in the future."

The two of them walked under the tree, untied the horse's reins and immediately turned around and walked down in the northeast direction.

The wise monk watched them go out of sight before turning back to the temple.

The two led the horses hungry for food and drink, Xiaoxing stayed overnight, and left the border of Henan in less than four days.

After entering the boundary of Shandong, the two of them inquired while walking, and hurried all the way to the boundary of Dengzhou.

After arriving in Dengzhou, the two hurriedly inquired about the address of Cao Qiubao's house.

Later, an insider told them: "There is a Caojiazhuang [-] miles north of Dengzhou City, so Cao Qiubao may be the surname of Caojiazhuang."

The two of them led their horses and rushed straight to the north of Dengzhou City. It was a journey of more than ten miles and they arrived at the right time.

The two of them entered the village and took a look. The village was really not small. It looked like four to five hundred households. The streets of the village were also very neat.

After entering the village, the two found a young married woman who was sitting in front of the door holding the soles of her shoes and asked, "Sister-in-law, let's ask, is there anyone named Cao Qiubao in this village?

This man is a young man. According to him, he works as a banner officer under the tent of the patron king Yang Lin. Is there such a man in your village? "

The young woman smiled and said, "Are you asking about that Qiubao? There is indeed such a person in our village, and their family is still a big family in our village!

There are officials in their family, and they are very prestigious in our villages, what's the matter?Do you know him? "

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "We are friends, sister-in-law, can you take a moment of your time and lead us to his house to recognize the door?"

The young woman stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go, I'll take you to their house."

As she spoke, the young married woman tucked the soles of her shoes under her armpits and led the two of them towards the east of the village.

When walking to the edge of Kuai Village, the young married woman pointed with her finger.

"You two brothers, this is Cao Qiubao's house. Would you like me to help you knock on their door?"

Duan Wuji smiled.

"Well, then thank you, sister-in-law."

Duan Wuji and Tie Niu looked up.

Ho!This house is impressive enough, with a green brick wall as tall as a person, a grand gatehouse, a black-painted gate, and three stone steps in front of the gate.

Such a family should be regarded as an upper-class family in the countryside.

The young married woman went up the steps and knocked on the door knocker loudly, "Auntie, is Auntie at home?"

Not long after, the door opened, and an old man in his 50s poked his head out.

"Yo, is this his second sister-in-law? What's the matter?"

The young married woman smiled at the old woman.

"Auntie, these two young men came to visit Qiubao. I brought them here. They said they were Qiubao's friends. Ask them."

After speaking, the young married woman turned and left.

The old lady came out of the door, looked at Duan Wuji and Tie Niu and asked: "You two brothers, where are you from?"

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "My name is Duan Wuji, this is my elder brother, and his name is Duan Tieniu.

We are the family members of Taiyuan Prefecture, Shanxi, what?Didn't Brother Cao mention our two brothers to you at home? "

The old woman said in surprise after hearing this: "Oh, it turns out that the two benefactors have arrived. My boy has mentioned you two many times. He said that if it wasn't the last time you two rescued each other, then he would definitely die." .

Two little benefactors, please come inside quickly. "

Duan Wuji and Tie Niu led the horses into the courtyard to have a look, ho!What a big yard, this yard covers an area of ​​four or five acres, with about [-] main rooms on the north side, seven or eight side rooms on the east and west sides, and more than a dozen elm trees are planted in the yard.

There are two jujube trees planted near the house to the north, and there is eight or nine percent of a vegetable patch in the northeast corner of the yard. Although there are no vegetables in it, the vegetable bed can still be seen.

Duan Wuji and Tie Niu tied the horses to the elm tree and followed the old woman towards the main house in the north.

As the old woman walked into the house, she shouted loudly: "Old man, come out quickly, our house has a distinguished guest."

An old man in his fifties greeted him from the house.

"Old lady, who is here?"

The old woman looked at the old man and said: "Old man, these two are the two benefactors from Taiyuan Mansion in Shanxi Province that Qiu Bao often mentioned to us. They came to the door today, old man, hurry up and entertain them."

Hearing this, the old man hurried over with a smile, three steps and two steps, and then bowed his hands at Duan Wuji and Tie Niu.

"You two benefactors, I don't know if you came today, but I forgive you for not welcoming me, it's a sin, a sin.

Two benefactors, hurry up and invite them to the house.

Hey, old woman, let Qiuhu go to Dengzhou City and tell his brother to go, and say that the benefactor from Shanxi has come to our house. "

The old woman agreed and walked out.

The two followed the old man into the house, and the old man let them to the table of the Eight Immortals and poured two courtyards of tea for them.

"You two benefactors, this journey is hard enough, come, come, sit down and have a sip of tea first."

The two of them picked up the tea bowls and drank tea while chatting with the old man.

When it was dusk, Cao Qiubao came back with his horse. Cao Qiubao tied the horse in the yard and hurried straight to the house. When he entered the house, he saw that Duan Wuji and Tie Niu were accompanying his old man. Dad is chatting and knocking.

Cao Qiubao entered the room and quickly knelt down to salute Duan Wuji and Tieniu.

"You two benefactors, you can never repay your life-saving grace, two benefactors, Cao Qiubao kowtows to you."

When Duan Wuji and Tieniu saw each other, they hurried to the side, and stretched out their hands to help the young man up.

"Brother Cao, what are you doing? Get up quickly, if you are so polite, how can we make friends?"

Cao Qiubao stood up from the ground.

"My benefactor, I asked the old prince for a few days off this time, since you are here this time, you can stay at my house for a few more days.

Our brothers are getting along well. "

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "Brother Cao, we two brothers are here to beg you this time, we plan to ask you to do something for us brothers. Brother, are you willing to help us?"

Cao Qiubao smiled.

"You two virtuous brothers, you gave me my life, what's the matter? You two virtuous brothers, tell me, as long as my brother can help, I will definitely do my best to help."

Duan Wuji listened and nodded.

"Well, that's good. Brother, sit down quickly, let's sit down and discuss it."

After several people sat down again, Duan Wuji looked at Cao Qiubao and said, "Brother Cao, we two brothers are now horse traders. We sell horses from the Turkic country in the north to our great Sui country, and earn a few small money from it. .

Recently we thought about you brother, you are not the banner officer in the tent of the backer Yang Lin, see if you can ask that old thousand-year-old for us, see if there is no shortage of good horses in this army, if that old thousand-year-old is interested If you want, I hope Brother Cao can recommend you to us.

Of course, if that old thousand-year-old has no shortage of good horses, he will treat us as nothing.

Brother Cao, are you willing to help me with this? "

Cao Qiubao laughed out loud.

"You two virtuous brothers, what do I think is the matter? So this is the matter? You two virtuous brothers, I dare not say whether King Yang wants a war horse, but I will rush to Dengzhou city tomorrow to go I beg you to see King Yang Qiansui and ask the two of you, I will not rush to say if it will be successful or not! Two virtuous brothers, hurry up and wait for the letter at my house tomorrow."

Duan Wuji listened and nodded.

"Okay, then there's Brother Lao.

Hey, Brother Cao, I went to Sichuan this time and brought back some oranges from Sichuan. You can pick some oranges and send them to King Yang tomorrow. "

Cao Qiubao nodded.

"Okay, let's do that."

Cao Qiubao looked at his father.

"Father, can you see if the rice is ready? Let's have a few drinks with Engong and the others later."

The old man stood up.

"Well, okay. Qiubao, you can rest with the guests, and I'll go out to make arrangements. Tonight, let's clean up the dust for the two benefactors."

After speaking, the old man turned around and walked out.

After speaking, the old man turned around and went out.

(End of this chapter)