Ordinary people's rice bowl

Chapter 4 Sleepwalking Before the List
Sitting under the shade of the tree, Lao Mu's eyes were a bit dry. The fatigue and anxiety these days did not allow him to have a truly peaceful sleep. Unknowingly, he closed the eyes that he wanted to open but couldn't open. Eyes closed, hands clasped around knees, head slowly hanging on chest.

Lao Mu walked alone on a road with no end in sight. There were dense clusters of flowers on both sides, bees and butterflies dancing in groups, and the intoxicating fragrance of flowers burst into the nose. There was the sound of running water in the distance. Listening to it, I wondered, "Where is this? Could it be the Huaguo Mountain in "Journey to the West", but why can't we see the "Huaguo Mountain blessed land, water curtain and cave"?" A white-haired The elegant elder walked towards him slowly, and he rushed to meet him to ask for clarification.

"Master, what is this place?"

"This is the road to the Happy Land, and you can enter the Happy Land not far away. Ordinary people who come to this blessed land must come for the Happy Land?"

"Xiaoyao?" Lao Mu was startled and didn't know how to answer.

"Forget about the past and the aftermath, and just focus on traveling freely! Although this place is not a fairyland in the sky, it is better than a blessed place on earth. Please follow me for a stroll first!" After finishing speaking, he took Lao Mu's right hand and left.

After walking not far, I saw a tall Shimen archway with three big characters "Xiaoyaojing" written in seal script.When approaching again, there is a couplet carved in stone on both sides, which is also written in seal characters:

Enjoy the glory and wealth of the world

Traveling in Wonderland to do whatever you want
The elder said to Old Mu: "Walking is only about shopping, but you can't speak. Words will be lost. If you lose, you will be sent back, and you will not return!" Old Mu was half-believing, and followed the elder into the door.

Stepping inside the gate, what appears in front of you is a very flat small square, paved with blue granite stones at your feet. Not far from the gate is a rockery, more than [-] meters high, surrounded by strange rocks. During the period, flowers and plants were reborn, and Lao Mu only recognized a few common plants like holly, rose, and peony.On the top of the mountain, there is a blue stone protruding, and on the slightly flat place, there are three characters "Yiqinggu" in seal script.

Turning along the granite road, you can see a semi-circular platform with a diameter of more than ten feet. The front of the platform is full of greenery. , Lao Mu couldn't help being shocked, this scene is only in the sky!Lao Mu lightly stepped on the glass, feeling as if he had entered a fairyland.He followed the old man to the edge of the platform, but when he saw the cliff in front of him going straight down, it was so deep that he couldn't help but take a deep breath, he calmed down a little, and looked carefully, what jumped into his eyes was the smog, the mountains and mountains, A canyon winds up and down, with green mountains on both sides and continuous ravines.

"Could this be a fairyland on earth?" Lao Mu couldn't help being surprised, "There is no way to go to connect with it, how to enter this fairyland?" The elder saw his thoughts and said slowly: "Please close your eyes and don't say anything. "Speaking shut, looking directly at Lao Mu, Lao Mu closed his eyes tightly in a little doubt, and felt himself floating up in an instant, although his body was moving, he couldn't feel a little wind in his ears, it was surprisingly quiet, The fresh air made me refreshed, and I leaned a little, and my feet had already landed on the ground.

"You can open your eyes!" The elder's deep voice came again, and Lao Mu opened his eyes slightly. The sun was shining brightly, although it looked very strong, but it was not too dazzling. When it shone on his face, he felt warm. Makes you feel soft and comfortable.There is soft grass under the feet, sometimes accompanied by small flowers in season, but the flowers and grass are not afraid of being trampled on, stepping on it, soft and thin, like stepping on a thick green silk carpet, the smell of grass is strong, tangy and fresh Refresh the brain and feel comfortable.

Looking around, it was like recreating the grand scene of Qingming Shanghe Tu. The passers-by on the road were all dressed in ancient clothes, but no one took a second look at Lao Mu, who was dressed in a foreign country. There are pictures of chariots and horses.Everyone waved to each other, and seemed to be talking and joking naturally, but to Lao Mu, he only saw everyone laughing, but couldn't hear any sound.The crossing branches of the greenway are either wide or narrow, deep or shallow, and there is no rule to follow.Both sides of each narrow path are covered with green, and the sunlight passing through the gaps between the leaves, the thin ones are like silk, and the thick ones are like pillars, reflecting on the face from time to time, adding a little bit of fun.The unknown street trees have wide or narrow leaves, long or short branches, and the exchange of coniferous and broad leaves, without any rules, just like the virgin forest described in the book.The only difference from the picture is that there are no shops or stalls here, and what you can see is endless green. On the low green grass, shrubs can be seen everywhere, and tall trees are connected to form forests, full of greenery.

Old Mu walked quietly along with the elder in the crowd. The elder was skilled in this way. He asked him to close his eyes again. After a while, the scent of green grass filled his nostrils with a strange fragrance. When Old Mu opened his eyes slightly , is still full of tourists, but it has been replaced by a colorful world, surrounded by red, white, pink, blue, yellow and purple flowers, thousands of flowers and branches, competing to bloom, and the desire to suppress the branches is low.The white flower clusters are pure, jade-clean and flawless, possessing the crystal clearness of Dongxue, graceful and graceful, simple and elegant, and as pure as white jade.Look at the charming pink color again. Those who hug it tightly are like hydrangeas, and those who open it are like trumpets, conveying warmth and romance to passers-by.The purple flowers are even more gratifying. They gather on the branches and form bouquets, as if they are stretching their heads to greet passers-by.Old Mu was dazzled and couldn't catch his eyes, but the elder's walking pace made him dare not stay alone. The visitor admired it while walking, "These flowers are concentrated here, and can they bloom at the same time? It is really a fairyland with its own pleasant place. In the next life, I will travel to the fairyland!"

Before Lao Mu had time to fully enjoy the beauty of the flowers, he stepped into the jungle again. Here, all red flowers are tightly clustered, and the red fruits are piled on the branches. , Looking at the burning camp, under the reflection of this red, the sun here also turns red. The tourists look very excited, sometimes caressing the red leaves, sometimes leaning on the red wood, and sometimes tasting the red fruit. It is so beautiful and smiling.

Turning around a mountain ridge, the red gradually fades away, antique, pavilions, towers and pavilions, hidden in the green mountains and green waters, and then look closely, the waves are sparkling, boundless, golden carp jumping, light boats come and go, occasionally covered by large lotus leaves, It reminds people of the poem "the lotus leaves are boundless in the sky, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun". The fragrance of the lotus floats to the lungs, clears the heart and cools the brain, smooth and delicate, and people can't help but take a few more mouthfuls of this refreshing The fragrance of lotus, savor the refreshing scenery on the water.

Old Mu had already forgotten his troubles. This quiet fairyland in the mountains had already made him lost his way. "The true meaning of the human world is to come to this world for a while, to cultivate one's temperament, so why bother to look for troubles, and everyone doesn't answer each other, isn't it beautiful?" When old Mu was thinking, the elder said: "The scenery is fascinating, the heart is clear, and the dantian is so beautiful. It's hard to get angry." Lao Mu heard the elder say, but he didn't understand what it meant, he thought about it for a while, wanted to ask something, thought of the elder's reminder to get started, so he didn't ask aloud.

"Close your eyes and follow me!" the elder reminded.

In an instant, Lao Mu opened his eyes, and stood in front of a sudden cliff again. He suddenly felt the blood rushing up his head, and his heart was hanging by a thread. On the top there are four big characters of "turn back and go to shore" in wild cursive script.

"What's the purpose of the elders bringing me here? Is this also a place of leisure?" Old Mu wondered, not knowing what to do.The elder dragged him for a while, and then stepped into the cave. The cave was a bit gloomy, and the slightest chill hit his bones, making Lao Mu shudder like a conditioned reflex.Before Lao Mu could see the scene in the cave clearly, he saw the light in front of him, and the noise of carriages and horses could be heard from time to time.

Outside the entrance of the cave is very lively, with the flow of cars, horses and people, and the houses are like houses.Lao Mu couldn't figure it out, the cliff behind him turned around and he saw another scene, the speed of change was really unimaginable.

Different from the "Yiqing Valley" that I went to before, for Lao Mu, it was a silent world, but here it is a noisy space, the sounds of cock crowing, dog barking, and horse silk are in my ears, boxing games, shouting, and singing , Every sentence is tempting.Cars and horses are constantly coming and going on the road, which is really a bustling scene.

The space houses and buildings are unique, each with its own merits and uniqueness.The low and simple houses here are hidden among the tall forests, and the surrounding roofs are all surrounded by grasses. The round, square, and polygonal ones are arranged alternately, which has a unique atmosphere.The three-story building over there is all painted in maroon red, and various engravings, paintings, and calligraphy inscriptions on the walls can be seen everywhere, showing extraordinary luxury.Walking past the low house, the strong smell of wine mixed with the smell of meat made Lao Mu whet his appetite, making swallowing movements from time to time.When passing through the building, the smell of rice, wine, and rouge mixed together, making Lao Mu even more salivate, unable to stop.The singing in the building was soaring and melodious. Although I couldn't hear any tunes, it made Lao Mu so intoxicated that he had long forgotten the temptation of the smell of rice.

While walking in the bustling streets and alleys, there was a sudden noise not far away, and Lao Mu thought it was very strange. Could there be any noise here?While guessing, he had followed the old man to the side of the noisy crowd. The old man stopped, twirled his beard, and smiled silently. Old Mu noticed that in the crowd, an old woman was yelling loudly at a young man kneeling in front of her. Excited, speaking quickly, leaning slightly, the old woman burst into tears.From time to time, the crowd whispered, pointed and discussed with each other.

Old Mu looked back at the old man's silent expression, as if he was enjoying listening, his curiosity immediately made Lao Mu not neglect in the slightest, he stood up, held his breath and listened carefully amidst the noise.

"Look, just because of a young and beautiful woman, she even forgot such an important life event as rushing for the exam, is that still a person?" said a middle-aged man wearing a felt hat in the crowd.

"Let everyone judge and judge, can my child be saved? The whole family saves food and money for him to study. I wanted him to get a good reputation so that he can escape the suffering of ignorance and live a good life in the future, but he is trying to get a good reputation. On the way, but he was greedy for women, and he forgot about getting fame and fame, and slept in the woman's comfort zone. The whole family spent all the money for him getting grades in the exam on that woman, and he is still obsessed with it. His father persuaded him not to indulge As for the woman, he also justified the nonsense of saying 'this is my first love', and now his father is so angry that he fell ill, but he is still nostalgic for the woman and has no intention of turning back."

"This world is really strange. I am not the only obsessed in this world. I only know what it is. I don't know why it is. I am obsessed. I was the same back then. I was obsessed with women. I didn't seek to make progress. Women left me. I have lived in poverty until now. Seeing this scene now makes me suddenly realize that I am not the only one who is obsessed in this world, how can there be such an obsessed person?" A "Kong Yiji" wearing a long gown stood out from the crowd and walked to The old woman pointed to her nose and said loudly that "Kong Yiji" sounded like a bell. After saying these words, there was no discussion among the crowd. Instead of laughing at him, everyone had a little respect for his frankness.

After a short pause, a wise man walked out of the crowd and continued: "You child, you must listen to what your parents say and what the old man says. These are the lessons of their life, and they don't want them to be taught to you. Repeat, that's why I'm persuading you like this, don't even think about it, when you get the honor, you will have a woman, a sedan chair, and a house. If you are destined to be with this woman, by then, won't you be able to stay together forever? Why bother? It has long been your own fetters. If this woman drags you back and makes you seek to improve, what can she bring you? If you stagnate, by then, you will have problems in front of you and behind you, embarrassment and troubles will follow one after another Come on, you are a scholar, don't you understand this simple truth?"

These words resonated with the crowd of onlookers, and there was thunderous applause immediately. The old man didn't clap his hands, but just nodded slightly.

The applause stopped, and there was a long sigh of sweet "Oh..." from the crowd, and everyone turned their eyes in unison. In the middle, he was dressed in plain white, with a delicate face, and a handsome and elegant gentleman. He took a few steps forward: "I am Le Yangzi in the article "The Wife of Le Yangzi", which is familiar to all scholars. Talent, but if there were no words from my wife to break the weaving, I would not have done the act of destroying Zhongshan later. Therefore, a man should stand in the sky and earth, and he should be ashamed of turning his head at this time! Otherwise, if he doesn’t look back and is determined to be his family and country, he will not be a man. Former laughing stock?"

When Lao Mu heard this, he suddenly thought of Mr. Pu's "Strange Tales from a Liaozhai Studio". In his article "Painted Skin", isn't the student who is infatuated with the woman who is fascinated by the painted skin described in his article "Painted Skin" the same as it?The world laughs at the hatefulness of the fox fairy described by Mr. Pu. The hateful thing is not the fox fairy, but these scholars who are trapped in a whole, obsessed with obsession, and have no ambitions. The boss is sad" lamented!

Everyone, you speak and I speak, all scolding the young man kneeling on the ground. Although the young man with his head bowed all the time can hear his faint sobs, he seems to have awakened. The young man kneeling on the ground Raising his head suddenly, Lao Mu's heart was shocked: "This, it seems that I have seen this somewhere before, but I can't say or remember where I saw it!" After taking half a step, he took the old woman's hands, burst into tears, and said with a sob: "It's all the fault of the child. The child knows his mistake. I will definitely correct my mistakes and finish my studies!" After finishing speaking, he moved a little. With both knees, he nodded to the crowd and muttered: "Thank you neighbors and folks, thank you passers-by for giving me some pointers!"

The old man nodded slightly, pulled Lao Mu up and continued walking forward.Faintly heard the sound of gongs and drums, and Lao Mu judged from the drum beats that it was a festive gongs and drums. As the distance got closer, the sound of gongs and drums became louder and louder, and the music was instantly resounding. Soon, four people were carrying big drums, A row of people hugged their musical instruments. After the sound of gongs and drums, the musicians behind began to play. It was very lively. Behind the band were three people in new clothes on horseback. A tall black horse was in front, and two people were riding red horses. Afterwards, more than a dozen red sedan chairs were lined up, and each sedan chair was carried by four strong men. Some of the sedan chairs were accompanied by women standing on both sides. .Seeing this, Lao Mu also wanted to follow the passers-by to the side of the road to watch, but to the elders, he turned a blind eye and kept going, and Lao Mu had to follow closely behind, listening to a person in the crowd whispering to the people next to him. Muttering: "That's Gao Yanei, who is going to marry the lady of the Lin family. I just married Miss Wang's family a few days ago, but yesterday I fell in love with the lady of the Lin family again. I don't know how the man of the Lin family will handle it. Today, I will move out of this situation and go to marry her." Woolen cloth?"

"What the bride-to-be sees on the TV is just one sedan chair. Why are they carrying so many sedan chairs? Maybe this shows the prestige of the master's family!" Lao Mu thought, not daring to start a conversation with passers-by, and silently followed After the sedan chair, walk in front of people.

Suddenly a man with a gun came out from the crowd, and he went straight to the man on the tall black horse with his gun, and shouted: "I advise you to turn around and be right, but you won't listen, let me give you a heart-piercing gun today, and see you." The body will not enter!" It was too late and then quickly, the point of the gun hit the heart of the man riding the black horse, and a stream of blood gushed out, the old man seemed to have not seen it, but for Lao Mu, it was the first time he saw him. Seeing that, I couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat, and then I saw the gun head was pulled out, and the blood spurted out, splashing on Lao Mu's face, Lao Mu screamed "ah", leaned forward, cut forward, and woke up. come over.

When Lao Mu woke up in a start, he was still chanting the words "turning back to the shore". The dream was so frightened that he couldn't remember half a sentence. His hands were a little swollen. He slowly clasped his hands upside down and made two pushes forward. Then he freed his right hand, rubbed his eyes, wiped the acid water from the corner of his mouth, and looked at his watch with his left wrist. , it was a quarter past nine, and there was still a quarter of an hour before the announcement of the list.Lao Mu stood up, stretched his sore waist, then yawned twice, and turned his tense neck, only then noticed that the people in front of the gallery gathered more.

(End of this chapter)