quadruple sleep

Chapter 356: Deeply Rooted

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Yan has almost understood the situation. He is a man of great character and connotation, or more accurately, a scholar who attaches great importance to the tradition of etiquette. At the age of less than 40, he is not only well-read, but also has a strong ability to interpret the contents of books such as Shan Hai Jing and Zhou Yi, and has unique views.

Hang Si sighed that even if Meitang Village were to be opened to the outside world one day, with Xu Yan's deep knowledge of traditional culture and history, he would be able to achieve something even if he went out.

But Xu Yan didn't think so. He felt that he was still like this at his age, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. But this discomfort was due to the restrictions of the environment. Either he should go out or accept the reality. He couldn't be awarded the title of No. 1 in the village.

Xu Yan's talents in the village include calligraphy and naming, and he also has the responsibility of teaching children knowledge, so the villagers call him "sir". This is also the reason why he is accepted by the people of Meitang Village despite his surname.

After listening to Xu Yan's introduction, Lu Nanshen and Hang Si realized that they had overestimated the value of the idea.

"Our Xu family's ancestors moved to Meitang Village several generations ago and have lived there ever since. There were other families with different surnames before, but there were few male descendants, so the female descendants intermarried with the Tian family and gradually became members of the Tian family." While Xu Yan was pouring tea for the two of them, he also briefly introduced the Xu family to them.

"Our Xu family is fine. Our direct and collateral male descendants are still thriving, and it has been so until now."

Lu Nanshen and Hang Si looked at each other, knowing each other's thoughts. The Xu family had deep roots in Meitang Village, and it would not be easy for Chen Yezhou to trick the lady of the Xu family.

But when it comes to clichés, it depends on how you use them.

When they had almost finished their tea, Lu Nanshen turned the topic back to drawing the portrait. Xu Yan was quite serious and when he learned that Lu Nanshen wanted to draw a photo of the two of them, he brought out suitable paper.

Tell them, "How about two copies? It will be more convenient for you to carry. After all, it is a sentimental item worth keeping."

Hang Si's ears were hot, Lu Nanshen was quite cheerful, and gently hugged Hang Si's shoulders, "Okay."

When Xu Yan saw this, he sighed that today's young men and women are so sincere and straightforward in expressing their feelings. Although it is a bit against etiquette, it makes people envious.

Soon the portrait was finished.

Hang Si was surprised when he took a look at it, "It looks just like a photo. It's so realistic."

Lu Nanshen saw that the painting skills of the small portrait were much better than those he had seen at Aunt Tian's house, and said with a smile, "Mr. Xu's painting skills have improved again."

Xu Yan made tea again, and not only that, he also spread a layer of peanuts, oranges and red dates on the charcoal stove. It was obvious that he enjoyed chatting with them. He said, "The portraits you two saw at Aunt Tian's house were all painted by me many years ago. If I paint them again now, they will be more attractive than before."

A very humble tone.

To be honest, people like Xu Yan tend to make people feel good about them.

The wind blew outside the window, and the snow on the plum tree fell down. At first glance, it looked like white snow. Xu Yan burned the charcoal stove more vigorously, and sighed, "I remember that Dayu liked to come to my place the most, especially when it snowed. He liked to come to my place to eat roasted peanuts and roasted fruits, as well as the dried crabapples in autumn. He was very greedy."

Lu Nanshen felt that this conversation was going smoothly. Since Xu Yan took the initiative to mention Tian Dayu, he just went with the flow. "Meitang Village is a paradise, where the people are simple and self-sufficient. Such a place is rare in today's society. If I were Tian Dayu, I would not leave Meitang Village." Lu Nanshen picked at the roasted peanuts slowly, "It's very stressful to make a living outside."

"Is Dayu not having a good time out there?" Xu Yan asked hurriedly.

Lu Nanshen saw Xu Yan's worry and said, "The rules and interpersonal relationships outside are very different from those in Meitang Village. In addition, Dayu does not have a degree as a stepping stone, and he is usually introverted and withdrawn. It will be difficult for him to gain a foothold."

Xu Yan groaned, frowning slightly, and his tone was even more concerned when he spoke again, "Has he ever thought about coming back?"

“I haven’t heard him mention it.” Lu Nanshen shook his head.

Xu Yan sighed, filled each other's cups with tea, and said earnestly, "We are all people who are used to living in Meitang Village. It is not easy to go out, not to mention adapting to the outside world. Dayu is really not a person with strong ideas since he was a child, but he is determined to leave Meitang Village."

At this point, he glanced at Lu Nanshen and Hang Si, and wanted to explain, "I'm not saying that the outside world is so bad, but I heard you say that Dayu is a loner. He has called me "Third Brother" since he was a child, so I am naturally worried."

Hang Si reacted quickly and said inconspicuously, "Sometimes Dayu would be depressed when chatting with us. It is said that even his temperament has changed a lot since he came out."

"That's right. Dayu was quite cheerful when he was in Meitang Village. He was a heartless child since he was young. So what you just said about him being introverted and lonely sounded very strange to me." Xu Yan sighed heavily again, "Why did he have to go out for no reason? Since he is not happy outside, he should come back."

Lu Nanshen pretended to be casual and continued to ask, "Did Dayu not say hello to you before leaving Meitang Village?"

Xu Yan shook his head. "That's why I felt it was so sudden. Dayu never mentioned going out to me. Maybe he just had this idea suddenly?" He seemed to hesitate, and finally realized, "I see. It must be a sudden idea. If it were me, if I wanted to go out, I should have made preparations early."

"Prepare for what?" Hang Si was puzzled. "Prepare for what?"

"You must have a skill. Life outside is different from that in Meitang Village, and you can't farm. You must at least learn some skills before you go out." Xu Yan said seriously.

Lu Nanshen lowered his eyes, put all the peeled peanuts into a coarse pottery dish, and placed it in front of Hang Si, naturally. Meitang Village is located in a strange place, but the crops are growing very well. The peanuts are especially crispy after being roasted with firewood, and paired with a cup of hot tea, the winter in Meitang Village is indeed very comfortable.

If it were her, she would be comfortable staying in such a place for the rest of her life.

"I was thinking," she said briefly, then paused before continuing, "maybe he was influenced by his father. Didn't his father also leave Meitang Village before? What was his name? Oh, yes, Tian Guangyi, right?"

Lu Nanshen was drinking tea slowly beside him, thinking, look how smart you are.

Xu Yan was stunned when he heard this and looked at Hang Si without saying anything.

After being looked at like this, Hang Si felt unsure for a moment, but fortunately Xu Yan said the next sentence, "Did Dayu tell you about his father?"

Just like riding a roller coaster, Hang Si's heart suddenly fell to the ground. Fortunately, she cleared her throat and said nonchalantly, "It was also mentioned during a casual chat. Da Yu doesn't have many friends outside, so he is quite compatible with us."