That Person In That River and Lake

  Chapter 170 After a glass of wine, passers-by

There are stars in the sky and dim lights on the ground. This is an inn. It looks a little cold from a distance. There are two young people sitting in front of the window. There is a pot of wine and a few small dishes on the table, but no one touches their chopsticks, and they are silent all the time. .

Gu Qingci looked at Ma Zhibai, feeling a little desolate in his heart, inexplicably a little desolate, Ma Zhibai had completely lost his former style, his beard was scruffy, his whole body was emaciated, and his two pupils were so sunken that he didn't look like a living person , nor a little spirit.

After a while, Ma Zhibai picked up the flagon, poured Gu Qingci a glass of wine, and said with a wry smile: "Brother Gu, I have imagined countless times that the two of us drink together, but I never imagined that it would be like this In the current situation, this wine is not sweet at all, it is very sour and astringent!"

Gu Qingci didn't raise his glass, didn't move, just looked at Ma Zhibai quietly, and said: "Back then, I promised you two drinks with Brother Ma, I also thought, maybe we will meet again after a long absence and won't return drunk, or Meeting in a wine shop to raise a glass to invite the bright moon, or to worship the future, the past, and tomorrow, I never thought it would be so uncomfortable."

  Ma Zhibai picked up the wine glass, drank it down, and said with a lonely expression: "I want to lament that creation makes people, and I want to lament that people are in the rivers and lakes, but they can't help themselves, but I really don't have the courage to say these two sentences."

  Gu Qingci still didn't move, still as calm as water, said: "This has nothing to do with courage or not. Come to think of it, you are not qualified to say these two sentences."

"Brother Gu..." Ma Zhibai called softly: "I really don't want to do this, but I have no choice, I have no choice, and I didn't expect to bring you such a big trouble. I'm sorry!"

"You are not sorry for me," Gu Qingci said in a cold tone, "You are sorry for so many iron-blooded men who died in front of you back then. They are all true heroes. What you are sorry for is the arrogance of scholars. It is better not to read the sage book, you are sorry for that scholar like you, his name is Ma Shilian, he died in front of your eyes!"

  Ma Zhibai took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and said, "Brother Gu, I'm not you, I have a family, I..."

"Excuses," Gu Qingci said coldly: "Family, who doesn't have family? Don't they have any of the thousands of people buried in the snow? What did you get for them? Ordinary pensions? They died in battle, they What about your family? Does your Ma family have as many people as them? Do your Ma family have as many difficulties as them? Can your Ma family not survive without you as an official?"

Gu Qingci's voice became more and more serious, the waiter in the tavern raised his head blankly, and wanted to say something, when he was about to speak, he saw Gu Qingci throwing a silver coin and said, "Second brother, I will take care of this tavern tonight. Now, close the door and close the door!"

Xiaoer took the money, nodded, pointed to the counter, and said, "Well, you two, the wine is here, you can drink it yourself, if you have anything to do, just call me, and I'll be in the room." inside."

When Xiaoer left, Gu Qingci looked at Ma Zhibai and said, "Did you know that more than half of the people who died in the battle in Changling County were temporarily in the military camp. They didn't have a court establishment, and they didn't get much money?" Pensions, their family lost the pillar of the family, and did not receive the support of the court, how did they live, and, if I guessed correctly, your Ma family must have underreported a lot of people in order to expand your credit! What about those families? Are you raising the horses?"

Ma Zhibai took another sip of his wine and said after a long while: "I have tried my best to fight for them, but I really can't help it. If I deny those things, there are many people, and they will all commit the crime of deceiving the emperor. The situation of my Ma family is also very difficult now, I have to think about them, Brother Gu, I really can't help it!"

"No way, hehe..." Gu Qingci sneered: "You know, I sent Ma Shilian's ashes home, do you know what's going on in his family? The whole family is about to be forced to death, they have no honor, they only have orphans Widows, they can't survive."

"I don't know what's going on with your Ma family, but I know very well that with the power of your Ma family and the ability to send more than a dozen great practitioners to assassinate me, even if something happens to your Ma family, you won't be alive. If you don’t go on, it’s just that you don’t have the glory you have now. But, do you know that your glory is built on the destruction of many people’s homes?”

Ma Zhibai slowly raised his head, looked at Gu Qingci, hesitated for a long time, and then said: "Brother Gu, let me ask you a question. You blame me for taking your credit, which not only puts you in danger several times, but also makes you possibly From then on, I will never be in the officialdom."

   "Oh," Gu Qingci sighed, and said, "It's impossible to blame, but if it's just about me, I shouldn't be so violent."

  Gu Qingci made everything clear and said it mercilessly, because in his heart, he still remembered the magnanimous Ma Zhibai of that gentleman back then, and he knew that Ma Zhibai had no choice.

This night, there was no drizzle, but it seemed so lonely. There was always a cold wind blowing and bleak, always revealing a trace of melancholy and a little sadness. In that tavern, there was a young man in a green shirt. One cup after another.

   I don't know how long it took, Gu Qingci suddenly picked up the wine glass and said, "After drinking my glass of wine, we are passers-by from now on. The next time we meet, we will live and die in peace!"

   Ma Zhibai was trembling all over, watching Gu Qingci slowly raise his wine glass, and when he was about to drink it, he suddenly shouted: "Brother Gu, wait a minute!"

  Gu Qingci paused, looked at Ma Zhibai, and said coldly: "Brother Ma... This may be the last time I call you Brother Ma, what else do you have to say?"

Ma Zhibai stood up slowly, his face was a little flushed, maybe he was drunk, he wobbled up the jug, took two steps forward, knelt down in front of the window with a "plop", and slowly picked up the wine The jug was poured out, and it flowed to the ground bit by bit. He looked at the stars in the sky, and said slowly, "I, Ma Zhibai, am sorry for so many heroes, and I am sorry for so many comrades. This jug of wine is not a luxury for you!" Forgive, but I apologize!"

After finishing speaking, Ma Zhibai stood up staggeringly again, smiled slightly at Gu Qingci, and said, "Brother Gu, in fact, I have had a very difficult time during this time, really, every time I close my eyes , I feel that there are many people around me looking at me, they are covered in blood, some limbs are missing, they are all asking me, why do I do this?"

"Occasionally, I will dream of you again. The situation in the dream is the same as today. You don't blame me for taking your credit, you just blame me for not serving so many people. You blame me for reading sage books in vain. You are a real gentleman, but I still look forward to you, I hope you will blame me for taking your credit, and break up with me, but you don't, you don't..."

Gu Qingci sighed, and said: "Brother Ma, if it wasn't for this incident, I should have been hidden by now. I just want to live a mediocre life, fame and fortune. I have already looked down upon it. I want this credit." What's the use?"

Ma Zhibai smiled so happily that he seemed to relax, he slowly left the tavern, and said slowly: "Brother Gu, I hope we will have another chance to drink, don't worry, I I will give you an explanation, and I will also give an explanation to those heroes who died in battle!"

  ...

In the middle of the night, the traffic on the street gradually began to decrease. On the streets of Chang’an City, there were two young women, each holding a large handful of candied haws, talking and laughing as they prepared to leave. One was wearing a short skirt and the other was wearing a long glazed skirt. Walking on the street, there will always be a lot of people's attention, one is lively and cheerful, the other is quiet and dignified, one has a long sword hanging from his waist, and the other embraces a long piano.

The atmosphere in Chang'an City is very open, and there are many women with bare legs, but few of them can match the figure of the girl in the short skirt, and there are also many ladies in the family, but no one can compare to the woman in the long glazed skirt. Refined and elegant, the two together are even more eye-catching.

"Su Yi, try this sweet-scented osmanthus cake." Mo Lanying took out a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake and handed it to Su Yi, saying, "Let me tell you, I have been in Chang'an City for many days, and my favorite is the sweet-scented osmanthus here." Cake, very sweet!"

  Su Yi smiled slightly, took a sip, nodded, and said, "It's quite sweet, but it lacks a bit of fragrance."

   "Well, and...oops..."

When Mo Lanying said this, the ordinary orange she was carrying suddenly fell to the ground and rolled all over the place. She squatted down and quickly picked it up. While picking it up, she said: "Su Yi, Su Yi, hurry up!" Come help me pick it up!"

  Mo Lanying was wearing a short skirt, and when she squatted down, she showed a lot of different scenery. She blushed and stood up hastily. Fortunately, there were not many people here.

At this moment, an old man with a lunch box passed by, put the lunch box on the ground, stooped, picked up a few oranges, hugged the oranges tightly with his withered hands, and staggered to Mo Lan In front of Ying, there was a kindness on his dark face, and he handed the orange to Mo Lanying with a smile, and said, "Come on, girl, take your orange, take it and go home quickly, it's late at night, you two girls Everyone, it's not very good!"

  Mo Lanying took the orange and said with a smile: "Thank you, old man, we will go home soon. It is so late, why are you outside alone?"

  The old man said with a smile: "My son is on duty. I'll bring him some food. I'm afraid he might forget to eat when he gets busy."

   "Oh, that's it." Mo Lanying packed the oranges and said, "The old man, please slow down."

   "Okay," the old man lifted the lunch box, waved his hand, and walked slowly into a nearby alley.

  Mo Lanying looked at the back of the old man who was slowly disappearing, dazed in a daze, Su Yi walked over slowly, and sighed: "The atmosphere in Chang'an City is really good, if only everyone in the world is so happy!"

Mo Lanying nodded, an inexplicable smile suddenly appeared on her face, she pulled Tsing Yi to the side, put the things on a closed stall by the side of the road, and said softly: "Let's follow to see .”

   "Ah?" Su Yi asked suspiciously, "With that old man? Why are you with him?"

Mo Lanying pulled Su Yi and walked into the alley, whispering: "There is something wrong with this person. If I am not mistaken, he should be Ma Dongyang's housekeeper. He has no son at all. During this period of time, the Ma family has been in turmoil. Thinking about what to do with the scholar, let's go and have a look."

   If you have a ticket, give it a ticket!

  (end of this chapter)