Chapter 5 It is difficult for the soul to return to its hometown

On the 23rd day of the first lunar month, on the road from Luoyang to Qiaojun, snowflakes were flying, and the surrounding area was completely white, which seemed to trap travelers on the road.On the official road with no ruts or footprints, the group of people escorting Cao Teng's coffin back to his hometown could only brave the wind and snow and push the car forward with difficulty. This is the first time that the three generations of the Cao family returned to their hometown collectively.Grandfather Cao Teng passed away on the eighth day of the first lunar month. He entered the palace as an eunuch at the age of eight. He had many opportunities to return home in fine clothes, but he always failed to make the trip because he was busy with work. Unexpectedly, he went to the embrace of his hometown in this way.

This is the first time for Cao Song to return to his hometown since he was adopted by his father Cao Lang to his fourth uncle Cao Teng at the price of 5,000 yuan when he was four years old.It seems that his mission as Cao Teng's adopted son is to bring Cao Teng's coffin back to his hometown for burial.During this period, he also missed his biological parents countless times, and dreamed of returning to the fields he was familiar with many times.In order to keep his filial piety, he resigned from the School of Confucianism, and now he has nothing but the poor status of "eunuch adopted son".

The grandson of Cao Cao, this is the first time in his life that he has embarked on a trip back to his hometown.His mother, Ding, was born in Luoyang, Kyoto.But his root is in Qiao County, which is the eternal love between heaven and earth.In another ten and a half months, Qiaojun will welcome his first return home. The entire funeral procession consisted of about 20 people and three cars in total.There are twelve or thirteen people who are dedicated to pushing and supporting the flat carriage for loading and transporting the coffin, and several others are in charge of the caravan in which Cao Cao and his stepmother (the mother passed away three years ago), and a bamboo slip, living utensils, food, sundries Waiting for the bucket truck.

Cao Song and all the walking people on the road were wearing straw sandals or leather shoes. The muddy water had already penetrated deeply into the shoes, from toes to knees.The wind and snow poured into the neckline and cuffs, and it was icy cold.All the people are dressed in plain clothes, old linen, and mournful faces. The heads of people, carts, and horses are all tied with filial hats and paper streamers, and the sky is full of snow, forming a picture of heaven and earth mourning together. It was a bad journey. Cao Song, while supporting the carriage pulling the coffin, called the driver and the coolies to be careful in the snowstorm, so as not to bump and shake the coffin.

It's no wonder that the large and strong black-lacquered nanmu coffin parked on the carriage seemed wasteful and superfluous to contain Cao Teng's thin and shriveled body.Cao Song was afraid that the body would be dangling back and forth in the coffin, so he smashed the silver-threaded jade garment worn on Cao Teng's body. Dutiful sons and virtuous grandchildren help the coffin to return home, and must walk on foot.Cao Cao was still young, and he was on the road in the wind and snow. He only got out of the car and knelt down to worship the gods when he passed pavilions, passes and the borders of the princes.

The squeak of everyone's feet on the slippery mud made Cao Cao fall asleep in the arms of his stepmother.Suddenly a few horse neighs woke him up from his sleep.Getting up and opening the curtain, the horse raised its head and barked, with white air coming out of its mouth and nose.The father, who was as round as a tumbler, was tossed into a clay figurine by the muddy road. He was struggling with the crowd to get the carriage out of the pit. The body is covered with plain linen without seaming piping, which makes Cao Song's face and round hair more plump.The bamboo hairpin seems to be inserted in a rye steamed bun.When the thin Cao Song came to Cao Teng's side, Cao Teng always felt that Cao Song was not like a descendant of his Cao family, because he had never met Cao Song's biological mother, who was his third sister-in-law.He even suspected that the third brother used other people's children as his own to adopt him.

Cao Song, who was used to looking at other people's expressions since he was a child, had to carefully and quickly observe the other person's expressions before he wanted to speak.This action has become as common as dressing and eating. Cao Song suddenly turned his head and saw that Cao Cao was looking outside with the curtain lifted. When his eyes shot at Cao Cao, showing that he wanted to say a few words, Cao Cao had already stuck out his tongue and put down the curtain.I heard Cao Song yelling indistinctly: "Ah Man, his mother, take care of him, don't let Ah Man suffer from the cold."

"His mother" is Cao Cao's stepmother, Zou Shi, who is spinning hemp thread with a spindle in her hand.Hearing Cao Song shout, he looked up at Cao Cao who was wielding a mahogany sword: slender eyes, high nose bridge, upturned mouth corners, dark skin, six years old but only four and a half years old.I'm afraid this child not only looks like his grandfather very much, but also has the same figure. There has been a saying of "intergenerational images" since ancient times.In terms of blood relationship, Cao Cao is Cao Teng's nephew and grandnephew. It is entirely possible that they look alike.It wasn't until Cao Cao was born that Cao Teng believed that the third brother hadn't cheated.

The wind and snow drifted into the car, and Cao Cao secretly opened the curtain to look outside again.Mrs. Zou didn't control him very much. As the saying goes, it's hard to be a stepmother. For her with a mediocre background, if she could marry into the Cao family and make up for the house, she would have already burned high incense.Practice with virtuousness and patience, and it is too late to stabilize your position. How dare you embarrass your stepson Cao Cao? The car finally got out of the mud pit.Cao Song looked up at the sky. Such a large and dense snowflake seemed to take a long time for the gods in charge of snow to prepare.So, what about father's life?Is it true that all the pain and suffering, glory and glory are only for today's soul returning home?

The most difficult part of Cao Teng's life was the period when he hid with the deposed prince Liu Bao at No. 9 Jinwu Lane in Luoyang.The most noteworthy thing is that he united with other eunuchs and court officials to successfully help Liu Bao regain the throne.His relationship with Emperor Shun Liu Bao was so deep that he could be called "Brother" by the latter. Unfortunately, he died young, and before he passed away, he entrusted all family affairs and state affairs to each other. In the future, he dealt with the general Liang Ji to protect the officials and recommend talents for the court, but he was inevitably framed and even imprisoned.

Until now, Cao Song only knew a little bit about his adoptive father Cao Teng.Because Cao Teng lived in the deep palace for a long time, he was required to be strict with his mouth, and never disclosed any affairs in the palace.In addition, Cao Teng has always focused on business. Since Cao Song became his adopted son, he only spent the only Spring Festival with his family before his death. To Cao Song's regret, as an adopted son, he didn't know much about Cao Teng than Cao Cao.Cao Teng didn't want to be the leaker of all the affairs of the court, and he didn't want his whole life to be known, so he used the way of storytelling to tell the past between him and Shun Emperor Liu Bao, using the story of the protagonist "Xiao Tengzi" and the little prince. Identity, tell Cao Cao carefully. "Xiao Tengzi" is Liu Bao's casual name when Cao Teng accompanied Prince Liu Bao to study. Since Mrs. Zou married into the Cao family the year before last, the deepest impression of the father and son is that Cao Cao has endless words all day long, like a "talker", which makes Cao Song more silent, as if Cao Song's words are said by him exhausted. Cao Cao was in the car, and thought of asking his stepmother, Mrs. Zou, if she had seen "Xiao Tengzi" and if she recognized him.Mrs. Zou didn't know anything about it, so she always answered that she didn't know and had never seen it. Everyone was walking slowly in the wind and snow, only the sound of wheels rolling on the road, the sound of hooves and the sound of horses were intertwined."Cao Shubei", who didn't like to talk too much, became even more silent. Cao Song looked at the black lacquered coffin, his father Cao Teng's voice and smile were still there, but now he was separated from the yin and yang.In his grief, Cao Song may not understand Cao Teng's worries about him lying in the coffin: his character is too cowardly, and he wants to navigate the official sea full of hidden reefs, which is his fatal weakness.