Chapter 5 Fives

A few years later, Yagyu set foot on the yellow road three times. Although he still carries the burden, he is no longer going to Beijing to rush for the exam.Since the young lady was buried a few years ago, even though Liu Sheng still went to Beijing, the reputation in his heart gradually fell apart and dissipated.Therefore, when he was no one on the list again, Liu Sheng was not ashamed at all, and set off on his way home very calmly. A few years ago, Liu Sheng failed the rankings, and when he went to the river where the lady was buried, it was no longer possible to confirm the grave of the lady, and suddenly there were more than a dozen graves by the river, all of which were equally desolate.Liu Sheng stood by the river for a long time, only then did he realize that he was not the only heartbroken person in the world.Thinking about it like this also took away a lot of sentimentality.Liu Sheng removed the weeds one by one from those barren mounds, and built new soil one by one.After staring for a long time, still unable to confirm where the young lady slept, he left with a sigh.

When Liu Sheng returned home from begging all the way, the thatched hut had long since disappeared.All that lay before me was an open space, and my mother's loom was nowhere to be seen.Liu Sheng had already anticipated this situation when he left, so he didn't panic at all.He wondered how to live.For many days thereafter, Yagyu begged to survive.When the situation in the world turned for the better, he went to a large family to guard the cemetery for them.Liu Sheng lived in a thatched hut, and only did some light work of weeding and adding soil to the tomb. The rest of his time was spent reciting poems and painting.Although poor, but also had a romantic life.Occasionally, I will think about some past events, and the young lady's voice and smile will be vivid for a while.Every time at this moment, Liu Sheng would always become in a trance, and finally let it go with a sigh.Years passed like this in a flash.

When Qingming came this year, a large group of people from the master's family came to worship and sweep the ancestral graves.Surrounded by dozens of men and women, the family of maids and women came in a mighty manner.A wide range of offerings were spread out, and for a while, cigarettes were lingering in front of the grave, and crying was everywhere.Liu Sheng was in the middle of it, and burst into tears unknowingly.Liu Sheng's tears were not for the people in the grave, it was really touching the scene.I thought that even though it was the Ching Ming Festival, I couldn't go to my parents' graves to pay homage to my filial piety.Immediately, I thought of the young lady's lonely grave again, and felt even more emotional.I thought that my parents could still sleep peacefully in Jiuquan, and it would be even more miserable for the young lady to be alone.

The next morning, Liu Sheng left without saying goodbye.He first went to pay homage to his parents' graves, then set foot on the yellow road and headed for the river where the young lady slept peacefully. Liu Sheng walked on the road for several days, and the road was full of bright spring scenery, and colorful and joyful scenes continued one after another.Looking around, one is full of peach and willows competing for beauty, and the other is full of mulberry and hemp.The huts with bamboo fences are among the green trees and bamboos, and there are long streams of water in the gullies.The desolate scene of the past has disappeared, and Yagyu walks in it, reminding him of the good old days when he stepped on the yellow road for the first time.The desolation of the past is gone, but the prosperity of the past has come back, covering Liu Sheng's field of vision.However, desolation and prosperity appear alternately in Liu Sheng's heart, making Liu Sheng feel that the yellow road under his feet is sometimes illusory and sometimes unreal.As far as the eye can see, although the bright and colorful scenery dances happily, the desolation of the past has not really disappeared, wandering around the roadside and in the fields like shadows in the sun.Liu Sheng wondered how long this prosperity could last?

Along the way, Liu Sheng met a few wealthy sons who were going to Beijing to rush for the exam, and then suddenly remembered that it was the year of the exam again.Counting the first time I went to Beijing to rush for the exam, it was a vague past more than ten years ago.Thinking about the countless twists and turns in these years, I can't help feeling that the sudden change in the world is really ruthless.Those rich men were all equally smug.Liu Sheng couldn't help but sighed, thinking that the world is so ever-changing, fame and fame are nothing. There used to be scarred dead trees on both sides of the road, but now they are full of branches and leaves.A few villagers lay in the shade of the trees and feigned sleep, and this leisurely speech spoke of the prosperity of the world.On the green grass dancing in the wind, some cattle and sheep are lazily lying or walking.Liu Sheng walked like this, and before he knew it, he came to a fork in the road again, and the nearby river appeared before his eyes again.

That was the river he left behind when he first went to Beijing.The grass beside the river has survived the extinction, and now it is thriving again.And the drooping willows, once like bones, now sway merrily in the wind.Liu Sheng walked over, and the long grass inserted into the leg of his trousers, drawing a lot of kindness.When I came to the river, I saw that the river was crystal clear, and there were a few green leaves floating on the water.A white fish swims around Liusheng, its twisting posture is very charming.The situation here is actually the same as what he saw more than ten years ago, which made Liu Sheng feel emotional.Looking at the charming twisting of the fish, how can you not think of the charming walk of the young lady in the embroidery building?Thinking of the desolation here a few years ago, Liu Sheng was deeply moved.The trees, green grass, and fish in the river are all prosperous after the catastrophe, but the young lady can only lie in the solitary grave, and can no longer be resurrected, and can no longer enjoy the glory and wealth of the past.

Liu Sheng stood beside the river for a long time before leaving sadly.When he came to the road, the city was already faintly visible, so he quickened his pace and walked towards it. When Liu Sheng came to the gate of the city, he could hear the noisy voices of people in the city, and glimpsed the lively scene of Malay people coming and going.It seems that the city has also restored its prosperity.Liu Sheng stepped into the city and walked in the market. It was still five steps to the first floor and ten steps to a pavilion.The gold powder buildings and terraces have all been renovated, which is very grand.There is no sign of the gold powder peeling off and the cobwebs all over the building.There are numerous tea kiosks in hotels on both sides of the market, the green curtains of wine sellers are tall, and the charcoal fires of tea sellers are full.There are also noodle sellers, dumpling sellers, and word-testing fortune-tellers.

The fat mutton was hung on the counter of the hotel again, and there were several kinds of pastries on the cabinet of the tea pavilion.Looking at the people walking in the market, most of them are red and refreshed. Several bejeweled ladies were accompanied by good-looking maids, wandering in the market.Some rich men riding tall horses also squeezed into the crowd.Liu Sheng walked all the way, and the bartenders and boys on both sides were cheering.Such a scene was all arranged more than ten years ago.Liu Sheng was in a trance, as if he had returned to the old scene, without the twists and turns of the past ten years.

After a while, Liu Sheng came to the temple.Look at the temple again, it is resplendent and magnificent.The gate of the temple was opened, and Liu Sheng could see the hundred-year-old green cypress pavilions inside, the brick floor was spotless, and the pillars and beams were smooth and shiny, which were exactly the same as ten years ago.The dilapidation that had been swept by the famine years was no longer recognizable. The scene of overgrown weeds and hanging cobwebs was only vaguely displayed in Liu Yu's memory.Liu Sheng unpacked the package and repeated the old trick. He took out the paper, ink and inkstone brush, wrote a few words, drew a few flowers, and then pasted them on the wall and sold them to passers-by.For a while, many people gathered around.Although there were many things to look at and few things to buy, it took only a short while for all those calligraphy and paintings to be bought. Satisfied with a few dime, Liu Sheng put it in his bag and walked away slowly.

Before he knew it, Liu Sheng came to the place where there was once a deep house, but later it was a ruined well.When he got close, Liu Sheng was startled.The ruined wells are nowhere to be found, and there is no trace of a vacant lot.What unfolded in front of my eyes was an unusually imposing deep house compound. Liu Sheng was dumbfounded, and suspected that this scene was just an illusory display.However, after staring for a long time, the deep house in front of him has not disappeared, but it has become more and more real.I saw that the vermilion gate was closed tightly, the eaves inside overlapped, birds came and went, and although the trees were not towering, they were also a bit thick.Looking at the two stone lions in front of the gate, they both look fierce.Liu Sheng walked over and touched the stone lion, feeling cold and hard.Only then did Liu Sheng dare to be sure that the scene in front of him was not illusory.

He walked slowly along the long path beyond the courtyard wall.After a short walk, we saw the side door.The side door was also closed tightly, but some noises of frolicking in the courtyard could be heard.Liu Sheng stood for a while, then started to walk again. Soon I came to the back door. The back door was open, as it was more than ten years ago, but no family members came out.Liu Sheng entered the back garden through the back door.I saw water pavilions, pavilions, terraces and small pavilions, rockery and stone screens, all of which are very exquisite.The two ponds in the middle are half covered by lotus leaves, and there is a small arch bridge connecting the two ponds.There is a pavilion on the bridge, and there is also a pavilion beside the pool, with two huge maple trees on both sides.The layout of the back garden is slightly different from that of more than ten years ago, but the maple trees are exactly the maple trees seen more than ten years ago.The maple tree has suffered several disasters, but its appearance remains the same.Looking at the gazebo again, there are four built-in porcelain piers in the pavilion, and a stone screen stands behind it.Behind the screen are hundreds of green bamboos, behind the green bamboos are vermilion railings, and behind the railings are countless flowers.There are peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and pear blossoms in full bloom, and crabapple, orchid, and chrysanthemums that have never bloomed. Liu Sheng stopped in his tracks, looked up, and saw the Embroidery Tower again, and then looked around, it was exactly the same as the first time he went to Beijing.The windows of the embroidered building were open, and the wind came from there, passed through the building, and came to Liu Sheng.Liu Sheng could not help but get up when he smelled the attacking fragrance, and immersed himself in the beautiful scenery of meeting Miss Xiulou.I don't even realize that this is the past, as if it is in progress. Liu Sheng felt that the young lady's groaning voice was about to drift over.Thinking about it this way, I heard that wonderful voice floating out of the window.It spread out again, and then fell down like a drizzle.The sound was like pearls falling on a plate, and the sound was as thin and long as the gurgling of water.After carefully distinguishing, it was not the sound of chanting, but the sound of Yaoqin.However, the sound of the Yaoqin is exactly the same as the young lady's chanting.Liu Sheng listened attentively, and unconsciously entered it.The twists and turns of more than ten years have been turned into smoke and dust, and Liu Sheng once again stands under the Embroidery Tower, as if experiencing the beauty of this beautiful day for the first time.Although he vaguely deduced what was going to happen next, it didn't wake him up, and he had merged the past and present experiences into one. When Liu Sheng was thinking that the maid should appear at the window, a woman who looked like a maid appeared at the window, her eyes widened and she said: "Leave quickly." Liu Sheng couldn't help but smile slightly, the scene in front of him was just as expected.After the maid yelled, she left the window.Liu Sheng knew that after a while, she would appear at the window again with wide-eyed eyes. The sound of Yaoqin has not stopped, so the sound of Miss's chanting is still going on.The voice was sometimes melodious and sometimes slow.Could it be that Miss is being tired by lovesickness? The maid came to the window again: "Still leaving?" Liu Sheng still smiled slightly, and Liu Sheng's smile made the maid not dare to stand in front of the window for a long time. After the maid left, the sound of Yaoqin stopped abruptly.Then Liu Sheng heard the sound of walking in the embroidery building, the louder sound should be from the maid, and the lighter sound must be the young lady walking around. Liu Sheng felt that the twilight was beginning to get heavy, and maybe in a short while the night would cover it, and the rain would come.Once the rain comes, the upstairs windows will be closed, and candlelight will leak through the window paper. In the midst of the wind and rain, the windows will be reopened, and the young lady and the maid will both appear in the window.Then a rope twisted down, so Liu Sheng climbed up the rope and met the young lady in the embroidery building.The young lady was as charming as a white fish when she walked towards the outer room.Not long after, the lady came to Liu Sheng's side again, and the two of them held hands and looked at each other, but the thousands of words they had said fell into silence.Later, Liu Sheng climbed down the rope again, left the Xiulou, and set foot on the road.A few months later, Liu Sheng returned after failing the rankings, and when he came here again, it was in ruins again. The sudden appearance of the ruined well made Liu Sheng panic.It was at this moment that a basin of cold water from the embroidered building poured over Liu Sheng's head, and Liu Sheng woke up suddenly.Looking around, the sun was shining brightly, knowing that the scene just now was just a daydream.And the pot of cold water was very real, Liu Sheng was dripping water all over his body, and when he looked at the window of the embroidery building, there was no one, but he could hear private laughter inside.After a while, the girl came to the window and shouted angrily: "If you don't leave, you have to call someone." The beautiful scenery just now disappeared in a puff of white smoke, and Liu Sheng couldn't help feeling melancholy.The embroidery building is still the same, but Miss Ke has changed people.He sighed and turned away.Walking outside the courtyard and looking around the deep house compound again, I realized that this is not the old deep house compound.While walking, Liu Sheng took out a strand of black hair that the young lady had given her as a farewell gift from her luggage, and carefully examined it, and the many good things that the young lady had done during her lifetime were vividly remembered.Liu Sheng burst into tears unconsciously.