Chapter 4 Yam porridge

Yam porridge Akutagawa Ryunosuke Probably it was the end of Yuanqing and the early years of Renhe.No matter which dynasty or generation, it has nothing to do with this story.The judge should just regard it as something that happened in the Heian Dynasty a long time ago. ——It is said that at that time, Fujiwara Motoke was regent, and among the guards under him, there was a certain fifth rank. ① From 1794 to 192, the capital was established in Heian-kyo (that is, Kyoto), which was an extremely brilliant historical era in ancient Japanese politics and culture.Yuanqing (877-885).The two dynasties of Renhe (885-889) corresponded to the early period of peace.

I don't want to write "a certain person" in the next book, and I want to find out who it is and whose name it is.It just so happened that the name was not handed down.He must be an ordinary person, so he is not qualified to leave his name in history.It seems that after all, the author of the history book is not very interested in ordinary people and everything.This point is quite different from the Japanese naturalist writers.It should be noted that novelists in the dynastic era were not idlers. ——In short, among the bodyguards of Prince Regent Fujiwara, there is a certain fifth-rank samurai who is the protagonist in this story.

Let's talk about this fifth rank, it's really ugly.First of all, short stature.Secondly, the red nose, character eight.Needless to say, the beard on the mouth is sparse.The thin cheeks make the chin extraordinarily pointed.Lips... If you count them one by one, it's really too much to say.Our fifth grade, born so sloppy, is unusual. When and why did Wupin come to serve Jijing?No one knows.Anyway, for a long time, he has always been wearing the same faded short jacket and the same flat Beijing-style black hat, and has been tirelessly performing the same duties every day, which is beyond doubt.As a result, no one would have thought that this guy actually had a youthful time (the fifth rank is already over 40 years old).On the contrary, he even felt that, with his blushing nose and beard, he was born to be exposed to the wind and rain on the Suzaku Road.Starting from the master's basic scriptures, down to the cattle-herding boy, without knowing it, everyone thinks so, and no one doubts it.

With such a dignified appearance, there is probably no need to spend too much time on the treatment that a person receives.In the classroom, the fifth grade is not even as good as a fly, and all the warriors ignored him.Even those subordinate bodyguards who have quality but not quality, a total of twenty or so people, are surprisingly indifferent to his entry and exit.When Wupin ordered something, the group of people would never stop chatting.For them, the existence of the fifth rank is as invisible and invisible as air, and he is not in their eyes.Even the people below were like this, not to mention the leaders above, they didn't take him seriously at all, and it was his destiny to do so.They treat the fifth grade, behind the cold expression, there is a boring malice similar to that of a child, and what they want to say depends entirely on gestures.It is not accidental that people have language, and gestures are often insufficient to express their ideas.However, they think that it is because of poor comprehension of the fifth rank.So, once the gestures didn't work, they looked carefully up and down from the crumpled and disfigured Beijing-style black hat on Wupin's head to the pair of straws that were about to be worn out under their feet, and then , sniffed and smiled, and turned around abruptly.Even so, the fifth grade never gets angry.He was completely unaware of those injustices, and he was so cowardly and cowardly.

However, those fellow warriors wanted to find him for fun.The older ones made fun of his ugly appearance and always said corny jokes;In front of Wu Pin, they criticized his nose, beard, gauze hat, and jacket without getting tired of it.Not only that.He, his Dibaotian woman who broke up with him five or six years ago, and the alcoholic monk who was on good terms with that woman were often the butt of their jokes.That's not counting, what's more, they also play some pranks from time to time.It is impossible to list them all here.For example, drink the wine in his bamboo tube, and pour urine into it; I will only give one end below, and the rest can be imagined.

However, Wupin was completely indifferent to these ridicules.At least others seem to be indifferent.No matter what other people say about him, Wupin's face doesn't even change.Without saying a word, he stroked his beards and did what he should do.Only when their pranks, such as pinning a note on his topknot, or sticking grass in the sheath of a knife, were too embarrassing for him, he would smile on his face—couldn’t tell whether it was crying or laughing, Said: "Don't be like that, dear friends!" Anyone who saw his expression and heard his voice suddenly felt pity (the one who was bullied is not just a person with a red nose and five grades. There are many Many people who don't know each other will use Wupin's expression and voice to condemn their ruthlessness). ——Although this kind of emotion is weak, it permeates their hearts in an instant.It's just that there are very few people who can maintain this mood at that time.Among these tiny people, there is said to be a rankless bodyguard who is from the Danbo country, a young offspring who has just grown a beard from the fuzz on his mouth.Of course, this young man was like everyone else at first, contemptuous of the five ranks of red nose for no reason.But one day, by chance, I heard the voice of "Don't be so, my dear friends!" The voice couldn't get rid of in my head.From then on, only in the eyes of this young man, Wupin became another person completely.Because, from Wu Pin's malnourished, disheveled, and dull face, it was revealed that this is a "person" who has been persecuted by the world.Every time this rankless guard thinks about what happened to rank five, he can't help but feel that everything in the world is showing its original despicableness.At the same time, that frozen red nose and a few beards seemed to be a bit of comfort, penetrating to the bottom of his heart...

However, this is only limited to the next generation.Except for this exception, Wupin still has to live like a dog in the contempt around him.First of all, he doesn't even have a decent dress.There is only a short jacket of Haichang blue and a pair of skirt pants of the same color.Now it is so old that it is whitish, turning blue and blue.The short jacket was okay, except that the shoulders were slightly slumped, and the round ties and chrysanthemum loops had faded a bit. As for the trousers of the culottes, they were shattered.There are no village trousers inside, and two thin legs are exposed, just like a thin cow pulling a thin official, trembling with each step.Even those who don't hurt their mouths among colleagues feel that they can't be shot when they see it.Besides, the knife he carried was in the worst condition, the gold plate on the hilt was discolored, and the black paint on the scabbard was mottled.But he still had a red nose, and he was kicking and dragging his legs. He was already hunchbacked, and his waist became more and more catty.He took small steps and looked around greedily. No wonder even the vendors on the street wanted to bully him.Now there is such a thing.

One day, Wupin went to Shenquan Garden and passed through the Santiao city gate, and saw six or seven children gathered by the roadside, not knowing what they were doing.I thought, are you playing "gyro"?Then he went to the back to have a look.It turned out to be beating a lost poodle with a rope around its neck.The timid and fearful Wupin, although he has always had a heart of sympathy, he never dared to stand up because of his scruples about others.Only this time, seeing that the other party was a few children, he summoned up some courage.So, with a smile on his face, he patted a child's head on the shoulder and said: "Just let it go. Dogs hurt even when they are beaten." The child turned around, rolled his eyes, and stared at him contemptuously. With five products.That expression was exactly the same as that of the head guard's expression when he saw that he didn't understand his intentions and looked at him in the squad room. "You don't need to meddle in your own business!" The child took a step back and said with pouted lips. "You have a rosy nose! What are you!" Wu Pin heard, his words were like a slap in the face.It's not because of being insulted and angry, but because I talk too much, make myself feel so useless, and feel really useless.He had no choice but to hide his humiliation with a wry smile, and continued to walk towards Shenquan Garden silently.Behind them, the six or seven children huddled together, some making faces, some sticking out their tongues.Of course Wupin doesn't know.Even if you know, what can it do for the unsatisfactory fifth rank?

Besides, if the protagonist in this story is born to be abused by others and has no hope in life, then that is not the case at all.Since five or six years ago, Wupin has been extremely obsessed with a kind of yam porridge.Speaking of this yam porridge, it is a porridge made from chopped yams and boiled with sweet kudzu juice.At that time, as a supreme delicacy, its value was so high that it was even placed in the imperial meal of the king of Wancheng.Therefore, people like our fifth grade can only taste it once a year when distinguished guests come to the door.Even at that time, there was only enough to drink to moisten the throat.Therefore, for a long time, a full meal of yam porridge has become his only wish.Of course, he never told anyone about this wish.Not only that, even he himself doesn't know that this is his lifelong wish.It can also be said that he actually lived for this hope. ——Sometimes people will risk their whole life for a wish that they don't know whether it can be realized.Those who laugh at their stupidity are, after all, just passers-by in life.

Unexpectedly, Wupin's dream of "eat a full meal of yam porridge" has become a reality with ease.It is the purpose of writing this yam porridge to tell the whole story. It is said that one year, on the second day of the first lunar month, it was the day when distinguished guests came to Jijing's mansion (this day was on the same day as the banquet in the two palaces of the empress and prince, and the Regent Guan Baifu hosted a banquet for princes and ministers, and the banquet with the two palaces no less).Wupin was also squeezed between the guards, facing the table full of leftovers.At that time, there was no practice of throwing away leftovers for people to eat. Instead, family members gathered together and ate them together.Although it can be compared with the feast of the two palaces, after all, in ancient times, even though there were many varieties, there were not many delicious ones.Nothing more than boiled rice cakes, fried rice cakes, steamed abalone, air-dried chicken, Uji sweetfish, Omi crucian carp, dried silk fish, salmon with roe, grilled octopus, prawns, large limes, small limes, oranges, dried persimmons and the like.Among them, there is a saying of yam porridge.Fifth Grade looks forward to this yam porridge every year.However, people have a lot of mouths, and every time they can eat in their own mouths, there is not much.There is very little porridge this year.In this way, maybe it was Wupin's inner mischief, thinking that the porridge was sweeter and more delicious than before.So, staring at an empty bowl that had been drunk, he wiped the porridge on his sparse beard with his palm, and said to himself, "When will I be able to drink as much as I want!"

Before the words were finished, someone jokingly asked, "Your Excellency, have you ever eaten yam porridge to your heart's content?" It was like a warrior's voice, deep and majestic.Wupin raised his head from his hunchback, and looked at the man timidly.The owner of the voice was Toshihito Fujiwara, the former son of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, who was also working in the Jijing Mansion at that time.He was a tall man with broad shoulders, round waist and outstanding stature. While chewing roasted chestnuts, he drank black wine glass after glass.People are already half drunk. "It's so pitiful." Liren saw that the fifth product raised his head, and his voice was half contemptuous and half pity, and then said, "If you want, I, Liren, can make your Excellency eat as much as you like." Even if a dog is abused all day long and occasionally given a piece of meat, it will not easily get along.As usual, Wupin squeezed out that smiling face that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry, looked at Li Ren's face, and looked at the empty bowl in his hand. "Don't want to?" "..." "How about it?" "..." At this time, Wupin felt that everyone's eyes were on him.A single word of difference will definitely invite another round of ridicule.I even feel that if I answer anything, I will still be teased by others.It's a dilemma.At this time, if the other party hadn't said impatiently: "I don't want to, and I don't force it." Wupin might have been comparing Kongwan and Liren all the time, looking at it endlessly. Hearing this, he replied in a panic: "How dare... I am very grateful." Everyone who heard the conversation between the two burst into laughter. "How dare you, thank you very much." - There are even some people who imitate their tongues like this.On the oak leaf plate and the tall lacquer plate filled with yellow, orange and green oranges, many Beijing-style black hats with soft tubes and hard tubes swayed like waves along with the laughter.Among them, the one who laughed the loudest and was the happiest was Li Ren. "Then I will invite you to drive another day." While speaking, he frowned.It's because the laughter and the smell of alcohol choked in his throat. "...How about not knowing?" "Thank you very much." Wupin blushed, and stammered and repeated what he said just now.Needless to say, this time there was another roar of laughter.As for Liren himself, he asked Wu Pin to repeat it on purpose, so he deliberately asked like this, so he laughed even more when he thought it was more fun than before.This rough man from Shuobei only knows two things in life, one is booze and the other is laughter. Fortunately, the center of the conversation soon left them.Even if it's a joke, just pay attention to this red-nosed fifth grade, it may make others unhappy.In short, the topics followed one after another, until the food and drink were about to run out, and an apprentice guard told a joke about a man who wanted to ride a horse, but his feet were wrapped in a leather leggings, which aroused the interest of the whole group again.However, only the fifth grade, turned a deaf ear to it.Presumably, the word yam porridge has occupied all his thoughts.Even if there is a roast pheasant in front of him, he doesn't touch it with his chopsticks.Even though there was black wine in the glass, he didn't dip his mouth into it.Since I put my hands on my knees, like a big girl on a blind date, I blushed honestly, even my gray temples were red, I kept staring at the empty black lacquer bowl, and smiled stupidly... Four or five days later, one morning, two horsemen walked slowly along the bank of the Kamo River towards Awataguchi.One of them was wearing a dark blue hunting jacket, culottes of the same color, and a big knife inlaid with gold and silver. He was a man with "black beard and beautiful temples".The other person added a thin cotton coat to Haichanglan's short jacket. He was a warrior in his forties. Looking at him, whether it was the belt that was sloppily tied or the red hair with snot in his nostrils, The tip of the nose, the whole body, everything looks shabby and dilapidated.As for the mounts, the two of them were riding fine horses, the front one was a peach blossom horse, and the rear one was a chrysanthemum flower. The three-year-old Yakou was such a steed that even the peddlers and warriors on the road had to look back.Behind them, there were two other people desperately following behind the horse. Naturally, they were the attendants with bows and arrows and the groom who led the horse and held the mirror. ——This group of people is Liren and Wupin, needless to say. Although it is still in the middle of winter, the weather is fine and there is no wind. Among the white-flowered river rocks and the clear gurgling stream, the weeds are standing withered and motionless.Among the low-hanging willow trees facing the river, the branches with fallen leaves are filled with soft and sweet sunlight. The wagtail birds squatting on the branches, with their tails moving, their shadows will be clearly projected on the street.A piece of dark green Higashiyama, with the top of Yuantuo exposed above it, like velvet beaten by frost, it must be Mount Hiei.The mother-of-pearl on the saddle shone brightly in the sun, and the two of them walked slowly towards the mouth of Awata without whipping. "You said, if you want to take me out, where exactly are you going?" Fifth Grade asked while holding the rein with both hands. "Just ahead. Not as far as your Excellency fears." "So, is it Awataguchi's place?" "Let's think about it that way for now." This morning, Liren came to invite Wupin, saying that there was a hot spring near Dongshan, and he wanted to go there, so the two went out.The red-nosed Wupin believed it to be true, and it happened that he hadn't bathed for a long time, and his body was always itchy and unbearable.I just had a good meal of yam porridge, and if I take a hot spring bath, it is really a blessing.After such a calculation, he stepped on the chrysanthemum green that Li Ren had brought in advance.Unexpectedly, when he arrived here, Liren's destination seemed to be not nearby.Now, without realizing it, I have passed Awataguchi. "So it's not at Awata's mouth?" "That's right, go a little further, let me say you." With a smile on his face, Li Ren deliberately ignored the fifth grade, and rode his horse quietly.The houses on both sides are gradually becoming less and less. At this moment, on the vast field in winter, there are only crows foraging for food;Although the sky is sunny, looking at the tops of the wild sumac trees pointing sharply at the sky makes people feel dazzling and can't help feeling cold. "So, it's in the Yamashina area?" "Yamashina, here it is. We have to go further." Sure enough, Shanke passed between the words.More than that.After a while, Guan Shan was already behind him, and finally arrived at Mijing Temple at noon.In Mijing Temple, there was a monk who had a close relationship with Liren.The two went to visit and interrupted a lunch.After dinner, they rode on the road again.Along the way, compared with the way we came from just now, there are even fewer people.Especially back then, when thieves ran rampant everywhere, the world was not peaceful. ——Pin Wu bowed his hunchback even lower, looked up at Li Ren's face and asked, "Are you still ahead?" Li Ren smiled slightly.It's like a child's family, who was caught playing a prank and smiled at an adult.The wrinkles on the tip of the nose and the crow's feet around the corners of the eyes seem to be hesitating whether to smile or not.So, he couldn't help but said: "Actually, I want to invite you to go to Tsuruga." Liren smiled and pointed to the distant sky with his whip.Under the whip, a piece of silver light shone, and the water near the river and lake was reflecting the setting sun. Wupin panicked. "Tsuruga? Dare it be the Tsuruga from Echizen? The one from Echizen..." It is not unheard of that Li Ren lived in Tsuruga most of the time since he became Fujiwara Hitoshi's son-in-law in Tsuruga.However, until now, he never thought that Li Ren would actually take himself all the way to the Dunhe meeting.Aside from other things, how can you go to the Echizen country separated by mountains and rivers, with just these two followers, how can you keep the road safe and sound?What's more, there have always been rumors that some passers-by were killed by robbers. —— Wupin looked at Liren and sighed: "You joked again. I thought it was Dongshan, but I didn't know it was Yamashina. I thought it was Yamashina, but I didn't expect it to be Mitsui Temple. In the end, it was Echizen. What happened? If the beginning Let’s just say, even if you are a servant, you should bring a few more. ——Go to Tsuruga, how can this happen!” Wupin was almost crying, whispering.If he didn't have the idea of ​​"eating a full meal of yam porridge" and mustered up his courage, I'm afraid he would say goodbye and go back to Kyoto alone. "Even if you think about it, with me, Liren, one can be worth a thousand. There is no need to worry on the way." Seeing that Wupin was so panicked, Liren couldn't help frowning and said mockingly.Then he called his attendants, carried the quiver on his back, took a black lacquered bow, put it across the saddle, and immediately took the lead and ran forward.Things have come to this point, the cowardly five ranks, but Yi Liren will follow.He was terrified, looked around, looked around the desolate wilderness, muttered prayers in his mouth, and recited a few lines of Guanyin Sutra that he vaguely remembered.The red nose almost touched the front bridge of the saddle, still weakly urging the horse's uneven pace. In the wilderness, the sound of horseshoes is loud, and the ground is covered with yellow grass, which is a vast expanse.There are puddles here and there, reflecting the blue sky coldly, and one can't help but think to yourself, this winter afternoon, I am afraid that it will freeze for a long time, right?At the end of the wilderness, there is a mountain range, the scene is shaded, the remnant snow that should have been shining brightly, unexpectedly there is not a single star of light, and a long strip of thick darkness is slightly purple.Even these are blocked by a few clumps of bleak withered grass, and many scenes cannot be seen by the two walking followers. ——At this time, Liren suddenly turned his head and said to the fifth grade: "Look! There is a messenger here. You can report to Dunhe." Wupin didn't quite understand what Liren meant, and tremblingly looked in the direction of the bow.That was where no one could be seen.I saw a fox, in the setting sun, wearing a warm coat, walking slowly among the bushes, whether it was wild vines or some kind of entangled bushes. —In an instant, the fox fled in a hurry.Liren hastily swung his whip and galloped his horse to chase after him.Wupin also forgot about his own family and followed behind.Needless to say, the two followers cannot be left behind either.The sound of horseshoes kicking stones broke the silence of the wilderness for a long time.After a while, Liren saw that Liren had reined in his horse and stopped. He did not know when he caught the fox, and he lifted his two hind legs by the side of the saddle.He must have chased the fox to nowhere, subdued him under the horse, and captured it easily.Wupin wiped off the sweat from his beard again and again, and finally rushed to the front. "Hey, fox, listen up!" Li Ren lifted the fox high in front of his eyes, and said deliberately, "Go and tell them that Li Ren from Tsuruga is going back home tonight. Just say, 'Li Ren is on the way with a rare guest. .Tomorrow at midnight, send someone to Takashima to meet you, and at the same time prepare two good horses.' Got it? Don't forget it!" After finishing speaking, he waved his hand and threw the fox far into the grass. "Oh, run away! run away!" The two attendants who had just caught up looked at the fleeing figure of the fox, and clapped their hands and shouted.In the setting sun, the color of its fur resembles the back of a fallen leaf, and it flees without knowing the roots or rocks.From where the group of people stood, they could see everything in sight.While chasing the fox, they had somehow come to a high point in the moor, where a gentle slope joined the dry river bed at a low point. "What a magnanimous envoy!" The fifth rank was in awe and admiration from the bottom of his heart, as if he had just met him, looking up at this reckless hero who could even manipulate a fox.But he didn't bother to think about the difference between himself and Liren.He was very impressed, and only felt that the scope of Liren's control was so great that he was also in the light of it. ——At such a time, I'm afraid it's easiest to go to Ah Tan to flatter you.However, all the judges, if you see something flattering and sycophant from the attitude of the red-nosed five-rank in the future, you must not cast doubt on his personality. The fox was thrown out, and ran down the slope with a bone, and hopped briskly between the stones in the dry river bed, and then ran up the slope on the opposite side with a bang.While running, looking back, the samurai who captured him stood side by side on the slope far away, looking only the size of Bana.Especially the peach blossom horse and the chrysanthemum green, bathed in the setting sun, set off in the frosty and dewy air, are more vivid than the paintings. The fox turned his head, and ran away in the dry grass like a gust of wind. A group of people agreed to arrive at Takashima at si o'clock the next day.This is a small village, located on the shore of Lake Biwa, very different from yesterday, under the cloudy sky, there are only a few scattered huts.Among the pine forests on the shore, there is a pool of lake water, the mood is cold, and the gray ripples on the water surface seem to be a mirror that has been forgotten to be polished. ——When he got here, Li Renfang looked back at Wupin and said, "Look! Everyone has come to welcome you." Sure enough, in the pine forest by the lake, there were twenty or thirty people, some on horseback, some on foot, leading two saddled horses, with the wide sleeves of their jackets fluttering in the cold wind, hurrying towards them. Come here.In a blink of an eye, they arrived in front of them, those who rode hurriedly rolled off their saddles, and those who walked hurriedly knelt by the roadside, waiting for Liren's arrival one by one. "It seems that the fox really reported the letter." "Beasts are born with many changes, so trivial matters are not worth mentioning." By the time Wupin and Liren were talking, they had arrived at the place where all the retainers were waiting.Liren said: "Thanks for your hard work." The kneeling man quickly stood up and took over their horses.Immediately everyone relaxed. "Last night, there was a strange thing." After they got off their horses, just as they were about to sit down on the leather mattress, a white-haired retainer, wearing a reddish-brown jacket, came up to Li Ren to report. "What's the matter?" Li Ren poured out the wine brought by his retainers and entourage, and poured it on the fifth grade, and asked in a grandiose manner. "It's like this. Last night just after Xu Shi, Madam suddenly lost her sanity and said: "I am the fox of the version.Today I am here to convey the order of the lord.Please listen carefully! ’ So I waited to go forward, but my wife said something like this: "My lord is on the way with a rare guest. Tomorrow is already time. Send someone to Gaodao to meet him, and prepare two good horses at the same time. horse.'" "This is indeed a strange thing." Wupin looked intently at Liren and then at the retainers, and echoed, making both parties very satisfied. "It's not enough to say that. Besides, I was trembling and trembling all over. 'Don't delay. If there is any delay, I will be kicked out of the house by the lord.' He cried loudly." "So, what's going on now?" "After that, I fell asleep all of a sudden. When we came out, we didn't seem to wake up." "How?" After listening to Jia Ju's words, Li Ren looked at Wu Pin proudly and said, "Even animals must obey my Li Ren's orders!" "It's really surprising." Wupin scratched his red nose, lowered his head, and then opened his mouth, showing surprise on purpose.There was still a drop of the wine he had just drank on his beard. That night.Wupin was in a room above Liren's mansion, staring blankly at the square lamp, unable to fall asleep.The long night, watched until dawn.Before arriving here in the evening, along the way, Tong Liren and his entourage talked and laughed happily, passing through pine mountains, streams, dry fields, as well as wild grass, fallen leaves, rocks, wildfires, and green smoke-these things emerged one by one in Wupin's heart .Especially at dusk, in the midst of the twilight, I finally came to this mansion, saw the blazing charcoal fire in the long bowl, and felt a long sigh of relief-at this moment, I was lying here, this can't help but make people feel , seems to be a distant past.Under the four or five inch thick yellow quilt, Wupin stretched out his legs comfortably, and couldn't help staring blankly at his sleeping position. Under the quilt, he wore two thick light yellow cotton coats, which were borrowed by Li Ren, and they were warm enough to make him sweat easily.In addition, at dinner, he drank several glasses of old wine, and his drunkenness made him even hotter.Beside the pillow, outside the latticed window, is the big yard that is full of frost.He is like Tao Taoran, without a trace of bitter cold feeling.All this is nothing compared to my street house in Kyoto.Even so, our fifth grade seems to be in a panic, and there is always a touch of uneasiness.First of all, time slows down horribly.But at the same time, I feel that dawn—that is, the time to drink yam porridge should not come too fast.The reason why these two contradictory feelings are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining is that the predicament changes rapidly, and the mood becomes uneasy, just like today's weather, which suddenly becomes chilly.All these are obstacles, and it is so rare that it is so warm, but it can't make him fall asleep easily. At this time, I heard someone talking loudly in the yard outside.Hearing the voice, it seemed that the white-haired retainer who picked them up in the middle of the day seemed to be ordering something.The voice was dry, maybe it was uploaded from the frost everywhere?It was as awe-inspiring as the cold wind, and even felt that every sentence pierced his bones. "Listen, my servants here! By the lord's order: Before Maoshi tomorrow morning, each person must hand in a yam five feet long and three inches thick. Don't forget, you must hand it in before Maoshi." After repeating these words two or three times, the voices of people became silent, and the surroundings immediately returned to the tranquility of the winter night as before.In the silence, only the hiss of lamp oil.The flame flickered like a red silk floss.Wupin resisted the yawn, and then sank into wild thoughts again. ——Since yam is mentioned, it must be called to make yam porridge.Thinking about it this way, the uneasiness that was temporarily forgotten just now when I just paid attention to the outside world sneaked into my heart again.What's more, the comparison is particularly strong because he doesn't want to eat up the yam porridge too early.This thought was born against him, always circling in his mind, unwilling to leave. If the long-cherished wish of "tasting yam porridge" can be fulfilled so easily, wouldn't it be a waste of effort to wait until today after several years of hard work?If it can be done, I hope things can be like this: suddenly something unexpected happens, and the yam porridge can't be drunk temporarily, and when the trouble is eliminated, after exhausting all the efforts, I can drink enough of it. —— Wupin's mind is like a "top", always turning around in one place. At this time, due to the exhaustion of the journey, he fell asleep unknowingly. In the early morning of the next day, as soon as Wupin opened his eyes, he was thinking about the yam incident last night, so he ignored everything and just opened the lattice window first.It was only then that I realized that I had slept so unconsciously, I'm afraid it's past time.Four or five long mats were spread out in the courtyard, on which were piled two or three thousand log-like things, like a hill, as high as the juniper bark eaves protruding obliquely.Take a closer look, it is five feet long and three inches thick, and it is full of surprisingly large yams. Wu Pin rubbed his sleepy eyes, looked around, and was stunned.In the borrowed large courtyard, five or six large cauldrons that could hold five stones of rice were placed one after another on newly-drilled piles. There were no fewer than dozens of young maidservants in white gowns, busy around the cauldron.Those who burn the fire, those who dig out the ashes, those who scoop the "sweet kudzu juice" from the white wooden barrel into the pot, and everyone who cooks yam porridge are too busy.The green smoke from under the pot, the hot air rising from inside the pot, merged with the dawn mist that has not disappeared, and the vast courtyard was shrouded in gray, and it was even impossible to distinguish things, only the blazing flames under the pot, Shine bright red.What I saw and heard was chaotic, like a fire and a war.Only then did Wu Pin realize that such a big yam was used to cook yam porridge, and it was cooked in such a big guy's pot!As for myself, just to drink this porridge, I trekked from Kyoto to Tsuruga in Echizen.The more he thought about all this, the more he felt uncomfortable.The sympathetic appetite of our fifth grade, in fact, has already been drained by half at this time. An hour later, Tong Liren of the fifth rank, and Tong Liren's father-in-law Youren, had breakfast together.In front of him, in a large silver pot with beams, filled like sea water, was the terrible yam porridge.Wupin had already seen dozens of young juniors deftly using thin-edged knives to chop up the yam piled up to the height of the eaves from one end to the other.Then, those maids ran around, coming and going, picking up the chopped yams, putting them into a large pot, picking them up, and putting them in again.Finally, when there was not a single yam left on the long mat, a few balls of hot air, mixed with the smell of yam and sweet kudzu, rose slowly from the pot into the clear morning sky.Wu Pin, who had witnessed all of this, was facing the yam porridge in the silver pot at this moment, and before he tasted it, he already felt full and full, which is probably not an exaggeration at all. ——Facing the silver pot, Wupin wiped the sweat from his forehead embarrassingly. "You've never had enough of this yam porridge. Now you're welcome, just drink it. Yuezhang Youren instructed the children to place a few more silver pots on the table.Every pot of yam porridge was almost overflowing.His nose, which was already red, became even redder now. He poured half of the porridge in the pot into the big soil bowl, closed his eyes, and swallowed it down. "My father also said, please don't be polite." Li Ren smiled maliciously from the side, persuading him to drink another pot.There are only five grades that can't bear it.To put it bluntly, he didn't even want to drink a bowl of this yam porridge from the very beginning.Now, holding his nose, he managed to drink half of the pot.If I take another sip, I am afraid I will spit it out before I swallow it.Then again, if you don't drink it, you will let down the kindness of Liren and Youren.So, he closed his eyes again and drank 30% of the remaining half pot.In the end, it was hard to swallow even a bite. "I can't thank you enough. That's enough. —Alas, I can't thank you enough." Wupin spoke incoherently.Evidently he was thoroughly embarrassed.On the beard and the tip of the nose, there are bead-sized beads of sweat dripping, which doesn't look like it is in the cold winter. "Too little to eat. The guests are obviously polite. Hello! What are you doing?" Following You Ren's instructions, the children again poured porridge from the silver pot into the soil bowl.Wupin waved his hands, like chasing flies, expressing his firm resignation. "I can't, it's enough. It's too rude, it's enough." If it wasn't for Liren pointing at the opposite eaves and saying: "Look over there!" Youren might have been persuading Wupin to drink yam porridge.Fortunately, Liren's voice drew everyone's attention to the house.The sun is shining on the eaves of the cypress deaf.Under the dazzling sunlight, an animal with lustrous fur sat honestly.At first glance, it was the Sakamoto wild fox that Ri Liren caught on the road in the wilderness the day before yesterday. "The fox also wants to eat yam porridge. Come on! Give it something to eat!" Li Ren's order was followed immediately.The fox jumped off the eaves and went straight to the yard to eat yam porridge. Wupin watched the fox eat the yam porridge, recalling himself before that, his heart was full of Yiyi.That was him who was fooled by many samurai.It was him who was insulted by the children of Kyoto, "You have a bad nose! What are you?"He was wearing a faded short jacket and skirt pants, looking like a stray dog, looking handsome on Suzaku Road, poor and lonely.But at the same time, he is the long-cherished wish of having a full meal of yam porridge, and he cherishes the happiness in his heart alone. ——He was relieved, he didn't need to drink yam porridge anymore, and at the same time, he felt that the profuse sweat on his head gradually dried up from the tip of his nose.Although the weather was fine, the morning in Tsuruga was still bitingly cold.As soon as Wu Pin covered his nose in a hurry, he sneezed a lot at the silver pot. (August 1916) Ailian translation