During the Song Dynasty, there was a wealthy family in Luoyang City, surnamed Liu Zhongshi, who was known as Liu Yuanwai because of his family wealth. The husband and wife are both over half a hundred years old and have only one daughter, named Yue'e.
Yue'e has reached the age of eighteen this year, and she has not yet promised to be married. Although there are many people who propose marriage, they just can't be high or low, and they haven't found a suitable person, and the old couple is very anxious.
Liu Yuanwai set up a colorful building in front of the gate, posted a notice, and set up a certain day to let Liu Yue'e climb the color building to throw the hydrangea, as long as the person hit by the hydrangea, whether it is an official or a citizen, poor or rich, he will be recruited as a son-in-law.
Who in Luoyang City doesn't know that Liu Yuanwai's family is rich and wealthy, and Liu Yue'e looks like a moon?Therefore, as soon as the notice was posted, there was a lot of discussion, especially among the young men, who were looking forward to the day when the hydrangea would hit them.
Besides, there are two poor scholars in Luoyang City, one is called Kou Zhun and the other is Lu Mengzheng, who study in the same hall and are like siblings. They were so poor that they had no house to live in, so they had to find a ruined kiln outside the city to live in.
On this day, when they saw that the wind was beautiful and the spring was bright, they put down their books and went to the city to relax.
When I got to the street, I saw a sea of people and bustling. As soon as they inquired, they found out that it was Miss Liu who wanted to throw hydrangeas to choose a son-in-law, so they also squeezed in to watch the excitement.
People raised their necks and waited for the hydrangea to fall from the sky, but they waited until the third pole of the sun from dawn to see Liu Yue'e take Yahuan Meixiang to the color building.
Liu Yue'e looked down from the Cai Lou and saw a group of rich children crowded in front of the building, wearing splendid clothes, riding a high-headed horse, pretending to be self-pitying. Liu Yue'e looked down on this kind of person at all, and couldn't help but pout.
Liu Yue'e looked at Lu Mengzheng who was crowded in the crowd again, and saw that he was in rags, but he was good-looking, and couldn't help but think: "The children of rich families can only spend all their time drinking and enjoying their success, how can they compare to this poor boy who learns swords and studies and has high ambitions!."
Mei Xiang saw Miss's intentions, so she picked up the hydrangea and said, "Miss, it's not too early, and the people below are also in a hurry, so you can throw the hydrangea!."”
Liu Yue'e took the hydrangea and secretly wished in her heart: "Hydrangea, hydrangea, you must not be a ruthless and unrighteous gentleman, you must choose a Ruyi Langjun who respects and loves each other for me!."
Liu Yue'e congratulated and threw the hydrangea in her hand into the air. The hydrangea rolled several times in the air, and fell just in the arms of the poor scholar Lu Mengzheng.
Lu Mengzheng hurriedly picked up the torn robe, wrapped the hydrangea, and said to Kou Zhun: "You see this hydrangea falling into my arms, what should I do?"Kou Zhun said: "You take the hydrangea first, don't be snatched away, and wait for Liu Yuanwai to come out." ”
Those who wanted to be the sons-in-law of a rich family, when they saw the hydrangea being hugged by a poor showman, they were angry and annoyed, and they scattered in a hurry.
Besides, Liu Yuanwai sat in the hall waiting for the good news, only to hear the commotion outside for a while, Mei Xiang ran in and reported that she had chosen her son-in-law. Liu Yuanwai was overjoyed and hurriedly called for him to come in.
But as soon as Lu Mengzheng entered the door, Liu Yuanwai found out that he was a poor scholar in rags, frowned, and said to his daughter: "You don't recruit so many official children under the Cai Building, how can you recruit a poor man?"Give him some money and send him away!”
Yue'e replied softly: "Father has said first, as long as the hydrangea is playing, regardless of whether it is rich or poor, it should be recruited as a son-in-law, and now since the daughter is beating him, she should marry him."
Liu Yuanwai said: "It's not that my father repented of the contract, I'm worried that you won't be able to stand those hardships." Yue'e raised her head and said, "Even if he can't hold rice and soup in a broken casserole, and the window is covered with cobwebs, as long as the two of them are in love, they can live for a lifetime."
When Liu Yuanwai heard the fire, he slapped the table and shouted, "Then you can go with him!"I don't give any dowry, and I don't even allow good clothes and jewelry to take away, so you can taste what it's like to live a hard life!
Liu Yue'e listened, quietly took off the jewelry on her head, took off the satin clothes on her body, and then bowed to her father twice, turned to Lu Mengzheng and said, "Let's go!."
Lu Mengzheng had never seen such a poor woman, and he was secretly surprised in his heart, so he said, "Miss, I won't let you suffer for a lifetime." Then, the couple left Liu Yuanwai's Gaomen compound together.
Liu Yuanwai watched his daughter walk out of the door, and there was a hint of smile lines on the corner of his mouth that were difficult for others to detect.
Lu Meng was leading Liu Yue'e to the broken kiln outside Luoyang City and said to her, "This is our new house. When Yue'e looked at it, she saw spider silk hanging on the top of the kiln, the kiln door was cold through the wind, the wooden bed was piled with broken cotton wool, and there was a coarse porcelain bowl in an iron pot.
Liu Yue'e was not discouraged, turned her head to look at Lu Mengzheng, and saw that although his face was haggard, his demeanor was very refreshing, and he was dressed in ragged clothes, and he looked even more dignified, so she said: "As long as you are a talented man with ambitions, I can live in a broken house." ”
That night, Lu Mengzheng and Liu Yue'e became relatives in this broken kiln, there were no candles or banquets, only Kou Zhun said some good words of blessings.
Although the family is poor, the couple lives in harmony. Every morning, Lu Mengzheng went to Luoyang City, borrowed a bench, begged for a table, placed it on the street, and earned a few pennies by copying and writing for others.
This business is very light, sometimes no one patronizes it for half a day, Lu Mengzheng reads aloud with a book, but he is also happy.
After making money, he bought a few baked cakes and brought them to his wife in a torn jacket. He himself eats two meals a day, but he has to go to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang City to "catch up".
It turns out that the White Horse Temple is a famous monk temple, and the bell must be struck before meals. When Lü Meng heard the bell ringing, he rushed to ask the monk for two bowls of rice, put them in a clay pot, and bring them to his wife.
Liu Yue'e was not idle at home, she went out at dawn to pick up some dry firewood, dig some wild vegetables, boil half a pot of hot wild vegetable soup, and wait for her husband to come back and eat to warm up.
Lu Mengzheng's clothes are mostly tattered, and they are not finished sewing. Fortunately, Liu Yue'e has a pair of skillful hands that draw dragons and embroidered phoenixes, and she always has to make multiple patches every day.
The husband didn't come home until late in the evening with a crockpot, sometimes bringing back a few baked cakes and sometimes a few sauerkraut dumplings. The husband and wife always have to put it off for a long time and eat half full.
As the days went by, Liu Yue'e's handsome face became haggard, and her delicate hands became rough. But she seemed content, and never said a word of complaint.
On this day, Lu Meng was sitting on the street for a long time and did not pick up the copying, thinking about his wife's food, and was very annoyed. At this time, the big bell of the White Horse Temple rang, and he had to put away the tables and chairs, and hurried to beg for food in three steps and two steps.
Who knew that he rushed to the White Horse Temple, but saw that the temple was deserted, and he couldn't see the lively scene when the dinner was held in the past. Puzzled, he broke into the temple and asked an elder why.
The elder said, "We eat for the monks who pass by, and you are a layman, but you come to eat every day, how much do you eat from us in a year?"From today onwards, it's time to eat first and then beat the clock, you're late, **There are still leftovers?”
Lu Mengzheng was robbed, his face was red with anger, and he couldn't speak. The elder counted down again and said, "You have a full stomach of articles, why don't you go to the exam, get an official and a half-position, but rely here to beg for food?"Let's go, don't come back in the future!”
After the elder finished speaking, he turned around and left. Lu Mengzheng was ashamed of himself, angry and annoyed, and secretly thought: If you can't get food, how can you go home to see your wife?The more he thought about it, the more angry he became, so he took out a brush from the clay pot and wrote poems on the powder wall of the temple.
The boy was not angry, and he was annoyed by the monk after dinner. Lu Mengzheng just wrote two sentences, but he felt that his anger was rushing upward, and he couldn't write anymore. He simply put away his pen and carried the clay pot back to the broken kiln.
Besides, in the broken kiln, Liu Yue'e cooked a pot of clear soup and was looking forward to her husband's return. Suddenly, she heard a car bell ringing outside the door, she lifted the straw curtain and looked, only to see a carriage parked in front of the door, and a person stepped out of the car, it was her father Liu Yuanwai.
Liu Yuanwai looked at the broken kiln with a long face, and said to Yue'e: "Son, I will bring a few good clothes, and you can replace the old ones for the poor ghost to wear." There is also a box of food, you pick the one to eat first, and give the rest to the poor ghost, and after eating, follow me home!”
Liu Yue'e hurriedly said: "Dad, what you said is not right. Husbands and wives should share blessings and sufferings, how can I deviate from him in terms of food and clothing?Besides, my husband is not at home today, and I have not asked him, and I cannot go back with you.
Liu Yuanwai said angrily: "You don't listen to your father's good words, what's the good thing for you to fall in love with that poor ghost?!."As he spoke, he picked up the casserole and threw it on the ground, smashing the two thick bowls to pieces, and even the two pairs of bamboo chopsticks were broken.
After destroying the kitchenware, Liu Yuanwai scolded hatefully: "I see how you guys are still living!."After saying that, he hummed angrily and asked the servant to carry away the food box, pick up the clothes, board the car and leave.
Liu Yue'e was so sad to see her father so ruthless, and she couldn't help but sit in the broken kiln and cry.
At this moment, Lu Meng was returning home with an empty crockpot. When he saw that the broken kiln was smashed and his wife was crying sadly, he asked her what had happened.
Liu Yue'e sobbed and told the story. Lu Mengzheng listened, and his stomach swelled up. He sat on the edge of the kang, comforting Yue'e, and sighed incessantly: "Alas, I can't live the days ahead!."”
The two of them were worried, and a shout outside the door: "Is my brother at home?"When Lu Mengzheng heard that Kou Zhun was coming, he hurriedly welcomed him into the kiln.
When Kou Zhun heard that Liu Yuanwai had come to destroy the kitchen utensils just now, he said angrily: "This old Yuanwai is too unreasonable!"However, brothers don't have to worry. Just now I happened to meet an old friend who was an official on the street, and he gave me a hundred taels of silver. ”
Lu Mengzheng was overjoyed when he heard this: "This is enough for us to eat for two years." Kou Zhun shook his head and said, "You can't sit and eat empty!."I want to leave twenty taels for my younger brothers and sisters to settle down and live, and the rest will be used as money for our brothers and sons to go to Beijing to catch the exam, what do you see?
Lu Mengzheng listened and looked at Yue'e, who nodded at him. Lu Mengzheng said: "Brother is right, let's go. Then he said to Yue'e, "Lady, what else do you command?"”
Yue'e thought for a while and said, "You can go with peace of mind." I live in peace in the broken kiln, waiting for your good news. If you have taken fame, it will not be in vain for me to suffer this sufferingEven if you come back with an empty crockpot, I won't blame you. ”
Lu Mengzheng said goodbye to Liu Yue'e and went to Beijing with Kou Zhun to take the exam. Along the way, Xiaoxing stayed overnight, saved money and spent money, and finally arrived in the capital.
They rented a simple and quiet room on the outskirts of the city, studied hard behind closed doors all day, and never visited the bustling three streets and six markets. When the exam deadline came, the two walked into the exam room together, asked questions with their hearts, and made a few articles seriously.
After three games, both of them won the game, and Lu Mengzheng was also named the champion, sitting on a high-headed horse on the street for three days, so glorious.
Soon, the emperor appointed Lü Mengzheng as the commander of Luoyang County, and Kou Zheng stayed in the court as an official.
Lu Mengzheng saw that he was the county magistrate of his hometown, thinking that he was poor back then, and he could return to his hometown today, so he didn't feel very happy. He was in a hurry to return to his hometown to boast and boast, and rode on horseback on the same day he received the order.
The capital is not far from Luoyang, and it doesn't take a few days to see the Luoyang City Gate. The closer he got to his hometown, the more he missed his wife, and he couldn't help but think: I've been away from home for half a year, will she be unable to stand the pain and change her mind?Is she still living in a broken kiln?
Lu Meng was entering the city, and did not go to the government to take over, but rented a guest room, changed into a green coat and hat, and walked in the direction of the broken kiln.
On the way, he met a mother-in-law and deliberately asked her: "Do you recognize a scholar named Lu Mengzheng here?"”
When the mother-in-law heard this, she scolded: "I haven't seen this little animal, I only heard that after he married Miss Liu Yuanwai, he left for half a year without news." That Miss Liu stayed alone in the broken kiln, digging wild vegetables and mixing some millet to cook porridge every day, it was really pitiful!
Although Lu Mengzheng was scolded, he was not angry, but he felt that his eyes were hot, and he almost burst into tears, so he said goodbye to his mother-in-law and walked towards the broken kiln.
At this time, it was already evening, the sky was dark, and Lu Mengzheng saw that there was no one outside the kiln, and he did not say hello, so he opened the door and walked in. Liu Yue'e was cooking in the kiln, and in the darkness she saw a man break in. She was taken aback, picked up the fire stick, and scolded, "What bastard man dares to trespass!.""As he spoke, he raised his stick and beat it.
Lu Meng had just walked into the dark place from the light, only heard a voice, could not see a figure, and before he could answer, he had already received a stick on his arm. He hurriedly said: "Don't fight, lady, I'm Lu Mengzheng!."”
When Yue'e heard that her husband was back, she was surprised and delighted, and hurriedly threw down the fire stick and said, "Oh, why don't you say hello, I thought it was a bad person!."Did it hurt?Sit down and rest, and I'll bring you water and wash your face. ”
Lu Mengzheng saw that his wife was busy with joy, and deliberately pretended to be frustrated and said: "I failed the exam in Beijing this time, and I didn't even get the sesame official." When Yue'e heard this, not only did she not blame her husband, but she comforted him a few words and asked him to take off his clothes and wash them.
Lu Mengzheng took off his robe and handed it to Yue'e. Yue'e felt that her clothes were heavy, and when she touched it, she found a few pieces of gold and silver and an official seal. Yue'e's face changed suddenly, and she said, "You said that you came back from the list, how can there be these things?"It must have done something bad out there!”
Lu Mengzheng saw that his wife turned her face, so she had to tell her true feelings. Unexpectedly, when Yue'e heard this, she cried: "Okay, I am living alone in the cold kiln, and you are suspicious of me as soon as you get the official, and you put on this ragged clothes to test me..."
Lu Mengzheng was very ashamed, and hurriedly made an apology and counted himself down. Only then did Liu Yue'e turn her anger into joy, and she and her husband recounted their parting lovesickness.
The next day, the Luoyang government heard that the new county magistrate lived in a broken kiln, and hurriedly blew and blow, carrying a sedan chair to take the couple to the official office.
After Lu Mengzheng took office, according to the old practice of the government, he took his wife to ride a horse and sit in a sedan chair and parade on the streets for three days. The people knew that the new county order was a poor Xiucai who sold words on the street, and they all felt happy, and they were all happy for Liu Yue, who was hard-working.
Everyone saw that Lu Mengzheng and Liu Yue'e finally had a bright future, and of course they couldn't help but laugh at Liu Yuanwai, who hated the poor and loved the rich, and was short-sighted. Liu Yuanwai listened, but pretended not to hear.
The old monk of the White Horse Temple heard that Lu Meng was about to come to the temple to worship the Buddha, so he hurriedly mobilized the people to clean up the inside and outside of the temple.
The old monk saw that the two lines of Lu Meng's poems on the wall were still there, but there was some dust on the wall, so he sent someone to paint the wall again, and the two lines of words were particularly eye-catching. He also asked for a veil to cover the walls of the two lines of poetry.
On the third day, Lu Mengzheng really brought Yue'e to the incense. After the couple burned incense and worshiped the Buddha, they played in the temple and admired the places of interest there.
Lu Meng was thinking of being ridiculed by the old monk back then, and he was full of emotion, so he pulled Yue'e to look at the wall of the poem that year. He found that the two lines of poetry were still on the wall, and they were covered with a layer of blue veil, and he was very puzzled, so he sent someone to call the old monk to ask.
The old monk was inspired and replied: "The old man wrote these two lines of poetry back then, and all the people who came and went came to pay respects. The old monk knew that this was a rare remark, so he covered it with blue yarn to protect it.
Lu Mengzheng knew that he was talking nonsense, so he asked someone to bring a pen and inkstone, removed the blue yarn, and added two more sentences to the wall, which became: "The man has not been angry, and he is annoyed that the monk has the bell after dinner, and he has never let the dust be dark, and now he has a blue sarong." ”
Lu Mengzheng put down his pen and said to the old monk: "The world is hot and cold, it has always been like this, and I don't blame you." If you hadn't rang the bell after dinner at that time, and I had no way to eat, I wouldn't have entered Beijing to catch the exam!
The old monk defended in fear: "The old man was here to fast back then, how could the old monk have been slow to stay once?"That day, it was only because Zunyue Liu Yuanwai instructed the old monk not to give you food, so he rang the bell after the meal. ”
When Lu Mengzheng heard this, his face turned red with anger, and he said to Yue'e: "Your father is too ruthless!I came to the temple and blocked my food door, and I went to the broken kiln and smashed the pots and bowls, didn't that force our husband and wife to death?”
At this time, a little monk came up to report that the imperial court had sent a ** to the White Horse Temple to burn incense, and he would arrive immediately. When the old monk heard this, he hurriedly went to prepare for the reception.
After a while, there was a commotion outside the temple, and the little monk ran to say, "The squires of Luoyang City have come to meet your lords." Lu Mengzheng frowned and said, "You go and tell them, I won't see anything!."
The little monk said hesitantly: "The head of the squire is Liu Yuanwai, who keeps saying that he wants to recognize his daughter and son-in-law. Lu Mengzheng said angrily: "I don't know such a father-in-law, you go and drive him away!."”
The little monk reluctantly left. Liu Yue'e sighed and said to her husband: "At the beginning, you were full of wind and snow, and now you are full of glory and thousands of households are open! ."People in the world are really snobs!
As he was talking, the ** sent by the imperial court to enter the incense arrived, and Lu Mengzheng and Yue'e hurried to the temple gate to greet them.
It turns out that this incense ** is Kou Zhun. Lu Mengzheng was overjoyed when he saw it, and hurriedly dragged him to the Buddhist hall to reminisce about the past. Kou Zhun said: "Slow, we still have a benefactor, you have seen it first."
Lu Mengzheng asked puzzledly: "How can there be any benefactor?"Kou Zhun smiled: "It's your father-in-law Liu Yuanwai!."Lu Mengzheng's face changed and said, "He is unkind and unrighteous to me, what do you do when you see him!."
Kou Zhun had no choice but to turn to Liu Yue'e and say, "Brother and sister, Liu Yuanwai is always your biological father, you go to see him first." Liu Yue'e also said angrily: "I don't have a father!."I don't recognize him!
Seeing that both of them were angry with Liu Yuanwai, Kou Zhun couldn't help but laugh and said, "You don't know yet, do you?"At that time, I was given a hundred taels of silver, and it was no one else who asked us to go to Beijing to take the exam, or Liu Yuanwai!
Lu Mengzheng said in astonishment: "This is impossible!."He blocked my door, smashed my pots and pans, and wanted to starve me to deathLiu Yue'e refused to believe it when she heard it.
Kou Zhun explained to Lu Mengzheng: "When you were recruited, Liu Yuanwai saw that you were extraordinary, ambitious and talented, but I was afraid that if you became a rich son-in-law, you would be greedy for wealth and nobility, and would not seek progress, so I deliberately drove you away, hoping that you could study angrily."
Kou Zhun continued: "Who knew that after you got married, you sold pen and ink in the market every day, and rushed to eat in the temple, although the days were hard, you still refused to work hard. Liu Yuanwai asked the monk to cut off your fast and smash your belongings to stir up your anger.
Kou Zhun said: "At the same time, he gave me one hundred taels of silver and asked me to persuade you to enter Beijing to take the exam." Lu Mengzheng, Lu Mengzheng, you still don't recognize such a good father-in-law, you really don't know Mount Tai!
When Lu Mengzheng and Liu Yue'e heard this, they woke up like a dream and said guiltily: "We really misunderstood the old man's hard work!"Let's go, go get him in!So the three of them walked out the door together.