Rebel

Seeing that it was getting late, Gu Ao said goodbye to Huai Xin, went back to the house alone, opened the door and saw Tian Rong sitting on the bed in a daze.Seeing that Gu Ao had returned, Tian Rong came back to his senses, and said timidly: "...Brother Ao, I went to the county town today, and it is not expensive to go there by a small sedan chair."

Gu Ao put down the book in his arms: "What are you going to do in the county?"

"I want to see how much the brocade clothes cost..." Tian Rong sighed, "There's also a hat... I'm afraid I won't be able to buy jade for a while..."

Gu Ao looked at Tian Rong silently for a while, and finally asked: "You spend money on this, we need to drink water in the future, what money will you use to buy water from the porter? And what money will you use to pay for us every day?" A servant who delivers food? Have you ever thought that when Mrs. Jian is here, we may be recommended to go to school, and if you want to buy books at that time, what money will you get?"

Tian Rong said with a sad face, "I'm worried about this..."

Gu Ao sighed, and couldn't help standing up a little irritably, pacing up and down the room.

"Do you know that you are here to study?" Gu Ao asked Tian Rong.

Tian Rong pouted aggrievedly: "I just came here to study, but if we go on like this, how can we learn well?"

Gu Ao looked at Tian Rong helplessly, and thought: "Today, I finally understand why the ancients thought of 'cutting off the robe and judging righteousness' when encountering problems, but I can't do this to Tian Rong. He grew up with me In the past, when I didn't tolerate Mrs. Jian, Tian Rong still followed me, and I couldn't be ruthless to him. But I don't want to care about or listen to his buying brocade clothes and jade."

So Gu Ao said to Tian Rong: "In the future, you don't want to tell me these trivial things, your own money, you spend your own money, don't tell me any more."

Seeing that Gu Ao said such reckless words, Tian Rong couldn't help crying, "You said it lightly, but what can I do, I want to be like them too!"

After saying that, Tian Rong burst into tears, tears streaming down his face: "I also want to wear brocade clothes, jade, and brocade shoes... I don't want to be underestimated by them! I'm not as knowledgeable as you, what can I do?" ... I am not good at studying. I don't know where Mrs. Jian will settle me when he comes... Maybe I won't be able to study with you... What do you want me to do... Woohoo! I shouldn't have come out Ah... woo woo! I torment myself! What am I doing out of the mountains... woo woo..."

When Tian Rong cried, Gu Ao also felt uncomfortable.Just then, the anger towards Tian Rong subsided a lot, and Gu Ao couldn't help but think of their childhood when they went to school and joked together.

Seeing that Tian Rong's originally happy round face was now full of disappointment, Gu Ao couldn't help but soften his heart, so he approached and stroked Tian Rong's back to comfort him: "What are you worried about? Only when the Master arrives can we make a decision. Since the Master has brought you out, he will definitely make arrangements for you."

Tian Rong was sobbing, and seeing that Gu Ao seemed to have lost his anger, he said softly with a sobbing voice: "...I bought a brocade coat today, it's not very expensive, it cost 12 taels of silver... "

Hearing this, Gu Ao's heart, which had softened just now, couldn't help tightening up again.

What Tian Rong held in his hand was the livelihood assets of both himself and himself.In the past, Master Tian invited Mr. Jian directly to study books to provide food and clothing. Except for Shu Xiu, Gu Ao never paid for it.On the way to Shanyun Academy, the old servant of the Tian family paid for it.Gu Ao didn't have much idea of ​​how to sustain life either.Seeing Tian Rong like this now, Gu Ao sighed in his heart: "It seems that I should indeed be self-reliant."

Before Gu Ben left, he planned to give Gu Ao some money.But after Gu Ao distributed the only property that Gu Ben could use—the rent from Tian’s family—to the refugees who fled, Gu Ben had no choice but to hold Gu Ao’s hand and say to him: “The family is desolate, and there is no one who can do it. Can you wake up after selling the surplus food that I brought with you on the road?"

Gu Ao didn't think so far in collecting the rent back then, and felt that saving people was the most important thing, now that he knows the difficulty of being a hero, he doesn't care about it, so he nodded: "I can wake up."

Now seeing that 20 taels of silver was spent by Tian Rong like this, the livelihood of the two of them became a problem, Gu Ao thought: "I have to do something to get some money..."

At that time, Gu Ao didn't know yet, Jian Pu had expected that the Gu family's financial resources were limited, and from the very beginning, he planned to raise Gu Ao's family since he came out of the mountain... But just like all wandering people, Jian Pu is very self-confident and doesn't care about firewood, rice, oil and salt These so-called trivial things, so when I went to visit friends later, Jian Pu didn't pay attention to explaining them.

Now Gu Ao is planning to make a living by himself.

He gradually came up with an idea... He knew that in the academy, he would buy water from porters down the mountain, so he would not buy it in the future, he would pick and choose for himself first, and if the situation was good, he could sell some to others.

Thinking of this, Gu Ao walked out the door, found a bucket and a pole in the corner and walked out, Tian Rong asked with tears in his eyes, "What are you going to do?"

Gu Ao said: "I will go down the mountain to carry water."

Tian Rong wiped away tears when she heard the words, jumped off the bed and said, "Don't go, I'll give you the money, you go and buy it."

Gu Ao said: "Don't you still want to save money to buy jade?"

Tian Rong wrinkled his face and was speechless.Seeing Gu Ao walking away with the bucket, Tian Rong's eyes were blurred by tears again, he thought to himself: "I just want to live a better life, why is it so difficult?"

In the past, Mrs. Jian liked Gu Ao, and he was attached to Gu Ao. Now, seeing that in Shanyun Academy, Gu Ao is also being excluded... Tian Rong couldn't help reaching out to touch the money in his bosom. Now he can rely on only money...

Thinking of this, Tian Rong sighed desolately.Although it wasn't long after he came out of the mountain, his horizons have indeed been broadened... He even had the same thought as Gu Ao: "In the past ten years, the days in the mountains have been in vain."

Seeing so many luxuries and grotesques, Tian Rong also knows how humble he used to be to guard the three-acre land. Now that Mrs. Tian is not restraining him, he is completely free... Seeing Gu Ao's back gradually disappearing into the path In the twilight of the night, Tian Rong couldn't help but feel some ambition in his heart, and decided not to be so attached to Gu Ao in the future.

He wanted to be like the young masters he saw in the Yuanmeng Courtyard that day.

Having made up his mind with the heart of a young man, Tian Rong wiped away his tears, turned around and went back to the room.

----

Here Gu Ao was carrying a bucket, followed the road to ask the gatekeeper of Shanyun Academy, and came to the place where people usually buy water on the mountainside.I saw a half-open flat land there, and it was late at night, and the water intake place was full of young men and servants, all waiting to carry water back to the house.

Gu Ao took a glance, and saw that some boys were well-dressed, and they bought water from porters instead of carrying water themselves; there were also some boys in rough clothes, who were tall and burly, but went straight down the mountain to carry water. water.

Gu Ao, carrying a bucket and a pole, followed along the mountain road.

As dusk gradually rises, the people and scenes are all covered with the dim golden light of the setting sun; but there are still young men who recognize Gu Ao as the boy who was led around by Juncheng yesterday, and later made a big fuss in Yuanmengyuan.For a while, people at the water intake place gave pointers from afar.

Gu Ao didn't care, he just walked past them and walked down the mountain step by step.I saw that several clear springs flowing down from the mountain merged into a small pool here, which was full of brilliance, reflecting the setting sun that was about to sink into the valley, and the golden water waves were soft and dazzling.

When Gu Ao saw the scenery, he couldn't help slowing down his pace. When he arrived, he put down the pole and bucket, looked up and took a deep breath, and sighed: "It's not bad to go down to fetch water."

Gu Ao rolled up his sleeves, stretched his muscles and bones a little, scooped up water with a bucket, set up a pole, carried it on his shoulders, and walked up the mountain step by step.

When Gu Ao was at home, although he often helped his mother, the Gu family, with the farming, it was the first time that he carried water and climbed mountains like this.After walking less than [-]% of the distance, Gu Ao was a little out of breath.

While he was panting for breath, an old man carrying water quickly passed him. Gu Ao turned his head and saw that the man's hair was already gray, but his steps were very steady, and his breathing was inaudible. Dressed like a porter in Yunshan who has been carrying water for a long time, he shouted: "This old man!"

The old man carrying water stopped, looked back and saw that it was Gu Ao calling him, and said with a smile: "You little boy, why are you going down the mountain to carry water!"

"Rely on your own resources..." Gu Ao smiled and asked for advice: "I saw the old man walking like flying just now, so there must be a knack for climbing mountains?"

The old man nodded: "That's right. The breathing goes through the nose but not the mouth, and the waist and abdomen are strong, so the legs and feet are brisk. Don't put the weight on the heels..."

Gu Ao thanked, "Thank you, old man."

The old man nodded, then rushed forward again.Gu Ao saw that an old man was stronger than himself, so he couldn't help feeling competitive, adjusted his breath and movements according to the method the old man said just now, and climbed up the mountain fiercely.

Although I didn't feel much easier, it was indeed not easy to get tired.In one go, Gu Ao accelerated his speed.Climbing so fast, he couldn't help sweating profusely.

While carrying water, Gu Ao said thoughtfully: "I read in ancient books that the army travels thousands of miles a day, and some mountains cannot be climbed by horses. Light, I came here to know my own shortcomings. Not only lack of knowledge, but also lack of body."

After thinking about it, Gu Ao couldn't help speeding up again, he was about to catch up with the old man carrying water in front.

What Gu Ao didn't know was that these porters had been doing this since they were young, and going up the mountain was the most effective.Let alone Gu Ao, even a general who is capable of martial arts, if you ask him to carry a bucket of water, he may not be able to win compared with the young porters at the foot of the mountain.

But Gu Ao didn't think so, the more tired he was, the more he realized his incompetence, he gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

Fortunately, Gu Ao had trained a good foundation in Mangdang Mountain... so all the way up the mountain, he was just sweating profusely and panting like a cow, and there was no discomfort at all.

Finally at the water intake, Gu Ao raised his eyes, only to see a group of nobles in fine clothes surrounded him and looked at him from a distance.

It turned out that the young servant who had something good to do, ran back to the house and reported to his young masters about Gu Ao's going down the mountain to carry water.Those young masters were bored after dinner, so they all came to see Gu Ao in groups.

Gu Ao didn't care about the faint voices of ridicule and ridicule, walked straight past them carrying water, and went to the house.

When Shanyun Academy was built, it was not originally a place for learning, but a royal summer resort in the Southern Dynasties.Therefore, the small houses are all scattered, and different students do not live in one place.Gu Ao's residence is closer to the servants' residence, so today's journey home is different from Huai Xin's.

Now the young masters of the aristocratic family saw Gu Ao turned around and left, not knowing that his house was over there, and thought that Gu Ao was afraid of them, so they shouted loudly: "So you are not a student who came to study in the academy! So it turns out You are actually the porter who came to Shanyun Academy to carry water! It seems that yesterday I didn’t know which servant who could not read could not recognize the word "Yuanmengyuan", went to the wrong place, made a big fuss, and It's really embarrassing to others!"

After finishing speaking, the young masters all burst into laughter.

In fact, if Liao Quji was here, these good sons would not speak so recklessly. After all, nobles still have the bearing of nobles.But these few were originally cockfighters, seeing Gu Ao's humble family, they didn't have any fear.

Gu Ao didn't stop walking when he heard the words, he sneered in his heart, turned his head and responded loudly: "The four bodies don't work hard, the five grains can't be distinguished, they grow in the deep house, and they are raised in the hands of women, what's the matter with me?" ?”

Those young men were cockfighters, even though they understood Gu Ao's speech, they didn't know how to cite scriptures to refute, so they yelled: "You servant!"

For such accusations, Gu Ao encountered similar accusations many times since he was a child, and he dealt with them most lightly, so he said loudly: "Look at you, you are so mean, you are just crowned with monkeys, have you ever been worthy of the surnames behind you?"

Gu Ao was walking while talking, but soon he couldn't hear the shouting behind him, Gu Ao was in a good mood, returned to the house with Tian Rong, and poured water into the water tank in front of the house.