The slices are paper-thin, easy to eat and delicious.
When he came out from the house of Da Caioliang Li, the time was roughly around noon, the wind and snow were still blowing outside, but as long as Zhu Pingan thought of the lamb shabu-shabu he had just eaten, he had a feeling of spring on his tongue, and he didn’t feel cold even when the wind was strong and the snow was heavy.
Humming a strange tune, with a copy of Zhu Xi’s Zhongyong (The Middle Ages) lying quietly in his slung backpack, Zhu Pingan stepped into the snow and wind once again.
Snow is a very wonderful thing, in the folk even more snow as a kind of omen, heralding the coming year wind and rain, grain harvest, good luck, happiness and well-being and so on. Snow can bring endless fun and excitement, but after the snowflakes fall to the ground, it ushers in the worrying and helpless trouble of snowy road closures.
At this time of the year, the snow was already a palm deep, and it was particularly hard to walk on the road. As Zhu Pingan stepped deeply into the snow and wind on his way home, he suddenly thought that Elder Sun was a difficult task to sweep the snow now that his children were not with him and he was a bit old. So, Zhu Pingan changed the direction, it was time to walk towards Old Master Sun’s house.
To go to Sun’s home is also familiar, Mengxue so many years, Zhu Pingan not less to go to Sun’s home to ask for advice.
Sun old master’s house is not far from Li Da Zaobao’s house, after walking for less than ten minutes, we arrived at Sun old master’s house. Old Master Sun’s family is also well-to-do, with an adobe courtyard, which is also considered to be an upper-middle class family in the village.
If you have read many novels, you may have an idea that Sun was touched by Zhu Pingan’s diligence and good learning, and thought that this son was not a pool animal, and wanted to entrust his daughter to him, and so on and so forth.
Oh, you really think too much, Sun old master age are almost sixty, daughter are more than forty years old, even knee granddaughter has long been a family, just knee son and daughter to start a family are in the town. Sun old master and master mother live together, is a good story.
Sun old master’s house is not closed at night, you can walk right in, the courtyard is planted with a clump of bamboo, adding a few poetic touches to the courtyard.
When I walked in the door, the old man Sun was tidying up his own bamboo. Heavy snow wind tight, snow gusts bent bamboo, Sun old man worried about the bamboo will be broken, is holding a small broom to help the bamboo to clear the snow.
“En master.” When Zhu Pingan entered the courtyard, he bowed to Old Master Sun who was straightening the bamboo.
“Oh, it’s Ping An who has come.” Without turning round, Old Master Sun knew that it was Zhu Pingan who had come, and with a feeling, Old Master Sun asked Zhu Pingan while tidying up the bamboo, “Pingan, for this bamboo, but what is the feeling?”
What do you think of the bamboo?
Zhu Pingan somewhat do not quite understand the meaning of the Sun old master, look to the Sun old master is finishing the bamboo, the wind and snow pressure, bamboo is still stubborn with their own green, since ancient times there are three friends of the year pine, bamboo and plum, so opened his mouth and said: “Bamboo proud of the snow and frost, defying the wind and snow, the students should learn from the bones of its wind and bones.”
Sun old master heard, put down the broom, shook his head, “winter bamboo proud of snow and frost is right, but after the wind and snow on the bamboo will be accumulated on a thick layer of snow, this time for the bamboo there are two paths: one is to be thick snow pressure folded, do a rather bend ‘good man’; the other is to be deeply The other is to be deeply bent, heavy bent back, but the snow sooner or later there will be a day of melting, until then the bamboo will be ready to become more tough, become more upright.”
Speaking of this, old master Sun turned his head to look at Zhu Pingan, “Pingan ah, we have to be the bamboo in winter that is proud of the snow and frost, but even more so, we have to be the second kind of bamboo, to be able to stretch and bend, to not give up in the face of adversity, and to hold fast to our heart, which can be bent or folded! There is no fear that there will be no wood to burn when the green hills are left.”
“The student has been taught.” Zhu Pingan benefited greatly and made a deep arch.
Sun old master waved his hand, twirling his beard, “In this section, I am very optimistic about you, in a few months is the children’s test, this examination for you, is the wind and snow of the bamboo, you do not want to be pressured to fold.”
It turned out to be the old master Sun worried about this, worried about his own play in this examination is not good words, worried that he will be defeated blow can not stand up, and then borrowed the bamboo to mention their own.
“Please don’t worry Enshu, Ping’an knows it.” Zhu Pingan immediately gave his assurance, lest Old Master Sun worry.
“Well, in this way I am assured of peace.” Old Master Sun smiled cheerfully.
“You old man, why are you still letting Ping An stand in the wind and snow, Ping An quickly come, try the newly brewed tea of the Senior Lady.”
Master Mother’s hair was grey, but she was clean and tidy, and her body carried an air of bookishness.
“Oh, thank you master mother. In ancient times, there was warm wine that beheaded Hua Xiong, so today, let me also keep the name of warm tea that sweeps away the snow.” Zhu Pingan was much more relaxed when facing his teacher’s mother than when facing Old Master Sun, smiling nervously as he picked up the shovels, brooms, and other tools in the courtyard and worked feverishly.
“You child!” Master Mother snapped.
Old Master Sun twirled his whiskers and smiled, continuing to tidy up his bamboo.
Sweeping snow is also a technical job, learnt that the wind is tight and the snow is thick, if you simply use a broom to sweep the snow, it will be unsustainable, this time you need to use a shovel to open up the road, firstly shovel away a layer of snow, and then use a broom to clear the snow.
At the beginning of sweeping snow, Zhu Pingan still feel cold hands and feet, but sweeping sweeping, this cold feeling disappeared, body heat.
The snow in Old Master Sun’s courtyard was swept out by Zhu Ping An to create a large open space, and a long road was also cleared outside the door.
Sweeping snow to cook tea is fragrant, after drinking the tea of the teacher’s mother, bid farewell to the husband, Zhu Pingan braved the wind and snow to embark on the return journey.
Zhu Pingan’s family originally lived in thatched hut, has now become a brick and red tile two into two out of the courtyard, Zhu father these years oxcart between the town and the villages, earned a lot of money, Chen is also able to hold the family’s mother, earn more money, but also will be rebuilt the courtyard a little.
“Really, what’s snowing properly.” In the courtyard Chen looked at the sky heavy snow, and was extraordinarily unhappy.
“Heh heh heh, snow is a sign of a good year, good omen.” Zhu’s father was sweeping the snow while smiling nervously.
“Omen your head, if it did not snow, our oxcart will earn at least tens of hundreds of Wen a day.” Chen said sadly.
Hehehe, mother Chen’s eyes were glowing at the mention of money as usual.
“Ya, the swine child is back, quickly come inside and roast the fireplace.” Mother Chen’s eyes were sharp, the first time she saw Zhu Pingan who returned from the snow, she hurriedly greeted Zhu Pingan to enter the house.
“I’ll help father sweep the snow before going in.” Zhu Pingan laughed nervously.
“Don’t mind him, his body of brute strength is worried about having no place to use it.”
Chen didn’t care about this, walked over in a few steps, dragged Zhu Pingan to the house, patted the snow off his body, and pressed Zhu Pingan in front of the fireplace.
Mother’s good intentions, Zhu Pingan also did not refuse, and obediently sat down to roast his hands.
“Where’s my brother?” Zhu Pingan did not see his oldest brother and could not help but ask.
As soon as he mentioned his elder brother, Zhu Pingchuan, his mother, Chen, said in a bad mood, “Soon after you left, your elder brother farted off to Old Zhang’s house to sweep the snow, he really married a wife and forgot his mother, he hasn’t even married it yet, so he’s just forgotten about me to a few corners and nooks and crannies.”
Big brother Zhu Pingchuan just last year and the same village of the old Zhang family’s daughter engaged, because the old Zhang family love the daughter, said to raise to eighteen and then married, counting time, next year should be married.
“Heh heh heh, my mother is jealous, don’t worry, son marriage can not be like brother this, son snow sweeping will also take mother to go.”
“You heartless, you are blacker than your brother’s heart, he just goes snowploughing alone, but you even want to bring your old mother to make it!”
Chen was so interrupted by Zhu Pingan, her mouth blamed, but her mood was much better.
