Chapter 4 Leaving the City
Chapter 4 Leaving the City
After going back to his room to tidy up and change into clean clothes, Zhu Shenzui went to the main room to have breakfast.
After sitting down, Zhu Shenzhui was slightly stunned. On the table were not only the usual vegetable porridge and pickles, but also a sesame cake he brought back yesterday.
Zhu Shenzhui subconsciously glanced at the main house of Zhang and Qiao'er, and he naturally understood that this was the place Zhang specially left for him.
Originally, Zhu Shenzhui asked Zhang and Qiao'er to share the food, but unexpectedly, Zhang left some for himself. Thinking back to what Qiao'er had just said to him, Zhu Shenzhui sighed inwardly. He silently tore open the sesame cake, put half back, picked up the other half and started eating it with vegetable porridge and pickles.
People in later generations ate three meals a day, but during the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Shenzhui only ate two meals a day.
In this era, except for the nobles, ordinary people usually belonged to the latter. Two meals a day were enough for ordinary people. Although Zhu Shenzhui was a member of the royal family, as mentioned earlier, the life of the royal family was not easy. His family was just a low-level royal family, neither a county prince nor a prince, so how could he be so extravagant as to have three meals a day.
After breakfast, Zhu Shenzhui put down the used dishes and was about to get up to clean up when Zhang came over.
"Uncle, let me do it. You just take a rest..." Just after saying that, his eyes suddenly fell on the half of the pancake. Zhang was about to say something, but Zhu Shenzhui rushed to say, "Half of it is enough for me. Give the rest to Qiao'er. She is still young and in the period of growth. Let her eat more."
Zhang said nothing, but nodded silently, and was naturally moved. Although her husband passed away early, she became a widow at a young age, and her child was still breastfeeding when her husband passed away, if Zhu Shenzhu had not left them behind, they would have died long ago.
Although her uncle was young, he was a really good person. He loved her niece as if she were his own daughter, and he was very respectful to her, his eldest sister-in-law. Not only did he not let her and her children move out of the main house, but he also gave her the money and food to manage. He was humble and considerate in everything. Zhang really didn't know how many lifetimes she had to cultivate to have such a blessing to meet such a family.
Looking at Zhu Shencui, who was full of vigor and looked very much like her deceased husband, Zhang couldn't help but sigh in her heart, thinking how great it would be if Qiao'er was Zhu Shencui's daughter. Although he loved his niece and Qiao'er called him father, his niece was only his niece after all, not his biological daughter. And she, a widow without a husband, could still rely on Zhu Shencui, but Zhu Shencui would eventually have to start a family, so what would happen in the future?
After all, she gave birth to a daughter and not a son. A clan daughter like Qiao'er is no different from ordinary people. If it were a son, there might be some uncertainty in the future. But what should she do when she is old?
Thinking of this, an absurd idea suddenly flashed through Zhang's mind, which scared Zhang herself.
Zhang blamed herself. How could she have such an idea? Uncle and sister-in-law are uncle and sister-in-law. Not to mention the royal family, even in ordinary families, such unethical things should not have the slightest thought. What happened to her? She had never had such thoughts before. When did she have such thoughts?
While tidying up, Zhang, who seemed calm, was actually extremely confused inside. She was afraid that Zhu Shenzhui would notice something, so she lowered her head even more deliberately.
Zhu Shenzhui didn't pay any attention to Zhang. He stood up, said something to Zhang, and went back to his room.
He closed the door, took out a pen and ink, and a piece of paper to write and draw on it. He did this until the evening. Zhu Shenzhui picked up what was written on the paper and read it again silently. Then he stood up and went to the kitchen silently.
In the kitchen, while Zhang, who was making dinner, was not paying attention, he threw a ball of paper into the stove during a conversation. He watched the ball of paper being engulfed by the flames and soon burned to ashes.
Early in the morning of the next day, Zhu Shencui did not practice boxing or stick fighting as usual. Instead, he left home when it was still gray and dawn.
Last night he told Zhang that he would be out for a few days, and asked Zhang and his niece not to go out. If anyone came to look for them, they could just find a reason to get rid of them. As for the rest, don't worry about it, he will be back in a few days.
Although Zhang was worried about Zhu Shenzhui, she didn't understand where he was going or what he was going to do. But as a woman, it was not easy to ask some questions, not to mention that she was just a sister-in-law. This brother-in-law always had his own ideas, and similar things had happened before. Since he didn't say anything, he must have his reasons.
Zhu Shenzhui, wearing a lightly made-up outfit and wearing the coarse cloth clothes of ordinary people, walked quickly towards the south gate of the city with a jujube wood stick for martial arts practice. The city gates of the Ming Dynasty had opening and closing times. The opening and closing times of the city gates were different in different places and seasons. Generally speaking, the morning bell was struck in the morning and the evening drum was beaten in the evening. That is, at dawn, the city gate guards rang the bell to remind people to open the gates, and when the sun went down, they beat the drums to indicate that they were ready to close the city gates.
When Zhu Shenzhui arrived at the south gate of the city, the morning bell had already rung for a while, and people inside and outside the city had begun to line up to enter and exit the city gate.
Zhu Shenzhui took a look at the team leaving the city and quietly lined up at the back. Soon it was his turn.
It was necessary to check identity before leaving the city. Ordinary people had to register before leaving the city to farm or visit relatives and friends. This was the rule of the Ming Dynasty. If you were a businessman, you also needed an official pass to enter and leave the city gate.
It was Zhu Shencui's turn. Without waiting for the gate guard to speak, Zhu Shencui took out his certificate and registered like an ordinary person. The gate guard looked at it and said nothing. He waved his hand and let him go.
After successfully leaving the city gate, Zhu Shenzhui looked back at the busy city gate and smiled.
As a member of the royal family, he should not be allowed to leave the city, but this was not a difficult thing for Zhu Shenzhui. He had not spent so many days in the prefectural government office for nothing, and he had made friends with several officials in private. It was not difficult for him to get a certificate of civilian status from them. Zhu Shenzhui had several such things.
After leaving the city, he strode towards the official road at the city gate. After walking some distance, he took another road, went around to the southwest, and headed towards Xiangling.
For dozens of miles, only a part of the official road is easy to walk on, and most of the rest are dirt roads. The road is winding and sometimes invisible, and some places can only be barely recognized. Just like Mr. Lu Xun said, there are no roads in this world, but when more people walk on it, it becomes a road.
He left the city early in the morning, and around noon, when he climbed over a mound in front of him and saw a village not far away, Zhu Shenzui finally arrived.
Holding his jujube wood stick, he continued walking forward for a short distance when he heard a rustling noise from the bushes nearby. Zhu Shenzhui immediately stopped walking, holding the stick and staring at that direction, only to see a person suddenly emerge.
A young man had been hiding somewhere and suddenly appeared. Zhu Shenzhui was startled, but he seemed to have expected it. He was not panicked at all. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief and stood there looking at the newcomer with a smile.
"Sixth Master! You haven't been here for some time." The visitor was very happy to see Zhu Shenzhui, and laughed with his mouth wide open.
"Aren't you here today? Is my uncle in the village?" Zhu Shenzhui said with a smile, looking around.
"Yes! I was talking about you yesterday." Wang Chuer nodded happily and said that he would take Zhu Shenzhui into the village. Zhu Shenzhui waved his hand and said that it was not necessary. He was not a stranger and did not know the way. It was not far and he could just go there directly.
Wang Chuer smiled and said okay. Zhu Shenzhui continued to walk forward. After two steps, he turned around and shouted to Wang Chuer. Seeing him turn around and raise his hand to make a drinking gesture, Wang Chuer smiled even more happily and nodded vigorously to indicate that he understood.
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(End of this chapter)