Chapter 51 The Bow

When the wedding team reached the gate of Liu's house, it was already daylight. There were already many people waiting at the gate, Zhang Xiaohua led the horse and walked in front of the crowd, then stopped. After Zhang Xiaolong got off his horse, Zhang Xiaohua handed over the horse's reins to the Liu family who came over.

Everyone bowed their hands to Zhang Xiaolong and said: "Groom officer, congratulations." Zhang Xiaolong also happily returned the gift to everyone, and then everyone gave way, Zhang Xiaohua looked up and saw a wooden shelf next to the gate , put a bow on top of the shelf. This is a village rule. The first thing the groom does when he gets married is to shoot three arrows into the sky at the bride's gate, which means to drive away all the evil spirits. I have seen it before when I married a wife in someone else's house. However, although Zhang Xiaolong's arm injury has healed at this moment, the work in the field is still a problem. How can he draw a bow and shoot an arrow?

It seems that this matter can only be done by the best man Zhang Xiaohua, but Zhang Xiaohua is only twelve or thirteen years old, it would be too far-fetched for him to draw this bow and arrow, and everyone looked at each other in dismay. After thinking about it, Zhang Xiaolong stepped forward, ready to get the bow. Zhang Xiaohua was in a hurry, so she rushed forward and grabbed the eldest brother, saying: "Brother, your arm is just right, how can you pull this thing? What if?" If there is another injury, wouldn’t all previous efforts be wasted, I’ll do it.”

Zhang Xiaolong said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, just draw the bow and shoot the arrow. I still have the energy. You are still young, how can you have the strength to open the bow and shoot the arrow?"

Zhang Xiaohua also smiled and said: "Brother, you are underestimating me. I can plow the fields by myself. Why don't I have the strength? Let me try. If I don't succeed, if you come again, we won't do it either." It's a shame, don't you think?"

Zhang Xiaolong thought so too, anyway, the best man was doing things for the groom when they got married, and Xiao Hua really couldn’t pull it off, so he had to do it by himself. I guess Mr. Liu knew that his arm was not good enough, so there should be a soft bow on the shelf , can be pulled apart without much effort.

Just watched Zhang Xiaohua walk up to the shelf and take down the big bow from the shelf as high as her own. It felt very heavy in her hand. He had never drawn a bow before, thinking that all bows were very heavy, and he didn't. Care, then, picked up an arrow without a point from the shelf, put it on the bow, turned around and asked Zhang Xiaolong: "Brother, where are you going to shoot it?"

Zhang Xiaolong pointed to the sky outside the village and said, "Over there."

Zhang Xiaohua agreed, imitating the way she used to look at people, took a stride, and then, facing the sky, pulled the bowstring vigorously, but the bowstring was actually very tight, Zhang Xiaohua pulled it for about three minutes He couldn't help but blush. He supposedly let go of his hand at this time and just shot the arrow. But it was his first time to shoot an arrow, and he used to see others pull it like a full moon. He thought that he had to pull it completely apart, so he took another deep breath and struggled with his arms. As expected, he felt a force coming out of his arms again. He shouted, and the bow and arrow were immediately drawn In the shape of a full moon, he looked confidently at the morning glow outside the village. He loosened the tight bowstring, and the arrow flew out like a shooting star. Looking at the distant arrow, Zhang Xiaohua felt There was a sense of pleasure.

Zhang Xiaohua made the remaining two arrows in the same way, and shot them far out of Baligou. After the three arrows were shot, Zhang Xiaohua felt her arms were sore and numb. Applauding Zhang Xiaohua's strength, only Zhang Xiaolong saw the abnormality, he hurried to Zhang Xiaohua, took the bow, and was about to put it on the shelf, but unexpectedly his hand sank, and he quickly used some strength to catch it , Zhang Xiaolong was very surprised, why is this soft bow so heavy? However, at this time the crowd had already surrounded him, so he put the bow on the shelf without allowing him to think about it carefully. Surrounded by the crowd, he walked into Liu's courtyard, leaving the bow alone on the shelf.

At the same time Zhang Xiaolong was being surrounded into the Liu family compound, Zhang Orion at the north end of Baligou was packing his bags and preparing to go hunting in the mountains.

He walked into the bow and arrow hut, and after a while, he came out angrily, and asked his wife, "My mother, where is the bow on the shelf?"

His wife said strangely: "Which bow? How do I know, I never entered that hut."

Zhang Liehu was anxious, and said, "It's the five-stone bow passed down from my ancestors. It's on the top shelf on the right. I saw it the day before yesterday, but it's gone today. Could it be that my home was robbed yesterday?" gone?"

His mother-in-law was preparing breakfast on the stove, when she suddenly remembered something, she hurried out and said, "I remembered, my son's father, Mr. Liu, who taught yesterday, sent someone to borrow a soft bow. It was for his son-in-law today. I was afraid that it would not be able to be opened, so I asked for it. At that time, I was packing the clothes for the child, so I asked someone to get it by myself. I remember you said that there was a mouth on the shelf above that you made for fun. , I told him."

Zhang Liehu asked: "Did you take a look at it when they took it out?"

His mother-in-law said in shame: "I told you, but it's just something you made up, and I didn't bother to look at it, so I let him take it away."

Zhang Liehu immediately scolded: "You prodigal bitch, you don't even take a good look at the borrowed things. They took away all our ancestral things, and you don't bother to take a look. Besides, Mr. Liu has always been very kind to us." Well, the children in our village are all called by him. There must be a reason for them to borrow soft bows. You are doing well. You have given a bow that no one has drawn for more than ten years. This is not to save others' face. Is it? Wait for me to come back and see how to deal with you."

After finishing speaking, Zhang Orion ran out in a hurry. When he ran to the gate of Liu's house, Zhang Xiaolong and others had already walked into the yard, and his ancestral strong bow was placed on the shelf at the door. In his opinion, it must have been lost without being pulled away. Face, just left it there. At this moment, he happened to see someone poking his head out of the gate of the Liu family, and he said, "Liu San'er, tell Mr. Liu that I have taken this bow and arrow away."

The person inside responded, "Okay, I understand."

Zhang Liehu quickly took the bow, hugged it like a baby, and hurried away with guilt on his face, fearing that someone would stop him and scold him for taking a bow that no one could pull back. Noticed that the three arrows without arrowheads that should have been on the shelf were gone.

At this time, Zhang Xiaolong, accompanied by Zhang Xiaohua, walked to the door of Liu Qian's boudoir. According to the village rules, if the groom wants the bride to open the door, he must answer the bride's questions. Only when the answer is satisfactory can he open the door. , In fact, most of the people who ask questions are bridesmaids and others. It is impossible for a bride to embarrass the people next to her in the future. Zhang Xiaolong is also facing this problem now, Mr. Liu has always treated others with poetry and books, and most of the courtyard is full of literati, and none of them knows martial arts, otherwise Zhang Xiaohua's shocking three arrows just now would not have been noticed by no one. Although Mr. Liu had told his friends and students in advance that his son-in-law was born with mud legs, don't make it too difficult for him, but to be honest, Mr. Liu, a smart and virtuous daughter, does not care about one or two people. Today To be married by a person who is not in their own circle, some of the guests are really upset, but of course it is obvious that they can't do it in front of Mr. Liu. Zhang Xiaolong was troubled by the bride issue, so of course Liu Yueyue is Liu Qian's bridesmaid, this girl has never been afraid of things, and she never does things out of her head, no, the first problem is: let Zhang Xiaolong write a few words, Show off your calligraphy.

As soon as this question came up, Liu Qian in the boudoir glared at Liu Yueyue reproachfully, and asked, "Whose idea was this? Why didn't you tell me?"

Liu Yueyue said coquettishly: "Sister, it was a group of people outside who said it. It's okay to sweep my brother-in-law's face at the moment. I can also urge him to learn calligraphy well in the future. What do you think?"

Liu Qian smiled wryly in her heart, what can I say? Your question has come out, can I take it back? Alas, I just don't know if Xiaolong will blame me in the future.

Mr. Liu in the hall also had an ugly face, which was obviously for his son-in-law. However, marriage is all about excitement, and no matter how messed up, you can’t blame it. Let’s see how Zhang Xiaolong handles it. If it doesn’t work, just write it , It's nothing, anyway, he was a farmer anyway.

The faces of Zhang Xiaolong and his brother were also very strange, afraid of what would come, Zhang Xiaolong sighed in his heart, stepped forward, and was about to write some nonsense to deal with it, at this time Zhang Xiaohua grabbed the elder brother's arm again and said: " Don't be impatient, brother, let me try."

"You, can you do it?" Zhang Xiaolong was a little puzzled.

Zhang Xiaohua patted his hand and said, "It's still the same sentence, I can't do it, you come again."

Zhang Xiaohua stepped forward and said to everyone: "Everyone, it's the same old saying, my elder brother's arm injury is not healed, so I will write this word for me."

After finishing speaking, he walked to the paved pen, ink, paper and inkstone, bowed his head in thought for a moment, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he raised his head and said: "Everyone, I don't need this ink, paper and inkstone for today's fun."

Everyone wondered: "What's the use?"

Zhang Xiaohua asked: "Is there a ready-made mop? I will use the mop to write a few big characters for everyone today."

"Mop? How do you write it?" Someone asked strangely. While talking, someone had already brought the mop, Zhang Xiaohua found a basin, poured the ground ink into the basin, put the mop into the basin again, dipped it in, held the rod of the mop with both hands, and carefully After a little deliberation, I picked up the mop and wrote two large characters on the bluestone slab in Mr. Liu's compound: "空缘".

These two characters are written in an antique style, full of elegant charm, and Zhang Xiaohua's coherent writing made the onlookers stunned. Mr. Liu in the hall heard the commotion outside, and suddenly it was very quiet, and he also came out of the hall. When he saw the two words written on the bluestone board, he didn't speak.

Speaking of the word "漂缘", it was originally the word on the token. After Zhang Xiaohua asked someone to recognize it that day, he imitated it more than once in his heart, tasted it, and practiced how to write it. Other words, such as: Zhang Xiaohua, He couldn't write it no matter what, and these two characters have been engraved into his heart like an engraving, so naturally he can write them at his fingertips. Of course, because he doesn't have the level of schooling, writing brush characters must be ridiculed , and writing with a mop, naturally you don’t have to worry about techniques and the like,

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