Chapter Seventeen: The Paragon of Repentance

  Thanks to "For a clear sky" for becoming the first fan of Da Bai, and also thanks to "Modern Express" in the comment section for their encouragement, which has given me extra motivation to write!

  When he was the King of Qin, Li Er often came out and got close to the common people. Sometimes, he would even sit with old farmers, holding a bowl, squeezed in a corner, eating and chatting while holding an earthenware bowl.

  The common people have no food to eat, which is more unbearable than his own hunger.

  "Your Majesty, it would be good to go out and take a walk, to understand the people's feelings, in order to better serve the commoners. It's also a good opportunity for me to see if Chong'er has really improved. Brother and sister-in-law, they've been worried about Chong'er's affairs every day." Empress Changsun knew that her husband was feeling stifled, so she suggested going out to clear his mind, perhaps his mood would improve.

  Li Er held the hands of Empress Zhangsun and said: "Guanyin understands me after all."

  The next morning, when the carriage of the Zhangsun family appeared at the city gate, outside the city gate were not only Li Er's cart frame, but also Cheng Yaojin, Wei Zheng, Li Jing, Li Ji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and even that stubborn old man Wei Zheng had come.

  Dugu and Changsun Wuji sat in the carriage. Seeing that the carriage had stopped, they asked, "Sir, are there many people outside? Why has it stopped?"

  Chang Sun Wuji smiled and opened the curtain of the horse-drawn carriage behind him, took a look outside, and muttered: "How did they all come?"

  Dongfang Bubai didn't understand and asked: "What's going on?"

  Zhangsun Wuji was about to respond when he heard Cheng Yaojin's loud voice, saying: "Brother Fu Yu, it's been a long time since I've seen Xiao Chong, today I'll follow Brother Fu Yu to take a look at Xiao Chong."

  Wei Chi Gong smiled and said: "It's not that I want to go, but all the brothers have come. If I don't go, won't I be left out? Let's go together!"

  Changsun Wuji was short of breath for a while and had no choice but to agree. The carriage of the Changsun family walked in the front, leading the way for everyone.

  Originally planned to follow the lady over, bring the children and wife, a family gathering on the villa, did not expect a large crowd of people following behind.

  A group of people rushed in horse-drawn carriages, some rode horses, and finally arrived at the Zhangsun family's villa at 12:10.

  Little steamed buns, little dumplings, the two of them were carrying food and drink out on a shoulder pole, when they saw so many horse-drawn carriages arriving outside, they hastily went forward to pay their respects to the master and mistress.

  Changsun Wuji got down from the carriage and supported Duan's wife under the carriage, asking: "Where are you going?"

  "Replying to the mistress and master, the young master has been working in the fields every day, transplanting seedlings. To save time, he had me and Xiaomantou prepare meals and send them to the field head, so that after eating, they can continue working. The young master said that the earlier we plant, the earlier we will harvest, and this is already the third day."

  Everyone had dismounted their horses and carriages, and upon hearing Xiao Baozi's response, their curiosity grew even stronger.

  "Why don't we go to the fields together and take a look?" suggested Cheng Yaojin.

  Dongfang Shuo said with difficulty: "It's almost time for dinner, why don't we eat first and then go?"

  "The lady has arranged for someone to serve food at home, and we brothers will go take a look first." Yu Chi Gong couldn't wait any longer and followed them over.

  Zhangsun Wuji saw Cheng Yaojin, Wei Zhongxian, Li Er and others already walking, following Xiaobao and Xiaomantou together in the summer, and could only grit his teeth and say: "Madam, you take care of the children at home and cook, we will go and come back."

  The slightly older Chōsuke, Saburō and Shirō, who were a bit older, followed their father to the fields.

  Walking on the rural path, the locusts in the fields have almost disappeared, and the plants that were eaten to pieces look very desolate. At this time last year, the crops were growing luxuriantly, and it would be harvest time in another one or two months. But this year... Alas, people's hearts are not at ease.

  After walking quietly for half a moment, I saw a piece of tender green in the distance, row upon row, which made people feel refreshed and delighted.

  Li Er quickened his pace and walked ahead. The little fatties behind Zhangsun Wuji heard that their big brother was in the field ahead, so they ran quickly to catch up.

  Chang Sun Chong heard someone calling him, raised his head and saw two little fat boys running towards him like penguins, followed by a large crowd of adults in the distance. They were too far away for Chang Sun Chong to see clearly.

  Just then Zhangsun Chong was in the middle of the field, bending down to continue transplanting seedlings, and when those people arrived, they were almost at the end.

  Four little fatties walked on the ground, wanting to see who was the big brother. Maybe it's the sixth sense of children that is very accurate, and they ran to where Zhangsun Chong was, with his head down. Zhangsun Chong was transplanting seedlings in a backward motion, with his big fat butt facing downwards, and these three little fatties actually guessed correctly.

  Chang Sun Chong didn't need to go down to the fields himself, but he thought of his parents from his past life every day and lived in nostalgia. In order to see them as soon as possible and not have wild thoughts, he could only work hard, exhaust his body, and not think wildly. After a tiring day, he returned home, ate something, washed up, and went to sleep without any dreams.

  "Big brother, hurry up!" Erlang picked three lotus leaves from the small stream and put one on each of their heads to block out the sun.

  A few meters away from the low wall, Zhangsun suddenly straightened his waist, turned around and smiled: "Second brother, third brother, fourth brother, how did you come?"

  The second son is a bit older and will soon be twelve years old. Seeing his eldest grandson so tanned, he knows that his elder brother works very hard.

  "Big brother, parents, and younger siblings have all come to see you." Erlang said with a smile. He had always admired this big brother since he was young, even though he had been acting strangely for the past two years. But in this family, only big brother dared to argue with father, while others didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of him.

  Chang Sun rushed ashore with quick hands and feet, washed his hands, washed his feet, wiped the sweat, and said: "Let's go eat."

  Chang Sun Chong saw so many people, everyone surrounded a middle-aged uncle, even his father Chang Sun Wuji and Cheng Lao Yaojing were serving behind this person, it must be Li Er.

  Chang Sun rushed forward, these people were dressed in casual clothes, so they followed the usual etiquette, bowing and greeting: "Chong'er pays respects to Uncle, Father, and all uncles!"

  Li Er saw his eldest grandson, Zhang Yi, wearing a coarse linen garment with many mud stains on it. He was also wearing a straw hat made of wheat straw and looked like a real farmer. The child had darkened in complexion, although he was still chubby, but much more robust than before.

  Li Er patted Zhang Chong's shoulder and said, "Hmmm, you've done a good job, your poem is well-written, this young man is teachable!"

  Although they were far away just now, everyone did see that Zhang Sun Chong retreated from the middle of the field to the end of the field while transplanting seedlings. Take another look, and it can be seen that Zhang Sun Chong's previous transplanting was neat and tidy, and it is impossible to fake it. It can be seen that Zhang Sun Chong really worked hard.

  "Thank you, Uncle, for your praise. In the past, I was very foolish and saw the suffering of others, so I knew my mistakes. From now on, I will never make Father and Mother angry again." Zhangsun Long rushed to Zhangsun Wuji's side and paid his respects to his father once more.

  Chang Sun Wuji saw that his son had really changed for the better, and suddenly tears welled up in his eyes. He rolled up his sleeves and wiped away the large beads of sweat on Chang Sun's forehead, saying with emotion: "Good, good!"

  Cheng Yaojin strode forward, heavily slapping Zhangsun Chong's shoulder and pointing to the rice seedlings in the ground, saying: "Young man, you really know how to do farm work?"

  Chang Sun Chong's shoulders seemed to have been unloaded, numb and numb, propping up a breath, saying: "Hui Cheng Bo Fu, the little son also didn't know at first, but this is like reading books and practicing martial arts, doing more will make it familiar. At first, Little Nephew inserted crookedly, eastward and westward, but as he did, he gradually became very good."

  Cheng Yaojing listened and seemed to be thinking deeply, this young master of the Zhang family has really changed for the better!

  "Dad, uncles, it's hot in the fields and there's nowhere to sit. Why don't we go back to the village to eat?" Chang Sun said, seeing so many big shots standing on the ground, he couldn't just stand there either.

  Just right little baozi, little mantou put food under the big tree, inviting people to eat.

  Li Er looked, walked to the big tree, picked up a bun, split it in half, picked up chopsticks, clamped a piece of meat and several pieces of vegetables, put them in the bun, an ancient version of sandwich was invented by Emperor Li Er of the Tang Dynasty.

  Alas, you're an emperor, yet you eat without washing your hands, not a bit hygienic.

  "Where's the need to go to any Zhuangzi, isn't there food here? Come on, think back to those years when we, as monarch and subject, went on military campaigns east and west, often eating in the wilderness." Li Er was already squatting on the ground, devouring steamed buns with big mouthfuls, speaking as he ate.

  Cheng Yaojin was even more excessive, directly pinching a piece of fatty meat and throwing it into his mouth, smacking his lips in praise: "Delicious, flavorful!"

  Wei Wen picked up the chopsticks and knocked them against Cheng Yaojin's hand, scolding: "Don't use your nose-picking, ear-digging fingers to pick food, how can others eat?"

  "It's not clean, but eating it won't make you sick. My old man has always eaten like this, otherwise he wouldn't have grown up to be so sturdy. You literati are all pretending to be refined, each and every one of you looks like a thin stick, stupid and useless, can't even put on weight, what a waste of food."

  Everyone looked down on Cheng Yaojin, not even giving him a glance, and even his best brother Wei Zheng, turned his head to look elsewhere, pretending not to know Cheng Yaojin.