Chapter 78 Zhang Cheng

Zhang Laohan, from Henan, ancestral home in Shandong. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was chaos in Shandong. Zhang's wife plundered the Qing soldiers, and his life and death were unknown. Old Zhang lived in Henan, married another wife, and gave birth to a son, Zhang Ne. Not long after, his wife died, and he married Niu as his wife and had a son, Zhang Cheng.

Niu has a fierce personality and doesn't like Zhang Ne very much. He treats him like an animal. He eats cold rice, lets him wear ragged clothes and shoes, and only gives him a straw mat when he sleeps at night.

Niu Shi ordered Zhang Ne to go up the mountain to cut firewood every day, limited to a load of firewood. If he cut one less, he would add fists and feet, whip the rattan, and abuse in all kinds of ways. Secretly, he fed his own son Zhang Cheng with brocade clothes and jade food, and let him go to school.

After a few years, Zhang Cheng grew up and was kind and filial. He often persuaded his mother not to embarrass his brother, but Niu didn't listen.

One day, Zhang Ne went up the mountain to cut firewood. Suddenly, there was a lot of wind and rain, so he had to hide under the boulder to avoid the rain. When the rain stopped and the sun came up, Zhang Ne was hungry and had no strength to cut firewood, so he went home sadly. When Niu saw that he returned empty-handed, he was furious and didn't give him food. Zhang Ne was hungry and heart-wraised. He lay on the board and closed his eyes to refresh himself.

When Zhang Cheng came back from the teacher's school, he saw his brother's expression and asked, "Are you sick?" Zhang Nex sighed, "I'm not sick, I'm just too hungry." Zhang Cheng asked the reason, and Zhang Ne told the truth.

Zhang Cheng was unhappy when he heard the words. After a while, he took a few pancakes back to the house. Zhang Ne asked, "Where did the pancakes come from?" Zhang Cheng said, "I stole some flour from my house and asked my neighbor's aunt to help me bake it. Eat it quickly."

Zhang Ne nodded, ate the pancake in three or two bites, and said, "You can't do this again. If your mother knows, she will punish you. Besides, if you only eat one meal a day, you won't starve to death. Zhang Cheng said, "My brother is weak. How can he cut wood? Mother has gone too much.

After dinner the next day, Zhang Cheng secretly went up the mountain. Zhangne asked in surprise, "Why are you here?" Zhang Cheng said, "Come and help you cut firewood." Zhang Ner asked, "Who asked you to come here?" Zhang Cheng said, "My own idea." Zhang Ne shook his head and said, "Don't say that you don't know how to cut wood at all. Even if you can cut wood, I can't let you do this kind of rough work. Go back quickly"

Zhang Cheng didn't listen. He used both hands and feet to break the branches one by one and said, "The branches are so hard. Remember to bring an axe tomorrow." Zhangne came closer and saw that his brother's palm was worn out, and the soles of his shoes were worn out. He was heartache and pity. He said angrily, "Go home quickly! If you don't leave, I will kill myself with an axe.

Zhang Cheng had no choice but to turn back. Zhangne went all the way halfway. In the evening, she went home and said to her husband, "My brother is young. Please take care of him. Don't let him run around. There are many tigers and wolves in the mountains."

Mr. said, "Zhang Cheng went out without permission at noon. I have beaten him."

Zhangne nodded and left. He returned home and persuaded his younger brother: "If you don't listen to your brother, you will be beaten." Zhang Cheng shook his head with a smile, "That's not the case."

The next day, Zhang Cheng took an axe on the mountain again. Zhang said angrily, "Didn't I tell you not to come? Why are you disobedient?" Zhang Cheng smiled and said nothing. He just chopped the branches with an axe. He was so tired that he sweated and didn't rest. When he finished chop a bundle of firewood, he went back silently.

The old gentleman asked, "Why did you sneak out and fool around again?"

Zhang Chengcheng told each other, "Students don't fool around, they just go to the mountains to help their brother cut firewood."

When the old gentleman heard the words, his face suddenly became kind and he smiled, "Good boy, you are so sensible." From now on, Zhang Cheng is no longer prohibited from going up the mountain.

On this day, the Zhang Cheng brothers and several woodcutters were cutting firewood in the mountain. Suddenly, a tiger came, bit Zhang Cheng and ran away. Regardless of the danger, Zhang Ne then chased after him. An axe cut the tiger's leg and crotch. The tiger ran wildly in pain and escaped without a trace in an instant.

The life and death of his younger brother was uncertain. Zhang Ne was so anxious that he cried. The woodcutters tried their best to comfort him. Zhang Ne cried, "Although my brother was born to a stepmother, he died for me. How can I live alone?" With that, he mutilated his neck with an iron axe, fell into the flesh, blood flowed like a note, and fainted.

The woodcutter was horrifying. He panicked and tore off the cloth to wrap the wound. He took Zhang Ne and went home to ask for help. Niu Shi scolded angrily: "Zhang Ne, did you kill my son. Do you want to shirk responsibility by cutting a knife on the neck?"

Zhang Ne woke up with a moan and said, "Mother, don't worry. If my brother dies, I will lose my life and never be greedy." The woodcutters persuaded him, and Niu's anger rested a little. Several great men work together to help Zhang Ne to recuperate. Zhang Ne wound pain and could not sleep, and he was worried about his brother's safety, but cried day and night.

Lao Man Zhang was worried about his son's injury and secretly took some porridge for Zhang Na to eat. He was found by Niu and scolded loudly. Zhang Na didn't want his father to embarrass him and refused to eat and drink. He died three days later.

There was a walking wizard in the village, wandering around, and Zhangne's ghost drifted. He met the wizard on the road and asked, "Master, have you seen my brother?" The wizard shook his head and said, "Come with me."

The two went to a capital city, and only a soap-shirt came out of the city. The wizard came forward and asked, "Ghost fairy, have you ever seen Zhang Cheng?"

The soap shirt man took out an ultimatum and said, "There are more than a hundred ghosts between men and women, and there is no Zhang Cheng in it."

The wizard asked, "Will it be on other ultimatums?"

The soap shirt said, "I'm in charge of this road. I won't make a mistake."

Zhang Ne didn't believe it and forcibly pulled the wizard into the city to search. He saw new ghosts and old ghosts in the city, walking back and forth, and some of them knew him. He came forward to cross-examine his brother's whereabouts, and they all replied that he didn't know.

Suddenly, the ghosts shouted in unison, "The Bodhisattva is coming."

I saw a colorful lotus platform floating in the air, blooming with Guangyin sitting on it, with a dignified appearance.

The wizard whispered to Zhangne, "The prince's blessing is not shallow. The Bodhisattva has only come to the Yin Division for decades, bring down the blessings and the disaster, and pull out the troubles, just let you catch up." While talking, he pulled Zhang Ne to kneel down, and the ghosts also knelt down one after another, worshipped, and recited the sound of compassion and suffering together, rumbling and resounded all over the fields.

The Bodhisattva sprinkled manna with willow branches, which was as fine as dust. The light of Orr dissipated, and the Bodhisattva had disappeared.

Zhang Ne only felt cool and comfortable in his neck. With a touch with his hand, the knife wound healed and there was no pain. The wizard sent him back to his hometown, saying goodbye to each other.

Zhangne had been dead for two days. Suddenly, he woke up and opened his eyes, talked about the story, and insisted, "My brother is still alive." Niu didn't believe it and scolded, "Now, do you still want to make up rumors?"

Zhang Ne did not dare to argue with her mother. She knelt down and said goodbye to her father and said, "The child will walk all over China. Even if he goes through the clouds into the sea, he will find his brother. I don't see my brother for a day, and I don't go back to my hometown for a day. Please take care of your parents and treat them as if they don't have a son like me. After saying that, he strode out and went out.

Zhang Ne went out to look for his brother and went through the state. He soon ran out of entanglement, so he had to beg all the way. A year later, he came to Jinling. At this moment, he was haggard and tattered all over.

On this day, when he went to the street to visit Zhang Cheng's news, suddenly the horse's hoofs sounded, and more than a dozen iron riders came head-on. One of them sat a white horse, with an officer, about 40 years old, with a powerful appearance; and another little yellow horse, with a teenager sitting on it, with flowing eyes and frequently staring at himself.

Zhang Na thought to himself, "This must be a rich man. I still don't want to provoke him." He bowed his head and did not move.

The teenager rode in front of him, jumped off the ground, was surprised and happy, and shouted, "Brother, don't you recognize me?"

Zhang Ne looked up and stared. The teenager in front of him turned out to be Zhang Cheng. He was overjoyed, holding his brother's palm tightly and crying. Zhang Cheng also burst into tears and asked, "Brother, why are you so depressed?" Zhang Na smiled and said, "For more than a year, I have traveled all over the mountains and five mountains, looking for my brother everywhere. God opened my eyes. It's really great that you and my brothers meet again today."

Zhang Cheng walked to the officer and whispered a few words. The officer nodded and ordered his men to vacate an empty horse for Zhang Na to ride. The group of people galloped to an official residence.

The officer asked Zhang Ne to sit down in the hall. The servant delivered tea. Zhang Ne took a sip and couldn't wait to ask about his brother's escape.

Zhang Cheng said one by one.

It turned out that he was taken away by a tiger that day. He was thrown by the roadside and slept in the grass all night. It happened that Zhang Bei drove by and saved his life. The two talked, and Zhang Cheng learned that he was far away from his hometown and stamped his feet in a hurry. Zhang Beijia said, "The poor house is not far away. If you don't give up, go back with me and recover from your injury first." Zhang Cheng nodded and had no choice but to follow him to Jinling. After a few days of rest, his injury recovered. Zhang Bie drove that he had no children, and kindly adopted Zhang Cheng as his adopted son. Just now, the father and son passed by the street, but they didn't expect to meet their brother. It was really a surprise.

After listening to the story patiently, Zhang Ne suddenly fell to the ground and couldn't help thanking Zhang Bie. The two politely said a few words. Zhang Bie ordered the servants to set up a banquet. Zhang Cheng went into the room and took a lot of new clothes for his brother. The three of them sat together to drink.

Zhang Bie asked, "How many people does your family have in Henan?" Zhang Ne said, "No. My father is from Shandong and has been to Henan. Zhang Bie said, "I'm also from Shandong. Where is your hometown?"

Zhang He said, "Listen to my father, it seems to be in Dongchang Mansion."

Zhang Bie shouted, "That's my hometown. Why are you exiled to Henan?

Zhang Ner said, "At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing soldiers entered the country and robbed their ex-mother. My father suffered a military disaster and went bankrupt. He fled to Henan and made some small business to make a living. Later, he married his mother and settled in Henan."

Zhang Bie asked, "What's the name of the ancestor?"

Zhang Ning said, "My grandfather's name is Zhang Bingzhi."

When Zhang Bei heard the words, his eyes were tongue-tongued, bowed his head and meditated silently. Suddenly, he hurried away and walked into the inner room.

Not long after, the old lady came out to meet the guests and asked Zhangne, "Son, are you really Zhang Bing's grandson?" Zhangne nodded and said, "That's good."

The old lady cried loudly, pointed to Zhangne and said, "He is your brother." Zhang Na scratched her head and asked, "Madam's words are mysterious. I don't quite understand."

The old lady said, "Son, I'm your abducted ex-mother. I lived with your father for three years and was captured by the Qing soldiers. At that time, I was pregnant, married Heigushan as my wife, and gave birth to your brother half a year later. After another half a year, Heigushan died, and your brother inherited the title. The official is gone, and now he has been dismissed. Your brother often misses his biological father. He has sent someone to Shandong several times, but to no avail. Who would have thought that he had moved to Henan?

He also said to Zhang Beijie, "It's ridiculous for you to make your own decision and recognize your younger brother as your son. Be careful."

Zhang Bie said, "I asked Zhang Cheng about his origin, but he didn't say that he was from Shandong. He must be too young to remember."

A family reunion. The three brothers are over the age. Don't drive 41 years old. It's for the eldest brother. Zhang Ne is 21 years old for the second brother. Zhang Cheng is 16 years old. That's the third brother.

※※※

Zhang Bie drove two younger brothers suddenly. He couldn't help but sit and lie together, day and night. In private, she discussed with her mother to return to her hometown, and the old lady was worried that her ex-husband could not be compatible. Zhang Bie said, "If you can be compatible, you can be together. If you can't be compatible, you can be separated, but it is natural for father and son to recognize each other. Who doesn't have a father in the world, and who doesn't love father and son?"

So he sold the house and packed his bags. The mother and son set out to return home. In a few days, they came to Henan. The Zhang Ne brothers went to report to their father first.

The old father left Zhang Ne. Soon after, Niu died of illness and lived alone. Suddenly, when I saw Zhang Na, I was so happy that I was in a trance. When I saw Zhang Cheng again, I cried with joy and tears.

Zhang Neming's father: The eldest brother, mother and son are also back.

When Zhang Laohan heard the words, he stood in astonishment. He heard several good news in a day and was really at a loss. After a while, the lady and the farewell came, and there were countless maids and servants accompanying them, standing inside and outside.

Zhang Cheng didn't see his mother's whereabouts. He hurriedly asked. When he learned that Niu was dead, he was heartbroken. He cried and fainted, and woke up for a long time.

In the future, Zhang Bie drove to build a pavilion. On the one hand, he asked his husband to teach his two younger brothers knowledge, and on the other hand, he ran a family business. After several years, he was prosperous and the house was full of cattle and horses, which became a rich family.