第二章、白马嘶鸣与昌黎谷缘
第一节:夏云姑选秀之缘
十六岁那年的春天，清沥江的水暖得比往年早，岸边的芦苇刚顶出嫩黄的芽尖，镇上的风就裹着新鲜事吹遍了每个角落——皇帝要在全国选美，派来的张公公已到袁州城。
这消息像投进沸水里的糖，瞬间让城里的富家女们动了起来，应征的场面比大过年时舞狮子、耍龙灯、唱采茶戏、赶大集加在一起还要热闹几分，连江面上的鸭子都似被那喧闹惊动，游得比往常更急了些。
人们争相奔告，脚步赶得比端午节赛龙舟的鼓点还急，从四面八方往袁州城里涌，连巷口卖糖画的老师傅都收了摊子，要去城门口凑凑这百年难遇的热闹。
那时我正蹲在江边放鸭，弟弟夏执中在一旁的空地上练武，十八只鸭子在水里游得悠闲，我用树枝逗着它们，没把这事放在心上——我一个穷人家的姑娘，哪能和“选美”沾上边。
直到那天午后，我刚把鸭子赶到岸边，就听见远处传来马蹄声，越来越近。抬头一看，只见一匹白马从村口奔来，马上坐着个穿锦袍的张公公，身后跟着几个随从。那白马浑身雪白，鬃毛被风吹得飘起来，可不知怎的，到了江滩边就突然停下，前腿一屈，竟跪在了地上。
马上的张公公吓了一跳，赶紧翻身下来，指着白马骂：“你这畜牲，怎的突然跪下了？”他用鞭子抽了两下，白马却纹丝不动，只是把头扭向我这边，嘴里发出“咴咴”的叫声。张公公纳闷了，围着白马转了两圈，自言自语道：“莫非这地方有皇娘？若是真有，你这死马就站起来，长嘶三声。”
说来也怪，他话音刚落，白马“唿”地一下站了起来，仰起头，对着天空长嘶三声，声音洪亮，震得江里的鸭子都扑腾着翅膀往岸边游。张公公顺着白马的目光看过来，正好对上我的眼睛——那时我刚把斗笠往下压了压，想躲着他的视线，可风一吹，斗笠还是掉在了地上，露出了我乱糟糟的头发和晒得微红的脸。
他快步走到我面前，上下打量着我，问道：“你这姑娘，叫什么名字？家住哪里？”我心里慌慌的，手里还攥着赶鸭的树枝，小声答道：“我叫夏云姑，小名明月，家住前面的夏家坊。”他又问：“你家是什么光景？门前可有什么标志物？”
我想起村口的那座桥，想起屋后的松树，便随口答道：“家住夏家坊，门前百节过江龙桥，屋后十里荔枝林。”张公公一听，眼睛亮了：“哦？百节桥？十里荔枝林？看来是大户人家啊！”他又问：“那你家里多少人吃饭？做什么生意？”我看着江里的鸭子，灵机一动：“家里用箩筐吃饭，有十八条船做水上生意。”
张公公越听越高兴，非要跟着我去家里看看。我没办法，只好赶着鸭子在前面带路，夏执中扛着木枪跟在我身后，眼神警惕地盯着张公公的随从。到了家门口，张公公看着那四面漏风的茅草屋，脸瞬间沉了下来，指着我骂：“你这小丫头，竟敢欺瞒本官！这就是你说的大户人家？”
我赶紧跪在地上，解释道：“公公有所不知，我说的句句属实。村口的桥是棕树所建，棕树一节节往上长，就像百节龙过江，所以叫‘百节过江龙桥’；屋后的松树林正值挂果，松果一扎扎的，像极了荔枝，所以叫‘十里荔枝林’。家里穷得没桌子，用箩筐顶着筛子当饭桌，就是‘用箩筐吃饭’；我放的这十八只鸭子，每天在江里下蛋，我们靠卖鸭蛋为生，鸭子在水里游，就像小船一样，所以叫‘十八条船做水上生意’。”
张公公愣住了，盯着我看了半天，又看了看一旁站得笔直的夏执中，忽然笑了：“你这丫头，倒真是玲珑剔透。这是你弟弟？看着倒是精神。”夏执中没说话，只是微微颔首，手里的木枪握得更紧了。
那天的黄昏来得格外早，夕阳把茅草屋染成了金色，张公公站在门口，看着远处的仙女岭，不知在想什么。我心里琢磨着，他跑了一天，定是饿了，便壮着胆子说：“公公一路辛苦，不如留下吃碗便饭再走？”
他愣了愣，许是没料到我这穷家还敢留他吃饭，犹豫片刻还是点了头。我转身进灶房，娘正往灶膛里添柴，见我进来，低声问：“这公公是……”“是来选美的公公，”我边说边从米缸里舀出半碗米，那米粒修长，在昏黄的灶火下泛着莹白的光，“娘，煮这缸里的昌黎谷吧。”
娘会意，赶紧往铁锅里添上清沥江的水。柴火噼啪作响，锅里的水渐渐冒起细泡，我把米撒进去，米粒在水里慢慢舒展，不一会儿，一股清甜味就飘了出来——这味跟寻常的米不一样，带着点阳光晒过的暖香，还有清沥江水土的润气。夏执中在门口守着，时不时探头进来问：“姐，用不用我帮忙？”我摇摇头：“你看着外面，别让公公的人乱走。”
等米饭煮好，我用粗瓷碗盛了一碗，热气腾腾的，米粒胀得饱满，却不软烂，每一粒都透着亮。我端出去时，张公公正坐在门槛上看远处的仙女岭，闻到香味，猛地转过头来。他接过碗，先是看了看，又凑近闻了闻，随即舀起一勺送进嘴里，咀嚼了两下，眼睛忽然亮了：“这米……竟有这般香气！”
他又吃了几口，连说“难得”：“我在宫里当差几十年，御膳房的米也算见得多了，却从没尝过这样的米——颗粒修长，嚼着有韧劲，咽下去还有回甘，像含着颗甜枣。”说着，他看向我，眼里满是疑惑：“你这穷家，怎会有如此好米？”
我坐在他对面的石墩上，笑着解释：“公公有所不知，这米叫昌黎谷，是当年韩愈韩大人来宜春祈雨时，上天赐下的稻种。那年大旱，百姓颗粒无收，韩大人在仙女岭下设坛祈雨，三日后果然天降甘霖，地里就长出了这种米。镇上人都说，这米沾了韩大人的文气，也沾了仙女岭的灵气，所以才这般好吃。我们家虽穷，却总留着点，一来是敬韩大人，二来也是盼着日子能像这米一样，虽朴素，却有嚼头。”
张公公放下碗，看着我，眼神里满是温和与赞许。他捋了捋胡须，叹道：“一碗米见人心，你这孩子，不仅聪慧，还懂感恩。也罢，你跟我回宜春城吧，我把你列入选美名册，至于能不能选上，就看你的造化了。”
我谢过张公公，转头便想起黄阿婆曾提及袁州有八景，便与身边的弟弟夏执中说，待离开袁州前，定要去瞧瞧这景致。弟弟夏执中一听，顿时来了兴致，掰着手指如数家珍：“姐，这袁州八景我早有耳闻，分别是春台晓日、化成晚钟、钓台烟雨、南池涌珠、卢洲映月、袁山耸翠、云谷飞瀑、仰山积雪。咱们正好趁这些天得空，好好逛一逛！对了，黄阿婆还说，当年韩昌黎先生——就是写‘天街小雨润如酥’的韩愈，也曾在这袁州做过刺史，临走时留下了‘莫以宜春远，江山多胜游’的诗句，可见这地方的好，连大文人都偏爱！”一旁的夏志国跟着点头：“我爹也说过，韩大人在袁州时，为百姓做了不少好事，修书院、兴教化，至今城里还有老人念叨他呢！”黄细妹眨着眼睛笑：“那咱们逛的时候，可得找找韩大人当年走过的路，看看他赞过的江山到底有多美！”
第二节、袁州昌黎
次日一早，我们姐弟俩，还有儿时玩伴夏志国、黄细妹便一同出了门。刚到袁州城门，便被那气势惊住——城门又宽又大，朱漆大门上钉着铜钉，阳光下闪着冷光；城墙更是高耸，青灰色的砖石层层叠叠，仿佛能挡住千军万马。顺着城墙内侧的石阶拾级而上，站在城头远眺，只见景江如一条碧绿的绸带穿城而过，江面上一座浮桥连接着南北两岸，木板铺就的桥面上人来人往，挑夫、商贩、行人络绎不绝，吆喝声、脚步声混在一起，成了袁州城最鲜活的底色。夏执中望着江景，忽然念起韩愈的诗：“‘江山多胜游’果然不假！韩大人当年站在这城墙上，看到的是不是也是这般景象？”黄细妹指着远处的袁山：“说不定他还望着那座山写诗呢！你看那山上的树绿油油的，像画里一样。”
目光往下移，江岸边的码头更是繁忙。数十艘商船停靠在岸边，有的正在卸货，搬运工们扛着大包小包的货物，踩着跳板往来于船与码头之间；有的则在装货，麻袋装的粮食、捆扎好的布匹堆得像小山，船家们大声指挥着，脸上满是忙碌的笑意。夏志国拍了拍夏执中的肩膀：“执中，你说韩大人当年会不会来这码头？他要是看到袁州这么多商船，肯定会高兴，毕竟百姓日子过得热闹，才是真的好。”夏执中点头：“那是自然，韩大人心里装着百姓，见着这繁华景象，说不定还会再写首诗呢！”
逛完城墙与码头，我们便沿着街道往鼓楼路走去。一路上店铺林立，绸缎庄、药材铺、小吃摊鳞次栉比，香气与声响交织在一起，让人目不暇接。到了鼓楼路，更是热闹非凡，街边的小摊上摆着各色玩意儿，有捏面人的、卖糖画的，还有挑着担子卖新鲜果子的。黄细妹拉着我跑到一个糖画摊前，眼睛亮晶晶的：“阿姐，你看这个糖画龙，真好看！”我笑着给她买了一个，夏志国则在一旁的面人摊前驻足，盯着捏面人的师傅手里的小泥人出神。
我想起府中针线快用完了，便拉着夏执中走进一家针线铺。铺子里的针线琳琅满目，丝线颜色鲜艳，绣针粗细不一，掌柜的是个热情的大娘，见我挑选，便笑着介绍：“姑娘好眼光，这丝线是江南来的，颜色正，还结实，绣出来的花样好看得很！咱们袁州虽比不得京城，可景致好、人安稳，当年韩大人在这儿做官，就常说咱袁州是块宝地，还劝朋友们‘莫以宜春远’，多来走走呢！对了，韩大人当年在城西办的昌黎书院，如今虽只剩几间旧屋，却常有老儒在那儿讲学，你们年轻人要是感兴趣，不妨去瞧瞧。”
听闻有书院遗址，我们几个都来了兴致，谢过掌柜大娘，便循着她指的方向往城西去。走了约莫半个时辰，便见一片青瓦灰墙的院落隐在老槐树后，院门虽有些斑驳，门楣上“昌黎书院”四个字却依旧清晰，只是染上了岁月的风霜。院里的石阶上长满了青苔，几间正屋的窗棂有些破旧，却收拾得干净，一位白发老儒正坐在院中石桌旁，给几个孩童讲着诗文。
见我们进来，老儒笑着起身：“几位是来寻韩大人的踪迹吧？”夏执中拱手道：“晚辈们听闻韩昌黎先生曾在此办学，特来瞻仰。”老儒点点头，指着石桌旁的椅子让我们坐下，缓缓说道：“当年韩大人来袁州做刺史，见此地百姓多为生计奔波，子弟少有读书的机会，便自掏俸禄，在这儿建了这座书院。他不仅请来先生授课，还常亲自登台讲学，不管是富家子弟还是贫寒孩童，只要愿意学，他都收留，从不收分文束脩。”
黄细妹托着腮问：“韩大人讲的是什么呀？”老儒笑答：“他讲‘业精于勤荒于嬉’，教孩子们要勤勉；也讲‘闻道有先后，术业有专攻’，教大家尊重学问。有一次，袁州下了连日大雨，书院的屋顶漏了，韩大人便披着蓑衣，和学子们一起修补，还说‘屋漏可补，心漏难填’，劝诫大家做人要正直，莫要丢了本心。”
我们顺着老儒的指引，走到一间旧屋前，屋内墙上还残留着当年学子们抄录的韩愈诗文，虽字迹模糊，却能辨认出“莫以宜春远，江山多胜游”的句子。夏志国伸手轻轻摸了摸墙面，感慨道：“原来韩大人不仅赞袁州的景，更想让这儿的人都能读书明理，难怪百姓至今都念着他的好。”老儒点头：“是啊，韩大人在袁州不过一年，却留下了这么多念想。他走后，百姓们自发修缮书院，代代相传，就是想记住这位心里装着百姓的好官。”
离开书院时，夕阳正斜照在院中的老槐树上，树影婆娑，仿佛还留着当年学子们读书的声息。夏执中望着书院的方向，说：“以前只知道韩大人是大诗人，今日才懂，他更是个好官。这袁州之行，不仅看了景，还知道了这么多故事，真是没白来。”我笑着点头，心里想着，韩愈的诗句里，不仅有袁州的江山胜景，更藏着他对这片土地的深情。如今我们走过他建的书院，听着他的故事，才算真正读懂了“莫以宜春远，江山多胜游”的深意——这“胜游”，从来不止是看山看水，更是看人心，看那些藏在岁月里的温暖与坚守。
见过世面，从不是为了把繁华当作炫耀的资本，而是让心灵在天地与人心间被真正震撼——见过山巅云海翻涌，才知自身渺小，进而生出探索更广阔世界的渴望；见过他人于困顿中仍守着赤诚与坚韧，才懂平凡人也藏着无穷潜能，从而不愿再困于安逸的方寸之地。
离开温汤镇那天，街坊邻居都来送我。张阿婆塞给我一包红枣，李大叔给我装了两条咸鱼，私塾先生把一本《诗经》放在我手里：“明月，到了外面，别忘读书，心明眼亮才能走得远。”夏执中把那枚我攒了多年的鹅卵石塞进我怀里，眼睛红红的：“姐，带着它，想家了就看看。要是有人欺负你，就捎信回来，我去京城揍他！”娘抱着我哭：“到了城里，要好好照顾自己，常给家里捎信。”我点点头，把鹅卵石紧紧攥在手里，跟着张公公上了路。
Chapter 1: Xia Yungu’s Fate in the Imperial Selection
When I turned sixteen， the water of the Qingli River grew warmer earlier than usual. The reeds along the bank had just sprouted tender yellow shoots， and the wind carried exciting news all over the town—the Emperor was holding a beauty selection across the realm， and the eunuch-in-charge， Lord Zhang， had already arrived in Yuanzhou City.
The news spread like sugar melting in boiling water， instantly stirring the wealthy young ladies of the city. The scene of candidates gathering was even more lively than the combined festivities of lion dances， dragon lantern processions， tea-picking operas， and grand market days during the Lunar New Year. Even the ducks on the river seemed startled by the commotion， swimming faster than usual.
People rushed to tell one another， their steps quicker than the drumbeats of dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival， pouring into Yuanzhou City from all directions. Even the elderly sugar-figure vendor at the lane entrance packed up his stall to catch this once-in-a-century spectacle at the city gate.
At that moment， I was squatting by the river tending to the ducks， while my younger brother Xia Zhizhong practiced martial arts on the nearby open ground. The eighteen ducks swam leisurely in the water， and I teased them with a branch， paying no mind to the selection—how could a poor girl like me ever be part of it?
It was not until that afternoon， when I had just herded the ducks to the bank， that I heard the sound of hooves drawing near. Looking up， I saw a white steed galloping from the village entrance， carrying Lord Zhang in a brocade robe， followed by several attendants. The horse was pure white， its mane fluttering in the wind， yet for some reason， it suddenly stopped at the riverbank， bent its forelegs， and knelt to the ground.
Lord Zhang on horseback was startled and quickly dismounted， pointing at the horse and scolding:“You beast， why have you suddenly knelt?” He lashed it twice with his whip， but the horse did not move an inch， only turning its head toward me， neighing softly. Puzzled， Lord Zhang circled the horse twice and muttered to himself:“Could there be an Empress here? If so， stand and neigh three times， you stubborn beast.”
Strangely enough， as soon as he finished speaking， the horse stood up with a snort， raised its head， and neighed three times loudly toward the sky. The sound was so resonant that the ducks in the river flapped their wings and swam toward the bank. Lord Zhang followed the horse’s gaze and met my eyes—just then， I had pulled my bamboo hat lower to avoid his stare， but a gust of wind blew it off， revealing my messy hair and sun-kissed， slightly reddened face.
He strode quickly toward me， looked me up and down， and asked:“Young girl， what is your name? Where do you live?” My heart raced， still clutching the duck-herding branch in my hand， and I replied softly:“My name is Xia Yungu， my childhood name is Mingyue. I live in Xiajiafang ahead.” He asked again:“What is your family’s situation? Are there any landmarks in front of your house?”
I thought of the bridge at the village entrance and the pine trees behind the house， and replied casually:“I live in Xiajiafang. In front of my house is the Hundred-Joint Dragon Crossing the River Bridge， and behind it is a Ten-Mile Lychee Forest.” Lord Zhang’s eyes lit up:“Oh? A Hundred-Joint Bridge? A Ten-Mile Lychee Forest? So you are from a wealthy family!” He asked again:“Then how many people are in your family? What business do you run?” Looking at the ducks in the river， I had a sudden idea:“We eat with bamboo baskets， and we run a water business with eighteen boats.”
The more Lord Zhang heard， the happier he became， insisting on following me home. Helpless， I herded the ducks ahead， with Xia Zhizhong carrying his wooden spear behind me， his eyes vigilantly fixed on Lord Zhang’s attendants. When we reached my house， Lord Zhang looked at the thatched cottage with leaky walls on all sides， his face instantly darkening. Pointing at me， he scolded:“You little girl， how dare you deceive me! Is this the wealthy family you spoke of?”
I quickly knelt on the ground and explained:“Your Excellency， I have spoken the truth. The bridge at the village entrance is built of palm trees， which grow joint by joint like a hundred-joint dragon crossing the river， hence the name‘Hundred-Joint Dragon Crossing the River Bridge’; the pine forest behind the house is bearing fruit， and the pine cones are clustered like lychees， so it is called the‘Ten-Mile Lychee Forest’. Our family is so poor that we have no table， so we use bamboo baskets to support sieves as dining tables—that is‘eating with bamboo baskets’; the eighteen ducks I tend lay eggs in the river every day， and we make a living by selling duck eggs. The ducks swim in the water like small boats， hence‘running a water business with eighteen boats’.”
Lord Zhang was stunned， staring at me for a long time， then at the upright Xia Zhizhong beside me， and suddenly laughed:“You are indeed a clever girl. Is this your brother? He looks spirited.” Xia Zhizhong said nothing， only nodded slightly， gripping his wooden spear tighter.
Dusk came unusually early that day， dyeing the thatched cottage golden in the setting sun. Lord Zhang stood at the door， looking at the distant Fairy Ridge， lost in thought. I guessed he must be hungry after a long day’s journey， so I plucked up the courage and said:“Your Excellency， you have traveled far. Would you like to stay for a simple meal before leaving?”
He was taken aback， probably not expecting a poor family like mine to dare invite him to dinner. After a moment’s hesitation， he nodded. I turned into the kitchen， where Mother was adding firewood to the stove. Seeing me enter， she whispered:“Who is this lord…”“He is the lord here for the beauty selection，” I said， scooping half a bowl of rice from the rice jar. The grains were slender， glowing white in the dim stove light.“Mother， cook the Changli Valley rice in this jar.”
Mother understood and quickly added water from the Qingli River to the iron pot. The firewood crackled， and fine bubbles gradually rose in the pot. I sprinkled the rice in， and the grains slowly stretched in the water. Soon， a clear sweet fragrance drifted out—different from ordinary rice， it carried the warm aroma of sunshine and the moisture of the Qingli River’s soil. Xia Zhizhong guarded the door， poking his head in from time to time:“Sister， do you need help?” I shook my head:“Keep watch outside， don’t let his men wander around.”
When the rice was cooked， I filled a rough porcelain bowl with steaming rice. The grains swelled plumply but were not mushy， each one shining brightly. As I carried it out， Lord Zhang was sitting on the threshold looking at the distant Fairy Ridge. Catching the fragrance， he suddenly turned his head. He took the bowl， first looked at it， then leaned closer to smell it， and immediately scooped a spoonful into his mouth. After chewing twice， his eyes suddenly lit up:“This rice… has such an aroma!”
He took a few more bites， repeatedly saying“rare”:“I have served in the palace for decades， and have seen much rice in the imperial kitchen， but I have never tasted such rice—slender grains， chewy texture， with a sweet aftertaste， like holding a sweet date in my mouth.” Looking at me， his eyes full of doubt:“How can a poor family like yours have such fine rice?”
Sitting on the stone pier opposite him， I smiled and explained:“Your Excellency， this rice is called Changli Valley. It is a rice variety bestowed by heaven when Han Yu， Lord Han， came to Yichun to pray for rain. That year， there was a severe drought， and the people had no harvest. Lord Han set up an altar under Fairy Ridge to pray for rain. Three days later， sweet rain fell from the sky， and this rice grew in the fields. The townsfolk say this rice is infused with Lord Han’s literary spirit and the aura of Fairy Ridge， hence its delicious taste. Although our family is poor， we always keep some—first to honor Lord Han， and second to hope that our days， like this rice， are simple but full of substance.”
Lord Zhang put down the bowl， looking at me with gentle approval in his eyes. He stroked his beard and sighed:“A bowl of rice reveals one’s heart. You are not only intelligent but also grateful. Very well， come back to Yichun City with me. I will list you in the beauty selection roster. Whether you are chosen or not depends on your fate.”
I thanked Lord Zhang， then remembered that Granny Huang had mentioned the Eight Scenic Spots of Yuanzhou. I said to my brother Xia Zhizhong beside me that before leaving Yuanzhou， I must go see these sights. Upon hearing this， Xia Zhizhong immediately perked up， counting on his fingers:“Sister， I have long heard of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yuanzhou—Sunrise over Spring Terrace， Evening Bell at Huacheng， Misty Rain at Fishing Platform， Pearl Spring at South Pool， Moon Reflection on Luzhou Island， Green Pines on Yuan Mountain， Waterfall at Cloud Valley， and Snow on Yang Mountain. We have a few days to spare， so let’s explore them well! By the way， Granny Huang also said that Lord Han Changli—Han Yu， who wrote‘The heavenly street drizzles like crisp cream’—once served as governor here. Before leaving， he left the verse‘Do not think Yichun is far， for its rivers and mountains offer splendid travels’， showing how even great literati loved this place!” Xia Zhiguo beside him nodded:“Father also said that when Lord Han was in Yuanzhou， he did many good deeds for the people—building academies， promoting education. Even today， the elderly in the city still speak of him!” Huang Ximei blinked and smiled:“When we go sightseeing， we must find the paths Lord Han once walked， and see just how beautiful the rivers and mountains he praised are!”
Chapter 2: Changli in Yuanzhou
Early the next morning， my brother and I， along with our childhood friends Xia Zhiguo and Huang Ximei， set off together. As soon as we reached the gate of Yuanzhou City， we were struck by its majesty—the gate was wide and grand， with copper nails studded on the vermilion doors， glinting coldly in the sun; the city wall was towering， with layers of blue-gray bricks and stones， as if able to block thousands of troops. Climbing up the stone steps along the inner wall and standing on the city wall to look out， we saw the Jing River like a green silk ribbon winding through the city. A floating bridge connected the north and south banks， with people coming and going on the wooden planks—porters， merchants， pedestrians in an endless stream. The shouts and footsteps blended into the most vivid backdrop of Yuanzhou City. Looking at the river view， Xia Zhizhong suddenly recited Han Yu’s verse:“‘Its rivers and mountains offer splendid travels’—truly true! Did Lord Han see the same scene when he stood on this city wall?” Huang Ximei pointed to the distant Yuan Mountain:“Perhaps he even wrote poems looking at that mountain! Look at the green trees on it， like a painting.”
Looking down， the docks along the river were even busier. Dozens of merchant ships docked at the shore， some unloading goods， with porters carrying large packages back and forth between the ships and the docks on springboards; others were loading goods， with sacks of grain and bundled cloth piled like hills. The boat owners shouted instructions， their faces full of busy smiles. Xia Zhiguo patted Xia Zhizhong on the shoulder:“Zhizhong， do you think Lord Han came to this dock back then? If he saw so many merchant ships in Yuanzhou， he would surely be happy—after all， the people living a lively life is the true good.” Xia Zhizhong nodded:“Naturally. Lord Han had the people in his heart. Seeing this prosperous scene， he might have written another poem!”
After visiting the city wall and docks， we walked along the street toward Gulou Road. Along the way， shops lined up—silk stores， medicine shops， snack stalls in close succession， with aromas and sounds interweaving， making it dazzling. Gulou Road was even more lively， with stalls selling all kinds of trinkets: dough figurine makers， sugar-figure vendors， and peddlers carrying fresh fruits on shoulder poles. Huang Ximei pulled me to a sugar-figure stall， her eyes sparkling:“Sister， look at this sugar-figure dragon—it’s so beautiful!” I smiled and bought one for her， while Xia Zhiguo stopped at a dough-figure stall， staring intently at the small clay figurines in the maker’s hands.
Remembering that I was running out of needles and thread at home， I pulled Xia Zhizhong into a needle and thread shop. The shop was filled with a dazzling array of needles and threads， with bright silk threads and embroidery needles of varying thicknesses. The shopkeeper was a warm-hearted old lady. Seeing me choosing， she smiled and introduced:“Young lady， you have good taste. These silk threads are from the south of the Yangtze River—bright in color， strong， and the patterns embroidered with them are beautiful! Although Yuanzhou is not as grand as the capital， the scenery is good and the people are peaceful. Back then， when Lord Han was an official here， he often said Yuanzhou was a treasure land， and even advised his friends‘Do not think Yichun is far’ to come and visit more! By the way， the Changli Academy Lord Han built in the west of the city now only has a few old houses left， but there are often old Confucian scholars giving lectures there. If you young people are interested， you might as well go and have a look.”
Hearing about the academy ruins， we all became interested. Thanking the shopkeeper， we headed west in the direction she pointed. After walking for about half an hour， we saw a courtyard with blue tiles and gray walls hidden behind old locust trees. Although the courtyard gate was somewhat mottled， the four characters“Changli Academy” on the lintel were still clear， only stained with the wind and frost of years. The stone steps in the courtyard were covered with moss， and the window lattices of several main rooms were somewhat dilapidated but neatly tidied. A white-haired old Confucian scholar was sitting at a stone table in the courtyard， reciting poems and essays to several children.
Seeing us enter， the old scholar smiled and stood up:“You have come to seek Lord Han’s traces， haven’t you?” Xia Zhizhong bowed his hands:“We juniors have heard that Lord Han Changli once taught here， and we have come to pay our respects.” The old scholar nodded， pointed to the chairs beside the stone table for us to sit down， and said slowly:“When Lord Han came to Yuanzhou as governor， he saw that the people here mostly struggled for a living， and few children had the opportunity to study. So he spent his own salary to build this academy. He not only invited teachers to teach but also often gave lectures in person. Whether they were wealthy or poor children， as long as they were willing to learn， he took them in， never charging a single penny of tuition.”
Huang Ximei rested her chin and asked:“What did Lord Han teach?” The old scholar smiled and replied:“He taught that‘Achievement is founded on diligence and wasted on frivolity’， teaching children to be diligent; he also taught that‘There is a sequence in hearing the truth， and each has its own expertise in skills’， teaching everyone to respect knowledge. Once， Yuanzhou had continuous heavy rain， and the roof of the academy leaked. Lord Han put on a straw cape and repaired it with the students， saying‘A leaking roof can be mended， but a leaking heart is hard to fill’， admonishing everyone to be upright and not lose their true nature.”
Following the old scholar’s guidance， we walked to an old house. On the wall inside， there were still remnants of Han Yu’s poems and essays copied by the students back then. Although the handwriting was blurred， the verse“Do not think Yichun is far， for its rivers and mountains offer splendid travels” could be recognized. Xia Zhiguo gently touched the wall and sighed:“It turns out that Lord Han not only praised the scenery of Yuanzhou but also wanted the people here to be able to read and understand reason. No wonder the people still remember his kindness to this day.” The old scholar nodded:“Yes， Lord Han was only in Yuanzhou for a year， but he left so many memories. After he left， the people spontaneously repaired the academy， passing it down from generation to generation， just to remember this good official who had the people in his heart.”
When we left the academy， the setting sun was slanting on the old locust tree in the courtyard， its shadow swaying， as if still retaining the sound of students reading back then. Looking toward the academy， Xia Zhizhong said:“I only knew Lord Han was a great poet before， but today I understand he is also a good official. This trip to Yuanzhou has not only let us see the scenery but also taught us so many stories—it was truly worthwhile.” I smiled and nodded， thinking that in Han Yu’s verses， there is not only the splendid scenery of Yuanzhou but also his deep affection for this land. Now that we have walked through the academy he built and listened to his stories， we have truly understood the profound meaning of“Do not think Yichun is far， for its rivers and mountains offer splendid travels”—this“splendid travel” is never just about seeing mountains and rivers， but about seeing people’s hearts， and the warmth and perseverance hidden in the years.
Seeing the world is never to take prosperity as capital for showing off， but to truly shock the soul between heaven and earth and people’s hearts—seeing the sea of clouds surging at the mountain top， one realizes one’s own insignificance， and thus generates the desire to explore a broader world; seeing others still uphold sincerity and resilience in adversity， one understands that ordinary people also hide infinite potential， and thus no longer wants to be trapped in the comfort of a small place.
On the day I left Wentang Town， neighbors all came to see me off. Granny Zhang stuffed a bag of red dates into my hand， Uncle Li packed two salted fish for me， and the private school teacher placed a Book of Songs in my hand:“Mingyue， when you go outside， don’t forget to read. A clear mind and bright eyes will take you far.” Xia Zhizhong stuffed the pebbles I had saved for years into my arms， his eyes red:“Sister， take it. Look at it when you miss home. If someone bullies you， send a letter back， and I’ll go to the capital to beat him up!” Mother hugged me and cried:“When you get to the city， take good care of yourself， and send letters home often.” I nodded， clutching the pebbles tightly， and followed Lord Zhang on the road.