Chapter 4, moving back and forth, yet remaining in the same place
Sleep, sleep! (Water wine)" The man in the black round hat explained loudly, and then raised his hand, placed it by his mouth, and tilted his head as if to pour something back in.
Solid! (Sturdy)" The man in the black round hat smiled and gave a thumbs up, expressing admiration for the sturdiness of the jeans. However, he seemed to be oblivious to the other content of Zhang Qian's words
"Not a master? Brother Zhang's hair?" Ren Cong exerted considerable effort to piece together the content written by Zhang Qian through a combination of guessing and deduction. After some deliberation, he slowly responded in traditional Chinese characters. "I have spoken out of turn, I hope Brother Zhang can forgive me. There is no need for Brother Zhang to be overly courteous; I arrived too late and was unable to offer any assistance, so I do not dare to take credit for anything!"
May I ask, Brother Ren, where is this place? Zhang Qian's ability to recognize traditional characters far exceeds Ren Cong's ability to recognize simplified characters. As soon as the other party finished writing, he immediately shifted the conversation back to the topic he urgently needed to know about
"What is it that you are giving me?" Zhang Qian instinctively reached out to receive it while loudly asking.
What do you want to do? Zhang Qian was startled by this action, his hair standing on end. He suddenly steadied himself, glaring with furrowed brows, and the muscles in his arms and waist instantly tensed up.
"My apologies! (Master)" The crowd took half a step back and simultaneously clasped their fists in salute.
Apologies! The crowd once again cupped their fists towards him, resolutely refusing to repeat his name
Fan! Zhang Qian was greatly encouraged and continued to work hard. He drew a sailboat on the ground, pointed at the sail, and then tugged at the fabric of his trousers, saying, "Canvas!"
Oh heavens! Zhang Qian was so anxious that he beat his chest and stamped his feet, feeling unbearable pain
Shan Yin Township? Does Shan Yin mean north of the mountain? I have indeed lost my way and do not know where I am at this moment! Drawing from previous lessons, Zhang Qian strives to write in short sentences and attempts to imitate the classical texts he has studied
Heavenly Lord, you might as well strike me dead with a thunderbolt!
A muffled thunder echoed from afar
Regardless of whether the actions of the person in the blue hat were intentional or unintentional, he no longer wished to have any dealings with this individual. At present, he was new to the area, a stranger in a foreign land. If the other party truly possessed some peculiar preferences, as he had previously speculated, he would be caught unprepared and regretful.
"What you are referring to is the fabric of the jeans," Zhang Qianneng understood what the thumb gesture meant, his gaze hesitatingly swept towards the wound on his thigh, and in that instant, he suddenly realized.
The sweet rice wine brewed from millet has a sugar content that far exceeds that of alcohol
Hmm, hmm, hmm! Just as Zhang Qian was about to deliver a heavy blow to the blue-capped figure with his knee, the black-capped figure suddenly began to cough violently.
It is about to rain, a sun shower before sunset. On the other side of the mountain, dark clouds are rolling, yet above everyone's heads, the sky remains a clear blue.
After consuming three to five mouthfuls, his legs stopped trembling. After drinking seven to eight sips, his arms regained a small portion of strength. When a small half-bag of fermented glutinous rice entered his stomach, his chest no longer felt tight, his scalp no longer tingled, and his back gradually began to straighten.
The master's bold and generous act of drinking sweet fermented rice won him a resounding applause, quickly bridging the gap between him and the crowd
In an instant, Zhang Qian was so happy that he almost jumped up!
Seeing that Zhang Qian no longer insisted, everyone thought he had admitted to the term "dai shi" and felt quite pleased, immediately spouting a series of local dialects.
Any fermented rice wine that Zhang Qianzai had previously consumed was much thicker than this bag he currently has
"Xiangji Temple? How is that possible?! My God, have you had enough of this!" Zhang Qian shouted as he stood up, looking around with a face full of disbelief
This is perhaps the most unfortunate time travel in history, without an old man, without a system, and I can't even speak the local language! Oh heavens, you might as well strike me down with lightning!
Note 2: Lost road, meaning to be lost.
Note 1: Variant characters, namely simplified characters. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, ancient people informally simplified some characters for the sake of writing convenience
This is the location of Chang'an University Town (South University Town of Xi'an)
I apologize, it is not!" Zhang Qian anxiously waved his hands repeatedly, making another effort to introduce his name, "I apologize, no, Zhang Qian!"
Wandering back and forth, I surprisingly find myself still by the Xiangji Temple
It is not sleep, it is water and wine! This damn local pronunciation!
Apologies! (Master, please wait) Upon seeing this, the blue round hat became anxious and quickly reached out to stop, explaining loudly
And he has just exhausted his strength; at this moment, what he needs most is to replenish his sugar levels
Quickly realizing that such communication was a roundabout way of doing things, this person picked up another stone and squatted opposite Zhang Qian, writing vigorously. Each character was a genuine traditional Chinese character. "Master, can you read? Are these variant characters? The master's name is Zhang Qian, or is it a Dharma name? I am Ren Cong from Chang'an, and I offer my respects here"
Forget it! Zhang Qianneng could see that the other party wanted to express an apology, and he shook his head in displeasure. Immediately, he shook his body vigorously, breaking free from the grip of the four "headscarves". He bent down to pick up his backpack.
The crowd feigned surprise, their faces filled with satisfaction
You! Zhang Qian is becoming increasingly confident and has drawn a little figure pointing towards another similar figure across from it
That is not correct; it cannot even be considered as rice wine. At most, it can only be classified as fermented glutinous rice.
"Used for herding cattle, hence called a cowboy!" Now that Zhang Qian has clarified that the blue hat is not a 'dead chicken', he is no longer in a hurry to part ways with the others. He squats down, picks up a stone, and draws a lively picture of a shepherd and a cow. Then, he first points to the shepherd's pants, then to his own jeans, and loudly explains, "Worn for herding cattle, durable!"
It was slightly sour, with a faint hint of sweetness. Zhang Qian was taken aback for a moment, then gently took a small sip. A flavor reminiscent of fermented grains quickly surged into his nostrils. At the same time, a gentle warmth slowly rose from his stomach
He could not understand what Zhang Qian was saying and was too lazy to listen. Shaking his head, he turned and left. The blue round hat wanted to stop him again but was afraid of causing a greater misunderstanding, anxiously clenching his hands and shouting repeatedly: "I apologize! I swear to heaven, we truly mean no harm."
"Jeans, the pants worn by cowherds, made of canvas!" Feeling deeply guilty for wronging a good person, Zhang Qian smiled as he returned the leather pouch to the man in the black round hat, pointing to his own jeans and explaining loudly.
He placed the backpack at his feet, hesitating as he untied the rope securing the bag's opening. He glanced at the damp powder on his thigh, hesitated several times, and finally, tilting his head back, brought the bag's opening to his mouth and gently took a small sip.
I, at your service!" Zhang Qian drew a small figure pointing to his own chest, and then made the same gesture. "I! At your service!"
He still has not recovered from his state of exhaustion, but he cannot just sit idly by! If the other party continues to entangle him, even at the risk of being beaten to death by the "headscarf" people, he will, like before when he smashed the evil wolf, use his backpack filled with stones and books to smash the head of the blue-capped man.
With a grateful glance at the black round hat, Zhang Qian decisively opened his mouth wide and began to gulp down the contents of the bag with a voracious appetite
Apologies % # @ ! ( Master, please forgive this ) '' He keenly sensed his embarrassment, and the expression on the face of the blue-hatted doctor became increasingly awkward. With both hands clasped in a fist, he awkwardly added once more
Solid! The two men in round hats and the many wearing headscarves finally understood the first word of his speech and collectively gave a thumbs up
The masters were taken aback, exclaiming and retreating in unison, while simultaneously directing their gazes towards the black round hat
I have truly wronged the person in the blue hat! What this individual was interested in just now was not their own thigh, but rather the jeans on the thigh. To be more precise, it was the canvas used to make the jeans
This place, of course, is Shanyin Township. Brother Zhang, have you perhaps lost your way? Due to the brevity of the content, Ren Cong was quick to identify and respond this time
A series of coughs immediately saved the nose of the doctor in the blue round hat. The latter quickly realized his indiscretion, swiftly moved his hand away from the wound on Zhang Qian's thigh, and awkwardly clasped his fists, "I see that the fabric quality you are wearing is quite exceptional, and I momentarily lost my composure. I hope you can forgive me, Master"
Sleep? Why aren't you sleeping? I'll go!" Zhang Qian furrowed his brows and glared angrily. Soon after, he realized that he had misunderstood the good intentions of the person in the black round hat. The bag contained water or some kind of beverage; in any case, he could find out by opening it and taking a look.
I, Zhang Qian! With this beginning, the communication between both parties will surely become increasingly smooth. With immense confidence, Zhang Qian once again pointed his finger at himself
"You are truly despicable, your entire family is despicable!" Zhang Qian cursed furiously in his heart, yet he had no way to deal with the crowd.
Suppressing the urge to burst into laughter, he used a stone as a pen and continued to write vigorously, "I am not a master; my surname is Zhang, and my given name is Qian. Thank you, Brother Ren, for your generous assistance!"
The person wearing a peculiar black round hat stepped forward, crouched down, and looked at the words on the ground, his face filled with astonishment, "What a shame # % ? ( Does the master know how to read? )"
It is not surprising that Zhang Qian is sensitive; as a child raised in an orphanage, he has encountered malice far beyond the imagination of his peers. If it were not for this sensitivity, which has allowed him to evade the prying eyes of those with sinister intentions time and again, he might have long since fallen into the clutches of some predatory individual.
It is good to be able to communicate, even if the other party writes in traditional Chinese characters, which have significantly more strokes than the common traditional characters
"Heavens, I curse your ancestors!" Provoked by the thunderous sound, a surge of defiance quickly welled up within Zhang Qian. After cursing loudly, he squatted down, picked up a stone as a pen, and fervently wrote on the ground, "I, Zhang Qian!"
However, at this moment, he felt as if he had drunk the finest nectar of immortality
If it were the clothes worn by Lan Yuanmao and the others, they would have likely been torn into strips by the wolf's claws. However, the jeans I am wearing have only been ripped in three places and have effectively blocked most of the wolf's attack power
"I apologize! (Master, please do not misunderstand)" The blue-capped figure was startled by Zhang Qian's actions and quickly waved his hands to evade. At the same time, he blushed and explained loudly, "I absolutely mean no harm, absolutely no harm!"
Apologies! (Master, please clear your throat) The observer in the black round hat clearly understands that if this continues, the misunderstandings between both parties will surely deepen. He jumped off his mount, took out a round, plump leather bag from under the saddle, and handed it to Zhang Qian with both hands
Note 3: Xiangji Temple was built in the early Tang Dynasty, and its elevation was relatively high at that time. The scale of the temple can also be considered grand. In ancient times, it served as a prominent landmark.
"Zhai ge, zhai ge! (This, this)" The blue-capped doctor has finally cleared his "name" and is so happy that he is dancing with joy
Evil!" The crowd pointed to their own chests and corrected in unison, "Under the stockade!"
Shan Yin is certainly to the north of the mountain! In fact, the roads in this area are easy to find. Brother Zhang, after turning east and walking for about three or four hundred steps, will be able to see the mountain gate of Xiangji Temple! The Ziwudao is right beneath the mountain gate. Once you reach the center of the road, you will be able to see Chang'an!" The words written by Zhang Qian left me utterly confused, and the characters written by Ren Cong have clearly become hasty.
The liquid in the bag made contact with his tongue and throat, silently rolling into the esophagus and stomach
Having said that, he picked up the backpack filled with stones and stumbled forward. He feared that if he walked too slowly, that blue round hat would come up with some new tricks.
Zhang Qian furrowed his brows and glanced at the person, set down his backpack, and cupped his hands in salute to everyone around, "Thank you all for your righteous assistance. I have a bit of an urgent matter to attend to, so I will take my leave first! Farewell to you all!"
"Apologies, apologies!" The man in the blue round hat took the opportunity to step forward, first tugging at the surface of the pants on his own thigh, rubbing it repeatedly with his hand. Then he pointed at the area near Zhang Qian's thigh injury, blushing as he gave a thumbs up, "See, this is solid!"
You! Everyone pointed at Zhang Qian, correcting in unison, their voices filled with genuine excitement