269. Chapter 269

This article can be read normally if the subscription ratio is ≥50%, otherwise it will need to be delayed for three days, and you can read it immediately after replenishing it. "Dog, dog..."

Xue Gouzi came back to his senses and looked at the face in front of him that had been haunting him in his dreams for many years.

"What you said makes sense. I won't think about it too much in the future." He paused and then said, "I just want to say one thing. Can you stop calling me dog in the future?"

Zhao'er said in confusion: "But I haven't always called you that. If you don't call you dog, what would you call you?"

Xue Gouzi pondered for a moment, "Call me Ting Yan."

"Ting Huan? Is this a name you chose for yourself? Dog, why did you choose such a name for yourself?" She understood immediately and remembered that the talented boy in the eldest house always carried his name on his back because of his young age. People ridiculed that the names "dog" and "spot" are the same.

A flash of distress flashed in her eyes, and she nodded repeatedly: "Gou'er, no, Ting'er is different as a scholar, and the name is so nice. From now on, I won't call you Gou'er, and I won't let outsiders call you that. Let's just Called Ting Yan. "Anyway, in her heart, everything the dog says is good.

Xue Gouzi, no, his name should be Xue Tingyan now, felt a little depressed. He was only less than two years younger than Zhao'er, but he was in a deep stream that he would never be able to cross in his life. Having said the simple words, he added: "Also, can you please stop calling me sister to me in the future?"

Zhao'er was even more surprised this time, and even reached out to touch his forehead: "Ting'er, what's wrong with you? Are you possessed by something evil? You haven't called me sister since you were a child."

Xue Tingyan took a deep breath and smiled: "But you are not my sister. You will be my wife from now on. How can a man call his wife sister."

He was pale and half-leaning on the quilt at the head of the kang. Suddenly he smiled like this, and his handsome features gave people the feeling that he didn't dare to look directly at him.

Zhao'er's face suddenly turned red, and he couldn't speak clearly: "Gou'er, you, what did you say, I, I..."

"Don't you want to be my wife and give me a baby?" He leaned closer.

She stood up suddenly and scolded: "You little kid, why are you talking about this? Your hair hasn't even grown yet!" She said a curse word that Xue Tingyan didn't like to hear the most, and she didn't realize it: "What are you going to do now?" What you have to do is to take good care of yourself. As for these things, we will talk about them later!”

Her eyes were fierce and her tone was fierce. After speaking, she lowered her head and scooped rice from the bowl into Xue Tingyan's mouth. He glanced at her and ate honestly, and suddenly his mood became extremely good.

Maybe the two of us can change the way we get along in the future. If you don't like it, just change it. There's no need to wait for her to understand.

*

Zhao'er threw away the mess and turned back to the house, leaving the whole family to finish their lunch in a depressed atmosphere.

During this period, Ms. Sun had nothing to say but asked for several words, but no one paid any attention to her.

Yang couldn't eat enough. If her parents-in-law weren't there, and if she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her two younger siblings, she would have thrown away her chopsticks and left. Now, he could only suppress his grievance and eat the food in front of him like chewing wax.

After dinner, Mrs. Sun took Mao Dan and left, knowing that her son had gotten into trouble today and was afraid that he would be angered later. Mrs. Zhou took Xue Taoer to clear the table and took the dishes and chopsticks to the kitchen to wash. Xue Qingbai helped her. Zhou could not carry such a pot of dishes alone. Normally, when Xue Qingbai was not at home, she and her daughter had to carry it.

There were only three people left in the house: Dafang's mother and son, Mr. Xue and Mrs. Zhao.

Yang stood up and wanted to go back to the east chamber, but was stopped by Mr. Xue.

Mr. Xue took out his dry tobacco bag, took out some cut tobacco grown by himself from the dark blue tobacco pouch, rolled it into a ball and pressed it into the tobacco pot, and then lit it with a fire stick.

His movements were very slow, neither fast nor slow. Anyone who knew Mr. Xue's character knew that he had something on his mind.

It was true that something was wrong, but it was not unusual for him to stop his daughter-in-law.

"The handsome boy and the talented boy should go back to the house first. Grandpa and your mother have something to say."

Xue Youcai glanced at his mother and wanted to say something, but was pulled away by his eldest brother Xue Juncai.

"Dad, if you have anything to do, just tell me."

Yang is thirty-four this year. In this rural area, a woman in her thirties is no longer considered young. The wind and sun are blowing here and you can watch the sky while eating, so the women all look old.

But Yang took very good care of herself, with a disk-like face, fair skin, and a few thin lines at the corners of her eyes. She wore a semi-new azurite colored satin gown, her shiny black hair was tied into a bun on the back of her head, with a gilt hairpin inserted into it, and a pair of old silver earrings on her ears. She couldn't be called a scallion, but her hands were fair and soft, and she wore a gold ring.

With her dress and demeanor, it would be no exaggeration to say that she is the grandmother of a landowner, and even the Zhao family is not as good as her.

Mr. Xue's old eyes flicked back and forth on Yang's body several times, making her a little uneasy standing.

Just as he was about to say something, his father-in-law suddenly said: "Boss, wife, how many years have you been married to our family?"

Yang was startled and replied: "It has been seventeen years. My daughter-in-law married into the Xue family in the seventeenth year."

"Then how will your mother and I treat you?"

Yang's heart skipped a beat: "Father and mother treat their daughter-in-law as if they were their own daughter."

Mr. Xue nodded and took a breath of dry cigarette. The light blue smoke began to linger on his old face again, making it difficult to see the expression on his face.

"You are the eldest daughter-in-law of our family, and your mother has always loved you. The hearts of you and the boss are the same as those of your mother and me. We hope that a talented person will become a talented person."

Yang felt relieved and couldn't help but laugh: "Juncai is serious about his studies. Even my father said that he is a rare and good young man. It's no big deal to become a scholar."

Mentioning the most proud Xue Juncai, even Mr. Xue couldn't help but smile.

Seeing that her father-in-law's face softened, Yang took advantage of the situation and said, "But dad, you also know that when it comes to the end, you can't just hold yourself to death at home and study. I wonder if Juncai's father also listened to my father's words. I went to Qinghe Academy for two years, got to know some classmates, and registered with my husband. I then took the opportunity to make some impression on the county magistrate, and I passed the county examination. As long as it's not bad, I'm half sure of winning the government examination. It's just that you have to rely on luck when it comes to the college examination. Juncai's father is just unlucky, so he fails every time."

This is the real reason why Yang is so valued by the old couple in the Xue family, not only because her father is a child, but also because her father gave Xue Qingshan guidance back then.

Yang's statement seems absurd, but it is actually true. The two county examinations are not as strictly controlled as the hospital examination, especially the county examination, which is presided over by the county magistrate.

There are five county exams in total, and the results of the first exam are mainly determined. In this test, there are two eight-part essays and one poem. As long as there are no typos and the arts and sciences are smooth, you can pass them all. Whether you take them or not depends on your luck.

Compared with people who are not familiar to him at all, the county magistrate is still willing to choose someone who is somewhat familiar.

Going to a good school provides an opportunity to stand out in front of the county magistrate. Dachang has always attached great importance to the selection of talents. How many talented people the county can produce, and even how many sons can be promoted to Jinshi, can be regarded as political achievements. No matter how incompetent the county magistrate is, he will have to go through this kind of formality.

And being able to enter a good school will not only increase your connections, but also your horizons.

For example, the county examination only tests the Four Books, Five Classics and the Holy Edicts. How to write the text and what taboos should not be violated. These all need guidance. No matter how wonderful your article is, if it violates taboos such as temple taboos, royal names, sacred taboos, etc., it will not be accepted.

In places like the countryside, many private schools were opened by old students just to earn a living. I was also obsessed with becoming a scholar and changing my fortune, so how could I go to a private school to educate children in every detail.

Xue Qingshan himself was like this, so he tried his best to send Xue Juncai to Qinghe Academy.

Yang thought that her father-in-law wanted to tell her about sending Xue Juncai to the academy, so she said this. Little did he know that her words really touched Mr. Xue's heart, but Mr. Xue didn't mean to tell her this.

Mr. Xue took a deep breath of dry cigarette and then said: "The bosses you mentioned have all told me, we can talk about this later. You are Juncai's mother, and there is nothing wrong with planning for your son, but you have to know that our family It’s not just Dafang’s family.”

The father-in-law's tone was somewhat meaningful. Yang was startled for a moment, then forced a smile and said: "Dad, of course my daughter-in-law knows that we are not the only ones living in the Xue family, but don't worry, if Juncai's father and Juncai become successful, they will definitely not forget to be filial to you. "Mother-in-law." Seeing her father-in-law's gloomy expression, she quickly added: "As well as the rest of the family, Juncai has always remembered that he can study, thanks to his uncles and aunts."

Mr. Xue nodded: "As you understand, you should know that the other three houses have been sacrificing for the big house. I won't mention the distant ones, just talk about the third and fourth sons. The land in the house refers to the third and fourth sons. Seung, your father is getting older and his hands and feet are no longer as nimble as before. After the fourth child is busy at home, he also has to pick out goods to sell. I don’t know how many pairs of shoes he wears out in a year, but all the money he earns is given to the father-in-law. ”

Yang's expression forced her face: "Dad, why are you doing this just for our big house? Isn't it because Juncai's father is so successful that the Xue family is proud of him? Because Juncai's father was born in a childbirth, no one in the village doesn't look down upon us, even that person The Zheng family should not be too polite to us Xue people. This is for the sake of the overall situation and for the future generations of our Xue family..."

Mr. Xue sighed and interrupted: "Dad understands what you said, and so does your mother. But as the saying goes, if the board doesn't hit you, of course you won't feel pain. Put yourself in the shoes of the third and fourth sons. , what do you think? You have to do the most work, and you can’t even put it into your mouth, it’s all in other people’s mouths.”

These words were in agreement with what Zhao'er had just said. Yang immediately blushed and her round face turned red.

"Dad, why did you call me into my mouth? I..."

Mr. Xue ignored her and scolded Mrs. Zhao again: "And you, you are biased in front of others. Just keep doing it, and make the third and fourth children feel cold and make trouble to separate from the family. You go there Plant it for the boss and the talented people to take the imperial examination!"

At the end of his speech, his tone was filled with the lamentation that iron cannot become steel.

Mrs. Zhao was unwilling to listen to this and muttered: "What do you mean I am biased? What am I biased about? I don't think that the boss and the talented people should study. Studying consumes their brains, so I can make up for them more. Are those good ones all It fell into my mouth."

The more she talked, the angrier she became, and she couldn't help but curse: "They are still trying to break up the family. If my parents don't separate the family, even if I can spare them, the ancestral family law cannot spare them."

Mr. Xue smiled bitterly. If it weren't for these two old guys and the ancestral family methods, the family might not be like this a long time ago. Who would be willing to work hard for others and be manipulated by others.

He moved his eyes to Yang: "You also understand the situation at home. Can your mother and I manage it for a while? Can we manage it for a lifetime? Since you want to send Juncai to the town academy to study, you should win over the third and fourth wives."

"Dad, I..."

"Your mother spoiled you in the past, and I never said anything. You can figure out what is right and wrong. But starting tomorrow, you will share the work of the public school with the third and fourth wives."

After saying this, Mr. Xue stopped talking and just smoked his cigarette. Yang couldn't stand here either, so she lowered her head and hurried out of the main room.

*

Zhou had just cleaned up the kitchen and came out, and saw her eldest sister-in-law lowering her head and returning to the east wing. It was faintly visible that her face was not very good.

Her eyes flickered, and she glanced at the south end of the west wing, which was the fourth wife's room.

There was someone behind the window of the fourth wife facing the yard, and Zhou knew that Sun had been watching. She pretended not to see it, wiped her hands on her apron, and went back to the house.

When it was time to cook in the evening, Yang wore a coarse cloth dress, which was rare, and came to the kitchen to compete with Zhou for work.

Zhou couldn't refuse, Yang smiled and said that Zhou had worked hard, and she would do it if she could take a break.

Zhou was pushed out of the kitchen by her, and she happened to meet Sun's eyes standing at the door of the west wing. Both of them were surprised.

But what surprised them was still to come, because from that day on, Yang changed her earlier attitude and did all the work. Although she was clumsy now because she had not been involved in work for many years, she did it.

Not only did she do it, but she was also very generous. She often took the initiative to persuade Zhao to take some money, or buy some meat or eggs, and cook dishes for the family.

The spark that was originally provoked by Zhao'er's words in the Xue family was suppressed. During this period, Xue Tingxuan finally got better and had the strength to walk.

That day, after getting up early and having breakfast, Zhaoer planned to go to town.

The scraps of cloth she brought back from the embroidery workshop had been made into items such as purses and embroidered shoes. After saving them for many days, it was time to sell them in the embroidery workshop.

She put all the things in the basket, and before leaving, she told Xue Tingxuan that it was a good day today and asked him to go out and bask in the sun more.

Xue Tingxuan nodded and agreed honestly, and she went out with peace of mind.

Not long after she left, Xue Tingxuan walked out of the house.

The yard was very quiet, and the door curtains of each room were all hanging low, and it was unclear whether there was anyone there.

He stood in front of the door for a while, then walked out of the gate. Heizi, who was lazily basking in the sun, stood up immediately and followed him out.

Xue Tingxuan was not vague, and bowed and said: "Thank you Uncle Chen for your advice, but there are still some trivial matters at home that have not been dealt with. When everything is ready, I will go to Qingyuan Academy to study."

"You are so straightforward. Aren't you afraid of being implicated and hindering your fame?" Boss Chen asked curiously.

"I haven't entered school yet, so how can I talk about fame? Besides, the court has always attached great importance to selecting talents. If you are really talented, I believe that County Magistrate Hu will not dare to stop you too much."

"I didn't expect you to be so ambitious. Well, since you dare to go, I will definitely recommend you one or two. Although my classmate is rigid and dull, not good at speaking, his knowledge is first-class. I dare not teach a juren or jinshi, but a scholar is no problem."

"Thank you first, Uncle Chen."

*

For several days in a row, Xue Tingxuan and Zhao'er went out early and came back late.

Someone from the Xue family asked twice, and they said to take Xue Tingxuan out for some fresh air so that he wouldn't get suffocated. The people from the first house looked at him with contempt, and Old Master Xue couldn't help shaking his head. After that, no one asked any more questions, probably because they all knew that Xue Tingxuan was doomed. Maybe the two children from the second house knew what was going on, so they didn't read books but ran around to play.

You know, even someone as talented as Xue Juncai had been reading books at home for many days to prepare.

In a blink of an eye, it was the fifth day.

This day was no different from any other day.

The mornings of farmers are always busy. After a night, the livestock at home have to be taken care of, and the whole family has to eat. After breakfast, the men have to go to the fields, and the women do housework at home.

If there is any difference, it is that Xue Juncai has two more poached eggs in his bowl at breakfast than others.

Because of Mr. Xue's warning some time ago, Zhao no longer dared to openly cook for the people in the first room. Today, she couldn't help it because she saw that the day was unusual.

Xue Tingxuan didn't have any at first, but Yang saw that her father-in-law was in a bad mood, so she took the initiative to ask Zhao for two eggs and put them in his bowl.

Xue Tingxuan wanted to share one, but Zhao didn't want one, but unfortunately she couldn't persuade him.

The two people were talking in a low voice for an egg, and Mr. Xue above had a particularly heavy face.

But the life of the country people is like this. No matter how heavy the mood is, the livelihood cannot be left behind. Especially when it was time for spring plowing, Mr. Xue still took his two sons to work in the fields for a while, and didn't come back until the sun was high.

The news that the two children of the Xue family were going to compete had spread all over Yuqing Village.

There were people who said strange things, but most people could still understand Mr. Xue's approach. It's not easy for country people to earn a few dollars. No one's money comes from the river. If there is a way, no one would do this.

Knowing that today was a wedding day, they asked their children to watch in the village. Seeing strangers going to Zheng Lizheng's house, these children ran to the fields and shouted from a distance, "Someone is coming from the Lizheng's house." The adults stopped planting and rushed back with hoes.

Soon, the large yard of Zheng Lizheng's house was full of people, and more villagers were pouring in.

The yard was crowded with people gossiping and discussing today's events.

In the house, Zheng Lizheng was talking to a middle-aged man wearing a scholar's shirt and a flat scarf on his head.

This man had a long face, a pale complexion, and slightly swollen under his eyes. He didn't look good, but his identity seemed to be extraordinary, and he sat in the main seat.

Zheng Lizheng could only sit aside.

His look was quite different from that of ordinary people. This man was Qiao Xiucai, who was well-known in the nearby villages.

Zheng Lizheng had thought about it long before. Xue Qingshan was the one who invited people from the Xue family. If it was as he expected, the person he invited should be his father-in-law Yang Zhong. Yang Zhong was just a student, so he invited a scholar.

First, it showed that he was selfless, and second, it was a good time to show his prestige.

"Mr. Qiao, have some tea. I'll ask someone to hurry up."

Qiao Xiucai waved his hand indifferently: "Don't worry."

As he was talking, there was a noise outside. It was the head of the Xue clan who came with people.

However, it was not the head of the Xue clan who led the way, but an old man over fifty years old. The old man was of medium height and dressed the same as Qiao Xiucai, also wearing a scholar's shirt and a flat scarf on his head. Obviously, even if he was not a scholar, he was a student.

Sure enough, when Qiao Xiucai saw the old man, he stood up from his chair and bowed.

"I never thought it was Senior He. I'm here to show my respect."

"No need to be polite, please sit down."

This Scholar He was the person invited by Patriarch Xue to host this competition.

Zheng Lizheng was right. At first, Xue Qingshan did intend to invite his father-in-law, but unfortunately, this matter was rejected by Patriarch Xue.

Patriarch Xue also knew that Xue Qingshan was so stupid. It is said that one should not avoid relatives when selecting talents, but this is not the way to do it. This is obviously a matter for people to find fault with. Since he felt that he was sure to win, why should he let people take advantage of the loopholes? So he took over this matter.

He knew that Zheng would not miss the opportunity to show off. If he invited someone, it must be a scholar. He originally planned to invite Scholar Qiao, but he was a step late, so he could only use his relationship to invite Scholar He.

After the two scholars gave way to each other, they sat down at the main seat.

Zheng Lizheng and Patriarch Xue sat on the side.

"I'm sorry to bother you, brother, the village head."

"No, no, I'm the head of the village. How can I not show up when something happens in the village?"

They talked back and forth, seemingly friendly, but there was a hidden meaning in their words. During this time, several old men came in from outside. They were the village elders of Yuqing Village. Old Master Xue, Xue Qingshan and others also came.