Chapter 106

Xue Tingxiang looked out the window, and saw that the chicken's neck was still bleeding, but it was running around in the yard, and Sun followed behind in a panic.

Seeing that she was really in a bad shape, Mrs. Zhao came out of the room and said a few words. Mrs. Sun was even more anxious, and knew that she was really ashamed in front of the patriarch, but the chicken had wings, but she didn't. It was only when the chicken lost its strength that Mrs. Sun grabbed it and cursed, "Run, run, it's destined to be a dish in the pot. Where are you going?"

Xue Tingxiang didn't look any further, and looked back.

He knew why his uncle was so generous and asked him to compete with Xue Juncai, because if there were no accidents, Xue Juncai would definitely win this match.

In that dream, he had suffered such a loss, but it was not compared with Xue Juncai, but Zhao'er worked so hard to get money and sent him to Qinghe Academy. At that time, he was so stupid that he always blamed his own failures on the harshness of fate, thinking that it was not that he was not good enough, but that everyone did not give him a chance.

When he first entered Qinghe Academy, he was full of ambition. He thought that he would definitely surpass Xue Juncai and prove that he was the most outstanding member of the Xue family, but the reality slapped him hard in the face. It was also at that time that he, who had never seen the world, understood the sinister intentions of his uncle. He did teach him to read, and he did 'read' a lot of books, but he just read and didn't understand the meaning of the scriptures.

It was later learned that after schoolchildren learn to read, they use reading scriptures as the basis.

First learn "Three Character Classic", "Hundred Surnames", "Thousand Characters", and then "Thousand Family Poems", "Children's Learning Qionglin", "Longwenbianying", etc. After reading these, you can enter university and start Study and read the Four Books and Five Classics, etc.

But at this stage, the teacher does not explain the meaning of the scriptures, that is to say, he just memorizes them by rote, clarifying the meaning of the words but not the meaning of the scriptures. Because people nowadays are used to thinking that children are just learning, it doesn’t matter whether they understand it or not, as long as they remember it, and when they read a lot or for a long time, they will understand what it means.

This is the so-called reading a thousand times, and its meaning is self-evident.

When you can recite all these books fluently, and when you can learn to interpret the scriptures, you will get twice the result with half the effort.

This time-saving, labor-saving and effective teaching mode is popular throughout Dachang, ranging from famous families to low-level sociology and village studies, and many of them are like this. This is especially popular in rural private schools, because there is only one teacher in the school, but it is not realistic to teach several or even dozens of people to explain the scriptures.

But in fact, aristocratic families with some background would never teach their children this way. Because this teaching mode blindly emphasizes rote memorization, but ignores the truth that the classics are natural and logical.

This is the pros and cons that 'he' analyzed from the perspective of the overall situation after standing in the position of chief assistant.

But at that time, he had just entered the library, because his uncle delayed explaining the meaning of the scriptures for him, and he didn't understand that there was still a theory of explaining the scriptures. So when he first entered school, the teacher asked him if he had read it, and he replied that he had read it, but he couldn't understand the scriptures.

But now, it seems that the uncle is also aware of his own shortcomings, so he deliberately proposes this match, but in fact, he has already planned it, and he is destined to lose.

Unfortunately, there was an accident.

*

Because there were guests at home, except for Mr. Xue and Xue Qingshan and his son, everyone was busy.

After eating in the main room, the kitchen will start cooking other people's lunch.

During the period, Xue Taoer was also ordered to drink. There was wine and meat at the banquet in the main room, and the men exchanged glasses, and there was no way to see that there was any cleverness in the usual times. Especially Patriarch Xue and Zheng Lizheng, the two drank very affectionately, and in the end they both got a little drunk.

"Okay, don't send it off, you'll be there soon." Patriarch Xue waved his hand.

After sending everyone out of the courtyard, this side started to clear the table and prepare meals. Mrs. Zhao originally wanted to take away the leftover meat and vegetables, but was stopped by Mr. Xue, saying that he was adding vegetables to everyone. People in the country are not rich, and it is commonplace for distinguished guests to leave and eat leftovers.

The adults are all fine, Shuanzi and Maodan are eating deliciously.

Zhao'er wanted to take the meal back to the house to eat, but was stopped by Xue Tingxiang, the two just kept their heads down and ate as before, without saying anything.

Xue Juncai gave Xue Tingxiang a disdainful look.

He had just accompanied Xue Qingshan to the table, and naturally he ate a lot of good food on the table, seeing that Xue Tingxiang could only eat leftovers, he was naturally full of sarcasm.

He remembered what his father said to him before, Xue Gouzi would never win him.

Thinking in his heart, he looked away, and said to Mr. Xue who was on the kang, "Grandpa, I'm going back to the house to read."

Mr. Xue nodded. He also drank a little too much before, and now he is leaning on the kang smoking a cigarette to hangover.

"Dog, eat more, brother is still waiting for you to beat me in five days." Xue Juncai suddenly said this when passing by Xue Tingxiang.

Zhao'er immediately stood up and stared at him: "Can you talk? You've read the dog's stomach after so many years of reading."

Xue Juncai didn't expect Zhao'er to show him such shame, his gentle face flushed red, but for some reason, he glanced at Zhao'er and held back.

Mr. Xue shouted: "Juncai go back to the house!"

Mrs. Zhou also hurriedly stood up to persuade Zhao'er, that's all.

After dinner, the two went back to the second room, and Zhao'er was still angry: "Don't be angry, dog. When sister earns money, I will take you to the house and won't be with them anymore."

Xue Tingxiang was a little moved, but at the same time a little helpless: "You called me a dog again."

Zhao'er groaned, then smiled and said: "I forgot, it won't be like this in the future."

Naturally, he couldn't be angry with her, and then Zhao'er took the two clothes she changed yesterday and went out to wash, while Xue Tingxiang turned over the "Children's Learning Qionglin" again.

Looking at the book in his hand, which was transcribed on the worst bamboo paper and the footers were worn away, Xue Tingxiang felt a little worried. He actually didn't want to read books, but Zhao'er couldn't help but think that he should read more books now, and only by reading more books can he win against Xue Juncai more confidently.

Little did he know that this book was different from the book, and it was useless to just read this book, but he would not tell her about it.

He dug out the bamboo paper that Zhao'er bought for him from the kang cabinet. The cheapest bamboo paper cost 40 cents a knife. Such 'expensive' paper was barely enough for practicing calligraphy. Even so, he is very precious at ordinary times, and he is reluctant to use it at all. If he can write on the sand, he will write on the sand, and if he can't use the sand, he will write on the desk with water.

Xue Tingxiang touched the stack of yellowed bamboo paper and sighed in his heart.

'Xue Tingxiang' usually uses the highest quality Chengxin paper, so at this time he feels a little disgusted with the things that are usually precious.

He spread out the papers on the kang table, stacked several sheets, and then cut them into the size of a book with a bamboo knife. In order to make room for the edge seam, he left some leeway and cut a thick stack before he found the inkstone with a corner missing and the ink ingot that had been used up and only a small piece remained.

These are treasures that he is reluctant to use at ordinary times, but Xue Tingxiang doesn't feel this way at all today. He added water to the inkstone, and then took the ink ingot to grind the ink, while grinding, he was thinking about something.

After grinding the ink, he put the bald hair brush in the water bowl and wet it to clean it. After dipping in enough ink, he picked up the pen and wrote something on the paper.

After writing a few words, he suddenly put down the pen, lifted the paper to look at it, and suddenly crumpled it.

Mingming's handwriting is fairly neat. Although he usually saves paper and ink, but because of years of hard work, his handwriting is not bad, but for some reason he just doesn't like it.

He closed his eyes slowly, calmed down for a while, and opened them again after a while. At this time, there was no one in the room, and anyone who was there could see a gleam of light flashing in Xue Tingxiang's eyes. At the same time, his movement of grasping the pen was fast and steady, and with the help of a god, he wrote a series of small characters on the paper in a short time.

These small characters suddenly became Yan style, then turned into pavilion style, and then turned into thin gold style again. At first, they were both tangible and boneless, but as they were written, their taste changed.

The face and body are square and dense, the brushwork is thick, straight, open and full of vigor. That pavilion is physically strong and graceful, as if it was carved out of a block. And the thin gold body, the gold hook and iron painting, is full of arrogance, and the strokes are as sharp as cutting gold and jade.

These three characters represent the whole life of 'Xue Tingxiang', from the Yan style learned at the beginning of school, to the Guange style studied painstakingly for the imperial examination, to the thin gold style of the official residence.

And so he wrote, oblivious to himself. Zhao'er came in during the period, but he didn't dare to disturb him, so he quietly sat down on the edge of the kang.

After writing for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly let out a long breath and put down his pen.

He wrote two full sheets of paper.

At this time, Xue Tingxiang had to admit that the magic of heaven was just a dream, and he actually possessed some of the things that he had in the dream.

From the moment this dream appeared, Xue Tingxiang had been thinking about why he had such a dream. Now he understands, maybe he just wants him to make up for all the unsatisfactory dreams.

And possessing everything of the "him" in the dream, he suddenly had great ambitions, and a surge of arrogance lingered in his heart.

"I'm tired of writing, drink some water."

Zhao'er brought water, Xue Tingxiang took it, and drank it in one gulp, it was very sweet.

Only then did he lower his head to look at what he had written, and he actually spent two sheets of bamboo paper. Probably because Zhao'er was by his side, he suddenly remembered that she used to save money to buy paper for him, and felt a little distressed and guilty. He glanced at her and said in a low voice, "I actually wrote so much."

How could Zhao'er not understand what he was thinking, so he chuckled and said, "Not much, not much, only two sheets. Paper is for use. I told you not to save paper a long time ago. It is used up. Let's just buy it again."

"I want to transcribe this book, so I try to write first, so as not to waste paper."

"What book do you want to copy? Can you copy books too? Don't you buy them?" Zhao'er was puzzled.

Xue Tingxiang sighed in his heart. He really felt that he was really stupid before. He would rather borrow books from his uncle every time, or memorize them by rote, and never thought of copying books.

Nowadays, the books sold in bookstores are rarely printed and expensive, so an industry of copying books has emerged. In this way, not only some poor scholars can get some money in exchange, but also those who want to buy books but suffer from poor pockets can get cheap.

Of course, this copying is not something that can be done casually, it needs to be written very well.

Xue Tingxiang boasted that his handwriting was not bad. Back then, many people begged for his calligraphy. Now that he needs a book, why can't he copy it himself.

the most important is--

He glanced at Zhao'er.

She sat up, raised her hand to touch the little man's forehead, and made sure that her hands were not hot, then put on her clothes lightly and got off the kang.

The first thing to do was to open the door, and Heizi, who had been restless for a long time, got out with a swish. Zhao'er also walked out of the room, seeing Heizi hurriedly running out of the courtyard to pee, she shook her head with a broken smile.

At this time, someone has already got up in the courtyard, it is the Zhou family of the third bedroom and his eldest daughter Xue Tao'er.

Today it's the third room's turn to cook. The Xue family's rule is that apart from the housework of each room, the work in the office is shared equally. One day per room, in rotation.

The room responsible for cooking is not only responsible for the food and drink of the whole family, but also takes care of the livestock in the family. The Xue family raised two big fat pigs, and it was not an easy job to just serve these two ancestors every day. Not to mention feeding chickens, carrying water, and chopping firewood, so the female family members who do housework on this day do not have to go to the fields to work.

It seems to be fair and just, but in fact everyone inside knows how.

The eldest aunt Yang claimed that the man was a child student, and she was exceptionally superior at home. Since Xue Qingshan passed the child student examination, she never touched housework again. The key is that Mrs. Zhao is also looking towards her, so it's not easy for others to question her.

At first, it was Xue Gouzi's mother, Mrs. Qiu, who finally came in, the third-bedroom Mrs. Zhou, and the two sisters-in-law finally shared the burden. Afterwards, Mrs. Qiu followed her deceased husband, and Mrs. Zhou was left alone. It was not until Mrs. Sun of the fourth room entered the door that she would be able to catch her breath again.

It's a pity that Mrs. Sun is lazy and playful. In fact, Mrs. Zhou still does most of the work.

In the past, when Mrs. Qiu was still alive, Zhao'er also helped Mrs. Qiu to do it. After Mrs. Qiu passed away, Zhao'er was busy with the housework of the second room and had to do the work in the office. In addition, Zhao'er was still young at that time, Mr. Xue told her to take good care of Xue Gouzi and not to take care of the work at work.

Zhao'er now has free time to go around and get some money, but she is a person who looks at her conscience and will help out as much as she can in her spare time. As for those who used words to squeeze her like Sun, her sharp tongue was not forgiving.

Seeing Xue Taoer struggling to fetch water from the well, Zhao'er rubbed his face and went up to help her.

Thirteen-year-old Xue Taoer is like a small flower in bud. Although she is not very beautiful, she is very delicate. Seeing Zhao'er coming to help her, she couldn't help showing a smile and talking to her: "Sister Zhao'er, is the second brother better?" Xue Gouzi is the second grandson of the Xue family, so Xue Taoer called him the second brother .

"I had a fever again last night, and it got better in the second half of the night." Zhao'er looked around curiously, and asked, "Why isn't Third Uncle here?"

Although Xue Qingbai is a bit honest and reticent, he always loves his wife and daughter. Whenever he meets the third room to cook, he will get up early to fill the water tank.

The Xue family has its own well, but the well is too deep, and there is no pulley on the well, so it is really exhausting to draw water with the strength of the daughter's family alone. That is to say, Zhao'er was naturally as strong as an ox, and his strength was no worse than that of ordinary middle-aged men, so he could pull the bucket out of the deep well very easily.

"My father went to the field and said he would work for a while and return after breakfast."

Xue Qingbai is an honest farmer. Unlike other brothers in the family who have other skills, he only knows how to farm, so he puts all his heart on the ground. The Xue family has a total of more than 30 mu of land, and now he, Mr. Xue and the fourth son Xue Qinghuai are all planted.

Although the women of the Xue family also went to the fields, it was only during the busy farming season, and besides, the women only had so little strength, so how could they help. Fortunately, the three men from Xue's family are all good hands in the field, and they are really too busy, so they hired part-time workers to help out for a few days, so they don't have to worry about not being able to finish the work in the field.

Just as he was talking, the door of the fourth room opened, and Xue Qinghuai walked out from inside.

The men in the Xue family are all big, so Xue Qinghuai also inherited a tall body.

He was born with thick eyebrows, tiger eyes and a high nose bridge. He was dressed in dark blue coarse cloth and short brown, and looked very heroic. In fact, the men of the Xue family are not bad looking, but the women of the Xue family are a little mediocre, but all the grandchildren are born well, and they are all top-notch in the village.

"Zhaoer Taoer, you wake up so early." Xue Qinghuai walked over in a few strides, took the wooden bucket in Zhaoer's hand, walked to the water tank, and poured water into the tank.

"How can you two little girls do this kind of rough work? You go to do other things, and the fourth uncle is here to fetch water."

Zhao'er and Tao'er didn't refuse either, one went to the kitchen to help her mother cook, and the other took a basin to scoop up water for washing.

As time passed, the rest of the Xue family got up one after another, and there were more and more voices in the yard. On the other side of the kitchen, Mrs. Zhou yelled to eat. Generally, country people don't pay much attention to breakfast, and they have to set a table or something. They always serve a bowl with a bowl, and eat it at any place.

Breakfast is two rice porridge, the so-called two rice porridge is porridge cooked from two kinds of rice. Yuqing Village does not grow rice, but only wheat, sorghum, millet, corn and other crops. Although farmers grow wheat, they seldom use it for their own food. They sell it for other grains.

Even a well-to-do family like Xue's family with surplus food did not eat fine grains all at once, but a mixture of coarse grains and fine grains. For example, today's breakfast is two-rice porridge, which is a porridge cooked with millet, that is, yellow rice, and sorghum rice.