Chapter 216

What good can we do at this time?

Zhao'er had vigilance in his eyes.

Xue Tao'er ran over, leaned closer and whispered, "I'm not my aunt's father, he said he wants to talk to the dog."

Xue Tingxiang also heard the movement outside the room and came out.

"Don't go, I'll push it." Zhao'er knew that it would be no good for Yang Zhong to find a young man because of his elder status. Xue Jun is his grandson. What about the previous incident?

"No problem."

After saying this, Zhao'er was stunned for a moment, and Xue Tingxiang remembered that he would never speak like this.

He smiled and said, "It's okay, you're still afraid that I won't succeed if he eats it."

"Can……"

At this time, Xue Tingxiang had already passed her to the main room, so she could only follow in a hurry.

*

Here in the main room, as expected, the wine is in full swing.

Yang Zhong's white and chubby face was flushed from drinking, and he looked like he was slightly drunk. Mr. Xue's dark red face glowed red under the light. Xue Qingshan also sat on the side, along with Xue Juncai, Xue Qingbai and Xue Qinghuai.

Women are not at the table.

Seeing Xue Tingxiang walking in, Yang Zhong said, "Our little genius is here, come and let me see."

He waved his hands without treating himself as an outsider, and when Xue Tingxiang approached, he opened his drunken eyes and looked up and down: "I don't see anything has changed, how did you become so promising?"

As soon as these words were sarcasm, the court immediately fell silent.

Xue Qingshan focused on eating vegetables between his sandwiches, as if he didn't hear him. Xue Juncai seemed to be sitting upright, but in fact he was looking at this place intentionally or unintentionally.

The rest of the Xue family were a little embarrassed, especially Mr. Xue, his face was a little stiff, but he hesitated to speak.

Zhao'er was about to attack, when Xue Qinghuai suddenly stood up, smiled and picked up the wine bowl: "My father-in-law, I respect you for a bowl, this wine is brewed by my father himself, and most people can't drink it when they come here. Don't look at your old man When I came, I quickly dug a jar and said to drink a few more bowls with you."

Yang Zhong looked at Xue Qinghuai with a smile, and without hesitation, he picked up the wine bowl and drank it down in one gulp, and ate a few mouthfuls of food. Taking advantage of the situation, Xue Qinghuai hurriedly winked at Zhao'er and Xue Tingxiang, telling them to leave quickly.

Xue Tingxiang smirked slightly, and planned to take Zhao'er away, and listened to Yang Zhong before he even took a step.

"What's the matter? Why is the elder leaving before he finished talking? Although I am not your own grandfather, I am also your own grandfather. Is this old man not paying attention to me, or what?"

The hat was buttoned too big, Zhao'er was about to say something, Xue Tingxiang gave her a hand.

He took two steps forward, pretending to be listening respectfully: "Since my in-laws and grandpas have taught me, I will just listen to you." After a pause, he continued: "It's just that my in-laws and grandpas are also scholars, so I think they know how to be rude. reason"

"According to what you little brat thinks, as an elder, I can't say that you are a junior?"

The smell of alcohol came straight to Xue Tingxiang's face, and there was also a strange smell of various vegetables mixed in it.

Xue Tingxiang did not evade, and nodded calmly: "Naturally."

"Hey! Look! It's really different."

Yang Zhong tapped Xue Tingxiang a few times with his finger, and looked at the rest of Xue's family with a smirk, and the villain first complained: "In-law, is this your family's tutor?"

It was obvious that Yang Zhong was here to make trouble, and of course it was for Xue Juncai. When he came back from Lizheng's house before, Mr. Xue guessed that the big room would definitely make a fuss, but he didn't expect that the fuss should be here.

In fact, as the son and daughter-in-law, how could the married couple blatantly quarrel with Mr. Xue? After all, they swore before that whoever wins will go, and whoever loses should not complain. And Yang Zhong, as Xue Juncai's grandfather, couldn't be more appropriate to stand in for him. If it works, it's good, if it doesn't, it won't hurt the relationship between father and son.

"relatives by marriage……"

Mr. Xue was about to speak, but was interrupted by Xue Tingxiang's voice.

"Although my parents are both deceased, there are my grandfather, uncles, and other elders of the Xue family. Even if there is something wrong, it is not up to people of other surnames to point fingers here. Although my grandfather and my family are connected I want to kiss you, but I definitely didn't go to the Xue family's table, eat the Xue family's food, and scold the Xue family for their reasons."

Because there are guests, candles are rarely lit in the house, which illuminates the room brightly.

Standing in the middle, the boy is thin and thin, but he is tall and straight. He was wearing a shabby clothes, the cuffs and the front of the clothes were a little white, but it made people feel an inviolable aura.

"Could this be the way of in-laws and grandpas being guests? One day when I, the Xue family, went to your house as guests, I would point and point at the Yang family, and be eccentric. Presumably, my in-laws and grandpas would not be angry. After all, coming here is not indecent. Thanks ah Master is always the junior in the family and talks about his in-laws and grandpas, but the boy is only his in-laws and grandpas, he is a literati, he is respected by the younger generation as a person who understands etiquette, now it seems that it is nothing more than that!"

"you--"

There was silence in the room, and no one thought that Xue Tingxiang would explode on the spot regardless of his seniority.

Xue Qingshan stopped eating, and suddenly felt restless.

But he didn't stand up to speak for his father-in-law. Xue Tingxiang's hat was too big, which brought the face of the whole Xue family and even the Xue clan. If he speaks for it, he is echoing the fact that the face of the Xue family can be trampled on the ground by the Yang family.

In particular, this is not in line with what he planned.

Yang Zhong's face was flushed red, and his lips trembled with anger: "You kid, you dare to teach your elders a lesson at such a young age."

"Don't dare! A gentleman is harmonious but different, and a villain is the same but not harmonious. The boy is just telling the truth. I also hope that the in-laws and grandparents should be cautious in their words and deeds, so that they can be the appearance of a gentleman."

This is teaching myself through the words of the sage!

Yang Zhong laughed back angrily, and pointed at him with his finger: "Okay, okay, it's really amazing. After studying for a few days, people are different. You really think that it's a big deal if you win the handsome talent today, even if you furious."

"A gentleman has nothing to fight for, and he will definitely shoot! When he bows and rises, he goes down to drink, and his fight is also a gentleman."

This sentence comes from the eight chapters of "The Analects of Confucius". It roughly means that a gentleman will not argue about anything. If there is a dispute, it must be upholding the way of a gentleman. Neither humble nor overbearing, neither angry nor complaining, and having fun with wine after the competition is the battle between gentlemen. It's not that you must be flushed in the face, like a black-eyed chicken, that would be out of style.

It is about being a person and dealing with affairs, and at the same time, it is using the words of the saints to ridicule Yang Zhong for not having the manners and tolerance of his elders, and to make things difficult for his juniors in order to protect his grandson.

There were only four scholars present, and the others were all at a loss. They could only see that Xue Tingxiang was not at a disadvantage, but Yang Zhong was so angry that his seven orifices seemed to be smoking.

Forget about Yang Zhong, Xue Qingshan and his son couldn't help being a little bit surprised when he was angry.

You must know that although Xue Tingxiang has studied the Four Books, he only understands the superficiality and does not understand the meaning of the scriptures. But just now he uttered two sentences in a row, both of which are from the Four Books, and if he didn't understand the meaning of the scriptures, how could he use them to harm others.

Could it be that someone taught him behind his back? No wonder his performance was so unexpected today.

And right at this moment, other changes took place in the field.

It was Yang Zhong who stood up in anger and wanted to teach Xue Tingxiang a lesson, but was stopped by Mr. Xue, Xue Qinghuai and Xue Qingbai.

"Well, you little bastard, you have learned to swear before your hair grows."

"A gentleman does not mirror water, but mirrors people. Mirroring water, the appearance of meeting, mirroring people, you can know good and bad, but if you want to come to your relatives and grandpas, you don't understand this sentence."

Xue Tingxiang had a smile on his face, obviously there was nothing wrong with that smile, even a bit shy, and his words were gentle and polite, but it made people taste a bit ironic.

"I know if I understand you or not, I know you are swearing, I must teach you a lesson today!" Yang Zhong struggled to raise his hand, and at this moment, a violent shout sounded in vain.

"Father-in-law!"

It was Mr. Xue who spoke.

"My father-in-law, I respect your in-laws, but this is my Xue family!"

Mr. Xue's complexion was very ugly. He had been tolerant just now because of the other party's identity, but Xue Tingxiang was right. There was a whole family sitting in the room, all of whom were surnamed Xue. There was absolutely no reason for someone surnamed Yang to teach others a lesson. .

No matter how much the family makes trouble, it is wrong for outsiders to intervene.

There was silence in the room, only the sound of Yang Zhong panting heavily.

The sound of a stool falling to the ground sounded, and it was Xue Qingshan who stood up.

At this time, Yang Shi, who had been hiding in the house, also ran out, and said angrily and anxiously: "Father, what are you doing! Why did you drink some wine and start to make trouble."

She explained to the dark-faced old man Xue: "Father, don't blame me, my father is like this, when he starts to drink. Oh, father, what do you think you are making a fuss about?" Then she complained to Xue Qingshan: " Juncai's father, and you too, why don't you stop him from making trouble like this."

Yang Zhongdao: "I'm making trouble, what's wrong with me?! Xue Lianxing, don't forget what you promised me back then. Juncai is your eldest grandson, so you plan to let it go?"

"Father, stop talking, I'll help you down to rest."

The Dafang couple, one on the left and the other on the right, helped Yang Zhong out, and Yang Zhong seemed to be really drunk, shouting that you should really let go, and stumbled and was helped out by the couple.

*

Because of this commotion, the Xue family was extremely quiet afterwards.

Mrs. Zhou originally asked Zhao'er and the two of them to eat, but they said they had eaten, so they went back to the house.

A table of food and wine, only half eaten, old man Xue sat there alone, eating food and drinking wine, no one dared to disturb.

Mrs. Zhao hid in the back room, don't look at her usually yelling at Mr. Xue, but when Mr. Xue really got angry, she didn't dare to make trouble.

Xue Qinghuai walked to the table and sat down, saying: "Father, it's getting late, let's rest early."

Mr. Xue nodded, but when he put down his chopsticks, he sighed again.

Xue Qinghuai couldn't help but persuaded: "Father, don't think too much."

"Look at the eldest couple. Why don't you remember your kindness? The second has only been dead for a few years. Even if the child is not sensible, there is no need to do so."

Xue Qinghuai understood what the old man meant, but he couldn't answer these words well, so he could only say awkwardly: "Maybe the eldest brother and sister-in-law don't know that the in-laws guild will make such a fuss."

Mr. Xue snorted, but did not speak.

"But Gouzi didn't suffer, you see he was mad at sister-in-law."

Hearing this, Mr. Xue couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows and eyes: "I followed the second child."

Xue Qingsong has this kind of temperament, usually taciturn, but don't push him into a hurry, he can surprise everyone.

"This big family has been living in harmony and beauty, but it's getting more and more difficult." Mr. Xue sighed, probably because he drank some wine, and his emotions were particularly leaking.

Xue Qinghuai didn't respond.

After a long time, Mr. Xue sighed: "Let your wife clean up this table, and you should go and rest earlier."

"Hey, I'll let her clean it up."

Bringing this up is a bit old.

Back then, Zhao'er felt sorry for Xue Tingxiang, so she saved some money to buy paper for him to practice calligraphy. Who would have thought that this paper was much more expensive than she imagined. Even the worst yellow bamboo paper costs 40 Wen a knife, but that day Zhaoer collected all the money on his body, but only 30 Wen.

In order to get the boss to sell the paper to her at a lower price, Zhao'er worked with the boss for a long time. He even made up the pretense of having a hard-working younger brother, but unfortunately both parents died and his family was poor, so the boss agreed to sell it to her cheaply. Later, she came to buy it several times, all at the previous price, but she became acquainted with Boss Chen.

Boss Chen praised her for her noble character, earning hard money, but still supporting her younger brother's education. Usually, when she comes to buy paper, she almost always buys half and gives half away.

Normally, Zhao'er would accept this kind of talk with a cheeky face, but today with Xue Tingxiang around, she was inevitably a little embarrassed, for fear that Boss Chen would slip up and make the little man look down on her for lying.

Zhao'er has suffered, so she knows the skills of survival, but the little man doesn't, especially the scholar is very pedantic, so every time she encounters such a situation where the two people's ideas conflict, she will always subconsciously go away. Avoid these.

Within a day, two people said that they were his younger brothers, which made Xue Tingxiang very unhappy. Naturally, he didn't notice Zhao'er's hidden thoughts. When he came back to his senses, Zhao'er had already talked with the boss, and even showed him the copy of "Hundred Surnames" that he had copied overnight.

"This is your brother? He looks handsome, but a little thinner." Boss Chen is a middle-aged man in his forties, with a goatee and elegant body. Wearing a scholar's shirt, he doesn't look like a business boss, but a scholar.

"He was sick for a while a while ago, and he got better recently."

"No wonder I haven't seen you here for a long time." While talking, Boss Chen took the manuscript that Zhao'er handed over, whether it was bound or paper quality, it was very poor.

He knew in his heart that this kind of peasant boy could not write very good characters, but he admired this young man named Zhao'er, so he planned not to criticize too much even if he really did not do well, just say some mild words and refuse it. up.

If the level is not bad and the words can still be read, it is not impossible to give him some casual work, just as a help.

But when Boss Chen saw the writing on the yellow bamboo paper, he was still taken aback.

"He wrote this word?" Boss Chen looked at Xue Tingxiang in surprise, and went to flip through the manuscript in his hand.

His expression was so weird that Zhao'er had a bad feeling in his heart. She couldn't help wondering if the little man's handwriting was not good, after all, no one had ever praised the little man's handwriting, even Xue Qingshan said that his handwriting was like a spring worm and autumn snake.

Although Zhao'er doesn't know what spring worms and autumn snakes are, she understands the sad look on the little man's face, and she knows it means poor writing.

But she didn't think it was the little man's fault. He even had to pick and use the paper that could practice calligraphy. Can he write well? It was that time that she lost her temper, collected vegetables and sold them in the town, and saved a sum of money to buy Xue Tingxiang's first piece of paper in her life.

It was a whole knife, not a few pieces given as a charity from Xue Qingshan or Xue Juncai.

Zhao'er's head felt cold for a while, and she couldn't help wondering if she was too blind to the little man at ordinary times, or if she flattered her too much. She was not afraid of anything else, but she was afraid that if Boss Chen said something unpleasant later, the little man would not be able to stand the blow.

Thinking of this, she hurriedly turned her back and made a gesture to Boss Chen, leading him aside, then said to him in a low voice: "Uncle Chen, if my younger brother's handwriting is really bad, can you..."

"Can you do something?" Immediately, Boss Chen understood and said with a smile: "You kid too, even if you have a heart of love and affection, you should not deceive him, but point out his shortcomings, so that he will to make progress.”

His voice was a bit loud, Xue Tingxiang over there must have heard it, Zhao'er blushed, but Na Na didn't know what to say.

Boss Chen said again: "But your brother's handwriting is really good, he must be a famous teacher."

He walked up to Xue Tingxiang in a few steps, and saluted with cupped fists: "I don't know who my little friend is your teacher?" He said hesitantly in his eyes, because the poor boy in front of him, who was dressed in coarse cloth and short brown, really didn't seem to be able to learn from anyone. Famous teachers.

Just his words...

Since Boss Chen runs a book shop, he is either a hobby or a ancestral business. In fact, Boss Chen has both, which can be regarded as the origin of family education. He also passed the exam several times when he was young, but he stopped at being a scholar. However, he was not interested in being an official, so he turned around and took care of his ancestral business. It is also a great thing in life to meet a few literary friends, play chess, drink tea, taste calligraphy and painting together.