Chapter 265

Generally, names are bestowed by the elders, not just chosen by the younger generation. It’s fine if it’s an ordinary villager, but Xue Tingxiang is a scholar, and a scholar should understand etiquette. Read.

Xue Tingxiang was very clear in his heart and understood what uncle meant. He smiled and said: "When my father was still alive, I asked my grandfather and uncle to help me choose one. My uncle refused because of his humble name. Now the court My son is fourteen, so I can't keep using her baby name, so I randomly picked one."

As soon as this remark came out, Xue Qingshan's face turned ugly again. Xue Tingxiang was obviously saying that he, an uncle, did not want to name him, because he deliberately belittled him. After all, since I have already learned, I should definitely not have a name,

He forced a smile, and explained: "It's not that Uncle sees that you are not in good health, and wants to name you after you are an adult. You can't understand this painstaking effort. If Uncle doesn't choose one for you now?"

As he said that, without waiting for Xue Tingxiang to agree, he sighed and made a melancholy look, and said: "You have been weak since you were born, your father wished you a long life when he was alive, so my uncle named you Fushou, what do you think? ?”

This name is really random, and I am not at all sorry for the name of Xue Qingshan, the only child born in Yuqing Village.

Xue Tingxiang hesitated for a moment before refusing: "It's still not uncle, Ting'er's name has been decided, and I went to the grave to inform my parents before, there is absolutely no chance to change it."

These words also made it clear why he went to the cemetery every year. Since Xue Tingxiang saw that Xue Qingshan had invited so many people and made such a fuss, he knew that the other party must have plans.

Regardless of what he plans, he just blocks the way that the other party may use to make a fuss, and the rest is to wait and see what happens.

Sure enough, Patriarch Xue's face softened a little.

Before that, he always thought that this matter was done on purpose by Erfang, just to compete with Juncai for the opportunity to study in Qinghe Academy. This time I came to see this young man is gentle and polite, neither humble nor overbearing, patriarch Xue has no fame, but he can know a few words, and he has been the patriarch for many years, so he has a good eye for people.

He was very surprised, because he had seen Gouzi before, but he didn't have a deep impression of him. The only impression he had was that he was an inconspicuous boy. Looking at it now, this son has grown up somewhat unexpectedly.

But no matter how unexpected he was, patriarch Xue did not forget what he was doing here.

Just a good impression on one side is not enough to make him shake the decision he has made. He had asked someone to test Juncai's child, and he was much more knowledgeable than his two grandchildren. If it was said who the next child in Yuqing Village would be, Patriarch Xue felt that Xue Juncai was the most likely.

Maybe not just a child, but a scholar.

With two future talent seedlings and a young man who doesn't know his depth, Patriarch Xue naturally knows how to do this multiple-choice question.

However, the idea of ​​helping Xue Qingshan before was dispelled. If Xue Qingshan couldn't even handle a child, he didn't deserve his attention.

How could Xue Qingshan fail to see Patriarch Xue's thoughts. In his eyes, this old man is a master who does not see rabbits and does not scatter eagles. He accepts the benefits he brings to the clan, but never knows how to give him something.

If any clan has ethnology, the clan will not subsidize one or two. On the contrary, he worked for nothing all day long, and every time a certain family in the clan brought some random food, the patriarch called him over and asked him to accept it.

To be generous with the generosity of others, to spend other people's wealth, is merciless to others, and it is meaningless to oneself!

Xue Qingshan sneered in his heart, but pretended to be a respectful petition, and invited Xue patriarch Zheng Lizheng and others into the house.

Patriarch Xue and Zheng Li were sitting cross-legged on the kang, one on the left and one on the right, while the others were sitting on the stools below. Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Zhou were busy pouring tea, and even Xue Tao'er was sent to ask Mr. Xue to come home quickly.

Patriarch Xue and Zheng Lizheng both had the habit of smoking dry pipes, and they took out the pipes as soon as they sat down.

Xue Qingshan hurriedly took a bag of tobacco leaves from his mother Zhao, and while serving them, he said: "This is grown by my father himself. It is usually a treasure. Uncle and Uncle Li should try it."

"Your father's shredded tobacco is good, but it's too little." After lighting it, Zheng Lizheng took a deep breath and said with a smile.

Xue Qingshan replied: "If Uncle Lizheng likes it, I'll pretend to be with you when I leave later, so don't dislike it."

These are all polite words, everyone knows each other well, Zheng Lizheng nodded with a smile, and went straight to the point: "What is Shan Zi planning to invite some of us old guys over here this time?"

Looking at Zheng Lizheng's smiling face, Xue Qingshan scolded the old fox in his heart.

Things would turn out like this, and he absolutely wouldn't believe that this guy surnamed Zheng didn't do anything inside. But that's exactly how he invited Zheng Lizheng here today. After all, he is the Lizheng of Yuqing Village and his surname is Zheng, so he won't be said to be covering up.

Including the few villagers present today, Xue Qingshan was thinking about inviting them. There was one with the surname Zheng, one with the surname Xue, and two families with mixed surnames in the village, but they were all well-known in the village.

"Is there a matter that requires a few elders to decide, or wait for my father, he is in the field and will be back soon."

Just as he was talking about Mr. Xue, he came back. After coming in, he exchanged greetings for a while before sitting down and getting to the point.

"It's ashamed to say this. Some things in my family have made everyone laugh."

Hearing this was the beginning of the words, except for Patriarch Xue and Zheng Lizheng, everyone present felt a little embarrassed. After all, this is someone else's family matter. It's two different things.

"Actually, to put it bluntly, it's all caused by poverty. In the previous situation of our family, it wouldn't be like this. One baby was given away, but the other was not."

One was also surnamed Xue, and was of the same generation as Mr. Xue. An old man named Xue Lianhe sighed: "Lian Xing, don't say that, your family is also in trouble."

Old Master Xue sighed with a wry smile: "It's difficult, it's not difficult for anyone, this light is all on the surface. But no matter how difficult it is, if you want your baby to have a future, you have to pay for it. If you don't give it to someone, you will be successful." There's a problem."

With trembling hands, he took out the dry pipe from his waist, lit it and took a puff, before he said, "The palms and backs of the hands are full of meat, and it hurts me to give up any one. In fact, this matter was discussed last year, and I have been procrastinating on it." I did it because I was afraid that the baby would feel uncomfortable. It is not easy for a peasant family like us to provide for a scholar. The family finally gave up Shanzi. Although he failed to pass the exam several times, he still did it for the village and for us. Guys did something.

"For so many years, our family has been doing things in the village. Everyone has seen it. If it is far away, it will not be mentioned. Let's talk about the private school in Shanzi. As long as you are from the village and your family is not rich, Shu Xiu will be later or even less. , our family never mentioned it. Why? It’s because it’s not easy for us country people to make a living, with our faces turned to the loess and our backs turned to the sky. If God doesn’t show mercy, the whole family suffers from famine.

"Actually, I'm not afraid of the laughter of my brothers and sisters. Back then, I worked hard to support Shanzi's education, just thinking that if I really passed the exam, I would give my family some tax exemption."

These words were to the point, and it seemed that they were just a few words lightly, but they didn't go deeper, but they said that everyone had mixed feelings in their hearts.

What Mr. Xue said is the truth, or the truth that is in line with people's reality, that's what makes it so complicated.

Finally someone stood up and spoke out for the previous incident, "Brother Lianxing, stop talking about it, we can't trust you? When people spread rumors in the village, we told the children at home, Brother Lianxing Not that kind of person. There are those who are grandpas, and those who don’t love their grandchildren.”

"Yes, yes, everyone can understand, who is not difficult."

Seeing that everyone was echoing Mr. Xue's words, only the one surnamed Zheng remained silent. Zheng Lizheng's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile: "Everyone in the village has watched Shanzi's contribution to our village. Everyone knows that Shanzi is benevolent and righteous. This is for everyone's sake. There is just one sentence, I don't know if I, an elder, should say it."

"Uncle Lizheng, you are the Lizheng of our village, there is nothing inappropriate to say."

Zheng Lizheng nodded: "It stands to reason that this is your family's business, and I, an outsider, shouldn't interfere. But Lian Xing said it before, the palms and backs of his hands are all flesh." He suddenly sighed, and said earnestly: " Shanzi, don't forget why your second child didn't exist, everyone here can understand, because we have lived for decades, and we have never seen anything in our lives, so we are afraid that outsiders will not understand."

These words made Xue Qingshan's complexion look ugly on the spot, but since he can arrange this scene, it's not that he has no countermeasures.

He immediately said: "Uncle Lizheng is right, so I discussed it with my father and planned to give the two children a chance. Let the two have a competition, the winner will enter the school, and the one who fails will learn two lessons at home." Years, let’s talk about it later when we have a chance.”

Upon hearing this, the people present looked at each other without much opinion. Especially with the previous foreshadowing, Xue Qingshan's words seem to be reasonable, which makes people have nothing to choose.

After all, no family is rich, and money does not come from the river.

Everyone went to see Zheng Lizheng, Zheng Lizheng looked at everyone with a smile, and said: "Why are you all looking at me? Since Lian Xingjia has an idea, let's look at his family. But how does this compare? We old guys don't Literacy, let Shanzi be the judge?"

After a pause, he shook his head: "No, no, Shanzi is Juncai's father, so he should avoid suspicion, or choose someone else to convince everyone."

He looked up at Xue Qingshan and smiled: "Shanzi, you won't blame me, Uncle Li Zheng, for being too talkative, right? In fact, I'm doing it for your own good. We should be upright in our conduct and conduct."

Xue Qingshan can't wait to throw out this person who always ruins his good things, how can he not complain, but on the surface he can't say that, he can only seem to ponder for a while, and said: "What Uncle Li Zheng said is that although I'm an uncle, so I still have to avoid suspicion. If not, let me invite one, and Uncle Lizheng invite one, and the two of them will come up with the questions on the spot, and the two younger ones will be tested."

Zheng Lizheng looked at Xue Qingshan with squinted eyes, seeing his confident appearance, he had some bad premonitions in his heart. But he has intervened too much, and it would be too obvious to be picky, so he could only nod and smile in agreement, and praised Xue Qingshan that he is indeed a scholar, but his mind is different.

The matter has been settled, and what follows is gossip.

Since people were invited to the door, it would be unreasonable not to ignore the meal at noon, so Mr. Xue ordered a few daughters-in-law to go down to pack the lunch.

Just now when the elders were talking inside, Xue Tingxiang and Xue Juncai were standing outside, so they naturally knew what happened.

Zhao'er's face was a bit ugly, but Xue Jun gave Xue Tingxiang a proud look, and then went in to talk with his father beside several elders, and naturally won another round of praise without mentioning it.

Zhao'er couldn't help pulling Xue Tingxiang back into the house, and said anxiously: "What should I do? If I had known this earlier, I would have refrained from beating you. Gou'er, it's all my sister's fault. My sister caused trouble for you. "

She was anxious, and brought up the words of Sister Gou'er again.

"Don't be afraid, it's okay."

"Is it really okay?" Zhao'er turned back and forth on the spot and said, "But, what if we lose?"

Xue Tingxiang squinted his eyes: "Don't you believe me? Think I'm not as good as him?"

Zhao'er immediately said: "How is it possible! My dog ​​is the smartest, and I will be a scholar in the future to become a high official, and my sister is still waiting to enjoy the blessing of the dog!"

Zhao'er and Xue Tingxiang have said this sentence countless times.

When he was a child, she would encourage him every time he showed signs of discouragement. She even thought so in her heart, so when everyone looked down on him and everyone thought he was not good enough, only she was the only one who kept talking to him like this, and even kept doing it with actions.

It's a pity that she didn't enjoy his blessing, not even a single day.

Obviously, all that was not what he experienced, it was just a dream of his, but every time Xue Tingxiang thought about it, he felt a great sense of sadness.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Since you have said so, are you still afraid that I will lose?"

That's right, it's a big deal and she loses. She just needs to find money for him to study. Wasn't that the plan? !

Thinking of this, Zhao'er suddenly thought about it, and said: "Then prepare well, win if you can, don't be afraid if you can't win, at worst, sister will find money for you to study."

Zhao'er has never been a person who likes to ask for troubles. She turned her head and saw that the cow dung in the house hadn't been cleaned up, so she went to find a brush to clean the kang, and then went out to get a broom and a dustpan to sweep the floor.

Chickens clucked and clucked outside, but it was Mrs. Sun who slaughtered the chicken and made it run away.

Xue Tingxiang looked out the window, and saw that the chicken's neck was still bleeding, but it was flying around the yard, and Mrs. Sun followed behind chasing after him 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 proposed to let him 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 failure on the harshness of fate, thinking that it was not that he could not do it, but that everyone did not give him a chance.

When he first entered the Qinghe Academy, he was full of ambition. He thought that he would definitely surpass Xue Juncai and prove that he was the most outstanding person in 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.