"Xiujuan, why did you return to the village?"
Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat tense, Zheng Ping asked.
Wu Xiujuan has rarely returned to the village in the past few years since she married the county magistrate. The rumors about Wu Xiujuan in the village are crazy.
What Zheng Ping recently learned about Wu Xiujuan from the gossiping women in the village was that Wu Xiujuan gave birth to an eldest son to the county magistrate.
However, Aunt Li did not seem to be more valuable because of her daughter. Wu Xiujuan seemed to want to completely cut off ties with the village, not even her natal family.
Wu Xiujuan said expressionlessly,
"If I don't want to see her, I won't come back."
When Mr. Hu, who was sitting on the bed and concentrating on eating, heard this, his eyes flashed with deep sadness. Even the fragrant Dongpo pork tasted like wax.
The one Wu Xiujuan was talking about was naturally her mother-in-law, Mrs. Li.
"All right."
Wu Xiujuan looked at Zheng Ping with pain in her eyes, "Brother, do you think I am an unfilial person?"
Although Zheng Ping was often poked in the back by people in the village, when it came to filial piety, people in eight villages would probably not be able to say a word about it.
Wu Xiujuan didn't care what the village said about her as a scumbag or an ungrateful person. She just wanted to know what Zheng Ping thought of her.
"How is that possible? You are a good person, I know it."
Zheng Ping was extremely filial, but he would never ask others for such a request. In his opinion, serving his mother was a matter of course, and he never thought about anything else.
Besides, who is Xiujuan? Could it be that Zheng Ping, who grew up with her, doesn’t know?
Wu Xiujuan's nose felt sour, she held back her tears, quickly picked up the bowl and took two mouthfuls of porridge to hide her expression.
After dinner, Zheng Ping put away the dishes and chopsticks.
Wu Xiujuan helped Aunt Hu lay down and tucked the quilt back in. "Aunt Hu, please take a rest."
Hu grabbed Wu Xiujuan's hand and said, "Xiujuan, you are a good child, I know it."
Wu Xiujuan turned her back to Zheng Ping. She could no longer control her tears. Hot tears rolled out of her eyes and pattered on Hu's hand.
"Ping'er, go out and get some air."
"Ah? Mom, why is this?"
"Don't turn around!" Hu's tone was slightly serious. Zheng Ping quickly stopped and did not dare to move again.
"Mom, I'm going out right now."
When Zheng Ping walked out like a puppet,
Mrs. Hu held Wu Xiujuan's hand and said softly,
"Child, just cry. Just cry."
Wu Xiujuan threw herself into Aunt Hu's arms, broke down and said,
"Aunt Hu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Zheng Ping squatted in the courtyard and looked up at the sky. The world in the snow was always quiet. Zheng Ping never got tired of watching it.
All joy, anger, beauty, and filth are covered by white snow.
"Brother, I'm leaving."
Zheng Ping stood up quickly and said at a loss,
"Leaving so early?"
"Well, I'll come see Aunt Hu when I have time. I left something for you. Just take a look at it if you're fine."
After saying that, Wu Xiujuan turned around and left without giving Zheng Ping a chance to speak.
Zheng Ping's mind went blank. He watched Xiujuan's figure disappear between heaven and earth. Then he came back to his senses and said loudly,
"Slow down!"
Zheng Ping felt disappointed and stood there for a while before turning back to the house.
"mother."
The smell of Xiujuan still lingers in the house,
Mrs. Hu smiled and said, "Ping'er, this is what Xiujuan left for you."
Zheng Ping looked over and saw that what was placed on Hu's bed was...
Book.
"Mom, this is..."
After taking the provincial examination, Zheng Ping borrowed his own handwritten books from wealthy households in the county and used them to stoke the fire. Looking at these white books, Zheng Ping felt familiar yet strange.
However, Mrs. Hu seemed very happy and asked Zheng Ping to sit over.
"Ping'er, I heard from Xiujuan that in the past two years, Her Majesty Shengsun has reformed the imperial examination and no longer tests those classics and history collections. There is also a new school in the county. Xiujuan wants you to go and listen if you have nothing to do.
These are the newly learned books. Xiujuan went to the school and asked for a copy. These are all for you.
You were the first in the provincial examination a few years ago, and the first in Anqing County to understand the Yuan Dynasty. Even if you stop studying for a few years, if you pick it up again, my mother believes that you can catch up! "
"Mother..." Zheng Ping stopped talking.
"Come on, Ping'er, come and take a look."
Mrs. Hu reacted, pulled Zheng Ping, and asked him to read these new books.
Even though Mrs. Hu had no education, she spoke clearly about her son's achievements. Mrs. Hu looked at Zheng Ping expectantly.
Zheng Ping picked up a new book, this is the book of arithmetic. Zheng Ping stroked the smooth pages,
His Highness Shengsun improved the papermaking technology, which greatly reduced the cost of books and made the paper feel as soft as brocade.
Sand, sand, sand....
Mrs. Hu breathed lightly and looked at Zheng Ping's profile. After a long time, Zheng Ping raised his head and met Mr. Hu's eyes.
Hu's voice was excited and she asked eagerly,
"How's it going? It's not difficult."
Zheng Ping looked strange and said,
"Mom, baby...I don't understand at all..."
Hu's words were stagnant and he said in confusion, "How is this possible? You are..."
Zheng Ping shook his head slightly. He didn't want to lie to his mother and said bluntly,
"Mom, my kid has mediocre talents. He made it to high school for a while, but he relied on rote memorization and good luck to get to high school.
Even if the child takes the exam again, it is not certain whether he can go further. If the imperial examination has not been changed, he may be able to go further.
But if it's such a new learning, the child... really can't do it. "
Mrs. Hu was frozen there. She didn't want to believe that her proudest son actually said such words.
Then, could it be that the great scene in Anqiu County that only recognized the name of Yuan Zhengping was also fake?
The truth is cruel. There is no story about Zheng Ping studying hard and counterattacking.
In Anqing County, there is not one talented boy in ten years. If placed in the state capital, he would be nothing more than mediocre.
And if it were placed in the entire Ming Dynasty, it would be lost to everyone.
Zheng Ping didn't want to disappoint his mother, so he said,
"Mom, let's learn if the child has nothing to do."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Hu nodded and said,
"You are Jieyuan, mother believes in you!"
Then, Mrs. Hu sighed and said,
"It was mother who dragged you down. If mother hadn't failed to live up to her expectations, I'm afraid you would have been..."
Zheng Ping said in a cry, "Mom, don't say this. If you hadn't brought up the child, how would he be where he is today?"
There are unpredictable things happening in the sky. My child has never thought about these things. Compared with you, everything else is nothing.
Baby, baby, I just want you to stop talking about this. "
Mrs. Hu sighed and patted Zheng Ping's hand.
"Mom knows, and I will never say this again."
"Well! Mother, please rest while I go put the meat in the pot!"
"Go ahead."
Mrs. Hu lay paralyzed on the bed, listening to Ping'er's busy voice, praying to God over and over again in her heart,
Such a good child shouldn't be like this,
If there is a spirit in heaven, please, can you take a look at this child...
