Just as Zhang Yue was fast asleep, he was thinking about the night when he was in office.
Over there in the south room.
Zhang Shiyu and his wife also had their own words.
The household items in the south room had already been moved away by Zhao Yasi, including the dowry that Yu had brought from Jianyang as a dowry. Now there is only a small canopy bed left in the house, which can only accommodate his wife and Zhang Qiu, while Zhang Shi has no choice but to make a bed on the floor.
Now Zhangqiu has fallen asleep, Yu is fanning gently beside him, while Zhang Shi and Yu are still discussing in low voices.
"The house is not affordable, but I can save 200 yuan a month! But there is not much money left, so I have to support my uncle and Qiu'er to study the scriptures. This poor family has to live a vegetarian life. How will they live in the future? "Yu was unhappy.
"The official you met today in Peng Mansion who became an official was a good opportunity. Why didn't you agree to it for your third uncle?" Yu asked aloud.
Zhang Shi said: "That old gentleman hides his head without telling his origin, which always makes me a little suspicious."
Yu said: "As for our family now, what else can people worry about?"
Zhang Shi smiled bitterly and said, "My lady is right, but this book boy has overshadowed my third brother. I will agree to it if you can read with me."
Yu said with a sigh: "Shiro. This is the case for families with high-ranking officials. The boy is the companion, and the companion is the teacher. When it comes to teachers, only the examiners during the examination may be able to write the test papers. Only the recommended officials can be called worthy of the title.”
"Is there really a shortage of book boys in my family who can polish their ink and wash their pens? The old gentleman personally invited me as a token of support."
Zhang Shi said: "That's not the case. What if I really went to grind ink and wash pens?"
Zhang Shi was a little confused for a moment, walked around and thought for a while and said: "My wife is right, I didn't care about it for the moment. What can I do? If I miss the third brother's schedule and blame me for talking about this in the future, what can I do? ?”
Yu said: "Now that I've said I won't go, what should I do? Is it possible that I'm still going back on my word?"
"Wu Dalangjun said at that time that he was not in a hurry to reply, but the old gentleman was very sincere!" Zhang Shi thought for a while, then he couldn't sit still and said: "Madam, this old gentleman is from Jianyang. Taishan has so many friends in Jianyang, and most of us are familiar with him. How about we ask Old Taishan to go down the road, and then send the third brother to the door? "
Yu family. . . . . .
Mrs. Yu put away the broom and said calmly: "Since you have made up your mind to send your third uncle to study, then go ahead and do it. It's not like you don't know about the situation at home at the moment. Do you have the heart to be proud of yourself? Although the county government is still at a loss. We have more than eighty pigeons, but we don’t know when we will get them back. The director said that there is no way to make ends meet. Your job has not been settled yet?"
Zhang Shi hesitated for a while and said, "Shopkeeper Xu said yesterday that there was a shortage of people over there, and asked me to help?"
"Help? Shopkeeper Xu runs a tea restaurant, how big a living can he make?"
"There has to be someone to take care of the business."
Zhang Shi answered vaguely, and Yu didn't ask in detail.
That night, Zhang Shi was tossing and turning on the floor, seeming to have made a very difficult decision.
Zhang Shi had been running out for the past two or three days. Zhang Yue knew that his brother was busy with his studies. He had nothing to do at home except teaching Zhangqiu's Three-Character Sutra every day.
Zhang Qiu has a good memory, and the Three-Character Sutra is catchy, easy to understand and can be learned very quickly, which makes Zhang Yue feel particularly accomplished. Zhang Yue thought that he was going to study in a few days, and he was afraid that he would not have enough time to teach Zhang Qiu, so he wrote the Three Character Sutra on paper and taught Zhang Qiu to read it and asked him to study on his own later.
When Zhang Qiu finished memorizing "One and ten, ten and hundreds, one hundred and thousands, and one thousand and ten thousand", Zhang Shi went home with a bag of things and told Zhang Yue that he had found a private school for himself, and he would go to school with him tomorrow. He carried the basket and went to apprentice.
Early the next morning, Yu got up and cooked soup.
After Zhang Yue finished his tea and rice, he saw Yu pulling the sleepy Zhang Qiu up to say goodbye to Zhang Yue.
Then Zhang Shi picked up two baskets and went out together as a disciple.
It was still not bright yet, and there was only a little light in the east.
The sound of monks playing the morning lesson could be heard in Huanghua Temple, and pedestrians were gradually coming and going on the Nanpu Bridge in the distance. As the only way to communicate between Fujian and the outside world, Pucheng is a place of convergence. But in the eyes of Zhang Yue, who grew up in a second-tier city since childhood, such a pace of life is still considered slow.
Zhang Yue looked at the apprenticeship ceremony in the basket, which contained about twenty kilograms of rice, a side of cured meat, and two jugs of wine.
Zhang Shi walked west along the stream, looking for a crossing.
Zhang Yue saw that there were many ferries on the stream and couldn't help but ask his brother why he didn't take one. Zhang Shi repeatedly warned, no matter if you are acquainted with someone or not, never take it privately, and this will be the case in the future.
After the two brothers found a way to cross the river, they walked a long way. The further they walked, the more rapid the stream became. When the stream reached a narrow place, it was crossed by several dams and the water rolled down.
Several ditch carts next to Pi Dam carry water over and over again, and farmers on both sides of the river go back and forth to water the streets.
As the sun rose, Zhang Yue couldn't help but sweat profusely, Zhang Shi even more so. The more Zhang walked, the more strange he became. Mo Mo had walked nearly ten miles this early in the morning. Why did the teacher live so far away? Could it be that he was an outsider who lived in seclusion and pursued his ambitions?
Will he have to go back and forth between home and school like this in the future?
After walking for a while, Shexi came to land and followed a path towards the mountains.
After walking for half a mile along the path, he passed several big trees surrounded by several people. Zhang Yue looked at the three thatched huts and thought, is this clearly a village school?
A few thatched cottages away, there is a pine forest.
In the hot summer, the mountain breeze was blowing, but Zhang Shi was a little confused when he heard the waves of pine trees and stood under the shade of the pine trees to block the sun. At this time, a boy ran to the edge of the forest with his crotch in his hands to urinate. After Zhang Shi came forward and asked, he realized that this was the place where General Zhang Yue was teaching.
Then the sound of children laughing and playing came from far away from the three huts.
The two brothers strode towards the thatched cottage.
Before they opened the fence door, they heard several barking sounds and saw a Chinese pastoral dog baring its teeth at the two of them.
But when Zhang Shi scolded him, the native dog immediately walked away and looked back at the two of them from a distance.
The two brothers walked in. There were exactly three thatched cottages, one facing the south and facing the sun, and one on the left and right. The noise of children was coming from the middle thatched cottage.
The two brothers happened to walk to the window of the thatched cottage, but they saw a woman in a cloth skirt pointing at an old man in his fifties in the thatched cottage and cursing: "Why did I have such no discernment in the first place? You are so poor that you can't even support your wife and son."
The old gentleman smiled apologetically and said, "Madam, don't worry, someone will definitely send you a gift of apprenticeship today."
"It's your eternal dream, but you are so poor that you can't pass the exam on your own, and you can't even teach disciples. How can anyone from a good family send their children to study with you? Now I have been hungry since last night until noon , I don’t want to eat, Lin’er must eat.”
At this point, the boy below burst into laughter, and Zhang Yue felt that something was wrong with his brother's expression. He glanced at it but looked ashamed.
But the old man in the hall still took his time and said: "Don't blame me, madam. If you bear with me a little longer, the food will be delivered soon. I guess I will have rice for lunch, haha."
Zhang Yue glanced at his brother carrying rice in the basket.
The woman scolded: "No grain of rice has come for more than ten days, and you say you have rice to eat? Are you still laughing?"
After saying this, the woman took the ruler from the table and hit the old gentleman directly. But I heard this old gentleman say something, and he was still laughing while running and hiding.
The children below also dodged and laughed.
The woman was angry and annoyed, and grabbed the old man's gown. After being caught in the long robe, the old gentleman said quickly: "Madam, I won't hide. Don't tear this robe. Otherwise, if you don't have any clothes, how can you be a teacher?"
As he spoke, the old gentleman smiled again.
Zhang Yue almost covered his face and retreated, but Zhang Shi pulled Zhang Yue's shirt into the hall and said, "Guo Xuexue, I am Zhang Shi from the south of the city and I came today with my younger brother to become my disciple."
Zhang Yue, who was about to go out, met the gentleman with half exposed shoulders.
The roar of laughter suddenly stopped!
After a while, the children all stopped laughing and sat downright in the hall.
The old man, who had already finished his clothes, said to the woman in a dignified manner: "I said someone would bring rice today, but you didn't believe it. I'm also hungry now, so I'll take the rice and cook it quickly."
When the woman saw the apprenticeship ceremony presented by Zhang Shi, she immediately walked to the left room with a smile on her face, taking the grain and rice.
Then the old gentleman looked at Zhang Yue and smiled gently: "Are you Zhang Yue?"
Under Zhang Shi's gaze, Zhang Yue performed the apprenticeship ceremony and then said: "After studying Zhang Yue, I have seen scholars."
The other party tried his best to act like a teacher, but unfortunately there were still a few nail marks on his face.
"Very good. I heard that you have become confused. What do you think if I give you a little test tomorrow and then teach you Confucian classics based on your studies?"
Zhang Yue thought to himself, from ancient times to the present, students will listen to whatever teachers say. There is no reason for teachers to discuss things with students.
Zhang Yue did not think about it carefully but said: "Everything will be done according to Sir's wishes."
Zhang Shi saw that Zhang Yue didn't look strange at all, and immediately said with confidence: "Brother, let me ask you to teach me."
The old gentleman stroked his beard and nodded.
Having said this, Zhang Shi stood up and said, "Third brother, you are here to stay here all night. I will bring you bedding, food and clothing after a while?"
What? I actually want to 'live on campus'?
After finishing the chapter, I was about to leave.
Zhang Yue hurriedly stood up and said, "Brother, this place is not far from home. I can go back and forth from home every day."
Zhang Yue is not a family lover, but this environment is too simple.
Zhang Shi said: "Yue'er is two hours away from home, how can you come and go? Even if I can relax, I'm afraid you will waste your studies."
Zhang Yue felt as if he had been tricked and trafficked by his brother: "Then I will go home once every ten days."
Zhang Shi shook his head.
"Then the new moon will be fulfilled."
Zhang Shi sighed: "Third brother, to be honest, in order to raise your income, I have rented the north wing of your house to Aunt Xu, a fish seller, which can be worth a hundred pence a month, except during New Years and holidays." I'm afraid you won't be able to go back, but I will visit you often in the future..."
Zhang Yue was stunned after hearing this... He even lost his place at home.
"Then why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you have to tell me today?"
Zhang Shi was speechless, but Zhang Yue understood that his brother was afraid that he would not be able to bear the hardship, so he deliberately did not tell him in advance. Wait until you get to the place where everything is done before telling you the truth.
This is looking down on yourself too much. Can’t you bear this little hardship? Are you such a hardworking person?
At that moment, Zhang Yue turned his head angrily and said, "Brother, just go ahead. I can take care of myself by myself."
Zhang Yue originally thought that his brother would apologize to him in a nice voice or something. But after hearing his brother's silence for a while, he said, "Third brother, take care of yourself," and then left.
After hearing that his brother was walking away, Zhang Yue remembered that his brother must have talked a lot with his sister-in-law in order to let him study, and the couple must have created many barriers. Moreover, the elder brother has to support Zhangqiu's education here and his own education there. The future life of the family will definitely be even more difficult. I just blamed him for not arranging myself well, which was really inconsiderate.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yue couldn't help but stamp his feet, feeling regretful in his heart.
On the side, Guo Xuexuu said gently to Zhang Yue: "Your brother is leaving soon. What do you have to say? If you don't say anything, we won't see each other in the future."
Zhang Yue was so full that he rushed to the door and watched Zhang Shi go away. Seeing his brother's back walking further and further away, Zhang Yue said loudly: "Brother, remember to bring my mosquito net with you when you get home, otherwise you won't be able to sleep properly!"
There are so many mosquitoes in the mountains, how can we survive without a mosquito net.
Zhang Shi turned around and nodded to Zhang Yue: "Third brother, you have to concentrate on your studies, don't worry about your family, and study hard to make a name for yourself!"
After saying this, Zhang Shi turned his back and wiped his tears with his sleeves.
