In the afternoon, Zhang Yu lazily walked home one step at a time. When he reached the teahouse at the corner of the street, he heard someone calling him: "Master! Here, here." Looking around, he turned out to be the storyteller in the teahouse.
Sitting down at the table, the storyteller pushed over the barbecued pork buns in a flattering manner: "Master, eat the buns, eat the buns."
Zhang Yu always saves money and skips breakfast, so he just feasts on it and is full of tea and rice. The storyteller handed over a copy of "Story Club" with a smile on his face. The storyteller was semi-literate, so he always asked Zhang Yu to read these popular books as a source of storytelling.
Zhang Yu turned to the serial "Entertainment Tycoon" and read in a low voice: "Last time, I mentioned that Mr. Guanxi sent the book box for repair, but he actually lost hundreds of photos of secret dramas in the mezzanine. It spread all over the place, Jiao Miss Jiao was so ashamed and angry that she almost wanted to commit suicide..."
After reading for a long time, the storyteller woke up and wiped his saliva: "These Australians really have many tricks. Is there anything more exciting?"
Zhang Yu flipped through the pages and said, "Let's take this piece of anecdotal information from the market: "A Feast of Orioles in the Sea and Sky, the Case of Slaves Hidden in Cellar in Xin'an County"."
After reading the book, the storyteller gave Zhang Yu another ten copper coins. Plus the money he had saved from skipping breakfast these days, he had enough money for the next issue of "Research on the History of War", and Zhang Yu started to walk briskly.
The mother, who was sulking in the shop, couldn't help but smile when she saw her son coming back. She followed him and kept asking about his studies, and brought him a pot of hot tea and a plate of freshly baked walnut cakes. Zhang Yu wanted to go downstairs to help his father crack walnuts and make noodles, but his mother refused to do so: "Younger boys can just concentrate on studying." Then he went on to say that business was difficult, and he swindled hundreds of coins from the errand, so today's work was equivalent to nothing. Now, you see, Shaodong from the tailor shop to the east has been admitted as a scholar, and the errands and beggars don’t dare to come. Our family’s hopes are all on you.
"We must be admitted as a scholar!" After his mother left, Zhang Yu opened "Selected Works of the Times" with a solemn look on his face. The thirteenth question is a cut-off question, but it is also an inexplicably ruthless one: "Mrs. Jun has sexual desire." It seems that the question is inexplicably broken. The topic is rambled on, and the talk is empty. Zhang Yu felt frustrated and bored for a while, and couldn't stand it anymore, so he pushed the book away.
Although the vow to become a scholar was still in his mind, Zhang Yu couldn't help but take out a copy of "Research on the History of War" from the book box. Although he had read it several times, it was still so fresh and exciting to read. Turn to the new book advertisement on the back cover: Australian and Song Dynasty science fiction masterpieces make their debut! Science fiction everyone vomits blood! The masterpiece you must read this year! A mind-blowing adventure! Ao Song Publishing House has made a huge contribution! Fumbling on the title of "From the Earth to the Moon" and looking at the advertising picture of a shuttle in front of a giant ball full of pits, Zhang Yu was full of curiosity. He read fantasy novels. Now "War History Research" has a serialized political fantasy novel "Diary of a Subjugated Slave", which tells the story of the Sun Moon Dynasty's invasion and subjugation by the barbarians Shui Qingguo. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that this is talking about the Ming Dynasty, but the officials are not responsible for the people. , no one complained to the officials, and those who did scoffed: "How could the Ming Dynasty fall at the hands of the Jurchens, and then return to China for three hundred years? It's ridiculous." But Zhang Yu has never read the science fiction novel, and I honestly think It was unbearable, but the price of the book also made him waver. Although this Australian came and ruined the second-hand bookstore, and the price of books dropped by almost 10%, he could only rely on a little pocket money from his parents. The Australian people are constantly coming out with new things, sometimes pulling out new Australian movies and sometimes drawing picture books. It’s not enough to just rely on the money saved from breakfast and reading story books for the storyteller to earn a few copper coins.
When I think about learning something new, I feel confused. In fact, how many people in social studies can be selected as scholars? Most parents send their sons to school just to learn how to read a few words and read a ledger. Even if they don't continue reading, they feel disappointed when they think of inheriting and running this small shop for the rest of their lives. Since Kun Ren came, he has learned that there is such a vast world besides the Four Books and Five Classics. In my mother's words, I have become ambitious. What I thought was the only golden avenue now seems narrow and closed. "How about asking Shang Chixin to go to Lingao?" An idea appeared in Zhang Yu's mind.
Zhang Yu was soon frightened by his own thoughts and defected to the Kun thief! He knew very well that he could not do such a bold thing. Confident. In the early days, they were all destitute families who had no food or clothing. Going to Lingao to get a haircut was regarded as the last life-saving option; later, some miserable craftsmen and vendors went to Lingao in the hope of finding good jobs and good business there; now, there is a third type of people, all of whom These were down-and-out scholars like Mr. Wu who could not stand the ridicule and poverty of outsiders, so they left the heroic words of "If you don't leave me everywhere, I will become a thief" in anger, you went to Lingao to seek an official position. Went part-time.
Although the Zhang family's life is not affluent, they still have enough food and clothing. Keeping this old ancestral shop, even if he doesn't win the lottery, he will probably continue to run the shop like Lao Dou, marry a wife and have children - just like his grandfather and Lao Dou, this old walnut cake shop has been a success for his father. The fourth generation. My mother always said that opening a store that can be a century-old store is really harder than becoming a Jinshi.
However, when Zhang Yu thought about his future life, he felt that it was boring: he had to get up to do business every time the chicken crowed. He temporarily stopped trading at noon and had to go out to buy ingredients and go to various teahouses and wealthy families to deliver goods and collect bills. , and there are many trivial and complicated problems in it. We've had dinner at the bazaar, and we have to prepare and process the ingredients for tomorrow. You won't be allowed to sleep until after the second watch. From the first day of the new year to the thirtieth of the new year, it is like this every day, every year.
As Zhang Yu grew older, he gradually realized how difficult it was to make a living. Especially after going to bed at night, I heard the words of the parents next door before going to bed: business is always difficult, everything outside is so expensive, and there are many excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes; when it comes to the expenses at home, they sigh again. In my mother’s words: “In recent years, my inner self has gradually improved.”
When I think about the possibility that I may not be able to live a carefree life like this, which is not affluent, I feel like a snake eating my heart. In the past few years, he has seen quite a few sociology classmates, neighbors, and bankrupt shops: those who hanged themselves into rivers, those who prostituted their children, and those who became beggars and prostitutes... He has seen them all. There were several classmates in social studies who disappeared after their homes fell into disrepair. Others reluctantly came to school, huddled in corners in rags and did not dare to speak. Because I have no money to give gifts to teachers, socialize with classmates, even teachers, seniors and classmates are disgusted. This is not bad. It is said that someone was sold to the Xianggong Hall to pick up guests. Some people saw him wearing women's clothes and his head full of pearls...
Zhang Yu breaks into a cold sweat every time he thinks of this... He also knows a thing or two about Long Yang. This kind of trend also exists in schools. Most of them are older students who have a lot of money in their families, and they fall in love with younger and pretty students. Even the teacher didn't care. My classmates occasionally tease me, but it's not a big deal. But this is completely different from wearing women's clothes and dressing up as a woman to buy wine and pick up guests...
While I was thinking wildly, I heard the mother downstairs yelling angrily, followed by crackling sounds and the apprentice's screams for mercy. In the past, when business was good, the shop would employ two or three waiters, but now it only employs apprentices who only eat and don't get paid. Even so, my mother still kept saying that the apprentice "ate too much" and "eat secretly", and she looked unhappy.
Zhang Yu was so upset that he simply stopped reading. When he went downstairs, he saw that his mother was still angry and the boy had already fled away with his head in his arms. He comforted him: "Mom, don't be anxious. If you hurt yourself, just punish him by not eating."
The mother's face softened a little, and she stroked her son's head and said, "It doesn't matter, hitting him a few times will still hurt his hand?" She looked angrily: "It's really that I have lost all control, and his mother actually still talked to me. Give me some money for shaving my head and bathing. He has eaten my rice for the past few years and I haven’t even paid him yet! You want me to pay for shaving my head and bathing?!"
Zhang Yu hurriedly persuaded: "Mom, it's not our decision whether to give it or not. If she wants to say it, let her say it."
Mom sighed: "Silly boy, will Mom be angry about this? Look at what a good thing he did!" She became aggrieved, "I asked him to peel walnuts, but he didn't pick them cleanly. Make them into walnut cakes It has a bitter taste, and regular customers will know it as soon as they eat it, so how can we continue to do business?"
To make walnut cake, you need to use walnuts. Guangdong does not produce walnuts, so you have to buy them from the north and south goods stores. Originally, their family used all the new products that year, but now the business is not as good as before, and the price of walnuts has risen again. So I started using cheap old stuff.
The taste of old walnuts is not as good as that of new ones, so the store uses a mixture of the two, which not only has the fragrance, but also ensures a sufficient quantity. It's just that the inner skin of the old walnuts must be picked clean, otherwise it will taste bitter. After peeling off the inner skin, if there is still some residue in the sunken area, you need to use a sewing needle to pick it out bit by bit. As usual, this was the apprentice's evening chores. But there is only one apprentice in the Zhang family shop. After doing a day's work during the day, and peeling walnuts under the lamp at night - naturally it is impossible to do it properly.
"This is a major matter related to the reputation of our store. Mom, you taught me the right lesson." Zhang Yu nodded repeatedly, "If you indulge for a moment, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Yu'er, you are so sensible." Mom couldn't help but sigh, "I just don't know if your father has the ability to pass the store on to you..."
"What?" These words were like a thunderbolt to Zhang Yu, and the experiences of several classmates suddenly flooded into his mind.
"Yu'er, you're old now, and you should know a thing or two about family affairs." Mother sighed and asked him to sit down, "You must know the big Australian world outside the city."
"Yes, I know." Zhang Yu nodded, "It looks like it will be repaired soon."
"Nowadays, the big world is attracting investment. It is said that many shops will be opened. There will be everything for food, drink and entertainment," my mother was worried. "I heard that the Australians themselves are also going to open shops there - including tea shops." (To be continued)
