County government.
Two government officials stood on both sides of the door, guarding the door dutifully.
At this moment, a young man wearing patches appeared at the gate. He was covered in patches and had straw sandals on his feet. He stepped on the steps of the Yamen and walked in very arrogantly.
The two government officials stretched out their arms in unison, and immediately reached out to stop him.
"Bold! How can you trespass into the important place of the Yamen!"
"You are the bold ones! How dare you stop this young master from going home!" Shen Zheng said angrily, "Open your dog eyes and see clearly, who is this young master?!"
The two government officials had just been looking at the patched clothes and straw sandals, and didn't notice this face at all.
The two of them raised their heads in disbelief and stared at him. The magistrate's noble young master was in such a state of desolation. He used to be so fair and fair, but it had just been a long time since he came back, and now he was so dark, and he seemed to have lost weight. His hair was messy, obviously not combed properly, and his clothes were in tatters... He looked like the son of a county magistrate. It was so normal that they didn't recognize him.
"Young master, please forgive me! I'm too young to see the truth! Go and report it to your lord now!"
A yamen servant rushed in quickly.
Shen Zheng dusted off his clothes and walked in swaggeringly.
Magistrate Shen has just finished hearing a case and is writing a booklet in his study that will be sent to Huzhou to show to the prefect.
"Sir, the young master is back!"
The yamen servant stood at the door of the study and reported loudly.
Magistrate Shen paused with his pen and calculated carefully. It seemed that this boy had been in Dahe Village for thirteen or fourteen days. According to the agreement, it was indeed time to bring him back.
He was so busy that he completely forgot about it.
Then he sighed. Zheng'er developed such a lawless temper because he was too busy.
When he was busy, he ignored his son, and when he remembered, he scolded and punished him severely. Therefore, Zheng'er became more and more naughty and disobedient to discipline.
He put down his brush, opened the study door and walked out.
I happened to see Shen Zheng coming in from the front hall.
As soon as he saw his son, County Magistrate Shen froze. Is this black man in patchwork clothes in front of him really his biological son?
He stared at Shen Zheng intently, and Shen Zheng walked over uncomfortably.
He coughed and said, "Dad, you won't be like those two bitches at the door and don't even recognize your own son, right?"
"How are you talking!" Magistrate Shen said with a straight face, "They are government servants on duty, not servants of my Shen family. Pay attention to your wording."
Shen Zheng's expression froze.
He didn't go home for almost half a month, and when he came back, his father's first words were to scold him.
Don't ask if he is having a good time in Dahe Village, don't ask if anyone bullied him, don't ask why he suddenly came back...
Shen Zheng had more than 400 copper coins in his pocket. This was his wages. It was the first time in his life that he had earned copper coins. He wanted to come back and ask his father to help keep it.
He also brought an egg. Although the egg was thrown away, he definitely wanted to show off this matter.
But Dad lost his temper as soon as he opened his mouth, and he lost all thought.
He snorted and walked away.
"stop!"
Magistrate Shen called him to stop.
"Where did you go when you just came back? Where's Ah Fu? Why didn't he come back with you?"
Shen Zheng stopped and said in a low voice: "Didn't you ask me to stay in Dahe Village? I will go back right now and won't be an eyesore to you here."
Magistrate Shen's brows furrowed and he spoke in displeasure: "What kind of temper are you losing? How have you been in Dahe Village for more than ten days? Can you help the Zhao family's autumn harvest and improve their studies?"
"Every autumn harvest is so exhausting that I don't have time to read." Shen Zheng thought for a while, then turned around and said, "Dad, I just want to ask you for something when I come back this time."
Magistrate Shen stood with his hands behind his hands: "Just tell me."
"Let's build a school in Dahe Village. The children there want to study and read, but there is no school. They study in the open air at the entrance of an ancestral hall. If it rains, they won't be able to study." Shen Zheng said, "Now it's probably There are forty or fifty students, and many others are also planning to send their children to study. It is estimated that there will be more than a hundred people, and the school will need to be bigger..."
Hearing what he said, Magistrate Shen felt very relieved.
His son used to only think about eating, drinking and having fun. He was obviously very smart and smart, but he didn't want to spend time studying writing articles, poetry, or anything related to reading and writing. After class, this kid never asked questions.
This was the first time that this boy mentioned this matter to him.
This shows that Zheng'er was indeed influenced by Cheng Zhao in Dahe Village, which is a good thing.
However, Zheng'er is destined to be disappointed.
"There are thirty-six villages in Ping'an Town. As the parent official here, I cannot favor one over the other. If a school is built in one village, then every village must build a school. Do you know how much expense this is?" Magistrate Shen He patted his son's shoulder, which was not thick enough, and said, "The fact that you have this kind of heart means that you are starting to grow up. But no matter what you do, you must proceed from reality and consider all aspects carefully, just like writing an article. After deciding on the topic, you must..."
"Okay, Dad, I know!" Shen Zheng interrupted him impatiently, "It doesn't matter if you can't teach in the school. Then you give me some money. I want to buy some pens, inks, paper and inkstones to give to the children in Dahe Village. This can always be done. Bar?"
The two sets of pens, ink, paper and inkstones that Cheng Zhao took as prizes were too old, and the brushes were all hairy, making it impossible to handle them.
And only two people can get pen, ink, paper and inkstone, while the other thirty or forty people just watch eagerly.
He bought a set of forty or fifty and gave it to the poor boys. Presumably, those children would look at him with admiration. His status in the children's minds would definitely surpass that of Cheng Zhao.
"Dad, you won't refuse my second request, will you?" Shen Zheng stretched out his hand, "A set of the cheapest pen, ink, paper and inkstone costs two taels of silver. Fifty sets only cost one hundred taels of silver. Give it to me quickly."
Magistrate Shen felt a little sad. Although he was an official, his salary was really not high, he was neither corrupt nor corrupt, and he had a clear mind.
The salary alone was not enough for the food and clothing at home. It was his old mother who bought two shops and a village when he was studying hard. After coming to Ping'an Town, these properties were handed over to the clan to take care of, and he earned a lot of money. The money will be sent by someone every year, and the annual income is only more than two hundred taels of silver.
This kid wanted to take away half the Shen family's income with just one mouthful.
That's all, it's rare for this child to make a serious request. As a father, what else can he do besides agree?
Magistrate Shen turned around and went into the study, took out a hundred taels of silver note and handed it to him.
Shen Zheng took the banknote and withdrew, quickly running towards the city gate.
Cheng Wanwan and Mrs. Zhao had bought their things, and Cheng Zhao had also agreed on the work of copying books. They were sitting on the bullock cart chatting and waiting. When they looked up, they saw Shen Zheng carrying two large bags in each hand. Cloth bag.
Mrs. Zhao immediately jumped out of the car and went over to help pick up the cloth bag: "Master Shen, what is this? Why is it so heavy?"
"This is pen, ink, paper and inkstone." Shen Zheng sat on the bullock cart and opened the cloth bag. "There are fifty sets in total, just for the children studying in the school."
Cheng Wanwan frowned: "Aren't you going back to get a change of clothes?"
Shen Zheng slapped his thigh.
Not only did he need a change of clothes, but he also planned to have the county government cook prepare eight-treasure duck, lion's head, plain-cut chicken, assorted meat... for him to have a full meal.
And the copper coins in his pocket were originally intended to be handed over to his father for safekeeping.
As a result, I forgot all about it!
Is it still too late for him to jump out of the car and go back?
