After arranging everything in the new house and treating the neighbors to a warm meal, the Chu family began to learn to adapt to life in the county.
The paper money shop was not yet busy opening. The day after inviting Nuan Ju to dinner, the young couple took Chu Li out and visited several private schools near their home. Da Qian paid great attention to studying in the imperial examination. Even a village with a hundred or so households like Kaoshan Village has three schools, not to mention the bustling main street of the county.
Most of the private schools opened for students like Chu Li who have not taken the scientific examination are small in scale, with just a few classrooms and three or four teachers. They are different from other families' requirements when choosing a private school. A young couple sends Chu He studied with courtesy, but never thought of asking him to obtain fame through it. He only hoped that he could understand the courtesy and shame, and then live his life as he pleased.
Therefore, for the young couple, it is not the most important thing how many scholars and scholars have been taught in the private school. On the contrary, what is the husband's conduct, whether they are too rigid and harsh, and what is the mental outlook of the children in the private school are what matters to them. Most important.
After walking to several private schools, Shen Luzhu found that Chu Li seemed to be a little uninterested and didn't know where his mind had wandered. So while Chu Yi was still talking to the teacher from the private school, he tapped Chu Li's forehead: "What are you thinking, Ali? You don't like the private school here?"
Chu Li suddenly came back to his senses, shook his head and said, "No sister-in-law, no dislike."
"Then why are you unhappy? Do you miss your classmates in the village school?"
Chu Li still shook his head and was silent for a moment, as if he had made some important decision. He looked at his sister-in-law and said solemnly: "Sister-in-law, can I stop studying? I don't want to be like my elder cousin in the future. I haven't been able to learn anything, it's just a waste of my family's money. When my brother was as old as me, he could already make money for the family by making coffins. I can also help in the shop in the future, so my sister-in-law can Then you can concentrate on watching Zhengzheng.”
"A Li, reading and literacy is not just for taking the imperial examination to gain fame. Like A-Sao and Xiu Xiu, we can't take the imperial exam to gain fame, but don't you see that we also learn to read and read?"
"But……"
"Your brother's situation back then was different from what you are now. If the family is really too busy, we can hire two guys. There is no need to delay your studies."
Seeing Chu Li lowering his head and saying nothing, Shen Luzhu sighed softly, touched his hair and comforted him: "It's okay, we are not in a hurry about this matter. If Ah Li really doesn't like studying anymore, just stay at home first." Let’s rest for a while and let’s go back and study it slowly, okay?”
"okay."
After Chu Yi said goodbye to his teacher from the private school, he turned around and saw that his wife and brother had different expressions. He walked up to Chu Li, put his arm on his shoulders, winked at his wife, and asked, seemingly unintentionally: " Have you waited too long?"
Shen Luzhu cast a reassuring look at him and joked: "Well, Ah Li and I are almost starving to death. Let's go for a walk and buy some delicious food for lunch."
"It's because of your husband, isn't it? Let's go back now."
The three of them stopped by a famous tavern on Changqing Street, ordered a few dishes and took them back to the east wing. After lunch, when they carried Zhengzheng back to the east wing to rest for a while, Chu Yi learned about it from his wife. There was a reason why the two of them had different looks when they were in private school today.
After hearing what his wife said, Chu Yi felt a little dumbfounded for a moment, a little distressed and a little relieved. In the end, he just sighed: "You are not old, but you think a lot."
Shen Luzhu recalled that when he first married Chu Yi, Chu Li was still a child under ten years old. After so many years, although he knew Chu Li had grown up, he still thought he was a child in his heart. The child back then, who was bullied by his eldest uncle, the Wang family, until he burst into tears.
"Maybe we are the only ones who still think of him as a child. Don't take this matter seriously."
Chu Yi took his wife in his arms and promised, "Don't worry, A-Zhu, I will go and have a good chat with A-Li in the afternoon."
After getting up from his nap, Chu Li was in a daze in the new study room prepared for him by his brother and sister-in-law. When he saw his brother pushing open the door and walking in, he knew that he had something to do this morning, so he called "Brother" and then Sitting quietly behind the desk.
Chu Yi moved
Sitting opposite Chu Li on the chair across the desk, he asked straight to the point: "Don't you want to study anymore?"
"Yeah." Chu Li nodded honestly.
"dislike?"
Chu Yi touched the neatly stacked books on the table with his fingers. Chu Li was a child who cherished books even when he was young. The teacher at the village school also told Chu Yi that he was smart and able to study with peace of mind. He was better than other children of the same age. How much.
Chu Li stared at the books for a while, hesitating and not knowing how to speak.
Chu Yi was not in a hurry and spoke slowly: "Li, brother and sister-in-law don't necessarily force you to study. If you simply don't like reading, then we won't read. But brother doesn't want you to be Because of other things, it doesn’t matter whether you take the imperial examination or not, and whether you pass the exam or not. My brother didn’t continue studying at that time, and it has nothing to do with you. Your sister-in-law and I just hope that you can find something you like to do, whether it is studying. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s something you really like and want to do, do you understand?”
"Brother, I..."
Chu Yi stood up, patted his brother on the head, and interrupted him: "Don't worry, wait until you think about it carefully."
After a few days of silence, Chu Li took the initiative to find the young couple and talked about his thoughts: "Brother and sister-in-law, I don't hate reading, but I don't know if this is what I want to do and what I like to do. What if one day I suddenly don’t want to read anymore?”
Shen Luzhu smiled and comforted, "Since you don't hate it, you might as well go to a private school and study first. When Ah Li finds something he likes to do, it won't be too late to do it."
Chu Li murmured: "Sister-in-law, what if I never find something I like to do?"
"So what's the matter? You still have such a long life. Try more and see more different worlds. You will always find something you like. Even if you don't find it, it doesn't matter. No one stipulates that you must have someone you like. As long as you have a good time, your brother and I just hope that you are a child and do what children should do, and don’t think too much about other things. The big things and small things at home still have us."
"Well, I know sister-in-law, then I will go to a private school to study first, and then I will make plans after I find something I like."
At the end of June, the Shen family and the Jiang family got together and drove an ox cart to the county town. While visiting the young couple, Jiang Quan also delivered the first batch of paper money after the Chu family moved to the county town.
Chu Yi looked at the cart full of paper money that Jiang Quan had brought, and was a little confused for a moment. There was half of the yellow burnt paper and white money in it: "Why did my cousin bring so much?"
He and Shen Luzhu had discussed before that it was not worthwhile to go all the way from the village to the county town to bring yellow burnt paper and free money. In the future, their shop would mainly deal in copper coin burnt paper and paper ingots. Yellow burnt paper would be sold in the county town first. I just wanted to buy some goods, so I didn't tell Jiang Quan to send them over.
Jiang Quan scratched his head and said with a silly smile: "These yellow burnt paper and white money were given to me by the boss of Lin Ji Workshop. When I went to the workshop to purchase goods last time, I happened to meet him and asked me why I was not a cousin. Brother, I told him about moving our shop to the county town. He was very happy to hear that. He gave us a whole truckload of goods for free that day, saying that it was just a small gift to congratulate my cousin. , I thought this was Boss Lin’s wish after all, and Brother Cheng and Brother Ping also thought so, so I brought in 30% of it, and the rest was put into the workshop to make raw materials.”
Chu Yi didn't expect that there was such a reason, and he felt quite emotional for a moment: "Boss Lin has always been a charming person. Next time I go back to the village, I will definitely come to thank you. Did everything go well this time, cousin?"
Jiang Quan smiled sheepishly: "Thanks to the Shen family brothers, I brought in so much paper money that my father and mother couldn't even sit down. I had no choice but to hear that the Shen family was also coming to the county, so I went to find him." The Shen family originally planned to come back in a few days, but in order to accommodate me, I moved the date forward, and then we came over smoothly."
"Thank you, second brother."
Shen Songjie was teasing Zheng Zheng and waved his hand casually: "What's the big deal? My family had planned to come to see you. It doesn't matter which day we come."
"By the way, cousin, Boss Lin asked me to bring you a letter." Jiang Quan said, taking the letter out of his arms and handing it to Chu Yi.
"Boss Lin also said that if my cousin thinks it's feasible, I'll send him a reply next time I go to purchase goods."
Chu Yi took the letter, folded it and stuffed it into his sleeve: "Don't worry, your cousin-in-law and I will clean up all the rooms in the yard next door in a while. You will stay with your uncle, aunt, grandpa, and my father-in-law and mother-in-law." Come down and stay for a few days before going back."
Shen Luzhu also persuaded Grandpa Shen who was beside him: "Yes, Grandpa, you and your parents can stay here for a few days before you go back. We plan to open the shop at the beginning of the month, so Grandpa will stay here for his granddaughter." How about joining in the popularity and adding some excitement?"
The granddaughter's family originally lived in the village across the river, and they thought they could go there and have a look at any time. But now that they have moved to the county town, they are still a little worried as elders, so they thought about coming over and taking a look in person. But if it is really called He left the drug store that his family had owned for decades alone. After living here for a few days, he couldn't let it go.
"Your parents and I have both come out. There are no elders at home, so it won't be possible for a long time. Besides, only your eldest brother is watching the drug store..."
Shen Luzhu didn't understand what his grandpa was thinking, and continued to persuade him hard: "Oh grandpa, the second uncle and the second aunt are still at home. How can it be considered that there are no elders at home? Besides, we are only staying for a few days, brother. It's very powerful. There will definitely be no trouble in the drug store. Grandpa, just relax."
Then he saw his fat son who was having a great time with Shen Songjie in the yard, and he hurriedly greeted him, "Come to Aniang soon."
As soon as the child Zhengzheng heard his grandma calling him, he hurriedly ran over with his short legs. He only heard Shen Luzhu coaxing: "I told my great-grandfather that Zhengzheng wanted to ask him to stay here for a few days." good? "
Although Zhengzheng can now express his thoughts in three or two words, his mother-in-law's words are still a bit too much for him, but he still raised his little head and called out in a sweet voice. :"Mrs."
Then he wrinkled his nose and thought for a while, then said, "Stop."
Everyone in the main room was amused. Grandpa Shen simply loved this little clever guy of his. There was no room for rejection.
