Seeing that he had brought customers here today, the shop assistant hurriedly led them to the private room upstairs.
Zhou Zixu said to himself that he was not a guest. Now that he was studying in Fucheng, he would come here every now and then to eat fish to satisfy his craving.
It's almost dinner time now, and the kitchen is naturally not as busy as before.
Therefore, not long after the dishes were ordered, they were all served quickly. A big bowl of braised fish, a plate of chestnut roasted chicken, stewed tofu and stir-fried vegetables.
The two of them, who had no resistance to fish in the first place, and their stomachs were urging them to eat, so after the waiter brought the rice to them, they started to enjoy it.
It is said that the world is big and the food is the best. At this moment, the two of them have long forgotten all the general talk and opportunism.
Lin Yuanqiu asked the waiter to bring an empty plate, then put some of each dish on it, and asked Shu Yan to eat quickly.
Not to mention that when young people are unbearably hungry, they are eating while others watch. Lin Yuanqiu definitely cannot do it at the moment.
As for the future, different moods at different times, he doesn't know now.
When I ordered the food, I was specifically told to add more tofu skin and shiitake mushrooms.
Therefore, at this moment, Lin Yuanqiu and Zhou Zixu were eating the bean skins with chopsticks and the mushrooms with chopsticks, and they were eating very happily. The tofu skin and shiitake mushrooms soaked in fish soup, paired with rice, are simply delicacies in the world.
As for the braised carp that was over a foot long, all that was left of it was the fish skeleton.
After eating and drinking, the topic returned to the policy article.
The doubts in Zhou Zixu's heart have not yet been resolved. In other words, the word "opportunistic" is much more serious than his "general talk". How does Brother Lin manage to remain calm and not feel uncomfortable at all?
Lin Yuanqiu understood the surprise in Zhou Zixu's eyes, and asked with a smile, "Brother Zhou, are you curious about why I act like a normal person?"
Zhou Zixu nodded. It wouldn't be uncomfortable for him to be criticized by Mr. Wu Jing for writing articles and being obsessed with camp. But Brother Lin didn't take it seriously, as if the person being talked about was not him at all, which was really puzzling.
But before Zhou Zixu could answer, Lin Yuanqiu smiled and said, "I'm not opportunistic, so there's nothing to feel uncomfortable about."
He would definitely admit that his article was meaningless, but Lin Yuanqiu would definitely disagree if he was opportunistic.
Lin Yuanqiu knew this, but when he wrote the article, he didn't think about it at all. So what does he have to feel uncomfortable about? He can't punish himself because of other people's misunderstandings.
Besides, from Mr. Wu Jing's comments, it can at least be seen that his writing style is passable, otherwise the other party would not use the word "qiao" to describe himself.
Zhou Zixu was stunned, "Is this possible?"
"What else could I do otherwise," Lin Yuanqiu rolled his eyes, "Why should I feel uncomfortable about something that is unreasonable?"
Yes, isn't this just an unreasonable thing? Zhou Zixu nodded repeatedly, "You are absolutely right. I have known Brother Lin for a few years and I know that Brother Lin has never been a person who deliberately tries to get into trouble. Moreover, Brother Lin's article I I’ve also read it, but there’s nothing opportunistic about it. I guess it’s because Mr. Wu Jing is old and has poor eyesight, so it’s possible that he misread Brother Lin’s article.”
The more Zhou Zixu spoke, the more he felt that his words made sense.
Mr. Wu Jing has gray hair on his temples. Although he does not stagger when he walks, it is common for older people to have bad eyesight, and it is common for them to misread good articles.
Thinking of this, Zhou Zixu felt that the "general talk" was nothing. Since he could misjudge Brother Lin, the possibility of misjudged him was by no means impossible.
Therefore, his article is not that bad.
The stone in his heart was relieved, and Zhou Zixu suddenly felt that he was a good candidate on the imperial examination road again.
It's just a pity that I didn't become Mr. Wu Jing's disciple.
Zhou Zixu had heard from his uncle before that it was better to have guidance from a famous teacher than to study hard for years by himself.
Come to think of it, if my uncle had had a good teacher to guide him, he wouldn't have been able to pass the provincial examination for more than 20 years.
Lin Yuanqiu didn't take it seriously. He really looked forward to being taught by a good teacher, but this was not something he could just wish for.
Therefore, Lin Yuanqiu had always been mentally prepared for whether he would have the opportunity to become a disciple of a famous teacher.
It is said that there is no poor family in the upper class, and there is no noble family in the lower class.
Since ancient times, the main reason why it has been difficult for ordinary people from humble families to get ahead is that their educational resources pale in comparison with those of famous families. As for a poor boy like him who was not even from a poor family, he didn't even need to ask for any good educational resources.
Lin Yuanqiu still clearly remembered a poem he had seen in his previous life, and the person who wrote it was the first number one scholar in history who was born as a commoner.
It is said that the imperial examination system began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but the civilian champion appeared in the Song Dynasty. This was hundreds of years apart. This shows how difficult it is for civilians to take the imperial examination road.
As for why Lin Yuanqiu remembers it so clearly, it is actually because the sentence at the beginning of that poem is particularly famous, that is, "The sky is unpredictable, and people are prone to misfortune and fortune."
The poem says: A centipede with hundreds of legs cannot move as fast as a snake; a rooster with two wings cannot fly as fast as a crow; a horse has a journey of a thousand miles and cannot go there without a rider; a man has the ambition to reach the sky, but cannot do it without luck.
In just a few sentences, he expresses the sadness and hardship of the powerless people.
Therefore, Lin Yuanqiu had always been clear-headed and his path to the imperial examination was not easy.
Therefore, from the first day he went to study at the clan school, Lin Yuanqiu never slacked off in his studies.
He still clearly remembers the days when he walked to school step by step on snowy days, walking in snow up to his legs. When I arrived at the school, my cloth shoes were already wet. Is it cold? Of course it is cold, otherwise how could the chilblains on his hands and feet come from? But Lin Yuanqiu knew that if he didn't give it a try, there would be countless colds waiting for him in the days to come.
Just like at this time, if you are discouraged because you don't have good educational resources, then all your past hardships will be in vain.
What's more, Lin Yuanqiu didn't believe that without the guidance of a famous teacher, he really wouldn't be able to read a lot.
If this is true, then how did this civilian champion named Lu Mengzheng come to be?
Lin Yuanqiu did not use other people's poems to give examples to Zhou Zixu. After all, he did not write them himself, and he would not be able to tell the source when he traced them.
Seeing the regret for the lost opportunity in Zhou Zixu's eyes, Lin Yuanqiu smiled and said, "The tree that hugs each other is born from the bottom of the tree. The nine-story platform starts from tired soil. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Brother Zhou, there is no need to belittle yourself. Since you I don’t have a good teacher, so how about starting from today, Brother Zhou and I will be our own famous teachers, and we can learn from each other without a teacher?"
What a self-taught person!
Zhou Zixu's blood boiled when he heard this. He high-fived Lin Yuanqiu and said, "It's a deal. From now on, Brother Lin and I will be our teachers!"
Shu Yan on the side also laughed. Although he had only a partial understanding of what Young Master Lin said, seeing his own Young Master smiling so happily was definitely a good thing.
The three people were very happy. Naturally, they didn't expect that there was an old man sitting in the private room next door. At this time, the fish meat in the old man's hand also fell back to the plate because the chopsticks were hanging in the air for too long, but Mr. Wu Jing did not notice it. , because all his thoughts are on the phrase "self-taught without a teacher".
Just now, when Mr. Wu Jing was sitting by the window, he saw the two students whose articles he had commented on coming from across the street.
The restaurant is open to the public, and it is normal for others to come and eat. So Mr. Wu Jing continued to eat his favorite braised fish, but when he heard the clear voice coming from next door, he became uneasy.
What do you mean, Mr. Wu Jing's eyesight is not good because he is old, and he is a famous teacher for himself, so these two bratty brats are not ashamed.
Mr. Wu Jing thought to himself that he had remembered all the policies written by these two people. When he comes back next time, he would like to see how they are doing as his teachers.
…
It was almost time to return to the dormitory, and Lin Yuanqiu did not continue to excerpt the short notes.
I still have several orders for Bodhisattva portraits in my hand. It has been delayed for more than half a month. Shopkeeper Xiao Hu must be waiting impatiently.
Lin Yuanqiu also plans to paint a few more paintings of ink and wash landscapes. Although he cannot relax in his studies, he cannot delay in making money.
…
Chapter 91 When two people travel together, there must be my teacher
Shopkeeper Xiao Hu was really just as Lin Yuanqiu suspected, craning his neck in anticipation every day.
Therefore, when Lin Yuanqiu took the completed painting over, the other party's anxious heart finally calmed down.
The reason why I am so impatient is because I am urged by customers every now and then.
Although when the order was placed with the customer, shopkeeper Xiao Hu did not give an exact delivery time, only telling him that it would be within one and a half months.
This is considered a reasonable time limit. Nowadays, for customized paintings like this, the time given by other stores is basically the same as Shopkeeper Xiao Hu, which is about one and a half months.
But there were always a few particularly impatient customers, and I heard from others how vividly the Bodhisattva portraits in this shop were, so naturally I was eager to get my hands on them and appreciate them.
Since June, Shopkeeper Xiao Hu’s shop has also started the business of customizing Bodhisattva portraits.
In fact, it cannot be said to be customized, it must be said to be "invitation". In the words of the customer, it is to invite the Bodhisattva to your home and let the Bodhisattva bless your home safely.
It is precisely because they all have respect and piety in their hearts that when customizing portraits, the guests will use three pillars of fragrance, and the pens, inks, inkstones and paints used are all brand new.
Therefore, after Lin Yuanqiu took out a few paintings, he also took out seven almost brand-new inkstones from the bottom of the book box, which were also intended to be sold for money.
Shopkeeper Xiao Hu had already invited Lin Yuanqiu into the inner hall. In the past two days, there were often customers coming to urge them to paint, so don't accidentally encounter them.
Lin Yuanqiu had made an agreement with shopkeeper Xiao Hu before that he didn't want to meet the painting buyer. Although I don’t know if it is possible for me to pursue an official career in the future, I should take precautions in advance.
Although painting to make a living is not a shameful thing, there is no need to let others know about things that may be covered up.
It is said that if you know yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. It is not that Lin Yuanqiu is overly defensive, but that only by not letting others know too much about you will you not be easily attacked in the future.
It is precisely because of Lin Yuanqiu's caution that Shopkeeper Xiao Hu, who has dealt with Lin Yuanqiu several times, just like his elder brother Shopkeeper Lao Hu, only thinks that Lin Yuanqiu is just an errand boy who delivers paintings, and he is the real person who paints. My uncle is from Taoyuan Mountain.
The seven Bodhisattva portraits totaled thirty-five taels of silver. Shopkeeper Xiao Hu had already paid ten taels of silver to Lin Yuanqiu, so now he only needed to pay another twenty-five taels of silver.
As for the four-foot-wide ink landscape paintings that Lin Yuanqiu brought today, Shopkeeper Xiao Hu accepted them for 700 yuan each. There are also inkstones, just like before, each one is fifty cents less than the purchase price.
So on today's trip, Lin Yuanqiu paid a total of nearly thirty taels of silver, plus six bags containing inkstones, ink, and paints. This is another new order, four of which are from shopkeeper Lao Hu in Hengxi Town.
Lin Yuanqiu opened the book box and put all the baggage inside.
This bookcase was a new one he bought in the county town during the rural examination. It was much larger than the original one, so it was no problem to put down a few baggage. Lin Yuanqiu specially chose the one made of bamboo strips because compared to the wooden one, the bookcase made of bamboo strips was not as heavy to carry.
…
After returning to the dormitory, the first thing Lin Yuanqiu did was to lock the door bolt, then put down the book box and went to the back room.
The Analects of Confucius book with the banknotes between them was placed on the bedside. Lin Yuanqiu also put the few banknotes he got today into the book, and then put the book back on the pillow.
It is said that the most obvious place is also the easiest to ignore. No one would have guessed that a book on the Analects of Confucius with more than 400 taels of silver notes would be casually placed beside his pillow.
When Lin Yuanqiu had put away the paints and drawing papers and was about to open the ink-paper collection and make excerpts again, Zhou Zixu, whom he hadn't seen for a while, came over.
"Brother Lin, guess where I went this morning?"
"Where have you gone?" Lin Yuanqiu put down the book in his hand and saw the excitement in Zhou Zixu's eyes.
Hehe, Zhou Zixu turned around and looked outside the door, then lowered his voice and said, "Beicheng Pier."
Before Lin Yuanqiu could ask what he was doing there, Zhou Zixu continued, "There is a Bafang Teahouse at Beicheng Pier. I spent half the morning drinking tea there."
Have tea?
Lin Yuanqiu wondered, why did he go to the teahouse when he was fine?
Before he could ask his doubts, Zhou Zixu took out a booklet from his arms and handed it to Lin Yuanqiu, "Brother Lin, look at what this is!"
Zhou Zixu smiled with crooked eyes, looking like he was trying to see if I was smart.
Lin Yuanqiu took it and opened the first page. He saw that it read: Today, rice is eight cents per pound, white flour is eight cents, brown rice is four cents, soybeans are three cents, wheat flour is four cents, and bean flour is three cents. This year, the weather has been good on both sides of Guanghu, and the rice crop has been abundant. The thirty-two changping warehouses in Dajing Dynasty are full of grain. The observation envoy of Jiangnan West Road was transferred to the governor of Yizhou County and officially took office next month. Sima Weijiang County committed adultery and violated the law. He was sentenced to ransack his home and his family was exiled for three thousand miles...
Looking at the pages filled with words, Lin Yuanqiu was surprised. Where did this news come from?
