Tang Bohu came to the table and sat down.
Li Xueer poured him wine and asked, "Are you not planning to take the imperial examination?"
"Imperial examination?" Tang Bohu laughed and murmured: "What is the purpose of the imperial examination?"
"That's a lot. At a big level, it's for the country and the people; at a small level, it's about honoring the ancestors and making a wife..." Seeing his face getting darker, Li Xue'er said in surprise, "Isn't that right?"
Tang Bohu's lips turned bitter, and he sighed: "Yes, they are all right."
"Then why do you..." Li Xue'er said, "Why don't you think about your parents?"
She blushed when she said this, she was willful herself.
However, Li Xueer felt that it would be a waste if Tang Bohu, the leader of the four talented people in Wuzhong, continued to be so decadent.
"They passed away." Tang Bohu took a sip of wine.
"I'm sorry," Li Xue'er said sarcastically, and hurriedly poured him another glass, comforting him, "the dead are gone, but the living are like this, you... you should have married a wife and had children long ago, think about them..."
"They also passed away." Tang Bohu took another sip of wine.
"ah?"
Li Xueer opened her mouth wide in surprise, speechless.
It's not that she's short of words, but that any words of comfort for anyone who encounters something like this would be insignificant.
Tang Bohu picked up the wine flask, poured wine for himself, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Dang Rang" the wine glass tipped over and swirled on the table, he murmured:
"My father is dead, my mother is dead, my sister is dead, my wife and children are dead, it's so sad, it's such a fate..."
"Brother..."
"Unfortunately, there are many misfortunes, and we are looking for each other in sorrow. Parents and wives have disappeared quietly, and the funeral car has been driving repeatedly..." Tang Bohu's melancholy eyes slowly closed, and he fell into sleep with a sigh.
Li Xueer stared blankly, not knowing what to do for a moment?
She had the intention to leave, but she was afraid that Tang Bohu would do something bad. Even if he was not the top four talented people in Wuzhong, he was just a passerby, she would not sit idly by.
Of course, the main thing is that Li Xueer can be sure that Tang Bohu will not harm her.
Li Xueer will naturally not find it troublesome to do good deeds within her power while protecting herself.
"It's so pitiful that a great talent from the south of the Yangtze River has fallen like this." Li Xueer shook her head and sighed.
Should she say it or not, this Tang Bohu was far from the great talent she thought she was, and she was even... disappointed.
But having said that, no one else would be much better off when faced with such a change.
Tang Bohu can be considered strong even if he does not seek death.
…
The late spring afternoon sunshine was scorching. Tang Bohu blinked his eyelids and opened his hazy eyes.
When he looked up and saw Li Xueer, he was stunned for a while before he remembered that the two of them were drinking.
"Little brother never left?"
"You and I are drinking together. If anything happens to you, it will be my responsibility." Li Xueer hummed, "I don't want to be wanted by the government."
Tang Bohu was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Now little brother, you can rest assured, I'm fine."
"Haha...not sure?"
"Even if something happens, it has nothing to do with you." Tang Bohu said, "Little brother, there is no need to be burdened by Tang, but there is no harm in going."
Li Xueer nodded, took out half a dozen coins, counted out twenty coins, and said, "Drink money."
"No, Tang asked you, little brother, let's keep some money for the imperial examination." Tang Bohu's eyes were groggy. It was obvious that he was too sleepy to drink up the remaining wine.
"I don't like to take advantage of others." Li Xueer left the money and teased, "By the way, your tavern's business is very bad."
Tang Bohu laughed at himself: "Yes, I studied when I was young. I don't know the streets outside the door. I don't care about production. How can I die? I just talk and laugh..."
After a pause, he added: "It's not a bad idea."
Li Xueer was speechless.
After a long while, he said: "A man is thirty, and his brother has not yet reached his thirties. How can he give up on himself when he encounters setbacks? Why should a man worry about not having a wife? If he wastes his life like this, he will not only be sorry for his parents in heaven, but also for himself. Talent.”
After saying that, Li Xueer stood up: "Xiaosheng is also from Jiangnan, and I have longed for the four talented people in Wuzhong. However, when I saw the first of the four talented people today, I felt doubly disappointed and said goodbye!"
"Little brother, wait a minute."
Li Xueer paused, "What?"
Tang Bohu smiled bitterly and said: "Tang Mou is indeed unbearable, but the other three are worthy of their reputation. Little brother, Mo, underestimated them because of Tang Mou."
"That's not true. One person is one person, and others are others." Li Xueer smiled, "However, after meeting the great talent of Tang Dynasty, Xiaosheng is no longer interested in the four talents of Wuzhong."
After a pause, "We are destined to meet each other. Xiaosheng gives me a piece of advice. It's up to you whether you want to listen to it or not."
She said:
"Everyone lives in different ways. If you want to comfort your parents, you can study hard and gain fame; if you have no interest in fame, you can also become a businessman;
If you don't want to do both... selling your property and traveling around is also a way of life. "
"No matter which one of the above three options is better than living in a state of drunkenness and dreaming, isn't it?" Li Xueer asked, "Can you escape for the rest of your life?"
Tang Bohu was silent for a long time, then bowed his head and said, "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. I said this just for the sake of being the leader of the four most talented men in the south of the Yangtze River." Li Xueer put the small bamboo basket on her back and said, "Goodbye."
"Little brother, wait a minute."
"What do you want to do again?" Li Xueer was a little impatient.
"For a poor scholar, the imperial examination is not easy." Tang Bohu quickly walked to the counter, took out two ingots of extremely fine snowflake silver, and said, "My little brother is weak, so I will buy some delicious food to replenish my body. Reading is very tiring. God, it’s impossible not to have a good body.”
Judging from men's standards, Li Xueer has thin arms and legs. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is weak.
Li Xueer's face was filled with black lines, and she hummed: "No need, with your wine shop business, you may not make so much in a month, so you can keep it for yourself."
Hearing this, Tang Bohu was even more moved and said: "My little brother has a kind heart and extraordinary words. In the future, he will definitely become the top scholar in high school and become a good official for the country and the people."
I'm a woman. I'm not going to get the top prize in the examination, but I'm just as good at finding a top prize husband... Li Xue'er rolled her eyes and said, "I understand with good intentions, but no need."
"Little brother, there is no need to refuse. Tang has quite a fortune, and this little money is nothing." Tang Bohu was quite generous, and he seemed to have a hint of the demeanor of the first of the four talented men.
Li Xueer pouted her lips nicely and said: "Xiaosheng's family is not poor either, so you should save it for your wife."
Tang Bohu laughed dumbly, "Which young lady would like me looking like this?"
"There's no need to be so arrogant, what if it happens?" Li Xueer smiled, and then said, "As long as the two of you are happy, why do you need a young lady from a rich family?"
Tang Bohu smiled.
After being told by Li Xueer, he became much more cheerful and joked: "My little brother can see things clearly now. When it comes time to get married, I'm afraid he won't want to marry a rough peasant woman, right?"
Li Xueer blushed and hummed, "Of course I don't want to give in."
Tang Bohu: "..."
I dared to talk for a long time, but this guy could stand and talk without pain in his back... Tang Bohu smiled bitterly, but he felt much better now and had a goal in life.
"Anyway, thank you very much for today." Tang Bohu said seriously, "Listening to your words is better than studying for ten years. Let these money be regarded as tuition fees."
With that said, Li Xueer stuffed the money into her hand regardless of whether she wanted to or not.
By the way, my little brother’s hands are quite soft.
Tang Bohu had this idea inexplicably.
But seeing that the little brother was a little angry, he gave him a hard look and said bitterly: "Rude, presumptuous."
"...Little brother, are you going to Jinling?"
"No, I just came from Jinling." Li Xueer said, "Similar to you, I don't know the streets outside my home. This time I came to appreciate the scenery and talents of Suzhou."
Tang Bohu's eyes lit up, "In that case, why not let Brother Wei help you introduce me?"
"No need." Li Xueer shook her head, "I have been in Su...zhou for a while, and I have also experienced the style of great talents. Haha, I am very disappointed. Time is precious. Goodbye."
After stabbing Tang Bohu hard, Li Xueer walked away feeling comfortable.
Her time is indeed valuable.
Running away from home is too much, how can you not go back all year round?
…
More than ten days later, Hangzhou.
Li Xueer visited the West Lake, tasted the delicious food, and had so much fun that she forgot the purpose of coming out.
She is not a young lady who stays close to home, but she is also limited to Jinling City. It is her first time to travel far away, everything she sees is strange, and everything feels fun.
In fact, she felt that the kiss was not inevitable.
In Grandpa Li's words, it is not too late for a woman to consider getting married after she is twenty years old, and it is not considered too old to have children no later than thirty years old.
Using Grandpa Li's method of calculating age, she is not yet twenty years old. What's the hurry?
No rush, no rush at all... Li Xueer let go and played.
~
"Ah sneeze~"
Li Qing touched his nose and muttered to himself: "I don't know if Xiao Xue'er has chosen Mr. Ruyi. It's really... Well, I'm afraid I won't be able to get this seat."
Seeing him touching his nose and then taking the needle, Zhu Qijin hurriedly said: "Sir, you'd better wash your hands before doing acupuncture."
"Not dirty."
"Wash... wipe it, okay?" Zhu Qijin was really panicked.
"Okay, okay, okay." Li Qing had no choice but to wipe his hands with a handkerchief and began to apply acupuncture, while saying, "I am a person who keeps my word. You know this. Back then, your grandfather...I could do it."
After a pause, he revealed his true purpose, "I may not be so punctual in the future, but don't worry, the error will not exceed two years."
Zhu Qijin was speechless: "You are early this time and late this time, which will affect the effect of nursing to some extent. Can you have a sense of time?"
"Hey? What's your attitude?" Li Qing lowered his face and snorted, "Also, if you dare to raise the price next time, you'll be screwed if you see if I prick you or not."
"What's my attitude? It's obviously you..."
"Pfft!"
…
…
As spring passes and autumn comes, Li Qing ends his journey to Jiaozhi and returns to the Ming Dynasty...
It's almost done. Now that the bond is gone, it's time to implement what I wanted to do before.
After all... Li Hong is not young anymore, and the next generation of the Li family has no interest in naval military affairs.
The Ming Navy fleet has to be pulled out for a swim...
