Zhu Yunwen looked at the courtyard, which was only fifteen steps away. There was only a wooden table, a locust tree, and a few benches.
On the west side of the courtyard, there is also a small vegetable patch with green leeks growing in it. On the west side of the leeks, there is a wooden frame as high as one person, which seems to be prepared for cucumbers, beans, etc.
Plain, simple and self-sufficient, this is Zhu Yunwen's first impression.
Huang Jiuer couldn't believe that the Nine-Five Emperor, the king of a country, actually stepped into his shabby farmhouse? Just as he knelt down, before he could shout "Your Majesty", he saw Zhu Yunwen shaking his head slightly.
"Brother Jiuer, I'm taking the liberty to come here today, don't you want to disturb me?"
Huang Jiuer shivered all over. The emperor called him "brother". Wasn't this embarrassing him?
Ms. Liu leaned on crutches, bent down and pulled Huang Jiuer, and asked: "Son, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? Get up quickly. Since guests are coming, we must entertain them well."
Huang Jiuer got up with a bitter face, supported Mrs. Liu, and said to Zhu Yunwen: "No, don't bother, not at all. Hua Niang, hurry up, move the stool."
Mrs. Wang frowned, glanced at her husband who was speaking awkwardly, frowned, and walked to the room without asking anything.
Zhu Yunwen walked a few steps quickly, arrived in front of Mr. Liu, bowed, and said loudly: "Old man, I am Huang Jiuer's friend in the economics factory. I came to see you at home today."
Mrs. Liu looked at Zhu Yunwen. Although his clothes were simple, his bearing was extraordinary.
But, why don't you bring a souvenir when you come as a guest? Are you embarrassed to come empty-handed?
That’s all, it’s hard to say it face to face.
"Don't be so loud. I'm not deaf yet. You also work in a factory? Looking at you, you must be a craftsman."
Liu asked nonchalantly.
Zhu Yunwen laughed and said: "Yes, I am the head craftsman, and Huang Jiuer does the craftsmanship for me."
"snort."
Mrs. Liu glared at Zhu Yunwen, then hit her crutches and walked towards the room step by step.
Zhu Yunwen was a little depressed and looked at Huang Jiuer.
Huang Jiuer just wiped his sweat and explained in a low voice: "I was beaten by a craftsman before, so my mother..."
I see.
Can she look good after beating her son?
Zhu Yunwen saw that the little girl eating candied haws was very cute, so he leaned over and asked: "Little girl, what is your name? Is the candied haws delicious?"
The little girl looked at Huang Jiuer, and when her father nodded, she said to Zhu Yunwen, "It's delicious. My name is Huang Ying, and I am Huang Ying who can sing."
"Oh, what song can you sing?"
Zhu Yunwen became interested.
A bright smile appeared on Huang Ying's face, and she began to sing: "The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, and the people are few and have many friends. How about beating three times a day and not giving back?"
2k
When Huang Jiuer heard this, he immediately panicked. This song "Tree Flag Ballad" was a simple one.
A ballad written on the flag during the Guozhen Uprising.
Fang Guozhen was duplicitous. After the uprising, he surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty at one time and rebelled at the other, beating Zhang Shicheng and colluding with Chen Youliang. They tried to please Zhu Yuanzhang on the surface, but they had sinister intentions behind the scenes. Later, they really couldn't defeat Zhu Liangzu, Tang He, Liao Yongzhong and others, so they had to surrender to Zhu Yuanzhang.
In the past, it was okay to talk about this folk song in troubled times, but now in the peaceful era, thirty years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, it is obviously inappropriate to sing this folk song again.
If he is convicted of instigating rebellion, the whole family will be doomed.
Huang Jiuer was about to apologize, but unexpectedly Zhu Yunwen applauded and said: "Okay, you sang well. Do you know what it means?"
Huang Ying shook her head and said, "I'm not sure. I heard my mother say that after being whipped three times, she has to be whipped back. She can't be whipped a fourth time."
"Haha, Huang Jiuer, your wife is so talented..."
Zhu Yunwen was very satisfied, but even so, Huang Jiuer didn't have the guts to fight back.
Huang Jiuer did not dare to say anything and could only smile awkwardly.
Seeing the flower girl chopping vegetables, she saluted Zhu Yunwen, walked to the kitchen, and said to Mrs. Wang, "Stop cooking, go to Fugui Building to buy some food and wine and come back."
"Are you crazy? Fugui Building? Can we afford the food and wine in that place?"
The flower girl glared and refused directly.
"Oh, my flower girl! You, put the knife down for me and let you buy it. Of course I have my reasons. Can you listen to me for once? I still have this month's salary here, and I have spent it all. "
Huang Jiuer quickly handed the salary bag to Hua Niang.
Hua Niang put it away but still refused to go, complaining: "Don't even think about it. He whipped you so many times. We can let him eat, which is already tolerant. But he still wants to spend so much money on us? Look at him. What souvenir did he bring when he came here?"
Huang Jiuer was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
"These leeks are growing well. Mrs. Huang, can you fry some eggs with leeks?"
Zhu Yunwen walked to the kitchen and asked with a smile.
"Nothing at home..."
The flower girl is outspoken.
"No, no problem."
Huang Jiuer interjected.
Zhu Yunwen took Huang Ying's hand and said, "Let's go and cut leeks."
"OK."
Huang Ying shouted with a smile.
Huang Jiuer gritted his teeth and said to Wang, "Listen carefully, he is..."
"Brother Huang, where's the sickle?"
Zhu Yunwen shouted.
Huang Jiuer ran out of the kitchen quickly.
Mrs. Wang snorted and said to herself: "Listen, he's worthless. If I had known he was a craftsman, I wouldn't have brought him to the house."
When Zhang Luo had prepared three dishes and one soup, Huang Jiuer timidly asked Zhu Yunwen to take a seat, but was glared at by Zhu Yunwen.
,understand?
After sitting separately, Zhu Yunwen didn't mind the simple meal. Instead, he looked at Huang Erjin and Huang Eryue and asked, "Have you ever been to school?"
Huang Erjin shook his head and said, "No, I'm still an apprentice at Tang's Bookstore."
"Tang's Bookshop? I know this."
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and did not ask about wages.
The reason is very simple. There is no salary to learn from a master.
In this era, if you want to learn a craft, you need to find a master, prepare a apprenticeship ceremony, treat the master to a meal, and then move to the master's workshop or home.
The next three years will be voluntary labor.
You learn the craft, you do the work well, and food and accommodation are included.
If you progress quickly and have good skills, the master will buy you new clothes when he is happy.
If you are dull, difficult to learn, and have poor craftsmanship, no one will care about you even if you wear a piece of clothing for three years.
When you leave the apprenticeship, the master will give you the "apprenticeship ceremony", um, seven pounds of rice, carry it home.
But you have to eat sparingly, and you have to find a "job" before you finish eating all the rice. After all, you are still an aspiring young man, so you can't just "gnaw at your old age".
Seven kilograms of rice is enough for about half a month.
You see, ancient people were very employment-conscious. They would get a job within half a month, otherwise they would go hungry.
But for Huang Erjin, the most likely thing for him is to learn the art first and then work as a craftsman until his father retires.
Zhu Yunwen thought for a while and asked, "Do you think being a craftsman is good?"
Huang Erjin scratched his head and looked at his father Huang Jiuer.
"Don't worry about him, I'm asking you."
Zhu Yunwen said.
"Yes, yes, answer whatever I ask you, tell the truth."
Huang Jiuer quickly agreed.
Mrs. Liu and Ms. Wang glared at each other at the same time, so frightened that Huang Jiuer quickly lowered his head.
Huang Erjin shook his head and said: "I like selling books. Every time I see someone buying books from the bookstore, I am happy. However, we are craftsmen, and we have been craftsmen for generations. No matter what I like, it is It’s impossible to do it.”
"Oh, so you want to go into business, but because of your status as a craftsman, you can't do it, right?"
Zhu Yunwen asked with a frown.
Huang Erjin nodded, looked at his younger brother Huang Erjin aside, and said: "My younger brother is only thirteen years old. He likes to read. Occasionally he goes to the bookstore and I will teach him some words. We have no money and cannot afford to hire a husband. Moreover, even if I learn some writing, it is of no use as I cannot take part in the scientific examination..."
The status of craftsmen is very low, and they are not even qualified to participate in scientific examinations.
Zhu Yunwen knew that the household registration system was like a shackle, firmly fettering the people of the Ming Dynasty.
After all, people cannot live in chains forever.
