In the bamboo forest in the backyard, Wang Zhong is holding a four-foot-long green steel sword. The little girl Wang Qianer next to him is holding a short sword that Wang Zhong personally cut from the old bamboo dried for a year on Xiaozhu Mountain. , followed by Wang Zhong playing sword moves.
It is not an internal training method that stretches muscles and bones, nor is it a sharp and concise killing technique. It is just a beautiful display. However, it has a good effect on exercising the body and strengthening the body. The most important thing is dance. The result is very beautiful.
One day after drinking, Wang Zhong got excited and danced wildly in the garden with his sword. When Wang Qian'er saw her, she immediately pestered Wang Zhong to learn beautiful sword skills, so Wang Zhong made the bamboo sword for her with his own hands.
Lao Yutou suddenly ran over and said, "Master, Second Master Sheng is here!"
"Please come here, Zecheng, and ask someone to bring you some tea and snacks!" Wang Zhong nodded.
"No!" Yu Chuer took the order and left.
Not long after, Changbai, dressed in a moon-white gown, arrived at the edge of the bamboo forest.
Today, the side of the bamboo forest has been transformed into a martial arts performance field by Wang Zhong. The ground is paved with green bricks within a radius of about ten feet, and there are ditches around it. The rest is land that has been flattened and consolidated with wooden mallets and stones.
"Zihou is good at swordsmanship!" Seeing Wang Zhong dancing with his sword in the middle of the field, Chang Bai stopped on the sidelines and waited for Wang Zhong to finish his swordsmanship, then clapped his hands and applauded.
Wang Zhong put away his sword and stood up, letting Wang Qian'er practice by herself first, while he walked up to Chang Bai, handed the long sword to Yu Chuer, and invited Chang Bai to sit down!
Yu Chu's second wife also brought over freshly brewed tea, a plate of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, and a plate of mung bean cake.
Wang Zhong made a cup of tea for Chang Bai with his own hands and asked with a smile: "I heard that the Sheng family has been hosting flowing banquets and entertaining guests these days. Since Cheng is not at home to entertain guests, how come you have time to come to my place?"
Hearing what Wang Zhong said, Chang Bai rubbed his nose in embarrassment: "My mother has the final say in everything at home. I came here first to thank Zi Hou. Without Zi Hou's guidance, I would not have answered this question." I’m afraid I’m going to miss it!”
[In view of the general environment,
Although the imperial examination method and the eight-legged method have not yet become popular, there is already a trend, and the key points are actually not difficult. Even ordinary people can master it after one or two years of study, let alone someone like Changbai. Those with good talents are limited by their age and experience. Although the articles are well written, they still lack some experience.
Originally, according to Changbai's schedule, he didn't plan to take part in this provincial examination. However, he followed Wang Zhong and wrote articles for more than a year, and learned a lot of knowledge about farming, mulberry, water conservancy, and people's livelihood from Wang Zhong, and then he thought about it. Give it a try.
Unexpectedly, he passed it in one attempt. Although his ranking was only in the middle, Changbai was only fourteen this year. A fourteen-year-old Juren was extremely rare even among the scholarly family of officials.
In the past few days, the Sheng family has been so crowded with guests that even the threshold has been trampled down. In the entire Yangzhou Prefecture, from the governor of the prefecture to the common people in Guizhou Province, no one knows that the Tongpan family has a talented young man who is only fourteen years old. Just hit the mark.
Some people have even begun to contact Wang Ruofu privately, planning to marry Chang Bai.
Even Wang Zhong, the seventeen-year-old Jieyuan, was overshadowed by Chang Bai.
Changbai said: "Originally, my father wanted to come to the door in person. However, my family has been busy these days. My father will soon go north to Tokyo to report to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He is unable to do anything, so he can only send Bai here. I hope you will forgive me!"
Wang Zhong did not greet Chang Bai politely, but asked directly: "Uncle is going north to Tokyo? When will he leave?"
Changbai said: "Ten days later! My father knew that Zihou was going north this time, so he specially ordered me to come and invite him. He asked Zihou to stay for a few days. After my father has finished handling the matters at hand, we will take a boat to go north together! I don't know. How's your kindness?"
"It would be an honor for me to go with my uncle!" Wang Zhong said with a smile: "I am going to Tokyo. If I can have my uncle to look after me, I will definitely save a lot of trouble."
Changbai made a special trip to Xiaozhu Village just for this matter. The two agreed on a time and Wang Zhong stayed with Changbai for lunch.
Wang Zhong is not a pedantic person. Although he is not short of money, he can go north with Sheng Hong. With Sheng Hong's identity, he can save a lot of money.
Wang Zhong was naturally happy to deal with troubles that could not be solved.
Ten days of effort is neither long nor short.
In the past ten days, Wang Zhong has not been idle. Now the school in the village has already been set up. As long as the villagers of Baishui Village or the children of workers working in Xiaozhuzhuang do not need to pay tuition, they can Enter the school directly to study.
Wang Zhong stood outside the school with his hands clasped, looking at the children in the school who were listening to the lectures by the gentlemen, and nodded with satisfaction.
Nowadays, the school has three subjects: literature, martial arts, and mathematics. There are more than 40 students in total, ranging in age from seven to fifteen years old. They are divided into three classes according to age level, and three time periods are divided every day. , taught separately by three private tutors.
Liberal arts, as the name suggests, is responsible for enlightening children and teaching them literacy and writing. Martial arts is similar to physical education, teaching children to strengthen their bodies. As for mathematics, it is about mathematical calculations.
However, up to now, although the school has been established for nearly two years, and there are many smart students among the students, there are only two people who can successfully graduate from the school, and they are both majoring in mathematics. Now one of them is in In the Wangjiang Tower in the city, one works as an accounting clerk, and one works in the oil mill, learning from the shopkeeper. After passing the apprenticeship period, one can become a steward or accountant. If he is a steward, his monthly salary will start at least 800 yuan. If he is an accountant, he will earn at least 800 yuan per month. The month is at least two hundred liters.
Moreover, there is an opportunity to increase wages once a year. If you perform meritorious service, in addition to actual material rewards, wages will also increase accordingly.
As these two sixteen or seventeen-year-old boys went to work in Xiaozhu Village after learning and received wages that were different from ordinary workers, the enthusiasm of the villagers and children was aroused.
Those who are not motivated and are playful will receive a stick education from their parents.
In particular, the teachers will regularly call the students' parents to the school to inform them of the students' recent learning status and performance in the school.
If you perform well, nothing will happen, but if there are those who are naughty, unwilling to make progress, and do not cherish opportunities, in addition to being punished by the tutor, they will definitely get a fat beating when they return home.
For those who refuse to change despite repeated admonitions, always cheating on women and refusing to study, they will be expelled from the school after three admonitions.
In addition to the three subjects of liberal arts, martial arts, and mathematics, there are also night classes every night, specifically for those adults who are over fifteen years old, have joined the work, and are determined to be literate, teaching them literacy and basic skills. Arithmetic.
Wang Zhong is also planning to add two departments, namely agriculture and mulberry trees and water conservancy. Agriculture and mulberry trees can be said to be nothing more than farming, spinning, weaving, clothing making, and embroidery. Wang Zhong has entrusted Sheng Wei to help find a few outstanding people in this field. The talented people came back to teach the female dolls in the village this knowledge.
It's just that the field of water conservancy is still at the stage of having ideas. It's not that Wang Zhong is unwilling to open it, it's because he has no skills and no suitable talents.
There are not many people who are proficient in water conservancy, but in the south, the water system is developed, there is abundant rainfall, and there are frequent floods all year round. Most of these talents have already been attracted by the officials, gentry and landlords.
Some of them are born into noble families and are not short of money.
In Xiaozhu Village, Mrs. Wang Li helped Wang Zhong pack his luggage and said with concern: "I heard that it is very cold in Tokyo in winter. Uncle, please take care of yourself when you are here!"
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, it's not like I haven't been to Tokyo before." Wang Zhong next to him said with a smile. A few years ago, he followed Wang Erxi on a boat trip from south to north to do business. Tokyo Bianliang was the capital of the country. Shan, with a population of over one million, is the most prosperous place in the world today. The goods he originally brought from Jiangnan were sold in Bianliang, Tokyo, and the price difference was earned.
"In previous years, my uncle came back before winter, but this year he has to spend the winter in Tokyo. How can it be the same!" Wang Li said.
Wang Zhong said: "Sister-in-law, please relax, I will take good care of myself."
"Although Uncle Sheng is taking the lead in the cooperation between the cotton mill and the cloth mill, we can't just ignore it. We have to worry about my sister-in-law."
At the spinning mill and cloth mill, Wang Zhong originally wanted to sell the improved spinning machines and looms to Sheng Wei for a one-time deal, but Sheng Wei was determined.
If he didn't agree, he had to let Wang Zhong join in. After Sheng Wei's kindness, Wang Zhong couldn't refuse, so he agreed.
The two agreed that Wang Zhong would be a technical investor, accounting for 10% of the dry shares. The Sheng family itself had cloth mills and yarn mills, but it was limited by technology and the output was not high. In Jiangnan where there are many yarn mills and cloth mills. Land, the scale is not large.
But once Wang Zhongxin's spinning machines and looms came out, it was enough for Shengwei's spinning mills and cloth mills to increase the output of the spinning mills and cloth mills by several scales in a short period of time.
Sheng Wei also knew his family background well. His cousin Sheng Hong was just a small sixth-rank Yangzhou magistrate. Although he had real power, it didn't matter which of the wealthy gentry and wealthy people in the south of the Yangtze River was in the court.
Therefore, Sheng Wei and Wang Zhong coincided with each other, and both set their sights on the coarse cloth most commonly used by ordinary people.
The Sheng family has its own business and has long-term cooperation with Caobang, so there is no need to worry about sales.
"Uncle, please concentrate on preparing for the exam. I will take care of the matters at home for uncle!" Mrs. Wang Li paused in packing her things and looked at the person standing next to her behind the desk. She bowed slightly and picked up a pen to write on the bed. Wang Zhong was swiping a brush on the open rice paper, with a strange color flashing in his eyes.
In the evening, Wang Zhong, Wang Li, and their niece Wang Qianer sat at the dinner table.
On the table are meals cooked by Wang Li himself.
"In a few days, my uncle will leave for the north, and I don't know when he will be able to return!" Mrs. Wang Li seemed to be pretending, and her expression was a bit unnatural.
"Yes!" Speaking of this, Wang Zhong also felt a little emotional. He looked at his little niece beside him and said, "After the examination, we still have to wait for the results to be released. If you are lucky enough to win, there will be another palace examination, and then there will be Qiong." Lin Yan......"
If I am awarded an official position again and want to return to Yangzhou, I don’t know what year it will be!
The Song Dynasty clearly stipulates that officials sent abroad are not allowed to serve as officials in their native place, and each term is only two to three years. Even if they are re-elected, they cannot be elected for more than three terms at most.
But in fact, those who can be re-elected can only serve two terms at most, and then they will be transferred, either to Beijing or to other places.
After Wang Li was silent for a moment, she said: "Tokyo and Bianliang are not as good as Yangzhou. After my uncle goes, be careful."
Wang Zhong knew what Wang Li meant, so he smiled and said softly: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, no matter what happens, my first consideration will be to protect myself."
As he spoke, he smiled and raised his hand to rub Wang Qian'er's little head and said, "I want to come back to see my sister-in-law and Sister Qian!"
"Third uncle, can I go to Tokyo with you?" Wang Qier looked at Wang Zhong and asked innocently, her black and white eyes full of expectation.
Wang Zhong smiled and said: "Then we have to wait for Third Uncle to settle down first before we can pick up Sister Qian and sister-in-law! Otherwise, we didn't even have a place to live in the past, so we had to live in an inn, which was very inconvenient. of!"
Wang Qier asked: "Then when will the third uncle settle down and pick me up to go to Tokyo with my mother-in-law?"
"That depends on when Sister Qian masters the Feihua Sword Technique and can memorize the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Family Poems!"
"Ah?" Wang Qier's originally expectant little face immediately wrinkled into a small bitter gourd.
The Feihua Sword Technique is pretty good. The little girl has a good talent. She has already memorized all the moves. The only thing left is proficiency. The "Three Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Surnames" are easy to say. Although the little girl is forgetful, But memorizing it a few times is enough, but the difficulty of "Poems of a Thousand Families" suddenly increased a lot, and the little girl has only memorized a few poems until now.
"My sister Qian is so smart. As long as she is willing to work hard, she will be able to memorize it sooner or later!" Wang Zhong comforted the little girl while rubbing her head.
"Okay!" Although she was a little reluctant, the little girl was not the kind of person who would act recklessly and never give up if she didn't get what she wanted.
It was night, Wang Zhong was reading in the study, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
As soon as Wang Zhong finished speaking, Wang Li, dressed in a pink gauze dress, walked in with a wine pot in hand.
"Sister-in-law, what's this?" Wang Zhong looked at the wine bottle on the tray and the thick liquid on Wang Li's body.
There was a strong smell of alcohol, and there was a vague suspicion in my heart.
Wang Li didn't say anything. She rolled up her sleeves and poured wine from a pot. She held the wine glass in both hands and sent it to Wang Zhong: "Uncle, please!"
Wang Zhong took the wine glass, without raising his sleeves to cover his face, he raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp.
Mrs. Wang Li poured another glass for Wang Zhong, and poured a glass for herself. She picked up the glass and said, "If my uncle hadn't tried his best to protect me in the past, I'm afraid I and my second mother would have been kidnapped by thieves. How could we be like this now?" Good day!"
"I would like to propose a toast to my uncle."
Wang Zhong didn't say anything. He clinked glasses with Wang Li and drank again.
Wang Li then poured wine and continued to toast Wang Zhong.
After three drinks, Wang Zhong grabbed Wang Li's wrist and stopped Wang Li from continuing to pour wine.
"Uncle!" Mrs. Wang Li, whose pretty face was already flushed with alcohol, looked at Wang Zhong with drunken eyes. It was obvious that she had drank a lot before coming.
"Sister-in-law!" Wang Zhong called softly.
"Uncle!" Mrs. Wang Li shouted again, her voice was soft and pleasant. She didn't know whether she was really drunk or whether she was just drunk. There was undisguised affection in her hazy drunken eyes.
Facing Wang Li's unabashedly affectionate gaze, Wang Zhong suddenly stood up, let go of his hand holding Wang Li's wrist, then stepped forward, leaned over and picked up Wang Li by the waist. Wang Li only felt As soon as his body became light, he subconsciously held Wang Zhong's neck.
Wang Zhong didn't care, he hugged Wang Li and went to the side next to him. Wang Li's pretty face was red, her eyes were blurred, and her pink face was like a blooming peach blossom.
The moon hid behind the clouds, and the stars in the night sky closed their eyes shyly.
After the cloud and rain passed, Mrs. Wang Li lay on Wang Zhong's chest, looked up at Wang Zhong, and said, "The biggest regret in my life is that I was unable to give birth to a son for my husband. My uncle is gone and I don't know when he will come back. Before you leave, please leave a child for me! Let me think about you!"
Wang Li's eyes were shining with tears, and her eyes were pleading.
Wang Zhong raised his hand and pinched Wang Li's chin. He looked at Wang Li, whose hair was a little messy, her forehead was covered with sweat, and her cheeks were red. He looked at those eyes that seemed to be filled with water and said softly: " Not yet!"
"Why?" Tears in Wang Li's eyes immediately overflowed, and E Mei asked urgently.
Wang Zhong raised his hand to wipe away the tears that were sliding down his cheeks, and said softly: "When I take my sister-in-law away from Yangzhou after high school, it will not be too late for my sister-in-law to continue the legacy of my Wang family."
Wang Li was stunned by what Wang Zhong said and looked at Wang Zhong in confusion.
Wang Zhong explained: "In Xiaozhu Village, everyone from top to bottom knows the identity of my sister-in-law. If my sister-in-law gets pregnant and gives birth rashly, it will definitely attract rumors. At that time, others will talk about it. How will my sister-in-law deal with herself? People's words are scary, but I know my sister-in-law. My thoughts and feelings for my sister-in-law can also be revealed by the sun and the moon, but now is not the time."
"If my sister-in-law doesn't want to leave Xiaozhuzhuang, then after I settle down in Tokyo, I can take my sister-in-law to stay there for a few years. When the child is born, I will say that the child is the child of my eldest brother-in-law and adopt him to my brother and sister-in-law. Brother continues the incense."
"If my sister-in-law is willing, she will follow me in the future. I just want to wrong my sister-in-law and follow me without any name or status!"
The Song Dynasty was no different than the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Although women also valued chastity, the remarriage of widows was not unacceptable to the world. However, the identities of Wang Zhong and Wang Li were different. Although Wang Zhong had a good impression of Wang Li, he never thought about it. Although Wang Zhong wanted to marry Wang Li, Wang Li also never thought about marrying Wang Zhong as his wife.
"Is this...is this possible?" Wang Li looked at Wang Zhong uncertainly.
Wang Zhong said: "Why not? Nowadays, the entire Baishui Village relies on Xiaozhu Village to make a living. If anyone dares to talk nonsense and damage my sister-in-law's reputation, I will let him go and never be hired again in this life."
After hearing Wang Zhong's domineering words, Wang Li felt warm in her heart, and secretly thought: We are both like this now, how can I have any good reputation?
But hearing Wang Zhong defend himself, he couldn't help but feel happy.
"I still want to stay in Yangzhou and Xiaozhuzhuang!"
Wang Li thought for a while, looked at Wang Zhong, and said very seriously.
Wang Zhong met Wang Li's gaze: "Sister-in-law, do you want to help me guard the inheritance of Xiaozhu Village?"
Mrs. Wang Li nodded and said, "I heard people say that although the salary of being an official is high, the expenses are also high. Look at that Sheng Tongpan, the dignified general magistrate of a state, doesn't he still have to rely on Master Sheng for financial support?"
Wang Zhongdao: "As long as my sister-in-law is willing, I will support her wherever she goes!"
Wang Li looked into Wang Zhong's eyes and could no longer restrain her surging affection. She leaned forward and kissed him.
Wang Zhong also raised his hands, and gently stroked Wang Li's black and smooth hair with one hand. Looking at the forgetful Wang Li, he gradually entered the state.
Today, Wang Zhong has not touched a woman for more than two years. He usually meditates, practices Qi, and meditates to maintain his concentration. He doesn't think about those things. But now that Wang Li is so proactive, how can Wang Zhong hold back.
After all, Wang Zhong is just a drunk and lustful vulgar person.
After staying up all night until it was almost dawn, Wang Zhong got up and took a cold shower, put on his training clothes, continued his daily morning exercises, and instructed his little niece to continue practicing Feihua Sword Technique.
When having breakfast, the little girl saw that Wang Li was not there, and curiously asked Wang Zhong: "Uncle, where is grandma? Why doesn't grandma come to dinner?"
Wang Zhong coaxed: "Sister-in-law is not feeling well. She is resting in her room right now. Sister Qian, please don't disturb her! She will get up naturally after she has rested."
Wang Li slept until noon. After being a widow for several years, Wang Li slept through the whole morning after a night of balancing yin and yang. Now she is refreshed, her face is rosy, and she is extremely energetic.
As soon as the little girl heard that Mrs. Wang Li was up, she couldn't wait to find her.
"Auntie, are you recovered?"
"Huh?" Mrs. Wang Li was stunned by the little girl's question. She was a little at a loss. When she saw Wang Zhong covering her mouth and laughing softly, she reacted belatedly, gave Wang Zhong a dignified look, and leaned over. He pulled his daughter to the side and sat down: "My mother is fine!"
In normal times, how could Mrs. Wang Li do such a little thing to Wang Zhong? Last night, a storm broke the last layer of barrier between the two. Mrs. Wang Li already regarded herself as Wang Zhong's woman. Although she was just a shady woman, but now there were no outsiders present, and Wang Li had not yet awakened from Wang Zhong's gentleness, so she was naturally less cautious and more wanton.
Wang Qier said doubtfully: "But my third uncle said that my mother was not feeling well and asked me not to disturb my mother's rest."
Explained: "Er Niang is so good! A Niang is in good health! It's just that I checked the accounts too late last night and forgot the time, so I overslept. The third uncle felt sorry for A Niang, so he asked Er Niang not to disturb her. .”
"So that's it!" Wang Qier suddenly realized: "Auntie, I also want to study hard and help her take care of the accounts in the future, so that she doesn't have to be so busy!"
Mrs. Wang Li's heart was filled with ripples at Wang Qian'er's innocent words. She held her daughter in her arms and said, "That second mother should study hard and grow up quickly!"
As he spoke, his eyes were filled with tears.
Women are so emotional.
It was evening again in a flash, and there was only one day left before Wang Zhong left. After dinner, Wang Zhong said to Mrs. Wang Li: "I just looked through the accounts, and there are some things that are unclear. I have to trouble my sister-in-law later." Give me some pointers!"
"After the second mother is settled, I will go find my uncle!"
For three consecutive nights, Mrs. Wang and Li rested in Wang Zhong's room. The two of them were like newlyweds, enjoying each other's food and singing every night. They were like glue. They wished they could hide in the room for twelve hours a day and be affectionate. Mrs. Wang and Li had originally There were still some worries, but Wang Zhong's fifth-level medical skills were not just for show. With Wang Zhong's guarantee, Wang Li was completely relieved.
