Early the next morning, Zhao Qingyang watched the two sisters from the Xu family leaving with a basket in their hands, laughing and joking.
The originally dusty clothes seemed to be more colorful because of the exquisite bamboo basket in her hand, showing a bit of the exquisiteness and cuteness of her daughter's family.
Zhao Qingyang couldn't help but feel how beautiful it was.
Not long after breakfast, the clan leader came to the door.
The clan leader did not come empty-handed. He was carrying a piece of meat and a chicken. It happened that the courtyard door was not closed. As soon as the clan leader came in, he looked at Zhao Qingyang.
Zhao Qingyang is cutting bamboo blocks and splitting bamboo silk. He is a very enthusiastic young man with a powdered face. His black hair is wet and he is panting slightly. When he raises his eyes... well, he looks extraordinary even without eyebrows.
The clan leader wanted to shrink up. How could he be blind and bossy to this man yesterday?
"Brother Yu, a guest is here."
Zhao Qingyang raised his voice and called out, and the patriarch became even more desperate. He was a guest, so who was this young prince?
Who knew when Jin Yu had such a close relationship with such a noble person, and he almost offended him to death!
The clan leader hesitated to go up, and just when he was about to raise a smile and compliment him, Zhao Qingyang waved his hand like a fly:
"Don't come here, my sword doesn't recognize anyone!"
The patriarch took a closer look and realized that this noble young prince was... doing such menial work as splitting bamboo at Xu Jinyu's house!
The clan leader was almost too frightened to hold back his breath, but at this moment, Xu Jinyu came out to clean his hands.
The last time the clan leader came unexpectedly and scrapped a piece of paper, Xu Jinyu knew that she was still a little uneasy while practicing calligraphy. This time, regardless of the strange atmosphere in the courtyard, she finished writing a piece of paper before going out to meet the guests.
"Clan leader."
The young man walked out slowly, his face was pale and transparent, even his lips were sickly pink, but his starry eyes were extremely peaceful, and the contradictory temperament of being sickly and resolute added a lot of brilliance to Zhang Li's beautiful appearance.
It actually made people feel that there must be no difference between the young man and the prince.
Xu Jinyu stepped forward and was about to salute, but the patriarch stopped him directly:
"Jin Yu, if you don't have a woodcutter in your family, and my boy is idle and still has a lot of energy, how can you let him do such a menial job?"
The patriarch pointed at Zhao Qingyang, his eyes twinkling. If this person could go to his house, he would be willing to sacrifice people, so how dare you let him do this kind of work? !
When Xu Jinyu heard this, he looked at Zhao Qingyang and curled his lips and said:
"Brother Qingyang, the clan leader is here to complain to you."
"Why--"
Before the clan leader could speak, Zhao Qingyang flashed a cold light in his hand and stared at Xu Jinyu:
"Why, in Brother Yu's eyes, my swordsmanship is not as good as others?"
Hearing this, Xu Jinyu smiled helplessly at the clan leader:
"Look..."
Patriarch: "..."
Okay, the flattery is on the horse’s hooves!
The patriarch was puzzled as to why the prince had to stay at Xu Jinyu's house, but he did not dare to say anything. At this moment, he finally put his mind on Xu Jinyu:
"Let your mother burn this piece of meat and this chicken to replenish your health. Studying is the most difficult thing to do. The clan doesn't have much ability, so the clan leader can only help you with this.
By the way, this is the land deed of Xu Erniu's family. You, please ask your mother to take the time to go to the government office and exchange the deed. "
The patriarch took out a crumpled piece of paper from his arms, holding meat and chicken in his hand, and looked at Xu Jinyu eagerly.
The summation information is very obvious.
But everyone in the village is not rich, and they dare not buy just this piece of meat even during the Chinese New Year, let alone the chicken that is enough to support the entire livelihood.
Xu Jinyu did not embarrass the patriarch. He put the meat in the kitchen, sent the chickens to the chicken coop, and poured a bowl of water for the patriarch. However, the patriarch did not drink, but looked at Xu Jinyu with complicated eyes:
"Jin Yu, the person who gave me the news this time seems to be a wealthy family. He asked me to drive you away from the Xu family and gave him ten taels of resettlement silver... Although I don't know his identity, you should know it."
The patriarch's words made Xu Jinyu move his eyebrows slightly, and then he cupped his hands and thanked:
"Thank you clan leader for informing me, Jin Yu will keep it in mind."
"Just don't blame me for being confused!"
After the patriarch finished speaking, he hesitated for a long time and then said:
"Da Lang, I asked someone specifically to find out that one year's training at Dongchen Academy costs fifty taels of silver! I'm afraid it won't be enough even if your family sells iron. You and..."
As the patriarch said, he glanced at Zhao Qingyang with a very suggestive tone:
"The eldest son of the Duke's family is not short of three melons and two dates. Why don't you try to please him?"
The clan leader thought that he had been honest enough, but he didn't expect that Xu Jinyu's color changed slightly when he heard this:
"You don't need to worry about the matter between me and Brother Qingyang!"
After hearing this, the patriarch's face became a little ugly:
"Okay, if you don't want to flatter anyone, then your aunt is currently investigating the marriage of the only son of the Wang family. I heard that the bride price will be a hundred taels of silver. It just so happens that Dani is not too young..."
"Patriarch! The only son of Wang Yuan's wife is born stupid. What are your intentions in letting my eldest sister marry him!"
Xu Jinyu's eyes were full of anger, and the clan leader was frightened when he saw it, and then he became angry and said:
"It won't work this way, and that won't work either. With the little money your mother and I earn every month to keep your eyes open, I can't even afford it for you if you go blind!"
The patriarch was anxious and angry. He saw that the Xu family had a promising person, but he didn't have the money to spare!
"The clan leader doesn't need to worry about this matter. Jin Yu will find a way to solve it!"
The patriarch didn't take it to heart. No matter how talented the man was, he was just a child. What could be done?
"I want to see what you can do! If you can pass the exam, but if you can't, you will be embarrassed to death!"
After the patriarch left, Zhao Qingyang sat down under the grape trellis and bumped Xu Jinyu with his arm:
"Brother Yu, what did you say to the clan leader that you're going to start a quarrel?"
Xu Jinyu didn't want Zhao Qingyang to know about these troubles, so she just said a few words:
"The patriarch told the eldest sister about the marriage, it's not a good marriage."
"Hey, your sister is only fourteen years old this year. Who are you in a hurry to marry? Wouldn't it be better for you to wait two years and become a scholar?"
After listening to Zhao Qingyang's words, Xu Jinyu nodded, his face softened slightly, and Zhao Qingyang said again:
"I just listened vaguely. It seems that someone doesn't want you to stay in the Xu family. Who do you think it could be?"
"Ten taels of silver...I probably know who it is."
Xu Jinyu lowered his eyes and said this, and Zhao Qingyang suddenly felt curious:
"Who is it? To say that this person has bad intentions towards you, but yet he gave you the settlement money, it doesn't seem like he is going to kill them all!"
Xu Jinyu only shook his head:
"So what if you know? Apart from this matter, there is nothing else that can threaten me. By the way, Brother Qingyang, I don't want to mention this matter again, and I hope you can keep it secret."
"Okay, okay, I got it! Besides, I'm not stupid. Who can believe it?"
Xu Jinyu didn't tell the answer. Zhao Qingyang felt itchy in his heart, but he couldn't get anything out of Xu Jinyu's mouth, so he could only focus on the bamboo with suspense.
Xu Jinyu looked at it for a while and suddenly said:
"Brother Qingyang's swordsmanship is seventeen breaths faster than before."
Xu Jinyu's words made Zhao Qingyang confused at first, and then he suddenly became energetic:
"Really fast?!"
Xu Jinyu pointed to her eyes and nodded:
"When have my eyes ever gone wrong?"
Zhao Qingyang immediately became excited, and the Zhao family's swordsmanship in his hand was almost dancing.
While he was getting excited, Zhao Qingyang suddenly felt something strange:
His Zhao family's swordsmanship is so exquisite, why is it that Brother Yu is so familiar with it after only seeing it a few times?
Is this the power of photographic memory?
…
Xu Jinyu practiced calligraphy in the room for another afternoon. When her sickly body couldn't hold it any longer, she relaxed her pen.
Although Tai Chi gave this frail body a bit more continuous vitality, coupled with proper exercise, Xu Jinyu was no longer the original owner who gasped three times with every step and coughed with every three steps.
But even so, compared with ordinary people, there are still some shortcomings.
Xu Jinyu rubbed her sore wrist and looked at the black and white words on the paper, feeling somewhat satisfied.
If Lu Haiyuan could see it with his own eyes right now, he would be yelling at Xu Jinyu again!
This fluent handwriting, at first glance, is not something that can only be achieved after ten days and half a month of practice!
Xu Jinyu thought, now he has almost mastered calligraphy, and then he only needs to consolidate it on a daily basis.
Next, it's time to put making money on the agenda, otherwise it will really become the joke of the clan leader that he can't pass the exam but can't.
The evening sun fell with residual red around the young man's body. Xu Jinyu closed his eyes and thought. When he woke up for the first time, he knew from his mother's mouth that the family only had more than ten taels of silver, which was the result of frugality.
He had to think of new ways to make money.
Xu Jinyu had a lot of thoughts in his mind, and his eyes stayed for a long time on the bamboo strands split outside.
"Brother! Brother--"
At this moment, a crisp child's voice interrupted Xu Jinyu's thinking, and Xu Jinyu walked out without hesitation:
"Little sister, what happened?"
The little girl ran over and said with a smile:
"Brother, reach out, little sister has a surprise for brother!"
Xu Jinyu was slightly surprised, but then he opened his palms with a smile in his eyes. Just as his palms sank, two copper plates suddenly fell.
"This is……"
"It's Chunhua. Lanlan gave it to me. They all wanted the bamboo basket made by their brother, but the younger sister couldn't bear it, so she sold it to them alone for ten days!"
The little girl said with a smile, then looked at Xu Jinyu and said seriously:
"Naihe Niang said that my brother will need a lot of money to study in the future, and I will help him earn it! Moreover, my brother also made the basket, so I gave it to him!"
Xu Jinyu was still amazed by her little sister's shared bamboo basket, but then she felt warm in her heart:
"What little sister earns belongs to little sister. A man as big as brother can support himself!"
Sharing the bamboo basket gave him new inspiration.
At that time, people considered bamboo to be elegant, and the use of bamboo utensils was also highly sought after.
Perhaps, bamboo weaving is also a livelihood.
After hearing Xu Jinyu's words, the little girl pursed her lips:
"Brother, do you think I'm too young to be in the way?"
"No no!"
Xu Jinyu quickly coaxed her little sister, who sniffed:
"If not, brother will accept this copper!"
After the little girl finished speaking, she ran away, leaving Xu Jinyu dumbfounded.
Zhao Qingyang also said sourly at this time:
"Our girl is so nice!"
"Say it again!"
Xu Jinyu raised her eyes and glared at Zhao Qingyang. Zhao Qingyang quickly raised his hands to apologize. The next moment, he suddenly felt something was in his arms. When he looked closely, it turned out to be a copper plate:
"Brother Yu, what are you..."
"Brother Qingyang also contributes to the bamboo basket. This is the cost of hard work."
After Xu Jinyu finished speaking, he turned back to his room. He wanted to study how to use bamboo to weave something colorful.
Zhao Qingyang, holding the warm copper plate, froze on the spot.
