Be a master through ancient times

Chu Ci's return caused a heated discussion.

In fact, the main reason is that the old ladies sitting in front of his house talked a lot.The reason is that Chu Ci generously made a bowl of hot sugar water for each of them to drink.

In ancient times, industry was underdeveloped, and sugar was also a rare commodity, even more expensive than salt.Salt is a necessity of life, no matter what the imperial court will do, it will not cut off the people's livelihood. It has been regulating the price of salt.

But sugar is different. A few decades ago, this thing was usually only enjoyed by nobles or wealthy families.It wasn't until a worker improved the sugar-making technology by chance that sugar became a food that ordinary people could enjoy.

As for the people of Changxi Village, apart from being able to get some sweetness from the fruits in Ditou Mountain throughout the year, they can only eat a little during the Chinese New Year or when there are pregnant women at home.

Now sitting in Chu's house for a while can get a bowl of sugar water for nothing. Everyone was a little embarrassed, and they got up and said they wanted to leave.After Chu Ci persuaded again and again, they accepted it.

But the old man was not very willing to drink. He just put the bowl to his mouth and sipped it lightly, and then went home with an excuse, thinking in his heart that his children and grandchildren would follow suit.

Chu Ci puts a lot of sugar, even if it is mixed with a bowl of water, it still tastes sweet.Because Chu Xiaoyuan has already distributed peanut candy to most of the boys, so this time, as long as the grandma is not too partial, the girls in the family can drink more.

They start to learn housework at the age of six or seven, and it is rare for them to go out on weekdays. Unlike boys, they can go up mountains and down rivers to find things to eat and beat teeth.

After those old people left, Chu's mother complained a few words, saying that Chu Ci was a little too generous, but she was still very happy in her heart, after all, it was her son who made a face for her.

Chu Ci naturally wouldn't be angry, he took out the things he bought for everyone out of the basket and put them on the table.When Chu Guang saw the jar of wine, he couldn't see his teeth smiling, and was glared at by Chu's mother and Shen Xiuniang together.

But looking at the things bought for them on the table, the two felt worried.They do know how to eat red dates, but this is donkey-hide gelatin. I don't know where to start.Especially when you hear that it is expensive, you have to be more careful about it. It would be a pity if it is not wasted.

Chu Ci didn't know how to eat it. He also saw his grandma and mother eat it, but what they ate before seemed to be finished products.

But he just happened to be going to the village head and Dr. Huang's house, just in time to ask Dr. Huang.Chu Guang also wanted to keep up, he had to listen to what Doctor Huang had to say, and then come back and cook for them.

Chu Guang walked beside Chu Ci with two packs of yellow cigarettes and two packs of maltose. He said to Chu Ci, "Xiao Er, we have already spent more than half of the 50 taels you asked the village chief to bring back last time. We bought two acres in total. The paddy field and one mu of dry land, I saw, are both fertile land, so they are more expensive than others. Now I can’t find any other good fields, and when I go back, I will ask your sister-in-law to return the money to you.”

"Brother, what are you talking about? Yours and mine? This belongs to our family. Sister-in-law is the head of the house, so the money should naturally be placed with her. If you say such things again, be careful and I will tell mother. "

"Hey, brother, I won't talk about it in the future." Chu Guang smiled honestly twice.After a while, he suddenly asked: "Xiaoer, do you think brother is incompetent?"

Chu Ci frowned, stopped in his tracks, and looked at Chu Guang: "Brother, you are the best brother in the entire Wei Dynasty. If you were really incapable, our family would have starved to death! Did someone say something? Want to provoke our brother's feelings?"

In the memory of the original owner, both Chu's father and Chu's mother were not in good health, and Chu Guang was also the leader of the family when he was a teenager.When scrambling for water in summer, he was exposed to the sun all day, for fear that the fields would run out of water and the crops would not survive, and a layer of skin would peel off after a few days.In winter, when he went up to the mountain to cut firewood, he went out before dawn. After being chopped off by an axe, he insisted on dragging two bundles of firewood back. He went to Doctor Huang's to bandage him casually and then went up the mountain again, fearing that the firewood would be cut off at home.

When he first passed through, Chu Guang treated him in every possible way, because it was inconvenient to get up, and the buckets were all placed in the room, and Chu Guang went to pour them without any complaints.

To be honest, compared with Chu Guang, the original owner is like someone who was soaked in a honey pot. If you still look down on this elder brother in your heart, then you must be a wolf-hearted person.Fortunately, the original owner was not, and neither was he.

Hearing this, Chu Guang was very upset. He felt that he was not as good as his younger brother, and he always felt a little inferior when he was with him.But he didn't expect Chu Ci to respect him so much, he smiled and said: "No one said anything, it's just that I haven't made any money for a long time, and I feel a little uncomfortable."

In fact, he heard people chatting, saying that the Chu family can lie at home and not work in the future, and it will all be supported by Chu Ci.He felt very uncomfortable when he heard that, he didn't want to be an elder brother who could accomplish nothing but drag his younger brother back.

"Brother, you will have a lot of money to make money, but I will go to the county to study in the next year, and the family will rely on you."

"Well, don't worry, your sister-in-law and I are watching at home. We will also save your school money for you!"

The two brothers talked as they walked, and they arrived at the village chief's house in a short while.The village chief's house is in the east of the village, and his house should be the best in the village.The yard is built with earth, but the house is built with blue bricks and tiles.There are eight or nine rooms in total, and they look bright and clean. It is said that a lot of money was spent at that time!The villagers secretly guessed that at least seven to eighty taels of silver were spent.

The courtyard door was not closed, Chu Ci knocked on the door a few times, and saw a woman stuck her head out, "It's Chu Xiucai and Boss Chu. Come in and sit down. The old man just went out and will be back in a while."

"Auntie is here. Thanks to the village chief's care on weekdays, it is rare to come to the door today. A small gift is not a respect. I hope my aunt will not be disgusted."

The village head's wife smiled, she took the things, and said: "Oh, you scholars can talk, so I can't refuse. Come on, sit down, I'll go to the kitchen and pour you two cups of tea to warm you up." Warm up, it's very cold."

Chu Ci and Chu Guang declined with a smile, saying they would go to Dr. Huang's house and sit down next time.

After leaving the village chief's house, the two went to Dr. Huang's house again.Doctor Huang was drying herbs in the backyard at the moment. He heard the little girl at home call out, and only then did he know that Chu Ci and Chu Guang had arrived.

"You come to me, but what's the matter?"

"Doctor Huang, thank you for taking care of me all the time. This is a little kindness, and I hope you accept it. I do have something I want to ask you today. Are you free now?"

Doctor Huang didn't talk about those empty etiquettes, he asked the little girl to take the things in and handed them to her mother, then sat across from Chuci and the others, and said, "Speak, what's the matter?"

"Do you know how to make donkey-hide gelatin? I bought some to make up for my mother and sister-in-law, but I don't know how to use it best."

"This stuff nourishes blood and nourishes qi, strengthens the body and nourishes the vitality. It is really good for the body. Generally speaking, it is made into a solid essence ointment to eat. You can put that thing in a pot, and then add walnuts, red dates, etc. The dried fruit can be boiled and let it cool down, and if you want to eat it, you can cut it into pieces."

"Thank you, Doctor Huang." Chu Ci thanked, and then asked Chu Guang if he remembered.Chu Guang nodded, and decided to go back and dig a small piece to try.

The two exchanged a few words with Dr. Huang, then took their leave and went home.It's almost noon now, it's time to go back and cook.

On the way, they met Chu Xiaoyuan, who squeezed between the two of them, insisting on holding their hands, lifting his feet up from time to time, jumping up and down like a little frog.

After returning home, Chu Guang went to help in the kitchen, while Chu Ci carried Chu Xiaoyuan and said he wanted to check his homework.

Chu Xiaoyuan froze all of a sudden, he took a stack of papers from the room slowly, and spread them carefully in front of Chu Ci.

Chu Ci looked at the first few pictures first, and nodded with satisfaction. From the words, one can see a person's attitude, which shows that Chu Xiaoyuan is still very serious.

But the more you turn back, the more scribbled the handwriting is, and the words on the last sheet are almost as good as cursive.Chu Ci's face gradually darkened, and he stared at Chu Xiaoyuan without saying a word.

Chu Xiaoyuan lowered his head, tears streaming down his face: "Uncle, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."

"I taught you a few words about study before, you recite it for me."

"Woo... hard work is good, play is useless. Black hair doesn't know how to study early, Bai Shoufang regrets studying late. An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and an inch of gold can't buy an inch of time..."

Chu Xiaoyuan's voice became quieter the more he recited it, obviously he realized his mistake more clearly than before.

Mother Chu heard her grandson crying and wanted to go out of the kitchen to persuade him, but was stopped by Chu Guang and Shen Xiuniang.

"Mother, Xiaoer is teaching him the truth. If we go out and intervene, that little bastard will be even less afraid next time."

"Who cares who is called a little bastard? Have I ever called you two brothers like this before?" Mother Chu also realized that this idea was wrong, and turned her head to scold Chu Guang.Shen Xiuniang covered her lips with her sleeve to hide her smile, at least she had to give her a bit of face in charge.

"Learning is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will fall back. If you waste a day, it will take a few days to make up for it. My uncle hopes that you will understand a little bit in the future. Play hard when you play, and write carefully when you write. If you I don’t want to write now, and don’t force yourself, just have a good time and do it seriously when you come back, it’s better than half-heartedly.”

"Uncle, I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again." Chu Xiaoyuan said lazily. He felt very regretful and felt that he had let his uncle down.

"Uncle, do you hate me..." His tears flowed again.

Chu Ci hugged him in front of him and stroked his little head. "My uncle will never hate you, but I hope that you can make a difference when you grow up. There is a lot of knowledge in the book. If you don't hurry up and learn now, it will be useless if you regret it later."

"Uncle, I see."

After the meal, Chu Ci proposed an idea to the family: "I want to bring Xiaoyuan to the county to study."

"What?" The three adults shouted at the same time.

"Because of me, the private school in the village has been refusing to admit Xiao Yuan to enroll in school. Seeing that he is getting bigger and bigger, if he does not enroll, I am afraid that he will not be able to keep up with other people's progress in the future. I can't stay at home all the time. I will go to the county school in the next year. Yes, Xiao Yuan will be delayed by then."

"But, will the county society accept a child of his age?"

"There are also Mongolian children's classes in the county school, but it's usually the children of officials and gentry who study there. If I go to ask Mr., it may not be impossible to accept Xiaoyuan. If it doesn't work, there are several Mengtong children's houses in the county. Take Xiaoyuan to live outside, and pick him up every day."

The family was silent, and after a long time, Chu Guang spoke.

"Xiaoer, big brother knows that you are doing it for Xiaoyuan's good, but let's forget it. Your exam is more important. If you add an extra Xiaoyuan, you will be distracted." As a father, it is natural to make this decision. It was very painful, but Xiao Er had studied hard for more than ten years, if it was ruined, he would be even more unbearable.

Chu Ci smiled slightly, and said to himself: "Brother, if I didn't have that ability, I wouldn't brag about it. If there is only one more Xiaoyuan, I will regress in my studies, it can only show that my studies are not solid enough. Xiaoyuan is the eldest grandson of our family, he is able to make a fortune, and my father will be ecstatic if he knows about it. The ancestors of the Chu family will also be very happy."

Chu Ci had made up his mind, so everyone had no choice but to stop persuading him.

Shen Xiuniang has been very conflicted since just now, and she is happier than anyone else when her son has a chance to succeed.But what she said was right, if Xiao Yuan harmed Chu Ci, then she would not feel at ease for the rest of her life.

When she married, Chu Ci was only about eight or nine years old, so it can be said that she watched him grow up.Chu's mother is not in good health, and she usually takes care of her a lot.At that time, she hadn't conceived for three years, and she even regarded Chu Ci as the eldest son in her heart.

Fortunately, she can have the best of both worlds now, and she must offer two more sticks of incense to the Bodhisattva, begging her to protect the whole family from being safe and happy, and to protect them from going well outside.

……

Chu Ci stayed at home until the 22nd, then went to Zhang's house again.He checked the homework of the two of them and found that although he was not there, the two of them did not slack off, and he was very satisfied.

He pointed out the deficiencies in the article to the two of them one by one, and then silently uttered the articles he had done for their reference.His articles have been corrected by Master Qin and are good enough to be used as model essays.

Two or three days later, it was Zhang Wenhai's birthday.

Twenty and the crown, the crown ceremony is very important for men.The Zhang family is rich and powerful, so it is natural to have a huge momentum.Those who came to watch the ceremony were all famous families in the town.

After a series of complicated procedures, Zhang Wenhai finally had a character. The sea is vast and wide, so it is called "Kuozhi".

From now on, people of the same generation can't call him by his first name again, so Chu Ci and Fang Jinyang both called him Kuo's brother.

After this scene, Chu Ci also pondered in his heart that his birthday will be in September next year, so it's time to think of a resounding word for himself.