"Of course."
Chunniang smiled and pulled her little girl into the house to ask some questions.
Yingbao told A-niang the whole story and told her not to worry, as Mr. Wu was very kind and would definitely teach Xiaojie well.
Chunniang had nothing to worry about. The fact that a rootless farmer like her was chosen by Master Wu as his disciple was a blessing her son had earned over several lifetimes.
"Baoer, do you want to make two pairs of shoes for Madam Wu and Master Wu?" Chunniang asked.
Yingbao thought for a moment and said, "But we don't know the shoe sizes. How about I give them some health pills? Then you don't have to worry about it."
"That's fine too." The pills prepared by the little girl are famous in the whole village and are very precious. It would not be embarrassing to give them as gifts.
Chunniang calmed down and went to the kitchen to make egg noodles for the father and son.
Old Man Jiang soon learned about Xiaojie's apprenticeship and immediately ran to ask Jiang Sanlang.
"Sanlang, is Xiaojie really in the county to become a disciple? Can Yuanbao go too?"
Jiang Sanlang was a little embarrassed. "Dad, I don't know. Mr. Wu is not a private school teacher. It seems inappropriate to rashly suggest that Yuanbao go."
Seeing his father was depressed, Jiang Sanlang said, "Why don't I ask Xiaojie when he's on vacation?"
Old man Jiang nodded and sighed: "If it really doesn't work, go to the county town and ask which academy is good, and send Yuanbao to study there."
Jiang Sanlang originally had this plan, so he quickly agreed: "Okay! I'll go ask next time."
The county school was opposite the little girl's shop, and students or their servants often came to buy fruit.
If you want to know about the academy, no one knows better than the scholars in the county school.
The next morning, Jiang Quan got up early to pick grapes. This time he planned to pick six baskets to take to the county town to save the trouble of transporting them back and forth.
Yingbao, Dani and Erni also each took a pair of scissors to help pick the grapes. Each of them carried a small bamboo basket and selected the ripe ones, eating them as they picked them.
Today the grapes are big and sweet, with a layer of white frost on the purple skin, which is very tempting.
But recently, birds often fly over to peck at the grapes, often peck the bunch of grapes into pieces.
When Jiang Quan saw the damaged grapes, he was so angry that he cursed and angrily picked out the rotten fruits and put the undamaged ones back into the basket.
This is all money, and it cannot be wasted.
These birds not only peck at grapes, but also particularly like to peck at ripe red peppers.
Fortunately, Chuchu had been helping to look after the birds. When she saw a large flock of birds flying over, she ran over waving a long bamboo stick to drive them away.
Chuchu also came to chase the birds this morning, waving a bamboo pole back and forth.
There were a few strips of cloth hanging on the bamboo tips, and the birds would be scared away when they were waved.
"Sister Chuchu, come in and eat some grapes." Yingbao waved at her.
Chuchu felt a little embarrassed, and after a while she still ran in to help pick the grapes and put them into the basket.
Yingbao picked a bunch of big purple ones and stuffed them into her hands, urging her, "Sister Chuchu, try it and see if it tastes good."
Chuchu took it, picked one and put it in her mouth, nodding repeatedly: "It's delicious."
Yingbao smiled and said, "Bring some for Chu Yan and the others to try later."
"Yeah." Chu Chu nodded, finished eating the grapes in her hand, and hurried to help pick them.
"Yingbao, the peppers are all red and birds come to eat them every day. What should we do?" asked Dani.
It was the first time she had seen pepper, and she didn't know how this thing could turn into black peppercorns.
Yingbao: "Pick all the red pepper fruits, put them in sacks and send them to the river to soak. After soaking for a few days, pour them into a basin and step on them to remove the pulp. Then wash them with water and dry the remaining kernels in the sun for a few days."
This was what Mrs. Wen told her.
"Okay, I'll call a few people to help later." Dani said, "Just give them some grapes when the time comes."
The grapes grown by Third Aunt's family are coveted by the whole village, but few dare to come in and steal them.
Unmarried girls were too embarrassed to even approach the edge of the garden, for fear of being called a cat's mouth by others.
Dani was good friends with several girls in the village. She knew that they all wanted to taste what Western grapes tasted like, but she couldn't give them to them privately.
The peppers in the pepper garden are gradually ripening, so why not ask them to do some work, and I can also pick some grapes for them to taste.
"Okay." Yingbao certainly had no objection.
The pepper garden is so large, and the vines are so dense that the peppers are hidden under the leaves, making it difficult to pick them. A Niang cannot handle it all by herself.
But I am short and small, so I can't even reach the slightly taller vines, let alone pick the pepper.
Dani smiled, picked two baskets of grapes and ran back home. She wanted to ask some of her friends to come over and pick peppers.
Jiang Quan was a little unhappy when he heard this. He glared at his little cousin and muttered in a low voice, "A spendthrift!"
These grapes are money, why is she so generous
Yingbao glared back: "Many of them are overripe and fell to the ground. Instead of wasting them, why not give them a taste?"
Jiang Quan snorted, and quickly cut off the good-looking ones one by one and gently put them into the basket.
Six baskets of grapes were finally picked. Jiang Quan brought a carriage and loaded all the baskets onto it.
"I'm leaving now. You stay at home and watch over me."
Jiang Quan told his little cousin: "There are still a lot of peaches and apricots left on the tree. If you want to give them away, take those."
Apricots and peaches are not expensive, only a few cents per pound, so I wouldn't feel bad even if I gave them away.
Grapes are different. They are a rare commodity and many people come to look for them, which makes Jiang Quan feel very proud.
If he wasn't afraid of picking too much at one time and not being able to sell them and them going bad, he would have wanted to pack a few more baskets to take away.
"Got it!" Ying Bao waved at him and suddenly asked, "Are you going to the county town alone?"
Jiang Quan thought for a moment and said, "Why don't I call Li Dao." He was indeed a little scared to go alone.
It’s about a hundred miles away, it would be troublesome if we met bad guys.
One more person means more protection, so Jiang Quan decided to add Wang Dashan.
With Li Dao and Wang Dashan accompanying me, I feel brave enough.
After watching her second cousin drive away in the carriage, Yingbao picked two more baskets full of grapes.
One basket was given to Mrs. Wen and Sister Wen, and the other basket was given to Chu Chu to take to Chu Yan and Master Zhang Meng for them to taste.
When Yingbao walked into the school carrying the basket, she saw two carriages parked in the school yard.
This was what Wen Fu had just bought in the county town, and he was going to give it to Madam Wen and the others when they returned to Yuzhou.
Yingbao handed the basket to the wet nurse and ran to the inner room to find Mrs. Wen.
"Master, are you leaving now? But I still have a lot to learn." She looked at Mrs. Wen who was packing things with an accusing look.
Madam Wen touched her head and said softly, "I have taught you everything I have learned. The rest depends on you."
She took out a letter from her makeup box and handed it to Yingbao. "This is a letter of recommendation from Shu'er's grandfather. If you want to continue your studies, take this letter to the Luzhou Medical Office."
Yingbao held the yellow-covered letter and tried hard not to cry.
The city is so far away, how could I leave my parents and younger brother behind to study alone
Wen Shu came over and saw Ying Bao was unhappy, so he said softly, "Didn't you know that we were going back to Yuzhou? Why are you unhappy?"
Yingbao pursed her lips, but couldn't help but let her tears fall.
Although she knew it, she just didn't want them to leave.