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Extra—Hetang Academy
In the deep and secluded place at the southern foot of Qishan Mountain, a large number of residential houses are built against the mountain, scattered and hidden among the lush vegetation. On the tall archway at the foot of the mountain are written four powerful characters - Hetang Academy.
Today is the end of the spring break and the day when all the students return to the academy. The mountain road is bustling with activity. There are many young people carrying book boxes, and some from well-off families follow them, calling for slaves and maids. They have not been seen since the spring break, and they are familiar with each other. They couldn't help but get closer and chat for a few words, adding a lot of human voices to the silent mountain forest.
There was also a carriage moving slowly on the mountain road behind the mountain. The curtain of the carriage window was lifted from time to time, revealing a round little face, and the body was trying hard to lean out, but he could always be caught in the car. drag them back.
"Tuan Tuan, please sit still, otherwise you will have to copy two more pages when you get home later." Hehua couldn't remember how many times she dragged her son down from the car window, and finally couldn't bear to scold him.
Tuantuan twisted his butt, not wanting to be punished by copying books, so he finally calmed down, pouted and leaned into Qi Jintang's arms, humming: "Dad, look at mother, so fierce."
"Your mother is also doing it for your own good. She is holding the car window open in case she falls out or is scratched by a branch." Qi Jintang was wearing a cotton gown with a green scarf on his head. He smiled leisurely. Two years of living in the mountains have made him more calm and recuperative. He is no longer as youthful as he was in the past two years, but more calm and indifferent.
There were people waiting at the back door of the academy, and the threshold had been removed and put aside. The carriage drove smoothly into the backyard. The people waiting on the side held the reins of the horses, set up the footstools, and stretched out their hands to open the curtains.
"Second uncle!" Tuantuan shouted happily, walked out of Qi Jintang's arms and threw herself into the visitor's arms.
"Where have the servants gone? Why do you have to welcome them out?" Qi Jintang got out of the car and asked with a smile.
"It doesn't matter who comes out. I think Tuantuan is here." Boning hugged Tuantuan and looked at Qi Jintang reaching out to help Hehua get out of the car. He couldn't help but muttered, "You three as a family will have a great time when you go out and enjoy this place in the academy." Everything was left to me to deal with, and I was not even willing to come back two days early."
"I knew you were out of your mind. You just came out here to complain." Hehua laughed after hearing this. "I'll tire you out by doing you a favor now and then, and you'll be stupid if you're a scholar."
"Tch, just turn your elbows outward." Bonin curled his lips and was about to continue talking when someone interrupted him.
"Captain, Mr. Zhu, there's a fight between students in front of us." The boy in the front yard came over and said, "There's a big commotion out there, Commander, please go over and take a look."
"How could such a good person start a fight?" Qi Jintang frowned upon hearing this.
"It was just a scratch on the mountain road. It was not a big deal originally. But the student who scratched someone else is the son of businessman Liu Kerong. He is used to being domineering and domineering. He did not forgive others when he did something wrong. He insisted on asking the other party to apologize. Although the other party is a A poor student, but he still has some backbone, and if the two sides disagree, they will start fighting."
As soon as it was said that he was Liu Kerong's son, Qi Jintang and others knew who it was. Liu Kerong was a big local businessman with a wealthy family. Only his aunts in more than a dozen households had such a son. He had been a treasured child since he was a child, and he bullied others in the local area. A lot of things were done, and every time, his father followed behind to clean up the mess.
Now that he has reached the age of studying, he has been asked repeatedly to study at Hetang Academy. Qi Jintang told the Liu family all the rules of the academy, but they only promised that everything would be up to the teachings, so they had no choice but to accept this student. , I didn’t expect that such a scene would happen just after entering the mountain gate.
After hearing this, Qi Jintang walked forward. Boning handed the tuan tuan to He Hua and followed.
Tuantuan was so anxious that she squirmed back and forth in Lotus's arms and said, "Mom, let's go see it too, let's go see it too!"
Hehua couldn't do anything to hold him, and it was too heavy to hold him. He turned around and handed it to Bai Zhi behind him, tugged on his clothes and said, "I'm really scared of you, let's go and have a look!"
When He Hua and the others came forward, the fight had been suppressed. The ground was in a mess. A book box was smashed to the ground, and the contents were scattered everywhere. Several books had some shoe prints on them.
Tuantuan shouted in Bai Zhi's arms: "Students should cherish books and love them!"
"That's a good saying. Even children of a few years old understand the truth. Do you still need me to teach you one by one?" Qi Jintang said to Liu Maocai with a solemn face.
"Who are you? How dare you interfere in my uncle's business!" Liu Maocai was only thirteen this year, but he looked domineering with his nostrils turned upward. He looked at Qi Jintang, who was dressed in civilian clothes, and didn't take him seriously at all. He glanced at him and snorted disdainfully from his nose.
However, the students around him bowed their hands respectfully and called out politely: "Master Shan."
Liu Maocai was stunned when he heard this title. Before he went out, his father warned him that he must study hard. He said that the principal of the academy was very knowledgeable and had a good background, so he must not make mistakes. He took it seriously, but he didn't expect that the unspectacular young man in front of him was the mountain chief his father called him.
Thinking of this, he asked with some hesitation: "You... are you really the mountain chief?"
Qi Jintang put his hands behind his back and asked, "Doesn't it look like it?"
Liu Maocai nodded sincerely at this moment, and then muttered: "How can I tell that you are the mountain chief when you are dressed so shabbily."
Qi Jintang smiled instead of being angry, and said coldly: "Master Liu, please come back. Our Hetang Academy is so shabby that we cannot tolerate your honor." After saying that, he bent down and started to pick up the books on the ground.
Tuantuan jumped out of Bai Zhi's arms and ran to help. Only then did the other students around him come to their senses and bent down to help clean up.
Hehua stepped forward, looked at the injury of the poor scholar, and said comfortingly: "The book box is broken. I will find another one for you when I go back later. Follow me back first to apply medicine."
"Mrs. Shanchang..." The poor scholar lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to raise his head to look at He Hua and the girl behind her. "I don't dare to bother Madam. I, I'm fine. I'll be fine in a few days."
"Since you call me Madam Shanzhang, just be obedient." Before He Hua could finish her words, she saw Xiao Zhen and his wife coming out of the main entrance of the academy and looking this way, so he pointed over there and said, "You are Sorry, can you just go with Mr. Gu to take care of the wound?"
The scholar nodded and followed Mr. Gu.
Xiao Zhen came over and saw the mess all over the ground and frowned: "What are you doing so early in the morning?" He looked at Liu Maocai, curled his lips disdainfully, then picked up Tuantuan and rubbed his cheek affectionately. Asked, "You've been having so much fun these days, do you miss Aunt Zhen?"
Tuantuan put his arms around Xiaozhen's neck, kissed her vigorously on the face, smiled so hard that he couldn't even see his eyebrows, and said, "I think! Tuantuan brought a gift to Aunt Zhen."
"Hey, you're so good!" Xiaozhen was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't care about that thing, just to win the child's affection.
After the two of them had had enough intimacy, Xiao Zhen turned to He Hua and said, "Madam, all the female students arrived yesterday. I arranged for them to study in the inner courtyard early this morning and wait for you to come back for the school exam!"
"Well, I was delayed on the road this time, so I came back late." Hehua promised. Although she had long recognized Xiaozhen as her sister, she had never been able to change her words. Previously, she still called her grandma. She called her like that. It was smooth, but it put Mr. Gu somewhere. After getting engaged, Hehua forcefully pulled him over. However, the elder sister Xiaozhen couldn't call her out. Later, she opened an academy here and Mr. Gu also came over to become a teacher. Then she followed everyone and called her madam.
This academy has been open for more than two years. From the beginning, there were only a dozen students. After the results of the scientific examination were released last year, all the more than 20 students who participated in Hetang Academy were on the list. It became famous for a while, and many people came here to admire it. Since then, it has now grown to hundreds of male students, and there are also twenty or thirty female students.
Most of the students live in the college. They have holidays every spring during the busy farming season, during the hottest summer season, and during the Chinese New Year. The houses in the academy have been expanded by dozens compared to the original ones, and a large vegetable field has been cultivated on the hillside behind. The food in the academy is usually home-produced. Qi Jintang and Hehua teach students how to read and write every day, and take their son out when they have free time. Traveling around the mountains and rivers, my little life is really comfortable and comfortable.
"Mom, I've finished writing today's words." Tuantuan held up several pieces of paper filled with words, and regardless of Bai Zhi chasing him behind him to ask him to slow down, he shouted again and again and ran into the house, stretched out his hand in front of He Hua's eyes and asked him to slow down. She looked.
Hehua put down the account book in her hand, took the paper from her son's hand, stretched out her hand to hold her son in her arms, looked at the words one by one, pointed at the two words with too many strokes and said: "It's still the same old habit. When I write a word with too many strokes, Just tighten it up and down." After saying that, he pulled out a piece of paper, dipped the pen in the ink, supported his son's little hand, and re-wrote the two poorly written words, and then let him go aside to practice by himself. .
Bonin was holding a small basin and a tray, and shouted before entering the door: "Sister, look what I got."
As soon as Tuantuan heard the second uncle's voice, she couldn't sit still, her butt was pointed, and the pen in her hand stopped moving, and she just stared at the door.
"Hey, Tuan Tuan is here too!" Boning stepped forward with a smile, "Let's see what delicious food my uncle has prepared for you."
There is a small half-pot tray in the white porcelain basin. The red color is very attractive. Tuantuan was born in the south and grew up in the south. Although she went back to the northeast once with the lotus when she was more than two years old, it was during the Chinese New Year. Naturally, she did not. After seeing this thing, my eyes widened in surprise, staring at the tray in the basin and unable to move it.
Hehua took the brush from his hand and slapped him on the butt, "Go wash your hands and come back to eat."
Tuantuan quickly ran out to wash his hands, then ran back quickly, then stared at the things in the basin and asked: "Second uncle, what kind of fruit is this? I have never seen it before."
"These are raspberries. We call these raspberries in my hometown. They are rare in the south. I went down the mountain today and saw an old man holding so many of them on a big tree leaf, so I bought them all back for you to try. ." Bonin said, picking up a ripe one and stuffing it into Tuantuan's mouth.
The sweet and sour juice immediately filled the mouth, and Tuantuan's eyes narrowed unconsciously. After eating, he pursed his lips and said with a smile: "It's delicious!"
"If it's delicious, eat more." Boning placed the porcelain basin in front of Tuantuan, turned to look at his handwriting, and praised, "Tuantuan's handwriting is getting better and better, he is really capable."
"Stop praising him. What should I do if you praise him so much that your tail is raised?" Although Hehua said this, she was very happy every time she saw Boning's childish character when he faced Tuantuan.
Although this younger brother is the most talented in the family, he is also the one that worries her the most. Boning does not have the accident and tact of his elder brother, nor does he have the open-mindedness and cheerfulness of Shuanzi. He likes to keep everything in his heart and look for it. Even nine cows can't bring it back.
When I was young, at home, Bo Rong was studying and Shuan Zi was the youngest. The two of them naturally received more attention from the family. Only Bo Ning was stuck in the middle, and was pressed down by He Hua, who was also a twin. It was inevitable that he was the most neglected one in the family. By the time Hehua figured it out, everyone had grown up, and Bonin's temperament was basically set, and it would be difficult to change it.
Fortunately, Tuantuan has gradually grown up in the past two years. Although the two are more than ten years apart, they can always play together. Boning seems to have found a lot of childlike fun in Tuantuan that he could not enjoy when he was a child.
Hehua sat under the window and watched her younger brother and son laughing and fighting over the tray. Although all the food ended up falling into Tuantuan's mouth, the two of them still fought hard, as if it was just for fun.
Bonin suddenly came over, stuffed a tray into Hehua's mouth, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Hehua held the fruit in her mouth, leaned back relaxedly on the soft pillow behind her, and said vaguely: "Seeing how lively you two are playing, it's as if you have an extra son."
Bonin didn't react at first, but after thinking about it he realized something was wrong and reached out to pick up the lotus flowers.
The door curtain was lifted, Qi Jintang stepped in and said, "It's so lively today."
"Brother Jintang, Hehua bullied me." Boning opened his mouth to complain.
Hehua leaned on the couch and raised her foot to kick his butt, "No matter how big or small, after so many years, it's so difficult for you to call me sister."
"Who knows what happened when my mother gave birth to us, maybe I was born earlier than you!" Boning firmly refused.
"You little thing, it's not like you haven't screamed before." Hehua said while grinding her teeth.
"That's just to make you happy!" Bonin didn't wait for Lotus to get angry again, grabbed a few trays, and ran away in a hurry.
Hehua looked at Bonin's back and showed a happy smile.
Qi Jintang naturally knew where she was, so he leaned on the couch and said, "Bo Ning's temperament has become much more lively in the past two years, so don't worry all the time."
"Yes, when I was young, my family was poor, so I didn't care to pay attention to him. Later, I felt more and more that I owed him a lot. Fortunately, he focused solely on studying. Otherwise, if he went astray, I would never feel at ease in my life. " He Hua sighed softly and leaned on Qi Jintang's shoulder, "If you rely on me, I wish I could keep him by my side like this for the rest of my life, watching him get married and have children... But you and your eldest brother both said that this kid Boning His talent is good, I can't bury him just because of my own worries. Alas, I will let him go in this scientific examination."
Qi Jintang pressed a kiss on Lotus's forehead and comforted him: "Bo Ning has grown up. There is no need to worry so much. My eldest brother and I will also watch over him."
Tuan Tuan saw her parents gathered together and ignored her, so she grabbed a tray with one hand, squeezed onto the couch, stuffed the food into their mouths, and said, "Mom and dad will eat too, and Tuan Tuan also wants to kiss."
"You can eat it yourself!" Hehua hugged her son into her arms and kissed him hard on the face.
In the autumn of the following year, there were five students in the academy who wanted to participate. Two children from poor families did not even go home for the New Year and had been studying hard in the academy.
He Hua ordered to go down and clean up two rooms for the five of them to live and study. He went to check the supplies in the room himself and told several people: "I know that I will participate in Qiuwei next year, and all of you are eager to do so." I read and write without sleeping every day, but now there is still more than a year before Autumn, so you must take good care of your health. I am not trying to scare you. Every year in the provincial examination, some people are carried out because of physical discomfort. You are all You are very outstanding students in the academy. I don’t want you to be unable to pass the exam due to physical reasons, so you must eat well three meals a day, and don’t stay up too late. I will send someone to inspect you every day. You can do it on your own. You also need to arrange the time well. What time should you read and when should you take a rest every day? You are no longer a child, so you don’t need me to give you any more instructions, right? It’s a lot of words.”
"Don't worry, Mrs. Chief, we won't have to worry about it." The oldest student bowed and agreed, and the others followed suit.
Hehua came out from the students and went straight to Bonin's room. After sitting down, she said: "Boning, do you want to participate in next autumn?" No skipping words.
Bonin raised his head from the table and looked at Hehua with a little surprise, "Don't you want me to participate?"
"I stopped you before because you were too young. Firstly, I didn't want to put too much pressure on you. Secondly, with your ability, it may not be difficult to get on the list. But when you go to the capital after being on the list, you are too stubborn. I don't know how to accommodate changes. Beijing is not as good as our small place. We can't afford to offend those dignitaries. I'm afraid you will suffer a loss and the family won't be able to protect you." Hehua said carefully, "Now I have detained you for three years, and I can see that you have grown up, your temper has become calmer, and you are not as stubborn as you were when you were a child, so I came to ask you, do you want to participate?"
"Of course I want to!" Boning was happy when he heard this, stood up and replied, but then frowned and said, "Hehua, do you really agree with me to go? Or did Brother Jintang or someone else say something to you? If you If you really don’t want me to go to the capital, then I won’t go.”
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Hehua slapped him angrily, "Am I the kind of person who does whatever others say?"
Boning thought for a moment and shook his head. Although Hehua usually seemed kind, if it was something she was serious about, it would be useless what others said. So if she was really unhappy, even if it was her parents, I'm afraid it won't work, but thinking of this made him really happy.
"Since you have decided to go to Qiuwei, you can study here with peace of mind for more than a year. I will make arrangements for the exams back home. But there is only one thing. You are not allowed to stay up late like you did when you were at home. " Hehua stretched out her hand to stroke Bonin's collar, and then realized that he was already much taller than her. He seemed to be taller than Qi Jintang, and couldn't help but sigh, "He has really grown up."
As the days passed, Boning was really obedient this time. Instead of burying himself in a pile of books every day, he still found time to help out in the vegetable field in the back mountain and refresh himself.
Xiao Zhen couldn't help but talk to He Hua: "I see those people in the school want to carry books while eating. Why do we, the second master, still have time to toss in the vegetable field? Even if we want to stretch our bodies, there is no need to do that. A servant’s job.”
"Just let him go. There is no hard work in the vegetable field. I didn't do it all when I was farming at home." Hehua disagreed and was very satisfied with Bonin's state. "Our family doesn't raise those who forget their roots." child."
There is some truth in this saying. Last year, there was a student who came to school. He came from an average family but was very arrogant. He felt that he was very impressive just because he had read books about sages for a few years. Everyone in the family knew his temper, and his father and brother occasionally came to give him advice. He didn't dare to enter the mountain gate to deliver anything. He stayed outside and asked someone to bring it in, or asked someone to come in with a message asking him to leave.
Lotus once saw him taking something sent from home with his front feet and throwing it into the ravine with his back feet. He immediately got angry and went up to teach the person a lesson. Unexpectedly, the person still didn't regret it. The words are plausible but full of fallacies.
On the contrary, his father heard the commotion here and hurriedly came over to help his son excuse himself. He bowed to the lotus repeatedly to apologize, which made the lotus feel at a loss. From then on, he simply turned his back and seldom went forward.
When Xiao Zhen heard He Hua talk about this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said: "I heard from my husband a few days ago that the student's mother passed away and now she has gone back to attend funerals. I just hope that he can be more considerate of his father and brother in the future. Heart."
"We have nothing to do with other people's affairs, so I have always said that children must be well educated. It doesn't matter whether they study well or not. We must first learn how to be a human being. We must not forget the fundamentals." Hehua said, hugging her and listening. Tuantuan, who didn't understand, put his head on his forehead and said, "Tuantuan is not allowed to imitate those who are ignorant."
"Tuantuan will be like his second uncle in the future, studying and growing vegetables at the same time!" Tuantuan didn't quite understand the conversation between Hehua and Xiaozhen just now. When he heard what Hehua said, he answered randomly based on his own understanding.
The two people in the room burst into laughter after hearing this. Bonin only listened at the door, picked up the curtain and came in: "You are really idle, what are you planning for me?"
"Who arranged it for you? It's too late to praise you!" He Hua hugged her son and smiled, leaning up and down.
Xiaozhen stood up, gave the place to Boning, and left by himself.
Hehua put Tuantuan back on the couch, raised her head and asked Bonin, "It's more than a month until the exam. How are you preparing?"
"It's just a provincial examination, you don't have to worry about me." Bonin said in a loud tone, but there was indeed a smile in his eyes, and he seemed to be really relaxed.
He Hua said angrily: "It's okay to say such shameless words in my room, spread it out and let others think about you."
"It's not a big deal if you fail the exam. I'm still young, so why worry? There are a few people in the academy who are going to take the provincial exam, and the youngest one is five or six years older than me!" Boning still looked nonchalant. He smiled and winked at Hehua, "You used to worry when I was trying my best to take the exam. Now that I have a better attitude, you still don't worry. My mother is not as worried as you. Be careful, you will grow old quickly. When the time comes, Jin Brother Tang doesn’t want you anymore.”
Hehua was so angry that she stretched out her hand and pinched him hard, "What nonsense are you talking about in front of the child!"
In May, Hehua began to make plans to return to the north. Most of the things she brought back to her family were the things she brought home. Then she prepared a change of clothes for two people, various supplies, and even two cars were not loaded with bits and pieces. Stop it.
Boning had never paid attention to these trivial matters, but one day he accidentally saw it and couldn't help but said: "Sister, are you moving back?"
"It's a rare trip back, so naturally I have to bring more things for home." He Hua glanced sideways at him, "I'd better bring as little as possible!"
Boning watched speechlessly as Hehua packed her clothes, and then said hurriedly: "Sister, you don't want to go back with me, do you? It's a lot of words."
He Hua stared at this and said, "Do you think I can let you go back on your own without any worries?"
"But..." Boning wanted to say what to do about his brother-in-law and what to do about Tuantuan, but thinking that Hehua would definitely have various reasons to block his mouth, he simply stopped asking.
A round voice came from behind: "Mom said that my second uncle is still a child, so I don't worry about my second uncle going back on his own."
Boning turned around, picked up Tuantuan and put it on his shoulder and said: "You are so little, how dare you say that I am a child?"
"Tuan Tuan is a man now. Mom said Tuantuan can take care of himself, so Mom has to take care of his second uncle..." Before Tuantuan could finish his words, Boning took him off his shoulder and put him under his arm.
Bonin spun around twice, making everyone giggle.
Hehua put Tuan Tuan to sleep at night. When he came out, he saw Qi Jintang still crouching at his desk correcting students' essays. He stepped forward and turned on the lamp brighter, stretched out his hand to rub his temples and said, "It's very late. Let's read it tomorrow. I'll read it at night." Something that tires the eyes.”
"Well, I won't read this article until it is corrected." Qi Jintang said without raising his head.
Lotus's hand stroked Qi Jintang's forehead twice, then moved along his hair to his back, kneaded it a few times and said, "I'm going to leave in a few days, so you just kept staring at the article. Why don't you look at me a few times?"
Qi Jintang snorted. He originally wanted to hold on, but in the end he put away the pen, turned around, hugged Lotus into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her red lips. He kissed her until she was breathless before breaking away, looking at those moist lips. I couldn't help but take a bite, "You annoying little goblin, why did I stay up late to correct the article? Isn't it just to spend more time with you in the next two days?"
Hehua stretched out his hand and pulled off Qi Jintang's belt, leaned on the desk with a charming look, and gave him a look, and his hand had quietly slipped into his lapel... (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome Please subscribe, give rewards, and your support is my biggest motivation.)
Extra—Hetang Academy