Because of Zhu Shouren's arrival, the dinner at the Zhu family's old house was much more sumptuous than usual. Not only was there an extra plate of scrambled eggs with green onions, but also an extra dish of stewed salted fish. Even the porridge was much thicker than usual.
Although Grandpa Zhu had a dark face throughout the meal, he acquiesced to Grandma Zhu's extra care for the eldest son Zhu Shouren, putting most of the plate of eggs and almost half of the salted fish in his bowl. The families of the third and fourth children who were eating at the same table were quite upset about this. Although it was a common practice to take care of the eldest child who was studying, they still felt upset.
The fourth son's wife, Zhao, was holding the baby Zhu Pingzhuang, who was less than one year old. Zhu Pingzhuang was drooling and pointing at the eggs excitedly with his fat paws. Zhao comforted Zhu Pingzhuang and taught him in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, Zhuangzhuang wants to eat eggs too. You can eat eggs when you grow up and study... Zhuangzhuang, you must learn from your brother Ping'an. Study hard and pass the imperial examination. Then, I, your mother, will not have to worry about food and clothing. You can eat boiled eggs in plain water in the morning, scrambled eggs at noon, and boiled eggs with brown sugar in the evening..."
Zhu Shouren, who was picking up scrambled eggs with his chopsticks, paused for a moment after hearing what Zhao said.
In fact, Zhu Shouren really didn't care about the fried eggs and salted fish. In the county town, he ate spicy food and drank spicy drinks, and the food was a hundred times better than this. However, on the table, these two were the only things he could eat.
Slightly red.
The eldest son's wife, Mrs. Wu, glared at Mrs. Zhao with dissatisfaction.
"Everyone, eat well!" Old Mrs. Zhu knocked on the table with her chopsticks, glared at Wu, then picked up a piece of scrambled eggs for Zhu Pingzhuang, put it in Wu's bowl, and said, "Give it to my good grandson."
"Let's thank grandma." Mrs. Wu held Zhu Pingzhuang's little hand and shook it twice, then ate obediently.
"Mom, I want to eat too." The fourth child laughed and shouted with sleepy eyes.
"You've slept until noon, how dare you eat scrambled eggs!" Old Master Zhu glared at him angrily.
"The family has been living peacefully these years and doesn't have to pay taxes, so we're much better off. Why don't we fry a few more eggs?" The fourth brother muttered, and when he met Grandpa Zhu's eyes, he couldn't help but shrink his neck and dared not say a word.
"I don't know where all the money went..." After being silent for a long time, the third son's wife Zhang couldn't help but warn the eldest son Zhu Shouren and said something.
Old Mrs. Zhu immediately turned her head and glared at Zhang, who lowered her head.
"Don't make noises while eating and don't talk while sleeping. Just eat your meal in peace. If you keep talking, stop eating."
Old Mrs. Zhu spoke.
After that, there was finally no more trouble at the dinner table, and everyone finished their lunch peacefully.
"Okay, we're done eating, Boss, hurry back to the county and continue studying for the exam!"
Just after the meal, Old Man Zhu urged the eldest son Zhu Shouren with a sullen face to set off immediately to the county to review his studies and prepare for the exam.
“Hey, hey…” Zhu Shouren responded, but did not leave. It seemed as if his feet had taken root, his face looked like he was constipated, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"What? Is there something wrong?" Seeing this, Mr. Zhu frowned.
"Ahem, it's just a small matter." Zhu Shouren coughed, and the constipated expression on his face became even worse.
"If you have something to say, say it. If you have to fart, fart now!" said Mr. Zhu impatiently.
"Yes, yes, you need to give me a few more taels of silver so I can study hard for the exam..."
At the urging of Mr. Zhu, Zhu Shouren rubbed his hands and spoke with an embarrassed look on his face.
"What?"
"You want money again?!"
After Zhu Shouren opened his mouth, cries like someone's tail being stepped on rang out in the room.
"Didn't I bring you five taels of silver when I went to the county three days ago? Why are you asking for money again?!"
As Mr. Zhu cursed, he raised his pipe and was about to hit Zhu Shouren, but suddenly he remembered that this was the pipe that Ping'an's grandson's wife had sent from afar to send him on his birthday. The pipe was made of Xiangfei bamboo, with delicate twisted wire carvings on it, the mouthpiece was made of jade, and the pipe was made of secret copper. You could tell it was a top-quality pipe as soon as you smoked it. Ordinary tobacco was also smooth and moist, and it had a unique bamboo fragrance. It was so delicious that you could feel like a god when you took a puff, and you would feel very proud when you took it out. Such a good pipe must not be damaged.
So, after thinking about it, Mr. Zhu carefully put the pipe into his waist, turned around and walked out of the kitchen, took out a long black fire stick, and rushed in holding it up like a knife.
"Old man, are you crazy?" Seeing that the situation was not good, Mrs. Zhu stepped forward and stopped Mr. Zhu.
"I'm not crazy, it's this rebellious son who is crazy. Let me go, I'm going to beat this unfilial son to death!"
Old Master Zhu was so furious that he was waving a fire stick and was ready to kill his own relatives for the sake of justice.
"Brother, when you came here you said you missed your parents because you were studying in the morning, and you wanted to come back to show your filial piety to them... ... but in fact you have no money, so you came back to ask them for money, right?"
The fourth brother tugged at the sleeve of his eldest brother Zhu Shouren, squinted his eyes, and asked in a nonchalant manner.
After saying this, Zhu Shouren's face turned even redder. "Ahem, what are you talking about, Old Four? I just miss our parents."
"Tsk, are you thinking about our parents' money?" The fourth brother curled his lips.
"Ahem... Nonsense." Zhu Shouren's face turned red like a monkey's butt, and he scolded without confidence.
Mr. Zhu was even more furious, as if he had turned on Super Saiyan mode. He pointed his fire stick at Zhu Shouren's face and asked angrily, "Boss, it's only been three days and you've already spent all the five taels of silver? Where did you spend the money?!
If you can't explain it clearly, I will make you understand clearly in front of all our ancestors today!"
"That's right, big brother. Even if you eat the best food every day, you can't spend so much money. Where did you spend the money?" The fourth brother also asked, and then said sarcastically, "Big brother, the places in the county that spend a lot of money are nothing more than eating, drinking, and gambling. You spent so much money in three days, you can't be... Oh, I remember that yesterday Zhang Laohei mysteriously pulled me aside and said that he saw big brother and the county's most beautiful woman Liu Sanniang in the temple to appreciate plum blossoms. I thought it was impossible, big brother is not that kind of person, so I scolded him severely and taught him not to ruin big brother's reputation. It seems that what Zhang Laohei said is not nonsense..."
"Brother, our money didn't just come from the wind. We saved money to support your studies, not to let you have affairs with prostitutes. If that's the case, we won't pay you this year..." The third brother was usually honest, but he couldn't help but be angry after hearing what the fourth brother said!
"Boss, did you use the money to go looking for prostitutes?!" The fire stick in Old Man Zhu's hand trembled uncontrollably, which showed how angry Old Man Zhu was.
"Boss, before I left, you asked me to go to the second brother's house and borrow three taels of silver. You're asking me to go to the county town to have an affair with you? You have no shame! I'm going to fight you!"
Before Mr. Zhu could get angry, the eldest son's wife, Mrs. Wu, had already exploded. She pounced on him and scratched Zhu Shouren with her nails, completely lacking the noble demeanor she usually pretended to have.
"It's insulting, it's insulting..."
Zhu Shouren tried to protect his handsome old face full of poetry and books with his hands, but he was no match for Wu's Nine Yin White Bone Claws, and was scratched all over on the spot, and could only cry out in pain!
"Eldest son's wife, calm down! Don't believe everything you hear. My eldest son is well-read in the books of sages, how could he be that kind of person! I can tell from the sound that it's Zhang Laohei who is full of shit! Fourth son, you too, bring up such nonsense!" Old Mrs. Zhu couldn't bear to see her eldest son get scratched, so she stepped forward, grabbed Wu, pulled her away, and spoke for Zhu Shouren.
"My dear son, is it what they said? What do you think is going on?" Old Mrs. Zhu turned her head and asked.
"What are you talking about?" "What are you talking about?"
"It's all nonsense!"
Zhu Shouren straightened his gown that was messed up by Wu, cleared his throat, and refuted the questions of the fourth brother and Wu with righteous words and indignation. Then, he looked like he was reminiscing about the past, and with a bit of humanistic sentiment of helping the world, he sighed: "Alas, it's all my fault for being so knowledgeable and talented! I was studying in the county, and one day I was invited to write a poem in a restaurant, and I met her. She was attracted by my talent. She didn't want a house, a name, or a good meal with me. She really admired my talent, and just wanted me to accompany her through the long night. You say, for such a good girl, is it too much for me to give her two taels of silver every time..."