Smoke was rising from the Zhu family's old house. Aunt Zhu Ping'an was cooking in the kitchen. Old Man Zhu was sitting in the yard smoking a pipe, still wearing his almost-new blue cloth suit. Old Lady Zhu was sitting opposite Old Man Zhu picking vegetables.
The two chatted idly.
"The people who brought the good news have been here for several days, why hasn't Zhu'er come back yet?" Old Master Zhu took a puff of his pipe and muttered to himself.
Old Mrs. Zhu stopped picking vegetables and shook the vegetables in her hand. "Don't nag about it. We have separated now."
Old Master Zhu glared and said, "Even if we divide the family, they are still my grandchildren. Besides, you were the one who spoiled the eldest and the fourth sons in the first place."
"Now you are blaming me. It was you who suggested dividing the family in the first place." Old Mrs. Zhu retorted.
Mr. Zhu knocked his pipe against the chair twice. Mrs. Zhu's words touched the scar in Mr. Zhu's heart that he regretted the most. It would have been great if there hadn't been that accident. It would have been great if he hadn't insisted on sacrificing the second son to save the first son. Now, the honor of Zhi'er's first place in the high school entrance examination should not be discounted at all.
Now, alas, Mr. Zhu has sighed more than once.
"Well, they are all the eldest grandsons of our Zhu family. Nothing will change." Old Mrs. Zhu felt sorry for Old Mr. Zhu. Looking at his regretful expression, she hurriedly put down the vegetables she had picked and began to comfort Old Mr. Zhu.
well
Mr. Zhu sighed again.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Then
"Grandpa and grandma."
A simple and innocent voice came from the front door.
Hearing this voice, the sigh and regret on Mr. Zhu's face suddenly disappeared. He stood up from his chair suddenly with a look of ecstasy on his face.
Old Mrs. Zhu threw the vegetables she had picked to the ground and turned around to look at the gate in disbelief.
"Oh, Zhu'er is back, oh, he brought chicken and a big piece of meat..."
No one knew where the fourth aunt appeared from. As soon as Zhu Pingan finished speaking, the fourth aunt appeared, took the big bowl from Zhu Pingan, and started chattering.
Long time no see. Security inspector Auntie Si.
"Hello, Fourth Aunt." Zhu Ping'an greeted Fourth Aunt with a silly smile, just like last time.
"Okay, okay, Zhu'er is better. You don't know that this time the news of good news is even louder than the last time. You don't know. The people from the county didn't know the way and went to the wrong door. We thought it was your uncle who got pregnant at first." Little Fourth Aunt was very enthusiastic. After she finished speaking, she pulled Zhu Ping'an's arm and pulled him into the yard. "Why are you still standing there? Come in quickly."
When Aunt Xiao Si mentioned that they had walked into the wrong door, my grandparents couldn't help blushing even after so many days.
"Zhi'er is back." Aunt San, who was lighting a fire in the kitchen, added a handful of dry firewood and walked out of the kitchen.
"Hello, Third Aunt." Zhu Pingan greeted with a simple smile.
"Zhi'er has really brought honor to our family." Third Aunt praised him.
"Come on, come in and talk." Grandfather held his pipe, waved his hands repeatedly, and had a smile on his face.
"Yes." Zhu Ping'an nodded and walked towards his grandfather.
"Zhi'er is here." At this time, the aunt came out of the house with a somewhat melancholy expression.
Zhu Ping'an also greeted his aunt with a silly smile.
Zhu Ping'an went into the house and talked for a long time with his grandparents, third aunt, fourth aunt and others. His grandparents were much more loving than before, and fourth aunt and others were also more enthusiastic than before. Without his grandmother's instructions, water was poured and they even brought a plate of roasted melon seeds.
"Zi'er, go back and tell your father that our Zhu family will hold a banquet in a few days and invite the villagers to join in the fun." Grandfather took a puff of his pipe. He was very positive about this matter.
Well
It's not necessary.
"The village chief came to mention it a few days ago. You are the first in our village and the first in our town. It's a good opportunity to use this to inspire the young people in our village." Grandfather said this with pride.
"Okay, grandpa." Zhu Ping'an nodded.
After talking for a while in the Zhu family's old house, Zhu Ping'an politely declined his grandmother's invitation to stay for dinner and went home with an empty bowl.
Before he even reached the house, Zhu Ping'an discovered that his mother Chen was sitting under a big tree in the glow of the setting sun, chatting happily with five or six aunties and grandmas.
It's almost time for dinner. Why did mother Chen come out to chat? In the past, mother didn't like to chat with these aunties.
"Zi'er, come here."
When mother Chen saw Zhu Ping'an, she waved from afar.
Zhu Ping'an responded and strode over.
"Hurry up, tell me again, what benefits does being a student in the imperial academy bring you? Tell me at home, I didn't remember them." When mother Chen asked Zhu Ping'an questions, her face was full of pride.
Well
I almost forgot my mother Chen's show-off nature.
Zhu Ping'an still knew what to do at this time, so he just cooperated with all his strength.
"Oh, my son won't have to pay taxes from now on, and military service and corvée labor will have nothing to do with him." Zhu Ping'an cooperated with his mother Chen and spoke.
Every time Zhu Ping'an said something, his mother Chen's face showed a little more pride, and there was expectation in her eyes, expecting Zhu Ping'an to continue.
"My son is a student on government stipend, and the students on government stipend are the best among the scholars. The government gives him six dou of rice every month, as well as miscellaneous allowances such as fish, meat, oil, etc." Zhu Ping'an naturally understood the meaning of his mother's eyes.
"Every year the government gives my son at least four taels of silver."
At this time, the aunts and grandmas sitting around mother Chen all made noises in surprise. Of course, when mother Chen heard the aunts and grandmas' noises of surprise, the smile and pride on her face became even more intense.
"Also, I heard you say something about being on equal footing with the county magistrate." Mother Chen reminded.
It's not good to remember it so clearly and yet you say you didn't remember it, mom.
"You don't have to kneel when you meet an official. Your son can also present a visiting card and visit the county magistrate at any time." Zhu Ping'an completely cooperated with his mother Chen at this time.
"Even if my son made a mistake, the government would not beat him with a stick, let alone punish him, unless the education official far away in Yingtian stripped him of his academic title..."
"Pooh, pooh, pooh, we won't break the law." Upon hearing this, mother Chen hurriedly interrupted Zhu Ping'an. Mother Chen couldn't bear to hear anything bad about Zhu Ping'an, even if it was hypothetical.
"Of course, my son would not break the law knowingly." Zhu Ping'an made assurances again and again, and his mother Chen smiled happily.
"Ah, no wonder they all want to take the exam to become a scholar. It turns out that the scholar masters are so powerful."
"You who are from the Shouyi family, just wait and enjoy your life."
"That's right, your second child is really promising."
At this time, the aunts and grandmas around were surprised and envious, making mother Chen unable to stop laughing.
Even on the way home, the smile on my mother Chen's face never faded. (To be continued.)
ps: Due to some things, this chapter was updated a little late, sorry. The content about the prostitute in Chapters 144, 5, and 6 has been modified. I hope everyone will not be stingy with their comments after reading it. After the chapters are modified, you can directly click on the previous chapters on Qidian Mobile and PC web pages, but readers who use Qidian Mobile Client may need to re-download the chapters. The previously loaded ones will not be automatically changed. Delete the book first, then add it to the bookshelf and you can read it (thanks to Lidong Youxia for reminding).
Finally, there is one more chapter in the evening, around eleven o'clock.
Finally, I shamelessly ask for monthly tickets.
If I can make it into the top six, it will be a great honor and a great reward for me.
Thank you.