The north wind was blowing outside and the night was extremely cold.
After cleaning up the table after dinner, mother Chen returned to the bedroom absent-mindedly. Father Zhu then put the foot-washing water prepared by Chen's father under her feet. Chen almost knocked over the foot basin while washing her feet.
"Our family is not short of money, so it's okay to lend some to your elder brother. He said he would pay it back." Zhu's father thought that Chen was upset about the ten taels of silver that she had lent to her elder brother Zhu Shouren in the evening, so he couldn't help but comfort her.
"I don't know when that will happen." Chen curled her lips, "I don't expect your elder brother to pay me back. I watched Jun'er grow up, so it's only right that I pay some money to help him find a partner."
Upon hearing this, Zhu's father chuckled. He also knew his eldest brother's character. He had never shown any intention of paying back the money he had borrowed from him privately several times before. Not to mention paying it back, his eldest brother had never even mentioned borrowing money.
"His father, Jun'er has already got married. Do you think it's time for our Zhu'er to get married as well..." Chen hurriedly washed her feet carelessly, then looked at Zhu's father and asked with sparkling eyes.
"Don't worry, Jun'er is one year older than Zhi'er. Besides, Zhi'er will be going to the capital to take the exam soon. Don't let him be distracted."
Zhu's father then realized that Chen's absent-mindedness was not because of the loan, but because of Zhu's marriage. After hearing Chen's words, Zhu's father thought for a moment, shook his head, then bent down and brought Chen's foot washing water to himself, took off his shoes, and washed his feet with Chen's foot washing water.
"That's right. Zhi'er is about to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination. He has only been home for a few days."
Chen thought that Zhu Ping'an was about to go to the emperor to take the exam, and it would be bad if it affected the exam, so Chen temporarily suppressed the idea of arranging a marriage for Zhu Ping'an.
In another room, Zhu Ping'an didn't know that he was almost engaged. At this time, Zhu Ping'an was sitting at the desk by the window. With the light of the oil lamp, he was flipping through the books borrowed from the rich man Li's house. He read for a while and copied for a while. When his hands were too cold to bear, he put them in his sleeves to warm them for a while, and then picked up the pen to continue copying.
Zhu Pingan really regarded the eight-part essay as a tool for the imperial examination and entered the officialdom at first, and he was completely critical of it. But after reading and reading it more, Zhu Pingan gradually began to admire and respect it.
Eight-part essays do not have the charm of Song poetry or the grandeur of Tang poetry, but they have unique and meticulous thinking, and they can also be magnificent, fresh and elegant, or brilliant and magnificent. Even if they are limited to the strict eight-part format, they actually leave room for innovation and difference for truly knowledgeable and talented people.
The most important thing is that this is also a stepping stone for children from poor families to advance in their careers. After the bitterness of studying hard, there is the joy of being on the list of successful candidates.
After Zhu Pingan finished copying a model essay, he read it carefully, comparing its ideas and writing style with the eight-part essay he had written based on the topic several times, extracting the essence and finding the deficiencies, and gained a lot in a short time.
After reading this eight-part essay, Zhu Ping'an picked up his pen and wrote another eight-part essay. When he was halfway through, the oil lamp suddenly went out.
The windows were closed tightly, and no wind could blow in. But the oil lamp suddenly went out.
It was late at night and quiet outside, and the sound of the wind was eerie, like the cry of a ghost.
Could it be
Zhu Pingan held the oil lamp. His body paused...
"well... ... "
At this moment, a sigh was heard quietly floating in the house.
"The lamp is out of oil again."
Zhu Pingan paused and sighed. He had noticed a few days ago that the oil in the lamp was running low, but he forgot to add more oil. Now the oil was gone. But his ideas were flowing, and he had only written half of the eight-part essay. This feeling was like a man and a woman doing something very interesting and then having their lifeblood strangled halfway through.
Zhu Ping'an had no choice but to put on another thick coat. Holding the oil lamp, he pushed open the door and went to the kitchen. His mother, Chen, had put all the lamp oil in the kitchen, so he had to go to the kitchen to refill it.
It was late at night outside, and the moonlight was cold, so I could barely see my feet.
Zhu Ping'an entered the kitchen, lit the kitchen oil lamp with a flint, then used the light to add oil to his own oil lamp, lit the fire again, and then blew out the kitchen oil lamp.
As Zhu Ping'an walked out of the kitchen holding the oil lamp, he saw a dark shadow standing at the door, appearing abruptly in the moonlight.
Zhu Ping'an almost threw the oil lamp in his hand to the ground.
"Zhi'er, it's you. I thought there was a thief in the house. Why aren't you sleeping yet?" came Zhu's father's voice.
Dad, don’t you know this will scare the shit out of people
Zhu Pingan looked at his father with resentment, shook the oil lamp in his hand and said, "Dad, the oil lamp in my son's room ran out of oil just now, so I came over to add some oil."
"It's almost midnight. Stop reading and go to sleep, my dear." The door of the main room was pushed open, and mother Chen said while standing at the door yawning.
"Okay, I got it, Mom. I'll go to sleep now." Zhu Ping'an replied.
Zhu's father and Chen went back to their rooms to rest one after another. Zhu Ping'an entered the bedroom with an oil lamp, put it on the table, sat at the table and continued writing the eight-part essay he had not finished.
The next morning, when Chen got out of bed, she looked through the window and saw Zhu Pingan, who had slept very late the night before, sitting in front of the big rock in the yard practicing calligraphy. She couldn't help but feel distressed. Why did this silly child get up so early? Did he sleep well last night
Zhu'er was studying so hard that Chen really didn't want to disturb him anymore, so she gave up the idea of arranging a marriage for Zhu Ping'an.
"Dad, go catch an old hen from the chicken coop and kill it to make soup." Chen stood in front of the window and turned to say to Zhu's father who was getting up.
"Didn't the Zhang family just send over a processed rooster yesterday?" Father Zhu said to Chen while putting on his shoes.
"A rooster can't be as nourishing as our old hen. I see Zhu'er got up so early again. I don't know when he went to bed last night. We have to nourish him well." Chen said with concern as she looked at Zhu Ping'an who was working hard outside the window.
"As long as you don't feel bad." Father Zhu smiled.
"Kill him just because I tell you to. You talk too much. Are you a man?" Chen glared at Zhu's father.
"You don't know whether I am a man or not..." Mr. Zhu muttered with a double meaning.
"What are you talking about!"
Before he could finish his words, Chen, with a red face, twisted Zhu's father's arm hard.
Father Zhu didn't cry out in pain, but just grinned foolishly.
"What are you laughing at? Empty the chamber pot!" Chen glared at Zhu's father with a red face, turned her head, and went out to cook.
Zhu Ping'an was practicing calligraphy on a stone when he heard a commotion in the chicken coop. He turned around and saw Zhu's father, with a few chicken feathers on his head, holding an old hen and muttering, "Little chicken, little chicken, don't be weird!" Then he cut the chicken cleanly with a knife, plucked the feathers and gutted it with hot water in one go, and then took the chicken to the kitchen to ask Chen for credit...
It’s obvious that the mother is going to give herself a snack.
With a home like this, what more could I ask for
Zhu Pingan felt that his whole body was full of strength, and his lower body was as smooth as flowing water. (To be continued)>