Xue Qingshan's face was a little ugly, and at the same time he was a little surprised.
This nephew of his has never spoken much, and he can't make a fart with three sticks. He only acted like this because of the two little temperaments of the second room.
However, he lived older than Xue Tingxiang, and naturally he would not forget to do superficial work.
He sighed: "The young boy is spoiled by his mother, and it's also my uncle's disciplining. The uncle is here to accompany you."
Xue Tingxiang hurriedly avoided and said, "Uncle, don't say that, Ting'er is a junior and can't bear it."
"Ting'er? I didn't expect you to have a name for yourself." Xue Qingshan laughed, but also wanted to point out that Xue Tingxiang's name was not correct, and he was not so sensible and polite on the surface.
Generally, names are given by elders, not just one for the younger generation. If it is an ordinary villager, it is fine, but Xue Tingxiang is a scholar, and a scholar should understand etiquette and observe the etiquette. Read.
Xue Tingxiang was very transparent and understood what Uncle meant. He laughed and said, "When my father was still alive, I asked Grandpa and Uncle to help me choose one. Uncle used a cheap name to support him. Now the court refuses. My son is fourteen, how can I keep using a nickname, so I randomly picked one by myself."
As soon as these words came out, Xue Qingshan's expression turned a bit ugly. Xue Tingxiang was obviously saying that as an uncle, he didn't want to name him, and he meant to belittle it. After all, since you have been educated, you must not have no name.
He smiled reluctantly and explained: "Uncle, it's not because you have a bad body and want to name you when you are an adult. You can't understand this painstaking effort. If uncle chooses one for you now?"
He said, without waiting for Xue Tingxiang's answer, he sighed and looked melancholy, and said, "You were born weak when you were young. When your father was alive, he wished you a long life, and the uncle named you Fushou. What do you think? ?"
The name is really arbitrary, and I'm sorry for Xue Qingshan, the only child in Yuqing Village.
Xue Tingxiang hesitated for a while before rejecting: "It's still uncle. Ting'er's name has been set. I went to the grave to tell my parents before, and I will never change it again."
These remarks also pointed out why he went to the cemetery every year, and when Xue Tingyan saw that Xue Qingshan had invited so many people and made such a fuss, he knew that the other party had plans.
No matter what he planned, he just blocked the road that might be used by the other party to make a fuss, and the rest was to wait and see.
Sure enough, Patriarch Xue's expression softened a bit.
Before, he had always thought that this was a deliberate act by the child of Erfang, just to compete with Juncai for the opportunity to study at the Qinghe Academy. This time I came here to see this young man who was gentle and polite, neither humble nor arrogant. Although Patriarch Xue did not have a reputation, he knew a few words, and he had been the patriarch for many years, so he had a good eye for people.
He was very surprised, because it was not that he had never seen Gouzi before, but he was not impressed by him, and the only impression was that of an inconspicuous teenager. Now it seems that this child has grown up somewhat unexpectedly.
Unexpectedly, Patriarch Xue did not forget what he was here for.
Just a good impression on one side was not enough to make him shake the decision he had made. The child of Juncai had been tested by others, and his knowledge was much higher than that of his two grandchildren. If he asked who the next child in Yuqing Village would be, Patriarch Xue felt that Xue Juncai was the most likely.
Maybe not only Tongsheng, but a scholar.
With two future scholars and a young man who didn't know the depth, Patriarch Xue naturally knew how to do this multiple-choice question.
However, the idea of planning to help out was dispelled. If Xue Qingshan couldn't handle even a child, it wouldn't be worth his attention.
How could Xue Qingshan not be able to see Patriarch Xue's thoughts. In his eyes, this immortal old man is a master who doesn't see rabbits but not hawks. He enjoys the benefits he brings to the clan, but he never knows how to treat him well.
If any clan has an ethnology, no one or two will be subsidized in the clan. On the contrary, he works all day long, and every time a certain family in the clan brings some food, the patriarch calls him over and asks him to take it.
Generosity of others, money from other surnames, ruthless to others, nothing to yourself!
Xue Qingshan sneered in his heart, but made a respectful request on his face, and invited Xue Patriarch Zheng Lizheng and others into the room.
Patriarch Xue and Zheng Li were sitting cross-legged on the kang, one left and one right, while the others were sitting on the stools below. Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Zhou were busy pouring tea, and even Xue Tao'er was sent to ask Mr. Xue to hurry home.
Patriarch Xue and Zheng Lizheng both had the habit of smoking cigarettes, so they sat down and took out the cigarette bag.
Xue Qingshan hurriedly took a bag of tobacco leaves from his mother Zhao's hand, and while smoking the two, he said: "This is what my father planted by himself. Usually it's a treasure. Uncle Tang and Uncle Lizheng will try it."
"Your father's cut tobacco is good, but it's too little." After lighting it, Zheng Lizheng took a deep breath and said with a smile.
Xue Qingshan replied: "If Uncle Lizheng likes it, I'll pretend to you when I leave later, so don't dislike it."
These are all polite words. Everyone knows each other. Zheng Lizheng smiled and nodded, and went straight to the topic: "Shanzi invited some of our old guys to come here, what are you going to do?"
Looking at Zheng Lizheng's smiling face, Xue Qingshan cursed two old foxes in his heart.
If things would turn out like this, this man surnamed Zheng didn't do anything in it, he would never believe it. But that's precisely why he even invited Zheng Lizheng today. After all, he is Lizheng of Yuqing Village, and his surname is Zheng, so as not to be called a cover-up.
Including the few villagers present today, Xue Qingshan was thinking about inviting him, some with the surname of Zheng, some with the surname of Xue, and two people with different surnames in the village, but they were both well-liked in the village.
"Is there a matter that requires a few elders to decide, or wait for my father. He is in the field and will return immediately."
Just as he was talking about Mr. Xue, the others came back, and after another chat, they sat down and cut to the point.
"I'm ashamed to talk about it. Some things in my family have made everyone laugh recently."
As soon as I heard the beginning of this sentence, except for Patriarch Xue and Zheng Lizheng, everyone present was a little embarrassed. After all, this is someone else's family matter. Although this family matter has come to the public, it can be discussed in private, and it can be discussed on the stage. are two different things.
"In fact, to put it bluntly, it's all because of poverty. In the past situation of our family, it wouldn't be like this. One baby was sent, and the other baby was not sent."
An old man named Xue Lianhe, who was also surnamed Xue, was the same generation as Mr. Xue, and sighed: "Lian Xing, don't say that, your family is also difficult."
Old Master Xue smiled bitterly and sighed: "It's difficult, it's not difficult for anyone, this light hall is only superficial. But no matter how difficult it is, if you want the baby to have a future, you have to make a contribution. There's a problem."
With trembling hands, he took out a dry tobacco pouch from his waist, lit it, and took a sip before he said, "The palms of my hands and the backs of my hands are full of meat, and I feel bad for whichever one is left. In fact, this matter was mentioned last year, and I have been dragging it for a while. I did it because I was afraid that the baby would feel uncomfortable. It is not easy for a family like us to provide a scholar, and the family finally provided Shanzi. Although he failed to pass the test a few times, he still did it for the village and us. Guys did something.
"For so many years, our family has been dealing with people in the village, and everyone sees it in their eyes. I don't mention it from afar, just say that Shanzi's private school, as long as it is from the village, the family is not well-off, and the repair will be delayed or even less. , Our family never mentions it. Why? It’s because it’s not easy for us country people to make a living, with their faces turned to the loess and their backs to the sky, and if God doesn’t give you a little face, the whole family suffers from famine, and after a year of exhaustion, some of them don’t even pay enough taxes.
"Actually, I said that I'm not afraid of the laughter of the brothers and sisters. I tried my best to support Shanzi to study, just thinking that if I can really pass the exam, I can give my family some tax relief."
These remarks stop at the end, they seem to say a few words lightly, and they don't go any further, but they are said to have mixed feelings in the hearts of everyone.
Mr. Xue said the truth, or the truth that is realistic, and that's what makes it extra complicated.
Finally someone stood up and spoke about the previous incident, "Brother Lianxing, please stop talking, we can't believe your character? When there were rumors in the village, we told the children in the family, brother Lianxing. Not that kind of person. The grandfather, and the grandson who doesn't care."
"Yes, yes, it can be understood, who is not difficult."
Seeing that they were all in agreement with the old man Xue, only the one with the surname Zheng hadn't said a word, Zheng Lizheng blinked and said with a smile, "Everyone in the village is watching the contribution Shanzi has made to our village, and they all know that Shanzi is benevolent and righteous, and people are also This is for everyone's sake. There is just one sentence, I don't know if I should say it as an elder. "
"Uncle Lizheng, you are Lizheng of our village, there is nothing inappropriate to say."
Zheng Lizheng nodded: "It stands to reason that this is your family's business, and I should not be an outsider to intervene. But Lian Xing also said before that the palms and backs of the hands are full of meat." He suddenly sighed and said earnestly: " Shanzi, don’t forget why your second child is gone, all of us here can understand it, because we have lived for decades, and we haven’t seen anything in our life, so I’m afraid outsiders won’t understand.”
These words made Xue Qingshan look awkward on the spot, but since he can arrange this scene, it is not that he has no countermeasures.
He immediately said: "Uncle Li Zheng is right, so I discussed it with my father and planned to give the two children a chance. Let the two compare, and the best one will enter the school. Years, let’s talk about it later when there is a chance.”
Upon hearing this, the people present looked at each other and didn't have much opinion. Especially with the previous foreshadowing, Xue Qingshan's words seem reasonable and reasonable, and there is nothing to choose from.
After all, no one is rich, and money doesn't come from the river.
Everyone went to see Zheng Lizheng, and Zheng Lizheng looked at everyone with a smile and said, "What are you all looking at me for? Since Lian Xing's family has an idea, let's look at his family. But how does this compare? We old guys don't Literacy, should Shanzi be the arbiter?"
After a pause, he shook his head: "No, no, Shanzi is Juncai's father, he should avoid suspicion, or choose another person to convince everyone."
He looked up at Xue Qingshan and smiled: "Shanzi, you won't blame my uncle Li Zheng for being busy and talkative, in fact, I'm also doing things for your own good. Let's be honest and fair."
Xue Qingshan can't wait to throw out this person who is always bad for him, how can he not complain, but he can't say that on the surface, he can only seem to ponder for a while, saying: "Uncle Li Zheng said that although I’m the uncle, so I still have to avoid suspicion. If it’s not like this, I’ll ask for one, and Uncle Lizheng will ask for another. The two of them will write the questions on the spot, and the two juniors will be tested.”
Zheng Lizheng was squinting at Xue Qingshan, and seeing his confident appearance, he had a bad premonition in his heart. But he had already interfered too much, and it would be too obvious to be picky, so he could only nod and smile in agreement, and praised Xue Qingshan that he was indeed a scholar, but his mind was different.
The matter has been settled, and then the words are gossip.
Since he had invited people over, it would be unreasonable to ignore lunch at noon, so Mr. Xue ordered a few daughters-in-law to go down to clean up lunch.
The elders just now were talking inside, and Xue Tingxiang and Xue Juncai were standing outside, naturally they knew what happened.
Zhao'er's face was a little ugly, but Xue Jun gave Xue Tingxiang a proud look, and went in and talked with his father beside a few elders.
Zhao'er couldn't help pulling Xue Tingxiang back to the house, and said anxiously: "What can I do? If I had known this earlier, I would not bear to beat him. Dog, it's all my sister's fault, and my sister has caused trouble for you. "
When she was in a hurry, she brought up the words of Sister Gouer again.
"Don't be afraid, it's fine."
"Is it really okay?" Zhao'er turned around and said, "Yes, but what if you lose?"
Xue Tingyan squinted: "Don't you believe me? Think I'm not as good as him?"
Zhao'er immediately said: "How is it possible! My dog is the smartest. I will be a senior official in the future, and my sister is still waiting to enjoy the blessing of the dog!"
This sentence Zhao'er and Xue Tingxiang have said countless times.
As a child, she would encourage him every time he showed discouragement. She even thought so in her heart, so when everyone disliked him and everyone thought he was not good, she was the only one who continued to talk to him like this with perseverance, and even kept doing it with her actions.
It's a pity that she didn't enjoy his blessing, not even a day.
It was obvious that he did not experience all that, but a dream of his, but every time he thought about it, Xue Tingxiang felt a huge sense of sadness.
He closed his eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Since you said so, are you afraid that I will lose?"