This time, there were six people who passed the county examination in Qingyuan Academy. Except for Xue Tingxiang, the four were Wang Qi and a student named Li Song.
Seeing that it would take more than a day to go from Huyang Township to Pingyang Mansion, Lin Miao decided to take a few students on the road ahead of time.
It is also that the rules of the prefectural exam are stricter than the county exam. Two senpai must be guarantors, and both students must be present on the day of the exam. Lin Miao intends to find a friend he knows for help.
Under such circumstances, Zhao'er naturally couldn't follow her. It just so happened that she was busy with her business recently and Xue Tingxiang left, so she could concentrate on her own business.
She packed Xue Tingxiang's luggage, brought enough silver taels, and sent him away.
Before leaving, Xue Tingxiang felt a little sad, and he naturally saw that Zhao'er was relieved.
"Why don't you go? Shengzi is still waiting outside..." She didn't say anything after that, but she was pressed against the wall by Xue Tingxiang and kissed fiercely.
It was ruthless and heavy, and she bit her lip before leaving: "Wait for me to come back!"
Then Xue Tingxiang left without looking back.
After a long while, Zhao'er regained consciousness, wiped his mouth, and went outside the gate to watch the mule cart that gradually disappeared from sight.
Feeling sad for a while, as if something had suddenly been lost.
However, when he turned his head, Zhao'er didn't have time to think about it.
This year, their stall is bigger than last year. While taking into account Huyang Township and Anyang Township, they went to two new places to develop business. After a year of cultivation, the hill is much more fertile than last year, and has already produced two crops.
Of course, just pointing at these is definitely not enough, but they have their own roots to some extent. Nowadays, the mountain has changed a lot, and part of it has been designated as a vegetable field, and some places are not suitable for growing vegetables, so they are used to plant fruit trees. Now Aunt Gao and Mrs. Zhou are both working and responsible for raising chickens and ducks on the hilltops. If it is not suitable for raising pigs, they would also like to raise some pigs.
After working for more than ten days, they found that this method is very easy. The vegetables in the field can be sold for money, chickens and ducks don’t need to be concerned, the wings are cut to let them run all over the mountains, and there are some bugs in the vegetable field, let them eat them, neither need to worry about the vegetables being eaten by insects, and don’t worry about feeding them .
The only thing to do is to teach them to return to the nest when it's time, but these little guys are very smart, and they all know that they have gone back after being driven a few times at a fixed time.
At the other end, Zhao'er's ready-to-wear business has finally started.
Last year, I had been planning for more than half a year. When I went to deliver food to various places, I was inquiring about where there was a cheap source of cloth. In the end, I settled on two, and Zhao Er got a batch of cloth and came back to try it first.
The woman who was in charge of making the clothes had already agreed, and Zhao Er asked Gao Sheng to build a few more houses on the top of the hill, and hired someone to do it, which was equivalent to running a small workshop.
The wages are calculated according to the number of pieces, and the more you work, the more you will get, and you will be paid five cents to make a set of clothes. Some fast-handed women can do four or five sets a day, which is more than 20 yuan, which is equivalent to the wages of an adult laborer who goes out to do odd jobs, and does not delay doing housework and serving the elderly.
There is no need to think about this kind of work, many people are rushing to do it, but Zhao'er has always done things and does not like to be in the limelight, and only found a few women who worked for her before to do it first.
When the first batch of clothes was made, Zhao'er personally escorted them out and sold them.
The business was unexpectedly good, and it was also Zhao'er who hadn't sold clothes for a long time. She has a flexible mind and knows how to choose fabrics, and she is not greedy for too much. She chooses three colors for men's clothes, and more colors for women's clothes. She chooses some styles to do according to her age.
For example, daughters all like delicate colors, so they can make new styles that match their age; older women, they are suitable for relatively calm colors and styles. As for what the old women wear, they didn't do anything. When they reach this age, women are not so cute, and they are much more frugal.
Not only that, while she was selling clothes, she also brought a lot of gadgets such as head flowers, bead flowers, and rouge gouache to sell. This idea was given to her by Xue Qinghuai. This is his old business. He knows the number of ways in it, and there are also cheap sources of goods. The ready-made business is not done for nothing.
Men are fine. When girls and wives come to buy clothes, they will inevitably buy a few items along the way. It seems that one can't make much money, but it can't hold a lot. After doing it a few times, it was no worse than selling clothes, so Zhao'er put more thought into it, and after discussing with Xue Qinghuai, he added a lot of samples.
Nowadays, the mule carts that sell clothes are almost equivalent to a small mobile stall. Especially last winter, Zhao’er asked a carpenter to order several carriages. There is a wall that can be put down. This is to display the goods for sale. The side of the car wall that is lying horizontally now can be used to sell small things on it, which is the first of its kind.
After finally waiting for everything to be on the right track, Zhao'er, who was so dizzy, could finally breathe a sigh of relief. After all, Xue Tingyan in Fucheng should start the exam soon.
Lin Miao and the others were still too late.
The government test took two tests for three years. Last year, it was empty. This year, there are many more people taking the test than in previous years. When they arrived, they didn't even have a place to find a few inns. In the end, I could only find an inn that was far from the examination room and was rather shabby.
Even in this kind of inn, there are only a few vacant rooms left, and there are many students in the inn who come to take the test. It was noon when they arrived, and when they passed through the lobby, they saw many students drinking at the same table and talking at the same table.
After settling down, Lin Miao went out.
He didn't come back until it was dark outside. Seeing his expression, he seemed to be in a bad mood. Xue Tingxiang guessed that Mo was angry when he went out.
The next day, Lin Miao went out again and did not come back until the afternoon.
It was obvious that there was a bit of joy on his face, and he told Xue Tingxiang and others that he had found a linsheng who was willing to bail them out.
Lin Miao really took a lot of anger when he went out this time. He thought that the person he had a good acquaintance with didn't even show his face after he handed in the greeting card, so he had his servants send him away. He went back to another family. Although the other party saw him, he was not willing to bail him out easily.
After all, you should be cautious about making sure this matter, because you are afraid that something will go wrong and affect yourself.
Naturally, Lin Miao knew what was going on. That's why he went to find a friend he thought he had some friendship with. He felt that with his own guarantee, others would believe that he was the one, but he never expected that the other party would shirk.
Little did they know that after he left, the few people he found all laughed at him because he had been in the country for a long time, and he didn't even understand the rules.
This rule is naturally the rule before the start of the government examination, and it is also the rule for the students taking the test to seek the security of Linsheng.
Lin Miao used to be apprenticed to Beilu Academy, and he certainly had no shortage of sureties. And he was in the country, as long as he was of good character and came to him as a bailout, he never took any property, and he would help if he could. How do you know that this time of year is when the students from all over Pingyang make a lot of money.
The county has a trial, and you have to give at least two taels of hard work to secure one, and even so, the supply is in short supply. There are not many students in a county. It is not unreasonable for Lin Miao to be so busy during the county exam. Although he is meticulous, he has always been easy to talk, and he does not want money as a guarantee, so he does not come to him.
As for the prefectural exam, which is equivalent to a higher grade in the county exam, the linsheng is guaranteed to be guaranteed, and at least a sum of no less than fifty taels of reward money must be sealed. Lin Miao brought six students, and he didn't want to pay a penny, so it was no wonder that others didn't want to see him.
But Xue Tingxiang is very clear about this truth. First, it was because of that dream, and secondly, every time Xue Qingshan went to the exam, he made various tricks to manage the money for the family. Among them, the money that he asked Linsheng to guarantee was always released by Zhao. The head of all evil who cursed in his mouth.
For a country old woman like the Zhao family, those lings are just dying to ask for money.
Xue Tingxiang asked Lin Miao where he had found someone to bail them out. He was afraid that Lin Miao would pay for them by himself, so that he could live well in his heart.
Hearing this, Lin Miao was ashamed. He also heard the friend named Tian before he knew why he was turned away.
Before Lin Miao went out in the morning to find two more Lin Shengs who had met him several times, the situation was similar to before. When I was going out, I met a middle-aged scribe in poor clothes, and it seemed that he also came to the door to ask for bailout. When asked, both of them were running around for the students in the hall, so they just got together and worked together, you bail my students, I will bail your student.
The two chatted happily, so they found a place to drink tea and eat, and Lin Miao learned about the doorway from Tian Xiucai. Just like Lin Miao, Tian Xiucai couldn't do that kind of face and face, and the countryside where they lived was not rich, so they were so poor.
Tian Xiucai and his three middle school students lived in a nearby inn, not far from here.
Not to mention it, Lin Miao took Xue Tingxiang and others to the government office the next day to apply for the exam.
Afterwards, a few people calmed down and read with their hearts, which was considered a cramming before the government exam.
Zhao'er went back to the village from the back mountain, and walked all the way through the Xue family's land, and saw a huge field of green wheat seedlings, which looked pleasant, but there was a field of seedlings that looked wrong from a distance.
She stared at it, and it really wasn't right. If the wheat seedlings in other places are lush and vigorous, the seedlings in that area seem to be lacking in water and neglected to take care of them, obviously not growing well.
And this piece of land was allocated to Xue Qingshan by the Xue family.
After that incident, Xue Qingshan was kicked out of the Xue family.
No matter what bad things he did again, it was his own son. He was powerless, and the village school couldn't go on, so he couldn't starve to death.
After hesitating for a few days, Mr. Xue called the third and fourth, and also called Xue Tingxiang, saying that he would give Xue Qingshan two acres of land at home.
Xue Qingbai and Xue Qinghuai didn't say anything. What can they say as sons and younger brothers, even if they don't want to, the old man won't listen to them. Knowing that there would be a conflict, I called them here, not to pretend, but mainly to see Xue Tingxiang.
That's exactly what Mr. Xue meant, but it was rather obscure. In addition, Mrs. Zhao was beside him, scolding and crying, which seemed to mean drinking water.
Xue Tingyan knew it but didn't say anything, only said that everything was up to Grandpa.
Mr. Xue nodded in relief, and the next day, he chose two acres from his own land and distributed it to Xue Qingshan, so that he could farm the land well and take on the responsibility of supporting the family.
As for the land of the big house, he didn't move it, it was left to the two brothers Xue Juncai and Xue Youcai. In fact, the old man clearly wanted to let the other three houses suffer. According to what he said at the beginning, he and Zhao's land were planted first, and after a hundred years, the houses were divided equally. Now, for a person who has been removed from his name, he has lost two acres, which means that the other three houses have less land.
It's just that now the second, third, and fourth rooms have their own livelihoods, and no one cares about this matter with him. He can do whatever he wants.
So it's settled.
Since the beginning of spring this year, Xue Qinghuai has been discussing giving out the land to tenants. Now that the business is so busy, he has no free land to farm.
As soon as he opened his mouth, the third room also muttered that he wanted to rent out the land. Originally, according to Xue Qingbai's temperament, his brother rented the land. He just came here, and his own family can rest assured.
But since last year, he went to the hilltop to help with the work, and the mind that he can put in the ground is limited. Now the two of them are helping out on the hilltop. Xue Qinghuai pays one or two taels a month, and the Zhou family also pays 500 yuan of wages. The two of them add up to one or two and a half a month, and nearly twenty taels a year.
You can earn less than twenty taels from a year of planting, and you can only earn a few taels a year after deducting taxes and rations. Although the couple were taciturn, they also worked honestly. If they got money, they had to do the work well. Xue Qingbai spent almost half of the time on the hilltop.
Silently settled the account in his heart, and the Zhou family decided to rent out the land as well, as if the land paid the tax every year and only got a ration, and earning money from here is also earning. The three-bedroom and four-bedroom are all leased, and the second-bedroom is naturally leased. Originally, their land was leased to the three-bedroom and four-bedroom, and now they are naturally leased together.
When the matter came out, Mr. Xue was displeased for a long time, but he couldn't grow it by himself, so he could only watch the three houses take out the land.
At that time, this incident caused a lot of discussion in the village, and they all said that the Xue family was doing something so bad that they rented out all the land. Only a few people know what they know. Seeing that Xue Laosi and Zhao'er of the second room are driving a few boys in and out of the village, they know that their business is very profitable.
Since all the land has been rented out, it must be more profitable for business than farming. For a while, there are countless people in the village with envy and jealousy, but where is Patriarch Xue and where is Xue Tingxiang, others dare not say anything.
So now the Xue family's land, in addition to Father Xue's private land, is only the two acres that Xue Qingshan planted.
It can be seen that the land where the tenants go out is well served, and the tenants take good care of them. When the harvest is over, the main family can also distribute more food. But the land in Xue Qingshan is a little too slaughtered. Which village family farms the land like this, it is estimated that they will be scolded to death.
Zhao'er wondered if Master Xue knew about this, and what his reaction would be when he knew.
After returning, she hesitated whether to say it or not, but then she thought about it and didn't care. Little did he know that on the other side, Mr. Xue knew about this for a long time, and went to Xue Qingshan twice in a rage.
First he said bitterly, and then scolded, Xue Qingshan just nodded his head, what should happen afterward.
No, I saw that the seedlings in the ground were turning yellow. It was obvious that there was no watering and fertilizing, and the weeds were not removed. Mr. Xue found the Widow Xue's house again. This time, it was not just cursing, but beating.
Unexpectedly, Xue Qingshan fainted after a few hits.
This frightened Mr. Xue, and he ran back on the spot to call his third son to invite a doctor.
Xue Qingbai was not at home, Zhao shi was shocked after hearing this, knowing that Zhao'er was at home, so he went to Zhao'er. Zhao'er traveled fast, and went up the mountain to find Xue Qingbai, while the other old Master Xue and Zhao hurriedly went to Widow Xue's house.
When Zhao’er and Xue Qingbai brought the doctor with them, they heard Widow Xue crying to the old couple, saying that life at home was difficult. Fall asleep.
Zhao Shi wiped away her tears. She was a woman who didn't understand the big truth, only that her eldest son suffered. The eldest son, who has been in pain for so many years, can't bear to see him like this.
Xue Qingbai took the doctor in, and Zhao'er followed. I saw a mess in a small room. There was a person lying on the kang, looking a little pale, and the person seemed to be a lot thinner than before.
But Zhao'er didn't sympathize with him at all.
Because it was urgent and it was too late to go to the town, Xue Qingbai asked a doctor from a neighboring village to see it. This doctor probably has limited medical skills, and he can't see anything. He only said that the deficit is too much and needs to be recuperated. At this time, Xue Qingshan also woke up. As soon as he saw Zhao, he burst into tears, a big man, and the mother and son were crying. I don't know what to think.
Don't look at Mr. Xue's panic just now, he can't seem to panic now, he said something with a straight face, then turned his head and left.
Zhao'er and Xue Qingbai also left. On the way back, after the two looked at each other, Xue Qingbai sighed a little, but Zhao'er said frankly: "I don't think he is pretending."
"Big brother, he..." After saying that, Xue Qingbai stopped. He was not a person who liked Taoism, especially because he knew the grievances between Xue Qingshan and Erfang, and said that he was afraid that Zhao'er would feel uncomfortable.
In fact, Xue Qingshan was really pretending. When Mr. Zhao left, only he and Widow Xue were left in the room. He sat up from the kang and smiled proudly at Widow Xue: "Look, Soon my parents will take me back."
Widow Xue smiled, but when she turned her face, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.
"Is there anything else to eat at home? I'm hungry, go make me some."
When she turned around, Widow Xue frowned and said, "There's only one bowl of rice left, so I'll do it right away."
Widow Xue went out, and Xue Qingshan was lying on the kang, thinking that it would not be long before she would be able to live a day when she would be able to stretch out her shirt to eat and open her mouth.
I really can't blame him for not being decent, but with his face facing the loess and his back to the sky, he knew what life could be like.
Thinking, he scratched his crotch.
After scratching it twice, he didn't understand the itch. He scratched it a few more times, and finally reached out and scratched.
After scratching for a while, I felt something was wrong, so I undid the belt to see.
When he saw it, he was stunned, and there were a few small red bumps on his head.