After feeding the little koi fish dinner, Qin Zhao took out the book "Shangshu Zhengyi" that Chen Yan'an gave him.
This book is a commonly used reading for the classics subject in the current imperial examinations, and is also one of the books that all candidates participating in the Tongsheng examination must read.
Qin Zhao didn't remember when and where he had read this book, but just a few months ago, when the town academy sent him the book to copy, he only read a few paragraphs and found it very familiar, and could even recite it easily.
Printed copies were already available in this era, but due to their high prices, most students still used handwritten copies.
The same is true of the book in Chen Yanan's hand.
The copied books had been passed around several times, so it was inevitable that there would be some errors and omissions. Qin Zhao's previous job was to revise the books, correct the errors and omissions, and then copy them down.
But this is the first time I’ve annotated a book.
He read through the first few pages first, and marked the meanings of words and sentences that he thought needed explanation. He wrote his own understanding and other annotations on another piece of rough paper, and then inserted it into the current page after writing.
For reference only.
This method can keep the book neat and clear, so as not to affect Chen Yanan's note-taking during class. It can also be taken out at any time to prevent it from affecting Chen Yanan's own thinking.
Jing Li watched from the beginning to the end, and was amazed, shocked, and finally dumbfounded.
This person's learning method... is too advanced.
It would be a waste of his talent if he didn't become a teacher and take the imperial examination.
Qin Zhao must have a thorough understanding of the book. He hardly needed to think when he picked up the pen to write. In less than an hour and a half, he had marked out half of the book.
He put down his pen and stretched.
Qin Zhao did not intend to mark the entire book. This was actually a way to please Chen Yanan, just to help him deal with the teacher temporarily. But in the future, that guy still had to read many books, and he couldn't let Qin Zhao help him every time.
He needs to learn it by himself and apply it to other situations.
Jing Li didn't think about all this at all. He just thought that Qin Zhao was tired and could finally rest.
After reading for so many days, Jing Li could recognize a few simple words. But the book was difficult to understand and the words used were complicated. He read for a long time but didn't recognize a single word. He dozed off in the barrel out of boredom.
Moreover, although he knew that Qin Zhao was nice to Chen Yan'an because he saved his life, he still didn't like that guy.
He could never forget the rude words that boy said.
Jing Li yawned heavily in the water, spitting out a string of bubbles.
"I told you that you don't have to accompany me." Qin Zhao naturally saw that he was dozing off and whispered.
But it's boring to be alone.
Jingli wagged his tail.
He is like a fish, he can't leave the water, and he can't do anything else. During the day, he can run around with Qin Zhao, but in this long night, there is nothing interesting to do except watching him write.
Qin Zhao understood what he meant and said leisurely: "If you could become a human, you could do something else to pass the time."
"!!!"
Jing Li was so scared that his whole body trembled, and water splashed onto the table.
Qin Zhao was prepared and took the book away before the water splashed out.
This little monster is not steady at all. Has he really been practicing for many years
The little koi fish that was said to be unstable was now huddled in the corner, its tail swaying uncomfortably from side to side.
Why did Qin Zhao say that
Was it a test? Did he discover something
Where did he reveal his flaw
—He had no idea that his guilty look revealed all sorts of flaws.
Qin Zhao held back his laughter and stretched out his hand to him.
Jing Li subconsciously wanted to hide, but was afraid that he would behave too abnormally and arouse suspicion, so he forced himself to stay still.
Qin Zhao slowly stroked the little koi's head, ran his fingers across its cool and smooth back, and then fiddled with its soft fins. Every time he touched it, the little guy in the water trembled slightly.
I was so scared that I didn't dare to move.
That's so cute.
Qin Zhao thought a little maliciously, and continued to move his fingers back, but suddenly they tightened.
The little koi bit his fingertip.
Even fish will bite when they are anxious.
But the little koi's teeth didn't hurt at all, so he didn't dare bite too hard. Qin Zhao only felt that his fingertips were wrapped in something soft, cold, and a little itchy.
He didn't know what he was thinking about, his ears suddenly felt hot, and he quickly withdrew his hand.
"It's getting late, let's go to bed." Qin Zhao said.
That night, Qin Zhao’s dreams no longer included those unfamiliar pavilions and towers, nor the endless decline and despair.
He had a wonderful dream all night.
In the dream, the young man was lying on him, his hair was wet and his clothes were loose.
The pair of crystal clear and soft lips opened and closed slightly, kissing from his fingertips little by little, raised her head, and called softly -
"Husband."
That morning, it was the first time that Qin Zhao took a bath early in the morning.
I washed it three times.
Jing Li is very dissatisfied now.
Qin Zhao acted strangely when he got up this morning. Not only did he not play with him like usual, but he also didn't take him with him when he went out.
How can he raise fish like this
Jing Li swam back and forth in the barrel, slapping the barrel wall with his tail in dissatisfaction.
Although Qin Zhao said he was just going out for a while and would be back soon, he was too bored at home alone.
He also wants to go out for a walk.
Jing Li stopped moving.
Maybe, he could transform into a human and go out for some fun while Qin Zhao is away
Jing Li has transformed into a new person twice and has some experience.
He found that as long as he had enough food and water and had strength, he could easily turn into a human.
This morning Qin Zhao fed him the last piece of white sugar cake and two small pieces of egg pancakes. He is full now and can try to become a human.
Jing Li jumped out of the water and landed on the ground in the middle of the room, muttering softly in his heart.
Make me human, make me human...
A red light flashed in the room, and a young man appeared in the middle of the room.
His hands and feet were intact, but the red scales on his body had not completely faded away, although they were much fewer than before.
Jing Li looked at his body with satisfaction.
If this is the case, as long as he practices a few more times, he will be able to transform into a human form easily.
Jing Li had experience this time, so he dried his hair first, found a hairband and tied it behind his head. Then he went to the clothesline behind the house and took down the clothes he had worn before.
The clothes had been left outside to dry all night and were now dry, but Qin Zhao had gone out too early in the morning and had not had time to collect them.
As long as he puts the clothes on and hangs them back, Qin Zhao will definitely not be suspicious.
Jing Li thought about how Qin Zhao dressed in the past, tied the belt around his waist tightly, took the hat and put it on his head, and went out openly.
Qin Zhao didn't even lock the door today, which made it convenient for Jing Li to sneak out and play.
The village was very quiet in the early morning. At this time, everyone was either working in the fields or going to the market in town. There were very few people left in the village. Jing Li walked all the way here, but he didn't meet anyone.
Jing Li took a deep breath of the fresh air and walked forward quickly.
…
Qin Zhao seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure in his peripheral vision. He turned around and found that the path outside the house was empty.
The man opposite him was still talking.
"… The wages for building a house in the village is fifty coins a day, four hours, and one meal is provided. Qin Zhao, did you hear that?"
Qin Zhao suddenly came back to his senses and said, "Sorry, Uncle Lin."
"Kid, you have been absent-minded the whole morning. What are you thinking about?" The man next to Qin Zhao was named Lin Changzhong, a cousin of Lin Laoer.
Most of the people in the village who need to build houses turn to him.
Qin Zhao was indeed a little uneasy today. He pressed his eyebrows and shook his head: "Nothing."
Outside the house, Jing Li hid at the corner of the alley and poked his head out.
I didn't expect Qin Zhao to be here, and I was almost discovered.
He thought Qin Zhao was going on a long journey today and it was inconvenient for him to take him with him.
It turns out it’s such a close place.
snort.
Jing Li looked out and saw Qin Zhao standing by the window, talking to a farmer. The morning glow was rising in the sky, making his profile look particularly good.
There is a kind of person who, no matter how ordinary their clothes are, still looks extraordinary.
Jing Li was staring at the scene in a trance when he suddenly heard a soft cat meow behind him.
"Meow~"
Ahhhh!
Qin Zhao turned back again, frowning slightly: "Uncle Lin, did you hear any sound just now?"
"No sound, are you sick again?" Lin Changzhong said, "You don't look very good, go back and have a good rest, leave these things to me, you don't have to worry about them."
Lin Changzhong said straightforwardly: "You helped Lin Laoer's family before, which is also considered as helping me. Don't be polite to your uncle."
"Thank you very much." Qin Zhao said, "When can we start construction?"
"You want to build two rooms, a pool, and a bamboo fence. I can provide the wood and tiles you need, but you have to go to several nearby villages to find people to buy bamboo, which may take some time." Lin Changzhong said, "I will tell you when all the materials are ready. Don't worry, as long as the materials are in place, I can build the house for you in a few days."
Qin Zhao: "I understand."
Compared to labor costs, the cost of materials needed to build a house is the biggest expense.
Unlike other farmers with slightly worse conditions, Qin Zhao did not use thatch to cover the roof, but asked to replace it with tiles, which would cost twice as much.
Qin Zhao paid a deposit of three strings of cash in one breath and left with the order written by Lin Changzhong.
He walked back to his home door, only to find it closed. An orange cat was squatting in front of the house, scratching the door gently with its claws.
The hole that was scratched by the kitten had already been repaired by Qin Zhao. The little guy was turning around in front of the door, unable to find a way to get in.
I'm afraid the little monster will be scared again.
Qin Zhao smiled silently and was about to drive the cat away when he heard a crying voice from inside the door: "You... don't come in..."
The boy's voice was clean, soft and sticky, and the ending tone was still trembling slightly.
Qin Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and then started beating wildly.
He...did he become a human
When the kitten saw Qin Zhao coming, it squatted obediently at his feet, rubbed its head on his legs, and made soft cat sounds.
There were some gasps from inside the door, as if someone was even more frightened.
Qin Zhao could feel that the young man was squatting behind this door. Through the thin layer of door panel, he seemed to be able to imagine what the young man looked like now.
His thin back was pressed against the door, his eyes were red, and he was so scared that he was about to cry.
It must be a very nice look.
Qin Zhao put his hand on the door, suppressed the throbbing in his heart, and took a breath silently.
He really wanted to pretend that he knew nothing, but how come this little fish... couldn't keep a secret at all
Qin Zhao felt helpless. After a while, he bent down, picked up the kitten, and left quietly.