"How come I didn't know you could roll dice?" Jing Li threw Qin Zhao's changed clothes into the wooden barrel and asked curiously.
"Once you get it, you'll learn it naturally." Qin Zhao said, "Most likely you've played it before."
Jing Li looked at him suspiciously.
Qin Zhao smiled and explained, "The court does not ban gambling, pot-tossing, horse racing, and dice. These pastimes were extremely popular among the noble sons of the capital in the early years, and these prefectures are just following suit."
Jing Li muttered softly: "It seems that you were not a serious person before."
Qin Zhao glanced at him and said leisurely, "I heard that the reason why the court did not ban gambling was because the regent loved it, especially horse racing. He often disguised himself and went to the gambling house to spend a lot of money."
Jing Li knew who Qin Zhao was talking about, and snorted coldly: "He abuses his power for personal gain, and he is not a decent person either."
Qin Zhao: “…”
Jing Li thought of something again, his eyes brightened: "You said you won two hundred taels from that young master today?"
"Don't be stupid." Qin Zhao tapped him on the forehead. "Gambling can only be used as a pastime, not a way to make money. If you keep gambling, you will lose. It's the same with you around."
The reason why Qin Zhao was able to win so many games in a row today was not only because he knew the skills, but also because of the blessing of the koi.
But that was because he was only thinking about defeating Gu Heng and taking him home, not about making money.
He never wanted to use Koi as a way to make ill-gotten gains.
What's the difference between this and those who want to offer a large reward for koi and keep them in captivity for good fortune
He didn't want to, didn't want to use him.
"I know." Jing Li whispered, "At least the two hundred taels should be taken back..."
If they get the money back, they can pay off Fang Tianying and buy some more things for the house.
"There are other ways to make money." Qin Zhao said, "Listen, Xiaoyu, this is not the same as us finding herbs or meeting a noble person to help us. Relying on this method to make money is to take away other people's property and luck. We can't do this."
He paused, then smiled and said, "But you can't do that."
“…Someone is unlucky.”
Jing Li: “…”
Jing Li: “Huh.”
Qin Zhao smiled and said, "I'll go cook."
Jing Li: "Then I'll go do the laundry."
"Don't." Qin Zhao stopped him, "Just leave these there, I'll wash them tonight."
"No need." Jing Li picked up the wooden basin filled with dirty clothes and blinked. "You still have to earn money to support the family. How can I let you do everything? I can do this little thing."
After saying that, he carried the wooden basin to the yard.
Qin Zhao looked at his back, distracted for a moment, then smiled softly.
There was a sound of water beside him, Qin Zhao turned around and saw little fishes hitting the water, splashing water everywhere.
It seemed to be a protest against being ignored.
"Yes, I know. There's also your dinner." Qin Zhao touched his head and whispered, "Daddy didn't forget. I'll make it right away."
The little fish lifted its tail in satisfaction.
The next day, Qin Zhao arrived at Gu's house before noon as promised.
He was also led to the small study to wait. Unexpectedly, not long after, Gu Heng really showed up.
The young master of the Gu family had dark circles under his eyes and looked listless. He staggered into the room and without Qin Zhao saying anything, he sat down on the chair next to him.
Qin Zhao said calmly: "You are a quarter of an hour late."
Gu Heng's voice was weak: "Do you know how many years it has been since I woke up so early? I didn't even have time to eat breakfast!"
"Then you have to get up even earlier next time." Qin Zhao said, "Open the book and start reading from "Learning"."
Gu Heng didn't even have the energy to fight Qin Zhao anymore, so he opened the book and asked, "How much have you read?"
Qin Zhao: “All.”
Gu Heng: “…”
Gu Heng looked at Qin Zhao in disbelief, but the latter ignored him and found the book he had not finished reading yesterday from the bookshelf behind him and continued reading.
Gu Heng had no choice but to lower his head and read: "Learn and practice from time to time..."
He had learned some of "The Analects of Confucius" from his previous teacher. Although he did not remember most of it, he had no problem reading it through.
If he occasionally read a word or sentence incorrectly, Qin Zhao would quietly remind him and ask him to read it again.
The weak sound of reading came from the study. The servants waiting in the yard heard it and curiously lay in the corner to peek.
Their young master has never been so hardworking. This new teacher really has some skills.
Everyone was talking and discussing quietly until Mrs. Gu's voice sounded behind them: "What are you doing?"
The servants turned around and said, "Husband—"
"Shh." Mrs. Gu touched her lips with her fingertips, then tiptoed over and looked into the room.
Gu Heng sat upright, stumbling, but still reading the book in front of him seriously.
Mrs. Gu's eyes were filled with tears.
A young man who was about the same age as Gu Heng said, "Madam, the young master came to study without even having breakfast today. He is very hardworking. Do you want to go in and see him?"
"No need." Mrs. Gu said, "Go to the kitchen, I will make him something to eat myself."
Inside the house, Qin Zhao said, "They're gone."
Gu Heng's body suddenly relaxed, and he lay on the table: "I am so tired."
Qin Zhao reminded him, "You still haven't finished reading half of the book."
"I need to rest for a while, just for a while!" Gu Heng said angrily, "I'm dying of thirst and I'm also very hungry!"
Qin Zhao poured him a cup of tea and said, "Your mother is going to make breakfast for you. Just wait a little longer."
Gu Heng drank a sip of tea, and his mood improved a little. He tilted his head and looked at him: "Actually, you are not bad."
Qin Zhao: "What do you mean?"
"All the gentlemen who come to your house regard me as hopeless and want to control me with those great principles, but you are not like that." Gu Heng said.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You knew that I just did it on purpose for my mother to see, but you didn't expose me."
Qin Zhao: "It will be good for me if I can make Madam Gu feel at ease."
"I took you to a place like that, and you don't think I'm a bad boy?"
"It's naughty, but it doesn't mean you can't turn back."
Gu Heng snorted and said, "Don't think I will obey you just like that. I came here today just because of the bet, and I don't want to go back on my word."
Qin Zhao said calmly: "Have you rested enough? Continue reading."
Soon, the servants brought food, including Qin Zhao's portion. However, Qin Zhao had eaten breakfast at home that morning and did not touch anything, leaving it all to Gu Heng.
Gu Heng was so hungry that he didn't care about anything else and just started eating.
Qin Zhao quietly sipped his tea, and his eyes moved to the calligraphy on the wall next to him. He asked, "Who wrote that calligraphy, and why is it hung there?"
Gu Heng glanced back and said, "It seems to have been given to my father by a big shot in the capital. It was hung in my father's study in the front yard a few years ago. I don't know why my father suddenly moved it here a few years ago and told me not to touch it."
"I don't understand. If he really treasures it so much, why does he keep it here?"
Qin Zhao said leisurely: "Because if someone sees this thing, it will cause trouble. If you put it in your study, no one will come."
"Are you in trouble?" Gu Heng looked back at the words and asked, "Do you know who wrote them?"
Qin Zhao: “I know.”
"who?"
Qin Zhao didn't answer.
He retracted his gaze and said calmly, "Eat quickly, and finish reading the rest after you finish. The class will end today after we finish teaching the chapter "Learning". If you delay until the last minute and miss lunch, you will suffer the consequences."
"No, I'll read it now!"
Gu Heng quickly stuffed the last bun into his mouth, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and picked up the book again.
Qin Zhao glanced at the two plates of pastries that he hadn't touched and asked, "You don't want these?"
Gu Heng shook his head: "It's too sweet. My mother always forgets that I don't like cakes. If you want it, you can have it. Anyway, you have a portion."
"Can I take it away?" Qin Zhao asked, "My husband likes to eat these."
"Of course." Gu Heng was a little interested and leaned over to ask, "I wanted to ask you yesterday. How come you, the top candidate, married a man and treated him so well? Is your husband good-looking?"
Qin Zhao raised his eyelids and glanced at him leisurely.
Gu Heng shrank back: "Well, I'm reading, I'll read it right away."
Qin Zhao finished explaining the contents of the "Learning" chapter to Gu Heng before noon and asked him to copy down what he had learned today and check it in class tomorrow.
He refused Mrs. Gu's suggestion to stay for lunch and left the Gu Mansion with the pastries.
Gu Heng walked out of the study slowly. The servant who was about his age came up to him and said happily, "Master, how was the class?"
"Bullshit." Gu Heng threw the book into the servant's arms and said through gritted teeth, "I will find a way to deal with him sooner or later."
The servant blinked and asked in confusion, "But I've seen that the young master gets along very well with him. The young master has never been so nice to other gentlemen..."
"How is my attitude towards him good?" Gu Heng said angrily, and walked forward quickly, "Let's go eat."
The servant chased after him and said, "Oh, Master, Master Zhou just sent someone to tell you that the weather is very good these days, and he wants you to go to the suburbs to relax on the eighth day of the first lunar month."
"Why should I relax? It's not my day off. How could that bastard Qin let me go out?"
Gu Heng was feeling upset, but suddenly he remembered something and paused: "Wait, I have a good idea."
Early the next morning, Gu Heng told Qin Zhao that he wanted to go to the suburbs to relax on the eighth day of the first lunar month.
He had originally prepared how to persuade Qin Zhao after he refused, but unexpectedly, Qin Zhao agreed without even thinking: "Okay."
Gu Heng: “?”
Gu Heng said: "That day was not a day off."
"I know." Qin Zhao said calmly, "So when the day comes for the holiday, you need to pick a day to make up for the lessons."
In the original recruitment notice, the Gu family wrote that Gu Heng would only teach fifteen days a month.
This is because Gu Heng is the son of a wealthy businessman after all. In addition to studying, he also has to learn some business skills. As for how to arrange the fifteen days of classes, it will all be decided by them at the beginning of the month.
This month, Qin Zhao suggested that they have lessons for a few more days in a row so that the two could get to know each other and also let Madam Gu see if he could teach the young master well.
According to what they had agreed upon, they would have to wait another five days before taking a day off.
Gu Heng said: "Okay, I'll do as you say."
"I have one more request." Qin Zhao said, "I want to bring my husband with me."
"Going to the suburbs to relax?" Jing Li frowned, a little worried, "Is that bastard thinking of some trick to mess with you again?"
Qin Zhao said: "It should be."
Jing Li: "Then you still agree?"
"Even if I don't agree, he will still come up with other ideas to embarrass me. It doesn't make any difference. Besides..." Qin Zhao paused and said, "Someone invites us to go out for fun in the suburbs, so why not?"
Jing Li was still not reassured.
"Don't worry." Qin Zhao comforted him, "Gu Heng is not a bad person, he just has a bad temper. This time he probably just wants to play a prank, nothing will happen."
Since moving to the provincial capital, Qin Zhao has not taken Jing Li to travel around the surrounding areas.
The little guy now has to take care of the children and rarely goes out. Moreover, Qin Zhao is often not at home, so he spends much less time with him than before.
Even if Gu Heng hadn't suggested it, he really wanted to find time to take Jing Li out to relax.
Jing Li asked again: "What about the fish fry? Should we take one with us?"
"We'll only be gone for half a day, so we can entrust them to the care of Mr. Ye." Before Qin Zhao finished speaking, the little fish in the fish tank seemed to understand that he was going to be left behind, and slapped the water angrily.
Qin Zhao changed the subject: "But your son will probably not agree, so you should take him with you."
Jing Li thought about it, and his eyes lit up: "It just so happens that I asked someone to make a new fish tank a few days ago. It should be ready tomorrow."
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Gu family's carriage arrived outside Qin Zhao's house as scheduled.
Qin Zhao led Jing Li onto the carriage, and the latter was holding a small square fish tank in his hand.
The fish tank is made entirely of glass, with a bamboo woven lid and a handle. When closed, there is room for breathing between the bamboo strips, but not enough for the little fish to jump out.
The little fish flapped its wings a few times inside, but found that it couldn't get out, so it angrily wagged its tail at the wall of the fish tank.
Jing Li smiled proudly: "This is something your father had made specially for you, so just stay inside obediently."
Even Qin Zhao found this fish tank novel: "How did you come up with this idea?"
"I... I've seen it before."
This fish tank is the small plastic fish tank that can be seen everywhere on the streets today. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find lightweight plastic in this era, so other materials have to be used instead.
Qin Zhao frowned suspiciously. Jing Li had already lowered his head to tease the fish baby through the glass cover and did not continue the topic with him.
The carriage drove all the way out of the city, and after about half an hour, they arrived at their destination.
Qin Zhao lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. Several horses were standing by the roadside eating grass, and there were several targets standing on the wide lawn in the distance.
It's a racetrack.
Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn't help laughing.