Poor Family

  Chapter 13 Lushan Academy

Li Yanqing immediately fell in love with this considerate butler. He was afraid that the patriarch would suspect that he was avenging Liu Chenghong last night, so he didn't dare to mention the ten pennies. Send back the ten pennies.

No wonder he was able to become the chief housekeeper. He really has a delicate heart. Li Yanqing quickly thanked Steward Yang for his kindness. Steward Yang smiled and asked someone to bring a bag of rice and a few catties of meat, "This is what my master gave you. By the way, and this."

   Steward Yang took out a piece of yellowed paper from his pocket, "This is the IOU that your father wrote to my master back then, and the master asked me to give it to you as well."

  Li Yanqing took the IOU, hesitated and asked: "Sir, there should be something else?"

Steward Yang looked at both sides, then pulled Li Yanqing aside and said in a low voice: "There is still some money, the master is worried that you are alone, and the family's wealth is not safe. I will give it to your father when he comes back. Brother Qing, don't worry. !Since the master has promised, he will not break his promise."

   "Approximately how many?"

Butler Yang thought for a while and said, "Your father is helping raise horses in Li's house, and he agreed to fifty Wen a day, that is, two pennies a month. One penny will be used to pay off the debts, and the rest will be taken home for a year. Twelve pens, four years is forty-eight pennies, this time the master is going to give your father fifty pennies."

  In the money system of the Song Dynasty, the usual money was usually seven hundred and seventy cash. Li Yanqing also knew this, but his father's monthly salary was only two cash, which was too little.

   Steward Yang was also a little embarrassed, and quickly explained: "Your father's body is also known to you. He really can't do much to raise horses in Li's house. He just helps cut hay every day. A real groom only costs four pennies a month."

   "I'm just asking casually, and I'm worrying Steward Yang!"

   "It should be! It should be! By the way, Brother Qing, tell me, what do you want them to do with this house?"

   "Did the patriarch not explain?" Li Yanqing asked tentatively.

   "The patriarch's explanation was rather vague, so I just wanted to ask brother Qing what he meant."

Although Li Yanqing used to be from a poor family, he did not live in this kind of mud house. Not to mention the four walls leaked, the house was dark and humid all year round, and the cold air was very severe, which caused great harm to the body. Poor conditions are directly related.

With this rare opportunity, he must completely improve the living conditions for his father. Li Yanqing pointed to the house, "It rained a while ago, the house was leaking everywhere, and the wall is about to collapse. Why don't we keep it simple and use Let's rebuild three houses with green bricks!"

   Steward Yang was taken aback, this is still called simple, this is reconstruction! To actually use blue bricks, this brat's heart is darker than the master's!

   "This... this..."

  Li Yanqing glanced at him sideways, seeing his embarrassment, so he retreated as an advance, and said lightly: "If the chief steward finds it troublesome, then forget it, and I will thank the patriarch for his kindness another day."

Steward Yang has been with the master for thirty years, and he really knows him very well. He never spits out what he eats. This time, not only did Li Daqi's debt of 500 yuan be forgiven, but he also made up all his previous wages. This is unprecedented. , which shows that the master values ​​this child, is it true that the child is possessed by the great ancestor as rumored in the mansion?

Butler Yang also thought that he would have to buy green bricks to rebuild the ancestral hall anyway, and these huts would not cost much, so they should be built together, so he nodded and said to Li Yanqing: "Master asked me to repair the house, since Brother Qing If you want to rebuild, then I will boldly agree for the master."

  Li Yanqing said with a smile: "It's better for the chief steward to ask the patriarch for instructions. If the patriarch blames the chief steward for making decisions without authorization, I will be embarrassed."

   Steward Yang was surprised, this little kid is really a villain! Knowing the ways of the world at such a young age, it's okay to grow up.

  He chuckled, "Brother Qing is right, I want to ask the master for instructions, but I guess the master will definitely agree."

   Steward Yang then ordered several bricklayers, "Measure the size, figure out how much masonry and wood you need, and write me a list later!"

He greeted Li Yanqing again, and hurried away with a servant. Just as he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly turned around and said, "Brother Qing, let's go to the school in the town to study by himself! I've already told Master Yao that Brother Qing doesn't need to bring anything, just go."

   "Thank you, butler!"

The housekeeper left, and Aunt Hu brought some bowls and kettles to greet the bricklayers to drink water. She pulled Li Yanqing aside, smiling all over her face, "Qing'er, you really have it! You actually asked the patriarch to repair it for you." A brick house, even your grandfather doesn't have that face."

  Li Yanqing smiled, picked up a few catties of pork and handed it to her, "Auntie, take this back and cook it for Qing'er."

  Aunt Hu quickly waved her hand, "I have already taken so many things from you today, you keep this for yourself, and give your father a boost."

   "When my father comes back, this meat should be spoiled, and I don't know how to cook it, so take it!"

  Aunt Hu was right after thinking about it, so she accepted it, "Okay then! Tonight, Auntie will cook braised pork, and Qing'er and Qing'er will eat it together."

  Li Yanqing gave her another half bag of rice, but Aunt Hu refused to take it this time, but Li Yanqing didn't care, and directly carried the rice to her kitchen.

  Aunt Hu was moved, so she went to discuss with her daughter-in-law, "Qing'er is smart and sensible, God finally opened his eyes, he is going to study, Qing'er Niang, we have to show our hearts too!"

  Qing'er's mother lost energy and blood when giving birth to Qing'er, and her body has always been weak. She doesn't usually go out. She spins and weaves at home and earns a little money to subsidize the family.

She thought for a while, went back to the house and took a piece of blue cloth she spun and dyed herself, and said to her mother-in-law: "I plan to make a new year's dress for Dalang and Qing'er with this piece of cloth, and Qing'er still has a new set of clothes for last year." I won’t make it for her this year, we will rush to make a suit for Qing’er tonight, and let him wear it to school tomorrow.”

   Mrs. Hu slapped her hands and laughed: "That's a good idea. He always wears new clothes when he goes to school. His sheepskin ragged jacket is too shabby, and others will laugh at him. Let's hurry up and sew it tonight."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law did what they said, and sewed a new straight suit for Li Yanqing that night, and changed it for Li Yanqing before dawn the next day, and tied his hair in a bun. The headscarf can't be seen.

  Before leaving, Aunt Hu brought him a few thick noodle buns to eat on the way. Li Yanqing was very grateful and went to school full of expectations.

  . ． ． ． ． ．

  The township where Li Yanqing lives is called Xiaohe Township, with a radius of tens of miles, it governs more than 20 villages, large and small.

  The center of the township is called Lushan Town, one of the three major towns in Tangyin County, also called Xiaohe Town, not far from Liwen Village, and you will arrive at the town after walking three miles north along the official road.

  There are two to three hundred families in Lushan Town, spreading to the east and west sides with the official road as the central axis.

The town is of course the busiest place in Xiaohe Township. The wide and flat official road passes through the middle of the town, and there are dozens of shops on both sides, including grocery stores, medicine halls, mules and horse shops, silk shops, silver shops, and quality warehouses. , taverns, inns, etc., and even in front of a gate called "Yichunyuan", there are always a few beautifully dressed women standing in front of the gate, causing passers-by to point and point at them.

  All kinds of stalls and hawkers lined up both sides of the official road, yelling constantly. The weather is good these days, and the official road is very lively with cars and people coming and going.

  Accustomed to the bustling city in the past, Li Yanqing has already engraved the imprint of the city in his bones, so every time he came to the market town from a small village, he would feel as if a world away, as if time and space merged here.

   "Brother Qing!"

  Li Yanqing suddenly heard someone calling him from behind, and when he turned around, he saw brothers Li Er and Li San running towards this side, panting. Seeing that they were both intact, it is estimated that the patriarch really forgave them this time.

   "We went to ask you to go to school together, Aunt Hu said you had already left, we chased all the way, we were exhausted!"

   "Apart from you, who else is studying in the school in our village?" Li Yanqing asked curiously.

   "No more, plus you, just the three of us."

The elder brother is called Li Guangzong, who is eight years old this year, and the younger brother is called Li Yaozu, who is six years old this year. The two are straightforward and have no brains. Everyone calls them Li Er and Li San. Before leaving today, my father repeatedly told them to thank Li Yanqing, they have seen it but they forgot.

  The two brothers sandwiched Li Yanqing on one left and one on the right, and asked excitedly: "Brother Qing, I heard that you killed the blood wolf, is it true?"

  As soon as Li Yanqing changed his mind, he realized that they were talking about Liu Chenghong's red mastiff, and said with a smile: "It's just a dog, not a real wolf."

"That's not an ordinary dog. It's fiercer than a wolf. No one in this town is afraid of it. Every time Liu Fu'er brings it to our school to play wild, we are so scared that none of us dare to leave the room. You actually killed it. It's amazing. ah!"

  The two brothers gave thumbs up, their faces full of admiration, Li Yanqing suddenly felt that he was going to become the second Liu Fu'er.

   "By the way, where is our school? I haven't been there yet!" Li Yanqing scratched his head and asked.

   "Here! Isn't that what it is?"

The two brothers pointed to the opposite side of the official road, Li Yanqing looked along the direction of their fingers, and saw a bamboo forest on the opposite side of the official road, there was a large courtyard in the depth of the bamboo forest, and a small stream gurgled out of the bamboo forest, the environment was very quiet, alone The high courtyard walls surrounded five or six old tile-roofed houses, and a plaque was hung on the grass eaves of the courtyard gate, with four big characters written on it, "Lushan Academy".

   It turns out that this is a school, which is different from what he imagined, but a bit like a primary school in the countryside of his hometown. It would be more similar if a red flag were hung.

   Don't forget to vote after watching!

  (end of this chapter)