In the evening wind at the end of March, Du Heng inserted a handful of early-blooming peach blossoms in the countryside and put them in the jar in front of the window as usual.
He closed half of the window, and let the spring breeze blow in the other half. In the wind, you can smell the fragrance of grass and wild flowers in the countryside in spring, and there are no mosquitoes this time, and the weather is the most comfortable.
At night, lying in bed wrapped in quilts and smelling the smell of the wind will make you sleep well, and you won't have weird dreams.
He fixed the window and turned back, seeing that Qin Xiaoman didn't go to bed early today, instead he took out the sewing basket at home that was about to turn gray.
Under the warm yellow oil lamp, she was holding a needle and competing with the embroidery hoop.
Stitches from the left to the right are tied to the red soft cloth on the embroidery circle, quite like a scholar who has never been to the ground, and he can't even hold a hoe.
Although it was a bit rough, beauty was in the eyes of beholders, and he felt very relieved that Qin Xiaoman, who had always been eccentric, had become more stable and looked like a loving father.
Just like when Qin Xiaoman saw him go to the ground for the first time.
"Hiss!"
Du Heng's eyebrows jumped when he heard the sound, and he hurried forward: "Is your hand tied? Let me see!"
Qin Xiaoman pressed his index finger: "Oh, it's okay." "
This needle is very beneficial. Prick a hole, let me see if there is any bleeding."
Du Heng grabbed Qin Xiaoman's hand, seeing that the flesh of his loosened fingers was not scratched, his eyebrows twitched.
"I've said it's all right."
Qin Xiaoman had already caught sight of some people deliberately watching him make fun of him out of the corner of his eye, and took the opportunity to hold Du Heng's hand: "I can't sew these stitches well, and I don't know if they are alive or not." It's not dexterous enough to do too much."
Du Heng let him pinch his hand: "How to do needlework well, didn't you like it the least before?"
Qin Xiaoman dragged Du Heng's hand to his belly: "This kid is going to be born in three months, even if it's hot in summer, doesn't it mean that he doesn't even make a piece of clothes like those children from farm laborers? No way? They don't have the conditions to wear them. Although our family is not very good, it's not that the children can't afford to wear clothes."
Du Heng glanced at the cursing person and laughed.
He picked up the embroidery circle, and looked at it from the front, but the pattern of the embroidery was not very obvious, but from the back, it was a messy and overlapping mess: "It's no wonder that the
child you made doesn't feel uncomfortable when you put it on, the baby's skin is delicate , A little discomfort makes it easy to rub and turn red."
Du Heng cut off the messy thread with scissors, picked up the needle and sewed it up again at the punctured position.
Qin Xiaoman saw that the needles were piercing closely, and after a while a small peach blossom landed on the corner of the cloth. He touched it with his hands, and it was very smooth and moist, as if he had really touched the petals of a peach blossom.
"Why do you know everything, and you are really too virtuous." Qin Xiaoman opened his mouth and smiled slyly: "Could it be that when I was young, because I was born too handsome, my family raised me as a brother?" Du Heng did
n't Ignoring Qin Xiaoman's teasing, he knew these two skills were dragged by his cousin to join the club when he was still in college.
As the saying goes, Dao skills do not overwhelm the body. I never thought that one day I would be able to make close-fitting clothes for my children.
"I told you that you can embroider. I didn't ask my sister-in-law to cut clothes for us. I didn't have to ask my second aunt to scold me." Now that
Du Heng is an examinee, Qin Xiong is always in front of Li Wanju. Li Wanju was apprehensive about praising Du Heng, and she no longer dared to show her face and scold Qin Xiaoman casually.
I feel like I'm condescending, and I avoid Qin Xiaoman on weekdays, for fear of being laughed at by Qin Xiaoman.
"Didn't you ask your sister-in-law to do it when I was not at home? Thinking that you are fine at home, my sister-in-law came to make clothes just to talk to you as a companion."
Qin Xiaoman raised his eyebrows: "Then do
you want to make our baby's clothes?"
Many, he couldn't help but stepped forward and hung it on Du Heng's shoulder, lowered his eyes and looked at the little peach blossom that had turned into three on the corner of the cloth: "What if I have a son after all the flowers are embroidered?
" My daughter can use small flowers to decorate her clothes, so the chances of it being useful are much higher, but there is also a possibility that the chance is less.
"These are small clothes. They were worn when they couldn't walk. At that time, no matter whether they were boys or girls, they could wear pretty clothes." "That's
right." Qin Xiaoman rubbed Du Heng's shoulder: "Then what do you want?"
"Didn't you say it a long time ago,
it's fine.
" Afterwards, his temper became stronger, and Du Heng said helplessly: "I heard from the doctor that it is not easy for a brother to have a daughter, and usually only sons and brothers are born."
Qin Xiaoman raised his eyebrows: "Yes. This is true."
Du Heng He just smiled and didn't answer, and then both his brother and son wanted it.
"You think beautifully."
Although he didn't say the words, Qin Xiaoman guessed his thoughts.
"This child has had a lot of troubles in her pregnancy in the past few months. Although she is quiet and not naughty in her stomach, it is a pity that she is too weak. I have suffered from the medicine prescribed by the doctor. If I do it again, I will become a herbal medicine "
Qin Xiaoman leaned close to Du Heng's ear: "It's hard for you to sleep."
Du Heng blushed, "Don't talk nonsense."
"Take medicine because you were not in good health at that time, and it has nothing to do with others."
Qin Xiaoman clicked his tongue: "You have started to favor this kid before he was born. After all, it is yours, not mine." Du Heng rubbed
Qin Xiaoman's head: "What are you talking nonsense about? , you can go with my dearest head office."
Qin Xiaoman groaned for a while, shook his head and picked up the scissors to cut the cloth.
There was a smile on the corner of Du Heng's mouth, thinking that there would be a soft, fat baby in the family in a few months, he felt a surge of anticipation for no reason.
The two of them were making clothes together under the oil lamp, and when it was time for their appointment, Qin Xiaoman urged Du Heng to go to bed.
I am a scholar myself, if I stay up late to make clothes, I am afraid that my eyes will be ruined. Today, two or two out of ten scholars have their eyes ruined. The diorama hanging on the eyes is very precious, and it is hard to find. of.
Knowing the consequences, you still have to protect your eyes in advance.
In order to be able to enter the school as soon as possible, Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman began to prepare the next day, but neither of them knew the rules of this school, but they knew that they had to prepare for the ceremony when they came to worship the teacher, so as to express their respect The teacher's respect and sincerity.
What Du Heng heard from Qin Zhifeng earlier was that students will be assigned to different classrooms after entering the academy, and different classrooms have different lecturers, and this teacher is usually his mentor.
As a result, he had to go to the academy to apply for admission, and then wait for the classrooms to be assigned to the teacher ceremony.
Even so, he didn't procrastinate, and simply went to the county seat to report for duty the next day, and bought some dried fruits for Shu Xiuli along the way. There was nothing at home except meat sticks.
Du Heng drove an ox cart to the county seat early in the morning, first went to the county government to look for Qin Zhiyan, obtained his household registration certificate, and stamped some personal information before going to Bairong Academy. Hear Lang Lang reading.
"I'm here to enroll. Dare I ask where is the enrolment in Xiongtai?"
Du Heng pointed his head and spoke to the gatekeeper in the gatehouse. The gatekeeper glanced at Du Heng and didn't answer, but just let him pass.
Seeing that this person doesn't seem to be dumb, Du Heng's eyebrows moved slightly, he tried to take out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them over politely. "Enter the academy and go to the left-hand corridor until the end. There is a room for the admissions office." "
Thank you, brother."
Du Heng asked the address, and then stepped into the century-old building, which should be slightly old and peeling. However, most of the students in Bairong Academy are either rich or noble, so the family members must donate money to the academy for repair work, so the academy is very beautiful.
When you enter the academy, you will see a huge stone wall. Du Heng glanced at it, and it is probably engraved with the founder and origin of the academy.
The stone wall covers the garden that can be seen at a glance, and it looks particularly winding and secluded under the cover of layers of plum and bamboo.
The four gentlemen of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are always indispensable for decoration in the academy, and scholars are such an elegant person.
He walked in along the neat and clean handmade corridor painted with pillars. Along the way, he could see calligraphy and painting articles hanging in the corridor, some were framed, and some were not too much framed.
Du Heng walked all the way, and found that most of the inlaid words were strong and flying words, and the sentences were also magnificent, such as: Great responsibility comes from hard work, and I hope that all the kings will take the world as their own responsibility; A philosopher must not forget his inner conscience. ①
There are also thirteen counties of humanities, which are the foundation; five hundred years of orthodoxy, which can be inherited from teachers. ②Du
Heng guessed that these were gifts from the students who had accomplished a lot in the academy in order to encourage the younger generation to pursue their studies and never forget their teacher's kindness to serve the imperial court. The extremely rare good articles and discussions should be written by the top students in the academy, and they should be hung in the corridors that scholars must pass for everyone to study.
This is an excellent way to motivate students. The students in the academy are not high-spirited. It would be a great honor for my article to appear again.
Du Heng felt more and more that Bairong Academy was a well-deserved good academy.
Before reading the dazzled articles, the admission gate house that the concierge said arrived. When Du Heng saw that the door was closed, he knocked respectfully.
"Please come in."
Du Heng got approval before entering. This house is like a modern office, and there is only one man with a mustache in the lower house.
Seeing the person coming in, the character mustache looked Du Heng up and down, a little surprised where such a handsome scholar came from, and he seemed to be a newcomer to the unfamiliar.
But he took another look at Du Heng's clothes, he was wearing the clothes that Qin Zhiyan had replaced at the banquet today, when he went out, Qin Xiaoman asked him to wear the one Qin Zhifeng gave him, but he never He is not a person who likes to slap his face swollen to pretend to be fat, and he doesn't want to pretend to be a door.
Besides, there is only one set of clothes, so you can't always wear them all the time. Qi brocade is expensive, and a piece of material can't cost more than one or two thousand cash.
Comparison is a bottomless pit. When one's own abilities are not up to the mark, blindly using these external things to whitewash will only make it harder for oneself to overcome, and such people are often very unconfident in their hearts.
The corners of Bazihu's mouth turned up without a trace, and the meaning in his eyes was quite obvious: "What do you do?" "
Oh, I'm here to apply for admission."
Du Heng quickly handed over his information.
But the mustache only glanced at it, and did not put down the roll of paper in his hand. He said casually: "Who told you to come to the academy? Recently, the academy has not recruited students." Du Heng was still polite: "Yesterday, I taught
you I was able to meet the dean at your lord's banquet and negotiate with him, and it was Dean Ming who gave me permission to enroll." Hearing about the dean, Ba Zihu
put down the yellow paper in his hand, although he was a little concerned, he was also suspicious.
He did know that the teacher had a birthday banquet yesterday, but seeing the scholar's shabby appearance, how could he be able to attend the banquet.
"Then there is a token warrant?"
"No, it was a verbal promise from the dean."
Hearing this, the mustache raised his legs: "A verbal promise? Who knows that you are not playing tricks?" "
It's also simple, please You'll know everything once you meet the Dean."
But the character Hu sneered: "Who is Dean Ming? Scholars who ask to meet him on weekdays are like crucian carp in a river. If everyone meets, there is still time. Manage the academy? With an excuse like yours, I can listen to eight sentences in ten days, and I don't know what the concierge is for, and everyone is allowed in." Hearing this, Du Heng knew that he was deliberately making things difficult, and he said
: "If you are too busy to ask the dean for instructions, if you have nothing to do, you can go on your own. How about if you agree?"
Seeing that Du Heng was quite stiff, Bazihu paused, and his tone softened a little: "The dean is not here today, so it doesn't seem like a lie to see you. If that's the case, then you should pay the admission fee first, and go through the formalities here." You'd better go to school early."
Du Heng's eyebrows moved slightly, he was putting on airs just now, but he changed his words quickly.
Bazihu wrote something on the paper with a pen, and handed it to Du Heng before the ink was dry, and said with a mouthful: "Twelve taels."
Du Heng glanced at it, and it was similar to a receipt. Includes both tuition and fees.
For a period of one year, the tuition fee is six taels, and the tuition and miscellaneous fees are four taels, including two sets of uniforms for students, books and classroom usage fees.
In addition, there are teaching fees and accommodation costs.
Du Heng didn't plan to live in the academy, he had to go home every day.
But even if you add up all the expenses that appear above, it's only ten taels.
His eyes fell on the entry fee line, which also said that a total of ten taels was paid, so where did the other two taels come from.
"Isn't it written in ten taels? And I don't stay in the academy."
The horoscope gave Du Heng a sideways look: "The price is the same, do you really not know or not?"
Du Heng understood, and asked the way It's fine if the concierge asks for money, the main thing is that people are not greedy, so if you give them a few pennies, they will happily tell you.
At this time, he was clearly allowed by the dean to study in the academy, but he had to be charged extra money for enrolment.
"Whether you want to go to school or not, go back if you don't."
Ba Zihu urged impatiently, knowing that the scholar was poor, and it would take too long to even give some hard work.
However, as soon as the words were finished, there was a knock on the door, and a young man came in.
"Uncle Zhao, are you alone here?"
"Ah yes, is something wrong with Young Master Mu?"
"Uncle Zhao said that you call me by my name, so there is no need to call me like that."
Du Heng saw the mustache standing up and nodding, his attitude changed drastically, and he heard the voice behind him especially familiar. When he turned around, the person behind him saw him too.
"Du Heng? Why are you here?"
Seeing the acquaintance, Du Heng smiled slightly and saluted Mu Ti: "Brother Mu."
Mu Ti was very happy to see Du Heng: "How is Tong's exam?" "
Pass Now, come to the academy today to apply for admission." Du Heng said: "The papers that brother Mu sent during the child's exam are very helpful for the exam. I have always wanted to thank brother Mu personally but I have never had the opportunity." "Really?! You want to come to Bairong
Academy Studying?" Mu Ti's joy was more obvious: "That's really great, from now on we will be classmates and brothers, you should call me senior brother."
The mustache on the side was stunned for a while, how could he know that Du Heng and Mu Ti recognized each other, and their words were quite familiar, which made him wonder Du Heng's background for a while.
He made a haha: "I didn't expect that Young Master Mu and this new kid would recognize each other. They really are destined."
Du Heng was smiling, and the old man almost forgot him when he didn't speak.
He raised his eyebrows slightly, knowing Mu Ti's temperament, he deliberately wanted to mess with this old thing.
Du Heng pretended to be a little embarrassed: "Brother, I may trouble you with something."
"Whatever it is, just say it." Mu Ti likes Du Heng very much, especially when he heard that he passed the Tongsheng examination, he is quite a kind of person who gives advice on his own. He was proud of his success, and the senior brother was even more ironic after hearing this voice: "I am familiar with the academy."
Du Heng scratched his head in embarrassment, and lowered his voice: "Today you need to pay tuition fees, and you didn't know about the academy at first. I don't have enough money, brother, can you lend me some, and I will pay back to brother in two days." "
Oh, it's a trivial matter."
Mu Ti was not unhappy because Du Heng asked him to borrow money Or they looked down on Du Heng, and admired Du Heng from the very beginning because they saw him working hard.
He took out the money and asked, "How much money are you short?" And handed it to the mustache, he said very politely and respectfully: "Mr. Trouble."
When he went out this morning, Qin Xiaoman specially gave him a lot of money, but he was not sure how much the academy's tuition fee was, but he knew it was a The academy is rich and expensive, and the facilities inside are good, so the tuition fee must be indispensable.
If you have more, you can take it back, but if you don't, it will be troublesome, so Qin Xiaoman gave him ten taels, and Du Heng himself still has three or four taels, which is actually quite enough.
Seeing Du Heng honestly borrowing money from Mu Ti, Hu Xin raised his throat, and didn't know how to deal with it for a while.
"What's twelve taels? Isn't it ten taels? The entrance fee for the academy has increased?"
Mu Ti was still waiting for Du Heng to complete the enrollment process quickly so that he could take people around the academy, watching the money Du Heng handed over would inevitably raise his eyebrows. raised eyebrows.
"Is it ten taels? The master said it was twelve taels." Du Heng looked surprised.
Mu Ti couldn't help asking again: "Uncle Zhao, what's the matter?"
Bazihu smiled dryly: "I, I said ten taels. Look, Young Master Mu, the bills are all ten taels." "
Ah? Ten taels ." Two? I'm sorry sir, I misheard it as twelve taels."
Du Heng folded himself and returned the money to Mu Ti: "I'm sorry, brother, I misheard and misunderstood what you mean sir.
" Ti frowned, Ten and Twelve might not sound right, not to mention if they got it wrong, he glanced at the mustache in a vague way: "Uncle Zhao, you have to be careful about enrolling. If the century-old reputation of Bairong Academy has been damaged by anyone, let alone the dean, the county magistrate will not let it go easily." The back of the mustache felt chills: "
Yes, yes, I would like to follow the teachings of Young Master Mu. "
I, I will enroll Du Xiaoyou
right now." With Mu Ti watching over him, the mustache was much more efficient, and he paid the money, signed and stamped it in one go, distributed books to Du Heng, and left Du Heng's body size Make courtyard clothes.
In the end, he sent the two of them out of the house respectfully.
After leaving the school, Mu Ti fixed his face: "Uncle Zhao has been working in the academy for some years, but now he is becoming less and less able to do things. It is also a bad atmosphere created by the students of the academy." "That
said What do you say?"
"Whenever the students of the academy come to do something, they like to pay Uncle Zhao some hard work, but it makes him forget that the academy hired him to do these things, and now they don't do things without paying the hard work .It makes no sense at all!"
Du Heng pretended to be ignorant, but turned on fire: "Brother, what you mean is that Uncle Zhao wants to ask for hard work for me today? Isn't that right? Academy is not only a place for studying, but also a place for self-cultivation. How could Uncle Zhao not lead by example and commit crimes knowingly? ."
"You just came here, and you don't understand many things. This person's heart is so bad! No, I'm going to report to the dean. This trend will ruin the reputation of the academy. He can embarrass you today, but he can do it tomorrow Embarrass the new students."
Du Heng stopped him: "Brother, you have already given him a warning today, why don't you see if he can change his ways and give him another chance. There is nothing to say, what do you think?"
Mu Ti paused: "You are generous, well, I will give him another chance."
Today, Du Heng is out of breath, and Du Heng doesn't know what the mustache is. If he was directly dismissed by the academy after this incident, then he would definitely bear a grudge against him and cause trouble.
Now that he has taken the warning, he will restrain himself, and he will not dare to make things difficult for him again, on the contrary, he will be afraid.
That's enough.
Du Heng followed Mu Ti to wander around the academy for about half an hour, went to see the most basic canteen of the academy, the Library Pavilion, and looked at the classrooms outside, in order not to disturb the scholars inside, he didn't go in to have a closer look.
In addition, because I didn't plan to live in the academy, I never went to see it in the dormitory.
But there are also some nearby places to visit. There is a garden dedicated to morning reading, called Morning Reading Garden. There is Yeying Pavilion where you can listen to lectures on the lake at night, and there are Liuyi Pavilion, Nongsang Pavilion and Limin Pavilion.
In short, the exact size of the Bairong Academy is completely difficult to see from the gate. Only after entering the academy can one realize that there is a vast universe inside the academy.
Du Heng sighed, no wonder the admission fee is so expensive, this setting is really worthy of the price.
"What's the purpose of this Limin Pavilion?"
Du Heng, the manager next to him, knew what it was for as soon as he heard the name. The Limin Pavilion felt a bit abstract.
Mu Ti smiled and said: "Probably they invented some fortifications to benefit the people. At first, there was a small book stand outside the academy, which was built by the students of the Limin Hall, and was praised by the teacher. When you come to the academy In the future, you can go around and see if anyone is interested. If you can become a member of the library, you can not only learn the knowledge of the corresponding library, but also communicate with the master from time to time." "But I want you to come to the Six Arts Museum out of selfishness
. , I happen to be the curator."
Du Heng smiled slightly, this is just like the clubs in the university, and the things in Bairong Academy are quite fancy.
"It would be great if I could enter the Six Arts Hall and become a member, so that I could also be with my senior brother, but unfortunately I am not good at the Six Arts."
Li Le shot at Yushu, and there were at least three of them that he was completely a noob.
Archery is not good, singing is not good, and driving is terrible.
Qin Xiaoman almost laughed him to death when he was driving an ox cart earlier. Wouldn't it kill him to drive a fierce horse?
"It's okay, it's still a while before the academy recruits new students. During this time, you can practice more. When the academy recruits new students, the library will also recruit new members." Du Heng agreed without being overly friendly.
The author has something to say:
①From the Guishan Academy in the Qing Dynasty, Baidu search
②From the famous Longgang Academy in Guizhou in the Ming Dynasty, Baidu search