In the evening, Li Congjia returned to the room, but it was empty. Xu Xuan probably went out and had not returned yet.

His body was very tired, but he did not fall directly onto the bed and cover his head to sleep as usual. Instead, he sat in a daze for a while, then got up and opened the window to get some air.

He walked aimlessly around the tables and chairs a few times and saw a broom and dustpan in the corner. He picked them up and started sweeping the floor.

After cleaning the floor of the room, Li Congjia looked around and saw that there was still some water in the basin. He found a rag, soaked it, wrung it out, and began to wipe the tables and chairs seriously again.

While he was working, the door opened and Xu Xuan entered the room carrying a bag of things. He was surprised to see Li Congjia cleaning the room. He quickly stepped forward, put the things he was carrying on the table, rolled up his sleeves and said, "Little Prince

How can you do such rough work? Put it down quickly and let Xu do it!"

Xu Xuan wanted to snatch the rag, but Li Congjia retracted his hand, shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter, sir, just let me do it myself."

Xu Xuan was stunned and stopped fighting.

Li Congjia began to carefully clean the desk, window lattice, screen, and several pieces of decorative lacquerware placed on the cabinet.

Xu Xuan showed a happy smile like an old father. Thinking of something, he opened the paper bag on the table and said with a smile: "Today I went to the newspaper office to ask if the two manuscripts submitted a few days ago have passed the review. I don't want to run into the newspaper office.

It coincides with the day of rest, and there are two days of rest every seventh day, which is called "weekend". This seems to be the rule of Jingzhou officials.

Fortunately, my luck was not too bad. There were still a few people on duty at the newspaper office. Although the manuscript had not yet been reviewed, I was able to find a new job.

Today they were compiling copywriting and their hands were overwhelmed, so they asked me to help.

Seeing that I was good at handwriting and had written front-page articles, a deputy editor immediately decided to let me help out at the newspaper office every weekend from now on, and I would be paid eighty cents a day."

Xu Xuan said cheerfully: "It's one hundred and sixty coins in two days. I can earn more than six hundred coins in a month. It's really good. When I came back, I went to Taihe Building to cut half a catty of braised pork and brought it back to the little prince.

Replenish your body."

Li Congjia smelled the aroma of braised pork, and the glutton in his stomach started to rumble, and he swallowed hard.

Taihelou's braised pork is also one of his favorite dishes. When he smelled the aroma again after half a month, it was really hard to resist.

Li Congjia swallowed hard and tried to control his desire for delicious food. He struggled to look away from the bag of braised pork, cupped his hands and said: "Sir, he has been working hard these days writing, and his diet is relatively sparse, so I leave it to you to nourish your body.

"

Xu Xuan was stunned, a little unbelievable.

The little prince actually said no to the delicious food in Taihe Building?!

Does the sun rise in the west today?

If Xu Xuan could understand when he saw Li Congjia cleaning the room just now, then now, Li Congjia is indifferent to the delicious food, which is hard for him to understand!

Xu Xuan walked forward nervously, raised the back of his hand to test his forehead, and murmured: "It's not hot..."

Li Congjia pushed his hand away and said with a wry smile: "Sir, don't worry, I'm not sick, I just feel a little emotional today. Since I left Jiangning, I have been taking care of you all the way, and I have never said thank you to him. When I came to Jingzhou, I

I encountered many changes, but I didn't know the hardship of life, the price of firewood, rice, oil and salt, and spent excessively. Finally, I ended up working to pay off debts.

My husband has been struggling to support the daily expenses of the two of us, and Congjia feels ashamed. In the future, I will definitely promise my husband to be diligent and thrifty, and never waste more."

Li Congjia bowed deeply, Xu Xuan was moved and gratified, and hurriedly helped him up: "It is a great kindness for the little prince to reflect on himself! Xu...Xu..."

Xu Xuan was excited and incoherent, and his eyes were wet.

"Mr. Xu!" Li Congjia also held his hand emotionally.

Holding hands, the two strangers once again warmed each other with sincere emotions.

"Gugu~"

The rumble coming from his belly was a bit abrupt, and Li Congjia's face turned red and he retracted his hand in a dignified manner.

During dinner today, he was in no mood and his appetite was much less than usual. The aunts in the back kitchen thought he was sick and gathered around him to inquire about his welfare.

Even if they dislike him, the aunts still take good care of the chubby Tuya boy.

Xu Xuan smiled and said: "The bones of the little prince's body have not grown yet, so he should eat more. Eat it quickly, the taste of the braised pork will be worse when it is cold."

Li Congjia said firmly: "Sir and I will share half of it each, otherwise I would rather not eat it! From now on, I don't have to take care of everything, but I have to think more about myself."

Xu Xuan comforted him, saying that the little prince really grew up a lot in one day.

The two of them sat at the square table, each holding a pair of chopsticks, picking up the braised meat and dipping it into the sauce, enjoying themselves.

Xu Xuan smiled and said: "Did the little prince encounter something today?"

Li Congjia said enthusiastically: "Mr. Jean guessed it right. Today there is a new person in the kitchen. He is only a few years older than me. He is the grandnephew of the old shopkeeper of Dishe. His name is Chu Xun. He has read books and is quite knowledgeable.

What's even more rare is that he seems to be quite proficient in cooking."

Li Congjia described the scene today where he saw Chu Xun show off his knife skills and kill chickens and pluck their feathers. Xu Xuan was greatly surprised when he heard:

"Is it possible that his family has been doing this for generations?"

Li Congjia thought about it and said: "He said that farming and reading have been passed down from generation to generation in his family. Although he was poor, he never forgot to study and practice essays. He said: 'Farming is to build a life, and reading is to build a person.'"

"Well said!" Xu Xuan stood up with a roar, and he was so excited that he couldn't contain himself.

"Such a concept coincides with that of Xu!"

Xu Xuan sighed with emotion: "There are virtuous children in a small residence and kitchen!"

Li Congjia said with admiration: "Chu Xun is here to take part in the selection examination of Jingzhou Academy soon. He can't do all the work in the back kitchen. When several masters in charge of spoons can't get away, they have to do it by themselves."

He came to help. The master said that if Chu Xun became an apprentice, in a few years, everyone in Taihe Tower would be competing for him.

He also commented on Liu Hedong's work with me, often making witty remarks and making people think.

Mr. Xu, how can there be such smart and interesting people in the world?"

Xu Xuan looked at Li Congjia, secretly surprised, and also had strong curiosity about Chu Xun.

Although the little prince has been accustomed to fine clothes and fine food since he was a child, and he is a glutton and a good talker, the ink in his belly is real.

Even though Prime Minister Song Qiqiu, the princeling leader, disliked Li Congjia and was wary of him in every aspect, he had nothing to say about his literary talents.

Discussing Ci and Fu articles with Li Congjia is impossible without some real talent and practical learning.

This Chu Xun was not only able to chat and laugh with Li Congjia, but also received his heartfelt praise, which shows that his level is absolutely extraordinary, and his knowledge and knowledge should not be underestimated.

In the cramped back kitchen room, two literary young men sat and talked in front of a pile of chicken feathers. Xu Xuan found this scene extremely interesting when he thought about it.

"According to this, this boy is a rare talent!"

Xu Xuan said with emotion, "If he comes again tomorrow, I will definitely find a chance to meet him."

Li Congjia's mouth was full of oil. He put down his chopsticks, his face fell, and he sighed quietly: "Sir, compared with Chu Xun, I feel that I am useless.

He is smart and hard-working, and he knows all the kitchen chores. His aunts and cooks all like him.

It just so happens that he is quite knowledgeable, sensible, and has many witty words. Alas, when he first arrived, he was like a fish in water, unlike me, who was scolded and disliked everywhere..."

Li Congjia sniffed, a little sad.

Xu Xuan listened quietly without interrupting.

My impression of Chu Xun became more and more full.

At the same time, I became increasingly confused.

According to the description of the little prince, he should be a wise man who could laugh and scold with the people in the market, and also play chess and drink tea with the literati and poets.

But is such a person really just a young man from an ordinary peasant family?

Small Anding County, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the land of Jiangbei is full of surprises.

Xu Xuan once again marveled at Beidi, mixed with a bit of yearning.

I wonder if there are such talented people in the imperial court of Kaifeng?

Li Congjia was still quietly recounting his reflections on that day: "Without my status as a born wealthy person, I am just an ordinary person. In the back kitchen, no one will treat me with superiority or do anything to me just because of my status.

If you do something wrong, you will be scolded. If you cannot complete your work, you will be disliked and excluded. Everyone is busy with their work, and no one will pay attention to you, let alone flattery and flattery..."

Xu Xuan smiled and said: "This is what ordinary people do day after day. The world is difficult. It is not easy to survive, and it is even harder to live well. The little prince is a prince when he is born, and he enjoys the support of the people.

, we should think more about the people.

If there is an opportunity in the future, I will take the young prince to see the fields, see how the farmers work, and see how the crops grow. Then the young prince will know why Ya Sheng said: "The people are the most precious, and the country is the first."

Therefore, you should be lighthearted.'"

Li Congjia solemnly said: "The words of sages are truly immortal for thousands of years!"

Xu Xuan suddenly thought of something and said excitedly: "My conversation with the little prince made Xu Xuan suddenly enlightened. I thought of the topic for the next article, and I will write about agricultural production and resettlement in Jingzhou."

Xu Xuan felt that the thoughts in his mind were extremely clear, and he immediately apologized, sat down in front of the desk, spread out the paper, dipped his pen in ink, and sorted out the outline first.

"I'm here to grind ink for Mr. Li." Li Congjia cheerfully began to twist the ink stick and grind the ink.

Xu Xuan wrote so hard that he forgot the time for a moment. It was not until the light in the room was dim that he couldn't see the handwriting clearly, and he suddenly woke up.

Li Congjia didn't know when he fell asleep lying on the desk. Xu Xuan smiled, helped him lie down on the bed, took off his shoes and socks, covered him with bedding, then returned to the desk, turned on the oil lamp, and continued writing.

~~~

Early the next morning, Zhu Xiu chewed a fried dough stick and walked slowly to the back kitchen.

Not far away, a person came down the stairs, it was Xu Maocai.
To be continued...