After entering the capital in May, the sky was like a fire was about to fall.
This kind of dry heat is different from the damp heat in Jiangnan. It can't sleep well for several nights, and the eyes are blue.
Bai felt very distressed when he saw Chen Yan at home that day, he called and ordered: "I heard that there are people selling ice, so our family also buys some ice for use. My second brother has not eaten well these days but sleeps well. Yes, it would be awesome to continue like this.”
Chen Yan said: "My second brother is going to the academy during the day, but only comes to the house at night... Most of the people who buy ice have ice cellars at home. They buy them and prepare them and then use them. There is no ice cellar at home, so they can't use them even if they buy them. It will melt after how long... If my mother feels hot in the yard, she will ask people to pour water several times in the morning and evening."
Bai Shi's face was a little reluctant: "It melts, it melts. Is the ice cooler than splashing water..."
Chen Yan felt bitter in his mouth. The prices in the capital are already expensive than those in the south. This ice cube is used by wealthy people in summer. Although the price is not outrageous, it cannot withstand daily use. It is not yet in a state of decline. , just use ice, so how much money should I use this summer?
Seeing that his son was in a dilemma, Bai was a little embarrassed, but he felt sorry for his youngest son and refused to change his mind. He got up and went to the inner room to get a silk bag, opened it, and pushed it to Chen Yan and said, "If the eldest brother is really not enough money." If you use it, just use this for silver..."
Inside is a pair of gold bracelets of Huang Cancan, and a broad leek leaf with the character "Fu" concubine, which looks like half a pound.
Seeing this, Chen Yan frowned slightly. This was Bai's dowry jewelry. Bai had taken it out when his family was having a difficult time a few years ago.
Bai glanced at the eldest son, and saw that he was still not responding, he felt a little depressed and his face drooped.
The eldest son is now teaching in the academy and has several disciples who are useful under his name. Three holidays and two birthdays are common sense, and the capital is no exception.
In the past few days, several parents of students brought their children and nephews to deliver festival gifts. In addition to the four treasures of the study and food, I heard that there are only a few silver seals. Now I just ordered my eldest son to buy some ice for use, so my eldest son would push me and stop me. I want to say this The eldest son is good at everything, but he just holds too tightly on the money.
Chen Yan saw it, sighed in his heart, his expression faded, and he put away the silk bag: "Since my mother's order, I will obey the order that this bracelet can be filled with dozens of taels of silver, and the ice in a summer is enough... …
Seeing this, Bai was stunned, his expression was a little reluctant, and his eyes stuck to the silk bag.
Chen Yan just pretended that he hadn't seen him, and stood up and said, "Son is going out to do something now."
Bai's face turned red and white, and she stopped talking, watching her son pick the curtain out.
Bai suddenly felt angry and muttered: "Today I have to pay the money by myself. Will you have to pay the money even if you eat more food tomorrow? What is this boss?"
Chen Yan returned to the east wing and his face turned ugly.
It is not easy to live in the capital. He tried his best to balance the family's income and expenditure so that he would not have enough money. However, because of his love for his youngest son, he added vegetables today and clothes tomorrow, and he also thought that his family members were in trouble. Not enough, I want to increase the population. My family was an ordinary family with a meager family. Now I live in the capital. However, Bai was treated too slowly when he was in the Qiao family, for fear that his sons would be wronged outside, so he was determined to dress up his two sons. The appearance of a rich young man.
How could Chen Yan bear to spending money like this? Two of them were refuted in three chapters.
Seeing this, Bai always yelled to pay for money by himself. Chen Yan is a family member and a filial son, how could he accept it? If he can stop him, he will stop him. If he can't stop him, he will let Bai spend it.
Now Bai's family is going to buy ice and even take out the dowry jewelry, but Chen Yan doesn't plan to continue to indulge.
Chen Yan thought about it, then called the butler and handed him the gold bracelet and said, "Take it to the silver house to revaluate the price. I saw the ice seller and sent it to the house..." At this point, he gave him another five. Ten taels of banknotes: "Get some silver and exchange it for two jin of money. When you come back, you will only say it was exchanged for gold bracelets..."
The housekeeper packed up the gold bracelet, went out to hang up the empty bag, and went out to do a job.
Bai Shi stood in front of the window, looking restless.
After a while, the little maid who served her came over and whispered: "Madam, my brother has sent the housekeeper out."
Bai Shi was stunned, her brows frowned, her eyes turned red without realizing it, and her face looked a little aggrieved.
Chen is a student and Chen Yan is a master. Chen Yan spends more time at home, so Chen has to go out early and come back late.
When the sun sets and comes back with sweat, the first thing I do is to ask someone to get a bathtub.
He sweated a lot in summer, and his Confucian clothes were wet and dry, and he couldn't stand it. After he finished washing, he changed his clothes and went to pay his respects to Bai.
After entering the north house, Chen realized the difference.
Now it's hot outside, but the room is a little cool. Looking at the doors and windows, it's all closed. There is a small slab in the corner of the room with a copper plate with a radius of one foot long and stacked in the copper plate There were several squares of ice cubes. On the side of the copper plate, there was a small bucket of water. The melted ice water drips dripping from the gap on the side of the copper plate and flowed into the small bucket below.
Seeing this, Chen couldn't help but say happily: "Wow, I bought ice at home."
While speaking, he rushed over and put his palm on the ice. The coolness came up, which made him tremble.
In order to buy ice, Bai was so angry that he had been feeling depressed for half a day, but when he saw his youngest son happy, his heart was full of displeasure.
She smiled and said, "It's just a few pieces of ice. Look at the second brother who is happy? There are many more. It's just that you were not here before, and it's a pity that you have turned white. Now you are covered with a quilt... I'll ask someone to give it to you later when you go back. go…
"Thank you, mom" Chen Huan responded happily.
Thinking that there was no movement in the east wing, he said in a serious manner: "Where is the eldest brother? Are you not at home?"
Bai said unhappily: "Mr. Zhou invited me to have a drink and went out for social events."
Chen said with a "haha": "Mr. Zhou is a honest man. Not only does he want his son to be with his elder brother, but he also wants to study with his elder brother. However, his elder brother said he couldn't stand it, so he made a friend of his age. …”
Xianggong Zhou is a neighbor of this street, an old family in the capital, and a scholarly family. His grandfather once gave up a foreign official, but in his generation, only one brother became an official. He took the exam for half his life and was just a scholar. Nowadays, the older sons are not the materials for studying, only the younger son, and are also students of Nancheng Academy. After passing the county examination in February, he was highly expected by Xianggong Zhou.
Bai said disapprovingly: "But an old scholar, after drinking today, he will have to invite him back another day... If you really value your elder brother, the festive gifts are more heavy, isn't it more decent than anything else?"
Chen shook his head and said, "How can that be done? How can the friendship between scholars be measured by money? Such come and go is the way to go."
Bai thought that his eldest son was willing to spend money to go out for social events, but he was willing to buy ice for his family, and his chest felt a little stuffy again.
She felt very whispered in her heart, but she didn't say anything in front of Shen. She really didn't want their brothers to have a grudge.
Chen accompanied Bai to have supper, so he went back to the west wing to study.
There was an ice basin in the room, and the temperature slowly dropped.
Sitting behind the desk, holding the "Four Books Collection" in his hand, but he couldn't read a single word. He was full of anxiety and a little panic.
What if the Shangshu Mansion sent someone to send a message to ask their brothers to return to their hometown?
When he was studying before, he often felt tired and wanted to take time to take a break. But now, he felt extremely sad when he thought that he might not be able to continue studying.
My brother’s actions were also helpless, but why hasn’t the Shangshu Mansion replied yet?
Chen remembered clearly that he copied the address here neatly and handed it over to Shen Rui, and asked Shen Rui to send someone to reply. After several days, it has been so severe that it has been in the sea.
It became dark outside, and the maid came in and lit the light.
Although their family's life improved when they were in Nanjing, Chen Yan knew that there were more places to spend money in the future. Even if they were planning to live, the family members only bought four people, two in the inner house, one was the servant who went to the stove, and one was the servant who was on the stove. Little maid; two in the front yard, one housekeeper and one servant. Except for the little maid who is alone, the other three are a family. They live in the front yard at night, and only the little maid is left in the back yard, mostly in the white Serve around.
Chen still sat at the desk, rubbing the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in front of him, and was full of reluctance.
It’s not that he couldn’t think it through, but that Xu’s reply three years ago made him see the disgust of the Shangshu Mansion for their lineage.
The heavy head slowly drooped. It was a lie to say that he had no resentment in his heart, but he didn't know who he should blame? As a child of the Shen family, their lineage is still unrecognizable to the clan members, like a rootless duckweed. In spring, the scene of a family of three leaving Songjiang like a fleeing is still vivid in my mind. Is it going to happen again?
I don’t know how long it took, but someone said, “What are you thinking?”
It was Chen Yan who was back.
Hurry up and stood up: "Brother"
Chen Yan's face was flushed, with a little drunkenness, but his eyes were shining.
Seeing his brother in a good mood, Chen Ye was in a better mood and said, "But is there any happy event?"
Chen Yan nodded, his lips curled up: "Mr. Zhou introduced me to a new student today, who is his brother's nephew. After the Dragon Boat Festival, he sent him to the academy to study and decided on one of mys."
Chen Wei was surprised: "Zhou Xianggong's brother is the one who is an official?"
Chen Yan nodded and said, "That's the one, now he serves as the head of the Ministry of Personnel."
Chen Xiao said, "It seems that Nancheng Academy is becoming more and more famous. Among the newly enrolled students this year, there are many officials' children..."
Chen Youyouyou: "Of the fifty people on the April Palace Examination List, six of them were on the list, overwhelming the Chunshan Academy in the north of the city."
Although Chen was full of worries, he could see that everything was as usual in his brother, and he became much more at unknowingly.
Chen Yan glanced at his desk and said, "Your writing is still enough, but the policy discussion is a bit less. There is only less than a year and a half left before the provincial examination next year, so I mostly try my best to do it. If I consciously finish my writing, I will be useless. , read more articles from others, and it is best to improve your strengths and make up for your weaknesses."
Chen asked in confusion: "Didn't my brother ask me to calm down and read a few more years before I finish my studies? Why did I change my mind?"
Chen Yan said, "I was afraid that you would have too much difficulty in studying, and I was worried that you would be beautiful in the forest. When I arrived in the capital, I realized that I had a short-term understanding and had to become famous as soon as possible. It would be beneficial for my second brother to pass the imperial examination as soon as possible."
Chen Ji said with no confidence: "It's useless to imagine... Nanzhili has gathered many talented scholars, and many years of Confucian scholars and Imperial College students, it's not easy to be a juren..."
Chen Yan raised his eyebrows and said, "My second brother has never put down his papers these days? Isn't it to prepare for the provincial examination next year?"
Chen smiled and said, "I just fear that my classmates would be left behind..."
Chen Yan didn't reveal it, but looked at the closed window, looked at the ice plate in the corner, looked away, and chuckled: "I remember too much, I'm still too late, keep reading, I'm going back to the house..."
After leaving the west wing, Chen Yan glanced at the room.
The upper room was also closed with the windows, and the lights were reflected on the windows.
Only the east wing is black.
Chen Yan picked up the bamboo curtain and went in. Although the windows in the east wing were all open, he still felt the hot and stuffy in the room.
As it was pitch black, Chen Yan's face felt a little astringent.
He touched the fire note, lit the lamp himself, pulled open the drawer under the desk, revealing a silk bag.
Since it was his mother's dowry jewelry, where could he really exchange money for his son? He just didn't want his mother to continue to squander money and wanted to curb her little character, so he deliberately took away her beloved bracelet and wanted her to know. Livelihood is difficult, and I know that I feel sorry for money.
Unexpectedly, she really knew how to be frugal. She was not willing to be frugal from herself, nor was she willing to treat her younger son badly, but she was willing to save money from him.
Just now, I heard the butler say that only two ice plates were prepared in the backyard, and Chen Yan thought he had heard it wrong.
Now the doors and windows of the main room and the west wing are closed, and the doors and windows of the east wing are open, and there is no trace of ice. Chen Yan can't even deceive himself...