Withered vines, old trees and dim crows, small bridges and flowing water, people's homes, the setting sun, heartbroken people at the end of the world.
Qin Dewei looked down at the long shadow, feeling disappointed. He didn't expect that today's "study and improvement" plan would be aborted.
If I can't solve my mother's wishes, there will always be obstacles in my studies, and I can't even think about taking exams.
He has already inquired about it. Next year will be the year of the rural examination in the third pass of the imperial examination. Of course, this has nothing to do with him, but there will also be county and prefecture examinations in the junior third pass next year, and he still wants to give it a try.
In the imperial examination, at the same level, the younger you are, the more popular you are. Especially in the unnamed primary examinations such as county examinations, government examinations, and college examinations, the personal will of the examiner trumps everything else.
Don't ask, asking is an unspoken rule. If you think about it carefully, you will know that if you were an examiner, would you rather accept young people with great prospects as students, or old students who don't know how many years to live?
But if the Zhou family is unwilling to leave the comfort zone of a wealthy family and make a living on their own, then it will be impossible for Qin Dewei to take the exam!
To take the exam, you must write a family statement. If you write that your mother is a slave and hand it in, you will be beaten out on the spot and will be disqualified from the exam.
Time waits for no one. One year may be long or short, but you should always be able to find a way, right?
After seeing Mr. Zeng off, Qin Dewei supported his mother and walked into the gate together. Zhou suddenly remembered something and asked doubtfully: "Where is the third brother? Why is no one seen?"
Qin Dewei: "..."
Mrs. Zhou frowned: "Why don't you answer?"
Qin Dewei recalled with difficulty: "Before, I seemed to have asked the Third Master to wait for me in the school, and then I..."
"Then you came back on your own?" Mrs. Zhou was furious and waved her mother's iron palm high: "You're the companion on your first day, and this is it? You're so itchy!"
Qin Dewei scurried away with his head in his arms and ran towards the gate again.
Mrs. Zhou looked at such an ignorant son and sighed sadly.
Children of poor people have already become parents, while children of other families have already begun to know how to make a living, such as becoming an apprentice or something, by the age of this age.
But my son is lazy and impetuous, and he is still so out of tune. His heart is higher than the sky, but his destiny is thinner than the paper. This is often the case for him.
Character determines fate, and if this continues, it will definitely lead to tragedy. Mrs. Zhou secretly decided that she must talk to Madam again tonight.
Even if I can't place my son in my family, I still ask my wife to help find a good family. After two years, I will assign a maid to get married, so that I can live a stable life from now on.
There are also dead vines, old trees and dim crows, small bridges and flowing water, people’s homes, the setting sun, and heartbroken people at the end of the world.
Xu Shi'an was sitting in the ethnology school, his face as sinking as water and motionless as a mountain.
The old boy from the clan school slowly came over and advised, "Mr. An, it's time for you to leave! If you stay here, the school won't be able to close."
"I won't leave!" Xu Shi'an said stubbornly.
The stubborn Mr. An was immediately picked up. The old handyman was like an eagle catching a chicken, and he carried Mr. An until he was outside the gate before putting him down.
Ten years ago, when the Zhengde Dynasty was still in the Zhengde Dynasty, King Ning's rebellion reached Anqing. The old servant had served in the army with the Xu family and was very senior. Third Master An was not very respectable enough.
If you give me face, it’s Mr. An, if you don’t, it’s Mr. Xu!
Even if he was moved to the steps, Xu Shian would still sit there, naturally proud and stubborn to the end.
Qin Dewei trotted over from a distance, shouting: "I was wrong, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong!"
When he got closer, Qin Dewei bowed deeply at 90 degrees: "I'm very sorry!"
Xu Shian asked with a straight face: "Do you think that no matter what you encounter, just bow and it will be over?"
Qin Dewei raised his hands high again, bowed and clasped his fists repeatedly in salute. Xu Shian was right about this. According to current etiquette, apologizing cannot just bend down and bow, but also requires movement with the hands.
Xu Shian was speechless, is that all?
"Third Master, please calm down! I have done you a great wrong, please give me a lot of help, Third Master!" the humble companion read out loudly, apologizing as if he was asking for no money.
"You must be in trouble!" Xu Shi'an shouted: "From yesterday to today, you have always tried your best to avoid calling me Third Master! Why do you keep saying it now and are you so willing to do it?"
Qin Dewei was shocked: "Why is the third master so suspicious of me!"
Xu Shian smiled coldly: "I only know that when you treat others with courtesy, you must ask for something."
Qin Dewei said categorically: "I have nothing to ask for from Third Master!"
Xu Shian kept sneering: "Don't beg me? Then do you want to beg my mother or my father?"
Qin Dewei is a little embarrassed. How did Xu Laosan become so smart? Or has his acting skills deteriorated?
In fact, this is the natural instinct of children from wealthy families, who are most sensitive to the feeling of superiority and inferiority.
Previously, Qin Dewei was very resistant deep down in his heart and was unwilling to be subordinate to others. Xu Shian could feel it, but it didn't matter. Everyone who had read books had this kind of temper.
But Qin Dewei, who reappeared, became so groveling. The contrast was so great that unless Xu Shian was really a fool, he would not have been able to see it.
The key is that Qin Dewei does have an idea. Just now he thought on the way that in addition to the mother's own wishes, there are two more key people who can influence his mother's denaturalization, namely the host, Commander Xu, and Mrs. Xu.
As long as the master wants to release the slave, the mother cannot keep her even if she wants to.
But Qin Dewei has never met Commander Xu, and he doesn't even know Mrs. Xu. The only Xu family member he knows is Xu Shi'an...
Xu Laosan, who had been suppressed for a day, took the opportunity to teach Qin Dewei a lesson. After passing this village, there may not be another store.
"I'm staying here for your own good, do you know that? If I go home alone and let others see me, you will be punished!
Look, how I treat you! And you can only fool me, you don't treat me as a brother-in-law at all! You don't treat me as one of your own!"
Qin Dewei was helpless. You, Master Xu, are just a twelve-year-old kid. You can't even carry King Hui of Liang back. We can't talk to you. What else can we do without fooling you?
I have no choice but to continue to fool around: "Then please tell the third master, what compensation should I make to satisfy the third master?
Xu Shi'an was suddenly stuck. This poor boy who was still working at home had nothing to ask for. What could he possibly compensate for?
So I still have to think of something difficult to force Qin Dewei to give in completely!
Thinking of this, Xu Shi'an spoke: "In class during the day, didn't you brag that you had seen famous beauties? If you take me to see them, I will be satisfied!"
The so-called knowledge, of course, cannot just be seen from a distance.
When they are underage young men, they often talk about meeting famous beauties when they talk to each other. But it is difficult to realize it for the time being. Whoever can come out on top will probably be able to talk about it for a year.
Qin Dewei said with a grimace: "Let's change it."
That's a gold-selling cave, how can he have the money? Besides, it's not just about spending money. If you want to meet someone on the famous flower list, you also have to look at connections and reputation.
Xu Shi'an thought about Qin Dewei's arrogant look in class, and then looked at his grimace now. He thought the comparison was interesting, and said: "Then on another condition, I also want to be as arrogant as you!"
"
Qin Dewei sighed: "This is more difficult, let's talk about the beauties on the flower list."
Xu Shian was furious: "What do you mean? Do you think it's harder to teach me how to be cool than to meet famous beauties? Are you looking down on my temperament?"
Qin Dewei said quickly: "I mean, it's not impossible to see famous beauties, but it will take a few years. You have to give me time to develop, give me three years, and I will definitely take you to see her!"
What else could Xu Shi'an do? He also knew that there was no hope for Qin Dewei, a poor guy. It would be good if he could force Qin Dewei to sign a three-year contract.
"Okay, it's a deal." Xu Shi'an said in a low mood. It's time to go home again, it's so boring.
At this time, suddenly there was a pretty girl with flowers all over the place standing beside the two of them and asked softly: "Excuse me, is this little brother Qin Dewei, Mr. Qin?"
Mr. Qin? The two looked at each other in confusion. This was the first time that Qin Dewei heard someone call him Mr. Qin. He replied doubtfully: "My dear Qin Dewei, may I ask my dear lady who you are?"
The pretty girl pursed her lips and smiled, pointing to a gorgeous sedan at the corner of the street and said, "Master Qin is really good at hiding, so that my lady will be easy to find for a while. If I come later, I won't be able to see you anymore."
Xu Shian was extremely shocked. How could a poor man like Qin Dewei seduce a young lady? Instead, he asked first: "Who is your young lady?"
The delicate girl was polite and thoughtful. She knelt down to Xu Shi'an before replying: "My young lady is Wang Lianqing."
Who is Wang Lianqing? Xu Shian didn't remember it. He hadn't heard of any young lady nearby named Wang Lianqing, so he was very confused.
A 12-year-old brat like Xu Shi'an only talks a lot and has never really been in a romantic field. He only knows that there is some famous flower list, but there are so many people on the famous flower list, how can he remember their names.
Moreover, this girl kept calling her "Miss," but he didn't even think about the singer and actress, he just thought she came from a wealthy family.
As everyone knows, according to the custom of the court, in the homes of famous celebrities, maids call their masters "Miss", which is considered to be self-promoting.
The pretty girl was very well-educated, and she bowed slightly to Mr. Xu and said, "My young lady lives over there in the old courtyard of Qinhuai, and she also has a place on the list of famous flowers. When we meet in the future, please take care of me."
Famous flower list? Famous flower list! Xu Shi'an's eyes widened and he stared at the sedan on the corner. I just mentioned the famous beauty, and now a real one will appear in front of him?
The pretty girl was not surprised by Xu Shi'an's reaction. She turned around and continued to say to Qin Dewei: "The Qinhuai River is too far away. My lady is staying with a friend on Nanshi Lou Street tonight.
If Mr. Qin has nothing to do, my lady has prepared a sumptuous banquet for Mr. Qin to enjoy."
Damn it! Damn it! Mr. Xu’s eyes were so wide open that he grabbed Qin Dewei’s collar and shouted:
"Do you, Qin Dewei, tell the truth? I've seen it a long time ago. You've been fucking fooling me!"
Qin Dewei's face became even more bitter: "I have always told the truth, but you don't believe me! I said I have seen it before, and I didn't say I couldn't show it to you."
"Are you telling the truth? Are you talking about a three-year agreement?" Xu Shi'an pointed at the sedan and asked, "Bah! We can see it tonight!"