It's November, the first snow has fallen, and the new wind is getting colder.
Shuntian Prefecture, Daxing County, Huangcun.
A thinly dressed young man hurried back to the village holding a simple wooden harpoon in his right hand and a crucian carp in his left hand.
"Brother Hou, did you go to Diantan to catch fish for your aunt again?" Old carpenter Wang from the entrance of the village greeted him with a smile.
The young man known as Mr. Hou grinned: "Yes, Uncle Wang, the Chinese New Year is almost here, and you haven't finished your work yet?"
"Hey, how can it be so fast? After the Jinghua Iron Works was established in the past few years, we people have been eating a few mouthfuls of Ansheng rice. There is endless work to be done. If the batch of rakes that the old man took over this year, if
In previous years, it wouldn’t be sold out in ten years!”
"Haha, that's right. Uncle Wang is very skilled in craftsmanship. The plow you made will last ten years!" The young man praised happily.
Old carpenter Wang laughed: "Brother Hou is indeed a scholar, and he speaks well. But it is strange to say that Jinghua Iron Factory makes so many plowshares a year, can they sell them all? Don't suddenly stop doing it in the future, I
The old man has no place to eat."
Brother Hou shook his head and said: "Uncle Wang, you have a big background in being in Jinghua. Don't worry about it anymore."
"Really?" Old Carpenter Wang was a little confused: "How old are you?"
Brother Hou replied: "The boss of Jinghua is the companion of Emperor Wanli. You should also know that his uncle is the senior high-ranking official from a few years ago, Gao Wenzhenggong!"
"Oops!" Carpenter Wang quickly put down the plane in his hand, wiped his hands on his trouser legs, and cupped his hands toward the north: "Mr. Gao Ge is a good man. He is an upright official even Hai Qingtian has praised! Brother Hou,
Don’t you know that our ancestors originally had seven or eight acres of land, but unfortunately it was taken away a long time ago. A few years ago, Gaoge Lao sent people to clear it... Was it called Qingzhang or something?
Anyway, Leng found out that the land was lost to our Lao Wang’s grandfather, and was extorted from it. Then I don’t know what happened, and the eldest man sent by Gao Ge called me over to make up for it.
Give us the land deed... Hey, little brother Hou, you are a scholar, tell me, why did such a good Mr. Qingtian leave so early?"
Brother Hou hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard from several younger brothers in Wanping that Mr. Gao Ge was overworked and exhausted all his life."
"Ah..." Carpenter Wang looked regretful: "This God is so short-sighted."
Brother Hou just came back from catching fish. His trouser legs were still wet and he was a little cold now. He hurriedly said: "Uncle Wang, it's getting late. I'll go back and make fish soup for my aunt. Please be patient!"
"Go ahead, go ahead." Old carpenter Wang waved his hand with a smile. After the little brother left, he sighed and said to himself: "Little monkeys also have a hard life. Parents left early without saying anything.
My uncle died after raising him for several years, and now my aunt is also sick. If I hadn't tried my best and passed the Linshan exam, how would I have been able to survive?"
The door opened, but Old Carpenter Wang's wife came out and said, "That's right. It's really pitiful. If it hadn't been for his aunt's illness this year, little brother Hou might have gone to take the provincial examination.
A successful candidate has returned. If he became a successful candidate, how could he be as poor as he is now? I heard that his family still owes six or seventy taels of silver."
"Yes, that's the money his uncle spent on medical treatment when he was here, and it was rolled in through other people's profits. If he passed the exam this year, this little money wouldn't be a big deal, but... well, one Linshan, one
How much Lumi can I get every month? I’m afraid I won’t even be able to pay the interest.”
Carpenter Wang's wife said: "At any rate, he is young. He is not yet twenty years old. People don't dare to force such a young scholar, right? What if he wins the imperial examination in the future?"
"That's not possible." Old Carpenter Wang shook his head and said: "Their family borrowed money from the Duke's Palace. The Duke may not buy the reputation of a scholar, even if he is elected, even if he wins, it will definitely not be successful.
I’m short of this little money, but I’m afraid I still have to pay back the money that should be paid.”
While the old couple was talking, a strange and beautiful carriage came at the entrance of the village. Soon the carriage approached the outside of the field in front of Carpenter Wang's house. The two elders were wondering which master was coming to Huangcun alone, and the carriage
But a half-grown child jumped out, looking less than fifteen years old.
The child smiled and cupped his hands at Carpenter Wang: "Excuse me, father-in-law, is this Huang Village?"
Carpenter Wang had a good eye, and he caught a glimpse of a familiar mark on the carriage, which was two crossed swords in a half-encircled shape, guarding a scroll of bamboo slips in the middle - that was the so-called scroll that Jinghua launched last year.
"Trademark", people in Jinghua call it "Jian Dan Shu Xin", but outsiders generally call it "Sword and Book".
This is a person from my employer, so I can't neglect him. Old carpenter Wang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed slightly: "I want to teach you, young master, that this is Huangcun."
The half-grown child smiled and waved his hands: "Old man, I'm not a young master, I'm just my boss's book boy. My surname is Cao, you can always call me Brother Cao."
The boss’s book boy!
The biggest official that Carpenter Wang has ever seen is just the imperial censor who was sent to clear his father-in-law's land last time. Jinghua's boss just heard from Brother Hou that he is the nephew of Mr. Gao Ge. He must be a high official, and he is a book boy.
How dare he, an old man from the country, dare to neglect him, let alone call him "younger brother"? He quickly imitated the posture and bowed his hands: "Ah, it turns out that he is the eldest gentleman sent by the boss. I am so lazy... I don't know why I am here."
What's the point?"
The half-grown child was naturally Cao Ke. When he saw Mr. Wang, the carpenter, calling Gao Pragmatic his boss, he didn't react for a moment and said in surprise: "Why do you call my eldest young master your boss?"
Carpenter Wang said hurriedly: "It turns out that I have overstepped my bounds. I am a carpentry contractor under the name of Jinghua Iron Works, and I work as a plower for Jinghua Iron Works, so I took the liberty of calling me boss."
"Oh...that's it." Cao Ke smiled, not caring about these trivial matters, and asked: "Since I am a local in Huangcun, do you know that there is a young master Hou Gongchen in this village, who is the village's Linshan student?"
"Mr. Cao is looking for little brother Hou?" Carpenter Wang was startled for a moment and said quickly: "Yes, there are some. Little brother Hou just went to Diantan to catch fish for his aunt. He just passed by the old man's house. His family lives in front.
Next to a big locust tree in the distance, Mr. Cao walked forward for less than a mile. He just followed the road and turned around."
Cao Ke smiled and said: "Thank you for your guidance, I won't delay you..."
"Mr. Cao." Carpenter Wang said hurriedly: "You're not here to settle a debt with Brother Hou, are you?"
"Dealing for debt?" Cao Ke was startled: "What debt are you asking for?"
Old carpenter Wang quickly gave a brief account of little brother Hou's family situation, and then said: "Little brother Hou is very smart in his studies. Although he missed the opportunity to take the provincial examination this year, he will definitely win the next provincial examination. If he owes money,
I will definitely be able to pay it back in the future.”
Cao Ke's heart moved, but he smiled and said: "Old man, you misunderstood. Not only am I not here to collect the debt, but I am here to help Mr. Hou pay back the money. Don't worry."
Old carpenter Wang was doubtful, but he could only "believe it" and nodded: "That's good, that's good."
However, Cao Ke said no more. He bowed his hands slightly to the old carpenter Wang and thanked him. He turned around and told the coachman: "Remember the road? Let's go to Mr. Hou's house."
When he got on the carriage and the carriage gradually moved away, Old Carpenter Wang looked at the gradually disappearing ruts with some worry and murmured: "Come to help little brother Hou pay off the debt? Old lady, do you believe it?"
"Why don't I believe it?" Old Carpenter Wang's wife said with a smile: "Maybe your boss has a sharp eye and knows that little brother Hou is a good student, so he came here to make friends in advance."
"If only that were the case..." Old Carpenter Wang sighed.
How did he know that Gao Pragmatic sent Cao Ke here not only to help little brother Hou pay back the money, but also to make friends and even give him a fortune?
