Gao Xuan picked up his patchwork straight patchwork dress from the creaking bamboo bed. This was his best dress. He only wore it when he went to the academy to meet his teacher.
Gao Xiucai was not very old. He had gained the title of scholar before he was thirty, so he was considered young and promising. However, his family was really poor. Except for a shabby house passed down from his ancestors and some shabby household items, he could only be described as living in poverty.
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He put on his clothes and dusted himself carefully. The scholar lady who was cooking outside came in. She was the daughter of a small civilian family. I was a wine seller on the street. I married my daughter because I thought it would be a good idea to marry a scholar.
Give it to this poor scholar.
"Ms. sir, there is no rice at home." The scholar lady said timidly. Recently, the price of rice in Hangzhou has increased dramatically. Even barley and buckwheat, which few people usually pay attention to, have also increased to one thousand yuan per stone.
Since the beginning of spring, there has been almost no rain in the entire northern Zhejiang region. When transplanting rice seedlings, we managed to rely on truck water to irrigate the fields. However, the drought continues today, and it looks like this year will be another disaster year. People with a little wealth,
They were all buying in in large numbers, and of course the rice merchants were the first to take advantage of the trend and rise.
"Just buy some barley first. Tell me, am I going to become a rice farmer?" Gao Xiucai couldn't bear to listen to this matter of making a living. He felt that he was incompetent in these matters. If the scholar's wife was willing
It would be a good idea to talk to him about some of this year's wonderful works or "Xin Xue".
"There is no money in the family anymore..." The talented lady originally did not want to disturb her "husband-in-law's" good interest, but she really had neither rice nor money.
Gao Xuan sighed, feeling confused, and finally found a bunch of fifty or sixty small coins in his sleeve to give to his wife. He hurriedly walked outside because he felt aggrieved at home.
Gao Xuan had no livelihood: a few years ago, his family had a small income and he could make do with it. He kept studying and making friends with teachers in order to be able to enter school and pass the exam. A few years ago, his parents died one after another and he married another wife.
, the red and white affairs have completely consumed the remaining family property. Now if you continue like this, you will have to "beg for food" - relying on your father-in-law for financial support. Although Gao Xuan pretended not to know and did not ask, he knew the recent few
Yue's family mostly relies on her father-in-law for the firewood, rice, oil and salt.
"What's going to happen if this continues?" Gao Xuan was in a heavy mood. He was going to Wanbi Bookstore today - he and a few friends went there a few days ago and were eye-opening to the environment and the wide variety of beautifully printed books.
It is rare that the clerks in the bookstore are warm and polite. They, a group of poor scholars and poor children, not only do not interfere with reading there, but also provide tea. Gao Xuan saw a large set of "Ancient and Modern Books Collection" in it, and he forgot to eat and sleep in it.
I read it for a long time and didn't leave until the bookshop was about to close.
The bookstore became a good place for him to spend time and escape from reality.
On the street, the sun was already very hot. There was no shelter at all on the bare street. The dust was flying and the street was full of stench.
Gao Xuan walked in the sun and was already sweating profusely. Looking at the wealthy gentry people passing by in bamboo silk palanquins, he felt envious and resentful at the same time.
"This guy is full of greed for people's wealth and support!" He cursed secretly, but he was very envious in his heart.
He walked for almost three quarters of an hour before reaching Wanbi Bookstore. The street in front of the bookstore was already full of sedan chairs, and there were many servants standing there. Many of the people who came to the bookstore were from wealthy gentry families. Gao Xuan carefully avoided these people.
, take a detour from the base of the wall and walk into the door.
The room was cool and comfortable, and the air was filled with the fragrance of books, as well as the faint fragrance of flowers and tea. Gao Xuan felt refreshed and walked towards it.
The area in the bookstore is very large. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, there are several halls in the bookstore. Gao Xuan went to the "Wenxi Hall" - the name sounds festive, and it also gives some psychological comfort to the poor scholars who are suffering. Here.
Most of the people who read and chatted were poor scholars from small families, and all of them were poor children and scholars.
Thanks to the large glass windows, there is plenty of light in the hall. The sun is dazzling outside, but an awning is installed above the windows to prevent the sun from shining directly into the room, and the temperature is just pleasant. In addition, outside the window is a small courtyard, full of rich green.
, I feel cold even looking at it.
The decoration and furniture of "Wenxi Hall" are mainly simple and practical, with rattan benches and long wooden tables. The scholars who arrived earlier than Gao Xuan were sitting or pacing, and they all looked at it with great interest and saw the wonderful things.
-, there are still people shaking their heads and chanting. Some people have spread out paper and ink on the long table, copying the contents of the book. Some people don't know if they slept too late, so they just lie on the desk and whine.
Get up and fall asleep.
A little further away from these tables and chairs, there were clear partitions, and inside were some scholars talking eloquently. Gao Xuan listened to them as if they were talking about "Xin Xue".
Gao Xuan greeted a few acquaintances, walked directly to the wooden counter in the corner of the room, and took out a card. This was a library card from Wanbi Bookstore. Gao Xuan couldn't afford the one-tael deposit, so
The card is a Category B card, which can only be read in the bookstore and cannot be taken back. The clerk standing behind the wooden counter picked up his card and opened a large "account book" - this is a register with notes.
The cardholder's name, address, borrowing time and types of books that have been borrowed are included, and there is also a column for "introducer". Registering the introducer is to roughly grasp the close relationship between these people.
The clerk checked the account book and quickly found the book he had borrowed last time. Without him having to say anything, he sent him the second volume of "Collection of Ancient and Modern Books".
Gao Xuan found a seat and took out a bamboo cup from his pocket, with the words "Present from Perfect Bookstore" engraved on it by machine. Each person who applied for the certificate could get one, and in accordance with the regulations of the bookstore, they were required to bring their own tea cups.
Yes, you can drink tea here for free. The tea is of course not very good, but it is the best new tea of the year, not the "tea" sold in cheap tea shops outside.
The waiter came over with a large teapot with a tin spout, filled Gao Xuan's teacup with tea, and after a few polite words, went to add water to the others.
While Gao Xuan was studying without sleep or food, Taoist Zhang had already come to visit Zhao Yingong's residence.
"Right now, the entrance to the church in Tianshuiqiao is very busy." Zhang Daozhang smiled, picked up a cherry and put it into his mouth.
Zhang Dai sent his family to deliver the cherries early in the morning. About three to five kilograms of cherries were wrapped in lotus leaves and placed in an exquisite bamboo basket covered with leaves. The two family members solemnly delivered them to Zhao Yingong's house.
I also had to develop several hundred literary rewards.
The cherries are placed in a large glass jar, bright and dripping. They look very appetizing.
Zhao Yingong didn't say anything. He was carefully blowing the leaves of Mingqian Longjing floating on the tea cup - this was given by another gentry in Hangzhou a few days ago - he had a tea garden near Longjing. From this kind of
In terms of enjoyment, Daming is a place that is rarely better than the old time and space.
The Hangzhou religious project finally broke out under the unremitting efforts of the Taoist priest. A few days ago, Zhang and Huang Zhen had submitted the "Primary Commentary on the Biantian" at the gate of the Catholic Church. At the same time, they hired many idle people to post the full text in temples and temples in Hangzhou.
The article requires the church in Hangzhou to give a positive answer.
"Look, in a few days, this fire will burn even more fiercely." Zhang Yingchen said with a smile, "Those big guys from the church may even come to you for advice."
Zhao Yingong shook his head: "How is this possible? I am just a scholar who lives in the local area."
"You underestimate yourself too much." Zhang Yingchen said with a smile, "Wanbi Bookstore is now also a famous cultural salon in Hangzhou. I heard that even the county magistrate of Renhe County in Qiantang is yearning for you..."
"No, it makes my skin crawl..."
Zhang Yingchen said: "It is absolutely true. Your strategy of borrowing books from Perfect Bookstore for free has gained yourself a lot of reputation."
Zhao Yingong thought that what he did was to "raise his hopes". Otherwise, how could he, a foreigner like himself, gain a reputation in Hangzhou? These days, without a reputation, without the protection of the government and the gentry, it would be difficult to do anything.
Not to mention his next step in taking in refugees.
"Let's not mention this matter. The Hangzhou teaching plan has been prepared for you in advance. What are you going to do next?"
"Of course it's a hot topic!" Zhang Yingchen said decisively, "I have already handed over the Fujian version of "Bianxue Relics" to Zhang. With his ability, of course he can find out the problems in it. Writing "Zhengwang Shuo" is just a matter of course.
Something that takes little effort.”
"I still have a back-up here." Zhang Yingchen said and took out a page of paper from his arms, and Zhao Yingong took it. The article on the paper was written in classical Chinese. Judging from the content, it was obviously an attack on the church based on the text of the Bible.
Zhao Yingong felt that the examples and words in it were very familiar. Halfway through, he suddenly remembered that this was not the famous anti-religious essay written by Bo Yang!
Zhao Yingong was a little worried: "Taoist Priest! There is nothing else like "Zhengwang Shuo". In the final analysis, it is still a theological and philosophical discussion. This Bo Yang's essay is much more lethal. If he runs out, it will be too big for everyone in the church.
, don’t destroy the church with your actions, we are still pointing out others to help.”
"It's okay. Unless the church is overwhelmed, how can they see your kindness in helping?"
"The problem is that I can't help." Zhao Yingong knew very well that the trick Bo Yang used back then was to use the spear of the son to attack the shield of the son. If he wants to refute this article, firstly, he does not have such profound theological cultivation, and secondly, he does not have such profound theological training.
The level of Bo Yang's essays. Zhao Yingong suddenly remembered: There is no Chinese version of the Old and New Testaments in this time and space. The Jesuits know that the only Chinese version is Australian. This article will definitely arouse the Jesuits' vigilance.!