The heavens from Bailuyuan

Chapter 4
He also saw Xu Xiucai's entanglement, it was already very good that Xu Xiucai gave him a pen and inkstone.

In his previous life, when he practiced calligraphy in primary school, the brush cost only about four yuan.

But in the book shop in Bailu Town, a woolen pen with the lowest price costs eight yuan, and a better brush such as a Langhao pen costs more than twenty or thirty yuan.

During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, brushes for writing large characters were sold in Kaifeng for one hundred Wen.This matter is recorded in Yang Yi's "Yang Wen Gong Tan Yuan", "The pens of good books are very large, and they are all made with strength. They are called San Zhuo pens, and those who buy them in the city cost a hundred dollars a tube."

In the third year of Shaosheng, Su Shi bought two brushes in Lingnan with twenty characters. The shape was not good, "the shape was thick like a brush", and "the ink floated, and it was about to disperse. I believe that there are no brushes in Lingnan."

Although it is suspected of regional blackmail, ten pennies and a pen are indeed of poor quality.

As for the inkstone, depending on the material and fineness of the inkstone, the price varies.

"It's also a way to dip the wooden board in water to write."

"When you enter school, remember to bring a table and stool."

Xu Xiucai nodded his head, showing his appreciation, but didn't say much.

He was able to present old pens and inkstones because Bai Gui respected his teacher this time, and he didn't have much hope for Bai Gui's success in his studies.It is too late to start learning at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and it will take several years to learn to read, and there is no memory of childhood.

As Zhu Zi and Zhu Xi said: "When a person is eight years old, from the princes and below, as for the children of the common people, they all go to primary school, and they are taught the rituals of sweeping, coping, advancing and retreating, rituals, music, archery, imperialism, calligraphy, and numbering." .”

After the age of 15, it is the "university" education that Zhu Xi said.From "learning what to do" in elementary school to "understanding the truth" in university.

Too late!
When Bai Gui left, the grain bag containing polished rice was replaced by an old pen and an old inkstone.

The pen is a Langhao brush, which can be sold for [-] yuan in bookstores. Although the hair has been removed and the paint on the pen tube has fallen off, it is still worth [-] to [-] yuan.Bai Gui is not sure about the material of the old inkstone, but it is quite heavy, and it is a good inkstone.

Feeling in the dark, following his memory, Bai Gui walked into a mansion.

This is the courtyard of three entrances.

It is the house of the Lu family in Bailu Village.

Rushing across the main room, he groped towards the side of the stable.

As soon as he arrived at the door, the lights of the stables were turned on, a half-grown black horse snorted happily when he heard the movement, Bai Gui added hay and beans to the horse grass as usual, and cracked an egg by the way.

Push the door and enter, it is a kang.

The orange-yellow flame of the stove leaked through the gaps blocked by the hardwood, reflecting on the wall of the earthen house.

The grain stalk was burned by the fire, and there was a crackling sound.

In a corner stood a pile of rolled straw mats.

Lying on the kang was a dark-skinned old man with gray hair and a face full of dimples, which seemed to be covered with loess, dusty.

Bai Youde covered his body with a quilt, bare upper body, wearing a worn-out hakama underneath, and sackcloth, he pushed the candle light to extinguish, and said cursingly: "You son of a bitch, take your clothes away now, and your forehead will be killed." The master scolded for a while, what have you been doing?"

(People in Guanzhong, Qin Province have always called clothes clothes, an ancient name.)
"Go to the mountains to buy some mountain goods!"

Bai Gui said concisely, he took off the fur and handed it to Bai Youde, this is the only royal winter clothes in the family, some people wear it out, and the other can only stay on the kang at home.

"In the mountains? Be careful, the wolf has caught you!"

Bai Youde was taken aback, and the lights were turned on again by the fire folder. He quickly got up and looked at Bai Gui's whole body, and found that there was no injury. He breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately turned stern and blue. Her lips were pursed tightly, and a sentence popped out after a while, "If you dare to go to the mountains again, I will break your leg! I will let you know whether it is good or bad!"

"Ok!"

Uncovering the quilt, Bai Gui replied indifferently, and slept with his clothes on.

The bed smelled of sweat, and he moved a little away from Bai Youde.Qin Province is dry and rainless, and the rural people are not expensive. They don’t bathe all the time. Most of the time, they go to the river to wash. Catching typhoid is a fatal disease.

There is no large wooden barrel for bathing at home. That kind of wooden barrel cannot be made by just chopping some firewood. The wooden barrels made by craftsmen are firmly secured with iron hoops.

"Tomorrow, the young master wants to eat crystal cakes. You and I will go to the city to buy crystal cakes for the young master. Then I will let you try something new and eat meat. Aren't you always clamoring to go to the provincial capital (Chang'an)? Dad will take you there tomorrow."

"Your mother died early, and you were a big kid. We won't go to the mountains, and we won't be greedy for cheap. You are the only one in our family."

Bai Youde leaned over to Bai Gui's side, the strong smell of sweat emanating from his armpits suffocated Bai Gui, he touched the top of Bai Gui's forehead, and said in a rambling manner.

Bai Gui was silent for a while, but didn't move away.

I thought about it.

He said: "Dad, I went to catch mountain goods this morning, picked up four rabbits and two chickens, and sold them at the food shop opened by Uncle Er in the town. Uncle Er gave me one or two coins, and I went to the grain store , bought a bucket of grain, gave half a bucket to the master of the ancestral hall, and went to the school of the ancestral hall tomorrow."

(The older generation in Qin Province always refer to the teacher as Mr.)
He didn't hide it, and he couldn't hide it.

However, he purposely did not mention the matter of exchanging one tael of silver for a Long Yang. Thinking about it, the shopkeeper Wang, who is greedy for cheap, would not proudly announce it to everyone in front of Bai Youde.

"go to school?"

Bai Youde was stunned, the hand touching Bai Guiding's forehead froze, his chapped and rough hand touched the smooth forehead, he suddenly felt that his son lying next to his bed was different.

The children of other families took the money to eat cans of steamed buns, old sweets, candied haws, and just snacks.

read?End repair?

He has never met.

"Going to school is the business of the young masters. We are destined to be grooms, not as good as..."

"The third son of Lu San, a long-term worker of the Bai family, also goes to school in the ancestral hall. Oh, that's a big deal. He is the slowest student in the village. Listen to Dad, this is the food for Mr.... Forget it, Mr. is Mr. Well, take advantage of this time and learn as much as you can."

Bai Youde withdrew his hand, and put it on the quilt anxiously. He seemed to feel that the air on the quilt was too cold, and his palm was too cold, so he retracted from the quilt and took it out again.

To return Shu Xiu's matter would undoubtedly offend Mr. He dared not, for fear of making people laugh.

Although Xu Xiucai is a little down and out, but his family is also one of the best wealthy and wealthy families in Xujiayuan, Dongyuan. He can afford to go to school, pass the exam, and maintain the expenses of failing to pass the test. This can be a small family.

At the same time, I also have a hope in my heart, hoping that Bai Gui will learn how to be a person, not trying to get rich and rich, just be better than him.

"Then... what about the other money, dad will keep it for you."

Bai Youde said in a panic.

He was afraid that Bai Gui would spend money indiscriminately.

But he was afraid that Bai Gui would hate him again.

"Dad, the rest of the money needs to be spent on reading. The four books, five classics, thousand-character script and three-character scriptures all cost money, which is far from enough. You see, the books memorized by the two young masters cost a few books per book." Two denarii."

Bai Gui covered up the rest of the silver on his body and said.

(End of this chapter)