Ordinary people's rice bowl

Chapter 189 Doubts
Hu Guoqing came to look for Mr. Ma, naturally he wanted to find out about his ancestors, but he didn't expect that Mr. Ma not only guessed it, but also said it in such a specific way. A well-known story, Hu Guoqing's harvest is not only the story he talked about, but more importantly, he also got a relic left by his ancestors, a "Kangxi Dictionary" that he had never seen before. Looking at the dictionary that Ma Sanye handed over.

Ma Sanye saw that Hu Guoqing couldn't put it down, and asked with concern: "Which of you two studies better?"

"He studies well!" Hu Guoqing looked up at Mu Zhen and replied hastily.

"If you didn't delay your homework last year, you should be better than me!" Mu Zhen added.

A hint of doubt appeared on Ma Sanye's face: "Why did you delay your homework?"

Mu Zhen briefly explained the matter of Hu Guoqing's father's illness, and Mr. Ma immediately asked: "That can't delay the child's study!"

"It's not a delay, it's just that I don't want to go to school. At that time, the situation at home was very bad, and there was a lack of work, so I just wanted to help with farm work at home, so I dropped out of school. But now I don't have to think about farming. My family's land Leave it all to the neighbors for farming, so there will be no further delay!" Hu Guoqing felt that there were too many family affairs, and it was inconvenient to tell the elderly, fearing that the elderly would be sad because of their own family affairs.

"That's good. Back then, your ancestors still worshiped reading. Although you didn't get any great fame, that doesn't mean you didn't read well. The imperial examinations in the late Qing Dynasty were chaotic, and money was used to donate officials everywhere. No matter how good the exam is In an era when the three thousand grains of silver are not as easy to use, how can one rely on one's ability to eat?" Ma Sanye spoke slowly, revealing his extreme dissatisfaction with that era.

"I only know about our ancestors, father and son, three scholars, but I have never heard of so many ups and downs. If it is now, they will definitely become the pillars of the country!" Hu Guoqing heard the story of his ancestors told by Ma Sanye, a little Said indignantly.

"I don't know much about your ancestors. At that time, I was young and not much older than him, but I studied very hard, never was lazy, and I also loved books very much. Mr. This is why I handed over this dictionary to me!" Ma Sanye pointed to Mu Bao who was standing aside and said.

"I still have an inkstone, which is said to have been left by my ancestors!" Hu Guoqing said.

"Inkstone, you mean a square inkstone?" Ma Sanye asked solemnly.

"Yes! How do you know?" Hu Guoqing asked in surprise.

"This inkstone has a history. When he was young, he was full of knowledge. He once went to the county to be a teacher. Later, because of his honesty, he hated the unhealthy tendencies in the officialdom, so he proposed to the county magistrate that he was ill and wanted to return to his hometown. The county magistrate was very reluctant to resign his husband, and he deliberately couldn't keep him, so he took out this inkstone as a gift to him. Although the husband hated the intrigue in the officialdom, according to the husband, the county magistrate was very good-natured, and the husband respected him very much. It is precisely because of this that Mr. was able to save his life. The county magistrate gave him this inkstone, and Mr. has always carried it with him. When he was teaching a private school here, he always took this inkstone with him and used it with great care. Now you mention it Naturally, I can remember this inkstone." After Ma Sanye finished speaking, he picked up the teacup in front of him and drank two sips of water.

Seeing this, Hu Guoqing immediately picked up the teapot on the table and filled it up.

Mu Zhen and Mu Bao listened carefully to Ma Sanye's story without saying a word. After Hu Guoqing finished pouring the water, he continued to ask, "Has the county magistrate visited our village?"

"I heard from Mr. that the second year after he resigned and came back, the county magistrate visited your house because he was framed. But at that time, the county magistrate was no longer an official. Naturally, he was a light man. He stayed at your house for a few days. The gentleman talked eloquently, so unrestrained. Later, during the period of the Republic of China, this county magistrate joined the Revolutionary Party and died in the war. The gentleman was very sad and wrote a poem. The gentleman once showed it to me, but I couldn’t remember the last sentence. From this, the gentleman cherishes this inkstone given by the magistrate even more!" Mr. Ma said in a low tone, obviously respecting the gentleman.

"The county magistrate resigned from office and went to our house. Is it just to talk about the past and the present with our ancestors?" Hu Guoqing felt that even if the county magistrate had friendship with his ancestors, it was a bit contrary to common sense to go to live at home after being an official, so he asked.

"The question you raised, when Mr. told me, I had the same question. Mr. just sighed and didn't explain the reason to me, so it's inconvenient for me to ask again. Now that I think about it, the county magistrate found the former owner Now, of course he has his reasons, but it is not necessary to simply talk about the past and the present, and there should be something else, otherwise why would he stay at your house for a few days?" Ma Sanye said doubtfully.

"Even if there is something to do, it has passed away with others!" Hu Guoqing said with more emotion.

Ma Sanye was about to continue talking, but was interrupted by a greeting from outside the door.

"I heard that the old man fainted, are you okay now?" A middle-aged woman came in with the voice, and Mu Zhen recognized that she was the nephew and daughter-in-law of Mr. Ma's family. Mu Zhen immediately stood up and greeted the person who came.

When Hu Guoqing saw someone coming to see Mr. Ma, he immediately said goodbye to Mr. Ma.

Ma Sanye confessed a little reluctantly: "Come and sit with me when you have time!"

"Definitely, Grandpa, I will definitely come to see you again!" After finishing speaking, Hu Guoqing and his party exited Mr. Ma's room.

On the way back, Mu Zhen asked Hu Guoqing: "At the beginning, I only thought that Mr. Ma was an old pedant, but I didn't expect that there are really many stories about him. I don't know what anecdotes will be told next time?"

"Since I saw him for the first time yesterday and read his book, I felt that he was unusual. In addition, he looked at me with eyes that seemed to have a lot of words. That's why I thought about visiting him today. I never thought about not only talking It’s really killing two birds with one stone!” Hu Guoqing said a little excitedly, holding up the dictionary to show off.

"Although he didn't explain it today, I always feel that you must look like your ancestors, otherwise he wouldn't look at you so strangely!" Mu Zhen guessed.

"It's not surprising. What puzzles me the most is that the magistrate of the county was dismissed from office and came to stay at my house. He must have something important to do. Otherwise, why would he come to a subordinate's house?" Hu Guoqing's words implied mystery.

"Maybe he just came here to relax?" Mu Zhen was very interested in the dismissal of the county magistrate, but she really didn't pay much attention to Hu Guoqing's speculation. After all, she was an old friend, and it was inevitable that she might visit.

"This possibility is unlikely. The county grandfather has a deep friendship with his ancestors, which means that he is a fellow. Besides, the county grandfather joined the Revolutionary Party later, which means he is a progressive person. You said that the county grandfather was a revolutionary party before he was dismissed from office? Or after dismissal?" Hu Guoqing was obviously still immersed in the story Ma Sanye told.

"It's not clear. It's been almost 100 years. The people at that time are already dead, so where can we find traces?" Mu Zhen thinks that any possibility is just a guess. Why bother to think about it?Then he asked again, "What's the difference?"

"Of course there is. If he was a revolutionary party before he was dismissed from office, he found our ancestors, and it is very likely that he will drag our ancestors to join the revolutionary party. If it is after dismissal, then things will be even more confusing!"

Hu Guoqing's answer made Mu Zhen feel very reasonable, but no matter what kind of answer it was, it seemed that it had nothing to do with Hu Guoqing.

"What does this have to do with you?" Mu Zhen laughed.

"Maybe not, but I have a hunch that it's something about my ancestors, and it seems to have something to do with me, and the relationship is not small!" Hu Guoqing said with a serious expression.

"What you said made my hair stand on end. How can those old things have anything to do with you? How could the ancestors know you were there?" Mu Zhen really laughed at Hu Guoqing's nonsense.

"Stop talking, you won't understand!" Hu Guoqing then fell silent.

Mu Bao suddenly shouted loudly: "Don't hit the electric pole!"

Hu Guoqing was taken aback by Mu Bao's reminder, and laughed himself first, because he was too absorbed in thinking just now, he didn't notice the electric pole in front of him, if it wasn't for Mu Bao's reminder, he would have almost bumped into it.

Mu Zhen and Mu Bao saw Hu Guoqing standing there giggling, and the two brothers laughed happily.

(End of this chapter)