The Red Mansions

Chapter 92 Daily life
The tenth day of February.

A few days before the county examination, Jia Yun and the others returned to the city from Zhaojiazhuang.

This time, I went to Zhao Jin to make up lessons. It seemed that I was in the countryside and had more freedom, but in fact it was no different from closed training.

Jia Yun and other sixteen students got up early and worked late, and were bombarded with various imperial examination questions every day from morning to night. In particular, they had to write three to five stereotyped essays every day. One can imagine.

The first few days were fine, Zhao Jin was the only one who set the questions and graded the papers, so it was easy to deal with.

Later, I don’t know where Zhao Jin found six teachers with Jinshi achievements. They gave students like Jia Yun targeted training and exams. The difficulty of the questions became more and more difficult.

Of course, for Jia Yun, his progress is also obvious. After the initial discomfort, he quickly adapted to the rhythm and got used to the torture of those Jinshi.

To put it bluntly, after all, he also came from various problems in later generations, and his mentality was very correct.

He has a variety of learning methods to deal with various difficulties. He has a solid foundation, strong understanding ability, flexible thinking, and the ability to draw inferences from one instance. Coupled with a little unique vision, he soon wrote Stereotype Art in a decent manner.

Back home, Xiren and Meiren jumped for joy.

Although it was only half a month before going outside the city this time, the two stayed there like years.

After all, in addition to the good air and wide field of vision in the countryside, there are really all kinds of inconveniences.

in the library.

While laying out books for Jia Yun, Xiren smiled and said, "Finally I'm back. If it takes another month, I'm going to go crazy!"

"Ha, it's not that serious, is it?" Jia Yun laughed.

He was born in the countryside in his previous life and had suffered all kinds of hardships, but this time he went to the countryside to stay and didn't feel any discomfort.

At this time, Meiren came in with hot water from the outside, and said loudly, "It's just that serious."

"I figured it out. The countryside is really suffering. No wonder there are so many refugees outside the city. It's because the life of the peasants in the countryside is too difficult. If there is a slight risk, the family may be ruined!"

Jia Yun waved her hand and said, "Okay, now is the time to relax, don't mention those heavy topics."

"Oh." Charming said oh, put down the washbasin, wrung out a towel and handed it to Jia Yun to wash her face.

After Jia Yun washed her face, Charming laughed and asked, "Brother Yun, do you know what Sister Beauty and the others are doing right now?"

Jia Yun asked casually, "What are you doing?"

Charming smiled and said, "Dig the ground next door!"

"Turn the ground? What kind of ground?" Jia Yun was stunned, unable to react for a while.

The charming man smiled and said: "Follow the old lady, over there in the courtyard, dig the vegetable field."

Jia Yun suddenly said: "Oh, I didn't expect my mother to remember the vegetable field all the time, but Liren and Keren, these two delicate girls have never planted a field since they were young, right?"

Xiren answered, "If you haven't planted it before, you can learn to plant it. Let's go and have a look later."

"Speaking of which, the cross-yard of our house takes up quite a lot of land. If we plant all the open space there, it may be difficult for the few people in our family."

Jia Yun nodded and said, "More than 80 mu of open land, tsk tsk, even if you just grow grain every year, you can still reap a lot."

Xiren smiled and said, "But there's no need to fill the whole yard with dealers, is there?"

"Yes, just plant a few vegetable plots and let my mother pass the time." Jia Yun nodded and smiled.

After the three of them were busy putting the salutes together, they went to Kuayuan to watch the fun together.

In the courtyard on the left, Mrs. Bu took Mrs. Miao, Liren, and Keren to dig the ground with their hoes, chatting and laughing, which was very lively.

When Jia Yun came over, she found that they had plowed nearly two or three acres of land. It is estimated that they have been busy at home during this time.

Especially Liren and Keren, they didn't see each other for such a short time. Both of them were tanned a lot, and their clothes were not as elegant as before. They were developing in the direction of village women, but they looked quite neat.

Seeing Jia Yun and the others coming, Bu and the others stopped their farm work.

Mrs. Bu leaned on a hoe and asked with a smile, "Brother Yun is back? Do you want to go out?"

Jia Yun stepped forward and kowtowed to Mrs. Pu a few times in the field, then got up and replied: "I won't go out, I will go to the county test on the [-]th day."

At this time, Liren and Keren happily stepped forward to salute, Jia Yun waved her hands and said, "There is no need to be too polite, I can see that you have suffered a lot these days."

Beauty pursed her lips and said with a smile: "We didn't feel bitter, on the contrary, we still enjoyed it."

But the person echoed: "Yes, we cultivated the land with the old lady, and gained a lot of knowledge!"

Jia Yun thought they were cute, so she laughed and said, "Hahaha, you don't study well at home, but you think that farming can help you gain knowledge. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? Is there any knowledge in the books?"

The beauty shook her head and said: "The things mentioned in the book are so confusing and confusing, but farming is different. If you can practice it yourself, the experience will naturally be different."

"Well, knowledge is the beginning of action, and action is the end of knowledge, you guys are a bit interesting." Jia Yun nodded and said.

Keren muttered, "I don't understand what Brother Yun said."

Jia Yun took the hoe from Bu Shi, waved it on the ground a few times, dug up a few pieces of yellow mud, and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. When you read more books in the future and open up your wits, you will naturally understand." understood."

Mrs. Miao said with a smile, "Oh, brother Yun's crops are quite upright!"

Mrs. Bu nodded and said: "Don't really treat him as a son-in-law. Our family has only gotten better since last year. In the past few years, Brother Yun lived in the market and often went to the countryside to do part-time jobs. As long as he can earn Yinzi can do anything."

Miao sighed: "It's better to be taught by my sister-in-law, so Brother Yun has been responsible and sensible since he was a child, hardworking and hardworking. It seems that he can stand up for himself."

"No, luck is the most important thing." Mrs. Bu shook her head and said, then stepped forward to take Jia Yun's hoe, and said angrily: "Okay, just enjoy yourself, I finally found something to do, Don't rob me again!"

Jia Yun spread her hands and said, "Okay, I'm also afraid that my mother will work hard. Since you are willing to suffer, don't say that my son is not filial!"

Mrs. Bu said with a smile: "Mother doesn't know if my son is filial? Don't worry, the neighbors in the neighborhood know you are sensible, and no one says you are not good."

Jia Yun smiled and said: "That's the case, but mother, don't dig too much land, two or three acres is enough, our family is not short of this stuttering, just take it as a way to pass the time, don't worry. Don’t put the cart before the horse.”

Mrs. Bu waved his hand and said, "Okay, okay, I understand, you take Xiren and the others back, don't delay our work here."

After a pause, she said to Li Ren and Keren: "You guys go back too, you've been tanned these days, it's not okay to go on like this, when the vegetable fields are planted in the future, then you can come with me to water and weed gone."

Beauty and Keren showed hesitation, and looked at Jia Yun one after another. Seeing Jia Yun nodding his head slightly, they stopped reluctantly and followed Jia Yun home with the hoes in their hands.

……

Xue Mansion, back house.

Ying'er took the letter, ran into the room, and excitedly yelled at Xue Baochai, "Miss, my uncle sent someone to deliver the letter. They are back from outside the city today!"

"Really? That's great!" Xue Baochai was overjoyed, took the letter from Ying'er, took it out to look at it, and said happily, "The sixteen county exams are about to start, that's why they came back."

Ying'er asked in a low voice, "Miss, can my uncle pass the examination as a scholar?"

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "He said he was sure of high school, but who can say for sure about this, we can only pray for him secretly!"

After pondering for a moment, she waved to Ying'er, beckoning her to come closer, and then whispered: "He will come to see me in the afternoon, you go to the garden and clean the attic, and prepare more cakes and tea."

Ying'er nodded silently and said, "Understood, I'll do it now, servant girl."

After Yinger retreated, Xue Baochai picked up the letter and read it again, with a sweet smile on his lips.

……

Back to the courtyard.

Meiren said that she would wash the quilt she brought to the countryside this time, and Meiren and Keren had nothing to do, so they came to help.

Jia Yun thought for a while, and whispered something to Xi Ren.

Xiren rolled his eyes and said: "Me and the charming woman accompany you every day, and you are not satisfied. What good is a widow? Apart from being pretty and coquettish, what is there to be obsessed with?"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Jia Yun to speak, she turned around and went to the right side of the courtyard to go.

Rongguo Mansion, Li Wanyuan.

Li Wan was arranging Jia Lan's seasonal clothes in the bedroom when suddenly Su Yun trotted in and said happily, "Grandma, the window on the attic opposite is open!"

"Really?" Li Wan said in surprise.

Su Yun nodded with a smile, "It's true, this slave is really looking at it."

Li Wan took a few deep breaths, and murmured: "This enemy finally knows he's back!"

When she came back to her senses, she told Suyun, "Go to the courtyard for a while."

"Well, I'm going now, servant girl." Suyun nodded, and went to check the situation in the mansion.

Both of them are cautious, even if they leave the mansion, they will be unnoticed. This is due to Li Wan's low-key behavior over the years. She basically has no sense of presence in Jia's mansion.

But even so, Li Wan was very cautious. After all, once people found out about her behavior, she would lose face to Jia's mansion. The key was to make Jia Lan lose her head for the rest of her life.

Therefore, Li Wan brought his cautious temperament to the extreme.

Xiren came back from Kuayuan, and whispered to Jia Yun, "I have replied. Suyun waved her red dress three times in their yard. They will come over later, and the lock of the corner door is unlocked. How about you?" Do you want to go there?"

Jia Yun nodded and said: "Of course we have to go there. We haven't seen each other for so long, and the widow is probably very greedy. If we don't feed them enough, she will have objections."

Xiren covered his mouth with a smile, and said: "Now that I think about it, I admire Grandma Zhu a little bit. You said she hasn't touched a man for so long before, how did she get through it?"

Jia Yun shook her head and said: "It must be uncomfortable. You haven't seen her like before. What is the difference between death and death? Forget it, let's not talk about this, let's go and wait."

Xiren sighed and said, "What sin did I do? You are greedy for stealing food, but you want me to help you watch the wind. There is no woman in the world who can do what I do..."

……

In the attic bedroom, Jia Yun embraces Li Wan and Suyun.

Li Wan let out a long breath, and said: "Finally, I feel comfortable. Some time ago, I almost couldn't resist going to the countryside to look for you. I fell into your hands."

Jia Yun was surprised: "Can you leave Jia's mansion for a long time?"

Li Wan rolled his eyes and said, "I'm not a slave, why can't I leave?"

"Just go and tell the old lady and wife, whether it's going out of the city to worship the Buddha, or going back to your mother's house, it's quite easy to leave Jia's mansion for a few days."

Jia Yun nodded, and said with a smile, "Fortunately, you didn't go. The conditions in the countryside are too harsh. After staying with Xiren and Meiren for a while, I almost didn't go crazy."

Li Wan smiled and said doubtfully: "I remember you only went to Qingshan Academy to study last year, isn't it a little rushed to end this year?"

Jia Yun shook her head and said, "Don't worry, the master who taught me also deliberately let me go, saying that I have a high chance of being a scholar."

Li Wan nodded and asked curiously, "Studying at Qingshan Academy, is the progress really so fast?"

"What do you think? I'm just a special case. If everyone can pass the exam after only studying for half a year like this, then everyone can try their best." Jia Yun shook her head.

After a pause, he added: "However, Qingshan Academy's style of study is quite good, but Shuxiu is very expensive, and the food inside is also very expensive. There is no need for ordinary people to study there. Anyway, there is more than one academy in the capital."

Li Wan pondered, "It doesn't matter whether Shu Xiu is high or low. I want to send Lan'er to Qingshan Academy to study. Do you think it's appropriate?"

Jia Yun thought for a while, nodded and said, "Compared to the ethnology of Jia's family, Qingshan Academy really doesn't know where it is."

"Not to mention anything else, just ordinary masters in the academy at least have the honor of being a scholar, and there are a lot of those who have the honor of Jinshi."

"Another point is the style of study I just mentioned. Don't look at Qingshan Academy's high fees for all kinds of food, but the management is really strict."

"If Jia Lan goes to study there, as long as he can persevere, it should be easy to be a scholar. As for raising people and Jinshi, it depends on his own luck."

Li Wan pondered for a while, then gritted his teeth and said: "It seems that I really want to send Lan'er to Qingshan Academy to study. I have visited the ethnology of Jia's mansion several times from a distance. It is really not a place to study and study because of the smoky atmosphere."

Jia Yun laughed and said, "Are you willing to let him leave you?"

Li Wan shook his head and said: "So what if you don't give up, it's about Lan'er's future, even if there are all kinds of reluctance, I still have to think about him."

"Another one, I can move to Qingshan Academy to take care of him nearby." She said, looked up at Jia Yun, and said meaningfully: "Then I will have more time to come to you."

Jia Yun smiled, looked sideways at Suyun, and asked in a low voice, "Why doesn't girl Yun talk?"

He had heard from Xiren before that Suyun was the same size as Xiren, Meiren, and Yuanyang. They were all trained by Jiamu before they were given to Li Wan.

The maids who were separated from Jia's mother were all selected from among the best, and they were all top-notch in terms of appearance and conduct.

After getting in touch with Suyun, Jia Yun realized that this girl seemed low-key and cautious, but she was also lively and active.

Hearing Jia Yun's question, Suyun raised her head and smiled at him, muttering in a low voice, "I'm a bit reluctant because I think I'm going to leave later."

Jia Yun and Li Wan looked at each other, knowing that this girl Suyun might be in love.

That's right, Suyun was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and it was the time when she first started to fall in love. Now that she has become Jia Yun's woman, she naturally has feelings for him.

It's just that the world is like this, and the maid is not allowed to be free. Even Li Wan can't easily let Suyun stay with Jia Yun, otherwise she will be burned.

Li Wan leaned close to Jia Yun's ear and said softly: "Persuade this girl so that she doesn't bring her emotions back."

Jia Yun silently nodded, took out Li Wan's arm, then embraced Suyun, and said softly: "If you don't want to leave, you should cherish what is in front of you, you know?"

Suyun's eyes were full of spring, and she said delicately: "I know that I will keep my love in my heart, but I don't dare to have any unreasonable thoughts."

Jia Yun nodded and said: "That's right, for our future, you can't show the slightest difference in front of outsiders, otherwise not only will you be troubled, but your grandma and me will also be implicated, you know?"

Suyun nodded fiercely, gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, after the servants go back, they will be the same as usual, and they won't show any lies."

Jia Yun smiled: "In this case, I will reward you first, do you want to?"

"Yes, as much as you give, the slave will ask for as much!" Suyun said happily.

Jia Yun laughed loudly and turned over...

……

Xiren locked the corner door, returned to Jia Yun who was standing in the attic corridor, and said with a smile, "Widows are different. Every time they come here, they will go crazy for at least an hour. Isn't she tired?"

"You're a full man who doesn't know how hungry a hungry man is, so stop making sarcastic remarks!" Jia Yun said angrily.

Xiren said with a grin: "That's right, Grandma Zhu has been a widow for so many years, and now she has something to eat, so why don't you make up for it?"

Jia Yun patted Xiren's buttocks lightly, stared and said, "What's wrong with you? Let's go back!"

Xiren sniffed in front of him, and said, "You smell like her, and you have to go to Miss Bao in the afternoon, but you have to take a bath and change clothes before you can go there."

Jia Yun nodded and said: "You don't need to remind me, I will pay attention to it, by the way, are you going to Xue's residence with me today?"

Xiren laughed and said, "I'm your personal servant girl, don't I want to be ridiculous?"

"What personal maid? You don't want to be an aunt anymore?" Jia Yun walked forward with her hands behind her back, and asked back.

Xiren pursed his lips, shook his head and said, "Forget it, if I don't want to be your aunt, I'll just be your maid. In that case, I can always serve you, and I don't need to stay with the green lantern all the time and stay in the boudoir."

Jia Yun smiled and said: "You don't care, you and Meiren follow me first, and I will treat everyone equally. If you want to be an aunt, you can be an aunt, and if you want to be a personal maid, you can be a personal maid."

"That's a good relationship. I'm afraid that you will despise us if there are more people in the family in the future." Xiren said with a smile.

Jia Yun turned her head and said, "It's too late to love you, why would you despise you?"

"I made friends with you when I was humble. If I achieve something in the future, if I don't have you to share with me, it will be less interesting."

After returning home, after Xi Ren and Mei Ren waited on Jia Yun to take a shower and change clothes, it was almost time for dinner.

During the meal, Mrs. Miao said something: "When I went home just now, I heard from the neighbors that the price of rice has risen again recently. It was 350 a stone a year ago, but now it has risen to more than 400 a stone. rise."

Mrs. Bu sighed, and said: "Nowadays, the world is becoming more and more difficult. A few days ago, I went to Sister-in-law Liu's house to sit for a while, and she said that sewing can no longer support people."

Jia Yun asked, "How much grain does our family have left?"

When the family's food was still moving, he took some from the space and put it in the warehouse, but he didn't look at it afterwards.

Mrs. Miao replied: "There are about 300 catties of rice and 2000 catties of flour. They can still be eaten for a long time."

Jia Yun nodded. The reason why there is more flour at home is because it is used in the shop, so it is prepared more.

After thinking for a while, he reminded Miao: "Aunt Miao, be careful. From now on, the flour reserves at home will be less than one thousand catties. You should tell me so that I can replenish the stock in advance, so as not to delay the business in the store. "

After a pause, he continued: "As for rice and millet, which are only our own food, as long as it is less than three hundred catties, please remind me. There is food at home, so don't panic. Let's prepare it in advance."

Mrs. Miao nodded with a smile, "Okay, since Brother Yun reminded me, I will count them from now on."

Jia Yun thought for a while and said to Miao: "By the way, if I'm not at home in the evening, my aunt will tell my brother and the others that if their family is short of food, we can buy some at a low price from our family."

(End of this chapter)