Linxia

Chapter 54, Master

In the evening, under the dim oil lamp, the Fang family sat around the table to eat. The meal was coarse rice, the dishes were stir-fried vegetables with bacon, and there was also a dish of dried fish.

"In the alley, apart from the Man family, the other families are still good. The dishes on the table tonight were sent to our house by our neighbors for the first time after they saw us move in."

In this era, neighbors are very humane to each other. "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor" means this truth. Even if it is a Manchu family, the grandmothers will send a small bag of garlic, otherwise they would feel embarrassed to visit.

"The vegetables are from the Qiu family next door."

Fang's mother said: "Mrs. Qiu from the Qiu family has a large burn on her face. It looks scary, but she is actually a very good person. I heard that they have three children, and they are all filial. But even with gray hair, she still works in the fields every day, growing and selling vegetables."

"Yes, I saw Mr. Qiu this afternoon. I greeted him, but he didn't hear me. Later I found out that Mr. Qiu was a little deaf and had some presbyopia, but he was still so hardworking." Tian Xuan said with a look of admiration on her face.

"The dried fish was sent by the Xin family from the Man family."

Fang's mother lowered her voice and gossiped, "Old Man Xin was born in a bad family. He married a stupid wife when he was over 30 years old. He jumped into the river and drowned in less than two years, leaving behind a son. Old Man Xin asked Master Ou to give him a big name, Xin You. Maybe it was really God's blessing. He grew up safely, but he was a little stupid like his mother. Now he is in his twenties, but his brain is about the same as a ten-year-old child."

"Mr. Xin is a capable man. At the dock, he works one day as well as one and a half days of work by others." Father Fang also said this with a sigh.

"Then this last piece of bacon was sent by Master Ou?" Fang Lin asked.

"My son is so smart!"

Fang's mother praised him and said respectfully, "Master Ou is a serious scholar. He also opened a private school to teach people. The bacon is the tuition fee. It will be easy to study after eating it!"

As she spoke, she picked up a large piece of food with chopsticks for Fang Lin and added, "Why do people say that Madam Ou has a blessed face? I think so too, with that round face that looks like a full moon and a pair of smiling eyes, she must be blessed!"

Out of respect for Master Ou, people in Xixiang Hutong called his cousin Madam Ou, and did not address her as "grandmother" or "old woman".

As the family was chatting, Fang's mother suddenly remembered, "Linzi, how about the fermented bean curd you brought yesterday? Is it delicious?"

"What mom makes is of course delicious. I shared some with other employees in the store and they all praised it, saying that the fermented tofu you made was great." Fang Lin said with a smile.

"But I learned this skill from your grandmother."

Fang's mother was delighted when she heard this, and said with great joy, "Just eat, and I'll make more for you after you finish eating."

……

After dinner, Fang Lin went out for a walk. The Man family was having dinner at that time, so he didn't want to go to the Man family and walked forward.

Over here is the Xin family. At this moment, the Xin family's father and son are also having a meal. They are sitting outside with their bowls in their hands. There is a plate of dried fish on a small stool next to them for cooking.

Old Man Xin looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His back was exposed at this moment. The skin on his slightly hunched back looked like processed cowhide, shiny, dark yellow, and Fang Lin felt that even if water fell on it, it wouldn't get on him at all.

It is also quite interesting to watch the other person eating, because his mouth is a little crooked, and he needs to use chopsticks to keep stuffing rice into his mouth, which makes people feel flustered.

However, Fang Lin knew that this was an honest family and did not look down on them. He greeted them with a kind attitude.

"Hey!" Mr. Xin stood up and responded.

His son Xin You looked tall and thin, and seemed to be in his twenties, but there was a clear light in his eyes. Just as Fang's mother said, he was a little silly, and still had the temperament of a teenager.

At this time, Xin You was leaning over the small fish on the stool, his eyes shining. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly picked up a fish and stuffed it into his mouth. When he wanted to eat more, his chopsticks were pressed down.

"Eat less, it's too salty." said Mr. Xin.

Further ahead is Master Ou's home. At this time, Master Ou is lying on a bamboo rattan chair under the osmanthus tree in front of the door, fanning himself with a cattail leaf fan. Osmanthus flowers sometimes fall on him and are then fanned away by the cattail leaf fan, leaving only a fresh fragrance on his body.

He looked at the way Fang Lin greeted Mr. Xin, and seemed to nod, then asked Fang Lin to come over and sit down.

"Mr. Ou!" Fang Lin greeted him and sat down.

"I heard from your mother that you work at Xuan Mo Zhai. How is your shopkeeper Liu doing these days?" Master Ou asked. "Yes, he goes out for a walk every morning. Master Ou knows our shopkeeper?"

"I have taught his sons. Although the two brothers Liu Hongwen and Liu Hongru have some minor flaws, they are generally good, unlike the students nowadays who are becoming more and more unreliable."

Master Ou shook his head and did not say how terrible it was. Reminiscence flashed in his eyes: "When we were studying, we could not afford to buy pens, ink, paper and inkstones, so we used charcoal pencils and slates. If we did not have books, we would borrow them and return them on a certain date. At that time, conditions were not good, but all of our classmates were content with poverty and studied hard. Now conditions are much better, but few young people are patient enough... Today is not as good as in the past!"

Fang Lin listened and didn't mind the nagging. He was quite interested.

At this time, Tian Xuan came out with a bucket and poured out the slop.

Coincidentally, Man Gensheng from the Man family was also out. He was white and plump, with small eyes. He looked delicate, but he was not a quiet person inside. When he saw Tian Xuan, he subconsciously whistled.

Tian Xuan has a good foundation. Her nutrition has been good recently, and her yellowing hair has returned to normal. She has short black hair that reaches her eyebrows, big and bright eyes, long eyebrows and eyes, a small mouth, and her skin is starting to look white and rosy. She has a beautiful face, so it's no wonder that she can attract attention.

She heard the whistle, turned her head and looked at Man Gensheng, a look of disgust flashed across her face, and she was about to take the opportunity to throw the slop on the other person.

On this side, Fang Lin noticed it and stood up as well.

However, someone got there first. It was Master Ou, who yelled at Man Gensheng, "Don't look at anything inappropriate, don't say anything inappropriate, Man Gensheng, you are a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved, and you are a piece of rotten mud that cannot be propped up against the wall!"

"Master Ou?" Man Gensheng heard the scolding, turned his head and saw Master Ou under the osmanthus tree. His neck suddenly shrank and he went back home like a rabbit.

This prevented Tian Xuan from throwing the slop away. She thanked Master Ou, smiled at him, and then poured the slop back.

"That kid has been naughty since he was young. I still remember that year, I spanked his hands because of his homework. The next day, the kid left a pile of shit wrapped in leaves at the door of my house..."

Master Ou recalled the past and was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "This child has a bad temper, and he is spoiled and protected by his grandmother. He has completely grown up and has become a second-rate person. I am ashamed to preach to others about him."

……

Full house.

"Gensheng, why did I just hear Master Ou scolding you? What's the matter?" asked Grandma Man.

Man Gensheng felt wronged: "I just whistled at the girl next door."

"What's wrong with this? Master Ou is really..."

In this era, people pay attention to the heaven, earth, emperor, parents and teachers. Grandma Man did not dare to say bad things about Master Ou. She stopped talking and took out her anger on the Fang family: "Don't be angry, my son. Tomorrow, I will go to the Fang family and have a few more bowls of tea to help you vent your anger."

……

After chatting with Master Ou for a while, Fang Lin went back and took a look inside Man's house when he passed by: "This is the first time you have come to my house to get a bargain, and this is the second time. I hope there won't be a third time."

……

　Let me tell you two things.

　　1. None of the previous chapters are redundant, just like making moves in Go, expectations will soon be made clear and connected.

　　2. In the subsequent plots, the protagonist and his family will not feel depressed.

　　On the road to escape famine, one is pushed forward step by step. Conditions are limited and one can only do the best one can do among all the not-so-good options.

　　After arriving in the provincial capital and settling down, the protagonist is able to make his own choices, and he has a stable character. If there are bigger problems, then that is my problem as the author.

　　Finally, let me make it clear that the style of this book is a fictional history text that focuses on daily life and the steady development of a family-run business. It will not change.

　　……

　　
　
(End of this chapter)