Linglong

Chapter 107

He Chongqin, the dean of Xishan Academy, came to visit Mrs. Yu.

The academies in this era are equivalent to higher private educational institutions, integrating book collection and academic research. Because most of them are built in the mountains and forests with beautiful environment and pleasant scenery, the person in charge and the top leader are usually not called the dean, but the mountain chief. .

Xishan Academy is located on the beautiful Cuiwei Mountain in the west of the city. Cuiwei Mountain has vast forests and seas, misty light and hazy shadows, and it is beautiful in all seasons. Many literati and scholars are fascinated by the scenery.To be able to study in Xishan Academy, which is located in it, is of course even more desirable. There are a large number of students who apply to Xishan Academy, but Xishan Academy only admits [-] students each year, and it will not accept more students.

He Shanzhang made a special trip to visit this time because he wanted to invite Mrs. Yu to give lectures to the students.

Xishan Academy is not a government-run school, and it is still very academic. Like the bronze inscriptions studied by Mrs. Yu, it has nothing to do with the imperial examinations at all, but the purpose of the academy is to broaden the knowledge of the students and is willing to let them understand. , has dabbled.

He Shanchang and Mrs. Yu have known each other for many years, how could he refuse this old friend's request?readily agreed.

The two old friends talked about a serious matter, and then a personal matter.

He Shan is about fifty years old. He wears light blue robes, has sculpted eyebrows and long eyes, and is quite immortal.He smiled and said, "Are your two precious grandchildren safe to let me teach? If you don't worry, go sign up."

Yu Chang and Yu Yan were studying in a nearby private school in the city, and had never applied for Xishan Academy.

Old Master Yu deliberately joked with him, "It's a pity that your little granddaughter is only a cardamom. If she is already old enough, I will definitely ask Ziming to apply for the exam."

He Shanchang has only one son, He Zongli, and He Zongli has four sons and a daughter. The only girl is He Zhihua, who is 13 years old this year.When she was young, Old Master Yu had seen her a few times, and in her impression she was a very cute and likable girl. After she was seven or eight years old, she stopped going out with her grandfather, and Old Master Yu hadn't seen her for many years.However, Mr. Yu remembers such a little girl in He Shan's long family.

"There are hundreds of girls in a family, do you know?" He Shanchang stroked his beard and smiled triumphantly, "It's really time for Jiji, and it won't work for your family to go away."

"I see." Old Master Yu suddenly realized.

"Are you going to apply for the exam?" He Shanzhang asked calmly.

Old Master Yu laughed loudly, "Go, go, go!"

That's it.

To the rest of the Yu family, Old Master Yu only told Yu Chang and Yu Yan to apply for Xishan Academy, nothing else.

Reading is a serious matter, and of course everyone has no opinion.Xishan Academy is very famous, most of the teachers are Confucian scholars, and there are many elite students among the students, Yu Chang and Yu Yan really yearn for it.Yu Yan was lively and excited, and even the calm Yu Chang's eyes had starlight, obviously he was very interested in Xishan Academy.

The only person who is not very happy should be Joe.Xishan Academy needs to live and study, and it takes a month to go home. Thinking that it takes a month to see her Zi Ming and Mian Yi, Qiao is a little bit reluctant.

"I have to sign up, and I have to take the exam." Linglong thought excitedly, "Hey, it's very interesting to think about it, I really want to dress up as a man and go see it."

"Together together." Yu Yan did not object at all, and sincerely invited.

"If grandfather is willing to take you with him, brother has no objection." Yu Chang said politely.

"Father, are you going?" Linglong asked Uncle Yu hopefully.

Linglong felt that she was not very familiar with her grandfather, but she was not the same as her father. Uncle Yu, like Qiao Shi, doted on children. If he also went, she begged softly. If not, she could really go to Xishan Academy and open her eyes.

Uncle Yu looked at Linglong's earnest eyes, and couldn't bear to refuse her, "Daughter, you change into men's clothes, and we will go to see your grandfather." This means that he agreed, but he is not in charge of the family, and he still has to pay for it. Go ask Mrs. Yu for instructions.

Linglong was overjoyed and couldn't help cheering, "Father is so kind!"

Both Yu Chang and Yu Yan laughed at Linglong, "Grandfather hasn't agreed yet, little sister, you are too happy." Qiao Shi pursed her lips and smiled, and ordered someone to take out Yu Yan's clothes from the previous two years and let Linglong choose them.

"Young green boy, I want a light green dress." Linglong asked.

As expected, Mrs. Qiao picked out a light green robe for her.

Linglong took the robe and entered the room.When she came out again, she was wearing a light green cross-neck gown, a moon-white belt with silver patterns on her waist, a pair of green satin powder-soled court boots on her feet, her hair tied up with a crown, handsome eyebrows and starry eyes, red lips and white teeth , like a little boy.

Yu Yan was delighted to see Linglong like this, "You are so handsome, you can compare to my elder brother and me!"

Yu Chang looked at Linglong for a moment, then handed her a fan, "Little sister, use this as a pretense, it will look more like it."

Linglong really opened the fan and shook it a few times, pretending, it really looks like that.

Qiao smiled, "You three brothers and sisters, only your second elder brother, when he was a child, his mother wanted a girl and dressed him up as a doll, and the rest didn't have one. I regret seeing Long'er like this today, It turns out that it is so interesting to dress up my daughter as a kid."

"Oh——" Yu Chang and Linglong looked at Yu Yan at the same time, and said "Oh" meaningfully.

Yu Yan's face was a little uneasy, and he yelled dissatisfiedly: "Mother, I am obviously a man, why do you dress me up as a doll?" Qiao was embarrassed, "At that time when you had your elder brother, didn't mother expect you Is it a little girl? Mianzhi, Mother has dressed you up a few times, but she didn't take you out, didn't let others see..."

Yu Yan was sullen for a while, and asked unwillingly: "Mother, when did this happen?" Qiao frowned and recalled, "At that time, were you one year old or two years old? Mianzhi, it's been a long time, mother remember Not sure..."

Qiao Shi explained to Yu Yan apologetically, and both Yu Chang and Linglong laughed softly.

Uncle Yu couldn't help laughing, "A boy is a boy, no matter how you dress up, you can't be a girl. Mian Zhi, you dressed as a girl when you were young, and you don't look as good as your sister dressed as a boy."

"I'm so mad!" Yu Yan stamped his feet.

After talking and joking for a while, Uncle Yu took Yu Chang, Yu Yan, and Linglong dressed as men to Jinshizhai.

Along the way, I met many servants and women, and they were surprised when they saw Uncle Yu and the three "young masters".It was only later that I realized that the youngest one was not "Young Master", but Miss San.

Arriving at Jinshizhai, Linglong turned around a few times in front of Mrs. Yu, held up her fan, and shook her head, "Grandfather, do you look like a student from Xishan Academy?" Mrs. Yu sized her up and said casually, "Little Linglong, do you want to go to school?" Xishan Academy? It's easy to handle, my grandfather is going to give a lecture in a few days, so he will take you with him."

Linglong didn't expect that it would be so easy to ask her grandfather for something, so she was stunned.

Yu Chang and Yu Yan hurriedly thanked her grandfather on her behalf, "Thank you, grandfather. The younger sister is just going to see and see, and what you said hits her heart."

Linglong also came back to her senses, smiled sweetly, and thanked her grandfather.

Old Master Yu looked at her again, with a sigh on his face, "It would be great if you were really a kid. The most regrettable thing in my grandfather's life is that he has too few grandchildren, only two."

What's the meaning?Do you think you have too few grandchildren?Linglong was a little confused.

Uncle Yu coughed, "Long'er is a girl, and her mother and I are full of joy."

Old Master Yu glared at him, "Girls get married when they grow up, and grandsons belong to their own family! After working hard for more than ten years, they end up marrying into someone else's family. I don't like this!"

Linglong hurriedly comforted her: "Grandfather, it's easy! Anyway, elder brother is getting old, you have to talk to him about the marriage and marry someone else's granddaughter into the family. If you do this, won't you be relieved?"

Old Master Yu turned his anger into joy, "Grandfather loves to hear that!"

He looked at Yu Chang with a smile and looked again and again, his eyes became deeper and farther away, making Yu Chang's scalp go numb.

—What is your idea?Linglong peeked at the smiling old man, thinking secretly.

"In Xishan Academy, is there any beautiful girl?" Linglong quietly asked Uncle Yu.

Uncle Yu told her in a low voice, "Xishan Academy does not accept girls, but the head and teacher live on the mountain all year round, so they can bring their families."

Linglong giggled, "Understood."

A girl from such a family has been influenced by her ears and eyes, so she should be knowledgeable and reasonable.If the age, appearance, and temperament match that of the eldest brother, then it is really suitable.

Linglong asked very attentively, "Grandfather, what are you going to say then? Are you ready? How about you treat me as a student and tell me once or twice?"

Although it is a guest appearance, it is also a lecture after all.Misleading others is the worst thing to do. To be on the safe side, you'd better prepare your lesson and give a trial lecture first.

Old Master Yu waved to Linglong, "Little Linglong, come here quickly. Grandpa is thinking about it. I'm afraid the students won't be able to understand what he's talking about. Isn't it useless work? As for learning, isn’t grandfather very wronged?”

Yu Yan turned his back and snickered, Uncle Yu and Yu Chang came over to advise the old master with Linglong, what should be said, in what order should be said, in simple terms, and step by step, so that the students would feel that they benefited a lot.

Mrs. Yu wore glasses and studied very seriously.

"Grandfather, send someone to go to grandma's place and say that you want to go back for dinner." Linglong said courteously while grinding ink for him.

"Why?" Old Master Yu asked without raising his head.

Linglong smiled flatteringly, "You need someone from grandma. Grandpa, if you want to take me to Xishan Academy, you must tell grandma, right?"

Going out, or going out in men's clothing, of course, needs the consent of old lady Yu.Who should tell her the best?Of course it was Mrs. Yu.

His old man is the right candidate.

"Okay." Old Master Yu agreed casually, and continued to concentrate on preparing for his lecture.

Uncle Yu, his father and son looked at Linglong with smiles, waiting to see what she would do next: the old man agreed, but he was all focused on class, and he never called anyone to give instructions.

Linglong looked at her father and brothers arrogantly, and raised her hand to call Tong'er in Jinshizhai, "Go and tell the old lady, the old lady will go back to have dinner tonight. The dinner should be light, but not too light, it is better to have Fish soup, seasonal vegetables." Having ordered Tong'er, she bent down and asked thoughtfully, "Grandfather, besides what I just explained, is there anything else?" Old Mrs. Yu didn't raise his head, "No more."

Linglong told Tong'er, "Just what I explained just now, there is nothing else, have you written it down?" Tong'er hurriedly said: "Write it down." Agreed, and went out.

Yu Chang and Yu Yan gave her a thumbs up, and Uncle Yu gently reached out to touch her little head, "Naughty child."

After the application time, the group returned to the inner house.

Mrs. Yu, Mrs. Qiao, Mrs. Guan and others were all there, all gathered together.

Old Master Yu and the old lady sat on both sides of the table at the top, and Linglong stood behind her grandfather knowingly, beating his back for him.

Seeing Linglong wearing men's clothes, the old lady Yu looked carefully for a long time, and said with a smile: "I was shocked, and suddenly he looked really handsome." Linglong smiled sweetly at the old lady, "Grandpa said the same Well, I wish I was a kid. Grandpa, did you say that just now?" Old Master Yu nodded indifferently, "Grandfather just said that."

He was thoughtful, but he didn't know what important issue he was considering.

Linglong was anxious, and exerted force on her hands, and the fist that landed on her grandfather's back was much heavier.The old man gasped, and turned his head in dissatisfaction, "Little Linglong, why are you working so hard?" Linglong lowered her head and reminded in a low voice, "Grandfather, what did we agree on just now? Why didn't you mention it?" After waking up, she turned her head and said calmly: "I will give lectures at Xishan Academy in a few days, and Xiao Linglong will go with me."

Linglong's fist loosened, and while beating her back, she asked, "Grandfather, is the strength enough? Are you comfortable?" She was extremely attentive.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The old lady Yu asked cautiously: "Linglong is a girl's house, so it's not good to go to Xishan Academy with her?" , and stopped talking, and nodded with a smile, "That's right, she's still young anyway, she's a handsome boy in men's clothing, and it's very suitable to serve the pen and ink beside the old man."

Both the old man and the old lady spoke, and the matter was settled.

Jingjia's face was dignified, although she disliked Linglong's love to show her face too much, she didn't speak in front of her elders, a trace of unwillingness flashed in Jingxi's eyes, and she said softly: "Grandfather, grandmother, I like reading, and I have always wanted to go to Xishan Academy Eye-opening, my third sister and I are about the same age, even if we pretend to be men, we can't tell..."

Old Madam Yu didn't expect that Jingxi, who had always been sensible, would be as willful as Linglong, so she was taken aback.

Old Master Yu frowned, "Xiao Linglong has copied many notes for me, she can act as a book boy for me, what about you? What use will you do?"

Jing Xi was reprimanded, tears streaming down her eyes.

The old lady Yu was very distressed, but seeing the old man seemed to have a bad face, she didn't dare to say anything.

Guan Shi bit her lip, "Seventeenth Lang just went out to run errands today! If he was here, he would definitely stand up for his daughter, and Xiao Xi doesn't have to suffer this kind of grievance. Seventeenth Lang, come back soon."

It's a pity that Second Master Yu came back very late that day, and Mrs. Guan didn't wait for him, didn't wait for him to stand up for Jingxi, and felt very aggrieved.

Jingxi has always been the most embarrassing in front of Mrs. Yu, but today she was suddenly reprimanded by Mrs. Yu, and she was ashamed and angry, dizzy, and her chest was congested.

After dinner, everyone dispersed, and Erye Yu returned home in a hurry.Guan was concerned about Jingxi and urged him to ask the old lady for favors, "Linglong is about the same age as Xiaoxi, why can Linglong go but Xiaoxi can't? Seventeen Lang, please go and ask father to let him take Xiaoxi with you. "Second Master Yu agreed, "Who wouldn't be willing to go out for a walk? It's human nature for Xiaoxi to want to go. I'll go beg father tomorrow." Guan's joy, treats Second Master Yu with extra tenderness.

Fearing that Jing Xi would be angry, Guan specially ordered the girl to bring Jing Xi a note, telling her not to think too much.

Knowing that Erye Yu would intercede for her, Jingxi felt much relieved, and her chest was less stuffy.

The next day, Second Master Yu went to Jinshizhai and begged Old Master Yu, "Father, one sheep is also herded, and two sheep are also chased. Why don't you take Xiaoxi with you?" Old Master Yu was displeased, "Am I very fierce? , granddaughter dare not speak in front of me? Why didn't she say it herself?" Second Master Yu couldn't figure it out, and explained with a smile, "Father, she said it, but you rejected it..."

"If I reject it, she can't do anything?" Old Master Yu asked, "My granddaughter, can't even argue with reason?"

Erye Yu was so refuted that he had nothing to say.

"No, it's embarrassing!" Old Master Yu slapped the brush on the desk angrily.

Second Master Yu walked away in despair.

"Xiaoxi, I won't go this time, we'll talk about it later, and I'll talk about it later." He bravely told Jingxi about this in person.

Poor Jingxi was obviously in a better mood after receiving Guan's note last night. Before she was happy for a long time, Erye Yu told her the "bad news", and Jingxi's chest became more congested and she couldn't breathe .

"Linglong, how kind grandfather is to you, are you proud?" On the stone arch bridge, Jingxi stopped Linglong and asked mockingly.

This is the second time Jing Xi has lost his composure.Usually, she always reminded herself to be dignified and elegant, but at this moment she was depressed, and if she didn't express the anger in her heart, she would probably suffocate herself to death.

Linglong looked at her strangely, "Second sister, you seem to be a little angry about this, I advise you not to be so. Grandma has always treated you well, so why did I care? If you want to be angry because your grandparents treat your sisters better than me, Am I supposed to be pissed off?"

"You—" Jingxi was here to vent her anger, but seeing Linglong's composure and sarcasm, she became even more angry.

Linglong didn't pay any attention to her, walked lightly, and left.

The mountain road of Cuiwei Mountain has been repaired, and it is not rough and difficult to walk. Linglong walked up the mountain with her grandfather, father, and two brothers behind, full of interest.

She was dressed in men's clothing, and at first glance she looked like a handsome young man.

The mountain road twists and turns, walking up a step, there is a big rock beside the road, and two people are sitting on the big rock to rest.

One is a white-haired old man with ordinary features, but an unusually tall figure; the other is a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, with a dark face and handsome eyebrows, but with a bit of hostility.

Because the old man looked really old, the Yu family and his party inevitably took a few extra glances.

The young man had a bad temper, and when he saw that someone he didn't know looked over, he stared back viciously with sharp eyes.

The old man smiled kindly at everyone.

Breathing the fresh air in the mountains, Linglong was in a good mood, and greeted the old man with a smile, "Grandpa, do you want to go up the mountain too? Do you want us to help?" The boy jumped up and shouted: "I will take care of my grandfather! You don't need to be so kind!" He stared at Linglong with all his strength, as if Linglong had offended him.

Seeing that he was fierce and unreasonable, Yu Chang and Yu Yan hurried over to keep Linglong behind.The white-haired old man stood up and apologized, "I'm sorry, my grandson's bad temper made you laugh at me. I'm really sorry." He was already tall, but when he stood up, he appeared to have long arms and legs, and he looked like an ordinary person. very different.

He looked at Linglong kindly, "Little girl, didn't this brat scare you?"

The boy was surprised, "Little girl? Grandfather, he is obviously..."

"Fool, she is a female doll." The old man smiled.

The boy sized Linglong up a few more times, only to realize that the "boy" in front of him had unusually fair skin and was too pretty, so he was indeed a girl.

Old Master Yu exchanged pleasantries with the old man, "Do you need help?" The old man smiled and thanked, "Thank you very much, I can still walk." Old Master Yu said goodbye to him, and the Yu family and his party continued to go up the mountain.

The boy stared at the back in front of him and asked, "Grandfather, are all these people here to apply for the exam?"

The old man smiled, "What's the matter, are you afraid that there will be too many applicants and you won't be able to pass the exam? If you really can't pass the exam, you can live in Zhuangzi with your grandfather."

The boy shivered, "No, I must pass the exam! No matter how restricted you are at school, it's better than being forced to do hard work by you!"

It was so miserable to be toiled with him, it was mortal.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go." The old man raised his feet and walked up the mountain first.

"Let's go." The boy gritted his teeth, got up quickly, and quickly chased after him.

(End of this chapter)