Value peace

Chapter 17
Gu Xiyan didn't expect to hear the name "Fang Shaoqing" again so soon, and was startled.

Seeing this, Duanniang thought she was worried that Fang Shaoying was also studying with Aunt Cui, and that she would be compared.Interjected from the side: "Girl don't have to worry, their family is a powerful official, our family is a noble family. Among the scholars in the world today, who doesn't know the Gu family in Shuzhou, so Aunt Cui dare not mess around in front of the girl."

The gentry, if those gentry who were once astonished in history were not powerful officials, what qualifications do they have to show the genealogy of the gentry?

However, these words don't need to be told to Duan Niang, they are just worrying her in vain.

Gu Xiyan suppressed her worries and smiled, still reminiscing what Zhao Nanny said just now.

Duanniang mistakenly thought that Gu Xiyan didn't believe what she said, so she emphasized: "If you don't believe me, girl, ask Mother Zhao. The ancestor of the Gu family, Wen Gong, wrote a book "Annotation to the Four Books", which is now a must-read for every career. The "Shuowen Jiezi" written by you is a must-read book for scholars. There are only people who can read and write, and there is no one who does not know the Gu family... This is far away. Let's say your grandfather is a well-known historian of the Xia Kingdom. I wrote "A Brief History of the Sixteen Dynasties" and even collected a copy in the emperor's study room. Our master is Xizhao's first three-yuan and number-one scholar since 290..."

Zhao Nanny also smiled and said, "How about this, when Madam married in, the Liu family gave 30 taels of silver as a dowry..."

30 taels of silver?

How much is the equivalent of RMB?

Gu Xiyan felt her eyelids twitching, and asked in puzzlement, "Why is the family so tight?"

Mother Zhao smiled wryly and said: "Master is a scholar, how can I know the hardships and dangers of the world. Today I buy a stone tablet for 1000 taels, tomorrow I buy a calligraphy and painting for 500 taels, and the day after tomorrow I buy a broken bottle and come back and say it is worth 1 taels. Where are you at home?" Withstanding such a torment... Madam, there is nothing she can do now!"

Calculating the time, Mrs. Gu has only been married for seven or eight years, with a dowry of 30 taels of silver, and that's it... Gu Xiyan asked: "Is there no one to take care of it?"

Zhao Nanny smiled and said: "Who cares, who cares. The old man and Mrs. Tai went there early in the morning. The brothers are all side branches. They are in their hometown in Shuzhou, and they don't usually see each other at all. The eldest girl's aunt, Mrs. Bai, came from a humble background. I dare not speak in front of the master; even my wife is submissive, what the master says is what; Mrs. Liu is even more gentle, if it weren't for the wife who has a few shrewd companions around her, the Liu family wouldn't have given some relief. I don't know how it will go... During the Chinese New Year this year, Madam really has no face to go to the Liu family to pay money, otherwise, why would she rent Liu Ting to an actor?"

After hearing this, Duanniang sighed a long time: "I just hope that the mansion will last for a few more years, don't wait until the second girl is too shabby when she goes out."

Zhao Nanny smiled and comforted Duanniang: "The skinny camel is bigger than the horse, and the rotten boat still has three catties of nails."

Gu Xiyan thought about it, and asked tentatively: "If you marry the royal family, do you want to dowry?"

Both of them were startled, and Mother Zhao said cautiously, "I definitely want it, but it's just a symbolic one. Generally, in order to show the royal style, the clan mansion will give the woman a large amount of dowry. Counting it, the woman is guaranteed to make a steady profit. Just like that year when King Ling married his wife, the entire Baihu Avenue was blocked. I have lived for so many years, and this is the first time I have seen...

Gu Xiyan smiled absently and listened.

I hope this is the real reason why Master Gu wants to choose his concubine by himself?Problems that money can solve are generally not big problems.

But for some reason, when Gu Xiyan thought of Master Gu looking at her half-smiling face and gloomy eyes, she felt uneasy in her heart, feeling that things must not be so simple.

A few people were talking, Hengyue came in and asked where the lunch was.Gu Xiyan respected Duanniang more in front of Zhao Nanny, so she had to listen to Duanniang.Duanniang knew that she was making face for herself, so she didn't say anything more. She arranged the meal in the West Wing Room, and the three of them ate, talking and laughing, and the rain stopped, and there was a peculiar smell of mud floating in the air. The fishy smell, Zhao Mama thanked Gu Xiyan, and insisted on going back, Gu Xiyan said a few more polite words like "come here often", and asked Duanniang to send Zhao Mama back in person.

Gu Xiyan was still a little uneasy about tomorrow's class, so she called Hengyue: "Find me some books that I often read, and I will study hard."

Tomorrow, I will go to Cui Baoyi's class. According to common sense, I suddenly accepted a student halfway, so I should test her level anyway.Gu Xiyan is not afraid of her poor level, but she is afraid of saying something inappropriate and showing her feet...

Hengyue said in embarrassment: "When the girl came, she didn't bring any books..."

Gu Xiyan also felt a headache when she heard it, so it was Mo Ju who came up with an idea: "Why don't we go to Rongyue Zhai to borrow a few copies?"

Gu Xiyan thought it was a good idea, so she urged Hengyue and Mo Ju to go quickly.

Not long after the two of them went out, a seven or eight-year-old boy ran up and said that it was the boy servant next to Deacon Ding who had sent a letter to Gu Xiyan.Xinghong led him into the door, the child greeted Gu Xiyan very cleverly, and asked in a childlike voice: "Deacon Ding asked me to ask, what do you want to ask the second girl?"

Gu Xiyan pondered for a while, and said, "I want to see Deacon Ding and let him make arrangements!"

The expressions of all the people in the room changed, and the child immediately left in response.

After a while, Duanniang came back, Gu Xiyan saw Xinghong talking to Duanniang through the window, she smiled, went back to bed and went to bed in the morning.

After waking up from an afternoon nap, Hengyue and Moju also came back, both of them with depressed faces: "The official Gui said that the books in Rongyuezhai are not borrowed without the master's handwriting."

Real scholars have a bit of this temper. It is easy to borrow money, but not to borrow books.

Gu Xiyan disagreed.

Mo Ju added: "Sister Hengyue and I went to beg Madam again, Madam didn't see her, she said she went to the house of the Minister of Works, we told Nanny Song, Nanny Song said that the master hadn't come back in the morning , Even if you tell Madam about this matter, Madam has nothing to do, this is the rule of the Gu family for hundreds of years, Rongyuezhai's books are not borrowed."

Gu Xiyan let out a long sigh, and invited Duan Niang to discuss and buy a few books.

Duanniang was also in a dilemma: "It's already afternoon, and I have to go to Madam to get a waist card in advance when I leave the house, and Madam is not at home now..."

Gu Xiyan was stunned.

Why is it different from those written in those novels and movies?

Then how could I go out to investigate the market, and think of a small amount of money to defend myself and save my life!

Gu Xiyan was very distressed.

But Duanniang made a few little girls go out with a wink, and whispered in Gu Xiyan's ear: "Don't worry, girl, the eldest girl used to go to Rongyue Zhai behind her back... I'll find a way ?”

Gu Xiyan was overjoyed and urged her to go quickly.

At night when the lanterns were lit, the rain began to fall again, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and a cool breeze blew up.

Gu Xiyan and Duanniang had a hasty dinner. They wore wooden shoes and each wore a coir raincoat. They didn't dare to carry the lamp. They sneaked through the forest to the corner gate. There was a person waiting anxiously in front of the corner gate. Gu Xiyan stepped forward to see them, and it turned out to be Mother Zhao.Zhao Nanny stuffed a key to Duanniang: "Go and come back quickly, I will keep Mrs. Wu for wine, and I can only keep her for two hours at most..."

Duanniang and Gu Xiyan hurriedly thanked her and promised to come back on time.

After leaving the corner gate, the two tiptoed again, walking cautiously on the bluestone path. The heavy rain intertwined into a rain curtain in the air, and there was the rustling sound of rain hitting leaves from time to time, and the sky was as dark as midnight.

Gu Xiyan suddenly felt absurd.

Really, it's no wonder people tell lies like a big snowball, getting bigger and bigger.Don't I feel like a snowball now... In order not to show my feet, I am about to become a thief!

When they arrived at the gate of Rongyue Zhai, Duanniang stepped forward and knocked lightly, and someone opened the door immediately. Gu Xiyan saw that it was the boy called Huanling who was lying on the foot of the couch that day.

Duanniang immediately took out something from her bosom and stuffed it into Huanling, saying "Thanks for your hard work" in a low voice.

Huanling put the bag in his arms expressionlessly, and said coldly, "Hurry up!"

Duanniang nodded, and led Gu Xiyan into the gate of Rongyue Zhai.

The two towering camphor trees are still dutifully covering the seven main rooms of Rongyue Zhai like umbrellas, and the hula-la-la-la wind and rain can only make their branches and leaves dance gracefully...

Duanniang took Gu Xiyan under the tree and hurriedly took off her coir raincoat: "Go, I'll wait for you here."

Gu Xiyan ran to the eaves of the main house with all her strength, but luckily her body was only splashed a little wet.

She entered the room, took out the fire bag that Duanniang gave her from her arms, shook it lightly in the air, the long and slender fire bag like a joss stick immediately gave off a warm orange light, Gu Xiyan didn't dare to hold back, Immediately ran to the bookshelf and turned it up.

The bookshelf next to the large picture table is a bit messy, and some books still have bookmarks between them. It seems that they are often reviewed by Master Gu. Gu Xiyan dare not move around for fear of being found out that there is something wrong.

She looked for books on the neatly packed shelves.

A complete set of four books?Well, it is a must-read, "Sound and Rhythm Qimeng", the book of Qimeng mentioned by Mo Ju, you also have to take a copy... "A Brief History of the Sixteen Dynasties", also take a look, "Gefu", you must One, "Agricultural Essentials", what?
Gu Xiyan put the few books in her hand on the ground and flipped through them. It turned out to be a book with rich pictures and texts, telling people how to grow rice and use windmills.Gu Xiyan hesitated for a moment, and put the book back to its original place.After a while, she found a set of travel notes written by an author who claimed to be "Treading Snow and Seeking Plum Blossoms".Gu Xiyan was overjoyed.This is very beneficial for her to understand the geography and humanities of Xia Kingdom.She found another book "Evening Chats in Lvxuan" and flipped through it. It was all about anecdotes and anecdotes from a certain year.

The gain is too great.

Gu Xiyan blew on the fire folder and was about to leave with the book in her arms, when the sound of rain coming from the window was like falling beans.

It's better to find something to wrap it up, or else it's good to block it.

Gu Xiyan stood between the bookshelves and looked around. There wasn't much in the room. There were pillows and cushions on the big couch not far in front, but the question was, could I take them?Gu Xiyan thought for a while, and decided to take off the skirt she was wearing to hold the book. It was night anyway, and she was wearing a coir raincoat later?

She was unbuttoning her skirt and squatting on the ground to wrap the book, when there was a very, very slight "squeak" sound in the room, Gu Xiyan raised her head curiously, a black figure rolled over from the window next to the big couch, and her movements were very dexterous Lightness.

Gu Xiyan was about to ask "who" aloud when a flash of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the room brightly.

Gu Xiyan, who was blocked by the bookshelf, saw the visitor clearly.

It was a masked woman with a slender body and a fine fit. The scabbard protruding from her shoulders gave off a cold light in the dark room.

What kind of plot is this?
Gu Xiyan felt that she was a little confused.

I just came here to find a few books to make up for myself, so why did I meet a chivalrous woman with a sword on her back?
No, maybe it's a murderous thief, and it doesn't necessarily mean it!

(End of this chapter)