happy event

Chapter 44

Dong Rong took Shazhu around the main entrance of the academy, and turned directly to a bluestone alley in the back street.Weeping willows are planted on both sides of the alley, and the green branches are waving leisurely with the wind at this time, adding a tranquil beauty to the hot summer.

At the end of the alley there were two small ebony doors, which had never been carved or painted, and looked even more dilapidated in the sunlight.But this place is an important place for the students of the academy to secretly contact the outside world.

The old man at the gate is greedy for money, and if you give him some money, he will be more than happy to pass a message or open a door.The harsh rules issued by those academies have never been in his eyes. After all, he is a person buried up to his neck in loess, and he cares more about whether the jug in his hand is empty or full than rules and regulations and bamboo strips.

Sure enough, Dong Rong passed a dozen copper coins in through the small window on the door, and then reported Dong Ping's name and Mr.'s name. The two ebony doors opened a crack, and the brown-faced old man directly Reach out to pick up the food box and close the door.Dong Rong hurriedly stopped her, and said with a smile, "Old man, my younger brother is studying here, and I will inevitably have to trouble the old man in the future. The little girl is poor, and there is nothing good to do to honor the old man. I just cut a catty at the Li family's old shop in the west of the city. Cooked beef is best served with wine, I hope the old man will not dislike it."

After she finished speaking, she handed over an oiled paper bag in her hand, and the half-closed eyes of the old man at the gate suddenly opened completely. Close the wooden door.

Dong Rong didn't care about the old man's indifference, after all, feelings can only be accumulated after getting along for a long time.She didn't expect to buy the old man completely with a package of cooked beef, but in the future, as long as she always treats each other with sincerity, there will be a day when she will become close to him.At that time, if Brother Ping has a big or small affair in the academy, the old man can send her a message, and it will not be in vain for her to take so much trouble to manage it.

Besides, Dong Ping is sitting in the school at the moment, listening to his master explaining the theory. There are more than [-] scholars gathered in the room.Xu Mao, a fat scholar who made good friends with Dong Ping, was the latter. He turned his head and looked out to watch the excitement while his husband was shaking his head and reciting the famous words of the sages, but he bumped into Xizi who was looking inside the house on tiptoe.

Xu Mao thought that the little book boy was looking for Dong Ping urgently, so he reached out and secretly pulled Dong Ping's sleeve to signal him to look out.Dong Ping also frowned, wondering if his sister had something to send someone a message.Could it be that the Cao family is embarrassing my sister again, or is there something wrong with the business?
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't sit still. Fortunately, the lecturer, Mr. Yang, was not one to procrastinate. He waved his hand and dismissed the get out of class as soon as the lunch break bell rang.A group of scholars hurriedly got up to salute and send them off. Mr. Yang glanced at Dong Ping with a sense of reproach before walking out slowly.

Dong Ping quickly packed up his books and ran out of the school, anxiously asking Xizi, "Why did you come here, but what happened at home?"

Xizi is only eight or nine years old, even though the death of his parents makes him more sensible and precocious than other children of the same age, he is still a child after all.Just now he took the food box sent by the old man at the gate, he couldn't bear to smell the aroma coming out of it, so he opened the lid and took a look.As a result, the golden shortbread made his mouth water. He wanted to taste one but felt that it would be wrong to steal it behind his master's back, so he ran outside the school and waited impatiently, hoping that the master would finish class early and go back to eat early. .

But he didn't think about this little thought, but he caused the master to misunderstand. He hurriedly apologized, and then whispered about the food delivery from home.

Dong Ping really couldn't laugh or cry, stretched out his hand and slapped him on the back of the head and fined him another twenty big characters before giving up.Xu Mao and his friends were friends with Dong Ping, and when they saw him like this, they gathered in front of him to inquire.Dong Ping wasn't stingy at first, and he was grateful that everyone treated him kindly, so he invited them to taste his sister's handicrafts.

A group of students were originally raised by their parents to be fat and strong, but after returning to the academy, they managed to lose weight within a few days.There is still half an hour before dinner, and they are all hungry.When they heard about this good thing, they naturally cheered and surrounded Dong Ping and walked towards the small courtyard where he lived.

Only Xizi slapped himself on the head in frustration. He knew that he would call back a pack of hungry wolves, so he stayed in the room obediently and waited for the master to finish class.It's a pity that even if he regrets in every possible way, time can't be turned back.

Dong Ping's room is not big, a bed and a desk take up most of the space, adding a small wooden couch for Xizi in the corner makes it even more cramped.Fortunately, the weather is warm in summer, so there is nothing wrong with sitting in the courtyard and eating.So the big mahogany food box was placed on the stone table, and the golden and small shortbread was "poisonous" as soon as it appeared in the sun, and half of it disappeared almost instantly.

Xu Mao is fat and fat, and he is usually the most greedy for food. Others would praise him after a bite, but he just lowered his head and ate it fiercely.But after a while, five or six shortbread entered his stomach.When the other students saw him, they hurriedly teased him, laughed and cursed, and the courtyard was very lively for a while.

Dong Ping also finished eating a shortbread right now, thinking of his sister busy preparing these meals for him in the sweltering stove, his heart was moved and warmed.Although he had never seen his mother since he was a child, he never felt sorry for himself, because whatever his mother could do, his sister could do the same.Now it is even earning money for him to study, eat, drink and dress, and take care of everything.He is extremely lucky to have such a sister!
Xu Mao was squeezed aside by a group of classmates as punishment. Seeing Dong Ping in such a daze, he thought he was homesick, so he deliberately changed the subject and complained, "Your elder sister treats you very well, my eldest sister My sister only knows to go home and complain to her parents about how bad her brother-in-law is, not to mention preparing food for me, but every time I want to study hard and take the number one exam, and support them in the future, so that they can feel proud at her in-law's house. Sigh, you said If I am as good at schoolwork as you are, Mr. Riri De will praise me. Unfortunately... I am afraid that I will be talked about by my sisters until I grow old."

Dong Ping was very happy to hear him praise his sister. Just as he was about to say something modest, he suddenly remembered Mr. Cai's slightly reproachful eyes. He hurried back to the room to find a small round plate, rushed into the crowd and snatched four shortbread.

Xu Mao happily reached out to take it and eat it, but was stopped by Dong Ping, "I just annoyed my husband, these shortbreads are going to be sent to my husband to make amends."

Xu Mao withdrew his hand with a bitter face, and watched Dong Ping walk away with the shortbread pitifully.

Mr. Yang is sitting in the study at the moment while drinking tea and reading, while in front of the bookshelf in the corner, Xue Dashao, who was extremely arrogant and domineering on the first day of school, sorted out many books with a look of annoyance.From time to time, he sneaked a glance at the gentleman, secretly cursing why the old man didn't die sooner.He was just joking with the little girl who came to collect dirty clothes, how could he violate the precepts of the academy.As a result, he, the dignified young master of the Xue family, has to do the dirty work of drying books like a servant.If he is seen by other students, what face does he have to face others?
Unfortunately, no matter how annoyed and cursed he was in his heart, he didn't dare to confront Mr. Zhang face to face, so he honestly moved a stack of books and walked out.Dong Ping brought some snacks and was about to knock on the door when he happened to bump into him.Dong Ping was stunned, hesitating whether to step out of the way, he didn't want Mr. Yang to look up and greet him when he came, "Dong Juncheng, are you busy?"

Young Master Xue snorted softly, reluctantly hiding behind the door.Dong Ping quickly entered the door to salute, then handed over snacks, and said in a low voice, "Just now in class, my disciple neglected my husband because I was worried about an accident at home. I am here to make amends, and I hope you will forgive me. This plate of snacks is from my sister. Made it with your own hands, if you don't like it, please stay and try something new."

After he finished speaking, he put the plate on the desk. Seeing that he treated him so respectfully, Mr. Yang completely dissipated the little bit of blame he had stored in his heart.

The old man stroked his beard and nodded, "It's good if you know you're wrong. Learning is all about hard work. In the future, you can't delay your lectures due to foreign affairs. As for this snack..." He wanted to refuse, but his stomach was really empty right now. , so he coughed twice and mumbled, "That's all for this time, don't send things over in the future, I can't bear the stigma of accepting bribes from disciples in private."

Dong Ping quickly responded, then turned around and retreated after saluting again.

First Young Master Xue saw that the gentleman who treated him as strict as an enemy turned out to be so kind to a poor boy, and he almost went mad with jealousy and resentment.So when the two of them passed by each other, he gritted his teeth and scolded, "You flatterer!"

Dong Ping turned his head and only glanced at him coldly, without arguing, he went straight out of the yard, leaving Young Master Xue disappointed and even more annoyed.Mr. Yang in the room pinched a shortbread and took a bite. The sweet chopped walnuts and crispy dough successfully soothed his empty stomach.It's a pity that before he shook his head and praised a few words, he heard First Young Master Xue throw out these four words, so he immediately stared angrily.

Disciple filial piety to Mr. Jing will be scolded as a flatterer, so isn't this Mr. a stupid and stupid person who favors villains?

"Xue Renyi, since you like to show off your tongue so much, then you will copy "The Analects of Confucius" ten times more every night, and hand it in the next morning, until the old man thinks that you have learned how to be lenient and respectful to others."

Hearing these words, First Young Master Xue really wanted to bang his head to death, how could he forget where he was because he was so greedy for talking for a while.He raised his hand and gave himself two hard slaps, and finally complied.

After staying to dry the books with great difficulty, he was released from the small courtyard, and the dining hall had already eaten, leaving only some leftovers.So he took another money and told the cook to make new dishes, and finally filled his stomach.The more he thought about it, the more unwilling he became. He sat in the room and squinted his eyes for a long time, then called the servant to give him a few words and sent him out.

(End of this chapter)