Chapter 5: Scholars make a living (Chinese) (《》)

"Chaosheng, you have a good taste." Chen He laughed as soon as he entered the door: "On the way back, I met his eldest son, and I saw him holding two fish and looking around." The eldest son is about the same age as Chen Mo, and his surname is Yao. Because of his tall figure, everyone called him "the eldest son". Over time, he replaced his original name.

Yao's eldest son is loyal and loyal, and he is the most kind to Chen Si and often plays together. Chen Si was bitten by a snake that day, thanks to his eldest son carrying him back, otherwise his life would have been taken away by the King of Hell.

"He said he would wait for you to see you at home, so he went to the street to look for it." Chen He put the fish in a basin, skillfully removing scales and gills, opening his stomach and cleaning it, and laughing, "When he saw me, he had been wandering around for a long time. I told him about your situation, and he was relieved and gave me the fish and asked you to replenish your body." These things were learned by the wife this year after she fell ill. A year ago, Chen He couldn't even make a fire, let alone treat the fish.

"Why didn't he come?" After resting for a day, Chen Si was able to sit up and leaned against the windowsill and asked.

"This is the Shen family courtyard, with many rules, not our free straw hut." Chen He lowered his voice and said, "The clan has a lot of talk, so what are you talking about."

After a moment of silence, he whispered: "Or... let's move back tomorrow."

"Go back?" Chen He shook his head like a wave drum, pretending to be relaxed: "I have lived in that straw shed and don't want to go back for a day." When he spoke, his back was facing silent, and no one saw his red eyes.

But I didn't know that the silence of sitting on the bed was also red in my eyes and my nose was sour and sore, like a thorn in my throat...

The two of them were silent like this. There was only the crackling sound of firewood in the small attic. It was Chen He who put the treated crucian carp into the casserole.

The fish was put into the pot and the work came to an end. Chen He sat tiredly on the stool, twisted a rhab bean and chewed it in his mouth, swallowed it and drank a sip of water, and realized the solemn atmosphere. He knew that his son, who was suddenly thoughtful, must have noticed something, so he pretended to be relaxed and joked: "When I have money, I will eat ten fennel beans in one bite."

"Don't choke." Silent laughed.

Chen He grinned and asked with concern: "The woman downstairs didn't come up to quarrel with you again, did he?"

"No." Chen Si shook his head and lied without blinking.

Chen He nodded, and finally saw the clay pot and medicine bag on the table, and said strangely: "Who is here to visit?"

"Miss Yin's maid." Chen Si said the truth: "I said I'll let us both men and I repair our bodies."

Chen He was uneasy and said, "How can you ask for other people's things?"

"I can't even get out of the ground, and I can't argue with others if I don't want it." Chen Shen pointed to the bedside and said, "Hey, I didn't move at all, I'll wait for your old man to come back to deal with it."

"This..." Chen He said restlessly: "I was waived by someone yesterday, and it was already a matter of trouble. Now I want someone else's things, why should I pay it back? I can't pay it back."

"It's time to pay it back." Chen Si grinned and said, "If you can't pay it back, I can't get it back, I can't get it back with your grandson."

Chen He rolled his eyes and said, "That's not true..." and accepted the gift.

At this time, the crucian carp soup was stewed, and Chen He brought the casserole directly to the head of the bed, which made him so hot that he breathed on his fingers. He then placed the bedding behind Shen Mo, sat up straight, and prepared bowls and chopsticks for him. Then he smiled and said, "Eat while it's hot, but the little crucian carp is a big supplement."

Chen Silently said softly: "Dad, take a pair of bowls and chopsticks, let's eat together."

"No, no," Chen He shook his head and smiled, "Dad has eaten it outside, and his stomach is bloated. Just drink some soup later."

The silence did not break, and pointed to the chicken soup in the jar and said, "It's hot and it's broken overnight." At this time, the weather was stuffy and humid, and these fresh foods were spoiled overnight, and only the portions were thrown away.

"Don't be anxious, eat slowly." Chen He smiled lovingly and said, "Eat more and get better quickly." After that, he poured the bowl of chicken soup back into the jar and placed it on the stove to heat it up.

After silent, he stopped talking, ate a fish, drank a bowl of soup, and slapped his stomach and said, "I've eaten it so much."

"Eat more." Chen He gave him another bowl of chicken soup and said, "Get it done quickly, don't worry about my father."

Chen Shi clearly heard the old man's purr in his stomach, and sighed inwardly, took the bowl and said, "If you eat it again, it will be really uncomfortable." In fact, in the morning, he found that after serving himself a bowl of thick porridge, there was only a little clear soup and water left in the casserole. Until now, the old man must be very hungry.

"That's right, too much is not enough." Chen He nodded then, and said with a pity: "It's too extravagant to have chickens and fish." Chen Silent smiled bitterly and said, "I may not have any food trash tomorrow. I'll get drunk today."

"Mu Qi." Chen He finally didn't hesitate and scooped a bowl of chicken soup and tasted it in small mouths: "Dad has already decided what to do. I'll buy you a chicken tomorrow."

"What are you doing?" Chen Si asked with interest.

"Writing." Chen Hebian said while drinking soup: "I've read it today. There are people who write letters from home, couplets, and inscriptions in front of the Chenghuang Temple. There is a one-hundred-word investment in a day. This way, you can earn at least two taels of silver a month. In addition, six dou of rice per month, we can eat and drink enough. If we tighten our hearts, we can save two for you to study."

"Why don't you teach?" Chen Si said strangely: "That income should be more stable."

"Hey, do you think I don't want to?" Chen He sighed and said, "I am a scholar and I can't teach in the county school. I only give one tael of silver in a month in elementary school. It's not very cost-effective." According to the rules, once he starts to engage in other careers, his qualification for a student in the ruling industry will be automatically cancelled, and the six dou of rice per month will naturally stop issuing.

In the wealthy areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, you can buy two stones of rice for one tael of silver, but Shen Xiucai can get six dou without working. That is to say, if he was a tutor, he would only earn one stone four more rice or seven cents of silver every month. If he went out to practice writing, the situation would be greatly improved... Because according to an unwritten rule, such as selling characters, fortune-telling, and doing physical labor, it is regarded as a temporary solution to solve urgent needs and will not cancel the rice.

The reason is very simple, because people in the world regard those who work hard as the most important, and those who work hard as the most cheap, and travel around the streets to tell fortunes; even if they set up stalls and sell characters, they are not considered physical labor, they are ultimately a disgraceful act. If there is hope, no scholar will be able to engage in this cheap career for a long time.

In fact, there is another one that has a high income and is considered decent, which is to go to other places to be a master for high-ranking officials and nobles.

You should know that the reputation of Shaoxing's masters being "full of poetry and books, hardworking, and good at managing documents" is well known in the world. Especially Chen He, a person with serious fame, is very popular everywhere, and earning 180 taels of silver a year, he is all in poor fortune.
Chapter completed!