Chapter 15 The Garden (book friends, good luck in the Year of the Dragon!)
Yi Ting finished drying her clothes. She didn't see her wife calling her, so she walked outside the study room in the west building. She looked through the crack in the door and saw the young master wearing a jade-colored straight jacket. He had just finished taking a bath, with his hair disheveled and his hands behind his back in the study room.
He was pacing back and forth, reciting something without stopping.
Yi Ting was illiterate, but looking at the young master's concentration, it was obvious that he was not talking nonsense, but must be reciting poems and books. He thought to himself: "The young master has grown up and is literate and sensible. I can tell the young master about Zhang Dachun, so as not to worry about it."
My wife was slandered by Zhang Dachun and asked me to marry Zhang Cai. I will not marry anyone but Zhang Cai. I am making money by poaching the master's family. I, Yi Ting, do not like her."
Yi Ting wanted to wait for the young master to finish reciting it before going in, but after standing outside the door for a long time, the young master kept talking endlessly about this spring and that summer. Only once did he seem to forget to turn over the book.
Before she could enter, she started reciting again.
Yi Ting couldn't wait any longer and knocked on the door frame gently, shouting: "Master——"
Zhang Yuan was reviewing the "Chun Qiu Gu Liang Zhuan Shu" that he had read two days ago. Zhan and his two Qingke readers read to him. They reviewed the past and learned the new. While reciting, they also deepened their understanding of the meaning of the classics. When they heard the eldest girl Yi Ting's
He turned to face the door and said, "Yiting, what's the matter?"
Yi Ting entered the study, gave a blessing to Zhang Yuan, and said: "Master, I have something to tell you, and it's a matter about Zhang Cai's family."
"Oh." Zhang Yuan raised his eyebrows, sat on the chair, looked at Yi Ting and said, "You tell me."
The young master really behaved like an adult. Yi Ting calmed down a little and said: "It's about the tax and rent of the tenants of Jianhu Farm. That Zhang Dachun——"
Wu Ling walked in quickly and said, "Master, Mr. Fan Zhen asked to see you, and he also brought Qiu Ling with him."
Zhang Yuan said: "Mr. Fan, please come and sit in the front hall. I will be here soon." After Wu Ling left, Fang said to Yi Ting: "You can give a brief introduction first."
Yi Ting told what she knew about Zhang Dachun colluding with tenants to pay less rent on the grounds of poor harvest. Zhang Yuan asked: "Does my mother know about this?"
Yi Ting said: "I know a little bit, but my wife relies heavily on Zhang Dachun's family, so I can't fall out because I'm afraid there will be no one to take care of the farm."
Zhang Yuan nodded and asked: "Yiting, how could you think of saying this to me? I'm only fifteen years old."
Yi Ting said: "When you are fifteen, you are also the head of the family. The young master will grow up. The most important reason is that when the maid was washing clothes at the well just now, she heard Zhang Cai say that he wanted his father to propose to his wife and marry the maid.
Give it to him, but I don’t want to. I can’t harm my master’s family with such a person.”
Zhang Yuan stood up and said: "Okay, I understand. You go back to the south building first. I have my own plans and won't let you marry Zhang Cai."
After Yi Ting left, Zhang Yuan hurriedly tied up his hair, put on a Lingyun scarf, and went to the front hall to meet Fan Zhen.
When Fan Zhen saw Zhang Yuan, she quickly stood up, bowed to the ground, and said, "Master Jiezi, Fan came here to say thank you. I wanted to have a banquet with Master Jiezi at the restaurant, but I was afraid that my grandma would blame me, haha."
Fan Zhen, who is in her fifties, looks like she is bathed in the spring breeze and has a springy face. She must have been well served by Qiu Ling.
Qiu Ling, who was standing next to Fan Zhen, knelt down to thank Master Jie Zi for saving her, and said that she would go into the inner courtyard to kowtow to his wife. Zhang Yuan asked Tuting to take Qiu Ling in. Zhang's mother, Mrs. Lu, was at a loss at first and didn't know what was going on. She waited until Qiu Ling heard about it.
After telling the whole story, she was very happy that her son had handled the matter extremely well. Otherwise, she would not have let Qiu Ling stay to serve her son, who was only fifteen years old——
Fan Zhen in the front hall presented twenty taels of silver as thanks. Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "Mr. Fan, why should you be so polite? It's just a small effort from me." He refused to accept it.
Fan Zhen is a shrewd and tactful person. After getting along with him for a period of time, it is clear that the young man in front of him is a very smart person. He should be honest with smart people. He said bluntly: "A mere twenty taels of silver is not worth the price of Qiu Ling."
, Fan has received a lot of favors from the young master, and this is just a slight expression of gratitude. If the young master refuses to accept it, then Fan will be really ashamed to death."
Zhang Yuan smiled slightly, stopped refusing, and said, "I have something to ask Mr. Fan for help."
Fan Zhen said hurriedly: "Master, please tell me that as long as Fan can do his best, he should do his best." She was a little worried, wondering what kind of help Zhang Yuan wanted from him?
Zhang Yuan then told the story about his slave Zhang Dachun's illegal deduction of farm rent, and asked Fan Zhen to help him investigate.
When Fan Zhen heard about this, she suddenly felt relieved and immediately showed her indignation. She said: "This slave is disgusting. Don't worry, Master Jiezi. This matter will be taken care of by Fan. Within ten days, I will give you an answer."
As long as it doesn't cost too much money, Fan Zhen is willing to serve Zhang Yuan. Firstly, because of the favor of giving a maidservant, and secondly, Fan Zhen feels that Zhang Yuan is not an ordinary person. If one day he becomes famous, then he Fan Zhen can
Zhang Yuandao: "Then I would like to thank Mr. Fan first. Don't disturb Zhang Dachun while Mr. Fan investigates this matter."
Fan Zhen said, "Fan understands." After chatting for a while, Qiu Ling came out. Zhang's mother, Lu, also gave Qiu Ling a Su-style six-piece skirt and a piece of silver jewelry.
Based on the popular behavior in Suzhou.
…
In the next few days, Zhang Yuan was still listening to books at home, while waiting for news from Fan Zhen. The people who had been studying for him these days were Zhan Shiyuan and another Qingke named Wu. There were many Qingke in Xi Zhang, so Fan Zhen couldn't come because he had something to do.
If someone else takes over, it costs five cents a day.
It is not that easy to be a Qingke. The criteria for a good Qingke are: can write well, have some talent but not show off, must have a good drinker, and can also recite two crooked poems for fun when necessary.
, it also depends on the owner’s preferences, chess, go, opera, horse-drawing and the like must be a bit good——
This Qingke surnamed Wu was good at writing calligraphy. Zhang Yuan asked Wu Qingke for calligraphy lessons in his spare time. He did not expect to become a great calligrapher like Xu Wenchang, Dong Qichang or Wang Duo. Great calligraphers need talent.
He didn’t have that much time to practice hard the day after tomorrow. The culture in the late Ming Dynasty was at its peak and talented people emerged in large numbers. He couldn’t be top-notch in chess, calligraphy and painting. That would be too bullying. His goal was the imperial examination, but if he failed to pass the imperial examination, it would be very difficult for him to pass the imperial examination.
Unfortunately, Fan Zhen once said that someone from his hometown was very good at eight-part essay. He could have been selected as a scholar, but his handwriting was too poor and he was dismissed on the spot by the academic official——
Zhang Yuan's handwriting is very poor now. In the past, Zhang Yuan was playful and didn't practice calligraphy very much. Four hundred years later, Zhang Yuan can write well with a pen and has almost never touched a brush, so he must practice calligraphy and not strive to be outstanding.
You must always be within the rules and don't make the marking officer frown when he sees the words. The words are people's faces. You don't have to be the most handsome, but you can't make people hate you at first sight——
The time spent reading and practicing calligraphy was long and fleeting. When I was practicing calligraphy, I felt that the days were difficult, but the Bon Festival passed in a blink of an eye. At the beginning of the morning of the 18th, a boy came from Xi Zhang and said that the eldest son, the young master, would like to invite me.
Master Jiezi visited the Liyuan Garden, and Zhang Yuan went to report to his mother. Zhang's mother, Lu, knew that her son had been bored at home for several months, and now that his eye disease had basically recovered, it would be a good idea to go out and relax, so she told her son not to argue with others outside, and to pay attention to his eyesight.
Go early and come back early——
Zhang Yuan took Xiao Xinu Wuling out and followed Xi Zhang's boy to the west of the city. It was not far away, only three miles away.
Liyuan Garden was built by Zhang Dai's eldest father, Zhang Rulin, last year. Zhang Rulin resigned from office and stayed at home, accumulating singing skills, building gardens, and specializing in pleasure. The Liyuan Garden cost no less than ten thousand yuan. The garden is close to the mountains and rivers, with long corridors and winding bridges. It is extremely beautiful and exquisite.
When it was first built, two old men visited the park. One said it was like Penglai Wonderland, while the other shook his head and said that Penglai Wonderland might not be so beautiful.
Zhang Yuan has never been to Liyuan Garden before, this is the first time.
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The Year of the Dragon is here, Xiaodao wishes all the book friends that all their wishes will come true in the New Year and all the best!
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