Yes, as a long-term employee of the Xia family, Zhou Yin also works part-time as Xia Yan's book boy. After completing the task of fetching water, he has to accompany Xia Yan to the academy for classes every day.
As a book boy, he can sit in the last row of the classroom and listen.
Zhou Yin gradually adapted to life in the Xia family and also adapted to life in Shangzhou.
In addition to working and studying every day, I spent some free time getting to know Shangzhou, and occasionally helped people write letters to earn pocket money.
Yes, after practicing calligraphy, Zhou Yin began to write letters to the Zhou family. Unfortunately, he could not find a suitable person to help deliver them. I heard that there was still chaos outside due to the severe drought. Except for grain merchants, other business travelers avoided
Opened Jiannan Road.
Not to mention that Mianzhou is still in the middle of Jiannan Road, so even fewer people have arrived.
So his letters were piled up in his hand and he didn't send them out.
However, he developed a new project. After finishing his work at home every evening, he carried a small table and set it up on the street to write letters to people...
Although he has not been in Shangzhou for a long time, he is very popular in this area, so if anyone writes a letter, he is still willing to contact him.
Of course, most of the time, he sat at a small table and practiced calligraphy by himself, and no one asked him to write letters.
Neighbors like to come and talk to him while he is practicing calligraphy.
So, he knew that his boss had broken a table a few days ago, and he had always wanted to make a new one, but it was too expensive and he was unwilling to part with it;
He knew that a relative of the Xi family was moving away from Shangzhou. Once the house was sold, many items in the house would also be sold. Because they were pressed for time, they could only be sold to pawnshops cheaply;
So he found time to go to a relative's house in the Xi family to pick up some things, and then resold those things when he went to set up a stall to write letters the next day.
After getting the money, he settled the accounts of the relatives of the Xi family and still had a lot left on hand.
Xia Yan had been watching him silently since he set up the stall, but now he couldn't help it anymore and asked him, "Practicing calligraphy requires meditation. If you practice calligraphy on the street, won't you get twice the result with half the effort? It's a waste of paper, pen and ink."
, and a waste of time.”
Zhou Yin said: "Sir, I am very calm and not impetuous at all."
"Doing two things at once is also called tranquility?"
Zhou Yin scratched his head and said: "But I looked carefully and found that there is not much difference between the handwriting I wrote on the street and the handwriting I wrote in the study. They are both making progress."
Xia Yan: ...This is what he was puzzled about, so he never stopped him.
He was silent for a long time, and then asked: "Is it okay to listen to the neighborhood gossip, practice calligraphy, and think about doing business and making money at the same time?"
Zhou Yin heard his serious question and was a little doubtful himself, "No, it won't affect it, right?"
Xia Yan paused and asked him, "Have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Zhou Yin, "make big money."
Xia Yan: "What else? I mean, how do you want to make a lot of money?"
"I haven't thought about it yet, but aren't I learning my skills from you, sir?" Zhou Yin said, "When I learn my skills well, I will naturally find a way to make a lot of money."
If he knew how to make a lot of money now, would he still be here now?
Xia Yan asked: "Have you ever thought about becoming an official?"
Zhou Yin's eyes widened, "Do you want to be an official?"
Xia Yan: "That's right."
"Can I still be an official?"
Xia Yan smiled and said: "Why can't you take it? You are smart and eager to learn. Although you started a little late, as long as you work hard, you will have a good chance of passing the exam in the future."
"Now that the world has been settled, everything is waiting for improvement, and the court is hungry for talents," Xia Yan said: "As long as you think about it, there will always be a time when you will succeed."
Zhou Yin thought for a while and nodded: "Okay, then I will become an official!"
Xia Yan:......
He didn't expect Zhou Yin to respond so quickly. He was silent for a while before saying, "Then you study hard."
Zhou Yin agreed, but in fact, his life has not changed much. He is still working so hard every day.
The Xia family couldn't notice Zhou Yin's changes because they lived together day and night, but that was not the case in the eyes of outsiders.
Zhou Yin is getting older, with long features, clear eyebrows, and a tall and straight posture. He originally had a chic and chivalrous air, but now he has a bookish air. He doesn't care about his face, but only cares about his conversation and temperament.
It makes people feel good.
Not to mention his handsome face. When he doesn't say anything and just looks at you with a smile, it's heartbreaking.
The older girls in the three alleys inside and outside Songhua Lane were jealous of Xia Xin. In order to see Zhou Yin, they all fell in love with carrying water and wandered by the well every morning carrying wooden buckets.
The time Zhou Yin spent waiting to fetch water every day increased rapidly, and he had to modify the time he fetched water to stagger the peak period.
But he found that no matter what time slot he changed to, it was fine the first time, and it was still full when he went the next day.
Zhou Yin is not a fool. He didn't notice it once or twice, but figured it out after three or four times.
So he wrote down the time periods when he could fetch water, and asked Xia Xin to choose a period every day with his eyes closed, and he would fetch water during that time period.
Such a jumpy water-carrying time directly tortured the little girls nearby crazy.
Xia Xin giggled when she saw it, but she didn't feel happy after laughing, which was weird.
Their life was going smoothly, but the Xia family in Hongtian Village was in a panic. They came to the door several times and saw that Zhou Yin was getting better and better at the Xia family in Songhua Lane and getting closer to Xia Xin. They became more and more panicked.
Finally, it was another New Year's Eve, and while the Xia family returned to Hongtian Village for a hundred years, the Xia clan leader took the initiative to mention the adoption. He said: "Xia Yi is not young at all, it's time to talk about the marriage."
Xia Yan lowered his head to drink tea, pretending that the words were not meant for him.
Clan Chief Xia paused, and seeing that he didn't respond, he could only point it out clearly: "Brother Yan, why don't we open an ancestral hall to adopt Xia Yi this year? You have to adopt Xia Yi anyway, so naturally it would be best for your daughter-in-law to marry in your family."
, so that she can be of the same mind as you in the future, and the children born will recognize you more."
Xia Yan put down the tea cup and said: "In other words, a daughter-in-law who is not chosen by me or a child who is not raised by me will not be of the same mind as me, right?"
"You, that's not what I meant, Brother Yan, aren't you misunderstanding me?"
Xia Yan sighed and said: "The patriarch also misunderstood me. I never said that I wanted to adopt Xia Yi."
"What do you mean? He is the closest blood relative to you in the clan. If you don't succeed him, are you trying to choose another child in the clan?"
Xia Yan muttered: "It depends on the fate. Even if it is an adoption, I would like to adopt a child who is destined for me. It is best to be younger. Xia Yi is too old and is not suitable."
Xia Yi's father became anxious and said hurriedly: "Cousin, I have brought Xia Yi to see you for so many years, and you have never said it was inappropriate? Why are you talking about it now?"
He glanced at Zhou Yin behind Xia Yan with dissatisfaction, and asked with a livid face, "Is it because he is not suitable, or are you simply not thinking about having a wife, but you want to marry Xin Niang?"