Chun Niang pursed her lips and smiled, then pulled the little girl into the room to ask questions.
Yingbao told her mother everything and reassured her that Mr. Wu was very kind and would definitely teach Xiaojie well.
Chun Niang has nothing to worry about. A peasant with no foundation can be chosen by Mr. Wu to take him as a disciple. This is a blessing that his son has cultivated over many lifetimes.
"Bao'er, do you mind making two pairs of shoes for Master Wu and Master Wu?" Chun Niang asked.
Yingbao thought for a while: "But we don't know the size of the shoes. Please give them some health pills, so I don't have to worry about it."
"That's okay." The pills prepared by the little girl are famous in the village and are very precious, so it is not out of place to give them as gifts.
Chun Niang An Dongxin went to the kitchen to make egg noodles for the father and son to eat.
Old man Jiang soon learned about Xiaojie's apprenticeship and immediately came to ask Jiang Sanlang.
"Sanlang, Xiaojie has really become a disciple in the county? Can Yuan Bao go too?"
Jiang Sanlang was a little embarrassed, "Father, he doesn't know about that. Mr. Wu is not a private tutor, so it seems inappropriate to rashly ask Yuan Bao to go."
Seeing that his father was depressed, Jiang Sanlang said again: "Please ask Xiaojie before he takes a rest."
Old Man Jiang nodded and sighed: "If that doesn't work, I'll go to the county to find out which school is good, and I'll send Yuan Bao to study there."
Jiang Sanlang originally had that plan, and even agreed: "Okay! Toji will go and ask."
The little girl's shop is across from the county school, and students or their servants often come to buy fruits.
Since we have inquired about the school, no one knows better than the scholars at the county school.
Early the next morning, Jiang Quan got up to pick grapes. That time he planned to pick six baskets and take them to the county town, and he would go back to the province to transport them.
Yingbao and Dani Erni also each took a pair of scissors to help cut the grapes. Each carried a small bamboo basket to select the ripe ones and eat them while picking.
Ruming grapes are big and sweet, with a layer of red frost hanging on the purple skin, which is very attractive.
Recently, birds often fly over and peck at the grapes in Bu Nao, often pecking a bunch of grapes into tatters.
When Jiang Quan saw the ruined grapes, he was so angry that he cursed his mother. He angrily plucked out the spoiled grapes and put the good ones into the basket.
None of this is money, and it should not be wasted.
Those birds not only pecked at the grapes, but also pecked at the ripe red peppers.
Fortunately, Chu Chu had been helping to take care of it. When she saw a large group of birds flying towards them, she ran over and chased them away with a long bamboo stick.
Tomorrow morning Chu Chu will also come to chase the birds, holding up the bamboo pole and waving it around.
There were several strips of cloth hanging on the top of the bamboo, and the birds would be scared away as soon as they were waved.
"Sister Chuchu, come in and eat grapes." Yingbao waved to her.
Chu Chu was a little embarrassed, so she ran in and helped pick grapes and put them in the basket.
Ying Bao picked a bunch of big, purple ones and stuffed them into her legs, urging: "Sister Chu Chu, please try it quickly."
Chu Chu took it, took it and put it in her mouth, nodding repeatedly: "It's delicious."
Ying Bao smiled and said, "I'll bring some to Chu Yan and the others to try later."
"Yes." Chu Chu nodded, finished eating the grapes in her legs, and quickly helped pick them.
"Yingbao, those peppers are all red, and birds come to eat them every day, what should I do?" Dani asked.
It was her first time seeing pepper, and she didn't know how it turned into black peppercorns.
Ying Bao: "I picked all the red pepper fruits from the east, put them all in sacks and sent them to the river to soak. After soaking for a few days, I poured them into a basin and stepped on them to remove the flesh. Then I washed them with water.
Just let the remaining cores dry in the sun for a few days."
That's what Mrs. Wen told her.
"Okay, he will call a few people to help him later." Dani said, "Just give them some grapes then."
The grapes grown by the third aunt's family are coveted by the whole village, but few dare to come in and pick them.
Unmarried girls are even embarrassed to approach the courtyard, for fear of being scolded by them.
Dani made good friends with several girls in the village and knew that they all wanted to taste the grapes from the Western Regions, but she could not give them to them privately.
The peppers in the pepper garden are gradually ripening, so why not invite them to work and pick some grapes for them to try?
"Okay." Of course Ying Bao had no objection.
It is such a large pepper garden, with very dense vines and peppers hidden on the east side of the leaves. It is very laborious to pick, and my mother can pick it all by herself.
And I am short and small. Let alone picking peppers, I can't even reach the slightly taller vines.
Dani pursed her lips and smiled, cut two baskets full of grapes and ran home. She asked some of her friends to come over and pick peppers.
Jiang Quan was a little unhappy when he heard this. He glared at his little cousin and muttered in a low voice: "Prodigal!"
Those grapes cost nothing, why is she so generous?
Ying Bao stared back: "A lot of them are ripe and have fallen to the ground. Instead of wasting them, let others have a taste of what's going on."
Jiang Quan snorted and quickly cut off the good ones one by one and put them gently into the basket.
The six baskets of grapes were finally picked. Jiang Quan brought a carriage and carried all the baskets.
"He's gone. I'll keep an eye on him at home."
Jiang Quan told his little cousin: "There are a lot of peaches and apricots left on the tree. If I ask someone to give it away, just give it to someone."
The price of apricots and peaches is not high, only a few cents per pound, so I don’t feel bad even if I give them away.
Grapes are different, they are a rare thing, and many people come here to look for them, which makes Jiang Quan feel more dignified.
Qiu Bubu was worried that he would pick too many at once and not be able to sell them, so he wanted to pack a few more baskets and take them away.
"I know!" Ying Bao waved her leg towards him and suddenly asked: "Am I the only one going to the county seat?"
Jiang Quan thought for a while and said, "Please call me Zai Li Dao." He was indeed a little scared to be alone.
It's a hundred miles, so if we encounter bad people, we'll be in trouble.
With one more person, more protection, Jiang Quan decided to add Wang Dashan.
With Li Dao and Wang Dashan accompanying me, I am very courageous.
Watching her second cousin drive away in the carriage, Yingbao picked two more baskets of grapes.
One basket was given to Mrs. Wen and Sister Wen, and one basket was given to Chu Chu for Chu Yan and Master Zhang Meng to try.
When Ying Bao walked into the school carrying a basket, she saw two carriages parked in the school yard.
Wen Fu just bought it from the county town, and he is going to give it to Mrs. Wen and others when they return to Yuzhou.
Yingbao handed the basket to the nanny and ran to the outer room to find Mrs. Wen.
"Master, should we just beg to leave? But he hasn't learned a lot." She looked at Mrs. Wen who was sorting things out with an accusing look on her face.
Mrs. Wen touched her head and said softly: "He has taught me everything he has learned. I can only rely on myself for Yu Dong."
She took out a letter from the makeup box and handed it to Yingbao's lap, "That is a letter of recommendation given to me by Shu'er's grandfather. If I want to continue my studies, I will take that letter to Luzhou Medical Department."
Ying Bao held the yellow-covered letter and tried her best not to cry.
The capital city was so far away, how could I leave my parents and younger brother to study alone?
Wen Shu came over and saw that Ying Bao was unhappy and said softly: "Didn't I already know that we wanted to go back to Yuzhou? Why are you unhappy?"
Ying Bao pursed her lips and couldn't help but shed tears.
Although she knew it, she didn't want them to leave in her heart.
