In front of Zhang's house, Zhang Xu was lying under a big tree, teasing crickets with thin willow branches. When he saw Wei Chen coming back, he quickly dropped what he was holding and came forward.
Wei Chen asked softly: "Axu, are your father and mother back?"
Zhang Xu shook his head, looking a little lonely.
Wei Chen patted Zhang Xu's head lovingly and asked: "Axu, do you know what your father and mother do every day when they get up early and stay late at night?"
Zhang Xu raised his head and said seriously: "I know, father and mother, they are working to make money."
Wei Chen smiled and asked: "Do you think A Xu can make money himself?"
Zhang Xu nodded hurriedly: "Yes, of course I do! If A Xu can also make money, my father and mother won't have to work so hard."
Wei Chen patted his thigh: "Okay! Ah Xu, your brother will take you to make money together in a few days!"
"Really?"
Zhang Xu's bright eyes stared at Wei Chen without blinking, with seriousness written all over his face: "Brother Chen, you are a scholar. Scholars must keep their word, so you can't lie to me!"
Wei Chen was amused by his serious look, he laughed and said: "Don't worry, A Xu, I will never trick you."
After Wei Chen finished speaking, he took Zhang Xu's little hand and entered the room together. The two sat opposite each other, one holding up the book to read, and the other holding half of the remaining ink and playing happily.
More than ten days passed in a flash.
These days, while Weichen is taking care of himself, he has read all the books on the bookcase.
Most of these books are classics by famous writers, but there are also some simple enlightenment books. Depending on the thickness of the book, the size of the font, and the binding method, a book can contain tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of words.
Wei Chen almost memorized them all at the speed of two or three volumes a day and knew them by heart.
This kind of endorsement speed, whether in ancient times or modern times, would probably be called a magical power.
On this day, Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi went out before dawn as usual, leaving Wei Chen and Zhang Xu to look after the house.
In the evening, when it was getting dark, Wei Chen and Zhang Xu's stomachs were growling with hunger. Zhang Xu's parents, Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi, finally went home exhausted.
The basket carried by Wei Ruyi contained several eggs and lamb legs wrapped in lotus leaves.
As soon as he entered the door, Wei Ruyi put down the basket and before sitting down for a while, he picked up the things in the basket and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Wei Ruyi was very quick with her hands and feet, and she prepared dinner quickly. The mutton leg meat was cut off to make porridge, and the bones were picked out to make soup. The mutton porridge was given to Wei Chen to nourish his body, and the mutton bone soup was given to Zhang Xu to satisfy Zhang Xu's craving.
After dinner was ready, Wei Ruyi set out the bowls and chopsticks, went into the room and called Wei Chen out. The four of them sat around the table, and the meal was quite lively.
Wei Chen picked up the chopsticks and wooden spoon and lowered his head to eat his sick meal.
It's still mutton porridge, it's been like this these days, the pattern never changes. Although Wei Chen is a little tired of the taste, he has no complaints, because he knows the hard work of the Zhangs and his wife, and how hard it is to get these foods.
Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi eat much simpler than Wei Chen, just a bowl of thick white porridge each, and occasionally egg drop porridge.
However, something was different today. Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi actually had a small plate of mutton and a bowl of mutton bone soup in front of them. Zhang Xu had more mutton in his bowl, almost as much as Wei Chen. p>
Wei Chen couldn't help but be a little surprised when he saw this scene. Why was today's dinner so rich?
Watching Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi drink white porridge these days while he eats meat all the time, Wei Chen has been feeling very uncomfortable and wants to share some of the meat so that they can also taste the meat.
Who would have thought that I would have no chance to speak today.
Wei Chen couldn't help but feel curious and asked Wei Ruyi: "Aunt Wei, is there any big happy event in our family today?"
Zhang Ming put down the sea bowl in his hand and said with a hearty smile: "Hey, Brother Chen can see it too. After all, he is a scholar, with a bright mind and a bright eye!"
Wei Ruyi glared at her husband, turned around and answered Wei Chen's question with a smile: "Brother Chen guessed it right. I met a noble person when I entered the county today!"
"Noble?"
"That's the eldest master of the Sheng family, Sheng Wei!"
Wei Ruyi talked happily about her experience in Youyang County. Wei Chen listened quietly and realized that this Sheng family was one of the richest merchants in Youyang. There were more than ten shops and several factories in the family.
, employs nearly a thousand people, and has a fortune of more than 100,000 yuan.
The head of the Sheng family, Sheng Wei, also has a cousin who was born as a second-ranked Jinshi. His name is Sheng Hong, who is currently the general magistrate of Yangzhou and is an official in the sixth rank.
And Wei Ruyi's sister Wei Shuyi is the side wife of Mr. Sheng Hongsheng.
When Wei Ruyi went to sell straw mats at a familiar grocery store in the county today, she happened to meet Sheng Wei who came to the store to check the accounts. It was only then that she learned that this grocery store was also one of the properties owned by the Sheng family.<
/p>
When Sheng Hong accepted Wei Shuyi's side house, it was Sheng Wei who brokered the deal and provided the money and land. Therefore, Sheng Wei and Wei Ruyi had met several times, but they still remembered his cheap "in-law"
.
When we met in her shop today, Sheng Wei didn't pretend to be unfamiliar with her. Instead, she stopped Wei Ruyi and exchanged a few pleasantries with her.
Hearing that Wei Ruyi's family was in a bad situation, Sheng Wei thought about the relationship between the two families, and thought of the cute little niece Wei Shuyi had given birth to for his cousin. He immediately felt sympathy and with a stroke of his pen, ordered people to take the account.
A gift of ten taels of silver was given to Wei Ruyi.
Don’t think that these ten taels of silver are too small. You should know that at this time, one stone of polished rice only cost four to five hundred cents (Dazhou system: one tael of silver equals one thousand cents). An ordinary family of three would not have enough food and clothing for a month.
More than two taels of silver.
The ten taels of silver sent by Sheng Wei are like giving help in a timely need to Wei Ruyi now.
I think back when my sister Wei Shuyi married an official from the Sheng family as a concubine, the Wei family received only fifty taels of silver. Now that they have received another ten taels for nothing, what else can Wei Ruyi be dissatisfied with?
In fact, Wei Ruyi is usually reluctant to get involved too much with the Sheng family. She is well aware of the status gap between her family and the Sheng family. If she rushes to talk about it, it will only make people uncomfortable, and they might face it in person.
I'll be affectionate with you, but then I'll scold you for being a poor relative who comes to fight against the autumn wind.
But now that things have come to a point, Wei Ruyi doesn’t care about that much anymore.
Since selling the dozen acres of prime paddy fields left by Wei Chen's parents, the Zhang family's income has dropped sharply, and they are already overwhelmed by the burden of supporting Wei Chen, a "sick man."
Even though Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi work from dawn to dusk every day, they can barely keep their family from making ends meet. These days, Wei Ruyi and Zhang Ming are so worried about money that their hair is almost turning gray.
Therefore, when faced with the help from Sheng Wei this time, Wei Ruyi only hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not refuse.
After accepting the money, Wei Ruyi thanked Sheng Wei profusely and praised the eldest son of the Sheng family for his kindheartedness.
Sheng Wei was so happy with Wei Ruyi's good words that he told Wei Ruyi very grandly that if he encountered difficulties again in the future, he could ask the Sheng family for help. His master, Shanda, would not stand by and watch this happen.
"Sheng Wei, Wei Shuyi, and Sheng Hong, they sound so kind..."
At the dinner table, Wei Chen listened to familiar names popping out of Wei Ruyi's mouth one after another. He didn't show too much surprise on his face, but he was just a little bit emotional in his heart.
At the beginning of the time travel, Wei Chen knew that the place he was in was called Youyang County, and Wei Ruyi's sister was called Wei Shuyi. At that time, Wei Chen had some vague guesses in his mind, but he was not sure.
Now, after listening to Wei Ruyi's story, Wei Chen's doubts were all cleared up.