Beginning on the second day of winter in the third year of Shengping, Chen Caozhi moved into the hut in the Chen family cemetery on Yuhuang Mountain and began a two-year period of mourning and mourning. I remembered that on the first day of winter last year at the Xu Family School in Wu County, I came early in the morning.
De put a thick cotton robe and a new pair of linen shoes in front of his bed, saying that the old mistress had ordered that the first day of the winter lunar month was the young man's birthday, so he needed to wear new shoes, and Pei Yuzhang——
But on this year's birthday, Chen Caozhi escorted his mother's coffin out of the suburbs. Her mother has been buried underground. The mother who was thinking about his birthday and prepared winter clothes for him early is no longer there. She has been worried about it for a long time, and she sheds tears of thought.
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There were only some low shrubs around Chen's mother Li's grave. Chen Caozhi spent an hour on every single day clearing these shrubs and weeds. On even days, he went to Jiuyao Mountain to look for pine and cypress seedlings and transplanted them to the tombs of his parents and brother.
, two years later, this place will be lush green short pine hills.
Chen Caozhi maintained his previous work and rest habits in Chenjiawu, reviewing Confucian classics, practicing calligraphy and painting in the morning, studying Lao-Zhuang metaphysics in the afternoon, taking reading notes, writing speculative articles, and reading or copying books at night——
Observing mourning and observing filial piety does not mean staying in a thatched hut, but not traveling far away to spend the night in other places. So every half month, Chen Caozhi asked Lai De to stay, and he took Ran Sheng to Chutang Taoist Temple in Baoshishan to borrow books.
Master Ge's collection of books, in this era, the collection of thousands of books is a treasure house. Master Ge's knowledge is like an ocean, and the books he collected and hand-copied are all-encompassing, not to mention Confucian and Taoist books, astronomy, geography, medicine, divination and astrology. Chen
Cao Zhi saw two military books - "Wei Liaozi" and "Sun Tzu". He also took them back and made a copy by hand. He asked Ran Sheng to read these two books every day. Ran Sheng liked the Analects of Confucius more than Mao Zedong.
Poetry, he is not interested in these two military books. Since Mr. Cao Zhi wants to teach him to read, he can just read it.
Liu Shangzhi would come to Yuhuang Mountain every three or five days to discuss classic meanings and calligraphy with Chen Caozhi. Ding Chunqiu would also come twice a month, and sometimes they would go to Chuyang Taoist Temple to borrow books together.
Every three days, Ding Youwei and Xiaochan would bring Zongzhi and Runer to the cemetery hut to meet Chen Caozhi. They would come in the morning and go back in the evening to let Chen Caozhi teach the two children classics and calligraphy, and clean up the cemetery together.
, planting trees and flowers, the two children are very attached to Uncle Chou. Going to Yuhuang Mountain to visit Uncle Chou is like going to visit Ding’s mother in the villa before, which makes the two little brothers and sisters very happy.
Ding Youwei returned to Chenjiawu, and Xiao Chan handed over the keys to the cages and the books and field records that the old mistress had given her. Ding Youwei could not understand the Arabic numerals on the account books. Xiao Chan smiled and said: "My wife doesn't know something, it's a shame."
Xiaolangjun’s original accounting and planning methods are so simple that both Zongzhi and Runer have learned them.”
Run'er said: "Mother, can you let Run'er teach mother?"
Ding Youwei felt really happy as she listened to her seven-year-old daughter teach her Arabic numerals and column calculations in a clear and clear voice.
Zongzhi took the quill pen and said that it was also created by Uncle Chou and was very convenient for accounting.
Ding Youwei tried it, and it was indeed simple and practical. He smiled and said: "You ugly uncles are really smart people." Then he said to Xiaochan: "Xiaochan, you are still in charge of these account books and fields. I know the bulk of the income and expenditure reports.
That’s fine—Xiaochan, you are Liu Chou’s caring person.”
Xiaochan's oval face turned red with embarrassment, and she said in embarrassment: "My wife is making fun of Xiaochan."
Ding Youwei said: "I know what you are worried about. Aunt Ying and Zeng Yuhuan told me what Agu said before she was alive. I will make the decision for you and Qingzhi, but this will have to wait until Xiaolang is cured.
.”
Ding Youwei takes care of the housework and spends time with her lovely children every day. She often feels warm and sweet. But when she thinks of her aunt and Qingzhi, she feels sad. However, compared with the days when she was like a caged bird in the courtyard of Ding's villa, Ding Youwei feels warm and sweet in the Chen family.
The dock is much more comfortable, and because I often walk back and forth between Chenjiawu and Yuhuang Mountain, my body is much healthier. After all, I am still young, only twenty-seven years old this year.
On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, more than a month after Chen's mother Li was buried, Chen Shang returned from Jiankang. He first went to visit his parents, and then came to the West Tower to meet his sister-in-law Ding Youwei, who is now the young mistress of the West Tower.
Zhou Li stipulates that men should pay filial piety for their uncles and parents. Chen Shang put on relatively fine linen clothes and paid a visit to his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. Seeing that it was still early and just after midnight, he went to Yuhuang Mountain to pay homage to his seventh aunt and pay homage to his uncle.
He wanted to have a long talk with his sixteenth brother Chen Caozhi, and his father Chen Xian also went with him.
The north wind was howling that day and the clouds were thick. Looking around, the mountains were cold and the water was thin. It looked like it was going to snow heavily.
Ran Sheng was playing with a bow in front of the mountain. This bow was made by Jing Nu and Lai De. Lai De was skillful and followed Jing Nu's instructions. Starting from midsummer and May, he spent half a year using mulberry wood, ox horns, beef tendons, and silk.
He Tuqi made a six-foot hard bow. Laide was not weak and could not bend the bow to the full string, but Ran Sheng could draw the bow like a full moon as soon as he got started.
Jing Nu said: "This bow is not very good. It is too hasty and can only be used as a makeshift bow. Xiao Sheng will practice it first so that it can defend itself if a wild beast attacks at night."
He also made twelve three-foot-long arrows, with three sides and three wings. The iron clusters were made by a blacksmith in the county, and the tail feathers were made of hard duck feathers. Ran Sheng loved this bow and arrow as a treasure, and spent every day in front of the mountain.
With practice, his arm strength and eyesight are outstanding. He has only been able to master bow and arrow for three days, and he can hit a tree trunk fifteen feet away seven out of ten times. Ran Sheng is a natural warrior, and he can do it almost without learning.
Seeing Chen Xian, Chen Shang and his son, Ran Sheng happily said: "Hello, patriarch, hello Sanlangjun of Nanlou. Sanlangjun is back from Jiankang. It's great." Like a leopard, he ran up the mountainside to report the news.
Chen Caozhi was writing "Ming Sheng Hu Lun Xuan Ji" when Ran Sheng reported the news. He hurried out to welcome him. He first accompanied his third brother Chen Shang to worship in front of his mother's tomb, then went to sit down in the hut and ordered Lai De to quickly light a pot of charcoal fire.
, to keep away the cold for the fourth uncle and the third brother.
The old patriarch Chen Xian looked at Xiao Ran's thatched hut and said: "Fuck you, you should honor your mother's mourning, but you must take good care of your own body. The Chen family in Xilou is currently a single generation of two generations, and you are my Qian Tang Chen."
Shizhiwang—Why don’t you light a fire to keep warm in such a cold day?”
Chen Cao said: "My fourth uncle taught me that my nephew knows how to take care of himself."
The old patriarch Chen Xian went to sit on the grass mat to warm himself by the fire, and said to Chen Shang: "Shang'er, please tell your sixteenth brother in detail what happened in the capital."
When Chen Caozhi saw his fourth uncle's gloomy look, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It seemed that the Qiantang Chen family had no hope of becoming a scholar this time. But looking at Chen Shang's face, although he was quite tired after twenty days on the road, he said
He was still in high spirits when he heard about the official evaluation of the Eighteen Prefecture High School students who entered the six surnames of the poor family and became a scholar. He said: "Sima Da Situ did not allow Qian Tang and Chen to withdraw from this assessment. The sixteenth brother's reputation for pure filial piety has spread far and wide.
Although he has not arrived in Jiankang, his calligraphy and articles have arrived in Jiankang. If he has the "Three Mysteries of Ming Sheng Lake", he can participate in the review. These three mysteries of the Sixteenth Brother were held on the fifth day of October in the Eighteen States Dazhong.
In the genuine review, he was highly praised by nine great officials. However, because he had not seen the face of the sixteenth brother, he could not ask questions face to face. Therefore, there is still doubt whether this article was written by the sixteenth brother. It was said that the sixteenth brother would be summoned to Beijing for a face-to-face assessment. Beijing
At that time, I didn’t know that my seventh aunt had passed away on the eighth day of October—”
Chen Shang mourned for a moment and then said: "I knew that my sixteenth brother could not come. I thought that there was no hope of becoming a scholar this time. I bid farewell to Jia Lingshi, packed my bags and prepared to return to his hometown. But on October 11th, I met Wang Xianzhi
Xie Xuan, who has the same name and is known as the "Xie Family Yushu", came to Jiankang when he was young, met with the Chief Situ, and praised his sixteenth younger brother as a genius of the world. He also talked about his classmates with his sixteenth younger brother in Wu County at the beginning of the year.
Xie Anshi from Kang said something to his sixteenth brother - "A Volume of Ice and Snow Essays" is refreshing and gratifying. What a reputation Xie Anshi has. Although Xie Wanshi was demoted to a commoner due to the failure of the Northern Expedition, Xie Anshi's reputation has not diminished at all.
An Shi came out of the mountain, and the common people were lucky. Thanks to An Shi's words of praise, the sixteenth brother's "A Volume of Ice and Snow Essays" became popular in Jiankang - "
A tall figure appeared in Chen Caozhi's mind, with or without powder, his eyes were slender and charming, his lips moved slightly when he was talking and arguing, and he kept saying sharp words one after another - Xie Daoyun once said, "Will
Give him a helping hand.
As Chen Shang spoke, he took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Chen Caozhi: "Sixteenth brother, this is what Xie Youdu's cousin Zhu Yingtai sent to me before I left on the fifteenth day of last month.
The letter Jing handed over before was written to you. Is this Zhu Yingtai and her cousin Xie Xuan classmates in Wu County with her sixteenth brother?"
Chen Caozhi looked at the letter sealed with rosin, which was written by the familiar Xie Daoyun. He held it in his arms and asked Chen Shang: "In that case, what happened to the Chen family of Qiantang who became a scholar?"
Chen Shangdao: "It can only be said that it is very promising, but it is still not decided for the moment. Not only my Chen family, but also the Mei family of Runan, the Sun family of Langya, the Zheng family of Xingyang, the Liu family of Zhucheng, and the Lu family of Fanyang have not been determined yet.
, the admission of a poor family into a scholar was something that shocked the government and the public. The Situ Mansion summoned Zuo Min Shangshu, and the major officials discussed it several times and the decision was still pending. Because Xie Wanshi was defeated, Xuchang, Yingchuan, Qiao, and Pei Zhucheng fell to Yan one after another, so
The matter of the six surnames becoming scholars will be postponed to next year. After the Yuan Dynasty next year, I will go to Jiankang again."
Chen Cao said: "Three brothers are really working hard. I feel ashamed that I can't share the work."
Chen Shangdao said: "Sixteenth brother is filial to his mother. It's right for foolish brother to travel too much. My father has something to say to you. I'll go out first." He called Ran Sheng and Lai De out together and went to the hut next door.
Chen Caozhi saw his fourth uncle Chen Xian's serious look, so he sat down solemnly and waited for his fourth uncle to ask questions.
The old patriarch Chen Xian was silent for a long time and finally said: "Cao Zhi, there are rumors that you have an affair with Lu Na's daughter. Uncle would like to hear what you have to say?"
Chen Cao said in his heart: "Paper can't contain the fire. The love between Wei Rui and I will eventually be known to outsiders. Without the orders of parents or the words of a matchmaker, all relationships between men and women must be regarded as private relationships. That's it.
