The setting sun shines through the window lattice, reflecting neatly arranged diamond-shaped light spots on the exquisite reed mat. The light spots increase from small to large and spread to the bottom of the east wall. Half of Chen Caozhi's body is in the diamond-shaped light spots. His face is calm and thoughtful.
Thinking about it, those eyes look particularly deep.
When Xiaochan saw that the study room suddenly became quiet, she felt a little panicked and timidly said: "Madam, please, please, did you say the wrong thing?"
Ding Youwei waved his hand, signaling Xiaochan not to speak yet, and stared at Chen Caozhi: "Caozhi, do you think what Xiaochan said is feasible?"
Chen Caozhi straightened his back, knelt down and sat up straighter, and said: "Like Zongzhi and Run'er, I wish my sister-in-law would follow us back to Chenjiawu now. I know that my sister-in-law is very unhappy here and cannot be with her.
My closest relatives are together, even if the garden is full of spring flowers, it is sad to see it - I haven't thought about what Sister Xiaochan said, but I can't do that, why? I think Quan Changshi appreciates me to a large extent.
The reason is because Huan Canjun admires me. Huan Canjun is a person who has a wonderful understanding of music. The moment he appreciated the sound of my flute, I knew him and I had no distinction between high and low. But Quan Changshi was different.
Quan Changshi's seemingly cordial attitude is actually the open-mindedness shown by a noble to the humble and the attitude of a polite corporal. He can talk to me about calligraphy and music and praise me without hesitation, but if I think I have climbed up to him and ask him for help,
I am afraid that I will be looked down upon by him immediately. At this time, the huge gap between the noble family and the poor family will immediately appear. Therefore, I cannot beg him. Begging him is enough to cause humiliation."
Ding Youwei sighed softly and said, "Cao Zhi is right. My sister-in-law is both sad and happy at the same time."
Chen Caozhi didn't want the atmosphere to be depressing, so he smiled and asked, "I have said so much, why don't you, sister-in-law, praise me a little more? Like Zongzhi and Run'er, I also need to praise you."
Ding Youwei smiled out of his sorrow and said in the same friendly tone as he spoke to Zongzhi and Run'er: "Okay, my sister-in-law praises you for not being arrogant or impetuous, being calm in situations, and being thoughtful. If there is anything else, you can say it yourself -"
Everyone in the room was laughing, and the dull mood was swept away.
Run'er asked: "But Uncle Chou, when can mother go back with us?"
Chen Cao said: "It won't take long, let's take it step by step. Run'er trusts Uncle Chou the most, right?"
"Yes!" Run'er nodded vigorously, and Zongzhi nodded as well.
Ding Youwei looked at the three close uncles and nephews, thinking that in a few days the three of them would go back to Chenjiawu, and she couldn't go with her. Auntie was old, Zongzhi and Runer had to be taken care of, and Xilou
Chen's property is not small, but it all needs people to take care of it. Although Xiaolang is mature and steady in dealing with things, he is still a young man after all, and he needs to concentrate on studying and not be distracted by trivial things all day long——
"Fuck it, just copy the music score right now, and I'll give it to my uncle."
Ding Youwei brought the silk music score copied by Chen Caozhi and asked Axiu to accompany him to meet his uncle Ding Yi.
Chen Caozhi took Zongzhi and Runer brothers and sisters to the small garden for a walk, jumping and touching heights under the osmanthus tree. This thin body must be exercised constantly, and it is not suitable for being sick. People in Jin Dynasty asked a lot about seeking immortality, but for
It seems that he is not very enthusiastic about fitness. Because of the war and the epidemic, life is short and it is better to enjoy it in time. However, Chen Caozhi does not think that. He wants to live a good life, serve his widowed mother and widowed sister-in-law, take care of his nephews and nieces, and study and make progress.
, Xingwo Qiantang Chen family...
Chen Caozhi came out of the bath, and Laifu and Laide father and son were already waiting outside the courtyard. They informed Chen Caozhi that they were going to Qiantang County to recruit tenants today. They said that they had identified two households and they were both good citizens who were registered.
There are also stateless refugees, and they are cheaper, but because the Chen family of Qiantang is not a noble family, it is difficult to protect them, so they generally will not come to seek refuge.
Chen Caozhi nodded and asked Laifu and his son to go down to have a meal and rest. They would call him to go to the city together tomorrow.
As soon as Laifu and his son left, Ding Youwei came back and called the four maids Xiaochan, Qingzhi, Axiu and Yuyan to the hall. He said that he had something to give, and Chen Cao's uncle and nephew naturally wanted to attend.
Ding Youwei called the names one by one: "Xiaochan, Axiu, Qingzhi, Yuyan, who among the four of you is willing to go to Chenjiawu? Does that mean you will all live in Chenjiawu from now on?"
The four maids looked at each other, and Xiao Chan said in surprise: "Madam, is the master willing to let me go back to Chenjiawu?"
Ding Youwei shook his head: "I can't go back yet."
She had just asked her uncle Ding Yi to go back to Chenjiawu to visit her aunt, but Ding Yi firmly refused. Ding Youwei also knew that his uncle would not agree. His uncle was afraid that if she left, she would not come back, and then the whole county would be known about it, which would harm the family.
She said that this was Ding Youwei's scheming. She deliberately made a request that her uncle could not accept first, in order to get the second best. So when she asked her four personal maids to go to Chenjiawu in two parts to take care of Zongzhi and Runer, and fulfill their filial piety on her behalf.
When serving his aunt, Ding Yi hesitated and did not object as firmly as before. Ding Youwei begged again and again, and Ding Yi agreed.
Xiaochan took the lead and said: "I will go to Chenjiawu with Mr. Cao."
Qingzhi immediately said: "Xiaochan and I will go together. I like to take care of Runer and Zongzhi."
Axiu and Yuyan hesitated for a moment. They were born into the same family. Her parents and brothers were farming in the Ding family's manor and they were the shadow households of the Ding family. Xiaochan and Qingzhi were orphans.
Axiu and Yuyan said together: "Madam, let's go too -" their tone was questioning, not as sure as Xiaochan, Qingzhi and others.
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "The four sisters have all gone to Chenjiawu, so who will serve my sister-in-law?"
Ding Youwei said: "Uncle only agrees to go to two people, Xiaochan and Qingzhi. Axiu and Yuyan will stay. I also need people around me." Then he said to Chen Caozhi: "Caozhi, uncle also allows you and Zongzhi to go."
, Run'er will come visit me again in September, and then twice a year."
Zongzhi and Runer both smiled and narrowed their eyes. They were really poor children. They were so happy just to see their mother twice a year.
Chen Caozhi said happily: "Sister-in-law, don't you think this is a good thing? You should also relax, everything will be fine for us."
Ding Youwei was very happy and felt that everything would be fine.
…
That night, after Ding Youwei took care of her two children and fell asleep, she listened attentively. In the distance, there was a patrolling banker who struck the "Duo Duo" wooden bang to announce the time. It was already Hai hour. He asked Axiu to hold the lamp and walked to the corridor to look at the sky.
It was drizzling slightly, and the lantern light shone out, making the bluestone slab of the patio downstairs wet and shiny.
Axiu said: "Cao Zhixiao is not asleep yet, the light is still on."
Ding Youwei said: "Go and have a look."
The two masters and maids walked to the room at the west end. The door was closed, and the dim yellow candlelight leaked from the gap in the door, slanting a ray.
Axiu leaned against the crack in the door and peered in, then turned around and said softly: "The little man is writing."
Ding Youwei asked Axiu to knock on the door, and Chen Caozhi said: "Please come in, the door is not locked, just push it."
A Xiu opened the door, and Ding Youwei stood by the door and looked in, saying, "Why are Xiaochan and Qingzhi not waiting at the side?"
Chen Caozhi stood up and said, "It's sister-in-law. I didn't let my two sisters, Xiaochan and Qingzhi, wait on me because I read very late at night and I can take care of myself. Sister-in-law, please sit down."
Ding Youwei sat on one side of the mahogany table, opposite Chen Caozhi, looked at the books and ink on the table, and said: "For the sake of it, don't stay up late. It's not good for young people to stay up late."
Chen Cao said: "Sister-in-law, I can't sleep if I go to bed too early. Three hours of sleep a day is enough for me because I sleep soundly. Although some people sleep four or five hours a day,
But you’re still listless, aren’t you?”
Ding You smiled and shook his head gently: "Sister-in-law, I can't argue with you. Anyway, just take care of yourself. Well, what did you write?"
Chen Caozhi pointed to a volume of silk books on the case and said: "This is Liu Shao's "Characters" that I saw on my sister-in-law's bookshelf. I thought it was very interesting and wanted to copy it."
Ding Youwei looked at a stack of Zuo Bo's paper filled with Chen Caozhi's unique and elegant small regular script. Under the candlelight, he also saw that Chen Caozhi's knuckles were red and swollen when he wrote. He couldn't help but cherish it and said: "If you want this book, just do it."
Just take it away, why bother copying it! Look, your hand hurts when you write it, right?"
Chen Cao said: "It's okay, sister-in-law. It's because I didn't work hard enough. It won't hurt when the place where I write is thickened. Also, it's best to copy the book yourself. It can not only deepen your memory, but also
But I took the opportunity to practice calligraphy and killed two birds with one stone, no, three gains, and also got a book."
Ding Youwei and Axiu both laughed, and Axiu praised: "Young master Cao Zhi is so hardworking. It's like his head is hanging from a beam, and his butt is stabbed by a cone."
Chen Cao said: "Wouldn't that scare my sister-in-law and sister Axiu? When they come in and see my head hanging from the beam and my buttocks, they will have to scream in surprise."
Ding Youwei suppressed a smile and said: "Fuck it, my sister-in-law has something to tell you. Didn't my uncle allow you and Zongzhi and Run'er to visit me again in September? On the ninth day of September in the county, there are people who climb high by the river to express their ambitions.
When you come to the elegant gathering, you can take the opportunity to attend the elegant gathering on the river bank. With your current knowledge, you are expected to become famous in the elegant gathering."
Chen Caozhi said: "Yes, my mother told me about this a few days ago, but she said that I am still young and it will not be too late to participate next year."
Ding Youwei said: "It would be better to participate this year, because it is very likely that the Quan Chang Shi will be responsible for the inspection of the ninth grade Zhongzheng of the twelve counties of Wu County."
Chen Caozhi responded: "Well, I will listen to my sister-in-law and participate this year."
Ding Youwei was reminded of her childhood memories by the Jiangpan Elegant Gathering on September 9th, and said: "Brother Ru also made a name for himself at the Jiangpan Elegant Gathering back then. It was at that Jiangpan Elegant Gathering that I first met Qingzhi.
At that time, I couldn’t get used to those gentry children who applied powder and incense, so I fell in love with Qingzhi at first sight..."
The rain was falling outside the building, and the room was quiet and warm. Chen Caozhi looked at his beautiful and elegant sister-in-law, and listened to her talk about how she first met his brother. It was a very common chance encounter, which created an almost impossible gentry in this life.
Marriage to a poor family is a legend in the world, but it is a pity that the brother passed away too early, leaving behind his sister-in-law and Zongzhi, Run'er in this vast world——
Chen Caozhi thought again: "My brother is lucky. He has married such a beautiful and virtuous wife as my sister-in-law. And what kind of wife will I, Chen Caozhi, marry in the future?"