Kou Li heard Kou Ji's call and suddenly turned his head to look at Kou Ji with a look of astonishment on his face.
"Are you...really Ji'er?!"
When Kou Ji heard this, he almost fell to the ground.
How unreliable must this person be to not recognize his own son?
Kou Ji immediately didn't want to say a word, and just nodded with a dark face.
Kou Li seemed to see the depression in Kou Ji's heart, and said with an embarrassed smile: "My father has been traveling abroad for many years, and I have always been together and away from you. In recent years, I have been running around behind your grandfather. You
It’s the time when you are growing up, and you look different every day, so as a father..."
Kou Ji shook his head and said calmly: "You don't need to explain, I understand."
It's okay if Kou Ji doesn't understand. This kind of thing will be incredible in future generations.
But in ancient times, it was very common.
Those who served in the army only returned home once or twice a year after being drafted. When the war happened, they did not return home for three to five years. When they came back, they did not recognize their children. This is very common.
As for scholars, after their knowledge reaches a certain level, they will go on study tours and learn from all things in the world to gain more experience. Once they go out, they will not return home for several years.
When the father and son met, there was no such scene where they both burst into tears.
There seems to be a gap between them that makes them very unfamiliar.
Kou Li didn't act like a father in front of Kou Ji, and Kou Ji didn't have the consciousness of being a son.
Kou Ji stretched his legs and sat cross-legged on the futon, facing Kou Li.
Kou Li wanted to educate him on his ignorance of the rules, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them again.
Kou Ji didn't treat him enthusiastically. He also felt that he was irresponsible to his son and felt a little guilty, so he couldn't bear to reprimand him.
He rubbed his hands, deliberately avoiding Kou Ji's eyes, straightened his clothes, and then said with a smile: "It's not a good father. I made a mistake and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. You are a joke."
After a pause, he added: "But don't worry, my father will never leave you to study abroad again. Now my father has been adopted into your grandfather's name. Being with your grandfather is enough to learn a lot of knowledge."
, there is no need to visit other celebrities.”
Kou Ji smiled faintly and said: "Father's words are serious, and a son will not say that his father is ugly. You have made a mistake, and I, the son, have to help you bear it. We are father and son."
Kou Li raised his eyebrows and looked at Kou Ji with a surprised look on his face: "I didn't expect that you have learned a lot of truths in these years since I have been away from home, which makes my father feel very happy. After settling down a few days ago, my father was still worried.
You were fooling around in Huazhou Township and delayed your studies. Now that you are so sensible, my father can feel relieved."
"The child is already old, so naturally he won't cause any trouble to you, dad."
"..."
The father and son got together and chatted for a while.
Kou Li clumsily recounted the interesting things he encountered or heard during his study tours over the years, hoping to bring Kou Ji closer to the relationship between father and son.
But Kou Ji couldn't get close to him.
After chatting for a long time, Kou Li's face froze with laughter. Kou Ji was ready to end the awkward chat between father and son and get straight to the point.
But he didn't expect that Kou Li would be the first to mention the fact that he was cheated.
"Ji'er, there is nothing wrong with my father. Your grandfather made a fuss out of a molehill. He punished my father to kneel here because he was angry in his heart. I think after a few days, when his anger subsides, he will let my father go out.
You stay at my house for now. After my father goes out in a few days, I will take you to visit the prosperous Bianjing city.
My father tells you that there are countless good things in Bianjing City.
Especially in Siwazi City, there are all kinds of sideshows..."
Kou Li began to talk to Kou Ji about the prosperity in Xiwazi City.
"Dad, can you tell me what mistake you made that led to your grandfather punishing you by kneeling in the ancestral hall?"
Kou Ji decisively interrupted Kou Li's ramblings and went straight to the point.
When Kou Li heard this, he was slightly startled. He said for a long time that his son had been silent and showed no interest in him. Now his son suddenly became interested in his mistakes.
Instead of feeling ashamed, he was actually a little excited.
Immediately, he did not hide anything and began to tell Kou Ji about his bad luck.
"Ji'er, after my father came to Beijing with your grandfather, he was arranged by your grandfather to study at Taixue. Those heirs of noble families in Taixue felt that my father was not born to your grandfather, so they looked down on him.
Therefore, as a father, I don’t have many friends..."
When he said this, Kou Li's expression was obviously gloomy, but the gloomy look on his face disappeared in an instant.
He said happily: "However, after all, my father has been studying abroad for many years, and he knows much more about people and worldly things than they do. After only a few days in Taixue, my father made friends with a group of knowledgeable classmates.
My father followed them, reciting poems and writing poems together, reading and writing together, and made great progress in their knowledge.
It was by following them that my father truly saw the prosperity of Bianjing City."
Hearing this, Kou Ji rolled his eyes without any trace.
He didn't need to ask, he could guess what Kou Li meant by reciting poems and composing poems together, and appreciating the prosperity of Bianjing City together.
It's nothing more than going in and out of brothels and restaurants, eating, drinking and having fun together.
If they really stayed together and studied together, could Kou Li have reached this point?
However, Kou Ji did not interrupt Kou Li, but motioned for him to continue.
Kou Li smiled proudly and said: "Among our group of classmates, the ones who are the most knowledgeable and have made the greatest progress are your father and me, followed by Wu Xiandi. Wu Xiandi is a good man, he is knowledgeable, cheerful and generous, and he often gives away money and charity...
…”
Kou Li winked at Kou Ji and said with a smile: "The most important thing is that Wu Xiandi often takes his father to make a fortune. Within ten days of his arrival in Bianjing, his father made a hundred dollars with the help of Wu Xiandi
money."
Kou Ji frowned. He had a hunch that the problem would probably lie with the brother Wu Xiandi Kou Li mentioned.
When others take you to make money for no reason, they either have a plan for you or want to harm you.
Kou Ji never believed in pie-in-the-sky stuff.
Sure enough, the next thing he saw, the smile on Kou Li's face disappeared, and there was some bitterness on his face, and he said: "Unfortunately, my father was not lucky a few days ago. He lost three hundred coins, and he even got into Wu Xiandi's five.
Ten strings.
The creditors were pressing hard, so my father had no choice but to take a rhinoceros belt given by your grandfather to repay the debt."
When Kou Ji heard this, he almost spit out a mouthful of blood.
Do you still think it is not a big mistake to give and receive gifts from the emperor privately?
How arrogant is this?
However, when Kou Ji lowered his head and his eyes fell on the jade belt around his waist, he felt relieved.
The gift given by the emperor is indeed a rare thing in other people's homes.
But for someone like Kou Zhun, who was a veteran of two dynasties and had always been at the center, it was not unusual.
During every festival, the emperor would reward his close ministers with something.
Kou Zhun served as an official for decades and held four positions. He received too many gifts from the emperor to count.
It is estimated that Kou Zhun occasionally sells two pieces himself, or gives them to others as rewards.
When Kou Li was serving Kou Zhun, he thought that he had seen Kou Zhun reward others with gifts from the emperor, so he did not take the gifts from the emperor to heart.
Only this time, the imperial gifts sold by Kou Li were obviously different from other imperial gifts.
Otherwise, Kou Zhun would not have punished him so harshly, let alone show power to his grandson.