Ruhai walked around the village for a long time with his head down, and finally returned to Xia's house unconsciously. At this time, it was getting late, and he did not dare to knock on the door, so he moved a big stone and stepped over the wall to enter.

The starling hid in Xiao Xia's room and saw it, so he said to Xiao Xia's mother and Xia Xiucai: "God, Ruhai is really back." ”

Xiao Xia Pozi laughed, and the starling sighed and said, "I really don't worry about his mother." ”

Xiaoyu listened to it and sighed: "That's not necessarily, I think it's because I'm worried that I'm going out like this, and Command Song won't dare to take him in." ”

The next day, Ruhai got up early and waited outside Xiao Xia's mother-in-law's house, thinking about how to ask her mother to intercede.

Unexpectedly, when the starling saw him coming, he immediately walked out with a small baggage. For a moment, Ruhai thought that Xiao Xia Pozi had found out that his mother had let him go in private, and now he was going to kick his mother out.

The starling patted Ruhai's shoulder and said earnestly: "Grandmother has discussed with my father and mother, and the cow will not drink water and press its head strongly, so it is not impossible for you to be detained at home." However, it is not a long-term solution. Let's go. Here is what Mother has prepared for you, and some silver taels. ”

Ru Haiben doesn't like Seventh Brother and Starling Brother very much younger than him next year, and he doesn't know as much about things as he does, but he always yells at him by his seniority. As he did now, Starling treated him like a three-year-old child.

However, Starling's words just now shocked him even more than his attitude.

Ruhai returned to his room with this little burden, puzzled. Could it be that grandmother thinks that she can really glorify her ancestors in the future, so she doesn't want to tear her face with him?

In the end, after studying in the school for a year, Ruhai thought about it for a long time, and went to see Xiao Xia Pozi and Xia Xiucai with two burdens. knelt on the ground and said: "My grandson has figured it out, I still have to study hard, and taking the road of the imperial examination is the right way." ”

Xia Xiucai shook his head when he heard this and sighed: "Whether it is the imperial examination or the army, it is the right way. ”

Ruhai is also an understanding person, and after a little thought, he figured it out: "Sun Er is wrong, he shouldn't be so eager for quick success." ”

Mrs. Xiao Xia snorted coldly when she heard this, put the teacup in her hand on the table, and said softly and slowly: "Saying that you are eager for quick success and quick profit is to promote you." ”

Ruhai's face suddenly turned red.

Xiao Xia's mother-in-law turned her head to look at Xia Xiucai and said apologetically: "Husband, it's all my incompetence, the inner house is not well managed, and I have brought up such a short-sighted thing." ”

Xia Xiucai listened, and hurriedly got up and slammed it to the ground: "Oh, don't laugh at me anymore." "It's a rare joke with Xiao Xia's mother-in-law.

The old couple sang and said that they were like a sea and only wished that there was a crack in the ground, and they immediately got into it.

Xiao Xia asked at this time: "Tell me, where are you in a hurry?" ”

Ruhai hurriedly calmed down, brushed his thoughts, and was just about to speak, when he heard Xia Xiucai cough.

Ruhai's heart tightened, and he took out the idea of solving the problem in his usual way, and thought about it again. Only then did he slowly say: "I was enlightened at the age of three, and I started writing at the age of five, and my grandfather and grandmother had high hopes for me, just hoping that I would sharpen my sword for ten years and make a difference in the imperial examination." ”

Xiao Xia shook her head and smiled: "That's not right." ”

But he didn't wait for him to answer again, and asked, "What are your plans for if you fail to do so again in the future?" ”

Rao is like a sea of mental preparation, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but raise his head and look at his grandmother in surprise. He was only fifteen or sixteen years old, which was the age of hope, and where would he think of such a problem as failing to do so many times. He pursed his lips before he said, "Then I'll go home and continue to study hard, waiting for the next subject." ”

Mrs. Xiao Xia laughed when she heard this: "Then your daughter-in-law, what does the child eat and drink?" ”

Ruhai stared blankly at the ground, covered in cold sweat.

Xiao Xia said again: "That's fine, you still have your father, your mother, I have saved some money over the years, and I will never let you go hungry." If you do, what are your plans? ”

Ruhai hurriedly cheered up and said: "I must be diligent in government affairs, share worries for the saints, and benefit the people." ”

Mrs. Xiao Xia laughed so much that she almost lost her breath. finally stopped, and said lightly: "I don't know how many people are around the emperor, and they all want to share their worries for him, and the people of Li are not bad for you." Rather"

Xiao Xia Pozi paused for a moment, but did not continue: "You estimate, how many descendants will there be in the Xia family after twenty years?" ”

Ruhai was stunned for a moment, and then he calculated in his heart. Changfang already has three sons, the third uncle, the fourth uncle, and the fifth uncle are now two, and the fourth and fifth aunts have recently become pregnant again. This is not counting the second, sixth, seventh, and eighth uncles. If it is twenty years later, I am afraid that if I count my daughter-in-law and children, the Xia family will be able to multiply to one hundred to two hundred.

Ruhai shuddered, and thought to himself: If the seventh brother and he can enter Beijing as an official one day, even if it is a small seven-grade sesame official, this Fengxiang county town is probably the world of the Xia family.

Xiao Xia snorted: "Do you have any tricks to ensure that the children and grandchildren of my Xia family have food to eat and clothes to wear." ”

Ruhai thought for a while and said: "Open the clan study, so that the descendants of the Xia family can read and break words." ”

Xiao Xia shook her head: "That's all after you're full." ”

Ruhai suddenly thought of his father, and couldn't help but look at Xiao Xia's mother-in-law and said firmly: "Field! As long as we have enough farmland, we can guarantee ours" Ruhai paused for a moment, thought for a moment before slowly spit out two words: "Clansman"

For a while, even Xiao Xia's mother-in-law and Xia Xiucai were full of emotion, and they couldn't imagine that in just thirty or forty years, the Xia family could grow into a huge and vibrant family.

Mrs. Xiao Xia asked again: "Do you know that the family is planning to buy Mrs. Wu's Zhuangzi in the neighboring village." ”

Ruhai felt a pang in his heart, and he only felt that he knew something in one day today, and he understood more truths than he had studied hard for more than ten years before. He didn't even expect that the Xia family had developed like this. Mrs. Wu is Xue Shizi's aunt, and now Xue Shizi's uncle's family is unable to make ends meet. Mrs. Wu had already arrived, and she had to sell her dowry Zhuangzi to supplement the family. is such a prominent family, and her daughter used to be the most prominent duchess in the capital. Unexpectedly, they wanted to sell the land and sell it to a farmer like them.

Think about the third uncle in Fengxiang Mansion, and the business is getting bigger and bigger. The emperor had just issued a new decree and intended to use liquor licenses to manage restaurants in various places, so he obtained the first batch of liquor licenses through the idea of the fifth uncle.

The second uncle is an indispensable figure in the two military centers of the northeast and northwest. The Xia family is not worried about eating and drinking now, but what about twenty, forty, or even a hundred years from now?

How to keep the foundation of the Xia family in the rise and fall of generations?

Ruhai suddenly figured it out, and the situation of his grandfather and grandmother was to extend outward with Fengxiang as the foundation of the Xia family. She didn't care where it went, so the second uncle could sell horses, the fifth uncle would enter the county government, and the sixth uncle's errand was originally going to the government office, so it seemed that it was really an accident for the sixth uncle to join the army at that time. The father holds the land, the foundation of all the foundations.

What about yourself? Where did the grandmother put herself?

Yes, the head of the future family of the eldest grandson of the long house will first work in the county government for a few years to establish a good relationship with the local squires and tycoons. Once, the fifth uncle and the seventh uncle succeeded in the imperial examination. Then one of the Xia family is in the capital, and the other is in Fengxiang, which can be supplied when you advance, and you can watch over when you retreat.

At this time, Ruhai thought about rejecting the words of the fifth uncle in the past, and only felt a chill down his spine. I was so stupid, no wonder my grandmother said that she was short-sighted, and she only knew how to stare at the prosperity of the capital. As everyone knows, I am afraid that in the future, I am afraid that there will be more than this Fengxiang County, but I am afraid that the entire Fengxiang Mansion will have its own place.

If Hai thought about this, he couldn't help but weaken his knees, knelt in front of Xiao Xia Pozi and said, "My grandson is stupid, and I hope my grandmother will teach me." ”

Xiao Xia looked at Xia Xiucai and said, "It seems that it's not too stupid." Then he turned his head and asked, "What are your plans for now?" ”

Ruhai thought for a while before saying, "I listen to my grandmother's arrangement." ”

Mrs. Xiao Xia listened to it and sighed: "I praised you just now, and I don't know who I am." ”

Ruhai looked at Xiao Xia in amazement.

Xiao Xia said: "I will always have a day of old age and a day of death, who will give you advice at that time?" ”

Ruhai thought for a while and said: "It's definitely not possible to enter the county government now, why don't you build bridges and pave roads and do some good deeds?" ”

Xiao Xia nodded and said, "This idea is not bad. You are the most stable person, and you should also take care of your reputation in the future. Saying that, Xiao Xia took a deep breath: "From now on, your reputation is the reputation of the Xia family." ”

Ruhai nodded yes.

Only then did Mrs. Xiao Xia let him get up: "Don't kneel, sit on the side and talk." ”

Xia Xiucai said again: "This imperial examination can't be put down. As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Xia's mother-in-law again: "If you can be lifted, you don't need to bow down when you socialize with Lord Yin in the future." Besides, it is better to travel thousands of miles than to read 10,000 books, if you can make some gains in the imperial examination, you will have capital in the future. ”

"That's why we didn't stop you in the first place." Xiao Xia took a sip of tea and said.

Ruhai looked at his former self at this time, it was so stupid that it made people laugh. Thinking about what Xiao Xia said before, I realized that I really didn't know how thick the sky was.

Xiao Xia Pozi looked at her grandson and thought to herself: "Fortunately, this kid has not yet reached the point of mercenary." Although the vision is a little shallow, but fortunately, it is still young, and it is a serious temperament. If you can get a jinshi in the future and become a county official for a few years, you will have some calculations. ”