Chapter Seventy-Three: Heartbreaking

Gu Xiao was stunned, swallowed heavily, looked at Mrs. Zhou, opened his mouth, but failed to speak.

Mrs. Zhou stared at Gu Xiao and said:

"Xiao'er, you promise your mother, don't be distracted, don't be distracted by those useless things, study hard, and make a fuss"

Gu Xiao's tears welled up, his mouth was open, he wanted to agree but was unwilling, Mrs. Zhou's voice was sharp and eager,

"Did you hear Xiao'er's mother's words?"

Gu Xiao's body trembled, his eyes were full of tears and he nodded, and it took a while to speak,

"I hear you, Mother, I ...... Got it, that painting...... The painting"

"Paint, don't paint anymore, those useless things, what do you spend all that effort learning it? Xiao'er, you're twelve years old this year, it's time to be sensible."

Gu Xiao closed his eyes and nodded, and agreed with difficulty:

"Okay, I see, Mother, I'm ...... I don't want to learn."

Mrs. Zhou breathed a sigh of relief slightly, sighed heavily, and wiped the tears on Gu Xiao's face with a handkerchief,

"Xiao'er, your mother is all for your good, and when you grow up, you will be able to experience your mother's hard work."

"Mother, the ancestor said...... Drawing, too, is useful. ”

Gu Xiao's voice was vague, and he argued in a low voice, Mrs. Zhou raised her eyebrows, snorted sullenly, and was silent for a moment before staring at Gu Xiao and said:

"The ancestor is old, and his heart is broken, I just hope that you are safe, if it is according to the will of the ancestor, this imperial examination will not let you take the exam, if the mother lets you do everything according to the ancestor's thoughts, won't it ruin you?"

Gu Xiao was stunned for a while, looking at his mother in a daze, hesitating and speechless, Mrs. Zhou sighed, stared at Gu Xiao and asked:

"That painting is useful, you say, is it a township trial? Or can it be used in the provincial test? The emperor's palace test, can you paint a picture? Since ancient times, isn't that person's talent all poetry and writing? But someone has achieved a high-ranking position because of a few strokes? That painting, no matter how good it is, is just a painter, how can it ever be on the table? ”

Gu Xiao blinked, stunned for a moment, and nodded slowly, Mrs. Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, stretched out her hand and gently stroked Gu Xiao's cheek,

"Xiao'er, there is only you in the ancient family, you have to revitalize the family, those idle things, throw them away first, and when you are famous, what do you want to do? Mother's hopes are all on you, Yun Shan...... Alas, my mother is sorry for her, but Yun Huan can't delay any longer, only if you are angry, your second sister can get that good marriage, Xiao'er, you have to fight for it, you have to fight for it."

Gu Xiao's eyes flashed with a hint of dazedness, and he kept nodding his head heavily, Mrs. Zhou showed a slightly relieved smile, carefully wiped the tears on Gu Xiao's face with a handkerchief, called the girl in, waited for Gu Xiao to clean his face, and asked someone to send a bowl of bird's nest porridge, watching Gu Xiao eat, and then instructed her mother-in-law to wait carefully for Gu Xiao to go back to Wutong Courtyard to rest.

Because of Gu Yunshan's marriage, Gu Xiao also stopped classes for a few days, and it was not until Gu Yunshan returned to the door that Gu Xiao started classes again.

After eating at noon, Gu Xiao sat beside Mrs. Li with his head slightly down, unconsciously turning the cup in his hand, Mrs. Li lowered her head slightly, stared at him with a smile for a while, and said gently:

"Why don't you hurry up and go to Mr. Lin to learn painting, why are you in a daze here? Miss your big sister again? ”

"Oh"

Gu Xiao hurriedly raised his head, nodded, and hurriedly shook his head and said:

"No, Ancestor, I"

Gu Xiao stiffly replied to the words behind him, turned his head to look at Mrs. Zhou, who was staring at him, slowly lowered his eyes, turned his head, and said in a low voice:

"Ancestor, I used to be ignorant, I didn't want to study hard, I had to learn what to paint, I delayed a lot of Chenguang, now I'm older, I know, that painting, I don't want to learn anymore, in the future I want to concentrate on studying, after a few years, just like my father, to the ancestor to hold a three yuan and the first back."

Li Xiaonuan raised her head violently, looked straight at Gu Xiao, and hurriedly turned her head to look at Mrs. Zhou, who was full of relief, opened her mouth, and swallowed back the words that came to her mouth.

Old Madam Li turned her head violently, her eyes flashed with a hint of fierceness, staring at Mrs. Zhou with a happy face, her lips trembled a few times, and then she pursed it tightly, her upper body was straight, and her body exuded a sharp aura.

Gu Xiao winced slightly, timidly pulled Old Madam Li, and said in a low voice:

"Ancestor, am I wrong?"

Old Madam Li looked down at Gu Xiao, who was slightly timid and cringe, turned her head to look at Mrs. Zhou, smiled bitterly with a sneer, and said slowly:

"Xiao'er, the old ancestor just had some accidents, so he scared you? According to your mother's wishes, if you ride with the king every day, will you not be terrified every day? ”

Gu Xiao's eyes flashed with a hint of dazedness, he looked up at Mrs. Li, and followed Mrs. Li's line of sight to Mrs. Zhou, who was as dazed as he was, Mrs. Li seemed to be deflated for a moment, her upper body paused, and she waved her hand a little weakly,

"Since you have made up your mind, let it be."

Mrs. Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, Gu Xiao shrugged her shoulders and nodded a little dejectedly, Old Madam Li closed her eyes slightly, her gaze softened, moved from Gu Xiao to Mrs. Zhou, thought about it, and solemnly confessed:

"Xiao Er, you listen, since ancient times, this imperial examination, pay attention to the time, place, people, indispensable, this in the lift, in addition to talent, but also luck, just say that your husband, only eight buckets, your father is not as good as him, but the luck is not good, to this day, it is just a tribute to the talent, talent and hard work five or five half, as for the luck, all in the heaven and manpower half of the point can not be Xiao Er, don't expect too high, everything is according to fate, it is yours, others can't take it, it's not yours, your head is hanging over the spine thorn strands, It's also useless, you know? ”

Gu Xiao thought about it and nodded, Mrs. Zhou twisted her brows and thought about it, and said with a smile:

"Aren't all the stories of the sages in the book about hard work and hard work?"

"The sages have studied hard, they have become sages, they have become scholars, you can tell me, those sages who have studied hard, which one of them will be three yuan and the first? Not to mention the three yuan and the first, how many can be lifted? Doing scholarship and imperial examinations are not the same"

Mrs. Li snorted, her tone became stern, Mrs. Zhou was stunned, and immediately stopped talking, not daring to say a word more.

Old Madam Li squinted her eyes and glanced at Mrs. Zhou, no longer paying attention to her, only turned her head, pinched Gu Xiao's shoulders and explained:

"There is a saying that you remember, do your best, listen to the destiny of heaven, and let everything go with the flow, and you can't ask for it in vain"

Gu Xiao nodded as if he didn't understand, Old Madam Li couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes, closed her eyes, waved her hand and sent everyone away,

"Since Xiao Er has made up her mind to stop learning painting, let's send Mr. Lin back tomorrow. Go down, I'm tired, and I want to rest. ”

Gu Xiao looked at Old Madam Li worriedly,

"Ancestor, let me give you a beating?"

Old Madam Li's face softened, she looked at Gu Xiao with loving eyes, stretched out her hand to caress his cheek, and said slowly:

"The ancestor is fine, my Xiao'er is a good boy who is filial, the Bodhisattva will bless you, bless the ancient family, you go, go and teach Mr. Lin a lesson today, and say goodbye to Mr. Lin, in the past two years, thanks to him for teaching you so dedicatedly."

Gu Xiao nodded hurriedly, got up and said goodbye,

"Then the grandson went down first, and I will come back to see the ancestor after class."

Old Madam Li nodded with a smile, watching Gu Xiao and Mrs. Zhou quit, and then slowly collected the smile on her face.

Li Xiaonuan sat on the chair next to her, carefully looking at Mrs. Li's face, Mrs. Li sat silently for a while, raised her hand and called Li Xiaonuan,

"Come, Xiao Nuan helped me up, go to the back Buddha hall, it's time to do my homework."

Li Xiaonuan stepped forward with a smile, carefully helped Mrs. Li up, and slowly walked to the small Buddha hall behind.

Li Xiaonuan knelt behind Mrs. Li, listened to her finish reciting the Heart Sutra, stepped forward to help her up, and sat on the couch in the east wing, Mrs. Li turned her head to look at Li Xiaonuan, thought about it, and said with a smile:

"Xiao Er's father, when he was thirteen years old, he was in the middle of the Yuan, the next year's provincial exam, Xiao Er's father felt that he didn't grasp enough, so he didn't go to the exam, and he went to the provincial exam three years later, and won the Huiyuan, followed by the palace exam, and won the champion, Sanyuan and the first, when he caused a sensation in the world, he was only eighteen years old, and even the family affairs have not been decided."

Li Xiaonuan listened intently to Mrs. Li's plain and infinitely proud narration,

"If this weren't for this, how could the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenning, the sister-in-law of Princess Runan, marry into our ancient family?"

Old Madam Li suddenly paused, took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes, and whispered a little dejectedly:

"Blessings and misfortunes are all connected in one place"

Mrs. Li turned her head to look out the window, silent and did not speak again, Li Xiaonuan looked at Mrs. Li thoughtfully, eighteen-year-old Sanyuan and the first, that glory and brilliance, throughout the ages, I have personally experienced and glorified, and it is about the old man in front of me, the second person, even if there is, I don't know if it will be hundreds of years later.

Old Madam Li suddenly sighed heavily, turned her head to look at Li Xiaonuan, and smiled mildly.

"Xiao Nuan, the ancestors love you for this cleverness is secondary, you are young, you know how to respond to the time, this can be seen, it is the most rare"

Li Xiaonuan blinked her eyes a few times, and didn't know what to say for a while, Old Madam Li smiled and stroked her bun,

"When the ancestors were young, they didn't have the tranquility of you, but you were born, different, no one can compare, and it is no wonder that the master of idealism is willing to keep you to recite the Heart Sutra for a day, which is your blessing."

Li Xiaonuan thought about it, nodded, and said with a smile:

"I don't remember the master, the ancestor loves me like this, this is my blessing."

Old Madam Li laughed, stretched out her hand to hug Li Xiaonuan, and praised in a pitiful whisper:

"You're a good boy, a rare good boy."