Dong Rong took the silly pillar around the main entrance of the academy and turned directly to a bluestone alley in the back street. The alleys are lined with weeping willows, which are waving their green branches in the wind, adding a tranquil beauty to the hot summer days.

At the end of the alley there were two small ebony doors, uncarved or newly painted, which looked even more dilapidated in the sunlight. But this place is an important place for the students of the academy to secretly communicate with the outside world.

The old man guarding the door was a greedy man, and as long as he gave him some money, he would be happy to send a message or open a convenient door. The harsh rules issued by those academies were never in his eyes, after all, he was a person buried in the loess to his neck, and he cared more about whether the wine jug in his hand was empty or full than the rules and precepts and the bamboo strips.

Sure enough, Dong Rong handed over more than a dozen copper coins through the small window on the door, and then reported Dong Ping's name and Mr. name, and the two ebony doors opened a crack, and the old man with a brown face directly reached out to take the food box and was about to close the door. Dong Rong hurriedly stopped and said with a smile, "Uncle, my brother is studying here, and I will inevitably have trouble my uncle in the future." The little woman's family is poor, and there is nothing good to do to honor the old man, so she just cut a pound of cooked beef in the old shop of the Li family in the west of the city, and it is best to use it to drink, and I hope that the old man will not dislike it. ”

After she finished speaking, she handed over an oil-paper bag in her hand, and the old man's half-closed eyes suddenly opened completely, and he looked at Dong Rong carefully for a long time, then nodded and took the oil-paper bag, and then squeaked and closed the wooden door.

Dong Rong didn't care about the old man's coldness, after all, feelings can only be accumulated after getting along for a long time. She didn't expect to buy the old man completely with a packet of cooked beef, but in the future, as long as she always treated each other with sincerity, there would always be a day when she became friendly with him. At that time, if Brother Ping has a big affair in the academy, it will not be in vain for the old man to deliver her a message.

Besides, Dong Ping was sitting in the school hall at this time listening to Mr. explain the strategy, and there were more than 20 scholars in the room, some of whom studied hard and seriously, and naturally some of whom chatted about nonsense in every way. Xu Mao, a fat scholar who was good friends with Dong Ping, was the latter, and he turned his head to look out to see the excitement while his husband shook his head and recited the famous words of the sages, and as a result, he bumped into Xizi who was tiptoeing into the room.

Xu Mao thought that this little scholar was looking for Dong Ping in an urgent matter, so he reached out and secretly pulled Dong Ping's sleeve and motioned him to look out. Dong Ping also frowned, guessing if his sister had something to send the news in. Could it be that the Cao family is embarrassed by their sister again, or is there something wrong with the business?

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't sit still, but fortunately, Mr. Yang, who was lecturing, was not a procrastinator, and waved his hand to get out of class as soon as he heard the bell ring for the lunch break. A group of scholars hurriedly got up and saluted, and Mr. Yang glanced at Dong Ping with a slight sense of blame, and then walked out slowly.

Dong Ping hurriedly picked up the books and ran out of the school, anxiously asking Xizi, "Why did you run here, but what happened to the family?" ”

Kiko is only eight or nine years old, and even if the death of his parents makes him more sensible and precocious than children of the same age, he is still a child after all. Fang just took the food box sent by the old man at the gatekeeper, and he couldn't bear to smell the aroma coming from it, so he lifted the lid and looked at it. As a result, the golden little shortbread made his saliva flow, and he wanted to taste one and felt that it was not good to steal food behind his master's back, so he ran to wait outside the school in a hurry, hoping that the master would get out of class early and go back to eat early.

But he never thought that this little careful thinking would cause the master to misunderstand, so he hurriedly made amends, and then whispered about the food sent by the family.

Dong Ping really couldn't cry or laugh, reached out and slapped him on the back of the head, and fined him twenty big characters before stopping. Xu Mao was good friends with Dong Ping, and when he saw him like this, he gathered in front of him to inquire. Dong Ping was not stingy, and he was grateful to everyone for treating him kindly on weekdays, so he invited them to taste his sister's craftsmanship together.

The students were originally raised by their parents at home to be fat and strong, but they successfully lost weight in just a few days after returning to the academy. At this time, there is still half an hour before the start of the meal, and they are all hungry. As soon as he heard that there was such a good thing, he naturally cheered again and again, and hugged Dong Ping and walked to the small courtyard where he lived.

Only Xizi, who slapped his head again and again in annoyance, knew that he would recruit a group of hungry wolves, so he honestly stayed in the room and waited for the master to get out of class. It's a pity that if he regrets it in every way, he can't turn back time.

Dong Ping's room is not big, a bed and a desk occupy most of the area, and a small wooden couch is placed in the corner for Xizi, which is even more cramped. Fortunately, the weather is warm in the summer, so there is nothing wrong with sitting in the courtyard and eating. So the big mahogany food box was placed on the stone table, and the golden and small shortbread was "poisoned" as soon as it appeared in the sun, and half of it disappeared almost instantly.

Xu Mao is fat, and he is the most greedy on weekdays, and others have to praise him when they taste it, but he just lowers his head and eats it. In a few moments, five or six shortbreads entered his stomach. When the rest of the students saw it, they hurriedly pulled him and laughed and scolded, and the courtyard was very lively for a while.

Dong Ping also finished eating a shortbread at this time, and remembering that his sister was busy preparing these meals for him in the stuffy stove, his heart was moved and warm. Although he has never seen his mother's appearance since he was a child, he has never felt pitiful, because whatever his mother can do, his sister can do the same. Now he earns money for him to study, eat, drink and wear, and take care of everything very much. He is really lucky to have such a sister!

Xu Mao was squeezed aside by a group of classmates like punishment, seeing Dong Ping so stunned, he thought he was homesick, so he deliberately diverted the conversation and complained, "Your eldest sister treats you really well, my eldest sister and second sister only know how to go home to find my father and mother to complain that my brother-in-law is not good, not to mention preparing food for me, but every time I want to study hard and take the top prize, I will support them in the future, and they are good at their in-laws." Alas, you say that if I do my homework as well as you, I will be praised by Mr. every day. Pity... I'm afraid I'm going to be talked about by my sisters until I'm old. ”

Dong Ping was very happy when he heard him praise his sister, and just wanted to be modest, he suddenly remembered Mr. Fang Cai's slightly reproachful eyes, he hurriedly went back to the house to find a small disc, and went into the crowd to grab four small shortbreads.

Xu Mao happily stretched out his hand and was about to take it over, but was stopped by Dong Ping, "I just annoyed Mr., these shortbreads are going to be sent to Mr. to make amends." ”

Xu Mao withdrew his hand with a bitter face, and watched Dong Ping walk away with the shortbread pitifully.

Mr. Yang was sitting in the study at this moment, drinking tea and reading, and in front of the bookshelf in the corner, Xue Dashao, who was extremely arrogant and domineering on the day of school, was sorting out many books with a look of annoyance. From time to time, he secretly glanced at Mr., and secretly cursed in his heart why this old old man didn't die earlier. He just laughed a few words with the little girl who came to collect dirty clothes, how could he have violated the precepts of the academy. It hurt him to be the eldest young master of the Xue family, and he had to do this dirty work of drying books like a slave. If he is seen by other classmates, what face does he have to meet people?

It's a pity that no matter how annoyed and cursed he was, he didn't dare to confront Mr. in person, so he honestly carried a stack of books and walked out. Dong Ping was about to knock on the door with a snack, but he happened to run into a place. Dong Ping was stunned, hesitating whether to dodge and make way, not wanting Mr. Yang to look up and see him coming, so he greeted, "Dong Juncheng, are you in trouble?" ”

Xue Dashao snorted lightly and reluctantly avoided behind the door. Dong Ping hurriedly entered the door to salute, then put snacks with both hands, and said in a low voice, "In the classroom, the disciple was so neglectful to Mr. because he was worried about the accident at home, so he came to make amends and hoped that Mr. would forgive." This plate of dim sum is made by my sister herself, if Mr. does not dislike it, please stay and taste fresh. ”

After he finished speaking, he put the plate on the desk, and when Mr. Yang saw that he treated him so respectfully, the little blame he had stored in his heart completely dissipated.

The old man stroked his beard and nodded in response, "It's good that you know that you're wrong, learning is all about your heart, and you can't delay attending classes because of foreign affairs in the future." As for this snack..."He wanted to refuse, but his stomach was really empty at this time, so he coughed dryly and said vaguely, "That's it this time, don't send things over in the future, the old man can't afford the stigma of accepting bribes from disciples in private." ”

Dong Ping hurriedly responded, then saluted again and turned around and retreated.

Xue Dashao saw that the gentleman who treated him as sternly as an enemy was so kind to a poor boy, and he almost went crazy with jealousy and resentment in his heart. So just when the two of them staggered by, he gritted his teeth and scolded, "Flatterer! ”

Dong Ping turned his head and only glanced at him coldly, without arguing for half a sentence, and went straight out of the courtyard, leaving Xue Dashao even more disappointed and angry. Mr. Yang in the room pinched a shortbread and took a bite of it gently, and the sweet chopped walnuts and crispy dough successfully soothed his empty belly. It's a pity that before he could shake his head and praise a few words, he heard Xue Dashao throw out these four words, so he immediately glared in annoyance.

The disciple Mr. Xiaojing is about to be scolded as a flatterer as soon as he takes a plate of snacks, so isn't he, Mr., a stupid and stupid person who pampers villains?

"Xue Renyi, since you are so fond of being tongue-in-cheek, then you will copy the Analects ten times more every night from now on, and hand it in the next morning, until the old man thinks that you have learned how to be generous and respectful to Mr.

Xue Dashao really wanted to die when he heard this, how could he be greedy for a moment and forget where he was. He raised his hand and slapped himself twice, and finally responded in the end.

After waiting for the finished book, he was released out of the small courtyard, and the dining hall was already open, and only some scraps were left. So he took another money and told the cook to remake the new dish, and finally filled his stomach. The more he thought about it, the more unwilling he became, he sat in the room and squinted for a long time, and then called the little guy to explain a few words carefully and sent him out. ZM