Xiao Yiran didn't expect that Kou Xiang's name was so big, so that Mr. Di no longer dared to call himself a gentleman, but in the name of discussion, he played the piano and Go with Xiao Yiran. After all, Xiao Yiran has only been involved in Qin Qi for a little more than a year, and even if there is such a famous teacher as Kou Xiang, Xiao Yiran is just getting started. During this period, Mr. Di still tactfully instructed Xiao Yiran in many skills.

Seeing that noon was approaching, Xiao Yiran refused Lin Chen and Mrs. Wang's offer and went home in the carriage of the palace. After that, I went there two or three times on and off. They all play the piano and Go with Mr. Di, or taste tea, of course, they are all accompanied by Lin Chen.

Since Chunwei, Xiao Guoliang has lived in the yamen, and did not return to his house to rest until after Zhang Bang.

"Daddy, senior brother Kou Zhun can be hit?"

"Haha, it's hard to think about it with your senior brother's talent."

"What's in the middle of the list?"

"Third, however, there is still a need to take the temple examination. As for how many can be hit, it's hard to say? ”

"What do you mean by Daddy?"

"Kou Zhun's article is too straightforward, I'm afraid it won't be loved by today's saints."

Sure enough, it didn't take long for Xiao Guoliang to bring back the results of Kou Zhun's palace test, and there was no Kou Zhun in the top three.

On the morning of the second day after the palace examination, Kou Zhun came to Xiao Mansion to worship the teacher. Since it is the relationship between brother and sister, and Xiao Yiran is not yet nine years old, there is no need to avoid the suspicion of men and women, when Kou Zhun came to Xiao's house, Xiao Yiran came to the living room in the front yard.

"Senior brother is now a protégé of the Son of Heaven, why do you still come to worship my father?"

Watching Kou Zhun finish his salute to Xiao Guoliang, Xiao Yiran quipped.

"Senior sister, Lord Xiao is the student's teacher during the township examination, and the provincial examination is the student's teacher, so naturally he wants to come to apprentice. All the Jinshi in the world are protégés of the Son of Heaven, but the teachers are different. ”

"Since Senior Brother is a protégé of the Son of Heaven, have you ever visited Mr.?"

"Worship, worship, worship on the same day."

Xiao Yiran knew what Kou Zhun said about the day of the palace exam.

"Kou Zhun, in ten days, the Ministry will give you new science and technology sergeants an officer, and the vacation is still in accordance with the usual practice, if there are no special circumstances, it will be three months. I remember that Mr. Kou once said that after you save the test, you will go home and get married, is three months enough? ”

"Master Xiao, the students are here, firstly, to worship the teacher, and secondly, they are also here for this matter. Master Xiao, my father and mother are very old, and the students want to take advantage of this to get married, and serve the second elder at home for a few more days, I wonder if the ministry can give some time? ”

"It's not difficult to do this, when you go to the ministry another day, just write the codex."

"Thank you, Master Xiao, students."

"There's no need to be polite, when you go home, remember to greet Mr. Kou and Mrs. Kou."

"Students should do it."

"When is Senior Brother going to leave?"

"You need to wait for the official department to be awarded, and then get the official certificate before leaving."

"A few days ago, I went to the mansion of Lord Wang, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, and I heard Brother Lin Chen say that he was going to go to Bang County recently. If the time is right, you might as well go together. ”

"Recently, I have often heard that I am a little fellow, and there are rumors in the market that Lin Chen will definitely be another masterpiece in Xiabang County in the future, after Bai Lotian and Zhang Renyuan."

"Oh, that's what you say?"

"Daddy, Brother Lin Chen is indeed full of money at a young age, if it weren't for Lord Wang not allowing him to end prematurely, he might be able to be the same as Senior Brother."

"Kou Zhun, you are really a great man in the lower state. If you really want to count Lin Chen as a member of the next state, I'm afraid that you will have to be ranked after Kou Zhun, right? ”

After speaking, Xiao Guoliang twisted his beard and laughed.

"When did Daddy learn the art of purification?"

Xiao Yiran quipped.

"The student can't be praised by Lord Xiao like this, but it's a pity for Sister Yiran."

"What do I have to regret?"

"If my sister is a boy and can participate in the imperial examination, my senior brother and Lin Chen will have to stand aside."

The three of them talked and laughed in the living room, and soon it was noon, and Kou Zhun stayed in Xiao Mansion for lunch before leaving. Before leaving, he said to Xiao Guoliang and Xiao Yiran:

"I have also heard of the name of Wang Shilang for a long time, he is both a fellow countryman and a senior, tomorrow I will go to the house to visit Lord Wang, and by the way, I will also meet the prodigy brother of my senior sister."

Kou Zhun made a joke and embarrassed Xiao Yiran.

"How can Senior Brother talk like that?"

Xiao Yiran sneered, turned around and went back to the backyard. Behind him, there was the sound of Xiao Guoliang and Kou Zhun laughing.

Xiao Yiran returned to the backyard and came to his mother's house. Sun was reading a book, and when he saw Xiao Yiran coming in, he put down the book in his hand and asked Xiao Yiran:

"Ran'er, Senior Brother Kou Zhun is gone?"

"Gone."

"I heard your father and senior brother laughing just now, why are they laughing?"

"Senior brother makes fun of me."

"Senior Brother Kou Zhun is an old adult, how can he make fun of Ran'er?"

"Senior brother said, say ......"

"Say what?"

Sun saw a flush on his daughter's face, and guessed in his heart that he must have talked about Lin Chen.

"Did you talk about Ran'er's brother Lin Chen?"

"Mother, why do you say that?"

Xiao Yiran lowered his head and asked softly.

"If not, how shall we say it? In addition to Ran'er being called Brother Lin Chen in our family, can anyone else call Lin Chen like that? ”

"It's true that I asked Lin Chen to be my brother, but, however, it can't be said to be my Lin Chen's brother."

Seeing that her daughter's face was getting redder and redder, Sun no longer teased her daughter, but sat next to Xiao Yiran, took her daughter into her arms, and said softly:

"My mother's daughter has grown up."

Xiao Yiran buried his head in Sun's arms, feeling his face warm and heartbeat, and he was even more embarrassed. But I was thinking in my heart, no, after all, I am a person with two lifetimes of experience, how can I have feelings for a hairy boy? If you count your age, your soul should be sixty or seventy years old, how can you behave like such a little daughter? I remember that in the ancient period of the previous life, I also preferred the young man, is this because of physiological reasons, or because of the soul?

In the next period of time, Xiao Yiran thought that Lin Chen would be a little unnatural, so he refused Lin Chen's repeated invitations and never went to Mr. Di again.

After Kou Zhun received the official certificate, he came to the Xiao Mansion again. This time, Xiao Yiran did not go to the front yard to meet Kou Zhun. Just after Kou Zhun left, Xiao Guoliang came to the backyard and said a few words to the mother and daughter. Xiao Yiran learned that Kou Zhun was awarded the Dali Judge and sent to Guizhou to serve as the governor of Badong. Because he wanted to go home to marry the daughter of the Song family, he took a three-month leave from the Ministry of Officials, plus a three-month vacation given by the imperial court to the new branch jinshi, a total of half a year and six months.

"Daddy, when will Senior Brother leave?"

Kou Zhun said that there were still some things to deal with in Beijing, and it was set to leave on March 14. Oh, by the way, Kou Zhun said, when the time comes, he will walk with Lin Chen's mother and son. I also want to ask my father if he would like to stay in Xia Bang for two days. ”

"To Lower Bang?"

Xiao Yiran didn't expect Kou Zhun to invite him. In Xiao Yiran's heart, he really wanted to visit his mentor, Mr. Kou. looked at the two parents, and said hesitantly:

"Ran'er misses Mr. a little."

"Then let's go back with my senior brother and have a look, it's far anyway. If the virtuous wife feels uneasy about Ran'er, she might as well accompany Ran'er to have a look. ”

Sun thought for a moment and said:

"If I still don't go, I'll be a serious guest when I go, and it will only cause trouble for others."