Since Xiao Guoliang got the official certificate from the Ministry of Officials at the end of February, he returned to the original mountain village at the foot of Songshan Mountain for nearly a month, and traveled along the way, and it took two months to come to Taicang City, and there was still a month before the official arrival time.

After buying a house, the family moved in. There are three main rooms with ear rooms in the front yard, one with ears in the east, which is used as the bedroom of the husband and wife, and the west room with ears, which is used as Xiao Guoliang's study, and the bright room is used as the living room for hospitality. Xiao Qing lives in the south house in the southeast corner of the courtyard. Xiao Yiran and Xiaoxi live in the backyard, Xiao Yiran lives in the east room, and Xiaoxi lives between the bright room and the east room, so that it is convenient to take care of Xiao Yiran at any time. The west room was also converted into a small study room for Xiao Yiran's use.

Considering that Xiaoxi and her daughter are too young, Xiao Guoliang bought another middle-aged couple, the woman is called Xiuniang, and the man is called Li Cai. Xiuniang assists Sun in housework during the day, and accompanies Xiaoxi at night to serve Xiao Yiran in the backyard. Li Cai lived in another south house in the southeast corner of the front yard, next to Xiao Qing. Considering that Xiuniang and Li Cai were husband and wife, Sun specially asked Xiao Guoliang to buy some furniture in the house where Li Cai lived.

Not only did Li Cai's house add furniture, because he had just moved in, the original furniture in several rooms, except for some old and bulky furniture, had been moved away by the original owner, and Xiao Guoliang and his wife had to buy new furniture. Just moving, I was busy for more than ten days. didn't rest for long, it was already mid-June, Xiao Guoliang reported to the county government and officially took office.

Xiao Guoliang goes out early and returns late every day, and the Sun family has to take charge of the trivial things at home, so no one keeps an eye on Xiao Yiran, so Xiao Yiran, who is already fourteen months old, begins to bury himself in the Four Books and Five Classics every day. Except for morning and dusk, Xiao Yiran rarely comes to the front yard. Either hide in the small study in the west of the backyard to read, or linger under the green bamboo, ginkgo, osmanthus and other trees in the courtyard, or enjoy the flowers in the small flower garden. Only on Xiao Guoliang's three-day rest day every month, the family of three will get together to have a lively time. Occasionally, I would go out on the street or have a meal.

Time flies by like a white horse, fleeting. Xiao Yiran tried to forget the thoughts in his heart with books. By the winter, Xiao Yiran had read "The University" and "The Analects" by heart. When he was in college, Xiao Yiran had already dabbled in these books, but at that time they were just read as idle books. Even so, there is a certain foundation, and now that I read it again, it obviously saves a lot of effort. For the plausible questions in the book, it is not good to ask his father Xiao Guoliang and mother Sun, for fear that they will worry about the wisdom and longevity and stop themselves. Fortunately, in order to participate in the imperial examination, people in this era have many books with detailed annotations to the Four Books and Five Classics. It's not a very hard read.

Even Xiao Xi, who was serving on the side, was influenced by Xiao Yiran and began to recognize words.

"Sister Xiaoxi, who else is in your family?"

"Miss, don't call me sister, let the old lady hear it, I'm afraid it's not good. It's good for the young lady to call me Xiaoxi. ”

"It's okay, my father and mother won't care about this."

"Miss, there are a lot of people in Xiaoxi's family. There are grandparents, fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts, Xiaoxi has two older brothers, three younger sisters, and one younger brother. ”

"Why are you the one who sold it?"

"There are too many people in the family to support my father and mother, so I have long had the intention to choose one of our four sisters to be a maid for others. It's just that my sisters are still young, so they can only send me out. ”

"Do you have a large population in each of your families?"

"yes, there are four or five children at least."

"Is Sister Xiaoxi homesick too?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yiran saw Xiaoxi lower her head, and her eyes turned red.

"Sister Xiaoxi, don't be sad, in a few years, we'll go back and have a look, and let Sister Xiaoxi meet her family."

"Is what Miss said true?"

Xiao Yiran nodded. Xiao Yiran knew that his father Xiao Guoliang could not be an official in Taicang County for too long. The Northern Song Dynasty had just been established, and a large number of officials were urgently needed to govern the country. For officials like his father Xiao Guoliang, as long as they don't make mistakes, they will be promoted quickly. It is estimated that it will be more than three years, and it will definitely be promoted. In that case, I will have to go back to Beijing to report on my work, and it is logical to let Xiaoxi go home by the way to have a look.

"Sister Xiaoxi, how old are the girls in your hometown who are engaged to get married?"

"Miss is so young, and she also knows about the engagement?"

"It's all written in the books."

Xiao Yiran also knew that his question was a bit out of line, so he pushed it to the book.

"Generally, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, they are engaged around the age of fifteen, and they will marry at the age of eighteen at the latest."

"Is Sister Xiaoxi thirteen years old?"

"Miss, I am born in February, and I am twelve years old, and I am thirteen years old."

Worried that Xiaoxi would be suspicious again, Xiao Yiran didn't ask Xiaoxi what kind of in-laws she wanted to find.

"Sister Xiaoxi will follow me to recognize a few more words in the future, and strive to find a scholar to be her husband."

"Xiaoxi has that blessing, Xiaoxi has guarded Miss all her life."

Xiao Yiran knows that in this era, there is a custom of letting a personal girl marry, but the age gap between the two is too big, and when Xiao Yiran reaches the age of marriage, Xiaoxi is already twenty-seven or eight, almost thirty. Besides, Xiao Yiran has no plans to share a husband with other women in the future.

After entering the winter, although Jiangnan is not as cold as the north, it is still a little cold. Sun always told Xiaoxi not to allow Xiao Yiran to wander around the yard for a long time. Xiao Yiran had no choice but to stay in the room, and in addition to reading, he practiced calligraphy. Brush writing has always been Xiao Yiran's weakness, and now that he has time, Xiao Yiran insists on practicing two hours of words every day, one hour in the morning and one hour before going to bed.

Occasionally, Xiao Guoliang and Sun will also come to guide. Xiao Yiran's words are becoming more and more regular day by day.

In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the calligraphy of Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan was always prevalent. Xiao Guoliang also learned Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, so there are a lot of calligraphy of these people at home. This also brought convenience to Xiao Yiran's copying. In his spare time, Xiaoxi will also write a few. At the age of eleven or twelve, it is just the age of reading and learning, under the influence of Xiao Yiran, Xiaoxi is improving every day whether she is literate or writing.

"Husband, Ran'er is indeed different from ordinary children, she either reads or practices calligraphy every day. In the future, we don't want to limit it anymore, just let it be. If the husband has free time, he will teach more. ”

"Ran'er is very surprising, if you want to teach, a good wife may not be as good as a husband. Wait for the spring of the next year, if Ran'er is willing, you can go to the county government school to study. Although she is a daughter, after all, she is still young, and it is still okay to follow the reading until she is six or seven years old. ”

"It's okay, but I still have to ask Ran'er for her own opinion."