The late autumn night began to grow, Chen Xuejiao had no dreams all night, and was awakened by the sound of chickens in the yard at dawn. Xue Jiao rubbed her eyes and got up to get dressed, she and Xue Rujing slept in the ear room of the north wing of the house, Xue Rujing woke up earlier than she was, and she was already dressed at this time.

There was a sound of talking outside the house, it was Chen Xiucai and Chen Qi'an, presumably going to a private school. The father and son always get up early, Chen Xiucai usually gets up at midnight, when it is not yet dawn, and Chen Qi'an gets up earlier to wake up every day to read. Because there are two people in the family who get up early to go to the private school, the Chen family's breakfast is all covered by the Li family.

Chen Xuejiao looked out through the window, the window was made of wood, one grid after another, with old yarn pasted on it, and her face was just right to see a qiē in the yard.

Chen Xiucai and Chen Qi'an had already gone to the private school, while Li and a teenager were whispering something. The young man was no different from Qi An in height and posture from the side, but from the front, he found that his facial features were more delicate, while Qi An was tougher.

It was Chen Qilin.

Xue Jiao raised her eyebrows, she had never had any good feelings for Chen Qilin.

In the days that Chen Qilin came to the house, except for the days when he just came back to see people, the rest of the days were hidden in the main room to study, and occasionally went to a private school to review. He is the grandson of Mrs. Chen and Mr. Chen's heart, and he is full of hopes, except for the fact that he can see people at the dinner table during dinner, he has never been there for things like working in the fields. Chen Xuejiao was deeply impressed by his intriguing eyes, one time it was Jing Hao who couldn't marry the stupid son of the Sun family, and the other time it was the Sun family who came to propose marriage to Chen Qi'an.

Li Shi was talking to Chen Qilin with a kind face, but Chen Qilin frowned slightly, looking uncomfortable. Li Shi reached out and patted his clothes, and Chen Qilin gave the insect a slight dodge.

The Li family followed Chen Qilin into the upper room, and after a while, the Li family came out, holding a robe in his hand, which was the snow-blue silk robe that Chen Qilin was wearing just now.

Chen Xuejiao got dressed, Xue Ru and Jing Hao had already washed their faces with warm water, Qi Ping also got up, chasing Xue Ru to wipe her hands.

Li walked in and looked at the children and smiled.

Xue Jiao stared at the robe in Li's hand, and Li was uncomfortable.

“…… Mother, I don't think this robe looks like Qi Lingo's. Xue Jiao said lightly.

Li Shi smiled and said, "I know that I can't hide your eyes, but it's not your Brother Qi Ling." ”

"I saw that it was his, and only his robe was silk in the whole house." Chen Xuejiao frowned and said, she remembered Chen Qi'an's patched robe.

"She is studying in Xuzhou Mansion, she should dress well, I heard that the people who can enter the White Horse Academy to study are all sons and daughters from well-off families, if he doesn't dress well, he can only be excluded there." Li defended Chen Qilin.

Chen Xuejiao was speechless for a while, so she had to change the topic and say, "Mother, what are you doing with Brother Qi Ling's robe." ”

"The hem of this robe is torn, the thread is loose, I will sew it for him." Lee walked over to the bed and took out a needlework basket.

Chen Xuejiao thought that Xue Yao and the second aunt could sew the robe if it was torn, and her mother didn't need to be so attentive.

Li seemed to see Xue Jiao's thoughts, and explained: "The family has been in a mess these days, for the sake of your second uncle's affairs, how can your second aunt have the heart to take care of anything else." I saw that Qi Lin's robe was torn, and I sewed it for him, which was just a convenient thing. ”

Chen Xuejiao thought for a while and smiled and said, "Mother told me so much, as if I didn't want you to sew a robe for Brother Qi Lin." ”

Again, it's just a handy thing. But when he saw Qi Lin's expression from the window just now, I am afraid that he will not be happy. No matter what role Chen Qilin played in the previous family swap incident, the Li family couldn't complain about Qi Lin, she treated Qi Lin as a child like Qi An, in addition to being a nephew, there was also Li's love for him.

Xue Jiao thought, I hope Chen Qilin can think the same way.

Xue Jiao cleaned her hands, sat on the stool next to Li's feet to thread her, and asked innocently: "Mother, why did Brother Qi Lin go to study at the White Horse Academy, isn't it good to have a private school in the village?" ”

Li Shi took the needle eyeliner from Xue Jiao's hand, tied a knot in alignment, and said: "Your Brother Qi Lin has been clever since he was a child, and he was enlightened at the age of five like your brother, and he used to study in a private school with your father. Your grandmother has high expectations for him and wants him to take the imperial examination in the future, but your second aunt thought that the level of private school in the village was limited, so she asked Xue Yao to enter the White Horse Academy through Dingfu. ”

The level of private school is limited, so isn't that just my father?

"The same grandson, grandma has high expectations for Brother Qi Lin, but her expectations for her brother are not high." Xue Jiao couldn't help but pout.

"That's different." Li Shi came to a sentence, and found that it was wrong to say this, and hurriedly made up, "Your brother can follow your father's private school in the village." ”

It's different, what's the difference, it's not that Mrs. Chen only treats Chen Qilin as her own grandson and Chen Qi'an as an outsider.

"Then will my brother also take the imperial examination in the future?" Chen Xuejiao asked.

Li Shi carefully sewed the robe, and there was a trace of bitterness in her voice that she couldn't even perceive: "It's not easy for your brother to participate in next year's autumn festival, if you win the show, like your father, find a private school to sit in in the future, it will also be a good livelihood." After a pause, he said, "How can the imperial examination be so easy, you have to go to Beijing to take the exam, and the silver will be the same." It is as little as three years, as much as five years, and some people can't get out of the exam for a lifetime. ”

Chen Xuejiao's hand slowed down, it has not been easy to take the imperial examination since ancient times, and it is even more difficult than the college entrance examination in the previous life. For Chen Qilin, what he is worried about is not time, nor is it that he can't pass the test, the only thing he is worried about is that there is no silver to support him.

Chen Xuejiao said slowly: "Then since it costs a lot of silver to take the imperial examination, where does Brother Qi Ling's silver come from?" ”

Li Shi was stunned, she had never considered this. In her previous thinking, she only knew that Qi Lin's silver came from the gongzhong, and this gongzhong referred to the support of Old Lady Chen and Old Man Chen, but where did Old Man Chen and Old Lady Chen's silver come from, she didn't think about it.

"Mother, I think this is a little unfair to my brother, the same grandson, Brother Qi Lin can devote the whole family to the imperial examination, but my brother is going to cut off his future." Chen Xuejiao's voice also became bitter.

"This is also a matter of no way, when your father took the Xiucai exam, he wanted to continue to take the exam, but he had to give up without money. For the sake of your father's study, your aunt agreed to marry your uncle. It was the first time that Li said that Chen Xiucai was studying back then, "Your brother is a good one, and my son knows it." It's just that Qi Ping is not as good as Qi An, your father taught him to carry his mind on his mind, presumably because of his young age. But then again, it doesn't hurt that Qi An doesn't like to study, if he is good at studying, he can't take the imperial examination because he doesn't have money, and I feel even more uncomfortable. ”

Chen Xuejiao looked at Li Shi and found that the corners of her eyes were shining. Qi Ping, he likes abacus and is sensitive to numbers, these Chen Xuejiao has never said.

Now her mind is full of Qi An, and if she doesn't let Qi An participate in the imperial examination, she feels that it is a pity.

"Mother, does my father agree that my brother will not participate in the imperial examination?"

Li Shi did not answer positively, but only said: "It is good that the whole family can provide for one imperial examination." ”

The whole family is only for one person to take the imperial examination, so why is Qi'an the one who is destined to be eliminated. Chen Xuejiao didn't say this, presumably Li felt uncomfortable. She thought of splitting up the family again, if her own family was separated, the family worked hard to farm and do some small business, Chen Xiucai sat in the museum for twenty taels of silver a year, and the daily family expenses were tighter, so she must be able to provide Qi An to take the imperial examination.

This is not suitable to say now, because the Li family and Chen Xiucai have a natural resistance to the separation, which is determined by this era.

"I think my brother should take the path of the imperial examination." Chen Xuejiao said sullenly.

"Squeak" The door to the upper room opened, and the coughing sound of Old Man Chen was heard.

Li took the needle, bit off the thread, and stood up. Old Man Chen and Old Mrs. Chen got up, which indicated that the Chen family had started a new day, and the Li family was going to set up breakfast.

That's the end of the conversation.

All the rooms got up, Xue Ru and Jing were busy serving rice in the pot house, and Old Man Chen took Qi Lin, two eggs, and three eggs to set the table. Li also wanted to feed the pigs, but was robbed by the big eggs.

"Today's washing water is so hot, you want to burn me." Mrs. Chen, as usual, started to be picky when she got up in the morning.

"Yesterday I was too cold to drink, but today I deliberately mixed it with boiling water, and you are too hot." It was the voice of the fourth daughter-in-law, Zhang, "In the future, let the second sister-in-law serve her mother to wash her face, the water she prepares every time is just right, and I am a rough person who can wash it regardless of hot or cold water." ”

Zhao's voice was aggrieved.

Mrs. Chen glanced inside. Sorry that Mrs. Zhao came to talk to her about peace yesterday, but this morning the second daughter-in-law didn't say that she would come to serve, and she had to wait for her mother to leave and treat her fiercely.

Mrs. Chen ordered Zhang to carry the basin, dipped the handkerchief in water, and wiped Chen Zichang's face on the kang little by little. Since Chen Zichang was injured, he has been lying in Mrs. Chen's house, and the old lady has taken care of him like a child. Zhang couldn't help but pout, it was not a shame to be beaten in Fireworks Alley, but like a treasure. Chen Zichang squinted his eyes, seeing it clearly, thinking that the fourth daughter-in-law owed to clean up.

Mrs. Chen helped Chen Zichang wipe her face and washed it herself.

"Mother, I want to go to the town to catch the market." Zhang said.

"What are you doing at the fair?" Old Madam Chen's eyes widened.

"My three sons are racing for a day, and their pants can't cover their butts, so I want to tear two feet of cloth to sew pants for the boy." Zhang said, "Mother, you give me some money." ”

"Sewing pants? Just like you do with a needle and a mallet, you can still make pants. What do you spend that money, you take your father's old pants and let the eldest daughter-in-law change them for your boy. Mrs. Chen tucked the veil into her arms.

Zhang pursed his lips, ignoring Chen Zichang who was lying on the kang, and complained: "In our family, some people can go to the town to eat and drink spicy food, some people don't do any work and wear new clothes all day long, and some people go to the White Horse Academy to study, why can't I make pants for my son." ”

These words pointed to the second room, and Chen Zichang moved his body on the kang.

"You dare to give me this old tough mouth, I can't say no." Old Mrs. Chen came up with a lot of energy.

Zhang turned around and left, walked to the door and poured the water in the washbasin at the door, the sound was like a slap in the face to Mrs. Chen, and she fell down angrily.

Chen Zigui saw that his daughter-in-law had touched her head and hid in the south wing to probe her brain. It was Chen Zigui's idea for the Zhang family to go to Mrs. Chen to ask for money, and it was just an excuse to ask for money to make pants for their son, they wanted to take advantage of this time to go to the town to eat and drink.