According to the rules of the imperial examination of this dynasty, Xiucai participated in the township examination, so he naturally had to go back to his hometown to take the examination. But Zhao Wei is originally from Shanghai, but he has already attacked the lord in the capital. has a knighthood, and every time there is a big court meeting, he has to go to court, even if he takes a long vacation, he still has a grandmother to serve at home. He is now the pillar of Jiannanhou Mansion and the only male. He's gone, what should I do in this house?

If someone wants to pick a bone in the egg, maybe he will have to participate in his fame and fame, and ignore filial piety for the sake of the imperial examination. Then it's not a question of whether you can pass the exam, but even being an official in the future will be affected.

Therefore, Zhao Xiu's proposal was: "Let's ask for a decree and take the exam in the capital." First, it is convenient for you to prepare for the exam, and you don't need to go back and forth; Second, living at home, my grandmother and I can also take care of my brother's life, so that my brother doesn't have to worry about anything else; Three...... Frankly speaking, our family is already a Hou Mansion, even if my brother has a talent and fame, there will still be many people who question your knowledge. If you go back to your hometown to take the exam, where our family is considered a snake in the land, and the emperor is far away, will anyone suspect that there is a problem with your grades? Instead of giving people the opportunity to make nonsense out of nothing, it is better to take the test under the noses of everyone, so that they know the level of knowledge of their brother. Moreover, in the land of Wenxing in the south of the Yangtze River, the township test is like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge, and the competition is too great. In contrast, the situation in the capital is probably slightly better. ”

Zhao Wei was silent. In fact, he is also more inclined to take the township examination in the capital, when he first became a knight, his grandmother proposed that he could continue to study for the imperial examination, and strive to be admitted to the imperial examination, he was already this idea, so he never thought of going back to the south to take the exam. He believed that with his current holy family, it would not be difficult to ask for an edict, and with his grandmother and sister here, no one would say anything. It's just that the library built by the Hou Mansion will open in a few months, but he will take the township test this year, and I am afraid that many of the students in the capital who participated with him will be guests of the Mingzhi Library. If he can successfully pass high school, it's fine, if he doesn't pass the exam, or if his ranking is a little worse, I'm afraid others will question it. With his age and knowledge, is he qualified to preside over the Mingzhi Library?

Zhao Wei raised his worries, but Zhao Xiu was a little unimpressed: "We just opened a library and let everyone read books for free, not a school, but also to instruct others in their homework." If they look down on the owner of the library and think that they are only eight high, then don't come. Now that you have come, and have received the grace of our family, don't be suspicious. The character of a scholar does not include repaying virtue with resentment. ”

Zhao Wei thought about it, so he smiled and said: "Okay, I'm not a big talent, I'm just like other test takers." The library was opened to commemorate his deceased father and to make good connections. When scholars come to our library, I discuss knowledge with them and encourage each other. Confucius once said that if you are a threesome, you must have my teacher. Even if a saint is so humble and studious, why should I hold myself too high? He decided to write this sentence of Sage Kong into a plaque and hang it in the town yard of the Mingzhi Library.

Zhao Xiu laughed when he heard this: "This idea is really excellent." ”

Just as he was talking and laughing, a mother-in-law came to report: "Girl, the big characters you asked you to do before are now ready and delivered, and they are placed in the front yard." Steward Wang, please take a look. ”

Zhao Wei was curious: "What big characters?" ”

"It's the big characters that are going to be hung in the library to persuade learning, the ones written by my father." Zhao Xiu answered her mother-in-law's voice, and then pulled Zhao Wei out of the door, "Brother and I will go and have a look, right?" ”

The craftsmen piled up all the large characters on the ground in the front yard, and they all looked nearly three feet square, no wonder they were "big characters". Zhao Wei walked slowly all the way, looked all the way, and recognized that this was made according to his father's handwriting before his death, "knowing", "faithful", "generous", "lover", "respectful" ten big characters, all of which were carved from solid wood, fine workmanship, first coated with a layer of black paint with a slight purple light, and then coated with a thick layer of waterproof varnish, and now there is a faint pine fragrance.

Zhao Wei was quite satisfied with the quality of these big characters, and asked the housekeeper to pay the wages and reward ten taels of silver. When the craftsmen had left happily, he asked his sister, who was holding a "Ming" character and drawing around the yard, "Where are you going to hang these big characters?" ”

Zhao Xiu just reached the wall on the left side of the second gate: "How is it here?" There are four words on one side here, enough to put eight on one side, and the word 'knowing' is placed in the place where you enter the door. I've heard that those craftsmen who do woodwork have a recipe for sticking wood, and the things that stick to the wood, which won't fall off for a decade or two, are just used to stick to this. After a decade or two, the word could no longer be glued, and the wood was old, just refurbished and re-glued. ”

Zhao Wei stood behind his sister and looked at the blank fence on the left and right: "Yes, the size is just right." Hanging here, all the students who enter the door will see it at a glance, and it also has the effect of persuading students. As for the word 'knowing', why don't you hang it in the house? It happens to be the name of the library again. ”

Zhao Xiu nodded, and happily asked people to move the big characters down, find a ventilated and dry place to store them, and then take them out and glue them when the whole family moved away.

She tugged at Zhao Wei's sleeve and told him about her arrangements for the transformation of this small mansion into a library, and asked for his opinion.

She plans to place a bronze mirror or glass mirror on the left side of the shadow wall after entering the door, mainly with the meaning of "dressing up before entering the door", telling the students who come to come that don't come if they are not dressed properly, this is a place to study, don't insult Sven - this approach is a bit pretending, but well, many of the current scholars have a bit of a strange temper, always despise how their noble families are, don't pretend to be a little forced, how can they calm people who have a kind of idea? If she really wants to pretend to be forced, she may not lose to others, she is just lazy.

Zhao Wei smiled at this, and only had one opinion: "Just don't face the door in the mirror." I heard that Feng Shui is not good like that. ”

"No problem." Zhao Xiu made a package ticket and continued to introduce the next arrangements to him.

The gatehouse is not moving, and the library also needs to have a gatehouse, and it is just possible to arrange one or two managers to be on duty day and night, especially fireproof, waterproof and theft-proof. Where there are many books, these are the things I am most afraid of.

But after entering the first courtyard, Zhao Xiu plans to open up the first two into a large space, where no books are placed, only some long tables and stools are placed, which can be used for students who come to study for rest, communication and chat. As long as there is no loud noise, they will be pleased. In addition to burying their heads in reading, readers also need to socialize, and they can just discuss each other's knowledge, just like Zhao Wei said.

In the tea room, she plans to ask the people in the sixth room to come and open a small study shop, which only deals in simple pen, ink, paper, inkstone, and stationery supplies with the sign of "Mingzhi Library" - in fact, it is a souvenir.

Zhao Wei didn't understand: "Why is this?" Didn't you say before that if you open a shop in a library, it is easy to be accused of taking advantage of the opportunity to make money? ”

Zhao Xiu waved his hand: "I didn't ask others to buy it." But what if someone brings pen and paper to copy a book, and suddenly there is not enough to copy? The neighbors here are all houses, but there are no shops, and I have to go to Gulou Street recently, so don't you delay your efforts? Besides, I plan to set a rule for the library, that is, students enter the door to receive a card, borrow books with the card, and must return the sign before leaving the door, and the book is not allowed to leave the library. Otherwise, what if someone runs away with the book? In this way, if you forget to bring pen and paper, or if you don't have enough pen and paper, if you can't ask someone to borrow it, then at least there is a place in the museum where you can buy it. However, although there are different grades of stationery supplies provided by this shop for people to choose from, the price is the same as outside, and I will let the people in the sixth room take it easy, so as not to let people grasp the handle. As for the items with the mark of the Mingzhi Library, it is everyone's favorite, and if no one refuses to buy it, then it's nothing. Let's keep it for ourselves. ”

Zhao Wei smiled: "My sister will always make sense." But that's it, it was also for the convenience of students who came to borrow books, and it was just to save the emergency. ”

Zhao Xiu suddenly snickered, approached Zhao Wei and whispered, "Actually, this shop can also help sell things on consignment." For example, the ink treasure of which literati, or the anthology of which Hanlin. Mobao doesn't mention, there is such a thing as an anthology, if the author finds a bookstore to print it into a book, in addition to giving it away, there are too many copies left, and I don't know how to dispose of it, and it's nothing to put it here for consignment. Anyway, we are looking for such people and asking them for some anthologies to fill the library, maybe someone likes it and wants it? If they are all copied in vain, the author himself will not benefit, so it is better to ask someone to buy a copy, wouldn't it be beneficial to both? We will return all the money we have sold to the author, and the author may still feel happy. ”

Zhao Wei smiled slightly: "In this way, we are naturally true gentlemen who are not greedy for profit, and the author can also gain fame and fortune." People who want to print their articles into a book naturally want to be famous all over the world and leave them for future generations. We helped them, and the people in Shilin will naturally give us a little face......" He sighed: "My sister really deserves the name of a prodigy since she was a child, she is really smart and can read people's hearts. It's just that although this method is wonderful, it's better for my sister not to mention it in front of her grandmother. ”

Zhao Xiu pouted: "Where can it?" If I had known to my grandmother, she would have scolded me again. It's obviously a thing that is good for readers, so elegant and noble, how did it get into my mouth, it's either money or wealth, it's not fame or fortune, and it stinks? It's a pity that I'm a layman, and I can't read a book all my life. ”

Zhao Wei was extremely helpless, so he changed the topic: "What are you going to do with the guest house inside?" ”

Zhao Xiu hurriedly straightened his expression: "There is a small stove in the guest courtyard for the stove, and I plan to set it up as a tea room." Boiled water is provided free of charge every day, and if you want to drink a better tea, you will have to spend silver. There are also some simple and easy-to-make snacks that can also be sold. This is to prepare some students who are hungry when they read books and don't want to go out to eat. Some tea and snacks, at least to prevent them from starving to death here. However, because there is a fire, it is necessary to be watched all day long to avoid accidents. Also, whether you bring your own food or buy it from here, all food can only be eaten outside the second gate, and when you enter the second gate, you are only allowed to bring your own tea, and tobacco and alcohol are absolutely prohibited. ”

Zhao Wei agrees with this provision: "This is natural, if people bring food into the library, what will become of this library?" ”

At this time, the Zhang family came out of the second gate, and happened to hear the conversation behind their brother and sister, nodded with a smile and said, "This is very true." Our family is serious and wants to do a good thing for the world's scholars, but the rules must also be established, and there are no rules. When I was hungry, I used refreshments in the front yard and brought them in, but I was afraid that the books would feel like they were being smoked. ”

Zhao Wei and Zhao Xiu saw her coming, and hurriedly smiled and surrounded her: "Grandmother." Zhao Xiu took her arm and said, "Grandmother, did you hear my words just now?" What do you think of my arrangement? ”

Zhang nodded: "You think very thoughtfully, taking into account both the library and the needs of borrowers. However, since there is free water, why not be more generous and give some free snacks to hungry students? Even the cheapest one? ”

Zhao Xiu showed an embarrassed look: "Isn't this okay?" If you can't afford it, you can bring your own, it doesn't matter if the water is free, and even you can have free summer tea in summer, and you can have free ginger soup in winter, but you can't eat. It's not stingy. But if there is free food, then the poor students come to read a book, or to eat a bite? ”

Zhang frowned and said, "You also think too low of the world's scholars. ”

Zhao Wei groaned: "Grandmother, my sister's words are not unreasonable. We were originally built as a library for the convenience of readers. But if someone hears that there is free food here, will some people who are not scholars also come to fool around? Although there is no class of teaching, it will not be good if they disturb here and delay the serious readers from borrowing books to study. ”

When Zhang heard this, he hurriedly said: "That's because I didn't think it through, so forget it." ”

Zhao Wei gave his sister a look, and Zhao Xiu secretly held back a smile. The brother was actually speaking for her, but in a different way, he quickly convinced the grandmother. She really needs to learn more in the future. Actually, grandmother is not so difficult to deal with.

Zhang's next question made Zhao Xiu sober up instantly: "Sister Xiu, according to your arrangement, there are no books in the entire front yard, where should the books be hidden?" ”

Zhao Xiu hurriedly said: "I have already thought about it, there are many bookshelves in the main courtyard and the backyard, and they should be able to hold tens of thousands of books." In the main room of the main courtyard, I have prepared tablets dedicated to my grandfather, father and mother. If the emperor has a holy decree, then even the holy decree and the imperial pen are offered together. Long tables and stools are also placed on both sides of the main room, which are used by students when copying books. Then along the wall, there is a narrow cabinet, which contains a book index, which is divided into categories for easy searching. There are numbers on the list, which are the opposite of the numbers on the books in the stacks, and with that number, you can find the location of the books. The east and west wings and backyards can be used as a library, find a few literate servants, and tidy up and clean them every day. The small courtyard of the kitchen is reserved for the night watch. In this way, the front door and backyard are guarded, so you should be able to protect yourself. ”

Zhang silently counted the number of books in his own collection in his heart: "That's it, if there are only books in our family, it will be enough." But in addition, in addition to the various classics purchased outside, and you said that you want to ask for a collection of anthologies from the Chinese people in Beijing, if they are all collected, I don't know how many copies. Can our little house really hold so many books? ”

Zhao Xiu also thought about this question. But judging from the books they can collect so far, it hasn't reached the point of crowding the house, so it should be okay?

However, it is also necessary to plan ahead. If the book can't fit because of the small space, it will be a joke to spread it.

Zhao Xiu didn't think of any useful way, so the porter came over to report: "Old lady, little marquis, big girl, the prince of Guangping is visiting." ”