Chen Rentin, the owner of the "Dreamless Garden".

"Dreamless Garden" is Chen Renjin's other courtyard, adjacent to the vegetable garden cultivated by Ding Xiaonu. This Chen Renjin was selected at the age of nineteen, but the Beijing test after that fell to Sun Shan. He refused to fall into his will, and when he was free, he hid in the small building of the "Dreamless Garden" to study and work hard.

On this day, Sun Wenzhen Meng, a descendant of the famous scholar Wen Zhengming, came to visit. The two have been friends for many years, and they are not polite when they meet, just care about the disadvantages of the times and discuss knowledge. At the end of each time, the two must stand silently in front of the window, or look into the distance, or savor the discussion between the two, which is often very fruitful.

Suddenly, Wen Zhenmeng gently tugged at Chen Rentin, pointed his hand out of the window, and asked, "How is it?" ”

Chen Renjin was pondering, stunned for a moment, and looked in the direction of his finger, but when he saw Zhou Xiaoniang coming to the vegetable field, he couldn't help but lose his voice and said: "This woman has an extraordinary appearance, and she will be honored in the future." ”

Wen Zhenmeng, like Chen Rentin, is also proficient in the Book of Changes, and when he heard this, he muttered to himself: "Yes, I don't know who has this blessing and actually gave birth to such a different girl." ”

Chen Renjin hadn't noticed it before, and shook his head regretfully.

Seeing this, Wen Zhenmeng looked disappointed, said goodbye and went out, but turned around and said: "Since this woman picks vegetables here, she must live near here. ”

In fact, there was no need for him to advise, Chen Renjin couldn't wait, and when he was far away, he came straight over and said, "The little eldest sister has always been good, Chen Renjin is polite." ”

Zhou Xiaoniang was concentrating on picking vegetables, listening to people coldly, raised her head and looked, and saw Chen Renjin looking at herself respectfully, and said strangely: "Are you talking to me?" As he spoke, seeing that there was no one else around, he thought he was talking to himself, and said seriously: "Do you have something to do with me?" I'm still so young, if it's okay to ask for something else, I can't help you with anything else. ”

When Chen Renjin heard this, he was secretly surprised, and deliberately teased her: "How do you know that I have something to do with you?" ”

She said solemnly: "I heard my mother say that mortals must ask for nothing to give. If you are all right, why should you be courteous to me? ”

Her frankness undoubtedly increased Chen Rentin's good impression of her, Chen Renjin smiled and said: "There is also the situation that your mother said, but you can't generalize and be humble to others, which is also the way of being a person." ”

She tilted her head and thought for a while, and said, "What you said makes sense, but you, an adult, will never come to a little girl like me for no reason to gossip, right?" Just say something, ask for directions, or something else? ”

Chen Renjin pretended to be helpless and said: "There is no choice, it seems that there is only one way to ask." ”

She asked rhetorically, "How do you say that?" ”

Chen Renjin said: "You have already said it just now, except for asking for directions, you can't help me with anything else." ”

She didn't want him to use what she had said to refute her, she didn't want to, but she didn't want to be rude, so she smiled embarrassedly and said, "It seems that you have nothing to do, since you don't have anything to do, don't talk about it, so as not to miss my business." After speaking, he no longer paid attention to Chen Renjin and picked vegetables by himself.

Listening to her seriousness, and picking up the dishes so meticulously, Chen Renjin couldn't help but love and pity, and leaned closer and said, "I don't know if I can ask the little sister a few questions?" ”

She said "oh", then shook her head again, but still said, "Okay, I won't talk to you anymore, you ask, but everything I know must know." ”

Chen Renjin paused and asked, "How old are you this year?" ”

She looked at Chen Renjin strangely and said, "Six years old, what's wrong?" ”

Chen Renjin said: "You are still so young, how can your parents be willing to let you come out to work alone?" ”

She said solemnly: "What do you mean by being willing?" It's not right for you to say this, I'm six years old, and I'm also a member of the family, shouldn't I worry about my parents? ”

Chen Renjin couldn't help but say: "It's a good worry for your parents, dare to ask whose child are you?" ”

When she heard this, she became alert and asked, "Whose child?" Whose child am I, you ask? Who are you? ”

Chen Renjin said: "My name is Chen Rentin, and I live over there." As he spoke, he pointed to the "Dreamless Garden".

She let out an "oh", then looked at the sky, thought for a while, and said, "Chen Renjin? I haven't heard of it, but the person who lives in such a big house must be a rich man, could it be that my father owes you gambling debts? Don't worry, I'll definitely ask my dad to pay you back as soon as possible. ”

Chen Renjin didn't expect her to think so much, so he followed her train of thought and said, "But, what if your father refuses?" ”

She said with a disdainful expression: "How so? Even if my father refuses, don't worry, isn't there an old saying that the father pays the debt of the son, and when I earn more money, I will definitely pay you back. ”

"The children can be taught." Chen Renjin sighed with emotion, and wanted to say more, but he saw a person running over quickly and kneeling and kowtowing, and looked intently, it was Zhou Kui.

Why did Zhou Kui come here? It turned out that Chen Renjin came to find Zhou Xiaoniang, who was inadvertently seen by Zhou Duo, who had come back from going out to mess around. For this Chen Rending, Zhou Xiaoniang has never heard of it, but Zhou Duo knows. Zhou Duo didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly told Zhou Kui. Zhou Kui had just come out of Yihong Courtyard, and he was feeling comfortable, and when he heard the news, he didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse, so he hurried over.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Xiaoniang was very puzzled, and hurriedly came over to help him, complaining while helping: "Being a man should not lose his dignity, even if he owes him money, pay back his money, and don't need to worship him when he sees him." ”

Zhou Kui said angrily: "Bold, this is a big man, why don't you kneel down quickly?" ”

"Lifting people's lords? When you see the big man, you have to kneel? Zhou Xiaoniang was still puzzled, looking at Chen Renjin with blank eyes, but refused to kneel.

Zhou Kui was anxious, pressed her to the ground, and said: "Please forgive the little girl for her unscrupulous sin, and the little Zhou Kui will repay the great kindness of the old man in the future." ”

For this Zhou Kui, Chen Renjin had already heard of it, and he was extremely disdainful in his heart, and when he heard the words, he asked in disbelief: "She will be your daughter?" ”

Zhou Kui said again and again: "It's the little girl." ”

"How so? Is Heaven going to play a big joke on the world? Impossible. Thinking secretly, Chen Renjin went to see Zhou Xiaoniang again, but saw that although she was kneeling on the ground and trembling, she still did not lose her atmosphere, and couldn't help but think again: "That's it, no matter who her father is, this is an unchangeable fact, since this piece of jade is destined to be met by us, we can't let it be buried in vain." ”

After making up his mind, Chen Renjin went over to help Zhou Kui's father and daughter, and said, "Get up, we are fortunate to be neighbors, and it is also fate, and we will help each other in the future." ”

Zhou Kuizheng was worried about himself, not wanting him not only not to blame, but to be polite, and couldn't help but look dazed.

Chen Renjin glanced at him, and then said: "I like this little sister very much, and I want to take her as an apprentice and teach her to read and write, I don't know what you think?" ”

"Take her as an apprentice? Hmph, it's nice to say, I'm afraid I'm going to be a little daughter-in-law, right? This is a good thing from heaven, where can I find it? Fuck, I'm not a grandson, Zhou Kui, how can I not agree? ”

Zhou Kui thought quickly, judged, and coldly pressed Zhou Xiaoniang to the ground again, and exclaimed: "Master Enshi! Master Teacher! ”

Zhou Xiaoniang couldn't wait to read and write, although she was like falling into the clouds, she also shouted.

Chen Renjin was overjoyed, too lazy to take care of Zhou Kui, went to help Zhou Xiaoniang, took her little hand, and said to Zhou Kui and Ding Xiaonu who rushed over after hearing the news with a smile: "Since the two of you don't object, I will take her to meet my wife, and I will also ask someone to tell me that Brother Wenren." With that, he took her hand and left.

Since then, Zhou Xiaoniang has seen the sky and gone to the "Dreamless Garden" to read and write.

This Zhou Xiaoniang is extremely smart, she can learn it as soon as she learns, and she can understand it at one point. Chen Renjin and his wife liked it very much, and later they even took care of the food, and let her have all the delicious things at home. In this way, Zhou Xiaoniang is not only good at learning, but also has a good development of her body because of nutrition.

Because of her, Ding Xiaonu's situation in the Zhou family improved.