Let's say that Yang Xiucai responded to Li Mingshan's recruitment, and that night, after being full of wine and food, he rested in the guest room.

Li Mingshan chose a large wing room in the courtyard of the second entrance for Yang Xiucai to live in, and ordered the people in the house to arrange and stop overnight. Early the next morning, Yang Xiucai got up and finished freshening up, and Li Mingshan led him to see it.

As soon as Fang entered the door, he saw that it was very large, divided into three small rooms, separated by carved wooden screens. In the middle is the living room, with a circle of coffee tables and Taishi chairs.

Enter the room, bypass the screen on the right hand side is the study, a wide calligraphy and painting case is placed on the four treasures of the study, pen wash, pen holder, ruler and other things, there is a Huanghuali circle chair behind the case, there is a large bookshelf full of all kinds of books standing against the wall, a small Xuan window is opened on the wall, bamboo, wood, flowers are planted outside the window, a Luohan couch is placed under the Xuan window, and there are Suqin, chess table, tea table, incense burner, all available. Behind the screen on the left is the bedroom, a small round table, four drum-shaped wooden stools, and a pineapple couch with a curtain of silk brocade.

Yang Xiucai looked around carefully, couldn't help frowning, and arched his hand: "The old man is so attentive, how can he feel at ease?"

Li Mingshan said with a smile: "Please also ask the old gentleman to do his best."

Yang Xiucai also smiled: "Dare not do this?" After saying that, both of them laughed.

After a while, two maids brought breakfast. A bowl of stewed pigeon chicks, a bowl of rotten pig's trotters, a plate of five large fresh meat buns, three or five refreshing side dishes, and a bowl of rotten rice porridge, in which there are some caramel sugar, red dates, white fungus, chestnut kernels.

The two maids put their food on the small round table in the bedroom and went out. Li Mingshan said: "In the place outside the plug, there are no fashionable vegetables, and the old gentleman is invited to take them."

Yang Xiucai's stomach was empty at this time, and when he saw the table full of food, he was already hungry, but his face was still sven, and he said: "The old man is serious, this is already excellent."

Lee Ming-sun said goodbye and left. Yang Xiucai immediately sat down, picked up the porridge bowl and took a sip, suddenly felt smooth and sweet, very delicious, picked up a meat bun again, took a bite, soft and glutinous and fragrant, the juice overflowed, and it was stained on the beard, and he couldn't even care about wiping it, and swallowed a big meat bun in two bites. But when I saw the dishes and chopsticks flying, the table full of food was eaten clean. Yang Xiucai touched his round belly and looked at the remaining half bowl of porridge, as if he was a little unsatisfied.

After eating, the maid came to collect the bowls, chopsticks, cups and plates, and served fragrant tea, Yang Xiucai took a sip, feeling that the lips and teeth were fragrant, wonderful, and he ate three cups in a row to be happy.

After eating tea, Fang sat down, suddenly felt that the abdomen was full of gas, a burst of discomfort, then got up and paced to the courtyard, walked back and forth for a long time, still not good, and went back to the room to lie on the Luohan couch, about a stick of incense, the lower abdomen cramped again, hurriedly got up and ran to the east toilet, panicked and pulled out a big bubble of, only to be better.

Out of the east toilet, Yang Xiucai felt that her stomach didn't hurt at all, and she couldn't help but laugh dumbly, and secretly thought: "This uncompetitive belly, with so many poems and articles, I can't see anything, and this delicious food will make a fuss in vain." When he returned to the room, he called the maid to bring a basin of water, cleaned his hands, and instructed the little boy to come and learn calligraphy.

The maid answered, and went away with a basin of water. After a short time, he led Bao'er to arrive. Yang Xiucai got up to greet him.

When Bao'er entered the house, she tripped because the threshold was too high, fell a big way, threw herself at Yang Xiucai's feet, and kowtowed and said, "The student has worshiped the teacher." provoked Yang Xiucai to laugh, and his face was twisted like a big meat bun. He picked up Bao'er and placed her on the circle chair behind the bookcase. Then take a book off the shelf. Li Baoer took a look at it, it was a "Three Character Classic". He had already read this book, but he was an unenlightened child at this time, and if he behaved too intelligently and taught himself, wouldn't the whole world be shocked?

Just when he was thinking nonsense, Yang Xiucai spread out the book and began to teach him to read. Yang Xiucai read a sentence, and Li Baoer followed suit. After reading for about an hour, it was noon, and the maids brought lunch, which was more sumptuous than breakfast, with chickens, ducks, fish, and meat. Yang Xiucai took the book and rice, but his appetite was not good at this time, and he tasted it with a sample, and he felt greasy, only one steamed carp was fat and tender, and it was quite light, and he ate half of it.

Li Baoer was also served by the maid and ate at the same table with Yang Xiucai. After eating, the maid went to clean up. Yang Xiucai felt a little tired, so he went to Yazhai, burned incense, and lay down on the Luohan couch to rest. Li Baoer was bored alone, so she lay on the bookcase and read the "Three Character Classic" again. He had read it, but he had not been able to recite it. So I took advantage of this spare time to memorize it silently, and after a short time, I memorized the paragraph taught by Yang Xiucai.

After noon, Yang Xiucai got up, tested him, and actually memorized it, he was very surprised, and still taught him to read. When I read the end of the application, my stomach rumbled with hunger. There is a way to think freely, the maid is very understanding to serve fruit snacks, and brewed a pot of tea, and he is hungry.

Yang Xiucai has been sitting in the museum for many years, how did he meet such a dedicated owner, and he naturally devoted himself to teaching. The teacher taught with all his heart, and the students learned with their hearts, and in less than half a year, Li Baoer was familiar with the "three, hundred, thousand" learning, and then the "Book of Filial Piety", "University", and "The Mean", and about half a year, he also learned to be familiar, during this period, he also read "Qionglin" and "Zengguang Xianwen". After "filial piety, learning, and yong", it is necessary to learn "Analects" and "Mencius", which are slightly more difficult than what they have learned before, but Li Bao'er is very "talented", but it is not very difficult.

After daily classes, Yang Xiucai also taught poetry and rhyme, and pavilion italics. After another half a year, I finished reading "On Meng", and at this time, Li Baoer was not yet six years old. In Yang Xiucai's opinion, although he is not a prodigy, he is definitely a top talent, so he is often praised in front of Li Mingshan. Li Mingshan was naturally overjoyed, and he treated his husband better and better every day.

After that, it is necessary to learn the "Book of Songs", "Zhou Yi", "Shangshu", "Book of Rites", and "Zuo Chuan", collectively known as the "Five Classics". This is also the most core and difficult part of the Confucian classics. Most of the scholars are too poor to be poor. In addition to the "Five Classics", he also had to read "Zhou Li", "Etiquette", "Ram", and "Gu Liang" as supplements, so Li Baoer stayed in the study all day.

In the daytime homework, when the teacher recites the school exam, it is no longer as easy to memorize as before. Every time I can't remember, the teacher will use the ring ruler in his hand to hit the palm of his hand, day to night, the left hand is often swollen like a small steamed bun, and at night I have to endure the pain to learn poetry and calligraphy. So much so that when he was dreaming, he was still reading books. So far, we know what it feels like to have suffered from a cold window for ten years!

Li Mingshan saw that his beloved son was hard, and he was very distressed and unbearable, so he discussed with Yang Xiucai: "Bao'er is still young, so Mr. should be less relaxed in his schoolwork."

Yang Xiucai's head shook like a rattle: "This is absolutely impossible, the little boy is the time to grow the fastest at this time, what he teaches now, what he will look like in the future." If discipline is loose, it will be difficult to become a great tool. The so-called: 'jade is not cut, not into a tool' is this principle. The old man has taught over the years that he has won the lifting of people and jinshi, which one did not come over like this. ”

When Li Mingshan heard this, he had no choice but to endure the distress, and said: "In this case, it is all up to Mr. to bother." However, Bao'er is always too lonely, so I choose a few children to study with him, which can be regarded as a companion. Although Li Mingshan said this, he didn't think like this in his heart, his original intention was to find a few boys to be with his son, and it would be good to be able to take a foot or two for his son in a hurry.

How did Yang Xiucai not know? So he nodded and agreed.

The next day, Li Mingshan chose the sons of four members of the family to accompany Bao'er to study. The first one is the youngest son of Daddy Han, a janitor, named Chu'er; The second one is the son of Li Si'er, who is in charge of silk and satin in Waizhuang, named Xi'er; The third one is the grandson of the housekeeper Li Fang, named Ruyi, and the last one is Shun'er, the son of Jin Jiu'er, who runs the pawnshop.

The four children Han Chuan'er, Li Xi'er, Li Ruyi, and Jin Shun'er are the same age as Li Bao'er, all seven or eight years old. Because of his humble background, he naturally hasn't read a book for a day, and he doesn't know anything except for playing. On the first day I entered the museum, I frolicked in the room non-stop, knocked over the tables and chairs, pushed the screen, tore up the rice paper, and sprinkled pine ink.

Yang Xiucai, who was annoyed, dragged the four boys to the front of the case one by one, and each of them hit five or seven boards. A few of the boys cried out again. Yang Xiucai was annoyed and looked for Li Mingshan.

Li Mingshan said: "These are the children of people who have to be used in the family, and I ask Mr. to bother and teach him a few words indiscriminately, so as not to be blind for the rest of his life." This is also a matter of accumulating virtue, I informed his Lao Tzu, strictly disciplined him, and did not commit any more crimes. Yang Xiucai had no choice but to follow.

In the morning class the next day, although Chu'er, Xi'er, Ruyi, and Shun'er couldn't understand it, they didn't dare to make any more trouble, and sat down in peace. Every time Bao'er can't memorize a book, he should be beaten five times, and each of the four children will receive it on his behalf, and Li Bao'er will only take it once. If you should hit four times, it will be divided by four children, and Bao'er doesn't have to bear it.

Although Li Bao'er is the same age as these children at this time, his heart is an old adult after all, how can he bear to let these innocent children suffer for him? Therefore, I didn't dare to slack off, and I studied more diligently. It has only been a few years, and by the time he was fifteen years old, he had read all the Thirteen Classics, and he had written poems and "Eight Strands" articles quite well, and he had passed the county and government examinations.

The four little guys are also gradually enlightened and literate, although they can't be called how many talents they have learned, but they are also literate and hyphenation, and they know how to read and reason.

At this time, Yang Xiucai himself was almost ancient, and he looked old.

One day, he came to see Li Mingshan and said: "The son is smart, he has learned all the things in his life, Jiang Lang is exhausted, and he doesn't dare to take the trouble again, so he has come to ask the old man to resign."

Li Mingshan said: "Where did Mr. say, how can I go after losing Mr.'s intentions all these years?" Let's wait for the child to enter school, and then make a plan. ”

Yang Xiucai said: "The son is studying hard, and there is no obstacle to going to school." With the old age and dizziness in his later life, I am afraid that it will not last long, and I want to go back to my hometown while I still have some energy, so as not to die outside. ”

When Li Mingshan heard this, he couldn't stay any longer, so he ordered the account room to settle and polish the pen, and in addition to the spent money, there were still 3,700 taels left. Li Mingshan ordered him to pay another 300 taels, making up 4,000 taels of integer delivery.

Yang Xiucai happily accepted the silver and was about to leave.

Li Mingshan said: "The old gentleman is old and carries a lot of silver taels, how can he get a mistake on the road?" And wait a few more days, and wait for all the merchants who buy tea in Hanzhong in the house, and there will be a good response on the way. ”

Yang Xiucai listened to it and felt reasonable, so he pondered for a few more days, ate and slept well, and waited for the departure.