The dilapidated door opened, and an old woman in shabby clothes stepped out.

"My grandson is not good at doing it now and can't go out to greet him, so please forgive Mr. Xu." The woman said.

Listening to the tone, you can tell that this woman is well-educated. Her words and sentences are very decent, but the title in her mouth made Zhu Youzhen surprised.

She called the person in the house an outsider, then she should be Huang Xiucai's wife. Judging by her age, it seems that Huang Xiucai's age should not be much younger than Xu Guangqi.

is still just a showman at such an age, no wonder he is so downcast. Zhu Youzhen pursed his lips disdainfully.

"You're a brother or sister?" Xu Guangqi was very surprised, "What happened to you?" How come you have grown so old in just a few years? How could Huang Xiandi be bad at his work? I don't remember him having a problem with his legs? ”

Faced with Xu Guangqi's series of questions, the woman did not answer. She took a few steps forward and bowed down to Xu Guangqi Yingying, and Zhu Youzhen noticed that what she did was also a standard Wanfu side squatting salute.

"The folk woman Huang Liushi asked Mr. Xu for peace. If the hut is not crude, please move into the house and speak. It is inconvenient for my grandson to go out to greet me, so please forgive me. ”

Is this something inconvenient to say in the hospital?

Zhu Youzhen was very interested, he followed two steps and whispered to Xu Guangqi: "Sir, in that case, let's go in and have a look?" ”

Hearing Zhu Youzhen's curiosity, Xu Guangqi bowed his head slightly, and took the lead in walking into the dilapidated thatched hut.

Squinting his eyes to adapt to the change of light, and seeing the furnishings in the hut clearly, Zhu Youzhen was taken aback again.

Although the exterior of the hut is dilapidated, the furnishings in the house are in good order. There is no feeling of dirty mess as Zhu Youzhen imagined.

On a dilapidated bamboo bed, a middle-aged man was half-lying on it. Seeing Xu Guangqi enter the door, he tried to salute sideways.

"Mr. Xu, the student is polite."

Seeing his difficult salute, Zhu Youzhen was tired and panicked for him.

Hey, this Huang Xiucai is not old, he looks like he is in his 30s, right? Is this an old wife and a young husband?

Maybe it's a child daughter-in-law since childhood, and it seems that the daughter-in-law is older.

Zhu Youzhen's gossip fire was raging.

Xu Guangqi took two quick steps and grabbed the middle-aged man's arm, "Brother Xian, what's wrong with you?" ”

"Sir, please sit down first," Huang Xiucai pointed to a small bamboo chair next to the bed, "The Burrow is too simple, and there is not even a sip of tea, which is really snubbing Sir." ”

Seeing Zhu Youzhen behind Xu Guangqi, Huang Xiucai showed an embarrassed expression.

"This little brother, the Han family is too simple and the hospitality is not good, I'm really embarrassed."

Huang Xiucai on the bamboo bed waved his hand, and Zhu Youzhen said: "It's okay, what you say about yours, I'll just take a look." ”

Zhu Youzhen said this just to not embarrass Huang Xiucai.

There appears to be only one chair in the room. Zhu Youzhen knew that if he didn't speak, Xu Guangqi would never dare to sit down without him. Zhu Youzhen didn't want to reveal his identity so soon.

Ignoring the conversation between Xu Guangqi and Huang Xiucai, Zhu Youzhen carefully looked at the dilapidated thatched hut.

It can be seen that the owner of the house is very careful. Even where the roof is broken, there are no obvious water stains on the ground. In this rainy season, it can only be maintained by cleaning as soon as the weather is clear.

Well, the inside of the house is really clean.

Zhu Youzhen appreciates this kind of organizer and is willing to tidy up the owner.

In any case, a tidy room is better than a messy room, which will make people feel more comfortable.

Although it is a rural thatched house, Zhu Youzhen did not see any farm tools in the house. The furnishings in the house are also more like a study.

In the room, on the desk by the window, there are the four treasures of the study, and there is a calligraphy and painting on the wall. The content seems to be Xin Qiji's "He Bridegroom".

The only tools of labor in the house may be the spinning wheel in the corner of the house and an embroidered bandage next to it.

"It's strange, what do they rely on for a family like this as a source of livelihood? Is it only by the fields? Zhu Youzhen muttered to himself in his heart.

In the house, except for Huang Xiucai and his wife, Zhu Youzhen did not see other characters.

After discovering that Zhu Youzhen really didn't matter, Xu Guangqi sat down on the bamboo chair. After riding this part of the road, he was really tired.

"Brother Xian, your legs and feet?" Xu Guangqi looked at Huang Xiucai lying on the bamboo bed and asked.

"Alas, don't hide it, sir, the student's leg is a cane. It's much better now, and it's estimated that there will be 10 days and 8 days of complete fineness. ”

"Cane rebuke?" Xu Guangqi frowned, "Who dares to insult Sven so much?" ”

Zhu Youzhen heard it on the side, and his heart was also moved.

Xu Guangqi: This is not a casual question.

In the Ming Dynasty, the identity of Xiucai has initially entered the class of "scholars", although it is only the lowest fame, but it should not be underestimated among the people.

According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Xiucai already enjoys preliminary privileges. For example, if the official is undefeated, he will enjoy the reduction and exemption of conscription. In this era, only Xiucai can legitimately open a private school (Xiucai is equivalent to a teacher's qualification certificate).

Although Xiucai does not have the right to tax exemption, if Xiucai's family has enough land, he will generally live a good life.

After all, there is no conscription, which saves a lot of expenses (in the agricultural tax of the Ming Dynasty, the proportion of conscription is not a decimal), plus there is a talent and fame, and the tax collectors do not dare to exploit too much.

Not to mention anything else, once Xiucai complains for the crime of insulting Sven, any county order will be biased in favor of Xiucai. After all, Xiucai and the county order are also people of the same class, if the county order is not maintained, and he is allowed to be bullied by the servants and spread out, then the reputation of the county commander will be ruined.

Even if Xiucai violates the law, the county order must be reported first, and Xuezheng must be dismissed from his Xiucai reputation before he can be questioned again.

Hehe, although Xiucai is the most junior civil servant, not everyone can step on it.

"How dare others be reprimanded? Of course, it is the county of this prefecture. Huang Xiucai smiled bitterly.

"He's ruined your reputation?" Xu Guangqi's face darkened.

"Not really."

"Then how dare he rebuke you?" Xu Guangqi was furious and stood up angrily.

Seeing Xu Guangqi's angry performance, Zhu Youzhen was also shocked in his heart.

The tradition of the scholars is really strong!

Xu Guangqi should be regarded as the most enlightened official of the Ming Dynasty, right?

But what Xu Guangqi was angry about was not that Huang Xiucai's crime of being beaten was unreasonable (after all, Huang Xiucai hadn't said it yet), Xu Guangqi was angry that Huang Xiucai would be beaten as a Xiucai?

It can be seen from here that in this era, the scholar class will consciously protect the interests of the scholars. Xu Guangqi's current performance is the best example.

Xu Guangqi has not asked Huang Xiucai for what crime he was guilty of. In his opinion, no matter what the crime is, before Huang Xiucai's reputation is removed, the county order should not blame him.

"Mr. is angry," Huang Xiucai was very calm, "Mr. is angry, and the students can't complain about the county when they are beaten down, and they blame the students for not being able to do anything." ”

Hearing Huang Xiucai say this, Xu Guangqi retracted his anger a little and sat down slowly.

Xu Guangqi sat down and said, "No matter what, he shouldn't beat you like this." This is also too insulting. ”

"Sir, he was angry. In this matter, they all complained that the students were not able to do their best, and they deserved to be beaten. Who asked the student to take over the errand of the grain chief! Huang Xiucai said self-deprecatingly.

"You took the grain chief?" Xu Guangqi gasped, "You are so bold." ”