One afternoon in mid-April, after Chen Caozhi copied Ouyang Xun's "Zhang Hansi Perch Sticker", he washed his pen and looked out the window, the sky was dark, and the drizzle continued, it seemed that he could not go to Jiuyao Mountain in the evening, and suddenly remembered that his deceased brother Chen Qingzhi's study had not yet been entered, and there should be some books to read.

There are 12 spacious large rooms on the third floor on the west side of Wubao, each large room is divided into two rooms inside and outside, such a huge half-arc building is inhabited only by Chen Cao's family of four and an old girl named Yinggu, Yinggu came to Chenjiawu with Chen's mother Li more than 30 years ago.

Chen Caozhi's bedroom and study are on the right side of the staircase, Chen's mother Li and Zongzi and Run'er live in the big room on the left side of the stairs, which used to be Yinggu's room, and then Chen Qingzhi's study, and then Chen Qingzhi and Ding Youwei's bedroom, and on the side is the residence of the four wedding maids.

The large room on the left side of the third floor is the "Crane Ming Hall", where Chen's mother Li has to go to the "Crane Ming Hall" every morning and evening to recite the "Five Thousand Texts of Lao Tzu", where the Taoist ancestor Lao Dan and the "three officials" of heaven, earth and water are enshrined.

Although Chen Caozhi is also a believer in the Heavenly Master's Dao, because he is underage, he doesn't have to do his homework in the morning and evening, and on this rainy afternoon, he walked into his dead brother's study.

The layout of this study is the same as Chen Caozhi's study, Laigui's wife Zhao will come to clean it every day, and the reed mats in the study are spotless, as if Chen Qingzhi is still studying here as usual.

Chen Caozhi was pleased to see that there were hundreds of scrolls on the bookshelf here, took out a scroll of silk books on the side, unfolded it, and the first line from the right was - "the heart is still the first face is also very decorated", this is the "Female Training" written by Cai Yong, a great Confucian in the late Han Dynasty, was written to his daughter Cai Wenji, this naturally cannot be Cai Yong's true handwriting, but the official book on the silk book is different from Chen Qingzhi's calligraphy style, Chen Qingzhi learned the Han Li's "Zhang Qian Tablet", with a thick pen, strong and charming, and this volume of "Women's Training" is obviously a teacher of "Cao Quan Tablet", the font is beautiful and beautiful, The wind is blowing——

"This is your sister-in-law's handwriting."

Chen's mother, Li, stood behind Chen Caozhi at some point, and her old face smiled faintly.

"Oh, this is written by my sister-in-law, my sister-in-law's calligraphy is so beautiful." Chen Caozhi was sincerely admired.

Chen's mother Li Shi said abruptly: "The young and micro people are called the first lady in Qian Tang, beautiful and gentle, can write and paint, and your brother and wife are very good, but unfortunately Qingzhi's premature life is really bitter for her - today is April 15, if the weather is fine, the people of Ding Mansion will almost come to pick up Zongzhi and Run'er, you see your sister-in-law, send greetings to your mother, and your mother has not seen her for almost three years." ”

Chen Caozhi looked at this charming Han tablet "Women's Training", and tried his best to recall the image of his sister-in-law Ding Youwei, but there was only a vague gentle and graceful shadow in the young man's memory, which was vague and distant-

Chen's mother Li suddenly said: "Ugly, my mother is thinking that I should set a family affair for you." ”

"Ahh Chen Caozhi was surprised: "Mother, my son is not yet fifteen years old." ”

Chen's mother, Li, smiled and motioned for Chen Caozhi to sit down.

The mother and son sat opposite each other from each other, and Chen Caozhi leaned slightly to the left and was at the bottom to show respect for his mother.

Chen's mother Li said: "It's not that you want to get married now, you can get engaged first." ”

"Engaged? Who does the mother want her child to get engaged to? ”

Chen Cao's head is big, he is famous for his filial piety, if his mother determines which daughter wants to do the gift of accepting and asking for his name, he is really not disobedient, this arranged marriage is really troublesome!

I only heard my mother say: "Qian Tang Feng Mengxiong, is your father's old friend, is a clerk of the county office, has a daughter, fourteen years old, it is said that she is beautiful and knowledgeable, if you are interested, my mother will ask your fourth uncle to ask, it should be possible." ”

Chen Caozhi frowned slightly, and said softly: "Mother, this marriage is a lifelong event, you can't be rash, we don't know about the Feng girl, if you marry someone who doesn't have a good temperament, wouldn't it be a lifetime of trouble?" ”

Chen's mother, Li, nodded again and again, appreciating her son's foresight, but said: "Although the Feng family is not a scholar family, it is also a family of poets and scholars, and the Feng girl should not be fierce - by the way, your seventh sister returned to Ning last time and said that her sister-in-law is smart and beautiful, and wants you to marry her sister-in-law, how about it?" ”

This is really endless, Chen Cao's heart turned around, and he deliberately asked: "Mother, are the Feng girls and the sister-in-law of the seventh sister as good as the sister-in-law?" ”

"Youwei," Chen's mother Li shook her head and smiled: "Then don't dare to expect it, your sister-in-law is the first lady in Qiantang, she is beautiful and has a good temperament." ”

Chen Caozhi said: "Mother, in the future, I will marry a scholar girl like my sister-in-law, who has a gentle temperament and can honor your old man." ”

Chen's mother Li smiled slightly, and sighed in her heart: "Cao Zhi is really arrogant, but it was a coincidence that Qingzhi was able to marry the Shi clan, and the Ding family regretted it later, didn't they take it back by them, with this lesson from the past, which scholar clan would marry their daughter to a poor family!" ”

Chen's mother Li is so anxious to get engaged to her son, because she feels that her energy has declined badly in the past two years, her eyes and ears are not as good as before, and the successive deaths of her husband Chen Su and eldest son Qingzhi have hit her hard, if it weren't for Caozhi, Zongzhi and Run'er, she would hardly be able to support it, so she wanted to see Cao Zhi marry a good wife as soon as possible, so that she would be blind to death, but now when she heard Cao Zhi say this, she also felt that she couldn't be too anxious, although it was impossible to marry a scholar girl like Youwei, but with the Chen family's prestige, In the Shu family, you can still pick and choose.

"Okay, let's not talk about this for now, my mother will slowly find a good girl for you, the appearance is not inferior to your sister-in-law's, you can read and learn words with peace of mind - every year in early September, there is a riverside Yaji in Jiuqian Tang County, and the county will be responsible for the selection of the nine products of the central official will also be present, you want to gain fame, that is the best opportunity, ten years ago Brother Ru was on the riverside Yaji to understand the "Analects" and become a blockbuster, but this year you are still young, it is not too late to go next year."

Chen's mother, Li, got up and walked out of the study so that her son could concentrate on reading.

Thinking that his mother was worried about his marriage, Chen Caozhi shook his head alone and smiled bitterly, put aside his distracting thoughts, took out the scroll numbered "Jiazi" on the shelf, and couldn't help but be overjoyed when he unfolded it, this is the metaphysical genius Wang Bi's "Analects of Doubt", very good, read it in the future, less than 20,000 words of "Analects" Chen Caozhi is now reciting well, Ma Rong's annotations are also well understood, what is needed now is to understand the different elaborations and exertions of this scripture by famous masters of the past dynasties, especially the unique interpretation of this Confucian classic by the master of metaphysics.

In addition to this "Analects and Explanations", there is also a famous book "Zhou Yi Note" that is also the first of Wang Bi's generation, "Zhou Yi Note", Yangyang twelve volumes, although "Zhou Yi" is profound, but Chen Caozhi is still ready to study, I don't know that "Yi" is not a celebrity.

In addition, there is a "Spring and Autumn Zuo's Biography" and half of "Zhuangzi" in the study, this half of "Zhuangzi" only has "Leisurely Travel", "Theory of Things", "Health Master", "Zhibei Tour", "Autumn Water" and "Fisherman" A total of six articles, look at the delicate handwriting, it is also the handwriting of sister-in-law Ding Youwei, presumably copied from the collection of books in Ding's house.

The two little brothers and sisters of Zong Zhi and Run'er walked in, and the old girl Huan Yinggu, who was nearly fifty years old, stood at the door with a smile, usually Yinggu helped Chen's mother Li take care of Zongzhi and Run'er.

Run'er said: "Uncle Ugly, you climb Jiuyao Mountain every day, why don't you take Run'er and Brother with you?" ”

Chen Caozhi's curved fingers lightly flicked Run'er's cute little face, and said: "It's raining now, if it's sunny tomorrow, I'll take the two of you to climb the mountain, remember, you have to go by yourself, don't be coquettish and ask people to carry it." ”

Zong Zhi said: "I'm eight years old, I can walk, Run'er's little delicate appearance, I must be carried by others." ”

Run'er pouted her little mouth like rose petals and said, "Run'er will go by herself, and you must not be carried by others." ”

Chen Caozhi said with a smile: "Okay, Tianqing will take you there, now both of you will go to my study to practice calligraphy, let me read quietly here, and don't be naughty with Aunt Ying." ”

Zong Zhidao: "Uncle Ugly, Run'er and I have already practiced calligraphy, and each of us has a large one." ”

Run'er said: "Run'er and Brother are very well-behaved, aren't they, Aunt Ying?" ”

Ying Gu smiled: "Yes." ”

Run'er shook her fine and soft forehead hair, and said sweetly: "Uncle Ugly, Run'er won't make noise to Uncle Ugly, Run'er will play inside for a while." ”

This large study is also two rooms, inside and outside, separated by large bookshelves, and Chen Caozhi has not yet entered the room.

Zongzhi and Run'er both went in, Yinggu waited at the door for a while and left, and the two little ones didn't know what to play inside, silently.

Chen Caozhi began to read carefully from the first volume of "The Analects of Doubt", the original text is known, just look at Wang Bi's annotations and play, Wang Bi's annotations are full of speculative color, novel imagery, concise and concise, this Wang Bi who died young is really a genius who opened up the two doors of Confucianism and Xuan.

Chen Caozhi was fascinated, and suddenly heard the sound of "Zheng", which came from the inside, and couldn't help but feel happy, it turned out that there were still musical instruments at home.