Chen An took the duck and slaughtered it at night to bleed, plucked the duck feathers and put them away, and the small fluff was stuffed into a sack separately for preparation.

The brothers walked on the ondol.

Now that the temperature has risen, no firewood has been added to the fire channel under the kang, and it is warm from the stove pond in the hall.

"What did Master teach you today?" Chen Ping tilted his head, and when he saw that Chen An was not asleep, he asked.

"Thirty and standing." Chen Andao lifted the quilt and faced Chen Ping, "Brother, I suddenly remembered that the master's house may not have those condiments, and I have to bring some pepper and sauce and vinegar tomorrow." ”

"Oh?" Chen Ping responded indifferently, noncommittal.

In the dark, Chen An looked at Chen Ping's face, and he couldn't see anything in the dark, and lowered his voice a little: "The master is old, and he is still wearing so thin clothes on such a cold day, because he taught us to go to school, and we were frozen there, we have to get some good food to honor the master." Brother, what do you say? ”

"Yes." Chen Ping was indifferent and could not hear the change in mood.

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Chen An twisted his body and waited for Chen Ping's next words, but after a while, Chen Ping still didn't make a sound: "Brother, are you sleeping?" ”

"Not yet." Chen Ping's tone was flat.

Chen An kicked off the quilt on his feet, his body was a little hot, and he sat up, with a bitter face: "Brother, I was wrong." ”

"What's wrong?" Chen Ping's words finally had some human touch, and he turned his head to look at Chen An.

"I shouldn't lie to you." Chen An said honestly, "The master didn't ask me about my family's assets, he asked me to recite what I said." I took the duck because I wanted to eat it with other classmates in the township school, and I roasted it. ”

Chen An is learning from Chen Ping, and Chen Ping has made roast duck a few times. From Chen Hecai's two thin iron chisels, wear the duck, and roast it over the charcoal fire, the skin is charred and the meat is tender, and a little duck fat falls on the charcoal fire, making a sizzling sound, and a little white smoke comes out.

Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it is even more delicious to eat.

"Why do you want to eat with others?" Chen Ping asked.

"Brother, don't you often say that if you want people to be recognized, you have to let them see the benefits. In Baitu Village, I went to the countryside alone, I am an outsider, and my strength alone is too weak. I'm trying to use the roast duck to pull a group of people over, so that I can have companions and not be afraid of being bullied. Chen An analyzed the situation and said to Chen Ping seriously, "Brother, you don't want me to be bullied, do you?" ”

This kid.

Chen Ping sighed in his heart, but he didn't blame Chen An, but turned sideways and said in a low voice: "You did the right thing, I did teach you this on weekdays." But your roast duck is only for your classmates, not for your master? ”

"Will the Master eat?" Chen An was puzzled, "Today, the master beat a person with a thorn stick, just because he was eating secretly. ”

"It's not okay to eat when you go to school and memorize. You have to find a spare space and wait for the Master to be alone, and then bring him food. Chen Ping said.

The night in the small village in the south of the Yangtze River is quiet and comfortable, if the smell of the backyard is lighter, and the gray air in the house is lighter, it is really a comfortable life.

It was originally a day of running, but he just took a bath, and now he is chatting with Chen An, Chen Ping is not so sleepy: "Chen An, do you know why I want to send you to school?" ”

"Is it to make me an official?" Seeing that Chen Ping said seriously, Chen An hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, brother, I can memorize what the master explained." It's just that the master said that he didn't have a good brother, but he just asked me to recite there, and I asked him, but he only said that he would recite it for ten years before asking him questions to explain his doubts. ”

Chen Ping can't remember all the Analects, but some sentences still have an impression, and there are some scrolls taken from Chen Yuanliang's house, Chen Ping will occasionally explain a few sentences with Chen An when practicing the font at this time.

Liu Fuzi should follow the method of most people, memorize it first, and then explain it, but he was lost by teaching according to his aptitude.

"It's okay, since the master asked you to recite it first, then you can recite it." Chen An's memory is very good and smart, which Chen Ping has long discovered, "But Brother let you go to school but not let you be an official, although you are smart, but I have not seen any meritorious people in my family for several generations, and it is impossible to seek an official position in the imperial court." ”

Regarding the identity of the ancestors, Chen Ping also asked Chen Xiaoyi that Chen Ping's family has been digging in the ground for at least five generations from his own generation onwards.

"The Master said today that as long as you are familiar with the history of the Analects, you can answer the example." Chen Andao, "Ying Ju can be an official, right?" ”

"It's that simple, and it's too late." Chen Ping shook his head, looked at the darkness on the roof, and said quietly, "The former emperor and the current emperor both attached importance to talents, and created subjects such as Xiucai Mingjing, but it is not so easy to pass the two subjects. It is necessary to be proficient in history books, and at the same time to be proficient in the method of governing the world, so that what you have learned can be put into practice. ”

In terms of the standards for talents, I am afraid that it is quite strict at this time, otherwise Yang Jian would not be dissatisfied with the knowledge of the middle school students of Guozixue, so he would directly go to Taixue, Simen and the state and county schools and abolish them.

"Brother asked you to go to school because he wanted you to learn to read and write, which is basic, and he taught you a little bit in the past, and you learned quickly, which is very good." Chen An is seven years old, but there are some things that Chen Ping still needs to mention to him, "The emperor is going to requisition the people to dig canals, and Tuyuhun in the west has always had friction and collision, even in Liaodong in the northeast, there are contradictions." We don't know what will happen next, but we have to be prepared. ”

Canal, Tuyuhun, Liaodong, these are all big things that Yang Guang will do next, Chen Ping knows it, but Chen An in Baitu Village doesn't know it, and he hasn't even heard of these names.

Although he didn't understand, Chen An didn't ask, he just felt that Brother Tonight was different from usual. In the past, it was a reprimand, but the words were not as harsh.

"It doesn't matter if you don't know these now, Brother will tell you in the future." In the dark, Chen Ping stared at Chen An's eyes, and said word by word, "What my brother wants you to know, this world may be chaotic." ”

The faint moonlight penetrated through the cloth bed, flashing across Chen Ping's face, mottled and blurred, Chen Anxin suddenly jumped up, and said timidly: "Is it because you want to be conscripted?" ”

"Well, people will die, people will die a lot." Chen Ping nodded, and put his hand on Chen An's shoulder, "You and I are the men of this family, and we have to be responsible." Protect the grandmother, protect the little mother, and keep them from harm. Can you do it? ”

Feeling the strength on his shoulders, Chen An straightened up, nodded vigorously, bit his lip and said, "Yes, brother, don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt my grandmother and little mother...... And you, brother. ”

"Well, do you know how to do it?" Chen Ping asked.

Chen An shook his head.

"Respect the master, love the classmates, and let more people know that there is a Chen family in Baitu Village, and a Chen family who can lend a helping hand when they are in trouble. You're doing a good job, and since you have something delicious, you should give it to your classmates to taste. Chen Ping raised his hand and patted Chen An, "Xue Xiong in Shangtu Village, he is the chief secretary of the county, and he is at odds with my family." You have to use the connections of those classmates in Shangtu Village to prevent Xue Xiong from doing bad things to my family. This is the task given to you by my brother, can you do it? (To be continued.) )