Wang Hongtai's home is in a single courtyard in the alley behind the ancestral hall.

This is also the property of the Zhang family, but now it has been given to Wang Hongtai to live.

Three into the small courtyard, clean and neat.

Qiao'er was like a happy little rabbit, and she had already returned home upside down and shouted: "Mother, Muguoguo is here." Muguo Guo is coming. ”

This little girl, there is no distinction between brother and fruit, Zhang Mu smiled when he heard this.

"Don't run so fast, fall carefully. Crazy like a male doll, be careful to be seen by your father. ”

At this time, a Persian woman wearing a blue sè gold jacket and a dark green sè pleated skirt came out of the main hall and shouted.

Sure enough, when Qiao'er heard the word "father", she didn't dare to have a seizure, so she hurriedly stopped running wildly, made a grimace, took small steps, and walked to the woman with her head down.

This woman was Wang Hongtai's wife, Liu.

Liu is about forty years old, but she maintains a good figure, she is a typical Persian beauty, with thick curly hair, although she is coiled in a bun, but her bangs are curly, her eyebrow bones are slightly high, her eye sockets are deep, and her blue eyes are as bright as gems, and Qiao'er has inherited almost all her advantages.

"Come in and eat." When she saw Zhang Mu, she shouted.

"Okay." Zhang Mu said a word and entered the back hall.

At the dinner table, the dishes were quite sumptuous, a bowl of fat bacon with flowing oil, the aroma of stir-frying, two meat and two vegetables, and a fish soup, Zhang Mu smelled it, and his index finger moved.

Although it was just over the New Year, Zhang Mu hadn't eaten seriously this month.

Yesterday I basically didn't eat anything, and I was hungry for a long time.

After sitting down, Liu Xia began to gobble up.

"Mother, if you don't call Mu Guoguo at noon today, he will have to eat white rice again." Qiao'er watched Zhang Mu gobble up, and said in a low voice.

"Hey." Liu sighed, her eyes were filled with tears, although she was a Persian, but she was born in the Central Plains, she has never returned to Persia, and her appearance is almost no different from that of a woman in the Central Plains.

Liu's heart is kind, and she often helps children who don't eat well in Zongxue, and Zhang Mu's family is kind to the Wang family, since Liu knows about Zhang Mu, as long as Zhang Mu goes to school, Liu will call him to eat.

"A good family is so broken. Poor kid! I just got this strange disease, stupid and stupid, how good is this. Liu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and then sandwiched another piece of roast meat for Zhang Mu.

She also once told Wang Hongtai, Wang Hongtai naturally knew in his heart, but this kind of thing, he is an outsider, and it is not easy to come forward, after all, Zhang Funei is still Aunt Zhou's business, so he told Liu to take care of it if he can.

"Mother, why are you crying?" Qiao'er tilted her head and asked with an aggrieved expression.

"It's fine." Liu Shi served Zhang Mu a bowl of soup, and lovingly stroked Zhang Mu's head and said.

It's just that she felt the hard stubble on Zhang Mu's head, pulled hard, and looked down to see that there was a bloody scab in the palm of her hand.

got up and pulled Zhang Mu's back collar to look in, and when he saw the shocking wound on Zhang Mu's back, he couldn't help but be startled.

Although the ancients produced filial sons under the sticks, Wang Hongtai was also an extremely strict gentleman, and the students who often beat the old high with swollen palms couldn't hold the pen, but seeing Zhang Mu's wounds, Liu knew what kind of abuse Zhang Mu had suffered at home.

But how can a person with a conscience do such a dead hand to a child.

"Those subordinates in Zhang's Mansion are so bad, why doesn't Mrs. Zhou care?" Qiao'er frowned and said.

"Brother Mu'er, after eating in a while, my wife will apply some medicine to you. Good no good? Liu asked gently.

At this time, Zhang Mu put down his rice bowl, slowly raised his head and asked, "Where is Mr." ”

Liu Shi was stunned for a moment, Zhang Mu in front of him, on his handsome face, a solemn face, and more importantly, his eyes that were always dull were as bright as stars at the moment, and Zhang Mu before him was suddenly judged to be like two people.

"Sir, sir is in the study." As soon as Liu finished speaking, before he could reflect, Zhang Mu had already walked towards the study.

"Mother, it seems that Mu Guoguo's illness has been cured?" At this moment, even Qiao'er can see the difference between Zhang Mu.

Liu hurriedly got up and said, "Qiao'er, you have a good meal." I'm going to see your shepherd brother. Immediately, Liu also headed towards the study.

――――――――――――――

The Wang family's study is in the west wing of the backyard, although the room is not large, but the shelves are full of all kinds of books.

At this moment, Wang Hongtai was sitting on a pine Taishi chair, holding a copy of "Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in his hand and reading it with relish.

Speaking of Wang Hongtai, he also has a long life.

In the third year of Hongwu, Taizu issued an edict to open the department to take the test, because the world was initially decided, Emperor Taizu was thirsty for talent, so he ordered all provinces to be in a row for three years, and after the middle move, he was exempted from going to Beijing to listen to the election.

Wang Hongtai was born in Xinhai Ke the following year, with dreams and enthusiasm, and was ready to participate in the Xinhai Kexiang Examination this year.

As a result, I got colic, and it was easy to pick up a life, but this illness was brought up for more than a year, and after missing the exam of Xinhai Branch, it was harmless, anyway, it took the exam for three consecutive years.

However, the heavens did not fulfill people's wishes, and the old father passed away.

After three years, Emperor Taizu found that the imperial examinations were all nerds, and it was no problem for them to read and write, but governing the country is not something that a scholar can do.

So he simply canceled the imperial examination and ordered all localities to recommend talents for use.

This delay was not until the fifteenth year of Hongwu before the decree was re-issued, the formal imperial examination was resumed in the seventeenth year, and the official imperial examination was resumed in the eighteenth year.

And Wang Hongtai has also gone from being a hot-blooded young man to a year of no confusion, looking at half a hundred, and his ambitions back then have almost been consumed.

Now that he has no worries about food and clothing, he is fond of poetry and songs, flowers, birds, fish and insects, and is ready to live for the rest of his life.

"Sir." At this time, there was a knock at the door.

Wang Hongtai was stunned, this was clearly Zhang Mu's voice, but Zhang Mu had never looked for him once.

"Come in." Wang Hongtai shouted with some curiosity.

At this time, Zhang Mu entered the room, and Wang Hongtai looked at Zhang Mu and couldn't help but be surprised.

In the past two years, every time he saw Zhang Mu, Zhang Mu was dull, his eyes wandered, and sometimes he was crazy, and he even dared to spit on the portrait of Confucius.

He was grateful to Zhang Mu's father for taking care of him, so he was somewhat partial to Zhang Mu, even if Zhang Mu was stupid, he also hoped that Zhang Mu would suffer less grievances.

However, Zhang Mu, who was kneeling in front of him today, had a handsome cheek, a blazing gaze, and a solemn expression, and the previous Zhang Mu, who was like two people.

"Brother Mu'er, what are you?"

"Sir, save me." Without waiting for Wang Hongtai to finish speaking, Zhang Mu kowtowed.

Wang Hongtai was taken aback, although he also suffered from this, but he knew that it must be a big deal, so he hurriedly got up and helped Zhang Mu and asked, "Where does this start?" ”

"Sir, after my father died, my aunt was in power in the house. It's just that this week, my aunt treated me like a thorn in the eye and a thorn in the flesh, and tried to kill me three or four times. It's a shame that I've pretended to be stupid all the way to survive until now. Now that the county exam is imminent, she categorically won't let me enroll. Now the only one who can save me is my husband. Zhang Mu said with tears in his eyes.

"As far as I know, although Mrs. Zhou is doing things this week, although it is a little biased, it will not murder your life, right? You can't talk nonsense. Wang Hongtai suddenly heard this, coupled with Zhang Mu's consistent performance, who knows if he is crazy again, so he deliberately asked tentatively.

"Why do I talk nonsense? In the past two years, there have been three fires in my home, each time near my bedroom. I was poisoned many times, and I also lost my machine, so I escaped from the clutches. If I hadn't pretended to be stupid, how would I have survived until now? Zhang Mu looked earnest, looking at Wang Hongtai sincerely, he knew in his heart what Wang Hongtai was worried about.

"Well, even if what you say is true, then why don't you explain it to the patriarch? Instead come to me? Wang Hongtai was still a little worried, so he continued to probe.

"Sir doesn't know, the second is an ugly thing in my house. I wasn't going to say it, but I was forced to do it. Aunt Zhou and Fang patriarch Zhang Chi had an affair, and the two had an affair for a long time. Zhang Chiyù occupied the property of our house, so he and the poisonous woman were in the same stream, and they were embarrassed. I'm a yellow-mouthed child, if I tell the patriarch this, will the patriarch believe me? Zhang Mu explained.

"Brother Mu'er, you can eat indiscriminately, but you can't talk nonsense. It's about two people's names. You say they fornicated, but is there any evidence? Wang Hongtai was a little convinced.

"It's no secret that everyone in my Zhang Mansion knows about it."

"There are also rumors and rumors from outsiders, how can you believe the words of village husbands and village women?" Wang Hongtai is already at this age and knows the Zhang family well, if this matter is true, it will be very terrifying. Because, he always suspected that Zhang Mu's father and mother died of a violent illness back then, too hasty, and he was afraid that there was something greasy in the middle, if it was true, the story behind this back was enough to set off an uproar in the Zhang family.

"Sir, I have been cornered. You don't believe it, how can the patriarch believe it? It's not an unsightly thing for the two of them to have an affair, so how can I get a grip on it? If you can't get it right, you will sue me for slander again. Am I not dead without a place to bury? ”

"Well, even if it's true. The old man is a scholar, what can he help you? Wang Hongtai looked at Zhang Mu's appearance, not like he was lying, so he asked curiously.

"Sir can let me take the county exam, as long as I have a reputation and attract the attention of the patriarch, this matter will be half done. The pair of jiān husbands and yín women must be afraid that I will die, and they will inevitably not show their feet. I'll have proof. Even if I can't get rid of a pair of jiān husbands and wives, I can justifiably take back my family business, it's better than sitting back and waiting to be killed now! Zhang Mu said.

When Wang Hongtai heard this, he was secretly shocked.

Zhang Mu in front of him is only thirteen or fourteen years old, and he can already think of this method, it seems that in the past two years, I am afraid that he has experienced a lot of unknown things.

People are like this, how can they grow up without weather?

"Wait, let me see." Immediately, Wang Hongtai turned around and walked towards the desk.

A list of knots was pulled out of it, and sure enough, there was no Zhang Mu on it. This list was sent to each room yesterday, and he hasn't read it carefully, according to the rules of the Zhang family, Zhang Mu should take the county test.

But given his stupidity, it makes sense.

At this time, Liu Shi entered the room, she listened outside the door for a long time, and she couldn't help it at the moment.

"Master, you can help the pastor. If we don't save this child, no one will be able to save him. With tears in his eyes, Liu dragged Zhang Mu up from the ground, untied Zhang Mu's clothes, and turned Zhang Mu with his back to Wang Hongtai.

Wang Hongtai glanced up and couldn't help but be stunned.

On Zhang Mu's back, the flesh and blood are blurred, and old injuries abound, scarred, and they are shocking to look at.

Wang Hongtai has lived for most of his life, and when he sees this, he doesn't need to say much.

For a thirteen-year-old child, no matter how naughty he is, he should not be so ruthless.

"Brother Mu'er, let's not talk about your father's kindness to me, just because you are my student, this matter, the old man will help you to the end." Wang Hongtai hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice.

"Thank you, sir." Suddenly, Zhang Mu knelt on the ground, he could no longer restrain the grievances he had suffered in the past two years, and he couldn't help but burst into tears, and then kowtowed respectfully to Wang Hongtai.

A big event, the dust settled.

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Today's second shift, brothers, please collect the book, and give a few votes if you have a ticket, although it is an old writer, it is not easy to get to the starting point for the first time. Thank you very much.