It was said that Zeng Ruixiang was a little strange that Tian was not as happy as usual, and after thinking about it, he said: "Mother, this is the new clothes that Zifu and his mother and Qing'er specially made for you and your father, try it to see if it fits?" ”

"What can you do if it doesn't fit, isn't it just a cotton dress? I don't have the good life of others, someone makes silk, silk, satin, and someone buys gold, silver, and jade, my wife has never heard of it, let alone seen it. ”

Tian's words made Zeng Ruixiang understand what the problem was, "Mother, that is Zifu's grandmother's sixtieth birthday, several uncles Zhang Luo, mother, when you celebrate your sixtieth birthday, my eldest brother and I will also give you the scenery." ”

"I'm okay with that, don't you just invite the whole village to a meal? As long as Chunyu and the others have no opinion, and they are willing to spend money to buy you a business, I don't care. Zeng Ruiqing said. It turns out that the dignity of this custom is to look at the daughter's ability, and the son only cares about the food.

"What's the use of raising a son, it's better to have a good daughter." As soon as Tian heard his eldest son's words, he couldn't help but blurt out.

"Mother, you have three good daughters, then see who buys you gold and silver jade, my son is useless, useless to give you a few taels of silver a year, how many years has the second child been, eighteen taels a year, no one is missing you. You also raised three daughters, and next year you will also let your daughter raise you, so let Chunyu come first. Zeng Ruiqing already had an opinion on his mother's partiality in his heart, but this time he listened to Tian's words and replied without thinking deeply.

Tian was so angry that his face turned red, and he wanted to fight for this breath, and he also knew that the eldest son-in-law was a master who only entered but could not leave, so he didn't say anything, but he was really panicked, "You, you see whose old man has a son to raise his daughter, you are not afraid of falling stocks, I have to save some face for you, I am not like some mothers-in-law, there are several sons in the family who are still living and living at their daughter's house." Isn't it just a few coins from my daughter's house? I'm not afraid of other people's jokes. ”

"Mother, my mother-in-law has been helping with the children at home. In the past few years, I have helped Yumei a lot, and my uncles have not come to help me do things. To tell you the truth, we had a better life, and they asked for some watermelon seeds and potato seeds from my house, and they didn't want anything else. I've also given these to the people on our side of the family. Now my eldest brother's life is also better, Yumei is the eldest in the family and the only daughter. My mother-in-law feels sorry for her daughter, and seeing that I am not at home all the year round, she wants to get together with her daughter more, and it is understandable to help take care of the children by the way. Zeng Ruixiang really couldn't listen to his mother's reversal of black and white. For the first time, he defended a few words.

"That's it, my mother also feels sorry for Chunyu, and I also went to help with the foil, didn't I say that I would let my sister raise her for a lifetime, and it won't work for a few months? Save yourself from always envying others for giving birth to a good daughter. I can take my mother to enjoy the blessings. Zeng Ruiqing said.

"Alright, is there any end to it? Ruiqing. Your eldest sister's family has been in difficulty, and your mother and I are a little partial to her, which is normal, I told you, one day Ziping is going to have a bad time, and you are also distressed. You are the eldest son in the family, and you have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters in the family, but now what do you think you look like? The whole is a woman with a long tongue. The conditions at home are difficult, no matter how difficult it is, my father and mother will let you and the second child study and read, and I will not be wronged by you, otherwise, when Chunyu gets married, the family will be so poor that they can't get the silver at the bottom of the box? Didn't your sister say anything? There is also a second girl, if she hadn't been delayed by the lack of money to see a doctor, wouldn't she be able to do without the medicine jar every year? Think it over for yourself. After saying this, the old man seemed very tired.

No one in the hall squeaked for a while, and after a while, Zeng Ruixiang opened his mouth and said, "Dad, mother, eldest brother and sister-in-law, go to my side in the Chinese New Year's Eve." ”

The old man and Tian haven't spoken yet, Zeng Ruiqing said: "No, second brother, let's live by ourselves this year, now that our family has added people, let's be lively and lively, you have been making trouble in the past two years, and my father and mother have also spent it with me this year, and my father just said, why am I also the eldest son." The house is small, so I won't invite you over. ”

Zeng Ruixiang couldn't say anything when he heard it, and discussed the matter of worshipping his ancestors, so he took Zifu and Zilu home. Shen Shi heard that his family would have a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner this year, but he didn't say anything else.

Because there were no outsiders at this year's Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, the Shen family did not prepare so many styles, and they picked a few dishes that the family loved to eat, and the family talked and laughed more lively than in previous years. After dinner, the family gathered around the brazier in the east house to keep a New Year's Eve, Zeng Ruixiang asked Zifu if he could earn a year's tuition, and Ziqing went out and brought his account books.

Zifu said: "We earned less than eleven taels of silver, and we are very ashamed, no matter what, we are still almost." ”

"Oh, it's a lot, is it just selling couplets?" Zeng Ruixiang asked.

"My brother also helped people write letters, and someone wrote the question on the spot, and my brother wrote it, and they gave more money for polishing the pen." Zilu hurriedly said.

It turned out that there was a restaurant and wine shop, which was a teasing thought, looking at the age of Zifu and his brothers, he wanted to embarrass them, and said that he wanted a new couplet that matched his business, Zifu wrote after a little thought: "The reputation is full of Anzhou, and three glasses of fine wine are for guests to get drunk; Outside the fragrant garden, the delicacies are at your disposal. "Got the approval of the boss and gave a string of money as a tip. In this way, a few more people who watched the excitement stepped forward to ask questions, and Zifu was satisfied with the correct answers one by one.

Zeng Ruixiang listened and said: "Reluctantly, reluctantly." In fact, letting you sell couplets is also a kind of experience for you, and the father does not want to train you to be a sage scholar who can only read and do not care about the crops, you know, in the face of a poor life, it is often useless to be a scholar. ”

Ziqing wanted to blame her father for farming and hunting nitrate, but it turned out that he had experienced this. The hardships of life taught him to put aside his knowledge and not be ashamed to eat with his own labor.

Seeing Ziqing holding the account book, Shen quipped: "Let our little housekeeper report the account and see how much silver our family earns in a year?" ”

Ziqing said: "At this time last year, our family still had 840 taels of silver, and after the year, we sold 50 taels of rape strips, 42 taels of shop rent, less than 2,000 watermelons, 140 taels of potatoes, 50 taels of paddy field rent, 110 taels of chicken raising, 10 taels of mutton, and 2,400 taels this year." The big head is still watermelon. ”

Looking at everyone's surprised expressions, Ziqing said again: "This year, it cost 1,000 taels to buy two shops, 310 taels to buy paddy fields, 52 taels to install window glass, 400 taels of jewelry and clothing, 20 taels to buy land and build a house, and 10 taels of other odds and expenses at home, so our family still has 1,440 taels of silver." ”

Zeng Ruixiang smiled and praised Ziqing and said: "It's hard for you to remember so clearly at your young age, much better than your mother, your mother is confused when she counts more than a hundred." Your arithmetic is the same as Zifu's learning, right? It seems that the blue is better than the blue. You report an account this year, and your mother and I have a score in our hearts, and we also have a plan, which is very good, remember to keep it in the future. ”

"Qing'er, look, even my father said that I taught me well, but you still refuse to admit it, come, come and kowtow to my brother to thank the teacher." Zifu teased.

"Little San, go, kowtow to your master for your master, and make him stinky and smelly." Ziqing pushed Zishou to say, Zishou rolled his eyes and didn't move. The crowd laughed.

Shen Shi also smiled when he saw it and said: "It's strange that I didn't learn well, and I didn't have a good master to teach me. ”

"Nonsense, since ancient times, only the master dislikes the stupidity of the apprentice, how can any apprentice dare to dislike the stupidity of the master?" As soon as Zeng Ruixiang said it, everyone understood what was going on, and he smiled. (To be continued)