Seeing that Gu Qing was leaving, Mo Li also followed, from the town to Gujia Village, even the ox cart would take an hour or two, and let Gu Qing take the two children back alone, they were really not at ease, plus the family carried water, chopping firewood and teaching at night needed people, Mo Li was a talent, and he was also a good hand at farm work, so it was naturally more suitable for him to go back.

The four of them bought some pork belly, got on Gu Jiang's ox cart, and returned to Gujia Village.

As soon as they got home, Gu Yu and Gu Nuo hurriedly carried the basket on their backs to dig wild vegetables and feed the chickens and ducks.

Mo Li first went to the vegetable garden to water the vegetables in the garden, and Gu Qing cooked on the fire in the kitchen.

There are few people in the family today, but there is not a lot of work, and they have to collect mushrooms for a while, and Gu Yu and they have to go to class in the evening.

Gu Qing cooked a pot of white rice, fried another green vegetable, and was about to make another small stir-fried meat, when he looked up and saw Mo Li who was tossing blindly in the yard.

Several children were learning abacus and needed abacus, and Mo Li saw that the family was spending money everywhere, so he wanted to do it himself.

But making an abacus is not simple, it requires wood, requires various tools, and is a meticulous job.

Gu Qing fried the vegetables and walked over and said, "Ah Li, your hands are not suitable for this, why don't I buy a few abacus tomorrow and come back." ”

Mo Li pursed his lips and said, "The cheapest abacus is three or four hundred wen each." ”

This price is indeed a bit expensive.

Gu Yu said with a smile: "Brother Li, let's take turns to use your abacus, we will definitely learn." ”

Gu Qing held his chin and said slowly: "Nuo Nuo, isn't Grandpa a good at carpentry, should, maybe, and probably also make abacus?" ”

The abacus is also carpentry, and the principle should be the same.

Gu Nuo's eyes lit up: "Then I'll go find Grandpa." ”

Mo Li washed his hands: "I'll take the abacus with me." ”

"Wait." Gu Qing stopped the two of them, "The abacus is a fine guy, you open your mouth and ask Grandpa to help make the abacus, you have to give money, Ah Li, how much do you say is appropriate for an abacus?" ”

Mo Li thought back to the prices on Yunshan Street, the cheapest abacus was three hundred and fifty wen, and the most expensive was more than a dozen taels of silver, depending on the workmanship and material.

He spoke: "You have to make it to know, but even if it is the worst, there is at least fifty wen." ”

Gu Qing nodded: "Okay, then let's do it." ”

Gu Nuo took Mo Li to the Gu family's old house.

Gu Nuo called people one by one.

Mo Li greeted him humbly and politely: "Grandpa and grandma are good, and the second aunt and third aunt are good." ”

Although several of Gu Qing's husbands and daughters-in-law do farm work on weekdays, their posture and momentum are completely different from the mud legs in the entire Gu Family Village, and as soon as Mo Li enters the courtyard at this time, the others are a little uncomfortable.

Even Sun, who has always liked to find faults, didn't dare to stare at Mo Li for too long, she always felt that it was blasphemy Xiucai, she went into the house and brought a stool out, but she felt that the stool seemed to be too broken, and went in and changed to a decent and clean stool, wiped it and wiped it, and put it in the yard for Mo Li to sit down.

Mo Li waved his hand again and again: "I came this time because I wanted to ask Grandpa for help." ”

Old man Gu was smoking a dry cigarette under the eaves, and when Mo Li called him, he nodded casually, but in fact, he had been secretly looking at Mo Li...... I had only heard that the Dong family was a child before, and he didn't know that this Mo family kid was Xiucai, and a few days ago he knew that Mo Li, who was a good worker, was Xiucai, and he had always wanted to have a good chat, but there was no reason to go to the eldest granddaughter's house.

The last time he was eating, he couldn't pull a junior to talk all the time, this time he really saw it up close, that is, at this moment, his old man finally understood why the eldest granddaughter spent five taels of silver to buy someone back.

Even if you look good, you can study, people seem sensible and well-behaved, and they are also humble and polite to these villagers, such a good offspring, why not the seedlings of their Gu family...... If their Gu family can cultivate a scholar, he should have more face when he closes his eyes and goes to see his ancestors and ancestors in the future.

After thinking about it, Mo Li is already the husband of his eldest granddaughter, and rounding off is not equivalent to their old Gu family's people!

When Old Man Gu was rejoicing, Mo Li suddenly said that he had something to ask him for help.

The old man immediately got up: "Mo boy, what's the matter, you quickly say, as long as I can do it, there is no ambiguity." ”

Mo Li picked up the abacus: "I don't know if Grandpa can make an abacus?" ”

Old man Gu has been going south and north for so many years, naturally he knows abacus, basically readers, and some shopkeepers will also specialize in learning this, he used to beg a shopkeeper to teach him, and the shopkeeper looked down on him as a farmer, he didn't teach the essence, he was blind every day, he didn't learn anything for half a month, and finally broke off relations with the shopkeeper in anger.

Old man Gu walked over and took the abacus, the round beads rolling, rolling in his heart.

He nodded: "If you don't know how to do it, you have to try." ”

He looked at Gu Youyin, who had just walked in, "Third brother, go to the mountain to cut down trees, camphor wood or cypress wood." ”

In the yard after dinner, Old Man Gu was sawing wood, and Mo Li was helping on the side.

Although Mr. Gu did not learn a craft back then, but there are tools that should be there, these years, the tables, chairs, stools, and bed frames at home are all made by his old man with these tools, although they are not as beautiful as the ones he bought, but they are cheaper, and the wood used is the best wood in the mountain, and he is not afraid of insects spoiling.

"To make an abacus, the best ones are sandalwood and huanghuali, but these good woods are too difficult to find, and cypress can also be used." Old Man Gu said while sawing wood, "Is it okay to make such a big deal with abacus?" ”

Mo Li nodded respectfully and obediently: "It's a little smaller, so it's easy to carry on your body." ”

Old Man Gu sawed this piece of wood a little shorter.

The two worked together and quickly made a boxy frame, and the next step was to make the beads, which was the most meticulous process.

The wood is sawn into small squares, and then polished with a foot lathe, which was bought at a high price many years ago when the old man Gu was an apprentice, and it took less than half a year to put it away.

There is a small blade made of iron at the top of the foot spinning machine, and there is a pedal at the bottom, use the blade against the wooden block, step on the pedal, and under the action of high-speed rotation, the wooden block will gradually be ground into a rounded shape.

After the shape of the beads is ground out, it is not enough, it also needs to be polished.

Old man Gu said: "My master said that you should use a fine cloth to polish, this thing is too expensive, you can't afford it, just use burlap, and then play with it for a few days, and it will slowly become smooth and round." ”

Mo Li lifted his robe without saying a word, and tore off a piece of cloth from his underwear: "Grandpa, this is muslin!" ”

Old Man Gu glared at him: "Why are you such a tiger, you kid, your good clothes are missing a hole, how can you wear them again?" ”

Mo Li's face was full of indifference: "I found that everyone is not wearing underwear, and I will not wear it in the future." ”

"Can this be the same?" Old Man Gu was anxious, "You are a scholar, and you will be a master in the future, how can you compare with us who are shaving in the field, you are not particular at all!" You put this cloth away, go back and sew it yourself, with white thread, and no one will see it. ”

Mo Li's expression was a little different, this muslin liner was specially bought for them by the head of the family, and he didn't know what to think When he heard that he was going to polish the abacus, he tore the liner, and the head of the house knew that he was afraid that he would have to blame him.