"Huh? Sister Ning'er, who is she? How do you know each other? I've never seen it in the manor. A girl with a little childlike voice walked out from the depths of the bookshelf and looked curiously at the two girls who were happy to meet.

Cui Ning'er took Zheng Liwan's hand and introduced: "Sister Xiaowu, this is my cousin, Zheng Liwan of the Zheng family in Xingyang." Cousin, this is a student of Hou Ye, the daughter of the former Ministry of Industry Shangshu Yingguo Gong Samurai. ”

Zheng Liwan looked at the young Wu Zhao, nodded and smiled: "I have long heard my husband talk about Xiao Wu's sister, the reputation of Chang'an's three prodigies a day. When Princess Changle gave you a head, it was really relieved. ”

Cui Ning'er pushed Zheng Liwan and reminded in a low voice: "Cousin, that's Sister Xiaowu's sadness, don't mention it, Sister Xiaowu finally came out." Now that we are studying art here, we read books together every day, and we have a good relationship. ”

Zheng Liwan hurriedly apologized, and Wu Zhao said that it didn't matter, he didn't care about that.

"Since Sister Zheng is from the Zheng family in Xingyang, why did she come here? Everyone knows that Xingyang Zheng has a grudge against my teacher. Xiao Wuzhao asked an awkward question.

Zheng Liwan and Cui Ning'er glanced at each other, and smiled bitterly at the same time, she didn't expect that the teenage little sister in front of her was not very old, but she never suffered a loss.

Zheng Liwan explained: "Family affairs are not something that our juniors can intervene in. I married into the Fang family, and my husband is the bereaved love of the right military guard general. Married to her husband, her husband is the personal guard of the Hou Ye, so I came here with me. By the grace of the Marquis, I was allowed to live with my husband in Xiaojiazhuang. ”

"I thought that I was not familiar with the place in Xiaojiazhuang, and I would be very lonely as a woman. I didn't expect there to be a cousin and a sister Xiaowu here, so it was much more interesting after that. ”

Cui Ning'er nodded happily and said, "Well, cousin doesn't have to be restrained, life in Xiaojiazhuang is actually very easy." If you're bored, you can read a book here with us, and we can be companions together. ”

Speaking of this, Cui Ning'er looked at Wu Zhao next to her, and said with a smile: "Sister Xiaowu, you are known as a prodigy, but you don't know, when I was so old with you, my cousin was called a genius in the Zheng family." Confined to the family rules, my cousin's talent is not known. ”

Xiao Wuzhao's eyes lit up, and he said in surprise with a hint of fighting intent: "Really? After that, I will learn more from Sister Zheng. ”

Cui Ning'er covered her mouth and smiled: "Do you still have time?" Mr. Xiao didn't learn the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. ”

"Oh? Mr. Xiao? The champion Hou Wenwu is both proficient in all arts in the world, why did you also apprentice cousin? Zheng Liwan asked curiously.

Cui Ning'er shook her head and explained: "This Teacher Xiao is not Master Hou, but Master Hou's own aunt, the former Empress Xiao of Sui. The legendary character now lives in Xiaojiazhuang. Teacher Xiao is very loving, maybe I am afraid that my sister Xiaowu and I will be bored reading all day long, and Teacher Xiao will teach us some piano, chess, calligraphy and painting when he is free. Cousin, you must see Mr. Xiao's demeanor, which is not something that can be learned in our private school. ”

Zheng Liwan said curiously: "It turned out to be the one, I visited with my husband before, and I really have an extraordinary temperament." I didn't expect such a character to live in seclusion here, if it weren't for the introduction of my husband, I would have thought it was an ordinary elder woman. She also warmly invited me to talk to her when I was free. ”

Wu Zhao explained: "This is cultivation, Mr. Du said, this is called returning to the basics, and ordinary people can't reach this realm." ”

Cui Ning'er reminded: "Cousin, since Mr. Xiao invited you over, then you can't be lazy. Why don't you come with us in the afternoon? ”

The implication is that in this Xiao Jiazhuang, although the head of the family is the champion Hou Xiao Rui, this Xiao Rui's aunt is the real hidden boss, and the head of the family, Xiao Rui, does not dare to slack off.

"Let's go, bereavement of love, there are three women in one play, and they are chatting hotly. Let's not be an eyesore here, they are cousins, and in this Xiaojiazhuang, you don't need to take care of it step by step. Let's go around elsewhere and tell us about the newlyweds......"

……

In Chang'an City, the news that flowed out of nowhere said that the champion Hou Xiaorui scattered his family wealth to fund the students' scientific examinations, but the power of one person is limited after all, and the candidates need a sky-high amount of silver taels......

The news spread, Chang'an was a sensation, and then Xiao Rui became famous again.

The people of the family ridiculed Xiao Rui for slapping his swollen face and being fat, and he came out to buy people's hearts without money? Borrow 300,000 taels? Gee......

Many people are even celebrating each other, borrowing money to buy people's hearts, Xiao Rui is really poor in donkey skills, if this is how he wants to win the imperial examination, then he will lose! For so many years, the imperial examination has also wanted to turn the sky upside down?

The person who originally spread the news may just want to humiliate Xiao Rui and hit his reputation. Or to deliver a message. But gradually, things seem to be moving in a strange direction, which no one expected.

At first, a group of poor candidates who received silver came to the door to return the money, saying that they could do without the silver and solve all the problems by themselves. Let Hou Ye borrow money to help us like this, everyone is uneasy.

But the official in charge of distributing the money refused to accept it, claiming that the Hou Ye was full of his word, and the money was given to let everyone concentrate on studying and preparing for the exam. If everyone earns money and studies at the same time, how can they win against those children of the family? If you want to help Hou Ye, you don't want to return the money, but to go back to study hard, and in the future, you will capture the flag in the examination room and fight a battle.

As soon as this explanation came out, many candidates burst into tears, hugged the hard-won silver taels in their arms, gritted their teeth and vowed to help the champion Hou earn back this face.

At the same time, in the Huji pawnshop in Xishi, a fierce man walked in with a kitchen knife.

With a bang, he slapped the kitchen knife on the high counter of the pawnshop.

The old gentleman of the pawnshop was shocked, and thought that he was here to make trouble, so he looked down and said, "Hey, isn't this Zhang Butcher on the street, what do you mean by this?" Aren't you going to rob us of Hu Kee's pawnshop? ”

Zhang Butcher said impatiently: "Who dares to rob Hu Ji pawnshop?" Although Lao Tzu is a lowly butcher, he also earns clean and hard-earned money. One thing, this kitchen knife dangled. ”

Oh?

The old gentleman was slightly surprised, glanced at the inconspicuous kitchen knife on the table, and asked puzzledly, "Zhang Tu, have you encountered any difficulties?" This is your ancestral kitchen knife, the quality and craftsmanship even surpass the Tang Mo knife, and it is said to be the work of ancient sword casters. It's not that someone once offered fifty taels and you were reluctant to sell it, what's wrong with it today? ”

"Nothing, lack of money!"

"And how much money are you going to make?"

"One hundred taels!"

"A hundred taels? This thing is rare, and if you meet someone who knows the goods, it can be called a treasure. It's worth the price. The old gentleman patiently asked, "Is there something going on at home?" ”

Zhang Butcher said hatefully: "Lao Tzu can't get used to those people bullying the champion Hou." This kitchen knife is dang, and I will send one hundred taels of silver to Hou Ye, whether it is to repay the court or let Hou Ye sponsor the students. ”

"Oh? Why? The old gentleman asked in surprise, "Zhang Tu, you are just a down-and-out butcher, what do you care about these important things in the imperial court?" Moreover, just because you also want to help Master Hou? ”

Zhang Tu said angrily: "For the sake of those poor students, Master Hou scattered all his family wealth, and even did not hesitate to borrow 300,000 taels. For what? Isn't it just for us ordinary people to produce a few champions? ”

"I, Zhang Tu, am a small person, but my child will participate in the scientific examination and become an official in the future. If you don't help Hou Ye defeat those donkey day families, my children will never want to come out! I don't want my children to be butchers for generations. ”

"On weekdays, I do business to make a living, and I don't have much money at home, so this knife is worth a little silver, so you say whether you can accept it or not, right?"

Hiss......

The old gentleman of the pawnshop was shocked by his words, and couldn't help but praise: "I can't imagine that you, a butcher, can understand this truth." I underestimated you before. ”

"Wait here for a while, and I'll call the shopkeeper."