Although Dr. Shu can't help, he can still take care of himself and don't need to take care of him, so Shu Yan is content. He gets up early every morning, cooks first, and helps Father-in-law Xie scrub his hair and face during the boiling time, serving the convenience of the two old people. Xie Yi is a strong old man, although he has difficulty moving, every time it is convenient, Shu Yan wants to help him, and he resolutely does not use it. If he can do it himself, he doesn't want to burden this poor child again, Shu Yan just helps the two old men empty the toilet.

The three of them eat, and the meal is very simple, just a little yellow rice, a little green cabbage leaves, and a little pickled pickles. After eating, Shu Yan washed the dishes, boiled medicine for Grandpa Xie, and fed Grandpa Xie to eat after boiling.

The Shu family has several hens, and Shu Yan boils two eggs every day, peels them for the two old men, and puts them in a bowl.

Xie Yi asked, "Yan'er, why don't you eat?" ”

Shu Yan lied and said, "Oh, Grandpa Xie, I already ate it when I was cooking by the stove just now." ”

Dr. Shu and Xie Yi also believed it, thinking: It is normal for children to grab snacks. Until one time, Shu Yan went out to wash his face, Xie Yi inadvertently looked into the pot, there were only two eggs in the pot, Xie Yi was a little puzzled, when he asked Shu Yan in the morning, Shu Yan still replied that he had eaten an egg when he was cooking by the stove. The next day, he deliberately went to the pot to take a look again, and found that there were still only two eggs, Xie Yi realized that Shu Yan only boiled two eggs a day, one for each of him and Dr. Shu, but the child himself did not eat it. Xie Yi was greatly moved, such a young child, even if he was greedy, it was not too much, but he actually ......

Xie Yi told Dr. Shu about this, and Dr. Shu was also surprised: "In this dynasty, if you talk about filial piety, it is none other than Wang Xiang Wang Taiwei, when Wang Taiwei was a child, his stepmother was sick and wanted to eat carp, it was winter, the weather was cold, the river water had frozen, and the carp were frozen under the river. Wang Taiwei is filial to his parents and is very famous in the township. Later, he was promoted to filial piety. The story of lying on the ice and begging for carp is still widely praised by people. Although Yan'er's move is not as good as that of Wang Taiwei back then, it is really rare. ”

"There is a father must have a son, his father and mother are a benevolent and filial person, I didn't expect it, hey, ......" Thinking of Shu An and Zhou, the two old people couldn't help but cry again.

Shu Yan only boiled two eggs at a time, kept the rest, saved enough baskets, and sold them to catch medicine for Gonggong Xie. Because he knows that his parents are gone, and Father-in-law Xie still has to take medicine, and his life will inevitably become more and more difficult, and he must save a little.

Shu Yan has been serving Father-in-law Xie for the past few months, and although he kept grabbing medicine to him, the old man's condition has never improved.

The Han family is relatively better, Zhixin also boils medicine for her mother Liu every day, although her mother is sick, but after all, she is still young, and she doesn't need Zhixin to serve her at all, Liu's condition has also improved a little, not to mention that her younger brother Ruoxin will also help the family do something, Zhixin is not as busy as Shu Yan. However, the Han family is poorer than the Shu family, and the family has no money, and the family is already stretched thin after a few medicines.

Shu Yan Since his parents had an accident, Dr. Shu and Father-in-law Xie need to be taken care of again, and all the work at home falls on him, but he did not abandon his studies because of this. He was always busy, busy all day during the day, and at night he used the moonlight to read, but there were good moonlit nights, and there were no days in a month. On days when there is no moonlight, he leaves some work that can be done in the dark at night to do, and reads books during the day. Sometimes, when I was resting from work, I picked up a small branch to practice calligraphy. Needless to say, in addition to the Zhou Yi, the other four classics, the Book of Songs, the Book of Rites, the Book of Shang, and the Spring and Autumn Period, have all been studied under the guidance of Dr. Shu. Don't look at Shu Yan is only fourteen years old and is still entangled in housework, but he is extremely smart, and with the guidance of Dr. Shu, these four classics can basically be integrated. At that time, the imperial court stipulated that as long as one of the Five Classics was passed, you could enter the court as an official. However, that is for the children of wealthy families who are studying in Taixue, and it is not applicable to the majority of Shu and poor children.

Zhixin's mother's illness is good and bad, and she doesn't need Zhixin to take care of her when she is good, relatively speaking, Zhixin is more relaxed than Shu Yan. She had read the Analects, but she didn't like it very much, and in addition to the Book of Songs, she also read a little bit of the Book of Rites and the Nü Xun. When Zhixin is not busy, she mostly practices calligraphy on the ground and reviews the content of the Book of Songs. Although the family's situation is becoming more and more difficult, Liu does not want her son Ruoxin to abandon his studies, which is not in line with her husband's will - although she never admits that his husband is dead. Zhixin is a daughter, just read a little book, not to mention can write a lot of words. She only cares about Ruoxin's studies now, and although she doesn't want to seek fame, she can't deviate too far from her father. Shu Yan is too busy to point to it for a while, so Ruoxin's books are all taught by Zhixin for the time being.

Regarding the three parts of the "Book of Songs" in the wind, elegance and song, Zhixin only likes the "Fifteen Kingdoms Style" and "Xiaoya" parts, most of these two parts are folk songs from all over the world, simple and elegant, and most of the descriptions are ordinary people, whether it is to depict the labor scene, or to express the love between men and women, they are all sincere, happy but not lewd, sad but not sad. In addition to "Wind" and "Xiaoya", the parts of "Daya" and "Song" are all poems of court hymns and temple sacrifices, and she doesn't like them at all.

Shu Yan, Zhixin, and Ruoxin studied and lived under such conditions.

One day in early winter, in the mulberry forest, the mulberry leaves are basically gone. Shu Yan, Zhixin and Ruoxin finished their work at home and came to the mulberry forest to prune the branches. They cut off the dead branches of the mulberry tree, because the pests of the mulberry tree are often hidden in the hollow branches of the mulberry tree. Tie up the dead branches that have been cut off and take them home to be burned as firewood.

The Shu family has more land than the Han family, but Shu Yan has nimble hands and feet, up and down, sometimes holding scissors to cut branches, sometimes bending down to tie up the branches, and the efficiency is not much slower than Sister Zhixin. Zhixin looked at Shu Yan, recalling the joy of the two of them when they were in charge, as if it was just yesterday, and couldn't help but sigh, how can the world make people, things change so quickly, and now both of them have to bear the burden of the family, not to mention laughing together, and even the opportunity to meet is less.

Zhixin likes the "Book of Songs" very much, and her daily joys, sorrows, and sorrows are expressed by the "Book of Songs". She is the age when she first fell in love, looking at Shu Yan's bundled hair, this situation reminded her of a poem in "Qi Feng", and she couldn't help but sing:

There is no field, and Wei Wei is arrogant. Thoughtless, tired...... Graceful and delicate, the total horn is shy. I didn't see it much, and I was suddenly scared!

Shu Yan is also proficient in the "Book of Songs", and as soon as Zhixin sings, Shu Yan understands the meaning. The gist is: don't bother to plant a field, only the grass grows luxuriantly. Don't miss people who are far away, that will make you sad...... The handsome little boss boy, why haven't you seen him for a few days, and he's already an adult!

Why didn't he sigh, but what was the use of that? In vain it increases the sadness.

"Zhixin, the Analects says well, if you come to it, you will be safe. Grief doesn't help, everything will always be fine. ”

Zhixin was feeling melancholy, when she suddenly saw the head of the Shi family's grange coming over and said to Shu Yan: "Shu Xiaolang, so diligent." ”

Shu Yan hurriedly came over to give a salute: "Grange head." ”

Although Shu Yan was only fourteen years old, he had already tied up his hair, he made himself look like an adult, and he acted according to adult standards everywhere, so when he met an acquaintance, it was necessary to salute.

"Shu Xiaolang, how are your grandfather and Gonggong Xie doing?"

"My grandfather is in good health, and Grandpa Xie still has to take medicine every day."

"Oh, it's hard for you, you have to take care of two old people every day, and you have to work in the fields, how can you bear it at a young age." Tian Zhuangtou expressed concern for Shu Yan.

Shu Yan smiled: "What's the big deal?" The work is done day by day, and there is always a way to do everything. ”

"Having said that, like the usual housework, repairing branches, these things are better, it doesn't matter if it's a little later, a little earlier, but when it comes to spring planting and autumn harvest, I'm afraid I can't be busy, and the farming time doesn't wait for anyone! Have you forgotten about your family's rice harvest this year? Do you still want to ask someone to help you every year? Tian Zhuangtou seemed to be thinking about Shu Yan, "Also, isn't your father-in-law Xie suddenly ill because of this?" ”

Shu Yan didn't understand why this person said these words for a while. At this time, Zhixin and Ruoxin also came over, although the three of them didn't like the Shi family very much, but they remembered that this person was willing to lend them a boat to find their parents, and from this point of view, it was still good.

Seeing that Shu Yan was a little hesitant, Tian Zhuangtou further said: "According to your current situation, these fields are really not suitable for planting anymore. In a few months, it will be sowing again, and now there are patients in your family, and you are lacking in skills, how can you be busy when the time comes, the most important thing is that the two old people in your family will also be anxious for you, in case of emergency, the disease will definitely worsen again, alas......"

Hearing the head of the grange say that these fields are not suitable for planting anymore, Shu Yan suddenly thought of the fact that the Shi family wanted to buy his family's land to build a water pile the year before last - could it be that the head of the grange today also means this?

Shu Yan is also conflicted in his heart, on the one hand, these lands are the source of food and clothing for the family, and it is impossible to sell them easily. On the other hand, there are two elderly people in the family who need to be taken care of, and he is indeed weak, and Father-in-law Xie is suddenly ill because of this.

Regarding the sale of the land to the Shi family to build a water reactor, Shu An agreed, but Han Ning disagreed, and they had a conflict for this. Now that things are not people, time has passed, and now that it is the next generation, Shu Yan also feels that it seems that the land should be sold to the Shi family, because the first Shi family to build a water mill can indeed greatly facilitate the people. Second, according to the situation of his own family, it seems that he has to do this, but he doesn't know whether Zhixin's family agrees or disagrees now.

"What does the head of the Grange mean - let the two of us sell the land to you?"

Tian Zhuangtou was very happy to hear Shu Yan's words - he didn't need to say it himself, the other party understood. He hurriedly laughed and said, "Smart, this is the smart choice!" ”

"It doesn't matter if I sell it or not, I have to go back and discuss it with my family."

"Naturally, there are elderly people in the family, so they should say it to the family."

Zhixin is also Bing Xue smart, and she also heard the meaning of the head of the grange. She and Shu Yan have similar thoughts, her mother is also tired and sick because of work, her condition is good and bad, her younger brother is still young, some things can't be shared for her, and her mother has been taking medicine one after another, and the family is already unable to make ends meet, and is in urgent need of money. Mother's mind is always sometimes sober, sometimes confused, and when she is sober, she doesn't seem to show much opposition to it. The father is gone, and the mother has no idea, so she can only listen to Brother Yan, and she is willing to listen to him.