Chapter 54 Xue Ke Learns to Paint

That night, Xue Ke tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Jiang Yuanbai lay between him and Xin Suzhao. Seeing this rich young master acting like this, he couldn't help but ask the reason.

Xue Ke half stood up and suddenly said to his classmates in a deep voice: "I'm going to learn painting."

The two good friends in the chess class jumped up from the bed immediately. Qian Dayou said in panic: "Why is this? Is he crazy? You usually laugh at Jiang brother when you see him painting."

Chen Heng was also confused. He didn't want to dissuade him, but was curious about the reason why Xue Ke changed his mind.

"It's not sudden. I used to spend time with you, watching you play with each other and urging each other to study. At that time, I wanted to pick up a paintbrush and paint all of you."

Xue Ke lay back on the bed, folding his hands behind the pillow, "I went to see my sister today, and happened to meet brother Heng's sister."

Jiang Yuanbai was the closest, and couldn't help but grin, "But brother Heng's sister is too beautiful, so you wanted to paint her."

"Don't blame me." Xue Ke glared at him, and then explained to Chen Heng, "Brother Heng, don't blame me, if it really comes to beauty. It's not that I, as a brother, am partial. After ten or twenty years, you can go around the world and see if there are any girls who are more beautiful than my sister."

"Why is that?" someone asked.

"Brother Heng's sister has an extraordinary temperament. If my sister is compared to the bright moon, then Brother Heng's sister is a cloud of mist on the mountain lake, floating in the mist, like a fairy playing the flute sideways, leaning on a white deer and leaping into the forest."

Xue Ke shook his head, as if he had not praised her enough, and said: "Master Xu often said before that people who learn to paint should first think about it. I didn't understand it before, but now I think about it and suddenly understand what Master Xu meant.

Only when you encounter a scene that makes you want to splash ink and paint, that is when a person starts to learn to paint. At other times, don't think too much, just appreciate the painting and watch the painting quietly."

Jiang Yuanbai smiled and clapped his hands, and hurriedly tried to find a reason for his slip of the tongue just now, "After saying so much, I thought of a word: eclipsing the moon and shame the flowers, do you think it's right?"

Xue Ke smiled and shook his head, not knowing whether it was because of Jiang Yuanbai's quick wit or because of his own lack of words.

After hearing so much, Chen Heng also understood Xue Ke's feelings and supported him: "If you really want to learn, you have to work hard."

"I know, I will work hard." Xue Ke said it very seriously for the first time, "I think of being able to paint the scenery I have seen on paper. After ten or a hundred years, if future generations see it, they can also understand my feelings at that time, I will..."

Everyone waited for a long time before realizing that Xue Ke was at a loss for words, and they all laughed and encouraged him.

"Brother Heng, don't learn painting." Qian Dayou suddenly turned his head and warned Chen Heng.

Chen Heng rolled his eyes. Even if he wanted to learn, he didn't have the ability. If you find a job that is more troublesome and expensive than studying, it must be called painting.

Only Jiang Yuanbai, who is so stupid, dares to plunge into the road of painting without scruples. Chen Heng felt that he would never have this opportunity in his life.

"No, no." Chen Heng waved his hand and reminded, "Don't forget, the exam will be in three days."

From the time they entered school in May to now, which is close to the end of July, it has been exactly three months. Only people like Xue Ke who don't worry about studies and money have the leisure to change chess into painting.

Everyone screamed, and did not dare to hesitate to turn over and sleep quickly, so as not to delay the review tomorrow.

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On July 25th, the examination of the academy officially began.

The first day was mainly based on the Four Books and Five Classics, which was more difficult than the provincial examination. The second day was the "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic", both of which Chen Heng was good at. His weakness was the "Da Yong Law" at the back.

Fortunately, the test questions this time were not too difficult, probably considering that some students entered school later. The question was just a family matter, saying: A couple, with children, the wife died, the children were still young, how much dowry was made.

Dowry is dowry, and Chen Heng suffered a loss on this question. At that time, he took it for granted that it was arranged by her husband, and was later scolded by Mei Xuezheng.

After going back and flipping through the books for several days, he finally understood that in the Yong Dynasty, if the wife died unexpectedly, if there was no clear arrangement. If there were children, the children would inherit. If not, the family would take it back.

There is another place where the test may be wrong. In the previous dynasty, the daughters of ordinary families did not have the right of inheritance. After the Yong Dynasty was established, officials thought it was against human ethics and countered it with a sentence: After the daughter gets married, does she not have to support her own parents?

Chen Heng would naturally not make the same mistake again. He wrote in a proper manner: The family will manage it on behalf of the children, and when the children come of age, they will be handed over to them for equal distribution.

After answering this question, Chen Heng breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't help but think of an example in the book: Like Xue Pan marrying Xia Jingui, Aunt Xue was thinking of eating the whole family. You know, the Xia family only has an old mother, her father has passed away, and there are no brothers or sisters, and the family is rich.

To put it bluntly, as long as the old lady of the Xia family is kept alive until she dies, the Xia family's wealth will all go to Xue Pan.

As for Lin Daiyu's situation in the book, it is completely different. The Jia family still has two maternal uncles. Even if they die, Baoyu and other maternal relatives will supervise her. (Note 1)

After the examination of "Da Yong Law", the five-day examination is coming to an end. After the examination of the history of various dynasties on the last day, everyone's mentality is relaxed.

When Chen Heng walked out of the examination room, many classmates were already standing in the courtyard discussing questions. The exam was over, why worry about this? Chen Heng did not join them, but just walked by them with his hands behind his back.

In just three months, the trees in the courtyard had grown a lot higher. The fine afternoon sunlight shone through the dense branches and leaves. As usual, Chen Heng, dressed in a green shirt, walked through the light spots, leaving all the trivial voices behind.

When he returned to the dormitory, there were not many people inside. Chen Heng simply packed up his gifts first. After the exam results were announced tomorrow, they would have a 15-day holiday.

Because in August, there is a most important festival besides the New Year.

Mid-Autumn Festival.

After three months away from home, Chen Heng finally had the opportunity to go home. He didn't have much luggage to bring back, but he had to think carefully about how to buy gifts for his family.

Grandpa and Dad's things can be put aside for now. Grandma and Mom's things can be picked out for practical use. The two sisters have grown up, so it's best to buy some rouge and powder. For double happiness, just reward him with a set of handwritten books.

The more Chen Heng thought about it, the happier he became. He couldn't help rubbing his hands.

Oh, by the way, there's also his useless second uncle. He has to ask if they have a holiday during the Mid-Autumn Festival. If not, he'll have to worry about how to get back.

Note 1: A passing book friend asked before, what's the point of marrying Daiyu, is it to make her family extinct? I wanted to answer it at the time, but I thought I'd leave it in the book. In ancient times, after a woman died, her dowry was to be taken back to her family, unless there was no one in her family.

The Jia family, apart from other things, really has a lot of people. Otherwise, how could there be rumors that the money for the Grand View Garden was mostly paid by the Lin family.

Aunt Xue's calculations were really ugly.