229. I Study Things to Gain Knowledge, and Study Moths (Seek Full Order)

Bai Gui planned to redeem Tian Xiao'e, and Mr. Guo agreed. There was nothing wrong with agreeing to this matter, just a concubine, but the price... Mr. Guo originally planned not to pay, but if he did not pay, he would owe too much favor. After the two discussed, Bai Gui bought Tian Xiao'e for fifty silver dollars.

The northwest is barren, and human life is not worth much. Fifty silver dollars can buy the life of a strong man.

Although Tian Xiao'e is graceful, a virgin is truly valuable, and a slut is considered worthless by others...

"Rumor has it that I bought her as my concubine with seven dou of wheat."

"How is that possible? Her father is also a scholar. Although he is just an attached student and has no government rice or silver, his family still has a few acres of thin land. These seven dou of wheat can buy a girl from an ordinary family, but not a girl from a scholar's family..."

"I built a farm for her family, bought seven and a half acres of irrigated land, and gave them three mules. At that time, silver dollars were not circulated, so I spent about a hundred taels of silver. Irrigated land is valuable."

In the living room, Mr. Guo said while smoking a hookah.

There are also differences in grades between scholars. The first-class students are formally established, with rice and silver for stipends. The second-class students are considered to be off-staff, with the full name "Zengguang students". In the Qing Dynasty, they also had some benefits. The third-class students are called "Attached students". This type of scholar is the most miserable, with basically no benefits. The only thing left is the title of scholar, which makes people feel good.

Of course, the students can go to teach, be a teacher, or be an accountant in a restaurant to make a living. It's just that compared with the first two grades of scholars, the gap is a bit big.

And irrigated land, an acre of good irrigated land, can't afford more than a dozen taels of silver.

"That's true."

Bai Gui has heard of this rumor, but this rumor is fabricated and can't stand scrutiny.

No matter how poor Mr. Tian was, he would not be unable to take out seven dou of wheat. Tian Xiao'e was born in a scholarly family. It was estimated that the cost of raising her at home was more than seven dou of wheat. Therefore, Mr. Guo must have spent a lot of money to marry her as a concubine.

However, the country people don't care about these things. They just tell stories for fun and add some "legendary" color. Only such stories are worth listening to.

While talking, Guo Panshi brought Tian Xiao'e over.

In the corridor outside the house, Tian Xiao'e seemed to have lost her soul at first, walking staggeringly and looking a little confused, but when she saw Bai Gui who was chatting with Mr. Guo, her eyes suddenly added some color and walked more briskly.

"Xiao'e, Mr. Bai has taken a fancy to you, and I am not an old stubborn person."

"You are Mr. Bai's now..."

"The indenture is also with Mr. Bai, so you can move to Mr. Bai's room to sleep tonight."

Mr. Guo raised his foot, and the pipe of his pipe knocked on the upper of his shoe, which was intimidating without anger.

Tian Xiao'e said nothing, and knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Mr. Guo several times, which was considered to be a thank you for the kindness of the host. It was not that she thanked from the bottom of her heart, but it was the rule.

When changing the family, no matter whether the host treated you harshly or generously, you had to do this etiquette.

After the kowtow of thanks.

Mr. Guo suddenly hummed.

Tian Xiao'e, who was kneeling on the ground, hurriedly walked to Bai Gui's side, stood there, and did not speak.

"Xiao'e, you don't have to be restrained, be calm."

Bai Gui saw this scene, shook his head secretly, and comforted Tian Xiao'e.

However, after he comforted her with this sentence, he did not say anything else, and turned to talk about other things with Mr. Guo, such as the interesting and important events that were popular in Qin Province recently, and some martial arts insights.

Redeeming Tian Xiao'e was a trivial matter for both him and Mr. Guo, and they would not pay too much attention to it.

But... on the contrary, for Tian Xiao'e, it was a major event that changed her fate.

"Don't stand here, I'll pack your things for you now."

"Although the Guo family is not a high-ranking family, we will also prepare a dowry for you."

Guo Pan came over, took Tian Xiao'e's hand, and whispered.

If a concubine or a maid changes her family and is given to someone else, the original owner should prepare a generous gift according to the rules, and give it to the maid or concubine, which is considered to be a complete benevolence and righteousness.

This matter, after it is done, can be called a good talk among scholars and officials!

Of course, preparing gifts for maids or concubines is just a matter of following the rules. It mainly depends on whose family she moved to, whose maidservant or concubine she became...

Those of low status can be sent away with a few coins. Those of high status can be given BMWs, carved carriages, fine farmland, and large houses.

Therefore, this time, the benevolence and righteousness depends on Bai Gui's status.

It is not about how much gratitude and affection the Guo family has for Tian Xiao'e.

"Yes, sister."

Tian Xiao'e's eyes flashed with joy. Although the dowry prepared by the Guo family was given to Bai Gui for her face, it was her own. Generally, capable men would not have the idea of ​​​​this dowry. Obviously, Bai Gui is such a person. She will not feel empty when she has money.

Mrs. Guo nodded, took Tian Xiao'e's hand and left the living room.

After a while, the manager of the caravan came in.

"Mr. Bai, Mr. Guo."

He bowed and said with a smile: "People have been sent to clear the snow on the official road. It will probably be ready to leave in two or three days."

…

It was getting close to evening.

Bai Gui walked from the living room to the wing room.

The door of the wing was ajar, and the lamp was lit. A little yellowish light filtered through the window paper, reflecting on the thin layer of snow in the courtyard.

Push the door open.

Tian Xiao'e was sitting at the Go table, holding her fragrant cheeks, her head lowered, staring at the chess board. There were two chess jars in front of her, one black and one white.

There is an extra mahogany box on the ground next to the bed, about three or four feet long and wide. It should be a dowry box.

"Mr. Bai, you said you are willing to accompany me for the next five years."

"This time I hold the white piece, and you hold the black piece."

Tian Xiao'e heard the door creaking, smiled and said.

"OK."

When Bai Gui heard this, he smiled freely, took his seat, and put the chess jar containing the black stones in his hand.

The two continued to play chess.

It fell until midnight.

"I will stay in the next room. If Mr. Bai comes, I will serve Mr. Bai..."

Tian Xiao'e collected the white chess piece, stood up and said.

When she said this, she was looking forward to it in her heart. She hoped that Bai Gui would treat her mother-in-law like a man in the countryside, throwing him rudely on the bed like a pig in a pig pen, but at the same time, she hoped in her heart that this would not happen. .

Paradoxical, conflicting thoughts.

With Bai Gui, she felt like a human being, not a concubine.

Dreams will always be broken, and she hopes to keep them alive for a longer time.

Bai Gui said nothing.

He didn't say a word until Tian Xiao'e left.

He didn't buy Tian Xiao'e for that kind of thing.

So when Tian Xiao'e said this, whether he replied yes or not, it didn't matter. After agreeing, he really has a relationship with Tian Xiao'e. How can he deal with it at home? Raised as an outside room?

He may or may not be able to tie a wild horse.

Not agreeing would be a disservice to this woman.

"Zhi Baizi..."

Bai Gui glanced at the end game and saw the white piece already in the chess pot.

He didn't know whether Tian Xiao'e did this deliberately or unintentionally.

If it is deliberate, Zhibaizi...,

It means: She is willing to be good and be a good woman in the future!

But Bai Gui still didn't dare to gamble.

"It's late, it's time to sleep."

Bai Gui thought to himself, he left the chess table, walked to the door of the wing, and locked the door bolt.

But when he leaves for a while.

One or two moths surrounded the brightly lit kerosene lamp placed on the chess table. The moths flew toward the flames. Moths are attracted to light. When there is no one watching the kerosene lamp, moths will surround it.

But the kerosene lamp was an advanced thing, with a glass cover.

The moths couldn't get in, so they could only stick to the lampshade to warm themselves in the cold night.

"Sweeping the floor may harm the lives of ants, but cherish moths and shade lamps."

"When Master saw Nanzi, Master said: 'I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves sex.'"

Bai Gui shook his head to get rid of some distracting thoughts.

Nanzi is the wife of Duke Linggong of Wei, with a dissolute nature.

Confucius said, "I have never seen anyone who likes morality as much as beauty."

This sentence means: There is nothing wrong with being lustful, but you cannot forget your virtues by looking at lust.

To put it simply, lust is okay, it is human desire, but if you indulge in lust and ignore morality, it will make people abandon it.

He thought for a while, and took advantage of this moment to imitate Mr. Yangming's practice of checking bamboos and checking moths for a while.

Confucian disciples have nothing to do and study things to gain knowledge.

Only then did he show signs of falling asleep.

He walked to the bed, blew a puff of air, and turned off the kerosene lamp.

But the kerosene lamp is relatively closed, the glass shade is still warm, and the moths still sit on the lamp shade and refuse to leave, even if the wick inside has dimmed.

The moth yearns for the hot flame of the lamp, but the only thing that can retain and protect it is the lampshade.

Gauze lamps are flammable, while kerosene lamps are more advanced.

…

More than two days.

Tian Xiao'e, a big-hearted moth, followed Bai Gui and left.

"I can just ride a horse. You are a woman, but your feet are bound and you can't walk. Besides, I have strong muscles and bones. A bit of cold wind will be fine, so don't worry..."

Bai Gui scolded in a low voice and asked Tian Xiao'e to get into his carriage while he rode on horseback.

Although there are still caravans and carriages, there are no extra ones. It can be crowded, but Bai Gui does not want to be in a carriage with these big men. He is similar to his father Bai Youde, who is so sour that people in this era will not Too delicate, I don’t bathe often...

Similarly, the chaps left by not taking a shower are not susceptible to wind and cold and act as a protective layer.

Tian Xiao'e hummed softly and put down the thick curtain of the carriage, but after walking for a while, she opened it again and asked: "Ms. Bai, you said that you have studied things to gain knowledge, and your thoughts have been sublimated. I have also learned this." Some poems and books, I wonder what you are referring to, Mr. Bai?"

"Book of Rites·Da Xue": "The way to know is to study things, and to know after studying things."

Therefore, when Confucian disciples were studying things, they would often find an east-west pattern to understand the truth. For example, Wang Yangming was studying bamboo for seven days.

Although Mr. Yangming didn't figure out anything, the Seven Days of Gezhu still had a great influence on Mr. Yangming's thinking. With this experience, he later went to Longchang to realize enlightenment.

Bai Gui's face was slightly embarrassed, but the cold wind blew and the color could not be seen.

He thought about it and chose to tell the truth.

A real man sits upright and upright!

It would be pointless if you deliberately concealed this matter.

So, he said slowly: "What I hate is a moth, the kind of moth that flies to the flame. Don't think too much about it..."

Tian Xiao'e blushed, took a sip, and put down the curtain.