4. Kang

He also saw Xu Xiucai's entanglement. Xu Xiucai gave him a pen and inkstone, which was already very good. Read 520 official website

In his previous life, when he was practicing calligraphy in elementary school, his writing brush only cost about four yuan.

But in the bookstores of Bailu Town, the lowest-priced woolen pen costs eight cents, and the better brushes such as langhao pens cost more than twenty or thirty cents.

During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, a brush for writing large characters was sold in Kaifeng for one hundred cents. This matter has been recorded in Yang Yi's "Yang Wengong Tan Yuan", "A good book is written with a very big pen, all with a strong pen, and the number is loose and Zhuo pen. The person who sells it in the market can get a hundred coins."

In the third year of Shaosheng's reign, Su Shi bought two writing brushes in Lingnan for 20 yuan. The shape was not good, "the shape is thick like a brush", and "the ink floated and was about to fall apart. I believe there are no brushes in Lingnan."

Although it is suspected of being illegal in the area, the quality of a pen costing ten cents is indeed of poor quality.

As for the inkstone, the price varies depending on the material and quality of the inkstone.

"It's a good idea to dip a wooden board in water and write on it."

"When you enter school, remember to bring a desk and stool."

Xu Xiucai nodded, showing appreciation, without saying much.

He was able to give old pens and inkstones because Bai Gui respected his teacher. He didn't have much hope for Bai Gui's success. It is too late to start school at the age of thirteen or fourteen. Even literacy takes several years, and the memory is not as good as that of a child.

As Zhu Xi said: "At the age of eight, all the children of princes and common people are admitted to primary schools and taught the art of sweeping, coping, advance and retreat, etiquette, music, archery, imperial control, calligraphy, and mathematics. "

After the age of fifteen, it is what Zhu Xi calls "university" education. From "learning the facts" in primary school to "understanding the principles" in university.

Too late!

When Bai Gui left, the grain bag that had just been filled with polished rice now contained an old pen and an old inkstone.

The pen is a Langhao pen, which can be sold for thirty cents in a bookstore. Although the hair is removed and the paint on the pen barrel is peeling off, it is still worth five or six cents. The material of the old inkstone is not clear, but it is quite heavy and is a good inkstone.

Feeling in the dark and following his memory, Bai Gui walked into Fang Fang's mansion.

This is the third courtyard.

It is the house of the Lu family in Bailu Village.

Rushing past the main room, he touched the side of the stable.

As soon as they arrived at the door, the stable light came on. A half-sized black horse heard the noise and snorted happily. Bai Gui added hay and beans to the horse's grass as usual, and cracked an egg by the way.

Pushing the door open, there is a fire pit.

The orange flame of the stove shines through the gap blocked by the hard wood and is reflected on the wall of the earthen house.

When the corn-packing pole was burned by the fire, there was a crackling sound.

There was a pile of rolled straw mats in the corner.

Lying on the kang was a dark-skinned old man with gray hair and a face full of gullies, which seemed to be filled with loess and was dusty.

Bai Youde covered his body with a quilt, his upper body was bare, and he was wearing a shabby hakama and linen clothes. He opened the candle and extinguished it, and cursed: "You coward, you took away your clothes and hurt your quilt." The master scolded for a while, "You idiot, what are you doing?"

(People in Guanzhong, Qin Province, have always called clothes clothes, an ancient name.)

"Go to the mountains to catch some wild products!"

Bai Gui's words were concise and concise. He took off his fur and handed it to Bai Youde. It was the only winter clothes in the family. One person wore it out while the other could only stay at home on the kang.

"In the mountains? Be careful that the wolf catches you, a coward!"

Bai Youde was startled, and the lights were lit again by Huo Zhezi. He quickly stood up and looked at Bai Gui's whole body. He found that there were no injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately turned stern and turned blue. He pursed his lips tightly and blurted out a sentence, "If you dare to go to the mountains again, I will break your legs! Let this coward like you know what is good and what is bad!"

"Um!"

After uncovering the quilt, Bai Gui replied calmly and slept in his clothes.

The bed stank of sweat, and he moved slightly away from Bai Youde. Qin Province has a drought and little rain, and rural people are not rich. They don’t bathe all the time. Most of the time, they go to the river to wash themselves. It is winter now, and the water in the river is ice-cold, so it is impossible to swim in the winter. There is no amoxicillin at this time, just in case. Typhoid fever is a fatal disease.

There is no big wooden barrel for bathing at home. That kind of wooden barrel cannot be made by just cutting some firewood. The wooden barrel made by the craftsman is tightly sealed with iron hoops. With the craftsmanship, you can eat and drink without worries.

"Tomorrow, the young master wants to eat crystal cakes. You and I go to the city to buy crystal cakes for the young master. Then we can also let you have a fresh and meaty meal. Haven't you been clamoring to go to Xi'an City? Your dad tomorrow I’ll take you there.”

"Your mother died early. You had a big forehead. We won't go to the mountains and we won't take advantage of it. You are the only one in our family."

Bai Youde came close to Bai Gui. The strong smell of sweat emanating from his armpits suffocated Bai Gui. He touched the top of Bai Gui's forehead and said nonchalantly.

Bai Gui was silent for a while and did not hide away.

Think about it.

He said: "Dad, I went to catch wild animals this morning. I picked up four rabbits and two chickens. I went to the food shop opened by my uncle in the town to sell them. My uncle gave me one or two cents of silver. I went to the grain store. , bought a bucket of grain, gave half a bucket to the gentleman in the ancestral hall, and went to school in the ancestral hall tomorrow. "

(The older generation in Qin Province always call teachers sir.)

He didn't hide it, and he couldn't hide it.

However, he deliberately did not mention the matter of exchanging one tael of silver for one longyang. Thinking about this matter, shopkeeper Wang who was greedy for cheap would not proudly announce it to everyone in front of Bai Youde.

"go to school?"

Bai Youde was stunned. His hand that was touching Bai Guiding’s forehead froze. His rough, cracked hand touched his smooth forehead. He immediately felt that his son lying next to his bed was a little different.

Other children took the money to eat jars of steamed buns, old candies, and candied haws, and just some snacks.

Study? Pay taxes?

He had never encountered it.

“Going to school is the business of young masters. We are destined to be horsemen. We can’t compare to…”

“Lu San, the long-term worker of the Bai family, also went to the ancestral hall school. Ha, that’s nothing. He is the slowest learner in the village. Listen to dad. The food that was given to the teacher… Forget it, the teacher is the teacher, so you can learn as much as you can during this time.”

Bai Youde took back his hand and placed it on the quilt uneasily. He seemed to feel that the air on the quilt was too cold, and his palm was too cold. He shrank back into the quilt and took it out again.

Asking for the tax back would undoubtedly offend the teacher. He didn’t dare to do it for fear of being laughed at.

Although Xu Xiucai was a little down and out, his family was one of the richest families in Dongyuan Xujiayuan. They could afford to go to school, pass the exam, and make ends meet after failing the exams. This was not a small family.

At the same time, he also had a hope in his heart, hoping that Bai Gui would learn to be a decent person, not to become rich, but to be better than him.

"Then... what about the other silver? Dad will keep it for you."

Bai Youde said a little anxiously.

He was afraid that Bai Gui would spend money recklessly.

But he was also afraid that Bai Gui would hate him again.

"Dad, the remaining money is for reading. The Four Books, Five Classics, Thousand Character Classics and Three Character Classics all cost money, which is far from enough. Look at the books that the two young masters are memorizing. The books in them cost several taels of silver each."

Bai Gui said, holding the remaining silver tightly.