Fragrance Returned

Tao Weng smiled and said, "Mu'er will enter the military camp early next year and should come here to stay with us for a while in advance."

The old lady said, "I finally have hope for this day."

Tao Gong said, "If Mu'er is not around, let little girl Ding come and talk to you more, and your days will still be easy to pass. She is not allowed to work as hard as she did today. After reading two-quarters of an hour of books, she must talk to you for two-quarters of an hour. .”

The old lady was delighted, "Where can I find such an unreasonable old man as you?"

Tao Weng stroked his beard and said seriously, "I am still young. I am as temperamental as a child now. Why should I be reasonable?"

The old lady laughed out loud, "What an old boy."

She looked out the small window, where the orange twilight enveloped the unfamiliar courtyard and the rolling hills. With the old man and his grandson, this place is no longer unfamiliar.

Ding Xiang returned home. Her father and brother were back, but her grandfather was busy with his career and did not come back.

She took out the lotus cake.

The leaves of the lotus cake are pink, and the sugar center in the middle is yellow. It is crispy and fragrant, and it is extremely delicious.

Ding Lilai said, "It's more delicious than the snacks sold in the county town."

Ding Liren looked at Ding Xiang with envy. Mr. Li is a scholar, while Tao Weng is a Jinshi. The difference is not ordinary. I heard from Mr. Li that he even went to Tao Zhai to consult Tao Weng.

Ding Xiang patted her chest and said, "When I get to know Tao Weng well, if my brother has something he doesn't understand, I will take you to ask him for advice."

Ding Lilai's eyes suddenly lit up, "Sister, there are many things I don't understand in "Original Geometry"."

"Original Geometry" was too professional, and Ding Xiang didn't know if Tao Weng had studied arithmetic.

Ancient arithmetic was not considered a main subject, not even a minor subject. It was a miscellaneous subject. Although there are professors in the Imperial College, academies, and private schools, because they are not tested in the imperial examination, everyone does not pay attention to them. I heard that among the teachers in the Imperial Academy and academies, those who teach arithmetic receive the lowest salary, and are not even as well paid as those who teach music and painting.

Ding Zhao was also happy to hear that Ding Xiang was favored by Tao Weng.

Mrs. Zhang said, "My father-in-law is not coming back today, so I asked Li Maigao to send him the jade tofu, saying it was for Xiang Xiang's filial piety."

As long as Ding Zhuang heard that his granddaughter was filial to him, he would definitely eat them all.

After that, Ding Xiang would go to Tao's house twice in three days. I'm sorry to go in the morning, because I feel like I'm eating too much, so I go in the afternoon after the old lady has had her lunch break. First, I chatted and laughed with the old lady for half an hour, then read and read aloud. The soft and waxy children's voice sounded, and the old lady was also happy to hear it.

When Ding Xiang asked a question, the old lady rushed to answer it.

Ding Xiang would flatter her and say, "Grandma Tao is a talented woman."

Tao Weng joked, "She is a talented woman."

The old lady was amused.

Ding Zhen followed them twice, but she couldn't get in the way and mostly listened to them quietly.

After that, Ding Zhen was unwilling to go with him every time, finding it boring.

On this day, Ding Xiang took Ling'er and Hei Wa to Tao's house again.

The old lady had a bad appetite, so Dingxiang asked Li Maigao's family to make a pot of corn, winter melon, mung bean and pork ribs soup.

The ancients used to eat corn as a staple food. They had to wait until the corn was old, dry it in the sun, and then grind it into powder or grains. The corn cobs were either fed to pigs or thrown away.

They have no idea how delicious and appetizing tender corn can be stewed with the cobs on.

I also made a dish of yam cake, which was baked in a stew oven.

Aunt Lu can also make yam snacks. She likes to use mashed yam and red bean paste and steam them in a pot. The cloves are made differently. They are filled with rose jam and crushed peanuts, and are shaped into molds, which look a bit like the small mooncakes from previous lives.

Went there early in the afternoon and had a meal there today.

Tao Weng really liked this soup. It was fragrant and nutritious.

The old lady likes to eat yam cake, which is sweet, soft, glutinous and beautiful.

Ding Xiang likes to eat the sweet-scented osmanthus golden cake made by Aunt Lu, which is crispy and fragrant.

She secretly thought that the wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated. Take food for example. Many of them are delicious and beautiful, and their names are particularly nice. In the future, if I have to rely on dim sum to succeed, I can only make western pastries.

After the meal, the old lady rested, and Ding Xiang went to the study desk to pick up the unfinished book and continue reading.

Now she has read the seventh volume of "Three Kingdoms".

She thought she was already familiar with Tao Weng. After getting the book, she picked up the quill pen and played with it. Only then did she notice two words engraved on the red gold tube, "Four Seas."

Ding Xiang's heart skipped a beat. Could this "Sihai" be Xun Sihai?

Xun Sihai liked to deal with foreigners.

Tao Weng once said that this was a gift from one of his students. Could it be that Xun Sihai was Tao Weng's student?

Ding Xiang whispered, "Four Seas, does it just refer to the sea or a person's name?"

Tao Weng said, "Xun Sihai, one of my students. This guy is extremely smart, but it's a pity that he doesn't have the ability to do things for a long time. Once you know how to do one thing, do another one. If the other thing is no longer novel, try another one." One thing... I am proficient in many subjects, but I can't achieve perfection. For example, my strategy is good, but I can't become Sun Bin.

"Farming is good, but I can't become Jia Sixie. Astronomy is good, but I can't become Zhang Heng. Arithmetic is good, but I can't become Zu Chongzhi... What I do best is knowing Spanish and Chinese. I have compiled many foreign books and have foreign envoys here. I can also communicate with them very well..."

Is this criticizing Xun Qiandai? Why does Ding Xiang think she is praising him? What a great guy, no wonder he is said to be an all-rounder.

But looking at Tao Weng's expression, he was really angry that the student didn't live up to expectations.

While talking, Tao Weng poured some water into the inkstone plate and slowly rubbed it with an ink stick. After polishing it, I picked up the quill, dipped it in, and wrote a few words on the paper.

The font is strong and powerful, and the charm is extraordinary. Ding Xiang has been writing hard calligraphy for so many years, and she thinks she is not as good at writing as he is.

Tao Weng shook his head and put his pen down on the table, "Stingy, no matter whether it's a foreigner's thing or a foreigner's thing, it can't compare to our great Li Dynasty."

Ding Xiang saw another side of Tao Weng, a typical feudal scholar-official, conservative, stubborn, and self-righteous in some aspects.

This was true for many ancient politicians in previous lives.

Much more conservative than Xun Sihai.

Ding Xiang knew her own weight and didn't try to convince him at all.

He didn't like the hard pen, so he avoided it.

Ding Xiang pointed to the two pictures painted by the old man Dongshan on the wall and said, "Among so many pictures, I think that picture is the best. It is majestic, high-spirited, and has a profound artistic conception..."

Before she could finish her praise, Tao Weng knocked her on the head.

Tao Weng laughed angrily and said, "The little devil is used to flattering people. He must have known that it was painted by me, so he said that."

Ding Xiang's eyes shone with surprise, "Is Tao Weng the old man from Dongshan? The painting is really good. I'm not flattering, I really think so."

He thought secretly, accept me as a student quickly, accept me as a student quickly.

If I really become your student, not only will I have a proven talent, but I will also receive guidance from an expert in painting.

Tao Weng was dumbfounded by Ding Xiang's expression. He didn't say anything about accepting a disciple, and asked Ding Xiang to write two calligraphy characters on the rice paper.