The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

After deciding on the approach with his wife, Chen Heng resumed preparation for the exam. He no longer had to go to school. Wang Xianming felt that he had nothing to teach, so he allowed his disciples to study at home.

Chen Heng is self-sufficient. He never needs supervision from others when he takes the initiative to learn. I get up on time every day, flip through the books and preview for half an hour, then have breakfast, feed the chickens, and occasionally clean the cowshed.

Grandpa Chen Gaishan was very opposed to him doing this at first. Fortunately, Chen Heng himself said that doing this every day can relax his mind and read the book more deeply, so Chen Gaishan agreed.

However, he is absolutely not allowed to go to the fields, not even to deliver meals. Chen Heng didn't refuse even if he thought about it. After all, for his family, the government examination is the most important event at hand.

Wait until the housework is finished until the time before lunch. Chen Heng would spend time memorizing books. Only by reading the Four Books and Five Classics frequently can he gain new insights. At least Chen Heng himself enjoyed this process.

Learn and practice it from time to time. Maybe that's what it means.

He spent the afternoon writing essays. After passing the county exam, he already knew the way examiners set questions now, and he could still do it if he set his own questions.

When the article is completed, he can take it to Wang Xianming to have a look. Usually at this time, classes are about to end in the school, and the teachers and students can just close the door and discuss.

Yes, the master finally accepted the students who came from the county. Chen Heng thought it was good. Otherwise, if he went to Yangzhou to study in the future, he would have to worry about the pitiful stubborn old man in the countryside, which would make him uneasy.

This is good, the master has found the joy of teaching again, and Chen Heng can worry less.

Calm and repetitive days pass by quietly, but they are not meaningless. During this process, the strength accumulated quietly will take root and sprout in the body.

Big brother, big brother...

The person who walked in through the door was Shuangxi. He was about to be three years old, which was the time to become interested in the outside world. Everyone in the family is busy, and the second aunt also wanted him to get in touch with Chen Hengduo, so Shuangxi was very close to his eldest brother. On weekdays, when I have nothing to do, I like to run to my eldest brother’s room.

Yes, Chen Heng already had his own room. He was very excited about it and even asked his father to get him a wooden bookshelf to store the books he copied by himself.

Double Happiness, come here. Hahaha, come sit here with me.

Chen Heng clapped his hands, smiled and took Shuangxi's outstretched hand. This kid has a bit of flesh and a round face, which makes people like him just by looking at him. Chen Heng liked to pinch his face the most, but the feeling shouldn't be too good.

Brother, I want to read a book.

Okay, big brother will teach you how to read.

Chen Heng chuckled lightly, picked up Shuangxi and put it on his stool. He turned around and took down the Three Character Classic he had copied from the bookshelf.

This version is from his previous writing practice, because the handwriting is correct and there are no typos or corrections. Chen Heng saved it. He originally wanted to keep it as a souvenir, but now he just used it for Double Happiness.

But the child Shuangxi is still young after all, and he knows that his vocabulary is limited. As an older brother, Chen Heng just plays with his younger brother. He took the lead and said: At the beginning of man...

People come out.

Nature is inherently good.

The heart is kind.

The child's accent was still a little unclear, but Chen Heng didn't care. He just smiled and encouraged, Then let's read it together again. In the beginning, human nature is good.

Shuangxi was about to open his mouth to read when the door was opened again. Chen Heng turned around and saw that it was his second uncle who had returned home at an unknown time.

Hahaha, I knew double happiness was with you. Chen Huaijin stood outside the door, his eyebrows as proud as a spring swallow, as if he would fly out at any time.

Second Uncle... Chen Heng said helplessly, I'm teaching Shuangxi how to read.

Ah, it's the second uncle's fault. It's the second uncle's fault. Shuangxi, study hard with your eldest brother. Chen Huaijin's eyebrows did not fly out in the end. He immediately pulled them down, retracted his raised feet, and closed the door neatly with both hands.

After a while, the door quietly opened a crack, and a thick hand followed the crack and put a bag of things into the door.

Heng'er, I bought the snacks in the town. If you are tired from reading, remember to eat.

As the door closed again, this time there was no one to disturb him at all. Chen Heng shook his head and returned Shuangxi's gaze to the Three Character Classic.

The slow but hearty sound of reading spread outside through the closed door. Chen Huaijin squatted on the ground, leaning against the door, looking at the fiery clouds gradually turning red in the sky, giggling uncontrollably.

His stupid look was discovered by Chen Qi, who had just returned from the fields. Seeing his second brother giggling at the door of his son's room, Chen Qi was also puzzled.

What are you doing at Heng'er's door? Chen Qixun scolded.

Chen Huaijin raised his finger and put it in his mouth. Whispered: Brother, please speak softly. You are disturbing the children while they are studying.

Chen Qi was speechless, rolled his eyes and left. He had been working in the fields all day and was very tired. Unexpectedly, Chen Huaijin didn't let him go and chased after him, Brother, brother, do you think Heng'er and Shuangxi look like us when we were kids?

Impossible. Chen Qi shook his head decisively, Shuangxi is smarter than you at first glance.

You can tell with that eye, if you ask me, Heng'er is nothing like you.

Um?

No, no, I mean, Heng'er is like our father. He doesn't like to talk, but he just keeps quiet.

snort.

Hey, brother, why are you still pretending in front of me? Among the bad things I did when I was young, you were not involved in that one. My father only knew how to beat me at that time, and he thought I did it alone.

Ahem, cough, cough, you're such an old man, why do you worry about these things all the time?

Yes, I am also thirty, and Xian'er is eight years old.

Listening to his brother's sudden emotion, Chen Qi looked over in surprise. This kid has been heartless since he was a child, but now he has begun to learn to be sad and sad?

The two brothers looked at each other for a long time. The worry on Chen Huaijin's face suddenly disappeared. He raised his hand and touched his face, Fortunately, I still look young, not as old as you, eldest brother.

...

...

What are you two brothers doing? Ms. Zhou stood in the yard with her arms akimbo, shouting at the two brothers playing in the corner, In a few years, I will be a grandpa, why are you still acting like this all day long? , Huaijin, don’t tease your brother.”

Mom, it was the eldest brother who made the move first.

You must be the one who moved your mouth first. Come here quickly and lead the cow back to the shed.

………………

………………

March 25th is the day Chen Heng sets out on his journey. The road from Shanxi Village to Yangzhou takes six days at the fastest. Although the government examination was on April 10th, considering that he would have to rest in an inn for a few days after arriving in Yangzhou, Chen Heng had no choice but to leave early.

There is no way, transportation in this era is so inconvenient.

Mother had already packed the luggage clearly, and she didn't know what Gu had stuffed in it. It was a thick baggage. When Chen Heng saw it, everyone was dumbfounded and joked at Gu: Mom, are you going to kick me out? Why are there so many things?

Who knows, he just finished speaking. Mrs. Gu's tears started flowing out and she couldn't stop them. Chen Heng was easy to talk and persuade, so he allowed Mrs. Gu to speak out what was in her heart.

It will take you a month to go back and forth. Since you were a child, have you ever been away from your mother for so long? When you were three years old, your mother was scared to death without you in front of her. Heng'er, promise your mother, no matter how the exam goes, You must come back safely.

I saved it, mother, don't worry, my father is with me.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Chen Heng and Chen Qing tried to persuade them, Gu couldn't stop crying. In the end, Chen Qi couldn't bear it anymore and persuaded the two children to leave, leaving only himself and Gu in the room.

I don’t know what Chen Qi did, but when he said goodbye today, Gu’s expression had improved a lot.

Chen Heng saw this and felt relieved.

He looked at the people who came to see him off, including his grandparents, his second uncle's family, his mother, his sister, his wife, and the students in the school.

Let's send everyone here. Chen Heng stood at the entrance of Shanxi Village and bowed to everyone.

To his left was a sparkling pond, with several wild ducks swimming happily on the water. On the right side are jujube trees swaying in the spring breeze. The morning light breaks through the clouds and the morning glow spreads thousands of miles away. It is a good weather for a long journey.

The red beam of light shines on the faces of relatives and friends, lighting up the expectations in their eyes like torches. Chen Heng did not feel pressure, but instead felt infinite power bursting out in his body.

Go early and come back early. Grandma is waiting for you.

Double happiness, tell your brother quickly and wish him high school.

Heng'er, if you encounter anything when you go out, just stay away. If you really encounter trouble, just come back and tell your second uncle. Your second uncle will go over and help you.

He is going to take an exam. Do you think he is going out to play? Chen Gaishan began to educate his son again.

Chen Heng saw everything in his eyes and was speechless. Wang Xianming, who was also speechless in the crowd, just nodded towards him with a smile.

The relationship between their teachers and students, the moment they looked at each other, they understood each other's feelings.

Brother, senior, the students who came to see him off shouted, Why don't you write a poem about this situation? Maybe it will become a good story in the future.

Chen Heng raised his eyebrows, Hey, you are trying to test me.

He folded his hands behind his back, and a gust of spring breeze happened to blow, blowing everyone's hair, beards and robes. Chen Heng raised his head unconsciously, his clear and determined eyes looking directly at the blue sky above his head through the tree canopy above his head.

Chen Heng chuckled lightly, bowed deeply to everyone, turned around, held Chen Qi's hand and left slowly. When the students were disappointed, the roaring March spring breeze was mixed with childish tones.

How can the frost and dust cover up the splendor, and the misty waves are full of admiration for the green clouds. I want to imitate the people of Bashao today, picking up the east wind and returning home at night.

Dongfeng?

Is it the east wind that sends me up to the blue clouds with its power?

The students looked into the distance, and the figures of one large and one small were already drifting away. They looked at each other and bowed in unison: I wish my senior brother that he will get his wish and take the high school entrance examination.

Volume 1, End

Thank you to all book friends, thank you for your votes, as well as your rewards, messages, and book reviews, hahahaha, see you in Yangzhou.