The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

Wang Xianming was not at home today, so Mrs. Liu had no choice but to receive the guests in person. Fortunately, when Lin Xiucai was studying at Liu's father's house, they were still young and Liu was a little older, so they often referred to each other as brother and sister. This precious experience has made the relationship more sincere after decades.

Mrs. Liu led Lin Xiucai to sit down. Just as the two of them sat down, several servants driving the car brought gifts into the house. The more things Liu looked at, the more something was wrong, and she couldn't help complaining: Why did you bring so many things? This is how senior sister can repay the gift.

The teacher is really a talent. Liu is already in his forties, but he can still say such innocent words. Lin Xiucai suppressed the smile in his eyes and smiled to himself: Not too much, not too much. When I was admitted as a child student, didn't my senior sister tell me that if I go to high school in the future, I can't forget to buy you candy?

Ms. Liu looked embarrassed and waved her hands in embarrassment, I didn't expect you to still remember the little things from childhood.

Senior sister treated me like a brother back then, how can I forget that?

Lin Xiucai sighed, his family background was actually very good, even in Gusu City where there were many literati, it could be called a scholarly family. It was only that his father was in poor health and his mother passed away when he was born, so he had to experience the world at a young age and vowed to achieve success in the imperial examination.

Liu's father was already well-known at that time, and when Liu's father was young and studying, he often went to Lin's house to borrow books, and they formed a fate after repeated visits. That's when Lin's father entrusted Lin Xiucai to study at Liu's home. (Note 1)

The thing among scholars in ancient times is that if you help me and I help you, you can support each other and go on for a long time.

When Lin Xiucai first entered the Liu family, he was still young, only seven or eight years old. Liu, who was fourteen years old at the time, was the youngest and only daughter in the family, and was very popular with Liu's father.

Liu regarded Lin Xiucai as his younger brother, so naturally he often took his articles to Liu's father in private for comments. At that time, Liu's father had many students, and in the end, he was able to single out Lin Xiucai. It is probably because of Liu's contribution.

Later, Lin Xiucai was out of control in the imperial examination. By the time Liu got married, he had already passed the imperial examination. Later, when Lin Xiucai went north to participate in the examination several times, Liu had married Wang Xianming and came to Yangzhou. In the blink of an eye, more than 20 years had passed.

Now that the two are reunited, they can't help but feel emotional when talking about the past. When Mrs. Liu heard that Lin Xiucai was married and had a daughter and a son, she was very happy.

If Uncle Lin is knowledgeable, he would be very happy to know that you are now married and starting a business. Mrs. Liu comforted Lin Xiucai's sadness. She knew what Lin Xiucai was thinking. The Lin family didn't know why, but their heirs were not prosperous and their lives were short-lived. Lin's father was like this, and so was their grandfather.

Mrs. Liu asked again, Are you a permanent resident or passing through when you come to Yangzhou this time?

Senior sister, I have been transferred by the imperial court and will be working in Yangzhou in the next few years. If you are free, you can send me a letter and I can arrange a carriage to pick you up.

Listening to Lin Xiucai's loud tone, Mrs. Liu couldn't help but smile and said: Okay, I'm just about to come and see your children. I don't know if they look like you, Lin Xiucai, or more like their mother.

Senior sister, why do you still call me Lin Xiucai? Lin Xiucai looked angry and couldn't help but laugh, Just like before, call me Ruhai.

Okay. Mrs. Liu nodded in agreement and complained, You had just passed the Tongsheng test at that time, so you told me to call you scholar in private and urged you to continue working hard.

Lin Ruhai laughed again when he heard the embarrassing things from the past.

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Wang Xianming didn't know that a distinguished guest was coming to his home, and he was still bargaining with the boss in the bookstore. This teaching is really tiring for the disciples. Chen Heng learns very quickly. There is not enough to buy. Maybe it is not enough for him to study in the future.

Sir, sir, I really can't afford any less. The total is five taels and two dollars. This Collected Works of Virtue has annotations written by Mr. Gu himself, and it contains all first-class articles. There are a few articles in it. It's a private treasure of Mr. Gu's family. If you are willing to take it out this time, it will also benefit the world's scholars. No matter how little it is, it will be an insult to the gentlemen.

Listening to the shopkeeper's complaint, Wang Xianming was also a little unhappy, If it weren't for these few articles that can't be found elsewhere, I wouldn't buy it. That's fine...

Wang Xianming knew that he couldn't save the money, so he had to bear the pain and pay for it. After he paid the money, he quickly stuffed the book into his arms for fear of losing it.

The world is like this. Although the Four Books and Five Classics are everywhere in the streets, many of the articles of sages and sages are hidden in their own libraries by each family, making it impossible for anyone to see them.

The so-called scholarly family relies on this stupid method of collecting books to pass on knowledge from generation to generation, so that future generations can read more and be one step ahead in the examination room in the future.

After going back, I have to ask Heng'er to turn over all these books, otherwise he will be beaten hard on the board. Wang Xianming gritted his teeth, said goodbye to the bookstore manager, and left.

I don't know if he is lucky or not. After he left, a servant walked out from the depths of the bookstore. The shopkeeper also recognized him and greeted him happily when he saw him.

Manager Li, you're here to buy books for Mr. Xiucai again.

The servant looked very arrogant. He just nodded, looked at Wang Xianming's leaving figure, and asked, Isn't that an old boy from Taixing County?

When the shopkeeper heard this, he curled up his lips and felt bored. Your tone of voice is scornful because there is a scholar above you, but I don't. Besides, you are just a domestic servant, you dare to call a scholar like this, hum.

But the other party was a big business after all, so the shopkeeper had no choice but to smile, It's indeed him. I said before that he closed his school and thought he would no longer teach. In the past few months, he suddenly came to my bookstore to buy books. I didn't know where he was. Whose children should I teach?

What did he buy? Tell me everything he bought.

The shopkeeper announced the title of the book like bamboo shoots after rain. The servant was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly left and prepared to go home and report to the master. The head of his family was naturally Li Gongming, who had previously squeezed out Wang Xianming.

After listening to the servant's story, Li Gongming smiled and shook his head: He is lucky to have received so many students after leaving Taixing County.

Sir, how come you can see that? The servant said, You can't stand me at the right time.

I want you to read more books on weekdays. Li Gongming leaned back in his chair and commented, The first time he bought The Four Books, Annotations on Chapters and Sentences was probably for students who had just entered school. This book is from Neo-Confucianism and is for The imperial court did not like it, but the content in the book was really exquisite, so the imperial court did not ban it.

The ones I bought in the second month should be Linchuan Collection and Su Zhe Collection, which are good reading materials to prevent students from getting stuck in the Four Books and Five Classics and only know how to read.

It's just that Spring and Autumn Commentaries can be found before Collected Works of Xian, presumably because one of his disciples started to study the Five Classics. This person, after working hard for a few years, can leave the examination room. At that time, we will know who his students are.

The servant was shaking a folding fan and asked cleverly: Master, why can't we be alone?

Confused. Li Gongming turned around and cursed, Do you think that Wang Xianming is just a sycamore tree? He can practice the magic of attracting phoenixes and attracting phoenixes? He can find a disciple who has studied the Four Books in a remote country, which is enough for their old Wang family. There is smoke coming out of the ancestral graves.”

Yes, yes, the master is right.

Go back and collect the students' articles. I want to check them carefully. Don't let Wang Xianming's disciples get ahead of me.

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When Wang Xianming arrived home, Lin Ruhai had already said goodbye and left. When he saw the house full of gifts, he couldn't help but talk to Mr. Liu. When he found out that the visitor was Lin Xiucai, he couldn't help but sigh, Fate is so wonderful.

Who says otherwise. Ms. Liu packed her belongings according to the gift list, I think it's time for him to be successful now, and his behavior is not that of an ordinary petty official.

Wang Xianming helped clean up together. When he heard this, he just laughed: Is there anything that Zhuge doesn't know? Madam, didn't you inquire carefully?

Inquire about this! While Mrs. Liu was busy, she did not forget to look like a girl, You said, we know that he is a high official. Should we be cautious in our words and deeds? Or should we cultivate relationships?

It's better not to know, so I can feel more comfortable talking to him. Otherwise, before I speak, when I think about what kind of official he is, I have to think carefully. I can't be too unfamiliar, and I can't be too close. What's more? What a huatou.

The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and that's what I'm talking about, Madam. Wang Xianming nodded and bowed to Mr. Liu with admiration, which made the latter angry. He grabbed his arm and twisted and beat him, until Wang Xianming repeatedly begged for mercy. give up.

Note 1: Lin Ruhai's family is quite rich. The arrangement here is because there is a saying in the original text that the Lin family should have passed down the title to three generations. With the favor of the Supreme Emperor, it was passed down to another generation, ending with Lin Ruhai's father.

But if Lin Ruhai's family is here, then why does Lin Daiyu go to Jia's house? You must know that her surname is Lin after all. The ancients emphasized that every family has one surname and the clan is united. Even my mother, Jia, was walking in front. Mrs. Inja likes to take it. After Lin's father passed away, the Lin family had to take the child back no matter what. After all, he was Lin Ruhai's only flesh and blood. Personally, it feels unreasonable.

So I set up that Lin Ruhai didn’t have many relatives in his family, and his father died young. It was only for this reason that Lin Ruhai focused on the imperial examination in his early years. Moreover, when Lin Daiyu was five years old, Lin Ruhai was already forty, and Lin Daiyu's brother also passed away.

If the Lin family continued to decline, there would have been no reason to get married so late in ancient times. Therefore, Lin Ruhai should have been selected by Mrs. Jia after she was selected as the top girl in high school. She thought about starting a family after she was in her twenties.

You can't go by what some people on the Internet say, Lin Ruhai is still married for the second time, and it would be even more outrageous if his first wife had to die before Lin Ruhai was in high school.

PS: Let me ask, are we going to make a cover?