Chapter 49(1/2)
After noon, the group returned home with a bag of birds. The book was updated simultaneously on Baidu Sozhaji Novel Network. ()
Zhao Changqing was relaxed like this for the first time in her two lives, and could run freely and carefreely in the snow. The north wind would not feel the slightest coldness even when she passed by her ears. At this time, she truly realized that the smoke-gray sky was so vast, as if her soul had been cleansed.
For the first time in her life, she was as relaxed and unrestrained as a child.
Even Zhao Lizi felt that Zhao Changqing was a little different from the past. Although he couldn't feel that way, he could feel the joy in Zhao Changqing's heart. He smiled and pulled Zhao Changqing's soft little hand and said, "Sister Qing, if you like to catch birds, I will bring you here tomorrow."
Zhao Changqing smiled, "What's the point of coming every day? When tomorrow clears up, the snow will melt."
Zhao Lizi said, "Then let's come back after it snows next time."
"Okay." Zhao Changqing was willing to enjoy his childhood. Those years that passed by have now come back, and there is really no reason not to cherish them. Zhao Changqing turned around and asked with a smile, "Sir, what is it like outside? What is the imperial capital?"
Mr. Su laughed, "Each north and south has its own style. If you talk about the imperial capital, it is prosperous and beautiful, with a crowded population, far better than the border town."
Zhao Lizi asked, "Do you have many delicious snacks?"
"Yes." Mr. Su held Su Bai's little hand and smiled, "If you say you want fame and wealth, that's a good place."
Zhao Changqing was holding his hands behind his back, kicking the snow under his feet with his little boots, and said, "The Spring Examination is in the Imperial Capital City. However, I am a girl, and I don't have to take the exam for fame and fortune. I don't know when I can go out to see the world outside." In her previous life, she could not step out of the border city until she died. At that time, she originally thought that after Ling Teng's high school, she would go to the imperial capital to live with Ling Teng. In private, she was worried that her hometown accent would be looked down upon by the people of the imperial capital. Zhao Changqing practiced the imperial capital speech in private, but she didn't need her to be with the imperial capital in high school, and the Ling family also needed her to be a cow and horse in her hometown... Now, she has already let go of Ling Teng's affairs, or because she lived too cowardly in her previous life, everything would turn back. Zhao Changqing was so yearning for the sky outside the border city.
Xiaolihuaer had a different opinion. She said, "Although it's good outside, our family is in the border town. There are no relatives and friends outside. Even if the mountains and rivers are good, I guess I'm lonely."
Zhao Changqing smiled, "I just went to see it, but it wasn't that I didn't come back. Otherwise, if I only stayed in the border town, never went to the water town in the south of the Yangtze River, and never saw the wealth of the imperial capital, and when I died, I would be lonely when I passed by in a hurry for the rest of my life."
Xiaolihuaer said, "It will take a long time to go. It is easy to do some small business in the border town. If we go outside, it is probably not easy to make a living."
Zhao Changqing sighed, "Yes." People like Mr. Su who are capable, when they come to the border town, can only be the master to make their living needs. Isn't it even more difficult for her? Sighing back, Zhao Changqing smiled, "It doesn't matter whether you can go or not. Let's think about it first, anyway, you don't need money when you dream."
Zhao Lizi said, "This is not difficult. From now on, I will sell the baskets made by my sister to all over the country. I will take you wherever you want to go. Not to mention the imperial capital of Jiangnan, even the Western Barbarians, Northern Liang and Southern Yue, it is all about me, Zhao Lizi."
Li Huaer smiled, "Although you don't have money to dream, you don't have any dreams during the day."
Zhao Lizi curled her mouth, was quite dissatisfied with his sister, and pouted, "Sister, don't always look down on me, will it be successful? If you do this again, I won't take you out in the future, I will only take your sister Qing!"
"Just blow it." Xiao Lihua'er didn't believe it at all.
Zhao Lizi snorted angrily, and Zhao Changqing laughed, "Lizi will definitely make a fortune in the future."
Zhao Lizi immediately turned angry and laughed, "Yes, right! I knew that Sister Qing had a vision." The little girl's trust made Zhao Lizi's self-confidence expand unprecedentedly, and he couldn't help but shy his little breasts high.
Xiao Lihua'er said, "Sister Qing is comforting you, don't take it seriously."
"Sister Qing is clearly telling the truth!"
The siblings and quarrel all the way, and when they arrived at the door of their house, Xiao Lihuaer said, "Sister, please give it to you."
Zhao Changqing smiled, "We didn't have lunch at noon, so we came to my house for dinner first. I called Sister Liu to clean up the birds, and half of the family."
Xiaolihuaer said, "Jizi and I will just go home and eat it."
Zhao Lizi cheered, "Sister, then you go home and eat it yourself. I will eat it with Sister Qing."
Xiao Lihuaer glared at Zhao Lizi. When Zhao Changqing pulled her hand, Xiao Lihuaer also smiled, no longer politely, and followed Zhao Changqing's house.
Zhao Changqing had first met the old lady and Ling. When they saw her coming back, they hurriedly asked the maid to have tea and eat.
Zhao Changqing smiled and said, "Everything, Mr. Su, and Abai didn't eat it either. Grandmother, mother, I'll have dinner with them in Mr. Su's house."
Seeing Zhao Changqing come back happily, Ling reminded, "Then go. I asked Sister Liu to leave food for you. If it is cold, tell her to warm it up, so that it will not hurt the spleen and stomach if it is cold. I cooked brown sugar ginger soup under the kitchen, and drank a bowl of each person. After going out for most of the day, it will be frozen again. "
Zhao Changqing returned to Mr. Su's house and saw that Mr. Su had brought the brown sugar ginger water back, so he asked Zhao Changqing to wash his hands and face. Several people surrounded the charcoal basin and drank brown sugar ginger water. A bowl of hot brown sugar ginger water was poured down, and his body felt indescribable warmth.
After a while, Sister Liu brought the food and everyone ate it together.
After using the meal, Xiao Lihuaer took Zhao Lizi to say goodbye. Zhao Lizi was quite reluctant and said, "Sister Qing, my sister and I will go back to make baskets. I will go to play with you tomorrow if I have time."
Zhao Changqing responded with a smile and sent them to the gate.
However, in the evening, Chu Yu sent someone to send a roe deer and two rabbits. Ling smiled and thanked him. After sending the people from the General's Mansion away, he called Zhao Changqing to come and asked, "It's great, why did the General's Mansion send us roe deer?" Except for Zhao Changqing, no one at home had any friendship with the people from the General's Mansion.
Zhao Changqing laughed, "When we caught birds today, we happened to meet Brother Chu and Sister Chu and the others going to hunt. This is the person who meets you."
Ling smiled, "Who can see someone? You said it. Remember to thank others when you see them. You are so polite."
"I understand." Zhao Changqing smiled, "I asked Sister Liu to pack up the birds and give them half of them to Sister Li Huaer, and then give them another rabbit."
Distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. Although Zhao Da is a bad gambling man, his family is very sensible, and Sister Xing is also a very nice person. Ling smiled, "What you say is that you often play together, so give one to them. Alas, Li Huaer is three years older than you and is not much taller than you. It was the time to grow up." Ling is also a mother, and at the end of his words, he sighed a little.
Zhao Changqing smiled and said, "Youth is not poor, but pear blossoms are capable and pears are smart. After these years, the good days of Xingsaozi will come."
Ling touched his daughter's tender face and suddenly heard Zhao Changqing shout, "Oh, mother, mother, look!" He pointed at Zhao Changning on the kang and said, "Brother Ning will leave." Sure enough, seeing Zhao Changning swaying and walking towards her short legs, seeing Zhao Changqing reach out, she smiled and threw herself into her sister's arms.
Zhao Changqing hurriedly took him with both hands, hugged him in his arms and kissed him with a smile, and said happily, "Brother Ning is leaving, it's only been more than ten months."
Ling was also surprised, "Yes! The legs are so good!"
Zhao Changqing smiled, "Mother, I think Brother Ning has a good temper and is very sensible. My mother hasn't been to see my ancestors for a while. So I'd just take Brother Ning next month and let us go with my grandmother, and ask my ancestors to see our Brother Ning."
Ling smiled, "Okay."
Zhao Rong, who was standing by, heard this, climbed to Ling's side and slapped it. Ling held Xiangxiang's soft little daughter and smiled, "Just take Rong Jie'er together."
Zhao Changqing said, "It's better to be like this. But Brother Ning can just leave, but her mother will not be able to take care of her. If Sister Rong takes her, she will not leave yet, so she has to hold her in her arms all the time. Grandma is so old, but who can hold Sister Rong? Not to mention that the Zhu family is not home, Brother Ning doesn't go out much. What if she goes out and cry? Brother Ning is so easy to coax, but add Sister Rong, how can she stand it? Wait until Sister Rong is older, at least she will leave and take her with her."
Ling thought about it, but she was right and laughed, "Then let's take Brother Ning there first."
Zhao Rong's eyes were filled with fire.
Zhao Changqing ignored her and asked for something else and said, "Mother, my socks are almost ready. I made two pairs, one for my ancestors and the other for my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather's birthday is next month, so I will take them with me. Mother, do you think you are okay?"
Ling was extremely relieved and smiled, "You are so sensible, there is nothing wrong with you."
In fact, Zhao Changqing's biggest advantage is not being smart and sensible, but patience.
When Zhao Changqing moved to her new house, she wanted to make a calligraphy and painting to fill her storefront, but she didn't want to spend too much money. She couldn't take her hand at all, so she asked Mr. Su for calligraphy. Mr. Su gave her a couplet: If she had constant, why should she get up at midnight during the third day? The most useless thing is that it was exposed to ten days of cold in one day.
Zhao Changqing hung it on the wall, looked at it once a day, and seemed to have gained something in his heart.
****
Time flies. When Mrs. Zhu received the needle and thread from Zhao Changqing in the third year, she ordered her maid to take out her crystal glasses and put them on her cotton socks to carefully look at the needle and thread embroidery on her cotton socks, she couldn't help but praise, "Girl Qing is really a pair of skilled hands. She is only a few years old and has such good needle and thread."
Zhao Changqing is eight years old, and his baby fat when he was young is gradually fading away. Her beautiful face is like a bud of flowers. Her eyes are curved, and her lips are pursed with a faint smile. Her voice is crisp and beautiful, with a sense of briskness. "My great-grandfather's birthday is November. My ancestors have always treated me well. I always think about filial piety. I also feel that my ancestors have both good fortune and longevity and have nothing to lack, so I do some needlework. Although the sisters in the needle and thread room may not have good skills, it is my intention."
Old Mrs. Zhu laughed, "This is very good. Your grandmother's craftsmanship is one successor."
Old Mrs. Zhao smiled, "Yes, when you were younger than me, I didn't have the skills of her when I was as old as her."
Old Mrs. Zhu smiled and said to Zhao Changqing, "Your great-grandfather is not at home. When he comes back, I will ask someone to send him the things. He likes them one by one." At first, Mrs. Zhu only thought that Zhao Changqing was grateful to the old man for giving her jade ring. She didn't expect that Zhao Changqing would be filial to the needle and thread every year. She made her own needle and thread. It was not so expensive, but it made people feel caring. Old Mrs. Zhu sighed inwardly, this is a conscientious girl. If you treat her a little good to her, she will remember it in her heart.
How rare.
Zhu Ling was twelve years old and already a graceful girl. She followed her and said with a smile, "Sister Qing is young, and her needlework is far better than us. Last time I was on my birthday, I took out the purse she gave me. Several sisters praised her and said that this was new. Some people asked me for it."
Zhao Changqing smiled and said, "I am just a little better than that. Every time my sister's poetry meeting, I must be at the bottom. Fortunately, my sister is willing to be careful with me. If my sister likes it, I will ask Liu'er to send flowers to my sister."
Zhu Ling smiled and said, "It's so good. I thanked my sister first."
Zhao Rong is already four years old. Her eyebrows are similar to Zhao Changqing, but they are not as round as Zhao Changqing when she was young. Zhao Rong is the best dressing up, and her small face is lit up by her. She is as beautiful as the morning dewdrops. She said in a silence, "Sister Ling, I am also learning poetry with her husband. In the future, Sister Ling holds poetry meetings, can I come with my sister?"
Zhu Ling smiled and said, "You can come just by yourself. I'll ask someone to prepare delicious snacks for you."
Zhao Rong smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Sister Ling."
Yuan said to Ling, "Did you start studying at such a young age?" The Zhu family's scholarly family was all six years old and enlightened. Of course, before the enlightenment, Yuan would also teach his children some simple elementary school books. This matter was ordinary in the family. The Zhao family was just a military family, but they were willing to treat their daughter like this. Yuan really looked at him with admiration.
Ling wiped the pastry crumbs on the corner of her son's lips and laughed, "This girl is fine at home. Her sister followed her to study with her husband, so she followed her and listened. A few days ago, she had to learn to recognize words, but she should not cry again, so I followed her. Once, Changqing learned poetry with her husband, and she read four sentences like this. When the teacher said that it was better than Changqing."
Yuan felt very strange, "What happened?"
Ling smiled, "I don't understand these poems and lyrics, but who knows if the sir said that." But he was very proud in his heart. He thought that his eldest daughter was outstanding enough, but he didn't want his younger daughter to be talented or inferior to his eldest daughter.
Zhu Ling was also a little curious when she heard this. She held Zhao Rong's hand and asked, "Sister Rong, what good poems did you make, I'll be with my sister."
Zhao Rong said, "It's not that the charming and competing for the worldly view, but that I am born proud of the cold and frost. My heart follows the will of the sages and Tao Gong, and it's all in the thousands of families and mountains."
Zhu Ling was startled and looked at Zhao Rong for a moment, and praised repeatedly, "Sister Rong can do such a good poem at such a young age. Compared with her, my sister has been reading books for so many years in vain. Next poem meeting, I will invite my sister to come."
Yuan smiled and said, "I see, how many boys can't write poetry when they were as old as Sister Rong. Sister Rong, you can write poetry when you are just studying."
Zhu Ling tilted her head, her eyes were confused and said, "I don't know what's going on. When the teacher talks, I feel like I understand. The teacher is called poetry, and you can think of it as soon as you think about it."
Old Mrs. Zhu smiled and said, "I remember your aunt said that when Rong Yao grabbed Zhou, she kept her pen and ink, maybe she had this stubbornness."
Old Mrs. Zhao laughed, "Yes, I say that too. When she was a child, she was the same. She wanted to learn from others and study. Later, she saw that she really liked her, so she hired a husband for her. Now, the children also liked to study. Oh, the children liked it, the girls' homes are good at studying, and they would go with them. They just waste some pens and ink. The family is more frugal and there is everything."
Yuan disliked hearing old Mrs. Zhao say the most, as if she was crying poor. Yuan smiled and said, "Sister Ruorong is a son, and her aunt and younger sister just wait for the imperial decree."
Ling smiled, "The brother and sister of Rong Jie'er and Ning Ge'er's compatriots, Ning Ge'er has no interest in books at all. He asked him to study with his sisters, but he ran out to play wildly every day, and was playing with swords and guns for a long time."
Zhao Changning said silly, "Mom, I'm very bored in studying, so I've been sitting for a long time."
Yuan smiled, "With these two smart daughters, even I envy my brother and sister. Brother Ning is a boy who will take over his father's mission in the future. Isn't it right to play with knives and guns?"
"Oh, my sister-in-law doesn't know my difficulties." Ling smiled and flattered Yuan, "I heard that Brother Qing'er was very good at studying. My nephew said that Brother Qing was going to take the exam for scholarship."
Yuan's smile became stronger and stronger, "It's nothing. It's just a few Qingkes who praised him. He had only been studying for a few years, so how dare he compete with Mr. Xiucai. However, his younger siblings and nephews, named Teng Ge'er, were very well-behaved. On a few times, Teng Ge'er and Qing Ge'er came to review books together, which was very polite. Qing Ge'er often told me that there are so many children in the class, Teng Ge'er's homework is very good."
Ling smiled, "It's rare that they get along like this, and this kind of love between classmates is rare. If they can get fame and fortune together in the future, it will be a very elegant thing."
Yuan laughed, "Who said no?"
After talking for a while, after lunch, the Zhao family said goodbye and left.
To be continued...