Father Gu grabbed Gu Zhihua's hand and asked in a trembling voice: "Zhihua, your hand, why is there a finger missing from your hand?"

The right hand that originally held the pen has slender and well-proportioned fingers. Holding the brush, I can write a pleasing and good calligraphy.

Last time during the Chinese New Year, the couplets posted on the doors of several shops were all made by this hand. Many passers-by passing by the door, or customers coming to the shop, as long as they could read, could not help but stop to look at it and comment on it.

Everyone was filled with admiration.

When the scholar took the exam, it is said that the invigilator was also very fond of the student's small regular script. The article was well done and the calligraphy was beautiful. This hand played a major role.

But now, the middle finger is missing among the five fingers. How can I hold a pen in the future?

The truth was revealed. Gu Zhihua, who had been silent with his head drooped since entering the door, could no longer bear it. He pulled his hand back from his father's hand, put on the dirty glove again, held his hand in his arms and buried it.

Lowering his head, he murmured: "My, my hand is useless, and I will never be able to hold a pen again... From now on, I, Gu Zhihua, will be a useless person!"

Father Gu felt like he was struck by lightning.

Gold and silver jewelry worth several hundred taels of silver were stolen, and he endured it.

The land prices of several shops were put on the market, but he endured it again.

One hundred acres of fertile farmland was sold for half the price of cabbage, but he still endured it.

Because he still has one belief in his heart, that is his son Gu Zhihua!

As long as you keep Zhihua and study for meritorious services, what you lose today will eventually come back one day, or even double, with more and better.

Unexpectedly, Zhihua saved his life, but his right hand was disabled and he would never be able to lift a pen or write beautiful words...

Father Gu seemed to have declined instantly. He dragged his heavy steps back to his stool across the table and sat down. He was afraid that he would faint if he didn't sit down.

Gu's mother recovered from the shock and could no longer bear it. She threw herself in front of Gu Zhihua, hugged him and cried loudly: "My son, those damned ones must not die well. They have abused my son like this. I

My son is a civil servant. He has no hands. How can he write or take exams for merit? God, why are you trying to trouble our Gu family? Open your eyes..."

What did Gu's father think of? He suddenly slammed the table and stood up: "Didn't I give Lai Touhua five hundred taels of silver? Why did I chop off your fingers? If this bitch breaks his promise, I'll be destitute.

The family property will also be sued against him..."

Gu Zhihua's eyes were also red, and he used his other hand to hold Gu's mother's back, but his eyes towards Gu's father were filled with a hint of resentment.

"Lai Touhua said, dad, you didn't keep your promise to pay all the money within three days. You said you delayed it for six hours, so you cut off one of my fingers as interest..."

"What?" Father Gu's eyes suddenly opened wide, his lips turned white with anger, and his whole body was trembling.

Gu's mother raised her eyes, which were swollen from crying, and shouted at Father Gu: "You goddammit, you are not reliable in any way. My jewelry is gone, and my son's fingers are also wasted by you."

If you are gone, you can’t do anything reliable, and you still have the nerve to come back, why don’t you die?”

Father Gu was so anxious that he stamped his feet and wanted to cry because he was wronged. He slapped the table and said, "Conscience of heaven and earth, I arrived at Qing'an County at midnight last night, but the city gate was closed. I didn't know what I told the officers and soldiers guarding the city.

I have so many good words and even money, but they won’t let me go, what can I do?”

If you force your way in, not to mention that you are too old to fight against the officers and soldiers with swords in their hands. They are officers, and you are a unruly citizen who wants to break into the city. Not only will you lose your life with a single blow, but you will also have to

He was accused of being a traitor, let alone going to the city to find Lai Touhua to redeem his son.

Thinking of those hours of suffering under the wall outside the city last night, Gu's father felt bitter in his heart, but no one could understand or sympathize with the pain, and yet they blamed him in return, what an injustice!

"In order to save this little beast these days, I broke my leg. It's easy for me. If you don't believe me, go back and ask Lao Gen and his son!" Gu's father sat down in grievance like a child, and even raised his head.

Wiping away tears with her hand.

Gu's mother couldn't stop scolding Gu's father. She turned her attention to Hui Zhihua and said, "Zhihua, we are not discouraged, as long as you come back alive."

"Besides, it's just that a finger is missing, and it's not true that I can't hold a pen. In the past, when we were shopping, there were people under the overpass who had lost both hands. They would draw on the ground with a brush between their toes.

There are many people spending money to buy his paintings..."

"Mom, even if I die, I won't be able to sell paintings with my toes under the overpass!" Gu Zhihua said in a hoarse voice. The veins on his forehead were wrinkled because of his excitement.

"Zhihua, don't get excited. That's not what I meant. What I mean is that those who don't even have hands can still hold a pen. You are just missing a finger. This will not delay your studies and exams for merit..."

"Delay, too much delay!" Gu Zhihua looked sad, with deep despair in his eyes.

“One of the things that the imperial government pays attention to when selecting scholars through the imperial examination is having good facial features and decent appearance.”

"Students like me who are missing a finger are basically hopeless."

"How come?" Gu's mother was shocked, "I don't know how many operas I went to the theater to watch. In one play, the prime minister was a hunchback. Not only did the emperor not dislike him for being a hunchback, he even made him a high official.

Forget it, I married the emperor’s sister princess to that hunchback!”

"You also said that it was a play!" Father Gu couldn't help but speak again, and gave Gu's mother a disgusted look: "The plays are all just for fun, they shouldn't be taken seriously. In reality, I heard people say that those students

There are basically no ugly people among them. No matter how bad they are, they can still have good features and a kind face. As for those top picks who can go to the Jinluan Palace and be personally interrogated by the emperor, which one of them is not both talented and beautiful? Not to mention the far ones, we still have them.

Talking about Changping Village, Yang Da'an, the number one scholar, and Mu Zichuan, the top scholar, who are not handsome men with healthy body, hair and skin?"

Gu's mother's eyes also turned completely gloomy, and she sat there blankly, not even having the strength to curse Lai Touhua.

Gu Zhihua was on pins and needles. His favorite sweet and sour fish on the table was in no mood to use his chopsticks. Moreover, the food was already cold.

"Father, mother, I'm sorry. My son was unfilial and I let you down. I'll go back to the wall to think about the past."

After saying these words, Gu Zhihua stood up and walked out of the canteen with his head hanging down.

At the door of the dining hall, he saw Shuhua, who was leaning against the wall, covering her mouth with one hand, tears welling up in her eyes and flowing down the back of her hand.

Gu Zhihua was stunned for a moment, with a somewhat apologetic look in his eyes.

Seeing him coming out, Shuhua lowered her hands and took a step towards him, feeling a little panicked.
Chapter completed!