at dusk.

Qinglin County, north of the city, Chuiliu Lane.

A middle-aged man wearing linen clothes with a tired face and carrying a heavy wooden box walked with heavy steps to the door of a house in the deepest part of the alley.

He was about to open the courtyard door when he heard the sound coming from inside and couldn't help but stop.

"Auntie, I'm so hungry. When do you want to eat?"

The voice of an eight or nine-year-old boy came from the crack in the door.

"Eat, eat, eat, just know how to eat. When I asked you to recite the "Tao Jing", why didn't I see you so active?"

A scolding voice from a woman in her thirties or forties followed.

"Auntie, my brother is so hungry. Why don't you let him eat a little first to cushion his stomach? Don't starve your brother."

A girl of twelve or thirteen years old said weakly.

"I'm hungry too, I want to eat too..."

A little girl's voice of six or seven years old followed suit.

There was a sound of "pop!"

A woman in her thirties or forties slammed the table and shouted loudly: "You kids, you are really rebelling. Your father goes out to work before dawn and doesn't come back until dusk, so you can have a good meal at home."

Fan, you won’t let him live in peace, right? You unfilial sons, see how I deal with you.”

Then amidst the sound of beatings, the loud cry of the little boy could be heard.

"Wow wow... Mommy, I was wrong, I'm not hungry anymore, I'm not hungry anymore..."

The rays of the setting sun reflected on his face, and he couldn't help but smile as he listened to the voices of his wife and children coming from the yard.

"Zhou Laoshi, why are you standing at the door and not going in?" The neighbor's aunt poured water at the door. When she saw Zhou Laoshi standing in a daze at the door of her house, she couldn't help but asked curiously.

Zhou Laoshi came back to his senses immediately, nodded to the neighbor's aunt and said, "I'll go back right now."

Zhou Laoshi opened the courtyard door, put down the wooden box, walked quickly to the main room, stopped the woman, and asked with a smile: "What's going on? As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard the sound of you beating the child."

When the woman saw her husband coming back, she quickly let go of her son and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Children will make trouble if they don't obey."

While the woman was talking, she quickly walked to the kitchen and brought a basin of warm water over.

"The master is back, go wash up and have a meal."

After waiting for her husband to wash his hands and change into clean clothes, he brought the still warm food from the kitchen stove.

"Master, I specially picked a fish weighing two kilograms today. You have gained more weight recently, so you can make up for it."

Zhou Laoshi glanced around and asked strangely: "Where is the boss?"

The woman glanced at a house on the east side and said, "When I got back from work, I immediately went back to the house and recited the Taoist Scriptures."

Zhou Laoshi nodded happily and said: "Okay, okay."

When she heard her father being praised for her brother's recitation of the "Tao Jing", the younger daughter raised her hands excitedly and said, "Daddy, dad, I also want to recite the Tao Jing."

Unexpectedly, my father immediately changed his face and reprimanded loudly: "You are a girl, why are you reciting the "Tao Jing"? It is a treasure handed down by the Holy Emperor, and you, a wild girl, can recite it?"

When the younger daughter heard her father's reprimand, her eyes instantly turned red, her mouth flattened, and tears fell drop by drop. The older daughter quickly stepped forward, gently held her sister in her arms, then raised her head to look at her father, and defended loudly.

: "Dad, I heard that the head of the royal family is a woman. The deputy head of the Hunyuan Sect is a woman. Why can't we girls recite the Tao Jing?"

Zhou Laoshi said with a face: "Since ancient times, martial arts has been a matter of men. You are a girl, what kind of martial arts do you practice? As for the head of the Qin family and the female sect leader of the Hunyuan Sect, who are they? They are like fairies in the sky.

, who are you? You are just a craftsman’s daughter. How can you compare with others? I tell you, you are never allowed to say these words again. Did you hear me? Let me hear it again. If I hear it once, I will beat you.

This time, Zhang Zhang must remember."

The eldest daughter stubbornly did not nod in response, but turned her head, hugged her sister tightly, and said nothing.

The woman sighed helplessly and quickly changed the subject: "Master, hurry up and eat. This fish soup should be drunk while it's hot. If it's cold, it won't taste good."

The eldest son stood at the door and heard the quarrel inside ended, then walked in with a straight face, sat down and ate in silence.

The woman left her younger son to wait on the table and then took her eldest daughter and younger daughter to the kitchen. She served them two dishes. However, comparing the two, it was obviously much different from the dishes and rice in the main room.

The little daughter asked with her mouth full of grievances and choked with sobs: "Mom, I also want to drink fish soup, I also miss the "Tao Jing", and I also want my father to praise me, wuwu..."

The woman sighed, stood up, glanced at the main room, closed the kitchen door, and said softly: "You little girl, how many times have I told you, don't compare with your two brothers, don't compete with your two brothers

Bi, just don’t listen.”

While talking, he took out half a bowl of fish soup from the cupboard and said, "Okay, this is the remaining half bowl of fish soup. You two sisters should divide it."

The eldest daughter immediately shook her head and said, "Give it all to my sister. I don't like fish soup."

The little daughter happily took a big sip of the fish soup, then raised her head, glanced at her sister, then at her grandma, winked and said, "Grandma, take a bite too."

"Mom doesn't like drinking either." The woman waved her hands repeatedly.

"No, I want grandma to drink." The little daughter directly held the bowl to the woman's mouth domineeringly.

The woman lowered her head helplessly and took a small sip.

The little daughter happily moved the bowl to her sister's mouth again, and the sister also lowered her head helplessly and took a small sip.

The youngest daughter then asked happily: "Aniang, sister, does the fish soup taste good?"

The woman smiled and nodded and said: "It tastes good. It tastes good to you. Drink it quickly. It won't taste good after it cools down."

The little daughter happily drank the remaining fish soup in the bowl.

The woman put away the bowl of fish soup and whispered to her little daughter: "If you miss the Tao Jing from now on, just stand at the door and read it with your brother. I heard that the Tao Jing will

I don’t know what it means, but just reciting it works.”

After the woman finished speaking, she glanced at her eldest daughter who had a longing look on her face. She rubbed her eldest daughter's head and said, "After you have finished your work at home, you should also think about it. If the Holy Emperor takes pity on you... you will change your mind."

Dead."

The eldest daughter suddenly showed a happy smile.

The woman lowered her head to eat and sighed heavily in her heart.

Although this word is widely spread among women, there are only legends about such things happening in various places, and it is not known whether they are true or false.

Just think of it as a thought for your two daughters.

After the woman finished her meal, she got up and went to the main room to clear away the dishes. As soon as she entered the room, she heard her eldest son talking to her husband.

"Dad, I want to go to Master Lin specifically to study the Taoist Scriptures."

Zhou Laoshi frowned and said, "How much?"

The eldest son lowered his head and said, "One tael of silver."

Zhou Laoshi's frown deepened: "Is it so expensive?"

The woman looked at her silent husband and said with worry: "The head of the house..."

The eldest daughter couldn't bear it any longer and said: "Dad, a notice has been posted in the government office a long time ago. The resonance of "Tao Jing" is only related to understanding. The most important thing is self-study and self-enlightenment. Even if you learn what others have said about "Tao Jing"

The insights from the "Tao Jing" are of no use..."

The eldest son couldn't help but retorted: "The government deliberately tricked us. Today there is a student in Master Lin's school who resonates with "Tao Jing". If it doesn't work, how could it be such a coincidence? Father, that student has been alarmed

Enter the government and be accepted as a disciple of Liyang College. In the future, you will be successful in your studies and become a member of the government. This is our only chance to make a change, Dad."

Zhou Laoshi glared at his eldest son and said, "I'll think about it again."

The eldest son was worried that his father was worried about the money, so he couldn't help but persuade him again: "Dad, the news about Master Lin's students hasn't spread yet, and now Shu Xiu still has one tael of silver. If the spread spread, more people will go, I'm afraid

Even a tael of silver can't help it..."

Zhou Laoshi patted the table, stood up suddenly and said, "I told you, let me think about it."

After saying that, he turned around and walked into the back room.

The eldest son stood up helplessly, glanced at the back room, turned and walked out of the main room, and went to his own room.

There was a soft chanting sound coming from inside.

The woman looked at her eldest daughter, who had a worried look on her face, shook her head, and quickly cleared the bowls on the table while saying softly: "Take your sister and go outside the window to read along. I'm here."

The eldest daughter glanced at the inner room, nodded, turned to the kitchen, took her sister's hand, and walked outside the house where the eldest son and the younger son lived. While listening to the chanting inside, she started chanting along softly.

.

After the woman had almost put away the bowl, she wiped the water off her hands and walked into the back room.

I saw my husband going to bed and counting copper coins.

The woman walked over and said worriedly: "Master, do you really want to go to Mrs. Lin?"

Zhou Laoshi nodded silently.

The woman glanced at the copper coins on the bed and asked softly: "Is this money...enough?"

Zhou Laoshi nodded slowly and said: "Barely enough."

The woman said helplessly: "What will happen to the family if Shu Xiu is handed over?"

This is where Zhou Laoshi hesitates.

After Shu Xiu was handed over, the family would not be well-off, and the quality of life of the other three children would immediately drop a lot.

However, after all, this is related to the future of the child.

This may be the only chance the eldest son has. If you don't give it to him, you will never have it again.
To be continued...