The Resurrection of the South Seas of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 595 The Root of the Clan

Lu Wenzhao pursed his lips and spoke.

"Brother Cao, you and I have been studying all morning, and we are hungry, how about going to have lunch first?"

Cao Yun readily agreed.

The two left the firewood room together and came to the lobby of the inn.

The waiter from the inn came forward and said hello to the two of them.

"What do the two guests want to eat?"

Lu Wenzhao spoke.

"Still the same!"

"Steamed buns, hot water, and a plate of pickles!"

Steamed buns with hot water and pickles are the cheapest food in this inn.

Both of them are so poor that they live in a firewood house. Naturally, their main food is to fill their stomachs. Don't even think about eating well!

The two of them didn't occupy the table in the lobby of the inn, they just found an empty table in the corner and sat down.

Not long after, Xiao Er came out with steaming steamed buns, a plate of pickles, and a bottle of hot water.

One by one in front of the two students.

Xiao Er said.

"Two take it easy!"

It was obvious that the steamed buns served by Xiao Er for the two of them were a bit bigger than those on other tables, and the dishes containing pickles were almost popping out.

Although the two didn't say anything on the surface, they were grateful in their hearts.

Although Xiao Er, the shopkeeper of the inn, didn't give them any help on the surface, but this kind of care in detail can warm people's hearts even more.

……

The two people on this side were eating, but the waiter on the other side returned to the counter with a tray.

The shopkeeper was fiddling with the beads on the abacus, picking up a brush from time to time to write down a sum in the account book, with a concentrated expression.

It's just that although the shopkeeper is busy with his hands, he seems to have eyes in the back of his head.

As if seeing the curious look on Xiao Er's face, he asked directly.

"Ask whatever you want, look at your appearance, I feel uncomfortable!"

Xiao Er smiled awkwardly, looked at Lu Cao and Lu Cao in the same corner with vague eyes, and asked.

"Shopkeeper, I just want to know why you take such good care of those two poor people!"

"The room they live in, although it is called a firewood room, but the lighting and other things are better than some servants' rooms, and it is more secluded."

"You asked me to pick out big steamed buns for them when they were eating, give them plenty of pickles, and bring tea to their rooms..."

"why?"

"They're so poor! Why do you take care of them?"

The shopkeeper gave Xiaoer a sideways look, and said angrily.

"How about I am the shopkeeper and you are the second child?"

"They are indeed poor now, but they came to Beijing to rush for the exam, and no one can say for sure in the future."

"What if they pass the exam this time? Wouldn't they just fly up the branch and become a phoenix?"

"Sell it well now and make a good relationship, that's definitely right!"

Xiao Er then asked.

"But there are quite a few scholars in our inn who are coming to Beijing to take the exam. Why does the shopkeeper just take care of them?"

The shopkeeper stopped fiddling with the abacus beads, and said with a smile.

"Today is the rehearsal ceremony for the enthronement ceremony of His Royal Highness Jian Guo, and the soldiers of the imperial court will pass through the city of Nanjing."

"Didn't most people go to watch the excitement in the whole city of Nanjing?"

"Look at our inn again, those students who came to Beijing to rush for the exam, how many people insist on studying in the inn instead of going out to watch the excitement."

"Is it just those two?"

"Based on how hard-working the two of them are now, even if they fail the exam this time, they will definitely be awarded the gold medal in the future!"

Xiaoer showed a look of surprise, nodded vigorously and said.

"The little one understands!"

The shopkeeper glanced at Xiao Er and said.

"You, and you still have to learn!"

After all, he continued to bow his head and count.

Just counting the abacus beads like that, it seems that I can never finish playing.

……

Lu Wenzhao and Cao Yun had lunch, white steamed buns served with pickles, but they ate with gusto.

At this moment, a group of luxuriously dressed young masters came in at the gate of the inn.

Although most of these people are students and wear Confucian shirts, they don't have the air of a scholar.

One of them laughed arrogantly when he saw the food for Lu Wenzhao and Cao Yun.

"Haha, it's really poor!"

"White steamed buns are pickled vegetables, which scholar eats this?"

"Why don't you call me Grandpa, and I'll take you to the Qinhuai River for dinner?"

Steamed buns and pickled vegetables are definitely the best food for ordinary people in this era, but not everyone can afford it.

But for scholars, it's a bit of a loss!
After all, not everyone can afford to read the books of this era.

A simple literacy or illiteracy has already divided people's classes.

No matter how poor a scholar is, as long as he can write and count, there is a high probability that his life will not be too bad.

Seeing this, everyone around laughed loudly.

"Hahaha, Mr. Li, don't say that, maybe he will enjoy eating steamed buns and pickles!"

"That's right, Mr. Li, these two poor people are very wrong, I'm afraid they haven't even seen meat!"

"They may not be used to eating meat, just eat it like this, they might die straight away!"

"..."

Lu Wenzhao was extremely angry when he heard the words, and clenched his fists.

But he held back and said nothing.

Cao Yun gritted his teeth and said.

"My family is really poor, and I really can't afford meat!"

"I read all my books with my family saving money!"

"But it doesn't matter if I can't eat meat now. In the future, I will make sure that my family can eat meat!"

In order to become an official, scholars in ancient times liked to take care of clan power.

The reason is actually here.

Many people are able to study in the imperial examination, relying on the support of the entire clan.

If you want to fight against clan power, the most important thing is not to split the clan, but to engage in compulsory education.

The cost of education in this era is very high. Except for those big landlords and big businessmen, ordinary small landlords and small businessmen simply cannot afford the cost of education.

Only a few scholars can be supported by a whole clan!
How could it be possible for the scholars supported in this way not to take care of the clan in turn after they became officials in the imperial examination.

The reason why the current clan power continues to grow is actually entirely because the clan has mastered the ascending channel of the children in the clan.

Who can study and who cannot, the clan has the final say!

As long as compulsory education can be achieved, the clan will lose its most fundamental basis for existence.

As long as they can start to cut off the economic interests of the clan power and let the clan power completely decline, it is not impossible.

Lu Wenzhao didn't say a word, but just dragged Cao Yun to the room of the two of them.

Right behind them, that Mr. Li was still acting strangely.

"Hey, you want to take the imperial examination if you are so poor?"

"Do you have a famous teacher to teach you? Do you have elders in your family to take care of you? Have you ever participated in poetry and literature meetings?"

"Hahaha, you don't think you just need to work hard to take the imperial examination, do you?"

"If hard work is useful, why do you need to be reincarnated?!"

(End of this chapter)