Good luck with koi carp

Chapter 140 The Xu Family’s Grandfather
Chi Li stood aside, watching her mother and grandparents holding hands and looking at each other with tears in their eyes. She hesitated for a moment whether she should step forward or not.


Mrs. Xu married far away, and transportation was not convenient in ancient times. She could not go back to her parents' home even once a year. Counting the time, she has not gone back to see her parents for five or six years.


This is true for her, let alone Chi Li.


In the original owner's memory, she didn't have a deep impression of her maternal grandparents. She couldn't even remember what they looked like unless they were standing face to face. Naturally, the relationship between them couldn't be said to be close or not.


Not cooked at all.


As for the elders on Chi Xiucai's side, they both passed away when Chi Li was young. Now the elder in the Chi family who is closest to Chi Xiucai is only the elder of the Chi family, which is still a generation away.


Perhaps because of this, even if the clan wanted to ask Chi Xiucai to help him more and win over other clan members, they did not dare to go too far. Moreover, whenever Chi Xiucai needed the clan's consent for something, the clan leader would try his best to satisfy him. Just like Chi Xiucai wanted to establish a female household for his daughter, even though he was a little reluctant, he finally agreed.


He was afraid that Chi Xiucai would be dissatisfied somewhere and that he would be separated from the clan.


After all, the most promising person in the entire Chi clan is Chi Xiucai, and of course Chi Li will be added in the future.


It was only later that he learned that Chi Li had also been admitted as a scholar, and the Chi clan leader secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he had not listened to the clan elders before, and was stuck on Chi Li's issue of establishing a female household, and he did not mention it in front of Chi Xiucai. Someone wanted him to adopt a boy, otherwise he would definitely make them angry.


Also, they are the only two promising people in the clan.


Scholar Wanwan Waochi from the latter clan didn't know about it, but even if he did, it didn't matter to him. Others couldn't influence any of his thoughts and decisions, and those people more or less had to rely on his protection. If anything happens, I don't dare to dance in front of him.


Now Chi Xiucai was busy helping his wife to greet his father-in-law and mother-in-law. When he saw his daughter, he stood aside blankly and didn't know how to react. He quickly gave her a wink.


When Chi Li noticed her eyes turning around, she mouthed and told her: "Go up and say hello to the elders."


We know that children don’t know what to do because they are not close to others, but as parents, they cannot let others think that their children have no manners, so they still need to remind their children to do enough of the etiquette they should have.


Chi Li understood and obediently found a gap between her mother and her maternal grandparents to reminisce. She took two steps forward and took the initiative to say hello to the two elders: "Li'er has met her grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, and uncle. , Second Aunt, everyone is well."


She did not leave behind the other four elders.


"Okay, everything is fine. This is Li'er. She has grown so big. She looked so small and childish before, but now she is a tall and graceful girl."


The Xu family's grandmother is a very kind-looking old lady. She is over 60 years old. Her face is well-kept and there are not many wrinkles. She only has black hair that is dyed silver without a trace of mottled color. It looks like there are still some spots. A different kind of beauty.


Chi Li's eyes lingered on the old lady's beautiful silver hair for a while, and then she smiled sweetly and said something witty: "Li'er still remembers that you were still so young when I saw my grandmother last time. When I see you this time, you are still the same." You are so young, and you seem to have not seen any changes. Now you and my mother are standing together, and those who don't know think they are sisters."


"Hahahaha... Whose child is this? This little mouth is as sweet as honey." The grandmother of the Xu family was coaxed to laugh by her granddaughter, and she looked at her with special affection for a while.


Chi Li also smiled and leaned forward: "It belongs to your family."


"Naughty." Nodding the little girl's forehead affectionately, the Xu family's grandmother lovingly held Chi Li in her arms, looking like she couldn't get enough of her.


Seeing this, the two aunts next to her also smiled and came up to say a few compliments. The words were full of praise for Chi Li. They were also words that the Xu family's grandmother liked to hear, which made the grandson and grandson beam with joy. Mrs. Xu couldn't bear to listen.


"Okay, okay, don't praise her. Li'er is still a child at heart. If you praise her too much, her tail should be raised to the sky."


It's not good to stand at the door all the time when guests come. Mrs. Xu interrupted everyone's laughter and invited her parents to come inside and sit.


Chi Xiucai and others next to him saw that the female relatives had finally finished speaking, and followed them silently.


Although the Chi family is not a wealthy family, it is still considered one of the best in the county. The house their family lives in is quite large, a Jiangnan-style courtyard with some garden landscaping, and is roughly divided into three rooms.


Naturally, Chi and his wife live in Zhongzhongzhengtang, while Chili lives in Koi Wanli next to her parents' yard. She got the name because there is a small koi pond in her yard.


The Xu family and the others were arranged in the guest courtyard at the back. It was large and had many rooms, enough to accommodate so many people.


Before her parents' family came, Ms. Xu had already ordered people to clean the guest house, and the bedding and other items were washed and dried. Now that the Xu family came, they could just move their luggage in and move in.


The servants are responsible for moving the luggage. Now the Xu family is sitting in the main room used by the Chi family to receive guests, chatting lively with each other and exchanging each other's current situation.


The main topic protagonist is naturally Chi Li.


After all, the Xu family came here specifically to congratulate Chili, their granddaughter, for winning the scholarship. At the same time, Chili also noticed that her father, grandfather, and uncles seemed to have other matters related to them, but they had not discussed them yet. After he was informed and informed, she did not take the initiative to ask.


Anyway, since it has something to do with her, I must tell her in the end.


"Li'er, come here."


Seeing her mother waving to her, Chi Li immediately went over: "Mom?"


"Come, mother, let me introduce you. This is your uncle's fourth cousin, her name is Fan'er. This is your second uncle's third cousin, her name is Xiang'er. I've met her before, but do you still remember her? "


Mrs. Xu introduced her daughter to the cousins ​​brought over by her two uncles and aunts one by one.


Strangely enough, this time the two uncles and aunts came to bring their unmarried young daughters, but none of their other sons came with them. There were also two married cousins ​​who did not come with them either.


It was normal for the married cousin not to come. They were all married and had to take care of their families over there and could not travel far away. However, none of the cousins ​​were brought here, which made Chili a little confused. reason.


Perhaps they knew what she was doubting, so the aunts answered her the next moment: "Recently, the academy held an exam competition with the other two academies. It was said that students from the three academies would take the exam together. Okay. Competing to see who is more knowledgeable. In order to prepare for this competition, your cousins ​​have been studying in the academy these days and have not gone home. They can't come over to celebrate you. I hope Li'er won't Strange."


This is to explain why only the unmarried girls at home are brought here.


Chi Li didn't care much whether her cousins ​​came to celebrate her. Hearing this, she smiled and said generously: "It's okay, my cousins' studies are important, and there are cousins ​​Xiang'er and Fan'er. He came all the way to play with me, and I couldn’t be happier before it was too late.”


Seeing how reasonable she was, both aunts secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She just needs to be easy to get along with.


Keenly noticing that she seemed to be being observed and tested, Chi Li cast a vague sideways glance at her mother, and after receiving a 'see you later' look, she stopped asking any more questions.


She turned around and focused on greeting her two cousins.


Xu Xiang'er is slightly one year older than Chi Li and has already been married. The wedding is scheduled for August next year. It can be seen that she is a beautiful woman with graceful temperament, knowledgeable and courteous. She takes good care of her sisters and talks to Chi Li. He came with a gentle voice that made people feel like they were bathed in spring breeze.


Xu Fan'er is the daughter of Uncle Chili and her aunt Chen. She is just five years old this year. She has big eyes, a round head, and little hands and feet that are fleshy, like a little white dough. She is cute and cute.


The last time the original owner followed her mother back to her parents' home was six years ago, so the original owner had never met this little cousin at that time. She did have some impressions of the third cousin, but she was also not very impressed.


It is not difficult for the three girls to get along with each other. The little cousin has a good personality and is not naughty. She just likes to eat in one bite and is not picky. She eats almost everything on the table and behaves as soon as she has something to eat. Very, as long as it doesn't disturb her eating, she can do whatever she is told.


Chili thought it was fun, and even offered to help peel oranges as a temptation, coaxing the little girl to call her cousin.


"Cousin Li'er~"


"Hey, Fan'er is so good."


In order to get a bite to eat, the little girl's voice was so sweet that it was so sweet that Chi Li and her third cousin peeled oranges, melon seeds, and peanut shells together with a smile, and they were very busy.


It looks like someone is being coaxed into free labor by a cute creature.


But they all enjoy it.


The children were able to get along well with each other, which made the elders smile a little more. After greeting the guests for dinner, Chili was called into the study by her father.


As soon as she entered, she saw her grandfather, two uncles and mother.


Seeing this scene, Chi Li knew that the highlight of the day was coming.


Sure enough, after the first few greetings, the two sides began to get into the topic. Chili listened for a long time before she understood what the elders were discussing.


It turns out that they were making plans for their future.
Chili's passing the examination as a scholar today is just the first step towards becoming a scholar. If she wants to continue to advance in the future, she must continue to study and take the scientific examination. However, Chixiucai's level is no longer enough to teach her daughter. , or that his teachings are no longer enough to help his daughter.


So he needs to find another famous teacher to send his daughter to study.


Xue Zhangming's talent is enough to continue to teach Chili, but he finally passed the exam and was not happy for two days. He started studying intensively again, preparing to participate in the next provincial examination in one go. Teach Chili?

"I thought about it for a moment, father. Since I am no longer able to teach you, I can only find another famous teacher for you. But famous teachers are hard to find, and it is not easy to find the right one for a while. It will delay your studies, so I can only Find another way. Now there are two ways for you to choose. The first is to go to Nanhuai Fuxue. According to regulations, all students can enter the Fuxue without taking the exam. There are many famous teachers in the Fuxue. As long as If you study humbly, you will surely achieve success, but there is one disadvantage there, that is, there are too many students, some are mixed, and the government requires accommodation. You, a girl, have to study there alone. Neither you nor your mother feel at ease."


As I said before, there are many scholars in Nanhuai Prefecture, so there are also quite a few students enrolled in the government schools. Although these students study books, they may not be able to do well in life.


Moreover, in addition to scholars, there are more wealthy people here in Nanhuai, and there are many dandy children among them. There are some dandy children in the government schools who rely on family connections. These people do not read books all day long. They just know Eat, drink, be merry, and cause trouble.


Therefore, there is some complexity within the government school.


As for Chili, a girl's family, the parents of the Chi family must be worried about leaving their daughter alone in such an environment, so they actually don't really want their daughter to enroll in a private school.


But Fu Xue is the most direct place where you can come into contact with famous teachers, so it is particularly confusing.


Fortunately, they have another option.


Chi Li also saw that her parents didn't want her to go to a private school, so she didn't waste any time and simply asked, "What about the other way?"


"The other way is to study at Henglu Academy."


Chi Li has heard of the name Henglu Academy. This academy can be regarded as one of the top three academies in the minds of the crazy Southern students.


Its internal discipline is strict and its academic style is flourishing. It is a good place where people can concentrate on studying.


Of course, the most important thing is that Chili's father was a student at Henglu Academy. More importantly, Chili's mother's uncle was a scholar and a tutor at Henglu Academy.


The grandfather of the Xu family did not have much fame. He did not like studying and only wanted to guard the family's large land and become a rich man.


The reason why Chi Xiucai was able to marry the Xu family back then was entirely due to the help of his uncle from the Xu family. In the end, it turned out that this uncle had a good vision. Although Chi Xiucai finally stopped being a scholar, he was indispensable in this era. A beloved man who has gained a lot does not take concubines, has no bad habits, takes care of his wife and children, and has plenty of money at home.


Except for the inconvenience of returning to her natal family, Mrs. Xu who married him can be said to have lived quite comfortably before and after marriage.


At least if we compare it many years later, she is indeed the one living the best life among the many sisters of the same age. Even if she has no son, it doesn't matter. Just one daughter is better than many.


The Chi family couple even wanted to send their daughter to Henglu Academy to study.


Because there are people of their own there, the Xu family's uncle is teaching in the academy, and the Xu family's cousins ​​are also studying there. Chi Li has someone to take care of her, and she is not afraid of being bullied in the academy. Secondly, it is also the most frustrating thing for the Chi family couple. What's exciting is that Henglu Academy does not require compulsory accommodation. If necessary, students can also apply for day study, as long as they don't be late for class. If Chili goes to study there, he can live in his maternal grandfather's house without worrying about being with him. A bunch of grown men living together got a bad reputation.


This way they can feel more at ease.


As a woman, even if she can participate in the imperial examination and have the opportunity to compete head-on with men, she still has these inconveniences. Sheng Chili is not strong enough now and cannot change too much, so she can only tolerate herself for the time being. Adapt to the rules of this era.


Therefore, she also understood that everything her parents considered for her made sense.


Chili originally planned to follow her parents' arrangements, but now that she heard that her parents had broken their loving fatherly and motherly hearts for her, there was no reason to refuse, so in the end Chili chose the second path without hesitation.


Go to Henglu Academy to study.


It was only then that she understood why so many people came to her maternal grandfather's house, partly to celebrate her and to visit Mrs. Xu, but also to discuss with her parents about enrolling her in Henglu Academy. At the same time, the two aunts also came to observe her thoughts.


After all, they will live together in the future, and they are also worried that Chi Li is a cute young lady who is not easy to get along with. They are afraid that she will cause trouble everywhere when she comes to the house. Not to mention that they think too much, just because the Chi family has been together for so many years. Because of her excessive doting on her daughter, Chili was not spoiled into a pampered little princess, all because of her good character.


So this can also be regarded as a different kind of 'seeing each other' between the two parties?

Although it doesn't matter whether Chi Li is an easy girl to get along with, as long as Chi Xiucai, the Xu family's grandfather and the two uncles make a decision, no matter how unwilling the two aunts are, there is no way to object, the worst result is just that. He pinched his nose and offered it to her. Anyway, even if Chi Li went to study, it would only last a few years and it would be over with a little patience.


After deciding to send his daughter to study at his wife's parents' home, Chi Xiucai not only let go of a major concern, but also began to be reluctant to let it go.


"Bohe Mansion is so far away from Nanhuai Mansion. It will be difficult to see Li'er in the future."


Hearing her husband's muttering, Mrs. Xu also felt the same way and said: "Yes, except for that time, Li'er has never been away from us for so long. Now it is so unexpected to send the child so far away, or... I feel a little bit sad.”


"But for the sake of Li'er's future, we have to endure it no matter how reluctant we are to let go."


Chi Xiucai turned over, stretched out his hand and patted his wife's back comfortingly: "If you are really reluctant to leave, when your father-in-law and mother-in-law return, you can take Li'er with you and stay there for a while before coming back. I know you miss home too."


Chi Xiucai himself cannot leave. There are still so many students in his private school waiting for him to attend class. His daughter's future is important, and the future of other people's children is equally important. As a master, he must not delay the students for his own selfish purposes. academics.


"Okay, I'll go with you and help make arrangements for Li'er before I come back."


After all, she was still worried. After much thought, Xu finally decided to follow her husband's advice and take this opportunity to take her daughter back to her parents' home.


Now that you have decided, you have to start preparing.


In the next few days, Chi Li found that her mother suddenly became extremely busy. Out of concern, she found an opportunity to ask more, but she learned the good news that her mother was going to Bohe Mansion with her.


Although Chili is no longer the kind of child who needs her parents to accompany her wherever she goes, it has to be said that Chili's mood has indeed improved a lot recently when she knew that Xu was going to accompany her to her grandfather's house. I became much more active while reading.


After the Xu family arrived, the people who spent the most time with Chili were not her two aunts, let alone her cousins ​​who were close to her age, but her two uncles.


The two uncles of the Xu family both went to school. The eldest uncle, like Chi Xiucai, has the reputation of being a scholar. The second uncle is a little bit worse, but he is also a boy. We are all scholars, and we all get together just to exchange learning experiences. There are plenty of topics to talk about, and since they have similar levels of knowledge, they won’t be confused by what they say, so they naturally become more enthusiastic when chatting.


Chili doesn't have any good classmates or friends.


Zhang Dabao counts as one, He Yuanhang, Shouziqi, and Ning Zhuxuan barely count, but the latter is mainly willing to take the initiative to befriend Chi Li because of Chi Xiucai's face. He is not as sincere as Zhang Dabao, so Chi Li doesn't like to communicate with them when he has nothing to do.


Therefore, she rarely experienced the feeling of communicating with scholars of the same level. Now having two uncles to accompany her, Chili had a good experience. It was not bad, and it also helped to improve her own knowledge level. If there is an opportunity in the future, , she can also communicate more with different outstanding students.


She heard that some of her cousins ​​were quite good at reading, so she would try to make friends with others when she went to her grandfather's house.


The Chi family originally planned to wait for the Xu family's family to arrive before starting to hold a celebration banquet for Chi Li. Now that everyone is here, the celebration banquet will naturally begin.


On the day of the banquet, almost all the prominent people in Dayan County were invited to the banquet. Even the county magistrate appeared briefly, which made everyone feel that the Chi family was even more different than before.


Of course, it's getting better, not worse.


Someone who is well-informed also heard that the Chi family is planning to buy land recently.


Think about it, there are two talented people in this family, and together they can be exempted from the tax on two hundred acres of land. How much is the tax on the two hundred acres of land?


Many people don’t even understand it, but they just know there are many, many more.


Therefore, in order to fill up the quota of these two hundred acres of land and not waste it, the Chi family would naturally have to buy more land to make it cost-effective.


People who think this way are people who are not clear about the number of fields owned by the Chi family. They only think that the [-] acres of fertile land claimed by the Chi family is really only [-] acres. In fact, it is more than this number at all.


And those who have a rough understanding of the number of acres of land in the Chi family think that the Chi family is probably planning for the future in advance. After all, the daughter of the Chi family can pass the scholar examination today. Who knows if she will be able to pass the examination in the future? If you can win the title of Juren and be exempted from taxes on three hundred acres of land in one go, then you will truly become rich.


That's why people say that people are rich. Many people can help their families live a very prosperous life just by helping people get tax exemptions. For example, Zhang Dabao's father became rich in this way.


The Chi family is indeed interested in buying land recently, but it is not as complicated as outsiders think. They simply want to open a candy shop in Fucheng, and do not want to use their own grain-growing fields to grow sugar cane, malt, etc., so they want to buy another land. Plant these things.


According to the current land trading market, an acre of good land costs 15 taels of silver, an acre of medium-sized farmland costs [-] taels of silver, and the lowest-quality dry land only costs [-] taels of silver.


Mrs. Xu planned to take a look at everything and buy any suitable land, regardless of quality, within the price range her family could accept.


No one can have too much of something like fields.

(End of this chapter)