Chapter 65: Book Boy?! Book Boy?!

Su Fengzhang woke up, but rarely did he want to get up. He had always been a man with great self-control, a trait that had accompanied him for two lifetimes, so much so that Wen Zhu often said that he was like a soldier.

But at this moment, he was lying limply on the bed, staring at the tent with his eyes open. This tent was embroidered by Su Zhaoshi at great lengths before she set out, and it had a complicated pattern of five sons passing the imperial examinations on it.

It was in this room that he set a small goal for himself, and now this small goal has been achieved.

I don’t know if it was because I was too tired from yesterday’s sacrifice, or because I was relaxed after achieving my goal, but Su Fengzhang wanted to sleep in. Even if he couldn’t sleep, he wanted to lie down for a while and not think about anything.

After a while, there was a murmuring sound outside, and the person who spoke lowered his voice as if he didn't want to wake him up.

But Su Fengzhang had extraordinary hearing and still noticed that there were unfamiliar voices here.

He couldn't lie there any longer. After getting up, he drank half a bowl of spiritual spring water. His dying body recovered instantly and he became energetic again.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Su Fengzhang asked curiously after opening the door and seeing the people in the yard.

"Why are you awake? Did your mother disturb you?" Su Zhao turned around and asked.

Su Fengzhang shook his head, his eyes sweeping over the six little boys, aged seven or eight, "It's time for them to wake up. They're used to it."

"Go eat something when you wake up. We've heated it up for you." Su Zhao said with a smile.

"Mom, who are these children?" Su Fengzhang did not leave and continued to ask.

Su Zhaoshi then said, "Now that you are a scholar, whether you are away studying or taking the imperial examinations, it will be difficult to go alone, and you can't always let your uncle go with you."

"Mother is thinking of buying a book boy and training him while there is still time. When he is trained well, he can go out."

"Book boy?" Su Fengzhang was a little dazed. The Su family had servants, but the situation was special at the time. Madam Wei and Zao'er were more like half family members than servants. They ate together on weekdays.

It was not until this moment that he suddenly remembered that this was still an era when people could be bought and sold, and even his wife Wei and Zao'er had signed a contract to sell themselves.

However, the south is wealthy, and even ordinary villagers rarely sell their children. They often just sign long-term contracts.

Su Fengzhang looked down at the six children. It was not difficult to see that they were all from poor families. They had thick hands and feet, dark skin, and they all lowered their heads obediently, not daring to look at him.

"Mom, no need. I can take care of myself." Su Fengzhang frowned and still said so.

Su Zhaoshi had a different opinion: "How can this be possible? Without a servant, you won't even have anyone to run errands for you."

"Actually, it should have been bought a long time ago, but I was careless and forgot. Back then, your brother had a servant by his side before he passed the imperial examination." Su Zhaoshi said.

When mentioning the servant boy, Su Zhao's voice dropped a little.

Su Zongzhan did have a servant boy who ran errands for him. The servant boy had been in the Su family for more than five years and had always been by his side. However, when Su Zongzhan got into trouble later, Su Zhaoshi took her anger out on him, thinking that the tragedy was caused by his failure to take good care of the young master, so she cruelly sold him out.

Su Fengzhang also thought of the servant boy and sighed slightly: "Mom, I'm not a young master from a wealthy family. There's no time when I need someone to run errands. I can take care of myself on weekdays."

Su Lanzhang appeared out of nowhere and shouted with a smile: "Mom, I can also help my brother run errands."

Su Zhaoshi was amused, but still insisted: "It's not good after all. Whose scholar has every servant around him?"

"Isn't there anyone around Dad?" Su Fengzhang asked with a smile.

Su Zhaoshi said, "How can that be the same? Your father was an official at that time, and he could order people around at will."

Su Fengzhang smiled and took her hand, saying, "What can a child of this age understand? I don't know who will take care of whom when the time comes. Besides, I'm used to being alone, and I'd feel uncomfortable with someone around me."

Su Zhaoshi didn't know what she was thinking. She patted the back of his hand and said, "Okay, mother knows. Go and have dinner."

As soon as Su Fengzhang left, the trafficker said with a smile, "Madam Su, the scholar is truly a handsome man. You can tell at a glance that he is a man of learning. He will surely pass the imperial examination next year and earn you an imperial decree in the future."

Su Zhao smiled politely: "Thank you for your kind words. Well, I've thought about it and realized that these children are too young. I don't know who will take care of whom after I buy them back."

The trafficker immediately said, "It's easier to raise a young one than to raise one that old. If it's old, it's hard to say, because its temperament is already fixed."

Su Zhaoshi continued, "Although this makes sense, I'm still a little worried. Let me think about it carefully, and then I'll come back to find you."

"I'm sorry to have made you go for nothing today. Aunt Bai, please bring me the purse I prepared."

The trafficker was initially unhappy, but when he felt the thick purse, he smiled again: "Look at what you said, Madam. I am in this business. It won't be a big deal to make a trip. Madam, if you have made up your mind, just send someone to call me over."

After sending the person away, Aunt Bai turned around and said with some concern: "Madam, are you really not going to buy a servant? If you are worried that the young one can't take care of others, you can buy an older one."

After all, their family consists of only women, and they can't always ask their second uncle's family for help. It would be more appropriate to have someone around.

Su Lanzhang said repeatedly: "Mother, Auntie, I am here. I can follow my second brother and be his servant."

When these words were spoken, Aunt Bai's expression changed. She frowned and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can you treat your brother as a servant?"

After she finished shouting, Aunt Bai came back to her senses and looked at Su Zhaoshi and explained, "Madam, that's not what I meant. It's good that Sanlang is willing to follow Erlang, but he is still a child, how can he know how to take care of others."

Su Zhaoshi, on the other hand, took Aunt Bai's hand and said with a smile, "Alright, why are you so anxious? Don't I know who you are? We have depended on each other for so many years. Don't you still believe me?"

Aunt Bai replied hesitantly, "Of course I believe it."

Su Zhaoshi continued, "What Erlang said just now is right. The person who is bought has no idea of ​​their background. Even though they have signed the contract to sell themselves, how can they be expected to do their best? Wasn't that why Zong Zhang..."

Speaking of the deceased eldest young master, Aunt Bai also sighed, "That's true. Even now, when I think of Qingzhu, I still feel disgusted. If another one like that comes along, it would be devastating."

Su Zhaoshi thought the same thing, and she quickly made up her mind: "You take care of the family, I'll go to the village chief."

After Su Zhaoshi left, Su Lanzhang muttered, "Mom, I'm already ten years old, older than those guys."

Aunt Bai knocked his forehead with a look of dismay and said, "Your second brother single-handedly helped you with your education and now he's sending you to school. Is it just to make you a servant?"

Because Su Fengzhang had limited time to take the imperial examination, Su Lanzhang went to the town school after finishing his mourning period. If Mr. Wen had not intended to temporarily close the private school, he would most likely have become a classmate of his brother.

Su Lanzhang pouted and said, "Teacher's teaching is not as good as my second brother's."

Isn't it? Su Fengzhang has experienced the era of information explosion after all. He knows how to teach students in accordance with their aptitude and is patient with his younger siblings. But the teachers in ancient times were different. It was a rare responsibility for him to watch you study.

Aunt Bai didn't understand this and just said, "Erlang needs to study too. You should study hard with your teacher and ask your second brother if you encounter any problems. Don't bother him all the time, okay?"

Su Zhao went to the village chief's house, and the next day the village chief came with someone.

The young man following behind the village chief was about sixteen or seventeen years old, but he was very strong. Standing behind him, he was like a small mountain. His arms were full of tendon muscles. Apart from anything else, he was definitely very strong.

If it weren't for the baby fat on his face, others would have thought he was a grown man.

The village chief introduced: "Erlang, this is Su Arong, the third boy from your uncle's family. You should have seen him during the ancestral worship."

Su Fengzhang had indeed seen him before. They were of similar age, but they were not familiar with each other. They had only seen each other from a distance a few times. "So it's Arong. We used to play together when we were young."

The village chief laughed when he heard this. Su Fengzhang had only returned home a few times as a child, but he didn't expect that he could still remember it. "Arong's father has many sons, and his current wife is a stepmother. His two brothers are already married and have moved out to live on their own, leaving him as a teenager. He always feels uncomfortable with his stepmother."

"Your mother came to see me yesterday, saying she was worried about the servant she had bought. I thought about it and thought of him."

"I watched Arong grow up. Apart from anything else, I know him inside and out. His father is also willing. He said that he can make a living by running errands for you. Otherwise, he will have to do hard labor in the future."

After the village chief explained, Su Fengzhang finally understood the situation of Su Arong's family. His biological father, stepmother, and two brothers had already separated and lived separately. His stepmother did not get along well with him. His family had few fields to begin with, and his father did not want to give him any fields.

This young boy has bankrupted his father, so if Su Arong could be sent away, his family would be more than willing to do so. Besides, this is not selling their son, but making him a servant to Su Erlang, the most promising man in the village.

Given the Su family's conditions, Su Arong's father thought that he was sending his son to enjoy a good life and had already planned out the rest of his life.

"Arong isn't very clever, but he's honest and obedient, and his strength is incredible. Erlang, what do you think?"

Su Fengzhang hesitated for a moment. Rather than hiring a servant, it would naturally suit his wishes to have a member of the clan come. However, he still asked, "Arong, are you willing? If you follow me, I will not treat you unfairly."

Su Arong smiled innocently and said, "I'm willing, as long as I can fill my stomach."

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The author has something to say: I changed my brother's name