At this time, the weather was still cold, but everyone felt no cold at all; on the contrary, they felt enthusiastic and hot all over!
Shiligou is well-located; a main road leads directly to the village entrance from outside the city. Perhaps it's called Shiligou (Ten-Mile Gully) because it's ten li (about 5 kilometers) from the city gate?
Unlike the densely packed villages in the north, the villages along the way to Shiligou are not close to each other. After traveling for half a day, Qin Sanniang and her companions only encountered one village on the road.
"Mother, is that Shiligou?" the waiter asked, pointing to a stone tablet inscribed with the words "Shiligou".
"Oh my, how did you know, Xiao Er?!" Wu Chunhua asked, puzzled. She couldn't read, but she guessed that they had traveled about ten miles and saw a village marker, so she figured that this was probably the place!
The waiter tilted his head back, looking smug, and said, "I can read all the words on it!"
"Wow, that's really amazing! Xiao Er knows so many characters!" Seeing his proud look, Wu Chunhua was also a little surprised. She didn't expect that he could recognize the village monument after only studying with He Xiucai for a few days!
Qin San Niang never expected that her second son would be so intelligent!
"Waiter, do you recognize these three characters?"
Upon hearing his mother's question, Xiao Er earnestly replied, "Mother, I don't recognize them all, but I know the first two characters. I suppose the third one is pronounced 'gou,' right?"
“That’s right, the third character is pronounced ‘gou’.” Qin San Niang smiled, realizing that this child was quick-witted, able to apply what he learned in such a short time. In contrast, Da Wa and A Nan didn’t have Xiao Er’s cleverness!
However, just as the nine sons of the dragon are all different, Qin San Niang does not expect all her children to become outstanding individuals. But by nurturing them according to their talents, she can surely achieve twice the result with half the effort!
She had already considered all of this in her past life, but back then, despite her tremendous efforts, she still couldn't conceive, feeling that all her learning had been in vain. As it turns out, every experience becomes a valuable asset, and you never know when you might need it.
See! This knowledge wasn't learned in vain; it's already come in handy, isn't it?
Seeing his younger brother being praised, the eldest son felt a mix of emotions. He was happy that he had a smart younger brother who could study hard and make his mother happy! But he was also frustrated that, as the eldest brother in the family, he had a blockhead. He would try to learn the word seriously, but he would forget it very quickly!
Seeing this expression, Qin San Niang couldn't bear it. Even though Da Wa was only eleven years old, back in her day, boys that age were the apple of their parents' eyes! He was just a primary school student! So, she quickly tried to comfort him, determined not to let him develop any psychological trauma. She told him that Da Wa was a good boy, a reliable person!
"Big brother and little sister, you must also work hard, but every child is different, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Your mother will not force you to take the exams to become a student, a scholar, or even a jinshi."
The eldest son is a steady and reliable person. He can read and write, so he can work as an accountant, a shopkeeper, or run a business. He is unlikely to be easily deceived!
"Ah Nan, although she's just a young lady, her mother will be more at ease knowing how to read. She'll be able to manage the whole family with ease! And she'll undoubtedly be helping her mother a lot in the future! As for Xiao Er, since you love reading, then study hard. From the provincial examination to the prefectural examination to the provincial examination, as long as you can pass, your mother will continue to support your studies!"
Right now, studying is the only way to change the rigid class system. To put it bluntly, they are just peasants. Even if Qin San Niang has many secret recipes and classic texts, she doesn't dare to use them easily. Without a powerful backer, wouldn't she be a fat sheep to be slaughtered?! If her family could produce a golden phoenix, Qin San Niang would be laughing in her dreams!
"I understand, Mother!" The eldest son clenched his fists tightly, secretly making up his mind that he would follow Scholar He to learn to read properly and never give up on himself! At worst, he would learn it three, four, or even ten or a hundred times, just like others did, until he mastered it.
A-Nan and Xiao-Er were the same, staring at their mother with bright eyes. They loved their mother like this!
As Liu was pouring the fried rice into a bundle, her eyes reddened as she looked at her daughter and grandchildren. She thought to herself, "Life is getting better and better!" Her grandson could already read! They would soon have a new home! "Old man, can you see this? If you can, please bless them, mother and children, so they can live well and have a better life!"
"Third Sister, look! There are houses over there!" Wu Chunhua shouted.
After passing the stone tablet at the village entrance and walking along a small path, you'll see houses. Presumably, these are the houses of Shiligou. Huang Biaotou's brother-in-law, Cheng Shi, should live here.
It was already close to noon, and many families had already gone home to rest and prepare lunch, so there was almost no one on the streets of the village.
Upon entering the village, I finally spotted an old man dressed in yellow hemp clothing, a hoe slung over his shoulder, his trousers tucked into leggings, and straw sandals on his feet. He looked like he had just returned from working in the fields, but in this winter weather, I wondered where he found so much work? This old man seemed like a diligent worker! He must have been tilling the land!
"Old man, is this Shiligou?" Gu Qingshan stepped forward and asked.
Perhaps not expecting anyone to speak to him, the old man was startled by the sudden question. Looking up, he saw a fierce-looking, scarred man, his tall stature resembling a mountain bear. Northern men are generally tall and imposing, let alone someone like Gu Qingshan who stood out from the crowd!
Seeing the old man's brow twitch, Liu quickly jumped out of the car and asked in a friendly tone, "Brother, we've come from the north to seek refuge. Do you know if this is Shiligou? Oh, don't worry, this is my nephew. He's just a bit burly, but he's a very good person!"
Hearing Liu say this, the old man was no longer so nervous. He then looked around and saw that there were several children sticking their heads out of the carriage, and a woman in the carriage behind was holding a baby in swaddling clothes. It seemed that they really had come to seek refuge!
"This place is Shiligou. I wonder which family you're looking for?" the old man said to Liu. As for Gu Qingshan, he was more than just strong! He was taller and more imposing than the strongest man in their village! Of course, he only thought these things to himself. You can't hit a smiling face. If they really were relatives coming to seek refuge, it wouldn't look good if things got too out of hand!
"We have come to seek refuge with Cheng Shi. I wonder if you could guide us, sir?" This was the question asked by Qin San Niang.
"So it's Cheng the blacksmith! That's easy. I'm on my way home and I'll be passing by his blacksmith shop. Come with me, it should still be open!" With that, he slowly stepped forward and led the way.
"I can't let you walk, sir. Please come and sit down. Just point me in the right direction, and I'll drive there," Gu Qingshan said, leading the old man to the car.
Seeing his sincerity, and considering that he had never ridden in a carriage in his life, he was surprised that he could ride in one after simply showing someone the way. After thinking it over, he realized that he was just an old man and there was nothing that others would covet, especially since it was in his own village! Besides, a family with three carriages must be wealthy, so he was no longer afraid of Gu Qingshan and shakily climbed onto the carriage.
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