Chapter 74 Jiang Ji went back to school and it snowed.
The county school in Beiyang County is located in the northeast corner of the county seat and does not occupy a large area.
According to the regulations of the imperial court, the county school had a total of thirty places for subsidized students.
The county school only provides room and board for students who have received government stipends. Other scholars who enter the county school must not only pay for everything themselves, but also pay a certain tuition fee.
Beiyang County is a wealthy county. After many years of accumulation, the county now has several hundred scholars.
If all these scholars were to attend the county school, wouldn't the school administrator be overworked to death?
Educational resources are limited.
Therefore, a tuition fee was set as a threshold, which also generated revenue for the county school.
However, the stipend for students is not a lifetime benefit.
To encourage scholars to pursue further education and to prevent those already receiving stipends from becoming complacent, the county school established an annual examination held every two years. All scholars in the county were eligible to participate, and the top thirty would receive stipends.
Jiang Ji, as a newly appointed student of the Imperial Stud, was fortunate enough not to have to participate in the annual examination this winter, which guaranteed him at least two years of the benefits of being a student of the Imperial Stud.
But now everyone in the village knows that he can receive money and grain from the government. If this benefit is gone in two years, how embarrassing would that be?
Therefore, whether it's to protect the family business or to save face for men, he cannot slack off.
However, in the next few days, he plans to focus his energy on Jiang Mai, Jiang Ya, and Ye Li.
He wanted to teach Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya to recite the Three Character Classic. As the saying goes, "Read a poem a hundred times and its meaning will become clear." Reciting it more often would definitely be beneficial.
As for Ye Li, he will be away from home from now on, and Ye Li will have to do the daily bookkeeping himself.
He needed to find a reason to make Ye Li's literacy a public issue.
Ye Li did not object to his arrangement.
This matter definitely needs to be addressed more clearly.
Moreover, Ye Li is quite free now and has plenty of time to "study".
As soon as Uncle Ye arrived, he took care of all three meals a day. He didn't have to worry about the pigs and chickens; Uncle Ye fed them without any trouble.
As for delivering goods to the county town, he didn't need to go every day. Once Jiang Tong knew the place, he handed the job over to Jiang Tong.
Originally, he wanted to give Jiang Tong an extra ten coins for the errand.
After all, while others only do one job, Jiang Tong has to do two.
But Jiang Tong disagreed.
He already felt guilty about taking the thirty coins that morning, but now that he could do more work, he felt at ease.
Jiang Dahe shared the same thought.
He and Jiang Tong discussed it and decided that they would take turns delivering goods to the county town from now on.
They had already discussed it, and Ye Li readily agreed. Anyway, no matter who delivered it, he would be the one with nothing to do.
So Ye Li began to live a life of being a hands-off manager.
The daily task is "studying".
As for what he and Jiang Ji did behind closed doors, only the two of them know.
Actually, the two of them didn't do anything.
During the daytime, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya would come into their house at any time, and the two would just hug and chat casually.
Of course, Jiang Ji would also teach Ye Li to write, as Ye Li's calligraphy was so bad it looked like a dog's crawl that he couldn't stand it.
He wanted to teach, and Ye Li learned diligently.
To make teaching easier, he had Ye Li sit in his lap; the two had different body sizes, which made teaching easier.
But he was young, full of energy, had a husband in his arms, and his face was the apple of his eye, so in the end he was the one who suffered.
But he couldn't bear to let go.
With separation imminent, all he wanted was to hold the person tighter.
Before I knew it, it was the day before I was to report to the county school.
When I woke up this morning, the sky was overcast and I couldn't see a single star.
After a while, small snowflakes began to fall.
The light snowflakes fell softly for half an hour, but only covered the earth with a barely noticeable layer of white.
If the temperature is below zero, most of the snowflakes melt as soon as they touch the ground.
There was no wind, so it wasn't too cold.
But Ye Li is afraid of the cold.
He put on the new jacket that Jiang Liu had made for him.
This padded jacket is worn close to the skin and is not very thick; it is only suitable for wearing indoors where the kang (a heated brick bed) is heated.
If you go out, you have to wear a long coat lined with cotton on the outside and a fluffy rabbit fur scarf around your neck.
We must be fully armed.
Jiang Ji will be going to the county school tomorrow. Although the county school provides meals, the food is just average. Compared with the private school, the vegetable dumplings have been replaced with corn buns and corn cakes, and the soup is not as clear and refreshing.
Although stir-fried dishes are offered, they are all vegetarian and have very little oil.
If you want extra food, you have to pay extra.
So Ye Li decided to make him some more walnut and sesame powder.
Adding a few spoonfuls to the soup in the dead of winter makes it warm and fragrant.
There's no need to prepare pork floss.
He planned to use the excuse of delivering tofu puffs to deliver meals to Jiang Ji every few days.
He had already asked Ye Liang to buy walnuts and sesame seeds yesterday, so when he heard Ye Liang's shout in the small living room, he immediately put down his calligraphy brush and got up with Jiang Ji to leave the house.
Ye Liang drove the oxcart into the courtyard and saw Ye Li and Jiang Ji coming out of the house. He smiled and said, "Brother Li, come here quickly. Your brother Yi made you a rabbit fur coat, and your brother Yu made you two pairs of cotton shoes. Try them on and see if they fit."
"……ah?"
Ye Li was taken aback: "Brother Yi made me a rabbit fur coat?"
Didn't Liu Yi always keep his distance from him?
"Yes, you don't like handling needles. A few days ago, he was selling tanned rabbit skins at his stall, so he bought a few. They were from white rabbits, and the skins were free of stray hairs. This coat looks especially nice."
As Ye Liang spoke, he jumped off the oxcart and took down the two baskets from it.
Inside was a padded jacket and shoes.
One contains walnuts and sesame seeds.
In addition, there were two little roosters on the oxcart.
Jiang Ji raised his hand and patted Ye Li's shoulder, gesturing for Ye Li to take it, while he himself said, "I'll go start a fire so that the two brothers can get rid of the chill."
Upon hearing this, Ye Liang quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, I'm not cold."
But Jiang Ji still went to the shed behind the house and started a fire next to the stone mill.
After the fire was lit, he went to the front of the house to call Ye Liang.
At this moment, Ye Liang, Ye's father, and Ye Li were all in the small living room. Ye Li was trying on the rabbit fur coat made by Liu Yi.
Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, who were originally reciting their lessons on the kang (a heated brick bed), also came to watch the excitement.
The rabbit fur coat was short, with a layer of cotton lining, but it was tapered at the waist. Since Ye Li was very thin, it didn't make him look bulky; he just felt very warm.
Of course, in Jiang Ji's eyes, Ye Li's face, buried in white fur, looked even more handsome than usual.
The jacket fits perfectly. Liu Yi had sewed a wedding dress for the original owner before, so she knew the body's measurements.
Ye Li turned around, quite satisfied with her new coat.
He had only been wearing it for a short while, but he already felt warm. Although he was indoors, the thickness of the coat was enough to keep out the coldest wind.
He'll wear this jacket when I bring him meals from now on!
He smiled and said to Ye Liang, "Thank you, Brother Yi. You've worked hard. I really like this coat."
Liu Yi took the initiative to make overtures, so he had to accept it.
Although a little bit of walnut and sesame powder is not as valuable as a padded jacket, we can make up for it later.
“This jacket is easy to make, doesn’t take much effort, and isn’t hard work at all. You can also try on the shoes your brother Yu made.”
Ye Liang pointed to the new cotton shoes beside him.
So Ye Li sat down to try on the new shoes.
He is now wearing the original owner's old shoes. When they got married, both families were poor and could only provide the original owner with two sets of spring clothes and single shoes. The winter clothes in the wardrobe are all old clothes and shoes.
Ye Li didn't really care about these things.
He's fine as long as he has clothes to wear; he doesn't care much about dressing up.
But now that Ye Liangjiang has brought his new clothes and shoes, he certainly won't spoil the fun.
He happily tried on two pairs of shoes and then said, "These shoes fit well too. Thank you, Brother Yu. He's worked hard too."
"Just wear something that fits you. There are fewer people now, so he's not busy when he sets up his stall, and he can just do it casually."
Ye Liangdao.
Tang Yu has long since changed his cold preserved egg salad to preserved egg and lean pork congee.
However, there are fewer and fewer business travelers from other places, and the town relies only on local people with limited spending power, which cannot compare with that of the county seat.
Furthermore, the porridge can be made at home.
Therefore, Tang Yu was more free than Liu Yi, and could make two pairs of thousand-layer cotton shoes during his spare time while setting up his stall.
"Anyway, I have to thank them. Why don't you take some walnut and sesame powder back with them this afternoon? It'll be so comforting to have a bowl of it in the dead of winter."
Ye Lidao.
"No need, no need. They have plenty of food these days. You don't need to give them a gift in return."
Ye shook his head.
How could I possibly compete with Xiao Ji for the supplements?
Besides, we're all family, no need to be so polite.
"Alright, Jiang Ji and I will go to the county town tomorrow to buy some materials, and you can take them back to them. This isn't a return gift; I just want to thank them for going to so much trouble."
Ye Li said with a smile.
"...I'll still bring them some walnut powder."
Ye Liang had no choice but to change his mind.
“That’s more like it. I’ll grind some for them separately and add some red dates to replenish their qi and blood.”
Ye Lidao.
Just yesterday, Uncle Ye was telling him that Liu Yi had been married for over a year but still hadn't gotten pregnant.
After the New Year, Ye Liangke will be twenty-four years old.
"Okay, you can do it."
Ye Liang had no objections.
So Ye Li took off his new jacket and put on his old long coat. He and Jiang Ji took the walnuts and went to the shed to roast them by the fire while peeling the kernels.
After peeling, rinse the black sesame seeds and rice, then you can take out the small stove and start roasting.
Ye Liang was helping his father, and the father and son made lunch—stewed chicken.
Jiang Ji starts school tomorrow, so we need to have a good meal today. There are many people at home, and it's cold, so Father Ye plans to stew chicken.
The stewed chicken he made was half cabbage and tofu.
But it tastes good.
Influenced by Ye Li, he is now particularly generous with seasonings and oil.
The ingredients are already expensive; it would be such a waste if they didn't taste good.
The family ate every last bit of the stew in the pot.
After the meal, Liang Erxiang and the others arrived, and Ye Liang also went to the shed to start frying tofu puffs.
Father Ye was in charge of cleaning the kitchen.
The snowflakes kept falling all afternoon.
When Ye Liang left, the snow on the ground was already half a finger thick.
A wind picked up, sharp as a knife, whipping up tiny snowflakes that stung our faces, and the temperature dropped noticeably.
After dinner, Ye Li went to the bathroom to boil water.
The bathroom had a stove, firewood, and a water tank. He boiled a full pot of hot water, enough for the whole family.
The steam from the boiling water filled the bathroom with smoke, making the temperature inside several degrees higher than outside.
But this temperature is only suitable for washing up after taking off heavy clothes, not for taking a bath.
If you want to take a bath, you have to light a stove nearby.
After washing up, he returned to his bedroom.
The kang (heated brick bed) was warm and cozy, and the small bedroom, while not exactly warm as spring, was certainly not cold either.
After waiting in bed for a while, Jiang Ji came in.
Ye Li poked her head out from under the covers: "Are you all asleep?"
"Yes, they're all asleep."
Jiang Ji nodded.
The oil lamps in Ye Adie's, Jiang Mai's, and Jiang Ya's rooms were all extinguished.
The gate to the courtyard was locked securely.
The pigs and chickens stayed peacefully in their pens and coops.
"Then come up quickly." Ye Li stretched out her right hand and beckoned.
Looking at his fair arms, Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow, took a few steps to the kang (a heated brick bed), took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang.
He took off his heavy cotton-padded clothes one by one until he was completely naked, and then he lifted the quilt and lay down.
Ye Li, who was also completely naked, immediately rolled into his arms.
She even reached out and hugged his waist.
The skin pressed tightly against his, warm and smooth, this tactile sensation truly captivated him.
What captivated him even more was Ye Li's smiling face. Recalling the scene of trying on clothes during the day, he could no longer resist and pressed her down, kissing her tenderly.
Although they were about to part, his kiss was relaxed and unhurried.
The two lived together for a full month, sharing a bed every night, and had talked about everything that could be said. Now, kissing and sex were purely enjoyable for both of them.
Enjoy ultimate physical pleasure.
Enjoy the sweetness of your heart being soaked in sugar.
Therefore, after the kiss ended, although the temperature in the bed had risen considerably, the two still had the leisure to chat about everyday things.
Jiang Ji looked at Ye Li's rosy cheeks, reached out and pinched them, and then said, "Let's buy a puppy. I'm worried about the old and young at home if I'm not around."
"I'm here."
Ye Li immediately said.
He has no compassion.
I don't like small animals.
I don't want to raise it.
Then he raised his fist and waved it in front of Jiang Ji's eyes: "I can take on ten of them by myself!"
Jiang Ji grabbed his fist and tucked it back into the blankets: "...I'm just worried your hand will hurt."
Ye Li laughed when she heard this: "Alright then, I'll ask around and see if anyone has any."
"Let's do it as soon as possible."
Jiang Ji gave instructions.
Recalling the past month of being inseparable, he couldn't help but hug Ye Li tighter and said, "How about we go buy some leisure books tomorrow? You're home alone, with nothing to do, won't you be bored?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Li recalled her own irritability when Jiang Ji hadn't returned from taking the imperial examination, and nodded in agreement: "That's a good idea."
The order volume for tofu puffs is increasing day by day, and it has now reached 240 jin!
You can splurge a little and buy a book to read.
He agreed so quickly that Jiang Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "How about I stay at home instead?"
Actually, the county school is not far from Yezaopo, and compared to the private school, there is no need to cross the county town.
If you take an oxcart, you can get home in half an hour.
But it is winter now.
It's freezing cold from morning till night, and if it snows, it's even worse.
Furthermore, the county school also has morning reading sessions.
Although the morning reading was not mandatory and was entirely voluntary, considering the intense competition and the fact that he was a new student and wanted to make a good impression on the headmaster and instructor, he chose to stay at the county school.
But now, thinking about Ye Li having to face the long days and nights alone, he felt a pang of guilt.
"This is too much of a burden for you. You should stay at the county school instead."
Ye Li shook her head.
Seeing the reluctance in his eyes, Ye Li smiled and leaned over to peck him on the lips: "I'll visit you more often."
"Besides, I also have work to do. It's so cold, and washing clothes is such a hassle."
Jiang Ji: "...How about we hire someone?"
"Forget it, keep a low profile. You can hire someone after you pass the imperial examination."
Ye Li shook her head.
They've only just become rich—no, not rich yet, they haven't even finished paying off their debts.
Jiang Ji: "..."
Good, good, good, he has gained another source of motivation to strive for excellence.
He reached down with his large hand.
Enough with the chit-chat, let's get down to business.
They were already quite skilled at this, and besides, the two of them had already reacted, so Ye Li quickly buried her face in his neck, comfortably squirming in his arms.
The temperature inside the blankets rose higher and higher, and both of them were covered in sweat.
Ye Li couldn't help but throw off the blanket, completely pulling it off.
He looked up slightly.
The two embraced, Ye Li's long, straight legs casually draped over his. It was an ordinary gesture, but it made his throat go dry.
However, worried about catching a cold, he got up and pulled the blankets back up.
During this time, Ye Li used both her hands and feet to lie on top of him, urging him to hurry up.
He stopped dawdling and rolled over, pinning Ye Li beneath him.
The night has only just begun.
The next day, when I got up, the snow had stopped, and the snow was only about an inch thick, which did not affect my travel at all.
After breakfast, Jiang Ji loaded his bedding and other luggage onto Jiang Fuzheng's mule cart, and then he set off for the county town with Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya.
The group first went to the county school to register. With the official receipts from their previous exams as proof, the process was quick. An assistant teacher led the four of them to their dormitory to settle their luggage, and then led them to the dining hall.
Jiang Jike can have free room and board, so he needs to go to the kitchen to make his name known to the cooks.
The entire process took only a little over half an hour.
After thanking the teaching assistant, they left the county school and headed straight for Bao Beiyuan's courtyard.
They planned to visit Bao Beiyuan and then go shopping.
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