Chapter 472 A Dream of Youth 4
"Dinner's ready."
Grandmother Xie's voice drifted over from afar, and Xie Wangzhi picked up Xie Ning and carried her into the hall.
The sound of rain outside gradually subsided, and raindrops fell one by one on the bamboo tips, sliding down the tender green veins of the leaves. The courtyard was deep and secluded, with a different scene at every step.
This courtyard was personally designed by Xie Wangzhi after he bought it, and it truly deserves the title of "elegant".
Grandmother Xie told them to wash their hands, and then she and Madam Chen brought the dishes to the table. There was a plate of raw yellow soybeans, a dish of golden-fried tofu with scallion oil, sprinkled with bright green scallions, and a plate of sliced meat and bamboo shoots next to the thick white fish soup. The presentation was extremely beautiful, and everything was exquisite.
The rain pattered outside, and the dim lamplight on the table cast a warm glow.
Chen brought Xie Ning to her side and first ladled out a small bowl of fish soup for her, which was at the perfect temperature to drink.
Xie Ning used a small wooden bowl and spoon because she was young and afraid of breaking the bowl. The fragrant fish soup had some bamboo shoots and mushroom shreds floating on top.
So fresh! Xie Ning's eyes lit up after just one sip. It had a sour and numbing taste, unlike any fish soup she had ever had before.
Grandfather Xie also loved fish soup. He took a big gulp from the bowl and looked very satisfied. "As expected, it has to be the Song family's aged vinegar that has the best flavor. This sour and numbing taste must be unique in Shangquan Town."
"That's right, I don't know how Granny Song brews it, but it's better than other people's." But this is a unique skill, and no one would be so tactless as to ask about it.
Grandmother Xie chimed in, "If we could add some soy sauce, it would be even more delicious." Unfortunately, they didn't have any.
Autumn soy sauce is the first batch of soy sauce extracted in late autumn after being exposed to the scorching sun during the hottest days of summer. It has an exceptionally delicious flavor.
Madam Chen smiled, added some more rice to Xie Ning's plate, and picked out a piece of golden-brown tofu for her to eat.
The golden-brown crust is crispy, and with one bite, the soft and tender white tofu inside melts in your mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance. Xie Ning loves the crispy outer crust, which is savory and delicious, without any beany taste.
Xie Qi loves to eat rice with fish soup and also loves bamboo shoots. Today, not only is there shredded bamboo shoots in the fish soup, but there is also a plate of shredded bamboo shoots with minced meat. He loves it so much!
They just buried themselves in their food and had no time to participate in the conversation at the table.
Xie Wangzhi squinted contentedly and brought up the idea of starting Xie Ning's education at the dinner table.
Grandpa Xie and Grandma Xie had no objections. They were just small merchants and knew nothing about such things. They felt it was a stroke of good luck that they had raised Xie Wangzhi. Seeing that their two grandsons were both smart children, they were overjoyed.
Therefore, Xie Wangzhi basically made the decisions in the family. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his daughters being literate and educated. Xie Wangzhi was a scholar, and his daughters, even if they weren't proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, should at least be able to read and do arithmetic to avoid bringing shame to the family.
Nowadays, people value literature and talent. Although women do not attend school and cannot take the imperial examinations, they still need to have a skill to rely on. They do not have high requirements for Xie Ning. She can learn a few words, learn cooking or embroidery from her mother, or learn how to make steamed buns from them.
As long as you have a skill, you can survive no matter what situation you fall into in the future.
Madam Chen glanced at Xie Ning in surprise and asked with some concern, "Bao'er has only just recovered from her illness. She's too young. Qi'er started her formal education when she was over four years old. Should we slow it down a bit?"
Seeing Xie Wangzhi hesitate, Xie Ning swallowed the meat in her mouth and quickly said, "Mother, I like reciting lessons with my brother."
Then she looked at Xie Qi, who had already eaten his second bowl of rice, blinked, and smiled very sweetly. Xie Qi's heart pounded for a while, and he sighed inwardly that his sister was just adorable.
She chimed in, "Mother, since Bao'er wants to study with me, you should let her learn. The little one has nothing else to do anyway."
Most importantly, his younger sister helps him divert his father's attention, allowing him to occasionally slack off.
Otherwise, his father didn't like going out to play with other teachers. He had to attend classes at the school and at home, and he couldn't even catch his breath. He still wanted to go out and play Cuju (ancient Chinese football).
Xie Wangzhi composed himself and said with a smile, "Bao'er is intelligent, I will keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't suffer too much."
Xie Ning was relieved, but her gaze involuntarily fell on the dining table again. However, she could no longer eat, as Madam Chen was worried that she would have indigestion. It was such a pity that her stomach was too small.
"Now that you've decided to study, Bao'er, you'd better get up early tomorrow. Don't wait until all the birds have come back from foraging and you're still sleeping like a little pig."
He has a day off tomorrow, which is a good time for him to teach the children.
Xie Ning's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't. She just felt that there was nothing to do if she woke up, and that she would only disturb Chen Shi's work, so she stayed in bed and didn't get up.
Chen scolded, "Stop teasing Bao'er. Even a child can understand. Our Bao'er isn't a little pig."
Grandmother Xie usually cleaned up the dishes in the evening, and Chen carried Xie Ning back to her room to wash up and go to sleep.
Xie Ning was still sleeping in Xie Wangzhi and Chen's room, but there was a separate small bed that her grandfather had specially made for her to sleep in. There were also many rag dolls on it, all sewn by Chen, which were extremely cute.
Sleeping with parents, especially parents with whom you have a good relationship, has only one downside: they're quite noisy at night. Even though they try to keep their voices down, Xie Ning's ears are incredibly sharp, and her face stays flushed every night before bed.
I still need to have my own room soon.
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