Chapter 72 Talking about marriage
In the early morning, a ray of sunlight came in through the window.
The bed in Du Qingtang's room was right next to the window, and the scattered sunlight fell on his face, as if it was coated with a layer of golden light.
She turned over and pulled the thin blanket over her head.
After passing the imperial examination and becoming an official, Du Qingtang achieved his stage goal. He rarely took a break from being lazy and indulged himself in sleeping until noon.
But the reality is often contrary to our wishes.
“Chirp~”
“Pah pah pah——”
A babyish voice called out through the door, followed by an inaudible knock on the door.
Du Qingtang's eyelashes trembled slightly, vaguely remembering that Jun Jieer fell asleep at 10 o'clock last night.
If you go to bed early, you will wake up early.
At the age of two, the child is full of energy. He can't lie in bed, so he gets up to call his uncle.
"Chirp, chirp! Open the door!"
“Pah pah pah——”
"It's Sister Jun~"
Du Qingtang: "...Come in."
I was a little tipsy last night and when I lay down on the bed I remembered that the door was not locked. I was too lazy to lock it, so I just left it alone.
After all, they are at home and no one else will enter her room without permission.
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
The sound of footsteps came from far away and stopped in front of the bed.
Du Qingtang clearly felt the bed beside him sink a little, and then he heard Jun Jieer's soft voice: "Chirp~Chirp~"
Chirp, chirp, chirp. If you don’t know, you might think it’s calling birds.
When Jun Jieer was learning to speak, besides dad and mom, the third word she learned was "uncle".
Du Qingtang seriously suspected that Gu Tai did it on purpose.
Her seventh brother-in-law seems taciturn and honest on the surface, but in fact he has a very smart mind and is very good at seeking benefits and avoiding harm.
In this regard, Gu Tai is much stronger than Guo Qian.
In short, under Gu Tai's painstaking teaching, Jun Jie'er quickly learned to call him uncle.
But at that time, her teeth had not yet grown in and her pronunciation was unclear, so she called her uncle "Jiujiu".
Du Qingtang tried to correct it, but failed.
Even now, Jun Jie'er speaks very fluently, but still calls her Jiujiu.
Du Qingtang reached out and pulled the little ball lying on the edge of the bed into his arms, covered him with a thin quilt, and continued to sleep.
It was pitch black in front of Jun Jie'er, she couldn't see anyone clearly, she could only touch her uncle's face.
She thought her uncle was playing hide-and-seek with her, and she clapped her hands with joy, chirping non-stop, and not forgetting to touch her uncle with her chubby face.
Du Qingtang's nostrils were filled with the unique milky fragrance of a child, as if he was hugging a fragrant, soft and sweet custard bun. He closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and raised his hand to lift the thin quilt.
Jun Jie'er's eyes lit up, and she tilted her head, puzzled: "Jiujiu, no more hide-and-seek?"
I'm not playing hide-and-seek with you.
After being disturbed by her, Du Qingtang lost all sleepiness and simply got up.
Du Qingtang picked up Jun Jie'er with one hand, walked to the door in slippers, put her on the ground, and then closed the door with a snap.
Jun Jieer: "Chirp?"
Du Qingtang ignored her, and Jun Jieer kept knocking on the door outside.
"Put on your clothes." Du Qingtang said helplessly.
"Ah~" Sister Jun calmed down.
In the yard, Fu Ci, Guo Qian and Gu Tai had breakfast and prepared to return to the academy for class.
Guo Qian stood against the wall, looking at the group lying on the door panel, his eyes intertwined with admiration and envy: "Jun Jie'er is so cute."
Gu Tai pretended not to see it, smiled and said nothing.
Last year, his brother-in-law warned Guo Qian about the child. If he dared to talk to his brother-in-law and he found out, he would be in trouble even if his wife and Jun Jie'er mediated.
Not long after, Du Qingtang opened the door, bent down and picked up Jun Jieer.
Guo Qian lowered his head for a moment, then raised it again with a smile on his face: "When will Qingtang go to Beijing to take up his post?"
Gu Tai watched the whole process and sighed in his heart.
Du Qingtang wiped the crystals off Jun Jie'er's chin and said in a clear voice, "Just arrive in Xiajing before September."
Afterwards, Guo Qian asked a lot of questions about Xia Jing. Du Qingtang was in a good mood and answered them one by one.
After a while, Fu Ci dressed neatly and walked out of the guest room holding the sixteen question books Du Qingtang had bought for her. "Can we go now?"
"Let's go. It's almost time for classes at the academy." Gu Tai stepped forward and pinched his daughter's chubby little hand. "Jun Jie'er, Daddy is going to the academy. Be good."
Jun Jie'er didn't like what she heard. She hummed, buried her face in her uncle's neck, and gave her old father a cold slap on the back of her head.
Gu Tai: “…”
I can’t keep this girl... Forget it, I’ll just keep her.
After all, Jun Jie'er is his precious baby.
In the past year, Gu Tai's relatives have been urging him to have another son, both openly and secretly, but he ignored them all.
First, he felt sorry for his wife who had been pregnant for ten months and suffered the pain of childbirth. Second, he truly loved Jun Jie'er and did not want to have another child and take away Jun Jie'er's love.
To borrow my brother-in-law’s words, eugenics and good upbringing are the best.
Haven’t you seen that some families have ten or eight sons, and everyone says they are a blessed family, but when they grow up, they are either mediocre or unlearned, making their parents mad.
Why ask for trouble?
Fu Ci watched the interaction between the father and daughter, chuckled, and walked over to tease Jun Jieer: "Qingtang, I'm leaving now. I'll come see you when I have time."
Qingtang is important, and academic studies are equally important.
If it is true as Qingtang said, there will be an imperial examination this year, she must make full preparations to ensure that she passes it in one go.
"Go ahead and study hard." Du Qingtang said casually, nodded to Guo Qian and Gu Tai, and carried Jun Jie'er into the kitchen.
Du Qingzhu has already gone to Du Ji Snacks, Du Qingju has also gone to the clinic to work, and Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan are now making braised food in the kitchen.
Last night, Du Qingzhu went to the Guo and Gu families to call people, and on the way he went to Zhang the butcher's meat stall and bought a few pounds of meat, pig's trotters, and pig offal.
The pork was made into a side dish for drinking, and about ten people ate it all up.
This morning, Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan discussed that before they went to the Qiong English Club to teach the girls to read and write, they should hurry up and braise the pig's trotters and offal so that both adults and children can eat them.
"Yeah, Tang Ge'er is up."
"Breakfast is in the pot, still hot."
Du Qingtang hummed, put Jun Jie'er on the ground, and let her hold his calf. While filling the bowl with fried rice, he asked, "How is the Qiong English Club doing recently?"
She was so busy drinking, eating and chatting last night that she didn't have time to ask.
Du Qingmei stuffed a piece of firewood into the stove and said with a smile, "In the past few months, twenty or thirty people have come here, some are unmarried girls, and some are already married."
Du Qinglan took over the conversation: "Qingtang, do you still remember Zhang Xiaoxue?"
Of course Du Qingtang remembered that although he was born in a family that favored boys over girls, he had a valuable spirit of striving for progress and was diligent and hardworking.
"During the first month of the year, her parents found out she was secretly studying at the literary club and locked her up at home. They even came to the literary club and made a scene. Sister Meng was furious and threatened them, then rescued Xiaoxue and broke off the engagement."
"Since then, many families have hired members to teach their daughters. My fifth sister and I were among those hired, and now everyone calls us female teachers!"
Du Qingtang had already known about this matter in Zhending County, but she did not interrupt Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan's enthusiastic narration.
Du Qinglan smiled and said, "Qingtang, do you know that Miss Huang, whom I teach, is well-behaved and intelligent? I accidentally learned a while ago that her grandfather is actually Mr. Li from the Li family's private school."
Mr. Li?
If Du Qingtang remembered correctly, Mr. Li had only one daughter, Li Wei.
Six years have passed in a flash, and Li Wei, who was supposed to hang herself, has become a mother.
"Not only did the Huang family hire me to teach Miss Huang, but Mrs. Huang also joined the Qiong English Society and now joins us in teaching illiterate girls..."
Du Qingtang listened quietly, ate a bowl of fried rice, and the braised food was ready.
Du Qingtang put the bowl and chopsticks into the basin and said slowly, "On my way back home, I passed through Zhending County. I heard that many places have established Qiong English societies."
Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan were surprised and happy.
"This way, more women will have the opportunity to learn to read and write!"
Du Qingtang remained noncommittal and continued, "They came up with the idea of establishing the Qiong Ying Literature Society after hearing about your story of rescuing Zhang Xiaoxue."
Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan felt a little embarrassed.
"We just couldn't bear to see the Zhang family mistreat Xiaoxue, but we didn't expect that by some unintended consequence, more people would know about the Qiong Ying Literature Society."
"Perhaps one day, Qiong English publishing houses can be opened all over the world?"
"That would be the best!"
Du Qingtang spoke to them for a few more words, divided the braised food into three portions, kept one portion for himself, and allowed them to take the other two away.
After seeing Mei Lan and Jun Jie'er off, Du Qingtang went to the main hall to test Ruan Ran's learning progress over the past four months.
......
Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan sent the braised food and their daughter back to their respective homes and rushed to the Qiongying English Society in the morning light.
When I pushed the door open, I saw that many members had already arrived.
"Sister Mei, greetings."
"Sister Lan, greetings."
"Greetings, Sister Zhang."
The members greeted each other, and Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan went to the room inside to prepare for class.
In the morning they had to teach the members to read and write, and in the afternoon they had to go to the Huang and Liu families to teach the young ladies of the two families.
I was halfway through preparing my lesson when there was a knock on the door, followed by a soft female voice.
"Sister Mei and Sister Lan, I brought some cakes from home. Come and try them."
The two sisters raised their heads and said in unison, "Thank you, Sister Li. I won't be polite then."
At the door, Li Wei pursed her lips and chuckled: "We are sisters, no need to be polite."
There were so many pastries that they filled three food boxes, and each member could have a piece.
While chatting, Meng Qingyan asked Mei Lan and the others, "When will Du Zhuangyuan come back? When she comes back, will you hold a banquet to celebrate?"
Du Qingmei smiled and replied, "He came back yesterday afternoon, and we had a lively family dinner tonight, which was considered a celebration."
When the news of Du Qingtang's sixth-place finish in the imperial examination reached Qingyuan County, someone suggested holding a grand banquet.
The girls in the Du family always kept in mind the youngest's advice, kept a low profile, and said they would wait for her to come back.
Meng Qingyan nodded in agreement. "It's better not to do it. There are many gentry in the city, and they are all eyeing Du Zhuangyuan. Several ladies have come to me, and they all talk about how their daughters are gentle and virtuous, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting."
Thinking about the relationship between Meng Qingyan and the Du family, the deep meaning behind it is self-evident.
Li Wei took a bite of the pastry, and a smile appeared on her beautiful and gentle face.
She knew Du Zhuangyuan.
It’s not because this person was the top scorer in high school.
As early as six years ago, she had already known Du Qingtang.
Back then, her parents learned from Du Qingtang that she and Yuan Sheng had been secretly exchanging letters, and ordered her not to have any more contact with Yuan Sheng.
At that time, she was naive and foolish, her mind full of love. No matter how her mother and two sisters-in-law persuaded her, she never gave up the idea of marrying Yuan Sheng.
At one point, she even wanted to secretly find Yuan Sheng and spend her life with him.
After being caught twice in a row, her parents were furious and locked her up at home.
During that time, she ignored her parents' worries and fatigue, complained and made a fuss, causing unrest in the whole family.
It was not until several months later that Yuan Sheng was sentenced to death by being torn apart by chariots.
She suddenly realized that Yuan Sheng was not a good man and that her true love was misplaced.
Later, she married into the Huang family, had a child, and became a mother.
Only then did she understand her parents' good intentions.
After learning that Du Qingtang's sister was a member of the Qiong Ying Society, she discussed with her husband and hired one of them to teach her daughter. She then joined the Qiong Ying Society and became a member of it.
Here, she had close contact with Du Qingtang's sister, and also made friends with many dreamy and tenacious women.
It was Du Qingtang who made her stop in her tracks, changed her life, and even saved her life.
——Li Wei had no doubt that if she discovered Yuan Sheng’s true identity, she would not be able to bear the blow and would most likely commit suicide in an impulse.
Li Wei looked around, at these women with bright eyes, full of vitality and energy.
Now she also wants to contribute her own little strength to change and save others.
-
Du Qingtang tested Ruan Ran, then checked her homework. Seeing that it was almost time, he set off for the Yao family.
When she arrived at the Yao family's house, the housekeeper led her to the second courtyard.
In the study, Yao Xuan was playing chess, looking relaxed and comfortable.
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "My disciple has lived up to your expectations and has passed the imperial examination."
Yao Xuan's eyes fell on the chessboard, and he twirled his beard and chuckled, "Very good, you didn't embarrass me."
After saying this, he raised his hand slightly, and Du Qingtang understood. He sat down slowly and played chess with Yao Xuan.
On the chessboard, you and I fight back and forth, and the whole place is filled with smoke!
Half an hour passed in a flash.
Du Qingtang dropped a piece, his brows smiling: "Thank you."
Yao Xuanxu pointed at her and said, "As expected, you were hiding your incompetence earlier."
Du Qingtang just smiled and said nothing.
Yao Xuan snorted lightly, then suddenly changed the subject: "Wen Jing told me everything."
He picked up the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and placed one in front of Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.
......
In the evening, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum gathered in the Du family courtyard.
Qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, plum and orchid all came alone, without their husbands or children.
Ten sisters sat around the table, drinking, eating, chatting, it was very lively.
At the dinner table, Du Qingqin talked about the same old topic.
"Tang'er, now that you've passed the imperial examination and become an official, when do you plan to get married?"
Du Qingtang had anticipated this, so he put down his wine glass and said frankly, "Sister, I don't plan to get married."
There was a crackling sound, which was the sound of wine glasses and bowls falling to the ground.
"What? Not getting married?" Du Qingqin almost screamed, "Tang'er, don't joke with me. This is not a joke."
When she said this, her eyes were fixed on Du Qingtang, hoping to find a trace of joking on Du Qingtang's face.
Unfortunately, no.
Du Qingtang's face was solemn and his expression was more serious than ever.
Du Qingqin's heart sank to the bottom of the valley, her fingers trembled, and her breathing trembled: "Why, why don't you want to get married?"
There must be a reason for not wanting to get married. It is impossible to not want to get married for no reason.
In an instant, Du Qingqin thought of countless possibilities.
Tang Ge'er already had someone she liked, but the other party had already married someone else, so she became disheartened and didn't want to get married.
Or maybe...
Tang Ge'er doesn't like women.
This speculation is not groundless.
Du Qingqin and his wife run a fur shop. Customers come and go every day, and occasionally there are customers from other places.
A guest said that there was a scholar in his hometown who was unwilling to get married even though he was old enough. His family members were so anxious about this that their hair turned white.
It was not until later that the scholar was found sleeping in the same bed with his classmate that everyone realized that he did not like women.
This incident caused a lot of controversy and both families were criticized.
The scholar's family forced him to break up with his classmate, marry and have children, but he would rather die than obey.
In the end, the scholar and his classmates committed suicide by jumping into the river.
Thinking of the story the guest told and the ending of the suicide for love, Du Qingqin's heart was pounding: "Tang Ge'er, tell me, do you like men?"
Du Qingtang: "...No."
Du Qinghua was startled by Du Qingqin's words and asked, "What's going on? Why don't you want to get married?"
Eight pairs of eyes stared at Du Qingtang without blinking, waiting for her answer.
Du Qingtang was silent for a moment, then uttered the words he had carefully considered: "I don't want my significant other to be like my mother, going crazy over her so-called son and causing unrest in the family."
Eight pairs of eyes suddenly opened wide.
They didn't expect that the reason was this.
Du Qingqin's throat was dry and her voice was hoarse: "How could Tang'er marry...that kind of person? Even if she's not a daughter of an official, with Tang'er's current status, she must be a lady from a noble family."
"Besides, don't we have you? We will all be there to check for you and will never let that kind of person into the Du family."
Du Qingqi nodded repeatedly and agreed, "How many people like mother are there in this world? Even if there are, you might not meet them, Tang'er."
Du Qinghua couldn't help rolling her eyes and covered her second sister's mouth with her hand.
This statement sounds too ambiguous.
Du Qingtang had a blank expression on his face: "But I don't dare to gamble."
"I don't want my child to be like you, suffering from the cold stare of her own mother since she was a girl."
"Rather than this, it is better to eliminate this possibility from the beginning."
The main room was dead silent, and you could hear a pin drop.
The eight sisters had red eyes, and Du Qingqin's tears welled up in her eyes, full of self-blame and regret.
"It's all my fault. I didn't take good care of you."
She had never hated Yuanshi as much as she did now.
Her youngest brother, who had never had a good day since he was born, was left with such a serious psychological trauma because of Yuanshi, his irresponsible mother.
Du Qingtang shook her head: "Sister, you have fulfilled your responsibilities as the eldest sister. I just don't want to gamble on that one in ten thousand possibility."
Yuanshi did influence her views on love and marriage, but ultimately it was due to her experiences in her previous life.
She doesn't trust men and finds it difficult to commit to a relationship.
Moreover, her ambitions and ideals are destined to make her walk on a tightrope every day for many years to come, and her life may come to an abrupt end one day.
Before that, she hopes to do her best to change the current situation of women to the greatest extent possible.
Du Qingtang's time is precious, there is no need to waste it on romance, otherwise what is the difference between that and chronic suicide?
Du Qingzhu crossed her arms, looking at this and that. She tried to liven up the atmosphere, wiped her eyes, and said with a smile: "Big sister, there is no need to blame yourself. In my eyes, you are the best sister."
This statement was unanimously agreed upon.
"Don't cry, big sister, you have done very well."
"It's all mother's fault. She's the one who favors boys over girls and abuses us. What does it have to do with you?"
Everyone tried to comfort her, and Du Qingqin finally stopped crying.
Du Qingqi was not willing to be left behind and said loudly: "Big sister, you are like my mother in my heart. When I was a child, I especially wanted to call you mother."
The main room suddenly became quiet.
Du Qingqi thought they didn't believe him, so he nodded twice, saying sincerely, "Really? I'm not lying to you."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Du Qinghua slapped her face: "I should have covered her mouth the whole time."
Du Qingqin burst into laughter and said angrily, "I'm only two years older than you, how can I be your mother?"
Seeing her smile, Du Qingtang felt relieved.
Although she knew that she had to pass this level, she felt a little guilty when she saw Du Qingqin's tears.
Because they didn't get married.
Because of the concealment of gender.
Before she has enough chips, the fewer people who know the secret of her identity, the better. Otherwise, there is a high possibility that someone will find clues and repeat the mistakes of her previous life.
If you think about it carefully, besides herself, only Qi Heming and Dr. Qu know her true gender.
Qi Heming has a mental problem. He is obsessed with pleasing her and gaining her forgiveness. He absolutely dares not reveal her identity until she gives in.
As for Doctor Qu, Du Qingtang simply used money to shut him up.
Du Qingqi's noise swept away the gloomy atmosphere in the main hall and everyone started chatting and laughing again.
At the end of the day, the moon was at its zenith, and the artists of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, plum and orchid would not go back home tonight and would all stay in the guest room.
Before the banquet ended, Du Qingqin looked at Du Qingtang and smiled with relief: "Forget it, a person's life is only a few decades, and it will be gone in the blink of an eye. If you don't want to get married, then it's up to you. As long as you are happy and safe, that's all that matters."
Du Qingqin watched her youngest daughter grow from a tiny ball when she was just born to the tall girl she is today. She couldn't bear to force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
The Du family doesn't have only the youngest daughter. She has eight older sisters. When the time comes, any one of them can be adopted, and the Du family will not be extinct.
Du Qingtang stood up and bowed solemnly: "Thank you, big sister."
Du Qingqin pursed her lips, suppressed the heat in her eyes, and gently stroked the youngest's hair.
Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju exchanged a glance, then moved closer to Du Qingtang, opened their big, watery eyes, and said in unison, "Sister, I don't want to either..."
Before he could finish his words, Du Qingqin covered his mouth.
"Mmmmm!"
Du Qingzhu winked and begged Du Qingqin to let her go.
Du Qingqin retracted her hand, slapped them twice in a feigned ferocity, and said unhappily, "I've told you hundreds of times in the past two years. If I really wanted to force you to get married, why would I have to wait until now?"
"Ahhhhh!" Du Qingzhu cried out in joy, and rushed towards Du Qingqin, hugging her tightly. "Sister, I knew you were the best. I love you the most!"
Du Qingju didn't rush over to him noisily, but stood beside Du Qingtang with a smile on her face.
Du Qingqin pinched Lao Qi's face, and his stern expression instantly broke, and he burst out laughing.
For a moment, the main room was filled with laughter.
......
"So you have made up your mind not to get married in this life?"
Fu Ci raised his head from the arithmetic problem, his eyes wide open with a mixture of surprise and envy.
She didn't expect that her friend would make such a decision.
But considering Du Qingtang's personality, there is nothing strange about this.
Du Qingtang is cold and indifferent, and seems to have no desires or ambitions. Fu Ci really can't imagine her getting married and having children.
After the surprise, all that was left was envy.
"Qingtang, you don't know, in the past two years, whenever the villagers see me, they either ask me when I plan to get married, or introduce me to some of their relatives. It makes me not want to go back."
Du Qingtang turned the page of the book and said calmly, "If you don't want to go back, then don't go back. Is there anything else in Fujia Village worth staying in?"
Fu Ci was silent for a moment: "Thank you for reminding me. From now on, I won't go back except for the Chinese New Year."
Even if there is no special examination this year, it will only last for three or four years.
After she passed the imperial examination and became an official in the court, she never came back.
Du Qingtang looked up at her and tapped the question book lightly with his fingers: "Hurry up and write. Don't think I can't see that you are deliberately delaying time."
Fu Ci: "...No."
She would never admit it.
-
On the third day after returning home, Du Qingtang went back to Taoyuan Village.
She returned in a donkey cart with nearly two hundred books neatly stacked on it.
Before setting off, Du Qingtang once considered whether to buy a carriage, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Even if you buy a carriage now, you will still have to sell it at a low price when you arrive in Zhending County.
It would be better to wait until you arrive in Xiajing and settle down completely before buying it. It would also be convenient for you to travel back and forth to the Hanlin Academy every day.
It was noon when we arrived at Taoyuan Village. The villagers had been busy in the fields all morning and were now returning home for dinner. The sounds of laughter and children's shouting intertwined, creating a leisurely and comfortable rural melody.
Du Qingtang discovered that there was a stone tablet about eight feet high standing at the entrance of the village, with no words on it.
A black cat was dozing in the shadow of a stone tablet. When it heard the clatter of donkey hooves, it opened its eyes lazily, stretched out its paw pads as if wearing white socks, stretched itself, and continued to sleep, not at all afraid of strangers.
Du Qingtang first went to the home of the village chief Fang Honghai.
The Fang family was having lunch, but when they saw Du Qingtang, they all put down their bowls and chopsticks and politely invited her to sit down.
"Have you eaten?" After receiving Du Qingtang's affirmative answer, Fang Honghai said with a smile, "Congratulations, from now on you are Master Du."
"You're embarrassing me." Du Qingtang said without further ado, "Village Chief, I plan to invest in building a village school."
Fang Honghai was stunned: "Village school?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "Grandpa Liu is a student. He is only in his prime now and can fully shoulder the responsibility of teaching and educating people."
Fang Honghai hesitated: "His legs..."
Du Qingtang paused and said, "I'll go to the Liu family later and ask for Grandpa Liu's opinion before making any decision."
Fang Honghai nodded in agreement.
Du Qingtang added, "Even if Grandpa Liu doesn't teach, the village school still needs to exist. There are 186 books on the donkey cart outside. They are all books I have read before, with annotations on them. I will put them in the village school when the time comes for people to borrow."
Fang Honghai was overjoyed. He believed that after reading the book that the top scholar had read, he would definitely benefit a lot!
Just when I was feeling happy, I heard Du Qingtang change the subject: "But I have a request."
Fang Honghai said seriously, "You say."
Du Qingtang said, "After the village school is built, all boys and girls in Taoyuan Village, as long as they are five years old or older, can enroll in the school."
Fang Honghai was shocked and thought of the Du sisters.
They are very famous in Qingyuan County. Everyone in the village knows that they have become female teachers, female bosses and female doctors, and they are very powerful.
Fang Honghai agreed without hesitation: "Don't worry, as long as the child is old enough, I will go door to door and send him to the village school."
Du Qingtang was very satisfied with his promise. He tested Fang Honghai's grandson on the spot and then went to Liu's house.
Liu Tongsheng was sitting in the shade of a tree, enjoying the cool breeze and slowly waving a palm-leaf fan.
Du Qingtang stepped forward and saluted: "Sir."
Liu Tongsheng opened his eyes and saw that it was Du Qingtang. Every wrinkle on his face relaxed: "You're back?"
"Yes." Du Qingtang said bluntly, "Sir, I'm funding the construction of a village school and would like to invite you to be the teacher."
Liu Tongsheng's hand shook and the palm-leaf fan fell to the ground.
Du Qingtang bent down to pick it up and handed it back to him.
Liu Tongsheng's old yet clear eyes were filled with disbelief: "What did you say?"
Du Qingtang repeated: "I want you to be the village school teacher."
Liu Tongsheng's lips trembled, and it took him a while to find his voice: "I, I'm old, I'm afraid..."
Du Qingtang interrupted him and retorted, "You are only 52 years old and in good health. You are fully qualified for this position."
She paused and said in a deep voice, "Sir, why don't you belittle yourself? You deserve it. This village school teacher belongs to you."
A trace of water flashed in Liu Tongsheng's dry eyes, and it disappeared in an instant: "...Okay, I promise you."
Du Qingtang smiled.
Just as he was about to say something else, Fang Honghai came over and said, "I was so busy talking about the village school that I almost forgot about the main thing."
Du Qingtang: "You say."
Fang Honghai pointed westward and said, "You should have seen the stone tablet when you entered the village, right?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "I see."
Fang Honghai smiled and said, "That's the No. 1 Scholar Monument that the villagers funded and built for you. It's not that you haven't been back, so the No. 1 Scholar Monument has been empty. They planned to wait for you to come back, and then have you write the inscription yourself, and then have the craftsmen carve the words."
Du Qingtang was slightly stunned. She originally thought that the stone tablet was a village tablet with the words "Taoyuan Village" engraved on it. She didn't expect it to be her top scholar tablet.
Fang Honghai said loudly: "You are the top scorer in the imperial examination this time, and the first six-yuan top scorer in decades. You are the pride of our Taoyuan Village and you deserve this top scorer monument."
"Tang'er, do you have time now? Before everyone goes to work in the fields, write a few words on the top scholar monument and announce the village school."
Du Qingtang did not agree immediately, but asked, "Does it have to be me who writes the inscription?"
Fang Honghai was stunned for a moment, then pondered for a moment and said, "Not really. This is just to bring good luck and encourage the young men in the village to be kind and learn."
Du Qingtang understood and looked at Liu Tongsheng: "Sir, why don't you write the inscription for my number one scholar monument?"
This time, not only Fang Honghai, but also Liu Tongsheng was stunned.
Fortunately, he quickly recovered and waved his hands: "How can this be possible? How can I, a student, write an inscription for the number one scholar?"
How could he have deserved the funding from Du Qingtang to build a village school, invite him to be the teacher, and now ask him to write the inscription for the top scholar's stele?
He only taught Du Qingtang for a few days, and he really didn't deserve it!
Du Qingtang said, "If you hadn't taught me everything you knew, how could I have been admitted to Qingyuan Academy, become a disciple of Master Yao, and rise to the top of the imperial examination, achieving the top six, and entering the officialdom?"
Liu Tongsheng met Du Qingtang's distinct black and white eyes.
Du Qingtang said firmly: "Without you, there would be no Du Qingtang today."
Fang Honghai sighed silently. This is a good boy who knows how to repay his gratitude: "Since Tang Ge'er has invited you so kindly, you should just agree."
Having said this, Liu Tongsheng couldn't refuse: "Okay."
Fang Honghai asked his two sons to beat drums and gongs to notify the villagers to gather urgently.
Hundreds of people gathered at the entrance of the village. Next to the stone tablet was a table with brushes and an inkstone on it.
Du Qingtang stood on the left and Fang Honghai stood on the right.
Liu Tongsheng put on the dark blue round-necked robe that the county school had given him when he passed the examination for Tongsheng. He stood in the middle with his back straight, facing the No. 1 Scholar monument.
Fang Honghai raised his hand and the head of the Fang family lit the firecrackers.
Accompanied by the crackling sound of firecrackers, Liu Tongsheng picked up his brush and dipped it in ink. He used all his life's knowledge to write in the most correct regular script:
Du Qingtang, the top scorer in the sixth imperial examination.
Inscribed on May 26, the 16th year of the Qingyuan reign, in Taoyuan Village, Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture.
When the last stroke was made, Fang Honghai was the first to applaud, and the villagers also cheered loudly.
"From now on, Taoyuan Village will be the No. 1 Scholar Village!"
Liu Tongsheng looked at the No. 1 Scholar Monument and the smiling faces, tears streaming down his face amid the noisy and lively atmosphere.
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