Chapter 152 The hero's best mother (thirty-nine)
Zhao Qingyun helped Ji Xiaosi not because he felt sorry for him or wanted to do him a favor in exchange for something in return.
He simply thought that Ji Xiaosi was someone worth helping.
Being born in a family like that, with such a pair of unreliable parents, it was like being stuck in a quagmire.
Ji Xiaosi did not sink into despair, but instead tried desperately to climb up.
Zhao Qingyun respects those who work hard and is willing to help.
He believed that with just a little help from Ji Xiaosi, he could get out of the quagmire and reach a higher position! Ji Xiaosi's lips moved. He was a sensitive person who could feel the kindness emanating from Zhao Qingyun and his "respect" for himself.
Yes, respect! Not pity.
Because of their grandparents' partiality and their parents' foolish filial piety, the third branch of the Ji family, who lived in the back street of the academy, was absolutely the object of everyone's pity.
But Ji Xiaosi doesn't want to be pitied all the time.
He knew that his neighbors pitied him out of kindness and without ill intention.
But being surrounded by such gazes all the time was another kind of hurt for Ji Xiaosi, who was only ten years old! Only in front of Madam Gu and Zhao Qingyun, he was not the poor Ji Xiaosi, but a good boy who worked hard to make progress.
Suppressing the bitterness and emotion in his heart, he silently bowed to Zhao Qingyun, then turned and left.
Zhao Qingyun also turned around and went back to the yard.
Zheng Wanjun, who was next door, heard the creaking sound of the door hinge turning and knew that Zhao Qingyun had closed the door.
She shouted to Wan Niangzi, "Mother, I'm going to the street corner!"
Then he quickly went out the door.
After a few quick steps, Zheng Wanjun caught up with Ji Xiaosi.
Ji Xiaosi heard the sound, turned his head and saw a beautiful scene that he would never forget.
The sky was dimming, with the afterglow of the setting sun. On the bluestone street, a fair and delicate little girl was walking towards him with a sweet smile.
Her eyes are sparkling, like little stars in the sky.
She was so lively and cheerful, and she exuded a temperament that made him want to get close to her but didn't dare to.
"Ms. Zheng, Miss Zheng, you called me?"
Ji Xiaosi could hardly speak clearly, and he tried desperately to put his hands into his sleeves.
Miss Zheng is so delicate and beautiful, just like the white porcelain dolls sold at the New Year market.
As for myself, I was covered in ink, smelly and dirty, like a piece of mud in a quagmire.
Just standing in front of Miss Zheng, Ji Xiaosi couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself.
"Yes! Xiaoshiro, is that a carved plate in your hand?"
Zheng Wanjun asked with pretended innocence and curiosity, her childish and weak voice completely matched her physical age.
"…It's a carved plate! But I didn't steal it. The master carved it badly and didn't want it anymore. I, I want to take it home to burn in the fire."
Ji Xiaosi waved his hands desperately.
Just now, Zhao Jia Dalang said that we cannot steal things, even if we are returning them.
Therefore, Ji Xiaosi is particularly concerned about the word "steal".
In addition, he didn't want the porcelain doll-like Miss Zheng to misunderstand him, so he tried his best to explain.
Zheng Wanjun: ...I don’t care whether you picked it up or stole it, I just want to use this carving as an excuse.
Although he was complaining in his heart, Zheng Wanjun continued to look innocent.
"Can I take a look? I have a lot of books at home, but I don't know how they are printed!"
"...Of course!"
Ji Xiaosi quickly held the broken engraving in his hands in front of Zheng Wanjun.
"This is the engraving! Why is it a whole piece?"
"Because the book is a whole page."
Perhaps because the distance was too close, Ji Xiaosi seemed to smell a pleasant scent.
It has the fragrance of osmanthus, which is not strong but refreshing.
Ji Xiaosi's ink-stained face turned red.
His heart was pounding even more and he even stuttered when he spoke.
"But if one word on a whole piece of carved block is carved wrong, the entire block will be ruined!" Just like the one in Ji Xiaosi's hand.
Ji Xiaosi was stunned and stared at Zheng Wanjun blankly.
His brain was working quickly, "Yes! I can carve them one word at a time, just like a separate seal!"
Zheng Wanjun quietly retracted his hand and hid the seal of his father.
"Huh? This Ji Xiaosi is very smart! He understands everything at once!"
Zheng Wanjun looked for Ji Xiaosi only because he was a book printing apprentice in a bookstore, not because he was so outstanding.
At this moment, after a brief chat, Zheng Wanjun discovered that Ji Xiaosi had a very flexible mind.
Although Ji Xiaosi's name does not appear in the book, Zheng Wanjun feels that with Ji Xiaosi's cleverness, he may succeed as long as he is given the opportunity.
“Have I discovered a talent?”
Zheng Wanjun became excited.
In later generations, when reading novels, you will always see that the heroine can get the male supporting role, the third male role, or the fourth male role who becomes the big boss by just helping someone casually.
Zheng Wanjun complained about "Mary Sue" but was extremely envious in his heart.
Now that she has become a member of the army of people who have traveled through books, and has also met a Ji Xiaosi, Zheng Wanjun seems to have heard the sound of success.
Perhaps, she, Zheng Wanjun, can grow into a heroine even without the male lead Zhao Qingyun!
Zheng Wanjun was still lost in thought. Seeing that Zheng Wanjun didn't say anything, Ji Xiaosi felt a little uneasy.
He asked cautiously, "Could it be that I, I am wrong?"
Ji Xiaosi's voice startled Zheng Wanjun, and she quickly said, "Yes! You are absolutely right! Xiao Silang, I find that you are very smart!"
He understood everything at once! And the subsequent facts proved that Ji Xiaosi not only understood everything at once, but also could draw inferences from it.
So, when Zheng Wanjun brought the finished product made by Ji Xiaosi to Mr. Zheng and Mr. Zheng called Ji Xiaosi to his home, Ji Xiaosi showed his talent for reading.
He might not have as good a photographic memory as Zhao Qingyun, but he could recite it three times.
The key is that Ji Xiaosi works hard enough and is also pitiful enough.
There are still some shortcomings.
This instantly doubled the frustration Mr. Zheng had felt at Zhao Qingyun's hands.
Ahem, Mr. Zheng does love talent and values geniuses like Zhao Qingyun.
But Zhao Qingyun was too smart. He had a photographic memory and could recite the books he had read by heart easily.
At the age of nine, he is still extremely self-disciplined.
Facing Zhao Qingyun, Mr. Zheng actually felt helpless as he had nowhere to teach.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
Moreover, although Mr. Zheng was unwilling to admit it, he had a hidden jealousy in his heart.
Mr. Zheng comes from a scholarly family with seven Jinshi (imperial examination) graduates and both his father and son won the title of Tanhua (a top scholar).
His father and elder brother are both extremely talented people.
Only he was born weak.
From childhood to adulthood, I have taken more medicine than I have eaten.
Studying and taking the imperial examinations also require a healthy body.
It seems that Mr. Zheng has had shortcomings since he was born.
His parents didn't have high expectations for him.
As long as he lives well and can successfully marry and have children, his parents will be satisfied.
Although his parents did not have high expectations of him, Mr. Zheng did not feel relieved. Instead, he felt sad that he was not valued.
What made him even more sad was that not only was he not as healthy as his elder and second brothers, he was also not as good at studying as their elder and second brothers.
His parents, relatives and outsiders all thought that he couldn't study well because of his poor health.
But only Mr. Zheng himself knew that even if he was in good health, he was not cut out for studying.
However, with the excuse of physical weakness, his mediocrity was not noticed.
Mr. Zheng was unwilling to give up.
He studied doubly hard. A smart person can memorize something after reading it once, so he read it ten or a hundred times.
In addition to the family background, the Zheng family's reading atmosphere and educational resources still influenced Mr. Zheng.
He passed the examination for a scholar at the age of sixteen and for a juren at the age of nineteen.
Mr. Zheng tried his best, as he knew very well that becoming a Juren (a juren) was probably his limit.
But family members and outsiders don’t know.
They just think that Mr. Zheng is just being held back by his body.
At the age of 22, Mr. Zheng took part in the imperial examination without giving up.
As a result, he fainted on the first day and was carried out of the Imperial Examination Hall. He almost died.
Everyone in the Zheng family was terrified, and even Mr. Zheng himself had accepted his fate.
He simply took his wife and son back to his hometown to cultivate his character and teach.
In fact, even Mrs. Wan was carefully selected by the Zheng family.
Wan's family was not of high status, and her grandfather was a farmer. It was not until her father passed the imperial examination and became an official that the family's fortunes changed. Her mother was a good fertile woman, and gave birth to four sons and one daughter.
Wan was the eldest daughter and had been helping her mother take care of her four younger brothers since she was old enough to understand.
He has a strong character, can support the family, and take care of others.
Mr. Zheng's mother was attracted by this point about Mrs. Wan, so she married her to Mr. Zheng regardless of her family background.
Mr. Zheng: …
At first he felt aggrieved because his eldest sister-in-law was the daughter of the Duke's Mansion and his second sister-in-law was the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion.
Even my third brother, who was born out of wedlock, married the daughter of the Bo family.
Only he, although he was the youngest son, could only marry the daughter of a fourth-rank official in the Imperial College.
Wan's grandmother and mother were both peasant girls, and they didn't know the rules of aristocratic families at all! Although Wan was capable, but, but -
However, after Wan married him, she took great care of him, even feeding him medicine and food herself, never asking slaves or maids to do it for her.
Wan also had a heartfelt admiration and respect for herself.
She would not despise herself for not being as good as her father and brothers, nor would she despise herself for having to rely on her family to make a living and not even having a decent future.
People's hearts are warmed up little by little.
In addition, Mrs. Wan's horoscope might really bring good luck to her husband.
In the second year after Mr. Zheng married Ms. Wan, Mr. Zheng successfully passed the imperial examination. On the day the results were announced, Ms. Wan gave birth to their eldest son.
Double happiness.
That day was definitely the highlight of Mr. Zheng’s life.
Everyone envied him and praised him.
After following her husband back to her hometown, Wan gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, which represented good luck.
Mr. Zheng feels that his life is not too bad.
If he could teach another brilliant student, he would be complete.
Zhao Qingyun is a good candidate. Even without Mr. Zheng's support, he should be able to rise to the top.
Mr. Zheng was delighted, disappointed, and even slightly jealous of Zhao Qingyun's talent.
And this Ji Xiaosi finally made Mr. Zheng realize the joy of being a teacher...
(End of this chapter)
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