Mrs. Zhou nodded continuously. When he finished, she turned to Zhao Yuanyuan and said, "Your uncle is right. Back then, he had no books to read, so he copied them from other people's homes. By the time he finished, the books were all torn.
At the age of three, Jiaojiao knew the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic. She was so smart, I taught her in secret, afraid to let anyone know. By the time she was almost four, she could recite countless prescriptions, all from the prescriptions and medical books I remembered. Every time, she'd sneak off to the ancestral hall to memorize them and burn them. How old was she then? A brush is so worn out from use that it becomes completely bristly.
Back then, she was afraid her grandfather would find out she was using his ink, so she would just add a little ink and a lot of water. The writing was barely legible. The little four-year-old smiled and told me that even if it got ink on it, it wouldn't be visible. When she got older, she would borrow ancient books every day and read them whenever she had the chance. She would even skip meals to read.
This book is really good. I never taught her how to behave; she figured it out on her own. It's no use; I'm already old and still confused.
So, little girl, you need to calm down and read some books. During the Republic of China, why did those young ladies from aristocratic families hire tutors in addition to attending school? That's because you no longer study ancient books, and even the characters are simplified."
Zhao Dashan coaxed the stunned Zhao Yuanyuan and said, "Don't you always say that Jiaojiao looks like a lady from a noble family, and that she looks like a scholar when she walks out. She exudes a bookish air, and you always envy her?
Your Grandma Zhou and Uncle Zhou are advising you because they think you're their closest family. My dear, let me find you some books. Read them when you have time. We don't need to be like Jiaojiao; just reading and understanding some principles is enough.
Your father, I wanted to go to school but didn't have the chance. Later, I learned from others in the army. You see, I could write a few characters, and then I returned home to become a small leader. What did those uncles and aunts who came to our house do after they were discharged and couldn't read do? This shows that reading is good.
Why does everyone respect your Uncle Zhou? Besides his ability, he can always answer any question. Everyone who encounters a problem likes to go to him. He knows everything. "After saying this, he looked eagerly at his daughter, and only when she nodded did he breathe a sigh of relief and smile.
He turned around and was about to thank Mrs. Zhou when he saw his son looking at his daughter with a smile and a look of gloating. He was immediately furious.
"Hongbing, you should read books too. Both of you should read. When your brother comes back, all three of you can read. Your uncle Zhou wouldn't bother to talk to ordinary people. Don't be so ungrateful."
Chen Hongbing quickly said with a straight face, "Dad, I will definitely read it. I've been thinking of asking Xiaowu for help. You really can't find a place to borrow ancient books. Only Xiaowu has them. He and Zhou Jiao often go to the used bookstall in the alley to look at books. I was just about to ask him. He's the only one who knows where to find them."
Zhang Guoqing covered his mouth with his fists and laughed sullenly. When he finished, he immediately said, "Uncle, don't look for it anymore. I'll find it for you when you get back. These are the only five books that Mr. Liu left behind. You can come over and look through the other books after you finish reading them."
"That's great, there's no need to look for anyone. Why doesn't this old man want any books? He's a bookworm."
Zhou Xiaozheng poured wine for the two of them. "Let's drink and eat first. The children can take their time with their books. There's plenty of time. Yesterday, when I went to Mr. Liu's house, there were even more books in the study. I guess there are duplicates, or maybe they're afraid that after they pass away, the books will be ruined by their children and grandchildren, so they're imitating the literati's practice of giving books as gifts.
Last time, he told Xiaowu several times to read carefully and remember to dry the books regularly. He even told him how to prevent insects. I think he will give Xiaowu some of his old books in the future.
"Alas, this is also a failure of Mr. Liu's parenting. You said that so many books must have been inherited from ancestors and should have been passed down from generation to generation. If his descendants don't cherish them, they may really cause trouble.
I still remember the scholar in my hometown when I was little. He would personally dry his books every year, and the servants wouldn't dare touch them. He would sternly refuse anyone who wanted to borrow a book. When he passed away, his entire room of books and calligraphy and paintings were left untouched by his children and grandchildren, and no one dared to touch them.
Later, some scholars secretly cursed his family for being immoral. They would rather let it molder than lend it to others. It's not easy to pass on a family legacy.
Hearing this, Cheng Hongli laughed cheerfully and said, "When it comes to heirlooms, you have to consider the substance. Those gold and jade artifacts will surely be scrambled for by the children and grandchildren. Zhao Chunlei's family had a jade pendant passed down from their ancestors, and the brothers fought over it until they were bloodied.
Those people are just ignorant. I heard colleagues secretly say that Zhao Chunlei's wife is very smart and secretly hid a lot of porcelain, which is more valuable than that broken jade pendant.
Zhao Dashan laughed heartily and said to Zhou Xiaozheng, "Brother Zheng, if you were there, you'd probably be furious. Zuo Lin dispatched the entire police station. He said that during the fight, the shattered chairs were worth more than the jade pendant. But none of his five brothers and sisters knew anything about it. I don't know why the old man didn't explain or what. Later, the family negotiated at the police station and decided that a split of the money was the fairest. And then, when they got out, they sold everything, leaving nothing behind. The brothers took their share of the money and left with smiles on their faces. What kind of people are they?"
"Dad, where are those chairs later? Did Uncle Zuo buy them?" Zhao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up when she heard this.
"Your Uncle Zuo couldn't say it at the time, or there would have been a scene. The yard was bought by the retired director of the meat processing plant. He spent a generous 1,500 yuan on it. I guess he was attracted by the furniture and bottles and jars. Most people wouldn't dare to buy it, fearing that the brothers would later find out the value of the old things and go after them."
"Haha... When you mentioned bottles and jars, I remembered. Mom, you didn't throw away those old vases, bowls, and plates left by Mr. Liu at home, right? Jiaojiao asked my dad to take a look at them before, and he said that we might find that they are Yuan blue and white porcelain." After saying that, Zhang Guoqing looked at his father-in-law happily.
"See, that's what good taste means. I've already seen them before your mother even moved them to the warehouse. They're all porcelain from the Republic of China period, and most of them are from small workshops in the north, so they're worthless."
"The two vases in the study are from the Qing Dynasty, but they're from folk kilns. They might be enough to fool a layperson. The old man should have moved directly to the old house after returning from the capital, and later brought the old lady's dowry here. Those valuable porcelains should all be in the old house, or maybe he didn't collect porcelain, just books." Zhou Xiaozheng laughed heartily. His daughter was so clever; she'd thought of it before he'd even mentioned it. They were indeed father and daughter.
"Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain? I've been to Mr. Liu's old house, and I didn't see any antique shelves. The most valuable thing in the living room is the furniture. The tea sets are also modern. Jiaojiao, do you like porcelain? Wait until Mom goes back to look for it. Those are easy to find in Jingdezhen and Jiangnan. In the north, they only have big bowls and plates, which are rarely seen."
Zhang Guoqing quickly shook his head, "Mom, don't collect porcelain. It's not easy to preserve and too fragile. It's just not practical and it costs money. Jiaojiao doesn't love porcelain, she just said she has a lot of old bowls to give away, and she's being careful. She's worried that if she gives them away casually, no one will know what they are, so she asked me to check and see if I could find a bargain before giving it away."
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