The New Year passed leisurely, and after the 15th day of the lunar month, the New Year was over. Soon it was the end of January, and the villagers started to resume their work.
Zhang Fangyuan also slaughtered a pig and went out to the city early and returned late.
Now everyone in the village knew that Zhang Fangyuan not only had a strong black horse, but also had a stall in the meat market in the city to do business.
Occasionally, he would help the villagers with mobility problems to carry candles and salt back to the village. On days when there was no market, he would ask people to ride on his rickshaw for free when he saw people going to the city. More and more people spoke well of him.
Some of them began to look for him to trade livestock. Everyone began to envy this capable young man and changed their minds and wanted to marry him.
"I'm afraid there's no hope. Earlier I saw Zhang Fangyuan coming and going behind the Xu family's door. He must be thinking about Xu Shaochun."
"That's a shame. But is this true? I wanted to tell him about my niece's daughter."
"Really? A while ago I saw Zhang Fangyuan talking to Xu Laoyao on the ridge of a field. He even gave him something. Do you think it could be fake?"
In fact, many people in the village know that the young men will give the gifts to Xu He and then pass them on to his sister. The village still encourages this custom of passing gifts, which is both subtle and polite, and brave to pursue the person you like. Many older generations have gone through this.
"What if the second young lady of the Xu family doesn't like him? Anyway, the matter has not been settled yet, so there is still room for maneuver."
The village women were turning the soil in preparation for sowing, and they would talk about these things in their spare time.
Naturally, the Xu family also got wind of the news. Liu Xianglan didn't say anything outside, but she was actually very happy in her heart. All the capable men in the village who the woman thinks are good and who she wants to marry are eyeing their family, so how can she not be proud?
After the New Year and the beginning of spring, there are more and more sunny days. Xu Shaochun tidied up his wardrobe at home and asked He Ge'er to wash the thick winter coats that could be washed. After drying them in the yard, he prepared to put them in the bottom of the closet. He only kept two sets of clothes to wear during the cold spring, and tried his best to put the spring clothes on the surface.
Liu Xianglan said in the yard: "It will be a long time before the government comes to collect taxes again. I hope it can be a little later this year, and then the Fei family will come to collect taxes after the college entrance examination." In this way, when her daughter gets married, the family can pay one less head tax.
This is a problem that every family has to face, so Xu Shaochun didn't think too much about it: "I want to, too."
There are no brothers in the family, only a daughter and a younger brother. No matter how capable Xu He is, he cannot be as good as a man. The family's income depends entirely on his father, so life is not easy. Fortunately, when she got married and Xu He got married, the old couple were able to get some of the betrothal gifts back and save some money to enjoy their old age.
"Zhang Fangyuan is doing well now. Actually, what your aunt said before is right. As long as Zhang Fangyuan doesn't mess around, he can still make a lot of money." Liu Xianglan didn't want to admit it, but she still told her daughter: "You have always loved beauty. If you follow Zhang Fangyuan, you will have more money to spend."
Xu Shaochun disagreed, saying, "Mom, scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, no matter how rich they are, are not as respectable as scholars."
"The Zhang family is farmers, not merchants, and now the management is not as strict as in the past. Even merchants can take the imperial examination. It's good that the Fei family has scholars, and they have a bright future, but studying costs a lot of money, so I'm afraid they won't live a comfortable life."
Xu Shaochun actually knew these principles, but her heart was on Fei Tongsheng. Even if she knew that Zhang Fangyuan had good conditions now, she didn't want to choose him: "That's only for now. If he passes the imperial examination in the future, he will have a long life ahead of him."
In order to stop her mother from thinking about it, Xu Shaochun turned to Xu He who was washing clothes and said, "Little brother, you were right not to accept the things Zhang Fangyuan asked you to pass on to me. If he comes to you to give me something again in the future, don't accept it."
Xu Shaochun took it for granted that everyone in the village was talking about Zhang Fangyuan sending her something, but she didn't receive it because Xu He didn't agree to help deliver it. After all, this person had a very bad reputation at first, and many people were afraid of him, so it was understandable that Xu He didn't want to get involved with him.
Xu He was listening to their conversation, but when Xu Shaochun spoke, he didn't know how to respond.
Zhang Fangyuan asked him to send something, but it was not for her second sister. The mother and daughter even picked it here, and he was too embarrassed to ask.
He thought about whether he should explain it, but Xu He thought that if his sister and mother knew that Zhang Fangyuan did not like his second sister and the things were just given to him, it would be fine if they did not believe him. But what he was most worried about was that his second sister and mother would be unhappy and make him suffer.
"Um."
"It's time to show you someone. Alas, I don't know if it's easy to find one." Liu Xianglan glanced at Xu He and couldn't help but sigh.
Xu He took care of the household and outside, saving her a lot of work to do. She also wanted him to work at home for a few more years, but keeping him at home and eating a few mouthfuls of food was nothing, but paying taxes now that he was older was a huge deal.
"Let's talk about it later." Xu He said these two words, finished washing the clothes and went back to his room.
Liu Xianglan thought he was just embarrassed and didn't care.
After the beginning of spring, the Beishan Tea Garden also announced that Maojian tea could be harvested. The wages offered were higher than last year, and one pound of tea could be sold for eight cents at the tea farm. Xu He knew that his second sister and mother were going to go, and actually he wanted to go pick tea as well, but his father had gone out to help with the work, and he had to loosen the land in preparation for sowing, so it was not his turn to earn the money.
If I think about it carefully, the money from tea picking won't go into my pocket anyway, so it doesn't matter if I don't go.
He glanced towards his bed again. Under the pillow was the box that Zhang Fangyuan had given him earlier.
He had looked at the headband inside several times, and he had to admit that it was really beautiful and to his liking, and it was made of silk. Although headbands are usually made of silk scraps, the material is there and the workmanship is good, so I imagine the price won’t be cheap.
She said she bought it casually when she saw it, but this silk flower was much more elaborate than the one Zhang Fangyuan had bought from Guang's house before.
I don't know what this person means.
He had never received a gift before, and this was the first time he received one and it was such a good one. He didn't know what to do.
And it’s a pity that I don’t have time to bring it with me. Oh...it seems that the Flower Festival is in a few days. But even if I wear it, will it look good if I wear it like this?
He had been thinking a lot during the past few nights. He lay with the headband as a pillow, thinking about the person who had given it to him. This made him, who was indifferent to many things, a little uneasy.
He shook his head. He didn't dare to slack off during the day. He carefully put the things back under the pillow and prepared to go to the field.
"Brother He."
Xu He swung the hoe with all his might, intending to loosen the field today so that he could save the trouble of going to the mountains to dig some wild vegetables tomorrow.
He was working hard when he heard an elegant voice calling out. He looked up and said, "Fei Tongsheng?"
The scholar curled his eyes when he saw him and asked, "How long have you been working? Are you hot?"
"Not bad." Xu He looked at the scholar in green clothes, who seemed to be wearing the uniform of Songzhu Academy in the city. He had a fair face and red lips, and was a little thin. He had a very good scholar's face.
No wonder her second sister likes him.
Thinking that this man would soon be his brother-in-law, he asked politely, "Back from the city?"
Fei Lian responded, "The college entrance examination is coming soon. The academy is closed for the students to come back and rest for two days and prepare to take the exam."
"Then I wish Fei Tongsheng to be on the list."
Fei Lian smiled slightly and took out a piece of paper from his book bag. On it were several rows of neatly written characters: "Heaven, Earth and Human World, Flowers, Grasses and Trees. These are eight characters. You can take them home and practice them."
When Xu He saw the paper, his brows moved slightly. He wiped his hands, took it, and looked at it carefully.
Seeing that he was looking at it seriously, Fei Lian smiled and said, "When I taught you to write your name before, you learned it after learning it three times with a tree branch. You remember it faster than your sister."
Xu He was undoubtedly studious and he envied people who could read and write, but his family situation would not allow a young boy to read and write.
"My sister's name has many more strokes than mine, so it's not as simple as mine and I can't remember it as quickly."
Fei Lian said: "But she hasn't learned it yet." She has no intention of pursuing academic progress.
Xu He did not refuse Fei Lian's gift, thinking that it was no big deal for his brother-in-law to teach his sister-in-law two words, but he couldn't help feeling a little strange when he said that to his second sister. But he thought that it was also true that the other person was about to get engaged, so he could be considered one of their own and would certainly speak modestly.
"Thank you Fei Tongsheng."
Fei Lian raised his lips and said, "You're welcome. I'm a scholar. Who knows, I might be a teacher in the future. I'm happy to teach."
Xu He responded, saying that the second sister was blessed.
"Brother He, if I am lucky enough to pass this college entrance examination..." Fei Lian suddenly spoke again, but looking at Xu He's confused look, he didn't finish his words.
However, Xu He roughly guessed that he was thinking: If you pass the exam, you can marry your second sister, right?
"Fei Tongsheng will surely get what he wants."
“Really…really?”
Xu He was very excited when he saw Fei Lian's face flushed. He nodded. Fei Lian and the second sister were in love, so it was natural for them to be together.
"well."
Xu He didn't say anything more: "Then I'll be busy now."
After swinging the hoe a few times, a cold question suddenly rang out from above his head: "What did Fei Lian say to you?"
Xu He saw that it was Zhang Fangyuan who appeared out of nowhere, and his ears turned red. He continued to bury his head and dig the ground to hide his shyness when he saw him: "Why should I tell you."
"Tell me quickly!" Zhang Fangyuan said angrily.
Xu He didn't know why this person was so overbearing today. He suddenly felt a little aggrieved and said unhappily, "Someone comes to me every now and then to send gifts to my second sister. Do I have to tell you one by one?"
"Who cares about those who want to pursue your second sister." Zhang Fangyuan said with a big tongue: "It's obvious that Fei Lian is not talking about your second sister. You looked so straightforward and blushed when you left!"
"Nonsense!" Xu He's heart skipped a beat. Most of what he said was obviously about his second sister. She just gave him a few more words. But how could this big fool be so smart that he could see the difference at all? However... "What's it got to do with you?"
Zhang Fangyuan was anxious when he heard this: "Why is it none of my business? If you continue to be so stubborn, do you believe me or not..."
Before he finished speaking, Xu He said, "What? Do you still want to hit me?"
Zhang Fangyuan was so angry when he heard this that he suddenly jumped down from the edge of the field with a thud. Xu He was so scared that he took a step back and suddenly the hoe in his hand was snatched away.
The vicious man wielded a hoe and turned over two acres of land as if to vent his anger. Xu He stood aside and didn't dare to get close to him: "You...you are sick!"
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