Zheng Ren talked with Mr. Zou for another day. Before dark, he sent
someone to Hao Yetang to deliver a message to Zheng Xiu, and then went back. He had been in the Duke of Qing's mansion for a day, and Zheng Xiu hadn't seen him. She couldn't help but laugh, and when Xue Zhi came back, she talked about this matter. Xue Zhi
said: "It is rare that my father-in-law can get along with Mr. Zou. If you think about it this way, the closer you are to the water, the better. Maybe it will be easy for me to become Mr. Zou's disciple."
Zheng Xiu frowned: "I don't know what my father thinks. I want to discuss it with him, but he is so good that he is seen all day long."
"It's not urgent. Anyway, Mr. Zou will stay in the capital for a while, and my father-in-law will probably come often. Let's take a long-term view on this matter."
Zheng Xiu didn't want his father to make the decision alone. What if his father and Xue Zhi had the same idea and let his brother become his disciple without saying anything? What should he do?
So the next day, Zheng Xiu asked Xue Zhi's servant to guard the front yard and asked his father to come to Hao Yetang first.
Zheng Ren brought Zheng Yu with him that day. After being stopped by the servant, they went straight to Haoye Hall.
At that time, Zheng Xiu was having breakfast with Xue Zhi and Xue Shao.
When they came, Zheng Xiu stood up, "Dad, you came so early? Have you had breakfast? I asked someone to add two sets of bowls and chopsticks."
Zheng Ren said, "No, your brother and I have already eaten."
Zheng Xiu went to see Zheng Yu again. Zheng Yu was dragged out of bed by his father early in the morning. He was still sleepy and his eyes were dazed.
Zheng Xiu said to him, "Ayu, sister has some fresh cheese here. Drink another bowl and talk to A Shao."
Zheng Yu responded and sat down at the table obediently.
Zheng Xiu led Zheng Ren to sit on the kang next to the bed, and asked Minghui to serve tea.
"Dad, why did you bring A Yu here today?"
Zheng Ren said, "I mentioned A Yu to Mr. Zou yesterday, and Mr. Zou asked me to bring A Yu here for him to see."
Zheng Xiu lowered his voice and asked, "Dad, do you want A Yu to become Mr. Zou's disciple?"
Zheng Ren said, "If Mr. Zou is willing, that would be great. But I'm afraid A Yu won't be in Mr. Zou's eyes."
"If Mr. Zou really likes A-Yu, Dad will be willing to let A-Yu stay away alone. I heard from A-Zhi that Mr. Zou would take his disciples to travel around and only come home once every year or three to five years..."
Zheng Ren's thoughts coincided with Xue Zhi's at this time, and he said, "After all, it is good for him. It doesn't matter if he suffers a little when he is young. Not to mention coming back once every three to five years, even if he comes back after ten or eight years of study, it's fine."
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Zheng Xiu stopped persuading him and said, "Dad, have you talked to A-Yu? What does he think?"
"There's nothing to say to him when the relationship is still going on. When Mr. Zou really takes a liking to him, can we let him go back on his word?"
Zheng Xiu bit her lip and said, "Ah Yu is grown up now. It would be bad if you don't discuss it with him. How about this, you go to Mr. Zou first, and I'll talk to A Yu for a while before letting him go?"
Zheng Ren nodded, and without further delay, he stood up and went back to the front yard.
Xue Zhi had finished his breakfast and went out to work. As soon as
the two of them left, Zheng Yu and Xue Shao relaxed their rules, put down their chopsticks, and asked Zheng Xiu what she had just said to Zheng Ren.
Zheng Xiu looked at the two of them. They were the children she held in her hands and were very well-behaved. So she did not hide the truth from them and said, "Your fathers want you to become Mr. Zou's disciples. It is not convenient for them to tell you, so let me discuss it with you. A'yu, A'shao, are you willing?"
Zheng Yu and Xue Shao had only recently heard of Mr. Zou's name and knew that he was a respected and learned man of the time.
Zheng Yu spoke first, "Sister, is it like taking classes with a teacher in the past, with one more teacher? That would be great. Dad said that Mr. Zou is very knowledgeable, and you will definitely learn a lot from him."
Xue Shao also said, "Yes, I heard that those people who came to visit us these two days all wanted Mr. Zou to accept students."
Zheng Xiu frowned, "It's indeed a good thing. But it's different from going to school to pay homage to a teacher. If you follow Mr. Zou, you will be a teacher for life. He will take you away, and it will take a long time for you to come home."
"How long is how long?" Zheng Yu asked.
"At least a year and a half."
Zheng Yu and Xue Shao were unwilling to do so. Zheng Yu had never left his family since he was a child. Although Xue Shao had been away from home with Xue Zhi for many years, he had never left his father. Mr. Zou was just a stranger to them. How could they be willing to leave their hometown and family for him?
Zheng Yu immediately expressed his opinion: "Sister, Dad is very knowledgeable. I will study hard with him. Please don't send me away, okay?"
Xue Shao also said: "Mom, I think the teacher in the mansion teaches very well, and I can learn a lot. I don't want to leave home, leave you..."
Their reactions were within Zheng Xiu's expectations, but Zheng Ren and Xue Zhi were the heads of the two children. If they insisted on doing so, she had no room to object, so she had to say: "You don't have to worry too much. Mr. Zou's vision must be very high, and we don't need to prepare for a rainy day. If Mr. Zou really likes us, it will be our honor, right?"
Zheng Yu and Xue Shao looked at each other and said nothing.
Zheng Xiu consoled them again, and finally the two children were not so disgusted.
Soon, Zheng Yu went to the front yard to find his father, Xue Shao went to the study to attend class, and Zheng Xiu went to Changfeng Garden to visit Princess Guihe.
Xue Shao was worried that Zheng Yu would be taken away like this, so he was a little absent-minded during class. The teacher noticed it and punished him to stand at the door for a quarter of an hour.
Xue Mian lied in the middle of class that he had to go to the toilet and slipped away. When he went out, he saw Xue Shao developing outside the door of the study next door.
"Xue Shao, what bad things did you do today?" Xue Mian joked with some schadenfreude.
Xue Shao was not in the mood to joke, and said with a stern face: "I was worried and distracted during class, so the teacher punished me."
Xue Mian looked at his face, walked closer and said: "What's on your mind? Tell me, I'll see if I can help." Xue
Mian has always been the most clever and ruthless person, so Xue Shao called him to his side and whispered in his ear: "Do you know Mr. Zou in our house?"
Xue Mian nodded.
Xue Shao continued: "My mother said that my grandfather and my father want me and A Yu to become Mr. Zou's disciples."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Xue Mian was surprised, "My eldest brother said that there are so many people who think so outside. If you and Zheng Yu can really become Mr. Zou's disciples, I will be happy for you."
"Alas, you don't understand. Mr. Zou will take his disciples to travel around and can't go home for a long time. A Yu and I don't want to leave our family..."
"How long is a long time?" Xue Mian also asked the same question.
Xue Shao shook his head, "I don't know, it may take several years."
"So long. Then your grandfather and your father are really cruel." Xue Mian muttered, and suddenly thought of something, raised his voice and said: "Oh no, my eldest brother said that he would take me to meet Mr. Zou this afternoon. Does he want to send me away too?!"
Xue Shao looked at him silently with a look of "we are both lost in the world".
"My dear mother! Even if my mother is half of Mr. Zou's background, if I become Mr. Zou's disciple, how will the seniority of this family be calculated? It's so messed up, so messed up..." Xue Mian kept shouting with a bitter face.
"Alas," Xue Shao couldn't help sighing again, "I don't know which one of us Mr. Zou will like."
"I don't want to leave, and I don't want you to leave either." Xue Mian said. Then he frowned and thought for a moment, and suddenly smiled slyly, "I have an idea, come closer and I'll tell you."
Xue Shao then moved closer again.
After Xue Mian finished muttering, Xue Shao hesitated and said, "Will this work?"
Xue Mian nodded confidently, "Just do as I say, it will definitely work!"
"Will the adults be angry when they find out?"
"If they are angry, they will be angry. Anyway, the matter is done. The worst that can happen is that I will be punished."
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