Rise From the Humble

"We are leaving in the afternoon. Boss, have you packed your things?" Mr. Zhu interrupted his uncle Zhu Shouren's confident expression, knocked his pipe and pot and looked at him and asked.

"Dad, everything is almost done," the uncle replied.

"Are you prepared with food, clothing, supplies, pens, ink, paper and inkstones?" Mr. Zhu asked again worriedly.

"I'll buy pens, inks, paper and inkstones when I get to Yingtian. It will be troublesome to carry them on the road." The uncle thought for a while and replied.

How much money can be spent on pens, inks, paper and inkstones? Zhu Pingan was speechless after hearing what his uncle said. These things together do not take up much space, and they are unscrupulous. If you buy pens, inks, paper and inkstones during the exam, the price of pens, inks, paper and inkstones will be higher than It's several times higher than usual. Judging from the uncle's attitude, he probably bought pen, ink, paper and inkstones in Yingtian for the previous exams. If he had bought a better inkstone, he would have spent at least one tael of silver each time.

"Why don't you go to Yingtian to buy things? It's not a waste of money. Bring all the pens, inks, paper and inkstones at home." After hearing this, Mr. Zhu immediately shook his head and told his uncle Zhu Shouren to bring all the pens, inks, papers and inkstones at home.

Hearing Mr. Zhu say this, Mrs. Zhu on the side suddenly interjected, "By the way, my daughter-in-law just brought a lot of food, including pastries, bird's nests and so on. Boss, please bring more to eat on the road."

"Bird's nest?" The uncle was a little surprised, then narrowed his eyes slightly and commented, "Bird's nest is a good thing."

"Mom, bird's nest replenishes qi and blood, which is more effective for us women, especially pregnant women. I have long heard that rich people in the county eat bird's nest to replenish their health. This is the first time I have seen it. I don't know what it smells like." The fourth aunt said in a long voice. She also tried hard to push out her big belly. She stretched out her hand to caress her belly like a baby, and stared at it with a pair of thin eyes without blinking. That box of bird's nest.

"Replenishing Qi and blood? That's just right. Your elder brother has been traveling hard and it's just a good time to replenish his body." Grandma said, grabbing the bird's nest box in her hand and stuffing it to her uncle Zhu Shouren who was standing aside without saying a word.

"Mom~~" The fourth aunt touched her belly and looked at Old Mrs. Zhu with an aggrieved look.

"Okay, I'll leave two for you." Mrs. Zhu saw her fourth aunt's belly and thought of her unborn grandson. Then she hesitated and took the box back from her uncle's hand.

Uncle Zhu Shouren looked reluctant to give up. This bird's nest is a good thing. If you use the bird's nest to please those beauties by the Qinhuai River, you will definitely be able to kiss it.

one two three four! Only four? !

Mrs. Zhu opened the box and counted it. She found that there were only four bird's nests in the well-packaged box. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The box looked big from the outside, but there were only four inside. Why did it wrap so much cloth? If it was for the fourth child. There are two in the family, so the boss only has two left.

Why is this bitch daughter-in-law so picky? She just gave her four bird's nests. This bird's nest is enough for anyone to eat. It's so big that it's not enough to fit between her teeth. It's worth it.

Old Mrs. Zhu closed the box and glanced at Li Shu, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her words, "It's from She'er's family. We still have bird's nests at home. I'll give you a ten-eight-pound bird's nest for your uncle to eat on the way."

Ten catties and eight catties?

Li Shu turned her head when she heard the words, the tassels on her hairpin swaying, as if she didn't see the old lady's dissatisfied expression, and looked at Old Madam Zhu with a pair of watery eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, "Grandma, Yes, but"

Before Li Shu finished speaking, the little girl behind Li Shu was unhappy. She looked at Old Mrs. Zhu with a mocking look on her face as if she were a country bumpkin, and said indignantly:

"Old madam, this bird's nest is not Chinese cabbage. It weighs ten to eight pounds? Let's not talk about the high-grade bird's nest that my lady brought. Even ordinary bird's nests cost one or two silver per penny. The ones that weigh ten to eight pounds must be good at least. A few hundred taels of silver."

The little girl's voice was full of dissatisfaction, and she was laughing at the old lady's big mouth, which can open up to ten pounds of bird's nests. She is really ignorant of the people who come from the countryside.

"So expensive? One tael of silver for every dollar?" Mrs. Zhu opened her mouth wide when she heard this.

"No, this is an ordinary bird's nest. The bird's nest our lady brought is a top-grade bird's nest shipped from Southeast Asia." The little girl held her head high and her face was filled with pride.

Mrs. Zhu now felt that the bird's nest in her hand was very heavy. She didn't expect the bird's nest to be so expensive, and it cost several taels of silver for such a small amount. The way she looked at Li Shu was completely different from before.

"Furthermore, old lady, this bird's nest is indeed a tonic, but it's no joke that it will make people bigger." The little girl continued.

After listening to the little maid's words, the grandmother, Mrs. Zhu, clicked her tongue and stopped asking for ten or eight pounds of bird's nests. After thinking about it, he opened the bird's nest box, took one out of it and kept it, and gave the other three to his uncle Zhu Shouren, and asked him to rush to Yingtian to make up for his body.

The fourth aunt on the side pouted when she saw this.

Mrs. Zhu packed up the bird's nest, some cakes, and supplements, and gave them to the aunt, who asked the aunt to put them back for the uncle Zhu Shouren, and take them with her when she left.

Uncle Zhu Shouren glanced at Zhu Ping'an and Li Shu, then coughed, looked at Mr. Zhu and said, "Father, everything is ready for the Yingtian scientific examination, only a little shyness in the bag."

"Brother, why are you so shy? I already have more than ten taels of silver in my family and I'm keeping an eye on you." The fourth aunt was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Why isn't it enough?" Old Master Zhu also looked at his uncle Zhu Shouren, but he knew that all the money in the family was given to the eldest brother.

"Dad, I went to Yingtian, and I have to treat Mr. Liu to a meal. It affects my son's future, as well as my classmate and his mentor. All these favors are money, Dad. Dad, you give me It's okay if I have these entanglements with me, but it's not enough if I have these human relationships, it's so difficult." Uncle Zhu Shouren shook his head, and then sighed forcefully.

"But the family has no money." Mr. Zhu frowned, and then took two puffs of the cigarette pouch vigorously, and the clouds and mist engulfed him.

"Dad, if not, my son will ask She'er to borrow some money first." Uncle Zhu Shouren looked like he had been thinking about the family for a long time. Then he turned to Zhu Pingan and said what he had planned for a long time:

"Shu'er, we don't talk to each other. My uncle is ready for the Yingtian Science Examination, but he is a little short of money. Don't let your grandfather worry. He'er will temporarily lend you ten taels of silver and wait for him. I’ll pay you back after the exam.”

Don't let grandpa worry? It sounds like I am so unfilial! Such a hat came down, and it was in front of my grandfather again. This is not borrowing money, it is clearly forcing money. This kind of trick of taking advantage of the situation, the uncle is really good at it.

However, if you borrow money well, it's fine, but this kind of forced money makes Zhu Ping'an very disgusted.

Moreover, thinking about what his uncle did during the last scientific expedition to find flowers and willows, and thinking about his uncle's attempt to embezzle his family's property yesterday, Zhu Ping'an didn't have the slightest idea of ​​borrowing money, so it was good that he didn't pursue his uncle.

According to what the fourth aunt said, the family has already given the uncle more than ten taels of silver. It’s enough to go to Yingtian to take the exam!

"Ahem, if it had been a few days ago, my nephew would have lent me the money without him having to tell me. But a few days ago, my nephew was killed in the sea, and my uncle must have known about it. My nephew was lucky enough to save his life, but he still has to live with him. All the soft things are lost in the sea, penniless."

Zhu Ping'an shook his head in embarrassment and raised the corners of his lips. When he said this, he suddenly remembered something. Then he took out a handful of about ten copper coins from his pocket and stuffed it into his uncle's hand enthusiastically. said generously,

"Oh, I remembered. My mother gave me ten cents this morning to buy soy sauce. However, the soy sauce is a small matter, while my uncle's examination is a big deal. I'll deal with the money first."