The pastoral life of the reborn farmer

Chapter 17

"Why can't I read and read, why can't I write and sell Spring Festival couplets!" Shen Ling seemed to want to stop him from talking, and he just kept shouting, "I haven't written anything on paper, but Isn't this forced?! I'm not in good health, and Han Shi is even more thin and small. Is the 10 taels of silver in exchange for the book for us to eat? I'm also forced! Han Shi and I I racked my brains to come up with this idea that I don't know if it will work. I dragged my sick body and wrote some Spring Festival couplets to sell. Anyway, I can survive this winter. Otherwise, it's just such a broken house. I don't even have a change of clothes. Did you let me freeze to death here?

I don't write Spring Festival couplets, what do you want me to do for a living? What do you want me to live on? I ruined the reputation of the third brother, the reputation of the third brother is valuable, it is for face, is my Shen Er's life cheap? For the face of the third brother, do I have to freeze to death and starve to death?!"

Shen Ling's words can be said to be true Every word is heart-wrenching, unless it is someone who has interests in Shen San, or at this moment, no one can say that Shen Ling's bad is not good, and the room actually quieted down for a while.

Li Zheng was a little helpless. He felt that Shen Ling was exaggerating a bit, but it seemed that every word was correct. He didn't know about the book, but since Shen Er said it, it must be true. I also felt that Shen Zhibo's father was really cold-blooded and unfeeling, but he couldn't meet Shen Ling's words, so he could only say: "Who said you should die? It's just for you to go to the village to explain it clearly. You tell the person who wrote the Spring Festival couplets. Come out, don't let people misunderstand that it is the Spring Festival couplet written by Shen San, it's just such a little thing, why is this?"

Shen Ling wiped a tear fiercely, "When did I not explain? How many times have I said it? I wrote the Spring Festival couplets by myself. Who do you believe? Besides, I am not a fool. I still know why Lizheng and the elders came here, but they are just asking for guilt. By the way, let me apologize and promise not to corrupt the three. Brother's reputation.

But how can it be considered incorruptible? Don't sell Spring Festival couplets? That's naturally good, but how am I, Shen Er, going to live? Lizheng, third grandpa, why don't you tell me? ! Compared with Shen Er's means of earning a living and my life, which is more important than my selling Spring Festival couplets, which affected my third brother's reputation? If you say one thing today, my Shen Er's life is not as important as Shen San's reputation. I, Shen Er, will obey my life, and I will never go out to sell a pair of Spring Festival couplets even if I starve to death in this shabby house! Although I, Shen Er, are a patient, I am also a sturdy and strong man. I also know that I must obey the words of my elders. The greatest truth of the great clan in the world is that the elder clan wants me to die, and I have absolutely nothing to say. "

Shen Ling looked sad and angry, staring at Li Zheng, Li Zheng couldn't help but turn his eyes slightly, and didn't want to look directly at Shen Ling's eyes again, the elders next to each other looked at each other and said nothing

. It's a pity that it's just a little bit sick to be like this, but after writing a few couplets of the Spring Festival, I'm tired again and my body has collapsed. It's a pity. Generally, it is difficult for people who are illiterate to understand how tiring it is to write. So everyone just thought that Shen Ling's body hadn't recovered, and he could be tired when he started to write and write.

Although Li Zheng felt a little regretful, but as the patriarch of the clan, he was also Li Zheng in the village, but his eyes were not only on Like Shen Zhibo, he is more concerned about who can bring wealth and glory to the village, the clan, and him. This is something that Shen Er can't do, but Shen San is possible. , As long as Shen San can take the lead, in the future, if the Shen family wants to be an official in the imperial examination, or go out to do business, they will have a backstage to rely on and have a powerful position, and this is something Shen Er can't do anyway.

If you don't study, there will be no way out in this era. Scholars, farmers, business, and scholars are the first, and the ancients will remain unchanged.

Therefore, Shen Er will be sacrificed. In the bottom of Li Zheng's heart, he would rather Shen Er die than destroy Shen San's reputation.

A scholar, especially a scholar who has not yet become an official in the imperial examinations, his reputation is his lifeblood, and there can be no mistake, although he has already believed that the Spring Festival couplets sold by Shen Er were written by himself, or all of them knew that Shen San I won't write Spring Festival couplets for Shen Er to sell, but as long as Shen San sells a pair of Spring Festival couplets again and again, then in the eyes of those who are malicious or watch the fun, it's what Shen San wrote, and it's an explanation no matter what. clear.

If not, how could he bring his clan elders to the house of a junior villager and make such a big deal out of him?

Li Zheng looked sympathetic and sympathetic, "Shen Er! Oh...you are also pitiful." Li Zheng sighed, but he was thinking about how to make Shen Er stop selling Spring Festival couplets, and then went out to explain to the villagers that the previous Spring Festival couplets were not What Shen San wrote, it is best to let Shen Er write a character in front of everyone. There are not many people in the village who can read, but there are still basic aesthetics. Shen San's characters are completely different from Shen Er's. Most people can still see it, as long as they can prove it.

Li Zheng's eyes were gentle, "I know that you have been wronged, but you should also understand that people in the world have always fallen into trouble and gossip with jealousy. Just like this time, we all know that Shen San did not write Spring Festival couplets, or even Spring Festival couplets. The words on it are not the words of Shen San, so many people can see it, but this gossip is spread everywhere, just like the real thing, these days your third brother has not even sent out the door, you know, he is fast The county exam is over, how much of an impact this will have on him! If it spreads to the invigilator again, the impression of your third brother will be greatly discounted. I will not pass the exam, Shen Er, listen to my advice, I am also your elder, you can call me uncle, it is not taking advantage of you, listen to the uncle, this time, we will suffer this loss and go out with the village. Someone explained, I and your father and your third brother are all thinking of you!"

Shen Ling's eyes were indifferent, "You can explain it, you can go out, I will write a dozen couplets and the third brother in front of everyone. Words can also be compared, I'm Shen Er's life, whatever you want, it's all trivial, it's just uncle, if you ask me to call me uncle, then I'll lick my face and call it, what do you mean? Let me write Spring Festival couplets and sell them? That's the point!"

Li Zheng got stuck for a while, and stood up straight, "This matter... it's really not good, but that's it!" Li Zheng said quickly, "Since you can read and write, I'll look for you when you're cured. You can easily earn money to support your family. Why do you have to sell some Spring Festival couplets? In the city of agriculture, industry and commerce, the business is at the end! You see that you have just started a family and you have children to raise in the future, merchants Where does the son's reputation sound? Do you think about it?" Li Zheng said earnestly.

Shen Ling smiled bitterly, "What if my reputation is not good? Anyway, my life is nothing, let alone my reputation?"

"Why did you talk about this again, didn't you say it? What a big deal, If you can't explain it, it's over, why do you have to die?" Li Zheng looked a little dissatisfied, "With me in one day, look at who in the whole village dares to say that your life is a low life, not as good as your third brother's reputation. Important?! This is not forced by the situation, besides, I also promise to help you find an easy job to support your family! Don't open your mouth to kill you!"

Shen Ling pretended to bow his head with guilt, and softly seemed to be uncomfortable. He coughed twice, as if he had just been angry, the person who spoke fiercely, and was full of energy was not him at all, but just a sudden outburst of his emotions.

"Then listen to the uncle. When I get better, I will go out and explain to the villagers one by one, even if it is to confront me with the third brother's words." Shen Ling said warmly.

"Don't wait for your illness to heal!" Li Zheng was really worried that Shen Ling's illness would not get better at all, isn't that just a big picture, completely meaningless? He didn't bring so many people here to listen to a nonsense. Even if Shen Ling was really sick and couldn't get up today, he would find someone to carry him to the ancestral hall to confront Shen San and cleanse Shen San's reputation.

And the reason why he and a few clan elders came here today, and none of the Shen family members showed up, is precisely because Shen San had already knelt outside the ancestral hall in order to prove his innocence, swearing that he would not do it even if he died of poverty. Competing for profit with the people insults the integrity of scholars. Because of this, the Shen family's resentment against Shen Er doubled, and they had to guard Shen San in this cold winter and twelfth lunar month, fearing that he would really freeze outside the ancestral hall, so no one came with him.

But thinking of this, Li Zheng couldn't help feeling that the Shen family was indifferent. Even for the sake of his future wealth, it was indeed rare to be so heartless towards his biological son. Shen Er was so ill that he couldn't get out of bed. The Shen family didn't seem to know it yet, and they wrote a letter to their own son for Yinzi, and when they first split up, if Shen Er had not fainted, Han Shi would be Shen Er's boss. The daughter-in-law didn't dare to say a word, she was raised like a little beggar who lost money, how could she be sent out by hanging money in a dilapidated house and two places on dry land, but he was too troublesome and didn't want to take care of it. The matter of the family was just a testimony, so he didn't say much, but he knew very well in his heart just how unsympathetic Shen Zhibo was.

The front is very pleasant, "Shen Er! The weather is very good today, and I think you are looking good today. Let's explain it sooner rather than later! After explaining, you can rest well, right?"

Shen Ling laughed Laughing, "Uncle, I'm still sick? I don't want to go out and make my condition worse, or the little money I earn from selling Spring Festival couplets may not be enough to cover the supplementary medicine fees, why? Uncle, let me be a patient for Is the third brother's reputation an explanation for going door to door in the cold winter and twelfth lunar month?" Shen Ling's eyes were cold.

Li Zheng was also a little embarrassed, and said, "Why do you have to go door-to-door to explain, why don't you go to the ancestral hall, compare the fonts, and tell the villagers that you can read and write. In this way, there are three scholars in your Shen family. , is also a good story, what a good thing!"

"Really?" Shen Ling was noncommittal, "I am sick, and the uncle has set up a venue in the ancestral hall waiting for me to apologize and explain? I think about it, I am afraid that the third brother , Father, mother, wait at the ancestral hall at the moment! Hehe... Really my good father and mother!"

There was a chill in Shen Ling's words, even Li Zheng couldn't speak for a while, and he felt a little resentment that the Shen family was not doing things authentically. At this time of day, the Shen family didn't follow him alone, but let him The shy old face is here to accompany the smiling face. But why is he here to lose a smile? Li was just thinking about this. He clearly came to Xing Shi to ask his guilt, and he should have justly accused the other party, but in the end he seemed to have to coax and laugh in order for Shen Er to explain and admit his mistake obediently? ! For a while, Li Zheng's heart seemed to be stuck, which made him feel awkward and uncomfortable, but the smile on his face became brighter and brighter.