The Pastoral Life of a Reborn Farmer

"Why can't I read and write, why can't I write Spring Festival couplets and sell Spring Festival couplets!" Seeing that Lizheng seemed to want to stop him from talking, Shen Ling simply grabbed the conversation and continued to shout: "I have never written on paper, but Isn’t this forced?! I’m not in good health, and Han Shi is even thinner. Is the ten taels of silver that we got for cutting the book just to let us sit and eat? I was also forced! Han Shi and I I racked my brains to come up with this idea that I don’t know if it will be possible. I dragged my sick body to write some Spring Festival couplets and sell them. The torn padded jacket, without even a change of clothes, is it letting me freeze to death and die here?

I don't write Spring Festival couplets, what do you want me to do for a living?What do I need to live on?I rely on this to survive, and you still say that I have ruined the reputation of the third brother. The reputation of the third brother is worth a lot of money. Is my life, Shen Er, worthless?For the sake of third brother's face, do I have to freeze to death and starve to death? ! "

Shen Ling's words can be said to be heartbreaking, unless it is someone who has interests in Shen San, otherwise no one can speak badly about Shen Ling without conscience at this moment, and the room fell silent for a while.

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

Shen Ling wiped away tears fiercely, "When did I stop explaining? How many times have I told you that I wrote the Spring Festival couplets myself, who would believe it? Besides, I, Shen Er, am not a fool. I am here with all the elders I still know why I came here, but it's just to ask the teacher for the crime, let me apologize by the way, and promise not to tarnish the third brother's reputation again.

But how can it be regarded as incorruptible?Don't sell Spring Festival couplets anymore?That's good, but how will I, Shen Er, live?Li Zheng, third grandpa, why don't you tell me? !My Shen Er's means of earning a living, my life, or my selling Spring Festival couplets and affecting my third brother's reputation, which one is more important?If you say something today, my Shen Er's life is not as important as Shen San's reputation, I, Shen Er, will obey my fate, and even if I starve to death in this shabby house, I will never go out to sell a pair of Spring Festival couplets again!Although I, Shen Er, am a sick man, I am also a strong man with strong bones. I also know that I must obey the elders' words. It is the most important principle of the big clans in the world. If the elders and clans want me to die, I have nothing to say. "

Shen Ling gazed sadly and indignantly, staring at Li Zheng, Li Zheng couldn't help turning his eyes slightly, unwilling to look directly at Shen Ling again, the elders next to him looked at each other without saying a word.

He's a good guy, but it's a pity that he's just healed after he got sick like this, but after writing a few Spring Festival couplets, he gets tired and sick again, and his body has collapsed. It's a pity.It is actually difficult for ordinary illiterate people to understand how tiring writing is, so everyone just thought that Shen Ling's body had not recovered, and he would be tired even by picking up a pen and writing.

Although Li Zheng felt a little regretful, but as the patriarch of the clan and also the Li Zheng of the village, what he looked at was not only the small-minded things, but like Shen Zhibo, he cared more about who could Bring wealth and glory to the village, to the clan, to him. Shen Er can't do this, but Shen San can. They all have backgrounds to rely on and momentum to rely on, and this is what Shen Er can't do no matter what.

If you don't study, you will have no way out in this era. Scholars, farmers, businessmen, and scholars are the first, and they will never change.

Therefore, Shen Er will be sacrificed, even though Shen Er said that he looked like he was going to die, but in the bottom of Lizheng's heart, he would rather die than Shen Er to ruin Shen San's reputation .

For a scholar, especially a scholar who has not yet taken the imperial examination to become an official, his reputation is his lifeblood, and there can be no slight mistake, although he has already believed that the Spring Festival couplets sold by Shen Er were written by himself, or all of them know that Shen San I will not write Spring Festival couplets for Shen Er to sell, but as long as Shen San sells another pair of Spring Festival couplets, then in the eyes of those who are malicious or gossiping to watch the fun, it is written by Shen San, which cannot be explained anyway. Clear.

If not, how could he bring his clan elders to the home of a junior villager and make such a big deal when he was upright?

Li Zheng gazed with compassion and sympathy, "Shen Er! Alas...you are pitiful too." Li Zheng sighed, but he was thinking how to get Shen Er to stop selling Spring Festival couplets, and then go out to explain to the villagers that the previous Spring Festival couplets were not For Shen San's writing, it would be best for Shen Er to write a line in front of everyone. There are not many people in the village who can read, but there are still basic aesthetics. Shen San's handwriting is fundamentally different from Shen Er's, presumably Most people can still see it, as long as they can prove it.

Li Zheng's eyes were gentle, "I know you have been wronged, but you should also understand that people in the world always add insult to injury and gossip a lot with jealousy, just like this time, we all know that Shen San didn't write Spring Festival couplets, or even gossip about them. The words on it are not Shen San's words, so many people can see it, but this gossip is spread everywhere, just like the truth, these days your third brother didn't even say anything, you know, he will soon The county exam, how much will this affect him! If it gets to the invigilator's ears again, wouldn't the impression of your third brother be greatly discounted, maybe he could have passed the exam, but was delayed by such a delay. If you fail the exam, Shen Er, listen to my advice, I am also your elder, you can't take advantage of you if you call me uncle, listen to uncle, this time, we have suffered this loss, go out and talk to the village Let me explain, your father, your third brother, and I are all thinking of you!"

Shen Ling looked indifferently, "It's okay to explain, it's okay to go out, I can write a dozen couplets of couplets in front of everyone to compare with the words of the third brother, I, Shen Er, have one life, it doesn't matter, it's all trivial, just Uncle, if you tell me to call me uncle, then I will lick my face and call out, do you mean that I will not be allowed to write Spring Festival couplets and sell them in the future? This is the point!"

Lizheng got stuck for a while, and stood up straight, "This matter...is really not good, but this is it!" Lizheng hurriedly said: "Since you can read and write, when you recover from illness, I will look for it for you. Jobs such as accountants with easy work allow you to easily earn money to support your family. Why do you have to sell couplets? City, agriculture, industry and commerce, business is at the end! You see, you just got married and started a business, and you will have children to raise in the future, businessman How good is the reputation of the son? Think about it, don't you?" Li Zhengyu said earnestly.

Shen Ling smiled wryly, "So what if I have a bad reputation? Anyway, my life is nothing, let alone reputation?"

"Why are you talking about these things again, didn't you say it? It's such a big deal, and it's over if you explain it all. Why are you going to die?" Li Zheng looked a little dissatisfied, "One day when I'm here, you see Look at who in the whole village dares to say that your life is a cheap life, not as important as your third brother's reputation?! This is not forced by the situation, besides, I also promised to help you find an easy job to support your family! Don't open your mouth to give birth I'm going to die!"

Shen Ling lowered his head pretending to be guilty, coughed twice as if he was uncomfortable, as if the person who was angry, spoke violently, and was full of energy just now was not him at all, but just a sudden outburst of his emotions, and the outburst was over , The body became weak and collapsed in an instant.

"Then listen to Uncle. When I recover from my illness, I'll go out and explain to the villagers one by one, even if it means confronting my third brother." Shen Lingwen said softly.

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

And the reason why he and several clan elders came here today, and none of the Shen family members showed up, is precisely because Shen San has already knelt outside the ancestral hall in order to prove his innocence and pride, and swore that he would not do it even if he died poor. Competing with the people for profit insults the integrity of scholars.Because of this, the Shen family's resentment towards Shen Er doubled, and they had to guard Shen San in this kind of cold winter, 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 but feel that the Shen family was indifferent, even if it was for the sake of the future and wealth, it was indeed rare for a person to be so unfeeling towards his own son.Shen Er was so sick that he couldn't get out of bed. The Shen family didn't seem to know about it, and even wrote a cut-off letter with their own son for money, and when they first separated, if Shen Er hadn't passed out, Han Shi would have been Shen Er's son. But the daughter-in-law didn't dare to say a word, she was raised like a beggar who lost money, how could she send out a dilapidated house and two pieces of dry land with a single drop of money, but he was too troublesome and didn't want to take care of the distribution. He didn't say much about his family's affairs just as a witness, but he knew very well in his heart how far Shen Zhibo's heartlessness had gone.

On the inside, he looked very amiable, "Shen Er! The weather is fine today, and I think you look good today. Let's hurry up and explain it today! After the explanation, you can take a good rest, right?"

Shen Ling smiled, "Uncle, am I still sick? I don't want to go out and make my condition worse. Otherwise, the little money I earn from selling Spring Festival couplets may not be enough to cover the medical expenses. Why? Uncle, let me A patient going out to explain from house to house in the cold winter months for the third brother's reputation?" Shen Ling's eyes were cold.

Li Zheng was also a little ashamed, and said: "Why don't you 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, so that there are three scholars in your Shen family. , is also a good story, what a wonderful thing!"

"Really?" Shen Ling was noncommittal, "I'm sick, and my uncle has already set up a place in the ancestral hall for me to apologize and explain? Let me think about it, I'm afraid that the third brother, father and mother, are also waiting in the ancestral hall right now ! Ha ha... really my good parents!"

There was a chill in Shen Ling's words, and even Lizheng was a little speechless for a while, feeling a little resentful in his heart that the Shen family did not behave properly. At this time today, no one from the Shen family came with them, and instead let him The shy old face is here to accompany the smiling face.But why is he smiling here?Li Zheng had just thought of this question.He obviously came to Xingshi to inquire about the crime, and he should have accused the other party with righteous words, so why did he seem to have to coax and laugh in the end to make Shen Er obediently explain and admit his mistake? !For a moment, Lizheng seemed to have a block in his heart, which made him a little uncomfortable, but the smile on his face became brighter and brighter.