Oil Paper Umbrella and Tofu Brain

Under Shen Muyuan's guidance, Gu Bai's handwriting became better and better.He entrusted his relationship to find the shopkeeper of Baoyue Zhai for him, and copied a book for one tael of silver.It's just that Shen Muyuan made rules for him from the very beginning, he was only allowed to copy ancient literary books, the Four Books and Five Classics, besides Fengyue novels, and eclectic books are all untouchable.

Gu Bai naturally understood Brother Mu Yuan's good intentions.Although this is a job, in the end it is possible to earn money while reading and practicing calligraphy and learning knowledge.If you copy something that is not popular, it is really just to make a living, and there is no other benefit.

When receiving the first money from shopkeeper Wang, Gu Baizhi sat there for a long time, laughing and dazed for a while.I also went to the grave of my parents alone and kowtowed twice.

Holding the tael of silver in his hands, he said, "You can get a tael of silver by copying a book. I can earn money by copying a book in three days. In the past, I had to sell tofu brains for more than 20 days."

Shen Muyuan said lightly, "Copy one copy in seven days at most." He had already greeted shopkeeper Wang by this time.Gu Baiyuan had a look of joy, but now he was a little puzzled, "But I can finish copying a book in three days."

"You copy in such a hurry, you hurt your eyes carefully. From now on, you can copy up to two hours a day, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon." Gu Bai didn't care, Shen Muyuan thought for a while and said, "Since I feel that this money is easy to make , you have to pay more attention. Write slowly, stroke by stroke, so that people who buy your book will not feel that they have spent money wrongly." Gu Bai was enlightened immediately, a little ashamed, and solemnly nodded in agreement.

"Brother Mu Yuan taught you a very good lesson. I must write seriously."

With this money in hand, I always feel that I should spend it.So he quietly asked Lin Shuhao what brother Mu Yuan usually likes.Lin Shuhao thought for a long time, "He's casual, and he doesn't have anything he particularly likes." Gu Bai didn't give up and asked, "Then if you usually want to thank him, or ask him for anything, what do you do?" Lin Shuhao touched it. Touching his chin, he smiled triumphantly, "The top card in Zuixianglou, even Ah Qing is satisfied with a night of spring festival." Gu Bai was angry.

When Wang Zhao came to find him for Cuju, he asked Wang Zhao again.Wang Zhao frowned and scratched his head, looking like he was racking his brains. "He doesn't have anything else to miss. Maybe some unusual inkstones, rare and precious mine face will be given to him." Gu Bai was discouraged, he probably had never heard of the rare things they saw.

After thinking about it, he put the broken silver in Shen Muyuan's palm.

"Brother Mu Yuan, I wanted to give you a gift. It's just that you take care of me on weekdays, but now I don't even know what you want. I just hope that you will accept my first salary for writing, Less is less, but the meaning is different.”

Shen Muyuan twirled the broken silver, feeling happy and helpless.

"You are so disingenuous in giving gifts." Eyebrows were bent, and he said, "But it feels good that you have earned money to spend for me."

Gu Bai said sincerely, "You help me take care of my food and clothing, and I don't need much money at all. I will give you all the money I earn in the future." Shen Muyuan only smiled, remembering that he planned to save money to marry The wife's business is noncommittal.

"How about this, I happen to be short of a hairpin, you and I go to the market to buy one together."

The two decided to choose a jade hairpin immediately while it was still early.Shen Muyuan's expression was calm, he accepted the gift and thanked him, he couldn't see how much he liked it, and he had never seen him wearing it on weekdays.So Gu Bai didn't take it to heart, and he was satisfied when he got his mind. A jade hairpin of one tael of silver is really not a good thing for Brother Mu Yuan.

The weather is getting hotter.Now that Gu Bai doesn't have to set up a stall early in the morning, he spends a lot more time reading and writing at home. In addition, he is invited by Wang Zhao every month to go to Cuju with them.Playing with someone who can play well, Gu Bai's technique has improved rapidly.Apart from being in the shop, Shen Muyuan is at Gu Bai's place.

One day, I saw Gu Bai copying a copy of Wenjie of the Six Dynasties, and I tested a few sentences at random, and found that he could memorize all the books he copied recently verbatim.Surprised he has such a good memory.Gu Bai smiled embarrassedly, "Brother Mu Yuan, if you praise me for working hard, I will be happier in my heart."

Shen Muyuan also smiled, "Yes, you really work hard. It's just that you really like these things on weekdays, and I treat you as your pastime, so I never imagined how hard it is to study."

The next day, Shen Muyuan brought a few catties of good tea and a pot of rare orchids to visit his first teacher at the entrance of Changxiang.Mr. Wang was very happy to see Shen Muyuan, and sent his disciples to cut up two catties of pork head meat, two catties of beef, as well as miscellaneous fried peanuts, salted edamame and other appetizers.

When the two met, they would chatter often. Shen Muyuan entered school at the age of five, mastered the six classics at the age of eight, and passed the examination of scholar at the age of 15.With such a talent, the road to scientific research should have been open and smooth, but after he was a few years older, he lost his interest and patience in learning.No matter how others tried to comfort him, he was still unmoved. On the contrary, he spoke generously and reasoned from emotion, and those who came to comfort him believed in his indifferent heart of fame and wealth, and only hoped to be a wish of idle clouds and wild cranes.

Shen Muyuan staggered home after eating the wine.

A few days later, Shen Muyuan was packing some goods in the shop, when Gu Bai ran in in a hurry.Looking around happily with a pair of eyes, he looked around for Shen Muyuan's figure.

"Brother Mu Yuan!"

Shen Muyuan raised his eyes and was taken aback.Putting down the cloth, he said with a smile, "Why are you here?"

He took the herbal tea brought by the waiter and handed it to Gu Bai, watching him gulp it down.

"Drink slowly, you're sweating profusely, you probably ran a lot of shops?"

Gu Bai put down the tea bowl, raised his sleeve and wiped his forehead, and said with a smile, "Brother Mu Yuan, I have some good news for you."

Shen Muyuan took him to the back room to sit down and rest, "What good news."

"Mister said, let me be his student assistant." Then he lowered his head a little shyly, "But I have little talent and learning, and I can't supervise others even if I think about it. Sir said, go and study with him for an hour every day first."

"If Mr. Wang is willing to teach you alone, it is indeed a very good opportunity. You must be very happy."

"Of course I'm happy." With burning eyes, "Brother Mu Yuan, thank you also."

Shen Muyuan stretched out his hand and rubbed his head, "Mister must be very happy to see you are smart."

The shop was closed in the evening, and the two had dinner together at Gu Bai's house.

Because Gu Bai didn't set up a stall to sell tofu nao for a long time, Shen Muyuan ate the tofu nao that he hadn't eaten for many days today, and felt really happy.After talking affectionately for a while, Shen Muyuan walked back home slowly.

From spring to autumn, the Shen family's silk business grew bigger and bigger.Now, as the old master of the Shen family is getting older, he likes to spend more time with his grandchildren, and his two sons take care of everything in the shop.It has to be said that Mr. Shen has indeed inherited his family's business acumen, not to mention Hangzhou, and now Shenji Silk House in other provincial capitals is thriving.

When his father let go, Shen Muyuan couldn't let his elder brother work hard alone, so he gradually spent more time in the shop.What made him slightly dissatisfied was that he was busy, but Gu Bai was busier than him.Every morning, I must spend time in the school. In the afternoon, I either go horseback riding and archery with my classmates, or play Cuju with Wang Zhao and the others. I heard that I have recently become obsessed with Jiaodi.

Shen Muyuan has always been not good at these kinds of entertainment involving sweating.It's just that even at night, Gu Bai may not be free. Now his handwriting is not as childish and blunt as before. On the contrary, his writing style is fresh, elegant, vigorous and powerful, which is eight to nine points similar to Shen Muyuan's handwriting. Most people really appreciate it. I don't know who wrote it.The business done with shopkeeper Wang is naturally on the rise, and now copying books can be regarded as earning enough money for expenses.

Cold comes and summer goes, and two years have passed.Just after the Spring Festival, a minor event happened in Hangzhou City.The third son of Mr. Lin's family, the county magistrate, is not young, but he is not serious all day long. He does not marry a wife or take concubines.Finally, the day before New Year's Eve, he was dragged out of Zuixiang Tower by Master Lin and beaten to death.The older brothers wanted to protect him, but they didn't dare to disobey their father blatantly.

Lin Shuhao lay on the bed with a bruised nose and a swollen face for more than half a month, and the injuries all over his body gradually healed.It's just that this matter has been talked about by ordinary people in the streets and alleys of Hangzhou for several months.Shen Muyuan took Gu Bai to visit Lin Shuhao once, and saw that he spoke sharply and was in good spirits, so he felt relieved.

In a blink of an eye, the fifth day of May is approaching.On this day, Shen Muyuan rested at home and was tending the flowers and plants in the yard.Lin Shuhao strode into the inner courtyard with a cheerful look.

"Come to eat?" Shen Muyuan glanced at him, without stopping the hand that was cutting the yellow leaves.

Lin Shuhao beamed with joy, "No food. Ah Qing, go to a good place with me tonight."

Seeing his description, Shen Muyuan felt that there was nothing good about it, so he didn't talk to him.

Lin Shuhao leaned forward and put his shoulders on his shoulders, lowered his voice, "Ah Qing, let me tell you, there is a young lady in Zuixianglou tonight. I will never forget that figure and that appearance."

Shen Muyuan put down the scissors and went into the house to drink tea, "Are you going to spend a lot of money to bid for the price tonight? Don't forget that your father beat you so much that you couldn't get out of bed. How come you don't know how to gain wisdom through hard work."

Lin Shuhao said without changing his face, "Ha, my father has accepted the fact, anyway, he doesn't care about me now when he gets angry. Didn't I want to take you to see it?"

"It's not necessary to see and see, I'm not interested in that."

Lin Shuhao didn't give up, "Hey, you haven't played for a few years? Didn't you secretly go to the Zuixiang Building to smell the fragrance of women behind my back? This is not interesting." Seeing that Shen Muyuan was unmoved, he was convinced again Softly, "Ah Qing, it's almost my birthday anyway, so you won't make me happy."