Make a long-term worker as an old attack

The ancestral hall of the Xue family is the place where the Xue family has the most rules. On the high gate at the entrance of the ancestral hall, there is a plaque carved from ebony wood, on which is written the four block characters Shidun Friendship and Family in gold lacquer, and several ebony wooden pillars on the top beam. The family motto of the Xue family is engraved on the big pillar, and facing the gate of the ancestral hall is the tablet of the ancestors of the Xue family.

Except for the uncles from other branches of the Xue family, only Xue Qian and his two sons can enter this place on weekdays. The married daughter-in-law, no matter how old or young, can only come in to worship the ancestors after worshiping the heaven and the earth. Only after the ancestors worshiped did they officially enter the Xue family's clan and become a member of the Xue family, but even so, women were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall during daily sacrifices, let alone the maids and other long-term workers in the family.The housekeeper Xue Fu does all the cleaning on weekdays. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, Xue Qian will worship and worship the ancestors here.

Xue Zhaoqing pushed open the door of the ancestral hall. Xue Qian, Xue Fu and his younger brother Xue Zhaowen were standing beside the ancestral tablet. He went straight to the center of the ancestral hall, raised his gown and knelt on the cushion in front of the ancestral tablet. Xue Gan lit three sticks of incense and handed them to him. Xue Zhaoqing stuck the incense to his forehead, kowtowed three times, got up, and put the still burning incense into the incense burner.

"Zhaoqing, today is neither the first day nor the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. Do you know why I asked you to offer incense to our ancestors?"

"The son is ignorant and fails to understand his father's mind."

"It's certainly a good thing that you have lived in Xi'an Mansion to teach after you obtained the honor, but Xue's family started on the land, and the legacy of the ancestors must not be forgotten. Besides, as a father, you are almost at the age of knowing your destiny. I also feel that my health is not getting better year after year, so my father wants you to take advantage of this time to come back and learn how to manage the farmland and livestock at home, learn how to collect rent, and manage long-term employees. Compared with studying, these are nothing As for Qingya, if you want to keep the ancestral property of the Xue family, you still rely on the work in this field."

"Yes, what my father taught me is that my son hasn't considered it all these years." Xue Zhaoqing answered with his head down, but quietly suppressed the slightly raised corners of his mouth.

"You don't have to worry about the Qingyuan Academy in Xi'an Prefecture. I have sent a letter to Zhou Dashan to explain the situation. I believe he understands the righteousness and understands my intentions."

"Father still thinks long-term."

"Okay, after lunch today, you will go to Xue Zhong, first recognize the long-term workers at home, and go to the field with them to see what the work in the field is like." Said Forget it, Xue Qian led Xue Fu out of the ancestral hall, Xue Zhaoqing bowed his head respectfully and sent his father away, watching his father go out, the sense of joy in his heart finally couldn't stop hanging on his face.

"Brother, why are you so happy when Dad asked you to go to the field?" Xue Zhaowen was puzzled when he saw the smiling face of his brother who was three years older than him.

"Hey, brother, it's all right. Isn't it fun to go to the field?"

"It's not fun. There are a lot of insects in the field. When the sun is hot, there is no cover." Xue Zhaowen was not a material for reading since he was a child. According to Xue Qian's intention, he has been working in the field for a long time, but don't look at him as fat and strong as if he can endure hardship, but his body is almost fat. There is enough ground for him to breathe for half a day.

"Take your time, everything has to be learned." Xue Zhaoqing said, just as he wanted to leave the ancestral hall, he suddenly turned around and said to Xue Zhaowen: "By the way, according to the text, grandma gave some fragrant pears. , I asked the boy to deliver it to your house, thinking about eating."

As soon as food was mentioned, Xue Zhaowen's round, greasy face became happy, and his eyes squeezed into slits by the fat were almost invisible from the smile. He asked the servant outside the ancestral hall to lock the door of the ancestral hall, Trembling and trembling and all the fat went back to his room.

Although the Xue family manages thousands of acres of fertile land, most of these fields are rented by Xue Qian to the villagers near Sanyuan County for planting. Apart from paying the rent once a year in spring and autumn, these lands are not very important to the Xue family. Take care.The Xue family's self-planted fields are about [-] mu, which are distributed on the most fertile land outside Sanyuan County, but even if there is only these lands, it is extremely tiring to walk on only one pair of legs.The young master of the Xue family had never learned how to ride a horse since he was a child, so he could only be led by Xue Zhong. He probably finished part of the walk. After one afternoon, Xue Zhaoqing had several blisters on his feet.

Back at Xue's house, just in time for dinner, Xue Zhaoqing didn't care to go back to the house to change into a pair of more comfortable shoes, so he went to the side hall to have dinner with his father and younger brother.

As soon as he arrived at the side hall, Mrs. Xue Tian came from the kitchen with a plate of gourd chicken. Seeing that Xue Zhaoqing was walking awkwardly, he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with Zhaoqing?"

"I went to the field this afternoon and rubbed my feet in the field. It's not a problem." As he spoke, he sat beside Xue Gan.

"Why are you doing well, what are you doing in the field?"

"Mother, Dad asked my brother to learn how to work in the field." Xue Zhaowen said, staring at the gourd chicken in Xue Tian's hand.

Xue Tian's complexion changed slightly, but in an instant he regained his gentle and kind smile, and said: "Master, Zhaoqing is a scholar, and he doesn't know what all kinds of grains and vegetables in the field look like, so why let him go to the field?" ?”

"Auntie, the ancients also said that you can travel thousands of miles by reading ten thousand volumes of books. No matter how good I am at reading this book, I can't understand the things in the field. Aren't I stupid to read that book?" Taking it from Xue Tian's hand On the plate, Xue Zhaoqing put the gourd chicken facing Xue Gan.

"According to what Qing said, my father was afraid that you would not be able to endure the hardships in the field, so I didn't want to go. It seems that I was thinking too much for my father. I went to the field today to see it all afternoon. How do you feel?"

"Father, is the land in our family managed by the existing long-term workers?"

"That's right, they distribute food to them according to the harvest every six months, and take care of food and housing on weekdays. Oh, by the way, they also take care of the livestock at home."

"Then each long-term worker distributes food according to the amount of work he does?"

"Isn't it, what's wrong?"

"The work in the field is nothing, but Uncle Zhong told me today that there is a long-term worker named Niu Geng, Dad, do you still have any impression?"

"Niu Geng? Is it the one that the long-term workers call him Niu Er? I know this kid." Xue Qian recalled: "He has been a long-term worker in our family since he was 14 years old, and his mother still has an errand in our kitchen."

"Father, I heard from Uncle Zhong that he is actually the one who takes care of the animals in our barn. He is the one who prepares the fodder every day, drinks the cows and horses."

"Oh? What about the other long-term workers? Don't care?"

"It's not that I don't care about it, but it's not as close as he is. He knows how to keep cows and horses warm in winter, and he knows how to catch insects in summer."

"Well, this child is a sincere child." Xue Gan stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

"So, my son thought, such diligent long-term workers are rare." Xue Zhaoqing took a breath, secretly glanced at his father's reaction, and continued: "So, my son wants to train him so that he can help our family even more in the future." busy."

"How do you want to train him, talk about it."

Xue Zhaoqing rolled his eyes and said, "My son wants to teach him a few words so that he can help Uncle Zhong write down a few accounts. In the future, if Uncle Zhong wants to go back to his hometown to take care of his grandson when he gets older, the family will not be left alone." One person can top it." As he said, Xue Zhaoqing looked at Xue Qian pretending to be relaxed, with a naive, cute and innocent face, but his right hand hidden under the table was about to tear the long gown covering his leg.

Xue Gan stroked a few beards on his chin: Xue Zhong has been taking care of the long-term workers in the family for these years, and he also remembers how much work each person does every day, but Xue Zhong is almost sixty this year. After working for a few years, I have to go back to my hometown. Instead of just looking for a bookkeeper who doesn't know the basics, and making money on the accounts, it's better to train a helper now, so as not to be caught blind later.As for this burdock, Xue Gan carefully turned over the appearance of the child in his mind. He seemed to have been a strong boy since he was a child, with a stubborn temper. Except for what Xue Zhong and his mother said, no matter what anyone said, it didn't matter. Son, if you treat him well, he will treat you very well. It is also a good choice to let him write and keep accounts.

"Okay, it's up to you, let him come to your place every night from now on, and you teach him to write and keep accounts, but this kid is an idiot, and you can't teach him by then, so don't come to complain to dad."

"Yes, dad, don't worry, I have taught even the little ones in the academy, can't you teach such a grown-up person?" Xue Zhaoqing secretly let out a long breath, forcefully suppressing the rising smile down.

"Master, since Zhaoqing wants to teach, why don't you let him teach? Although Sanyuan County has never taught long-term workers literacy, but he has been in Xi'an Mansion for so many years, and he has seen a lot. Don't worry, let him do it." Xue Tian brought a few more bowls of noodles with the girl, and put them on the table one by one.

Xue Gan pursed the corners of his mouth and didn't say any more. He mixed the noodles in front of him with chopsticks. Seeing his father moving the chopsticks, Zhaoqing Zhaowen and his brothers also picked up the chopsticks and started eating.

That night, Xue Zhaowen came back to the house after dinner, and he saw three fragrant pears brought by the boy. Although he was already full for dinner, looking at these pears, he was greedy again, and he couldn't even wash them. If you don't wash it, put it in your mouth.

"According to the text, it's already this time, and you still want to eat it!" Before he had finished a mouthful of pears, Xue Tian came in with the door curtain lifted.

"Mother, hehe." Xue Zhaowen smiled innocently: "You eat pears." He said and handed over the pears on the table.

"Go, go, I don't want things that others donate." She pushed Xue Zhaowen's hand away and sat on the cushion of the Eight Immortals chair.

Seeing her displeasure, Xue Zhaowen asked suspiciously, "Mother, what's wrong with you?"

"Hey..." Xue Tian sighed deeply: "I originally thought that your brother has been studying for so many years, and your father will take care of the family affairs wholeheartedly, but looking at today's situation, It's not good." Her gentle and soft eyes in the daytime were completely gone, her brows were tightly frowned, and her eyes were full of resentment.

"Mother, what's the matter? Things in the field are so bitter, so brother can take care of it if he wants."

"You don't make progress!" Xue Tian poked his son's forehead fiercely, with a face full of hatred: "Do you know how this pear came from?"

"What?"

"Your father asked someone to bring tribute pears from Jiangnan, and gave the old lady seven, but the old lady left six for Xue Zhaowen. Look, they are all great-grandchildren. When did the old lady miss you like that?! "

"Oh..." Xue Zhaowen drooped his head, unable to swallow the pear in his mouth.

"So, according to the text." Seeing his son like this, Xue Tian couldn't bear it in his heart: "My mother came from a poor family, so I can only be a concubine in Xue's mansion. My wife has been dead for so many years, and I have never seen the master give me a wife. My mother also knows the meaning of Fuzheng, I was born in a small family, and it is impossible in this life to want to Fuzheng, but you are different, you are your father's child, you are not as good as Xue Zhaoqing."

"Mom, but..."

"Okay, don't worry about it. You should do your job well. On weekdays, you should respect your brother, your father and your grandma. As for other things, you don't care about them. Just plan for your mother."

"Mother, you still love me, mother, you eat pears."

"Go, don't eat for mother's sake." Xue Tian looked at his innocent-looking son with helplessness on his face, so he could only sigh deeply.