The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

The courtyard where Mr. Zhuang lives is Jiuwen Zhai in the southeast corner of the Xue family mansion.Take the name of Qu Yuan's "Nine Questions", which means "seeking tirelessly, learning is endless".When Xue Pan brought Zhen Baoyu over, the husband had already started to check Xue Baochai's homework and explained Baochai's progress.Mr. Zhuang also caught a glimpse of Xue Pan looking into the study with his head poking his head.Immediately, with a cold face, he pretended to be serious and said: "A dignified man, naturally he must walk upright and sit upright. What is the reason for such sneaky behavior?"

Xue Pan grinned, walked in, and called out with a flattering smile, "Master."

Mr. Zhuang shook his head angrily and amusedly, and said: "I know you have to dawdle for a while to find an excuse. I don't care, how much you dawdle today, I'll make up for it later. Don't even think about the two-hour class. Delayed."

Hearing this, Xue Pan's expression became more and more bitter, and he called out, "Master..."

"It's useless to say anything." Mr. Zhuang told Xue Pan to do it behind the desk. Just as he was about to assign homework, he saw Zhen Baoyu hiding at the door, and couldn't help being stunned.

"This is not the master of the Zhen family, you are..." Because of the unfamiliarity of the relationship, although Mr. Zhuang was surprised that Zhen Baoyu and Xue Pan acted in the same way, he still didn't say anything.

"Mr. Zhuang." Zhen Baoyu first walked up to Zhuang You and gave a student salute, then respectfully took out the article he wrote last night and handed it to Mr. Zhuang, with two of his most proud poems attached to it.Respectfully said: "This is a student's usual homework, please correct me sir."

Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang was even more surprised.Although he had never met Zhen Baoyu in the past, but he was able to get along well with Xue Pan because they were all unprogressive playboys.What's more, he has heard of Zhenjia Baoyu's nickname, but his current appearance is surprising.

He calmly took the article in Zhen Baoyu's hand, glanced at it for a while, and then he knew something about it.Immediately asked with a smile: "Master Zhen's family, what is the meaning of this?"

Zhen Baoyu blushed and said in a low voice, "Sir, just call me Zizhan."

After a pause, he continued: "Responding to Mr.'s words, students have always admired Mr.'s profound knowledge. Therefore... I want to learn the way of official career and economics from Mr. Pan'er like Pan'er. I hope Mr. will be successful."

Hearing this, Zhuang You frowned indistinctly, and said with a light smile, "Master Zhen's praise is ridiculous. Zhuang is just a villager with a little knowledge of literature and ink, so he dares to talk about profound knowledge. My son is a genius, so I'd better find someone A good master teaches, so as not to miss the future is serious."

What he said made Zhen Baoyu's face turn red, he naturally knew that a famous Confucian like Zhuang You was aloof and arrogant, and he always looked down on dudes like them.Immediately pursed his lips, and said a little dryly: "Sir, you don't have to be like this. I know that I am blunt and mediocre in intelligence. Mister naturally looks down on me..."

Seeing that aggrieved look, Xue Pan was speechless again and again.He interrupted deliberately and asked: "Master, how is Baoyu's article written?"

"Much better than you." Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuang gave Xue Pan a vicious look, and said, "At least he has written all the characters."

Xue Pan only felt his face turn red, touched his nose and hid aside without speaking.

Mr. Zhuang handed over the article in his hand to Zhen Baoyu, and said with a gentle smile: "Young master, please take this back! Mr. Zhuang is going to teach these two scoundrels."

The implication is, don't be an eyesore here, just stay where you are cool!

Xue Pan secretly smiled, and gave Zhen Baoyu a look of "escaping disaster".Zhen Baoyu ignored it, bowed his head and took the colored note, turned around and left the study silently.

Mr. Zhuang saw it, shook his head, and immediately turned around and said, "Baochai, first read the Spring and Autumn Period I taught you by yourself."

Turning to Xue Pan again, he said, "Today we will study "Thousand Character Essay."

"Thousand-Character Essay?" Xue Pan was stunned when he heard the words. "Isn't it the Three Character Classic? I haven't finished learning the Three Character Classic yet?"

When Mr. Zhuang heard this, a burst of anger welled up in his heart, and he held back for a while before suppressing the raging anger.Immediately looked at Xue Pan coldly, and said with a sinister smile: "You haven't even finished a copy of the "Three Character Classic" after three years of schooling, do you think it's a reasonable thing?"

Sensing the seriousness in Mr. Zhuang's eyes, Xue Pan immediately fell silent.I tried my best to shrink my body, sat on the chair and stopped talking.

"Hmph!" Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang snorted coldly.Before he could speak, Xue Pan said anxiously: "I thought I was studying the Three-Character Classic! I only brought a copy of the Three-Character Classic... I don't have a Thousand-Character Classic either!"

In fact, apart from some anecdotes and weird stories, there is not a single book on official career and economics in his study.

Mr. Zhuang glared at Xue Pan angrily, and said, "I knew you didn't, I was ready."

With that said, he turned around and took a copy of "Thousand Characters" from the bookshelf and handed it to Xue Pan.Prepare another set of pens, inks, papers and inkstones, and teach Xue Pan how to read and write, and explain poetry.

With Mr. Zhuang's profound knowledge, the explanation of the article is naturally full of witty words, subtle words and big meanings, from the simple to the deep, all-encompassing.Occasionally mixed with some deeds of the previous dynasty to distinguish and explain.If such painstaking efforts are placed on anyone, they must study hard.However, Xue Pan was not born to study, even though Zhuang You spoke eloquently, Xue Pan's ears felt drowsy, and he managed to survive for two hours.Hearing the western wall clock strike eleven, he immediately regained his energy.Interrupting Mr. Zhuang's explanation: "Sir, it's two o'clock."

Mr. Zhuang was so choked by Xue Pan that he almost didn't roll his eyes. He endured it again and again, but he couldn't restrain himself. He gave Xue Pan a hard thump, and said, "What a ignorant thing."

"Ouch!" Xue Pan was caught off guard and was hit hard on the head.Immediately looked at Mr. Zhuang with teary eyes, flattened his mouth, and said aggrievedly: "Master, you are actually domestic violence!"

Mr. Zhuang couldn't laugh or cry.After looking at it for a while, he went up and rubbed it lightly twice, and said: "When you get back, write twenty big characters, and give them to me tomorrow morning."

"Twenty articles?" Xue Pan's eyes widened in disbelief, and he said dumbfounded, "Wouldn't it take an hour to write?"

"That's only an hour." Mr. Zhuang shouted in a low voice because he couldn't bear it. "You are a bit promising, can you improve yourself? Your senior brother is only three years older than you, and now he has passed two yuan and passed the high school. You didn't even write all the words."

"My senior brother?" Xue Pan was at a loss for a while, "Do I still have a senior brother? Why have I never heard of it from the master?"

"Your senior brother is too good. As a teacher, I was afraid of hurting your self-esteem so I didn't mention it in front of you. You have to be more aggressive. Don't point at your three-yuan grade. At least you have read all the words and passed it on. Don't disgrace my name." Mr. Zhuang almost lowered his request with tears in his eyes, "You are getting older, so you can't let people say that I, Zhuang You, have a closed disciple who can't read all the words."

"Oh!" Xue Pan nodded obediently, still thinking about the previous question. "Master, that senior brother of mine is..."

"Your senior brother's surname is Lin, and he is a side branch of Master Lin, the inspector of salt in Yangzhou." Mr. Zhuang glanced at Xue Pan angrily, and said, "Although he is still young and his family is poor, he is really a good person who is motivated. child."

An extremely weird sense of disobedience flashed in Xue Pan's heart.Just when I was about to ask in detail, I heard Mr. Zhuang say: "Okay, don't ask your senior brother. If there is a chance, I will let you meet each other. In the future, I will ask him to take care of you. The most urgent thing is to take care of you." Recognize your big characters. Don’t meet people, you can’t even write your own name, that’s shameful.”

Hearing this, Xue Pan shrugged his shoulders meaninglessly.I won't ask any more questions.

So Mr. Zhuang ordered the two to pack up their books, and the three of them left the study together to go to Ruirong Hall.They summoned Zhen Baoyu who was shivering from the cold while hiding on the veranda, and there were three or two chapters of rice paper left on the ground, all of which recorded what Mr. Zhuang said just now, and everyone couldn't help being stunned.

Xue Pan took the lead in yelling unacceptably. "Baoyu, what are you doing? You just go in and listen to your master's lectures. Why are you hiding here? It's so cold and you will freeze again. How can I ask my father to explain to your master?"

When Zhen Baoyu heard this, he smiled wryly in his heart.Naturally, with Xue Pan's common sense, it is impossible to understand the character and stubbornness of this kind of literati. At that time, Mr. Zhuang made it clear that he did not want to accept him as a student.If he continued to pester him nonsense, wouldn't he be resentful, let alone see him.

It's just that he eavesdropped on other people's lectures without their permission, and was caught straight, Zhen Baoyu couldn't help but blushed with embarrassment.He blamed himself secretly in his heart, it was because of the cold weather that his hands were not easy to use, so he was a little slow to clean up, so that people caught him and revealed his true colors.

Mr. Zhuang saw it, gave Zhen Baoyu a meaningful look, bent over to pick up the rice paper on the ground, and looked at it carefully.He opened his mouth and asked: "Given your family background and status, naturally you don't need to study hard, so why do you need to do this?"

Zhen Baoyu said with a serious face: "A man who is born in the world naturally has to be able to support the family. It is the glory of the family. It is not to rely on the family background to live. I am blunt, and I don't have Pan'er's financial means. I want to establish a family. To share the worries of my father, the only way is to work together. I know that my husband looks down on my qualifications and my past behavior, but as the saying goes, if a prodigal son turns back, he will never get money back. Now that I have changed my past, please give me your advice.”

Mr. Zhuang listened to Zhen Baoyu's words, looked at Zhen Baoyu calmly for a while, and then said: "With your qualifications, I would not have been included in the gate wall. It's just that you and Pan'er are very different. In general, he has really changed his previous mistakes and is willing to study hard and make progress. Confucius said that there is no distinction between teaching and teaching. Although Zhuang is not a saint, he is not a grass, so I will give you this opportunity."

Zhen Baoyu was overjoyed when he heard the words, nodded and bowed again and again: "Thank you sir, thank you sir."

"Don't be too busy to be happy." Zhuang You waved his hand and said: "I will not accept you as a disciple now, but allow you to take classes with Pan'er. If you agree, come to my study on time at three o'clock tomorrow. Come to the class. Don't be late, don't leave early. If you can't hold on one day, you don't have to come."

Zhen Baoyu quickly patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will never delay."

"Also, since you are studying with me, I will definitely be strict with you. The homework assigned in the future is naturally not just a leisurely handwriting like Pan'er. You have a shallow foundation, so the homework must be heavy. But if you fail to complete it three times You don't have to come for your homework." Mr. Zhuang said expressionlessly.

"Don't worry, sir, I will never be left behind," Zhen Baoyu said with a serious face, cursing and swearing.

"En!" Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang nodded, and said, "Leave the notes you copied just now and the previous article, you go first!"

After receiving the manuscript that Zhen Baoyu hastily handed over, he waved Xue Pan and the others to leave first, while he returned to the study for some reason.

On the way, Xue Pan stabbed Zhen Baoyu in disbelief, and whispered, "I thought you were joking, but are you serious?"

"I told you clearly yesterday that from today onwards, I will work hard. You should help me too." Zhen Baoyu replied in a low voice.

"It's really asking for trouble." Xue Pan shook his head, "You don't think Mr. seems to be very kind to me, but he is actually very strict and fierce. And Mr. looks serious, you will It's been hard work. Can you hold on?"

Zhen Baoyu pursed his lips when he heard the words, a fierce light flashed in his eyes, and said fiercely: "If you persist, you must persevere, if you cannot persist, you must persevere. It's better to work harder now... Dreams come true."

Seeing this, Xue Pan could only sigh, patted Zhen Baoyu on the shoulder and said, "As for our friendship, I will naturally do my best to help you. If you need me in the future, just ask. As long as you have nothing to do with our Xue family No problem, I will definitely do my best.”

Upon hearing this, Zhen Baoyu looked at Xue Pan gratefully and said, "You have helped me a lot."

"So it's okay to help more." Xue Pan said logically.After finishing speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled.