Village Flowers and Female Scholars

As soon as Laopan's words came out, the villagers of Shangyan Village were stunned.

Now the only person in the village who can read is Zhuang Wan, a female scholar from the Zhuang family. After discussing with some old people in the village two years ago, she set up a private school in the village ancestral hall and asked the female scholar to teach the children. Whose children want Enlightenment to read and write, hand in a bundle of repairs, you can go to a private school to study.

When Zhuang Wan's father was alive, he was the magistrate of Yongfeng County. Even after he passed away, his influence was still there. Because of this, the grandparents and grandchildren of the Zhuang family live comfortably in Shangyan Village now. .Back then when Zhuang Wan took the talent examination, the county government examination institute took the first case and the small three yuan, and was highly respected in the village. Usually, no one in the village has any major issues that cannot be decided, except Li Zheng and the respected old people in the village. Call Zhuang Wan, but Zhuang Wan always likes to be quiet, lives in seclusion, and seldom participates in these things.

Zhuang Wan has always had her eyes above the top, she is beautiful and cold, but she has not found a good match for a long time, the main reason is that she is too good, and naturally she does not want to challenge this high-altitude flower, even if there are one or two of her own. Those who tried their luck recklessly and tried their luck were also rejected, and now they are almost [-] and they are still intact.

But Lao Pan said that the female scholar in their village seduced Fang Wenbo, who was still a child, how could it not be shocking.

"You fart, who is a scholar in our village, how can he look at that boy Wenbo above."

"That's right, many wealthy people in the city have come to propose marriage before, and Zhuang Xiucai has never looked at them directly. What kind of onion is that kid from the Fang family?"

"This old woman said that Jinniang beat her grandson to death, and then said that the bandits on the mountain killed her grandson. Now she relies on a female scholar from our village to seduce her grandson. She really came here and spit shit out of her mouth."

……

Zhuang Wan is good-looking and knowledgeable. Which young man in the village does not secretly like her, even if he knows that he has no chance, but it does not prevent them from protecting their goddess, but there are also some people who have encountered a wall with Zhuang Wan and have no choice but to ask for it. Complaints, now when I hear others say this, I can't help but gloat and add insult to injury, several groups of people collide with each other and quarrel.

Someone in the crowd interjected: "Yesterday I saw that kid from the Fang family talking with Zhuang Xiucai behind the ancestral hall. I don't know if it has something to do with it..."

"... Early this morning, I got up early to go to the toilet at dawn, and saw two people walking towards the east of Yangchang Road, one after the other, in the direction of Tongshan. Could it be the two of them?"

The messy sounds around fell into Xie Yan's ears, making her mind buzzing, and she couldn't help but think of the woman she met at the market that day, with a long body and fluttering robes, and a Has a pleasant aroma.

She didn't understand for a while, how could such a pure and refined woman mix with someone like Fang Wenbo!

But Lizheng couldn't listen anymore. You know, female scholars are the living signs of their nearby villages. They are good-looking and highly educated. Many families in the neighboring villages even send their children to their private schools. The reputation of the village cannot be slandered because of this.

He parted from the crowd with some displeasure and walked in front of Fang's family, staring at Fang's second child with an angry look.

"Fang's second son, you are mobilizing people now, bringing a group of people to our village indiscriminately to shout and kill. This is not suitable for reason or reason. If your son's death is really wronged, please take a right turn and report to the yamen. , When the time comes to file the case, the county said that Xie Jinniang was guilty or that Zhuang Xiucai was guilty, and the yamen sent people to arrest them and bring them to justice. Now you are slandering whoever you are pointing at with empty teeth and ruining the reputation of our Shangyan Village. Could it be that you want to Go to prison first?."

Several old people in the village also stood up and criticized after hearing the rumors. Although this matter was not related to them in the small area, it would affect the reputation of the entire village in the large area. In any case, these rumors should not be allowed to spread everywhere.

Seeing that the villagers of Shangyan Village, who were originally scattered, suddenly unite again, the people from Wutong Village didn't even scold them a few times, and said angrily: "Your village has some dubious people. It's either Kefu or hooking up, I won't send my son here to study from tomorrow on, but he's doing such a thing as a teacher, bah."

Seeing this, Li Zheng reiterated what he said just now in a rage. The Fang family knew that they were wronged, and they couldn't beat the whole village by force, so they had to swear and take them away.

After the people from Wutong Village left, the villagers from Shangyan Village left one after another, muttering.

Li Zheng looked at the old man Cao's family with unkind faces, and wanted to persuade them not to be too harsh on Cao E's mother and son, but he knew that even if he told the other party, he would not listen to him, so he looked at the trembling mother and son who were leaning against each other. , sighed and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Xie Yan could probably predict what he was about to face next. Sure enough, as soon as the talents in the village dispersed, Mrs. Cao began to scold them in a high-pitched voice like a chicken crowing. You don't stop until you kill the people around you.

Cao Xingshou, Cao Xiaotao and the others gloated and watched around, occasionally saying a word or two to add insult to injury.

The old man Cao was squatting in the corner and smoking a dry cigarette, without saying a word, but from the faint veins protruding from the edge of his temple, it could be seen that the old man was on fire.

"I shouldn't have come back after marrying you. Get out with two oil bottles and go back to your Xiejia Village!"

The betrothal gift that was to be obtained was gone, and a grandson-in-law who might be the master of the scholar Juren in the future was lost. The old lady Cao was so angry that her teeth itched, and she was about to beat the three of Cao E with a broom.

Seeing that Mrs. Cao's broom was about to fall on her, Xie Yan took the hands of her mother and younger brother and tried to avoid it.

The old lady Cao had nowhere to vent her anger, how could she allow the mother and son to escape.

But Cao E was already disheartened at this time, and her whole face became numb. She firmly guarded her son and daughter behind her, and let her mother's broom pat her body, as if she couldn't feel any pain.

Xie Yan couldn't stand it anymore, grabbed the broom in Mrs. Cao's hand and said: "Why are you scolding, since you don't want to keep us mother and child, then let's go, I don't want to stay to serve your big family young and old."

"Come on, mother, let's pack up our things and leave here. Even if we live in a ruined temple at the head of the village, we should stay here."

Cao E's eyes were full of confusion, and she didn't know whether she should listen to her daughter. You know, after leaving the Cao family, there was really nothing to rely on. If the Fang family came to the door again, there might be no one to protect her.

Xie Yan didn't know what his mother was thinking, and sneered, "Mother, do you really think that this family can protect us forever? Look at what they just said, I wish they could pack us up and send it to the Fang family Make sacrifices."

Cao E's eyes were full of confusion. It was true that this was the case just now, but the world is so big that there is no place for their family to live.

Dou, the daughter-in-law of the second son of the Cao family, had been upset with them for a long time. Seeing Cao E's hesitation, she opened her mouth and cursed: "Why, those who have food and shelter here are reluctant to leave, and want to stay in shame?"

Husband Cao Laoer followed his father-in-law out to kill pigs, and handed over all the ten coins he earned a day to Cao Laohan and his wife. They were all used to support such a large family, not only nephews and nieces, but also husband's nephews and children. Raising, sometimes I bring some leftover meat back at night, and a small piece of meat is not enough for each person, so she has long been full of resentment.

"Mother, let's go, let's pack up and live in the ruined temple at the entrance of the village, and don't stay in this house any longer." Xie Yan took Cao E's hand and said.

"What are you packing? When you came back from Xie's house, you didn't bring anything with you. Now, in the woodshed, every piece of cloth and firewood belongs to our family. What else do you want to take away?" Granny Cao heard Xie's house. When Yan Yi said to pack up his things, he blurted out in a hurry, for fear that the mother and daughter had hidden something in private and brought it out.

Xie Yan was speechless to the old woman for a moment, and said with a sneer: "For the past five years, our mother and daughter have worked as cattle and horses in the Cao family, and the fifteen acres of land in the family were planted by both of us, mother and daughter. Even if a rich family hires two long-term workers to help with the farm work, it will cost four or five taels of silver a year, and the long-term workers will not work hard like us, eating only half a bowl of porridge for a meal, Except for the clothes I picked up for you to wear, did you ever ask your Cao family for a copper coin?"

"You little bastard is still stubborn, and you dare to talk back when you eat and live with me. See if I don't tear your mouth apart."

At this moment, Cao Bin, the third son of the Cao family, who has always held himself accountable, was rushing over from outside. Seeing the situation in front of him, he grabbed his mother and said, "Mother, what are you doing? How can you say that the fourth sister is also the same?" A piece of flesh that fell off your body, beating and scolding all day long, what does it look like?"

When Cao Bin made such a sound, everyone was stunned.

You must know that Cao Laosan is usually incomprehensible, and he is not very good to Cao E's mother and son. He can't do anything when he is a fool, but he jumped out at this time, which is really surprising.

Although Mrs. Cao didn't like this son, but he was a mess, and she didn't dare to provoke him, but she was his mother anyway, and she still cursed: "The Fang family came to the door just now, why don't you let go of a fart? , you come here to bark when people leave, anyway, this family can't accommodate them."

Seeing his mother like this, Cao Laosan dragged her into the house, said something for some reason, and came out after a while.

Even if Xie Yan couldn't hear what the two of them were discussing, she knew it was not a good thing, and said coldly: "Since this family can't accommodate us, then let's go. I will go to Lizheng now, and my mother will be the head of the household. Set up a female household, and when the time comes, we will cut off all contact with your Cao family."

When Cao Laosan heard this, he hurriedly smiled and said: "What is Jin Niang doing, don't take your grandma's words to heart, we are all one family, especially with parents, there is no reason to separate families and set up households, besides, the Fang family Just left, who knows where he would hide and stare at you, waiting for you to be single is not good for you, now that uncle is here, he will naturally help you, it is better not to mention the matter of family separation in the future."

Seeing Cao Laosan's appearance, Xie Yan felt more and more that he had a ghost in his heart, but his words also had some truth. If the Fang family hid in the dark and waited for an opportunity, the three of them, mother and son, would probably live in uneasy lives, and Cao Laosan If you don't understand the bad water in San's belly, you will not be safe wherever you go.

Just when she was hesitating, the old man Cao who had just finished talking to the old woman finally stood up and said: "What's the noise, go back to the room quickly, what should we do, when our old couple are dead?" , What kind of family do you share?"

As soon as the old man Cao made the sound of the broken gong, the dozen or so members of the Cao family became dumbfounded instantly. Cao Xiaotao and Cao Xiaoliu, who were full of resentment, muttered to express their dissatisfaction, but they were stared at by the old man with a sharp look. , I didn't dare to fart, I shrank my head and went back to the house.

Xie Yan saw that the old man was going down the steps, so he went down the donkey, and stayed here to think about countermeasures, but the matter of separating out and setting up a female household is urgent. After all, there is no such thing as Fang Wenbo's marriage. At such an age and with such appearance, it would be bad for the family to sell themselves.