The ancient farming life of liberal arts scum

Pepper seeds are indeed somewhat similar to eggplant seeds. Shen Ge explained: "It's not eggplant seeds. These are pepper seeds. It's the kind of pepper that was put in the bird meat that I ate last time. It can be sown after sprouting."

"Growing sprouts?" Manzi frowned slightly, looking at the dustpan, he seemed absurd, "Put the seeds here first to wait for them to germinate, and then plant them in the ground one by one?"

"No, just scatter it in the soil after it germinates, and then move out the seedlings when it grows a bit."

Manzi was puzzled, "If that's the case, why bother?"

Shen Ge further explained: "Growing buds can greatly increase the germination rate of seeds. There are not many pepper seeds, so they must be carefully maintained."

"Germination rate... what is it?"

Shen Ge was stunned for a moment, he didn't know how to explain this mathematical concept, nor did he know how to explain this breeding concept.Thinking of this, Shen Ge couldn't help thinking of Mr. Xun in the village on the mountain. No matter what he said to that adult, he seemed to understand.

Manzi has always been smart, seeing Shen Ge distracted, his expression was gloomy, he remained silent and did not speak again.

Shen Ge's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly explained, "The germination rate refers to how many percent of the germinated seeds account for the total number of seeds. Most people don't pay attention to these, so I don't know how to say it. I didn't mean not to tell you. These things involve I don’t know much about farming either.”

Manzi nodded, "I know."

The two were silent for a while, Shen Ge hesitated, and suggested, "Manzi, why don't I teach you how to read?"

Manzi's eyes first flashed a hint of surprise, and then realized that reading is not an easy task, and unreasonable worries filled his heart.Reluctant to part with this rare opportunity, the barbarian's Adam's apple rolled quickly, and he opened his mouth several times before asking in a hoarse voice, "I only learned it at this age, it's too late, let's just..."

Shen Ge interrupted him, "Why is it so late, you are only fifteen years old, start studying now, and you will have time to take the imperial examination."

As Shen Ge spoke, he became interested, and hastily dragged Manzi to finish his meal, and took the booklet he just ordered today to teach Manzi.

Manzi is very quiet and introverted on weekdays, but he is not lacking in intelligence. He has not gone to school for a day, but he can write his own name and know the ten capital numbers from one to ten.

Manzi cherished this hard-earned learning opportunity very much. He carefully held the booklet in his big hands with a very serious expression.

Shen Ge first taught him how to read, and then gave him a brush to let him learn to write.

Manzi knew that paper and ink were expensive, so he stiffly refused, "It's the same if I use a stick to write on the sand, no waste of paper and ink."

Shen Ge put the paper and ink in front of the barbarian, with a straight face, "How can a scholar not touch the paper and ink? If you love the paper and ink, it's worth studying hard."

Shen Ge sat next to Manzi, using a brush dipped in ink to demonstrate to Manzi how to write.Manzi held the pen for the first time, but his hand was very clumsy. After writing for a long time, the characters in the pen were still crooked, and the ink was stained into balls.

Shen Ge took a look, reached out and grabbed Manzi's hand to lead him to write. Manzi froze, and a layer of red appeared on his dark face, bringing back the youthful vigor and cuteness.

Seeing that he was shy, Shen Ge didn't hold it too much, so he showed him how to write a few characters and let him practice by himself.

Manzi has to get up early to do his homework, so it is inconvenient to learn too late. Shen Ge is also worried that he will not be able to remember too much content in one night, and his confidence will be hit. So after he has written all the words he learned tonight, let him take it with him. Pen and paper home.

Manzi's eyes drifted, he was embarrassed to look at Shen Ge, he was both happy and worried, and nervous.He begged in a low voice: "Mr. Xiucai, why don't you leave the pen and paper here? I don't have to take it back when I come to study tomorrow."

Manzi is usually very calm and taciturn. Shen Ge often forgets that he is only fifteen years old and still a teenager. Seeing him expressing his emotions suddenly, Shen Ge is both funny and distressed.Shen Ge guessed that Manzi might not want his family to see him learning characters like a child, so he responded, "Okay, you can come to me tomorrow."

Manzi nodded, carefully put away the pen and paper, and went back.

Shen Ge could see his happiness from his back, and couldn't help showing a smile, and his mood became inexplicably lighter.

The next day, Shen Ge rarely got up before the sun rose.

Manzi came early in the morning, Shen Ge had finished chopping firewood and made breakfast, Manzi was surprised, "Why is it so early today?"

"I have to go to the county seat to see my master, so I have to leave early."

Shen Ge has been studying in the county since he was eight years old, and he didn't return to the countryside to study by himself until he was admitted as a scholar at the age of 15.

Master Wu is an old friend of Shen Ge's father, Shen Hongcun, and Shen Hongcun entrusted his son to Master Wu before his death.Mrs. Wu promised so much and took care of Shen Ge over the years. Chen Ge said that he was a disciple of Mrs. Wu, but in fact he was no different from half a son.

If it wasn't for his daughter Wu Qiu's favorite but Xiao Siyuan, Mrs. Wu still wanted to marry her daughter to Shen Ge, and make a couple with his deceased friend.

Shen Ge was seriously ill a few days ago, and he couldn't take care of that side for a while, but now that he thinks about it, he realizes that he hasn't sent a message to his master.The classmates had come to see him yesterday, Shen Ge reckoned that the master had also received the news, if he didn't send the news to the master, the master would not be relieved, and would definitely take the time to come out to see him.

There are many students under Master Wu, and he has to sit in the library on weekdays, Shen Ge can't bother him, so he wants to see him in person.

When Manzi heard that Shen Ge was going to see his master, he said without hesitation: "I'll go and tell Auntie to go with you."

"No need," Shen Ge laughed, "I've been walking this way for so many years, how can I need someone to accompany me? It's boring for me to have breakfast alone, and you can have breakfast with me."

Manzi came to help Shen Ge with chores every day, Shen Ge couldn't persuade him, and it was difficult to give money directly, so he liked to keep Manzi for dinner.

Chen Ge's cooking skills are good, and the rice is cooked delicately. The food is fine grains. The taste is much better than Manzi's, and it is also more nutritious.Manzi is still developing, Shen Ge hopes that he can eat better and not lose his health.

Manzi felt sorry for Shen Ge's family's money and food, and came over most of the time after eating. He only had dinner with Shen Ge at night, and he would push it off at other times, and this time was no exception. He shook his head, "I have already After eating, Mr. Xiucai, you can eat by yourself."

"Then have another meal." Shen Ge advised him, "I won't be able to go home until evening, it's hot, I'm afraid the food will go bad if I keep it."

Only now did Manzi sit down to eat with Shen Ge.He didn't take much food when he was eating, Shen Ge knew that he deliberately left it for himself, even if he persuaded him before he finished eating, he would not eat, he couldn't help but sighed in his heart, and speeded up the meal.

After Shen Ge put down the bowl, Manzi quickly wrapped up the leftovers, picked up the bowls and chopsticks and washed them in the kitchen, not letting Shen Ge touch his hands at all.

After breakfast, Manzi went to work, Shen Ge found a jar of wine and a jar of hot sauce at home, put them in a basket and carried them out.

Shen Ge originally wanted to bring the pamphlet he wrote to enlighten school children, but then he thought about it, the master is too traditional, and I am afraid he would not like this teaching method, so he put the pamphlet down, so as not to offend the master angry.

It is not easy to get an ox cart or a donkey cart these days, let alone a horse cart. Most people have to walk wherever they go.

Shen Ge's family didn't have an ox cart, and there were very few families with an ox cart in the entire Shenjia Village. Even if he was a scholar, he could only move his legs if he wanted to go out.

Shen Ge had just recovered from a serious illness, and he could still walk down the road, but now he walked with the basket on his back for less than half an hour, and he felt too tired, so he could only sit on the stone by the roadside to rest.

Shen Ge was only fifteen when he was a scholar. He was a well-known child prodigy in eight villages. Everyone knew him. Many people who walked this way greeted him. Shen Ge responded to each of them, and the rest was lively noisy.

Shen Ge sat on the side of the road for a while, and someone was passing by with an ox cart. Seeing Shen Ge sitting on the side of the road flushed with heat and resting, he hurriedly stopped to greet him, "Mr. Xiucai, where are you going?"

"Go to the county seat."

"Hey, I'm going to the county seat too, so hurry up and I'll give you a ride so you don't have to leave."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang."

"No, no, scholar, don't be polite." Zhang Jianben waved his hands again and again, he took Shen Ge's back basket neatly and put it away carefully, and greeted Shen Ge to get on the car.

Zhang Jianben's family runs a grocery store, and he has to go to the county town once a month or two to get the goods back to the village to sell.Shen Ge walked this road all the year round, and often ran into Zhang Jianben, and the two were fairly familiar with each other.

The two sat on the bullock cart, one on the left and the other on the right, and walked slowly against the wind, which was quite comfortable.

Zhang Jianben urged Lao Niu to go forward with a "drive" in his mouth, and then asked: "Mr. Xiucai, I heard that you are going to open a school in the village, but is it true?"

"Well, the schoolchildren will be admitted soon."

"Hey, the feng shui of Shenjia Village is so good, it has a cultural context! I'm afraid your village will be able to add talented people in the near future. My little grandson is just eight years old this year. Speaking of it, he should go to school, but unfortunately he doesn't have that blessing."

Shen Ge is not easy to talk to.

Looking at Shen Ge's expression from the corner of Zhang Jianben's eyes, seeing that he didn't intend to answer, he knew that he would not accept students from other villages, so he couldn't help but sighed softly.

Zhang Jianben's hair was gray, Shen Ge felt very uncomfortable hearing his sigh.

Shenjia Village has been established for more than 300 years, and after two dynasties, he is the only one who wants to run a school here.When the villagers in Shenjia Village heard the news, the whole village was as lively as New Year's Eve. Even though it was the busy farming season, every household in the village sent people to build a school.

Not only that, the mud bricks and beams saved by the villagers are not stingy at all for the school, even though these brick beams were originally intended to be used to build new houses to welcome new people.

It is no exaggeration to say that this school was built by the entire Shenjia Village by tightening their belts. Shenjia Village can't finish teaching its own children, so Shen Ge couldn't open his mouth to agree to accept children from other villages.

Zhang Jianben had no intention of embarrassing Shen Ge, and after sighing, he quickly turned to another topic. Shen Ge also heaved a sigh of relief, and chatted with him.

Near noon, the bullock cart staggered into the county town.The two had different destinations and separated as soon as they entered the city.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Jianben, Shen Ge went around the alley selling vegetables, bought a knife of pork, weighed a catty of pastries, and then walked to Master Wu's house.

When Shen Ge arrived at Master Wu's house, his wife was cooking, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Shen Ge, "Ge'er, are you feeling better? Your master heard that you were sick, and was planning to visit you."

Shen Ge shyly let her pull into the room, and said: "I was ill for a few days, but now I've recovered, I haven't had time to tell you two."

"It's fine, you're young, you have to take good care of it." Mrs. Wu took the frame on Shen Ge's back, glanced at it, and reprimanded with distress: "Hey, you kid bought so many things again? Is the li silver enough?"

"Enough, enough, Madam, don't worry."

Mrs. Wu sighed, "Don't buy it next time, it's both meat and cake, it's going to cost you a lot of money."

Shen Ge smiled and said nothing, planning to wait until next time.