Tranquility

Today is a very memorable day. Today is Tangning's first day of school, and it is the starting point of another life for him.

Tang Ning has been a little nervous since the morning, not only because today is his first day of school, in fact, this is only a small part of the reason, but also because Tang Ning, as a modern person at heart, is concerned about whether she can learn ancient stereotyped essays well. After waiting for the homework, she was very skeptical, and even doubted whether she could be admitted to the scholar examination. To put it bluntly, Tangning was not confident.Of course, Tangning also had fantasies about how he would be nominated for the gold medal, bridal chamber, and by the way, beat up a little kid called a villain until he cried. Every time he thought about it, he would feel a surge of emotion, and his whole body would be full of blood.

Carpenter Tang was also dressed very neatly today. The father and son tidied up, put away the silver, and prepared to go out with a basket of eggs. When they reached the door, Tang Mu suddenly stopped him.He took out a small makeup box about one foot long and half a foot high. It was unpainted but polished very smooth. Tangning took a closer look. There were several drawers of different sizes and a small door on the door. There is a small lock, very delicate, it can be seen that a lot of thought has been spent on it.Tang Mu handed it to Carpenter Tang and said:

"Father, I heard that Cheng Xiucai has a daughter, so I opened this makeup box...the key is in the box" said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Carpenter Tang took it over, looked carefully, and said with satisfaction: "It's hard for you to think that this makeup box is well made."

Lijia Village is not far to the north of Zhangjia Village, just over a small hill.Even so, Carpenter Tang and the others still took more than an hour to arrive.Originally, Carpenter Tang wanted to walk with Tangning on his back, so he could hurry up, but Tangning saw that Carpenter Tang had already carried a lot of things on his back, and this road was the one he would walk every day from now on, so he couldn't avoid it. Insist on not letting Carpenter Tang carry it.

When Carpenter Tang and the others arrived at Cheng Xiucai's house, they were just in time for a mid-morning break, and many children were squatting outside with food boxes in their hands to eat.Seeing Carpenter Tang and the others come in, they all looked at Tangning curiously. Tangning felt very uncomfortable when they saw her, and she became nervous again after she had just stabilized.

The house of Cheng Xiucai's house is real blue bricks and big tiles, and it has two entrances.Once outside, it was regarded as a school, and some children were coming in and out.The first entry inside is where people live, and the two entrances are separated by a high fence to block the schoolchildren outside.Seeing this, Tang Ning was a little puzzled. Cheng Xiucai didn't look like a poor scholar who lacked money.

Carpenter Tang was a little cramped when he entered the door, but at least he was in his thirties, and he had seen the world through the streets, so he quickly calmed down, found a schoolboy, gave him a copper coin, and asked him to help inform him. .After a while, the boy led them into the wing room on the east side of the main building of the school.

Carpenter Tang smelled a faint smell of food as soon as he walked in with his son. He realized that he had disturbed his husband's meal and was very annoyed. He should have left home earlier.But regretting is useless, I can only stand in front of Cheng Xiucai like a child who has done something wrong.

Cheng Xiucai was very calm, without the slightest embarrassment of being bumped into by someone while eating, as if the smell of food in the room did not exist, and asked gently: "Brother, what is the purpose of visiting today?"

"Ah?" Carpenter Tang was feeling annoyed. He didn't understand Cheng Xiucai's words for a while. He was already very ashamed when he saw a scholar, but now he was very rude to interrupt others' dinner, and he felt even more nervous. , or don't have a good impression of your own son, and don't teach him well in the future.In his impression, scholars always have a noble and eccentric temperament. Therefore, the tall carpenter Tang stood in front of Cheng Xiucai, who was half a head shorter than him, like a little daughter-in-law, with his head down, not daring to look directly at Cheng. A scholar, he speaks cautiously to please.

Cheng Xiucai saw Carpenter Tang's embarrassed and dazed look, and realized that his words were too polite for others to understand, so he said again: "Brother, you are here today, but you want your child to go to school?"

This time Carpenter Tang understood, and hurriedly pulled out Tangning who was standing behind him, and said, "This is my youngest son. I think he looks like a scholar. That's why I have the audacity to ask you to come here, sir, if you are satisfied with him, please accept him as a disciple to serve you."

After Tangning entered the door, she stayed quietly behind her father. Cheng Xiucai didn't pay attention. When she saw Tangning, her eyes lit up. The child's eyes were clear and his demeanor was clean. He didn't look around or get nervous like other children when he first entered the room. , On the contrary, he was quiet and steady, looking like a material for reading.

At this time, Tangning did not immediately look up at Cheng Xiucai, but first bent down to salute, following what his father taught, "See you, sir." At this time, he should not say too much, too many mistakes.

Cheng Xiucai looked at the child who was respectfully saluting below, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he was, but his face was still flat, and he waved: "Come forward and let me have a look."

Tangning obediently stepped forward and looked up at Cheng Xiucai. He heard Cheng Xiucai's voice just now, his voice was gentle and elegant, without the high-mindedness of a bookworm.It was only at this moment that I could see the whole appearance of the gentleman. He was fair and handsome, with soft contours on his face.Tang Ning, who had some facial features, immediately had a good impression of her husband.

Cheng Xiucai saw Tang Ning looking at him generously. He nodded in his heart without blinking his eyes. He seemed to be a child with a very pure heart. What he was most afraid of when studying was not a blunt talent, but a bad mind. It's a pity that there are not many children in the school with a serious mind. of.Thinking of this, Cheng Xiucai cherished the disciple in front of him even more. Yes, he had long believed in his heart that this child was his disciple, but the cutscenes that should be passed still had to go, so Cheng Xiucai continued to ask: "Have you learned calligraphy, read Over the book?"

"Never."——if the simplified characters don't count.

"Do you know why you study?"

Tangning lowered his head and pondered. He had many high-sounding answers in his mind, but in the end he answered honestly, "For parents and brothers, don't be bullied."

Cheng Xiucai was taken aback, he didn't expect this innocent child to give such a vicissitudes of answer.This answer has no experience in the world. People who have suffered setbacks can answer it, and it also touched the string in his heart. However, the sarcasm on Cheng Xiucai's face flashed away. Could it be that after studying and becoming an official, he will not be bullied by others? what?

The routine questions have been asked, but Cheng Xiucai asked again in a strange way:

"Do you know what reading is?

Now, Tangning was questioned. In his opinion, reading is not just memorizing the four books and doing stereotyped writing.But the answer is obviously not only this, is there also piano, chess, calligraphy and painting?Tangning was a little confused.

Seeing that Tang Ning couldn't answer, Cheng Xiucai wasn't disappointed, so she patted him with a smile and said to Carpenter Tang, "I've accepted this child. I don't know the eldest brother's name. Do you have a name for this child?"

Carpenter Tang was overjoyed, and said, "I'm a carpenter from Zhangjia Village in the south. My surname is Tang. Sir, it's good to call me Carpenter Tang. My son's name is Tangning." As he spoke, he quickly pressed Tangning to kowtow to his teacher, with great eagerness I wish I could kneel down too.

No wonder Carpenter Tang was excited. No matter what happened to Tangning in the future, he was now the first person in the old Tang family who could read and write.

Tangning was so confused that she was half-forced to kowtow three times.

Cheng Xiucai took out the roster again, held a pen, and asked Tang Carpenter: "Brother Carpenter, which Ning is your son's Ning?"

Carpenter Tang never thought about this question, and said embarrassedly: "I don't know, I can't read, and when the child's mother left, she kept saying Ning or something. I thought she wanted to name this child, so I decided to give it a name. It’s also a thought to call it that way.”

Now Cheng Xiucai was also stumped, logically he would often name his students, this time it was no big deal, but after listening to Carpenter Tang, who knew which Ning his mother was chanting before she died.Tangning didn't expect that her own name had always been mixed up. He was called Tangning in his previous life, and he thought he had the same name and surname as this body.However, he quickly realized that he was afraid that the husband would give him a random name, so he hurriedly said, "It's Ning who is quiet and far-reaching."

Cheng Xiucai was a little surprised that the child knew the word Tranquility and Zhiyuan, but he had resolved the current impasse, so he didn't care and said, "Indifferent to enlightenment, Tranquility to Zhiyuan, a good name." He wrote down the name as he spoke.

Carpenter Tang saw that his son's name had also been decided, and his husband liked him, so he was even more grateful to him. He quickly took out two taels of silver coins from his pocket, picked up the big bamboo basket by the door, and stuffed them all into Cheng Xiucai.

"Sir, this is my child's Shuxiu this year. There are some eggs in this bamboo basket for you to make up for. There is also a makeup box. It was specially beaten by his brother when he heard that you had a daughter. It is not expensive. Don't dislike it." As he said that, he suddenly remembered that it is very bad for a man to give a girl a makeup box, so he stammered to make up for it: "This makeup box, I don't mean that, you know I'm a carpenter, this makeup box should be a You entrusted our family to do it." He said and picked up the makeup box, "Look, it hasn't been painted yet, I'm not boasting, my eldest son's craftsmanship is good, if you find someone to paint it, it will definitely look better .”

Cheng Xiucai showed no embarrassment on her face, nor was she angry at being insulted, she took Shu Xiu and the bamboo basket very naturally.Tang Ning looked at it, and said, "Whoever said that he is a good man is not a good man, at least he would be polite if he accepted a gift."In fact, he didn't know how many local products Cheng Xiucai received from the surrounding farmers every year. He even received a snake before. Parents regarded it as an unwritten rule to give things to their husband from time to time.

Cheng Xiucai loves his sick daughter very much, and the gift from Carpenter Tang can be regarded as sent to his heart.Therefore, for the first time, Cheng Xiucai thought of returning the gift. After a little consideration, he took out two books that seemed to be of good quality from the bookcase. These were the "Three Character Classic" and "Thousand Character Classic" that he had copied for his daughter before.If he hadn't been very satisfied with this student and had great expectations, he wouldn't have given these two books away easily.

Cheng Xiucai solemnly handed the book to Tangning, and said in a calm voice with a bit of authority: "Although you may not know each other now, you can read it first to familiarize yourself with it. This book must be kept carefully, and there must be nothing wrong with it. If it is damaged , there will be no more in the future.”

Tangning also calmed down, and took it respectfully, "Mr. taught, students must remember it in their hearts."

Cheng Xiucai impatiently put on the airs of a strict teacher. Knowing that Tang Ning couldn't understand now, he didn't give any teacher training or anything like that. He just gave a few instructions on the time of school and school rules, and waved Tang Ning to come to officially start the class tomorrow. .

When Tangning stepped out of that room, she felt as if she had just stayed in another world for a long time.