The Tan family in Qinghuang is deserted with a bit of chaos.

The Zhao family had not been in charge of the family for a long time, and this time Xiang Yi suddenly returned to her parents' home. She could not even eat or sleep as well as before, holding on to her aching head to manage things.

Tan Jian didn't dare to look at his brother again, for fear that his sister-in-law would go back to her parents' house and there wouldn't even be anyone to help him in front of his brother.

The servants at home were also very surprised when they heard that Mrs. Xiang had been in peace for four days. Some people were negligent in doing things, some had no idea, and there were some difficult things that they could only queue up and wait for Zhao to deal with slowly.

Tan Ting returned to the main courtyard these two days, and the main courtyard was as quiet as ever.

It's just that in this silence, it feels deserted and desolate.

That day, he simply went to the study room in the outer courtyard. When passing by the door, he heard a clansman talking to the concierge.

It was a young couple with their child. Tan Ting vaguely remembered that they were a not very wealthy family, living in a small town below Qingkan. The year before he left home and went to Beijing, the couple had a baby. The child, that child was born prematurely. The tribe sent experienced Wen Po and doctors there to save both the adults and the child.

At that moment, he heard the couple asking the concierge, "Is it true that Madam Zong is not at home? We live far away, so we didn't know that Madam was not at home. It's an unlucky time."

The two of them were filled with pity, and the child in their arms had a small face. Red from the cold.

Tan Ting walked over.

When the two couples saw him, they quickly saluted him. Tan Ting nodded in return and asked the concierge to lead them in. He also asked someone to bring a bowl of hot porridge and water to the child before asking.

"Why are you here looking for Madam?"

The couple didn't go around in circles and just said they were here to say thank you.

The wife fed the child porridge and water, and the husband said to Tan Ting, "...the child is weak because he was born prematurely. He had a fever all night long when he got the disease. All the doctors in the town and county saw it and said: It's hopeless. We, the couple, have no choice but to come to Zong's house and ask Mrs. Xiang for help in hiring a powerful doctor."

He said that Mrs. Xiang didn't hire one doctor, but asked six doctors to help the child. There are several doctors in the palace. The last doctor is a disciple of the Imperial Physician from Beijing. He has rich experience and the medicine he prescribed finally got the right symptoms. Now the child has recovered from the disease. He took advantage of the New Year to come to express his gratitude to Mrs. Xiang.

"We, husband and wife, had no hope at all. If my wife hadn't refused to give up and invited six doctors to come to our home to treat the child, the child would never have been saved! That's why I came to thank my wife and let the child kowtow to her. Big."

After he said that, the child just happened to devour a bowl of hot porridge. Looking at the child's tiger-headed look, he really looked like he was cured.

As Tan Ting listened, he couldn't help but picture the man sitting in the flower hall, taking care of things in a leisurely manner.

His eyes softened, and he ordered Zhengji to take a big red lotus bag, put a handful of broken silver in it, and gave it to the child.

The couple was shocked.

"Uncle Zong can't help it! We are here to thank Mrs. Zong. How can we accept money from the Zong family without seeing her in person?"

Tan Ting said it didn't matter, "It's New Year's money for the children."

The couple still refused . , Tan Ting raised his hand to stop.

He thought for a while and then said, "My wife is going back to her parents' home now. Why don't you come back in a few days and thank her in person."

The two couples agreed in succession, and asked the children to kowtow to the elder of the clan to pay New Year greetings before leaving. go.

Tan Ting's expression became softer as he watched the couple and their slutty children walk away.

He strolled back to the study, sat in front of the desk and remembered what the couple had said.

They had given up hope, and Mrs. Xiang did not give up. She invited six doctors to treat the child...

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look to the west, starting from Qingkan County. Not far to the west is Qingzhou's territory.

It was only at this time that Zhengji made an announcement.

"Master, the second master is here."

He looked up and saw his shrinking brother.

In the past two days, he had really enjoyed reading his brother's articles, which made people angry. When he saw Tan Jian, he became angry.

Tan Jian tightened his mouth and did not dare to speak.

In the past two days when my sister-in-law was not at home, the pressure from my eldest brother became even more severe. He had scolded him bloodyly in the past two days.

But today, Tan Jian looked carefully at his eldest brother, who seemed to have no intention of reprimanding him.

Just after reading the article he wrote today, he snorted, "Don't be lazy. I'll write ten more articles before the end of the year."

Tan Jian's eyes lit up.

This means that what he wrote today is okay? !

He couldn't help but get excited, but he couldn't get excited anymore at the thought of ten more chapters, so he agreed honestly and quickly backed down.

Qingzhou Xiang family.

During the day, the neighbors came to the door and the Xiang family was very lively. It finally calmed down for a while in the evening.

Xiang Yu was writing an article in his wing. He finished the article in one go. The ink on the first half of the paper had not yet dried.

The young man stood at the table, looking at the article he had just finished, and his heart sank.

If before, the gentlemen did not allow him to participate in next year's Autumn Palace, and he wrote an article to prove it, which was somewhat out of spite, then now, he really wants to win this Autumn Palace.

Only if he wins the prize can he take the eldest sister home, so that the eldest sister no longer has to suffer injustice in the Tan family and can make peace with the Tan family uncle with her chest and head held high.

Xiang Yu thought about it and took another book from the side, preparing to study a few more articles from various provinces in the past few years.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone pushing the door open and walking in.

Until a bowl of hot soothing soup was placed on his desk.

"When did eldest sister come?" Xiang Yu just found out.

Xiang Yi smiled softly and looked at the thick book that his brother had just opened.

"It's getting late. You've been studying all day today, so it's time to take a rest."

Xiang Yu always felt that it was not enough.

If you fail to pass the provincial examination this time, the next one will be three years later.

They said he was young, and three years and three years would be nothing, but his sister couldn't afford it, and he didn't want his eldest sister to waste her young years in the Tan family where no one cared about her. On the uncle of the family.

He said it was okay, "I'll read a few more articles and then fall asleep."

How could Xiang Yi not know what he was thinking? She wanted to persuade her brother that it was okay, and that life in the Tan family was not good but not bad either.

But she also knew very well that her brother wanted her to live a life that was neither good nor bad. Just as she wanted her brother to have a successful career and her sister to be healthy, her brothers and sisters also wanted her to be happy.

There was a moment of wetness in Xiang Yi's soft eyes.

"But no matter what, you have to be careful with your body and eyes. If you hurt yourself, you will lose more than you gain."

"Don't worry, eldest sister," the young man straightened his back, "I'm not like Ning Ning, who can't lift my shoulders or use my hands. "T-You can't see anything at night..."

The words trailed off, and the person who had just reached the door burst in angrily.

"Xiang Yu, why did you say bad things about me behind my back?!"

Xiang Yu was discovered, so he didn't care. Instead, he laughed, "Did you say that wrong?"

The little girl glared angrily. She pulled Xiang Yi's arm, "Sister, look, Xiang Yu doesn't care about me at all." That's disrespectful! He didn't even call me second sister!"

When she interrupted him, all the wetness in Xiang Yi's eyes disappeared.

She said that Xiang Yu really didn't respect his second sister. Even if he was born only half a quarter of an hour earlier than him, the sibling relationship was already settled.

"Brother Yu deserves to be punished." She glanced at Xiang Ning, "Ning Ning, tell me what the punishment is."

The little girl's bright eyes smiled, "I heard from the neighbor that there is a market in town tomorrow, so I will punish Yu ." Brother, I'm not allowed to study anymore. I'm going to the market with my eldest sister."

Xiang Yu opened his mouth to disagree, but heard Xiang Ning say again, "Sister, I haven't been to a market like this for a long time."

Xiang Yi . After thinking about it, "It's been a long time."

She said this, and Xiang Yu swallowed his rejection.

"Okay, okay," he glanced at Xiang Ning, "You are the only one who can give me ideas."

Xiang Ning immediately pulled Xiang Yi back, "Eldest sister, look, he doesn't call me second sister anymore!"

Xiang Yi After being teased by his younger siblings for so long, he couldn't help but smile at the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

How wonderful it would be if I could live like this every day with my brothers and sisters...

The next day, there was a light snowfall in the sky, but fortunately it didn't fall in large pieces like goose feathers.

Tan Jian was stung by the cold wind blowing on his face.

He had originally agreed with Yang Zhen that he would take her to eat a local snack in Qinghan today.

When he thought that if she liked to eat, she would be so happy that her eyes narrowed, and Tan Jian's heart beat faster.

He expected that the eldest brother would not understand this feeling of pounding heart, and he did not dare to tell the eldest brother that he just wanted to sneak out with Yang Zhen secretly, and did not want to be caught by the eldest brother today...

Tan Jian My heartbeat almost turned into despair, but seeing that my eldest brother had been in a bad mood these past two days, I was afraid that my eldest brother would let him make a fuss again, so I mentioned that I would like to pay New Year's greetings to the fifth old man.

The fifth old man is the younger brother of the late third old man, and he is also the highest-ranking and most famous clan elder in the clan. However, he does not live in Qingkan County, but in the nearby Yongxiu County.

He warned quietly.

"Brother, didn't you go to the Fifth Old Master a year ago?"

Tan Ting was really reminded by him. Thinking of the unstable situation between the aristocratic clan and the common people recently, maybe he should listen to his elders' wishes.

He turned over the almanac and said.

"Today is a good day to visit. You come with me."

Tan Jian was dumbfounded.

But he did not dare to disobey his brother's order, fearing that he would not have a good life when he came back, and would have to drown in the mountains of books and the sea of ​​learning, so he regretfully changed his schedule with Yang Zhen and accompanied his eldest brother to Yongxiu County in the wind and snow.

Who would have thought that the fifth old man was not at home on this wonderful day, and the old Taoist priest in the same Taoist temple went to visit the immortals and visit the Taoism. It would take two or three days to return.

Tan Jian felt that he still had a chance.

Who would have thought that on the way, he would meet a dozen students from Qingzhou Academy, writing impromptu articles by the riverside, and the articles they did were really as good as him.

Tan Jian was afraid and looked at his eldest brother cautiously. He didn't want his eldest brother to listen to the articles written by Qingzhou students one after another. He was silent for a long time, looked in the direction of Qingzhou for a few seconds, then turned the horse's head and whispered One sentence.

"You should go to Qingzhou to read."

Where is Qingzhou? County seat, academy or Xiang family?

The eldest brother was always taciturn, so Tan Jian could only ride behind him.

They did not go to the county seat. They walked not far towards the academy and stopped in the town at the foot of the mountain.

Tan Jian wondered if he remembered correctly, was this the place where the Xiang family lived temporarily?

Not long after entering the town, Tan Jian was placed in the bookstore.

The book store sells articles written by college students, and as expected, the eldest brother asked him to read Qingzhou's articles.

It's just that the eldest brother didn't seem to care about these articles. He flipped through a few articles and stood up, without saying anything, and slowly walked out of the door with his hands behind his hands.