Rise From the Humble

  Chapter 42 Preparation for apprenticeship

  Mother Chen, like a general returning after victory, went back to the room refreshed and high-spirited, rushed to make a schoolbag for Zhu Pingan, and deliberately slammed the eldest aunt and the fourth aunt when entering the room. After Zhu Pingan tied the old scalper to the cowshed, he hurriedly followed Mrs. Chen into the room.

  Outside the East Wing, the fourth aunt and the eldest aunt said some sarcastic remarks in disbelief. There is no such thing as studying without restraint, it must be that the pig is trying to learn to lie, and whether the master is teasing the pig or something like that. Obviously, they all say that grapes are sour because they can't eat grapes, and hope that others can't get what they can't get, so they are psychologically balanced.

  After Mrs. Chen returned to her room, she felt a little worried. She couldn't make a schoolbag by herself. In this era, the schoolbags of scholars are small portable wooden or bamboo boxes, and the styles are basically the same. The difference between grades is the degree of surprise in materials and workmanship. Making schoolbags is all carpentry work, and I don't know how to do it. After returning to the house and calming down, Mrs. Chen felt that she was probably dazzled by joy when she promised in the yard.

   "Well, baby, the schoolbag will be made for you when your father comes. Your father is good at carpentry." Chen said shyly.

  Zhu Ping'an rolled his eyes when he heard the words. He has been carrying schoolbags for more than ten years in modern times, and he is used to using cloth bags for a long time. Who still uses wooden ones, they are so heavy.

So, Zhu Pingan stretched out his hand and gestured, and said in his mouth, "The wooden one is too heavy. I want to make it out of cloth, any kind of cloth will do. Just use a piece of cloth as flat as it can be sewn to hold things." That's it, and sew straps on the sides so I can hang it around my neck."

   Mrs. Chen is also a person who is used to needlework, and she can understand it after Zhu Pingan's gestures.

   "You brat will order my old lady." Chen cursed, but with a smile on his face, he took out a piece of linen from the cabinet, moved the scissors around, and the needle threaded.

   Soon, a schoolbag took shape in Chen's hands. The shape of this schoolbag is almost the same as the modern schoolbags in the 1980s and 1990s, but there are some differences. There are no redundant patterns and patterns, and the style is more concise and elegant. The schoolbag is not too big, Zhu Pingan tried to hang it on his shoulders just right, the length and width of the schoolbag are just right, not too big, but the space is just right, enough for Zhu Pingan to put books, pens, inks, papers and inkstones in it in the future.

   "Thank you, mother." Zhu Pingan said with a touch of emotion as he looked at Chen's thumb that he had accidentally pricked just now because he was rushing to work.

  Mr. Chen said angrily, "I'll just be ashamed of you."

   After a while, the Zhu family came back one after another. First of all, the grandfather entered the door with his hands behind his back, holding his tobacco pole in his hand. When his grandmother told him that Zhu Ping'an was chosen by his master for free income, his grandfather was as excited as if he had been drunk. The old face was flushed, and he said three good words in a row, good good good.

Followed by the little fourth uncle, the little fourth uncle staggered in, reeking of alcohol, and the first thing he said when he entered the door was, I had a drink with my friends outside, so you don’t need to call me for dinner. He staggered into the room and slammed into the door. You can tell you've had too much to drink. Going around outside again, although the fourth aunt was angry, she hurriedly followed up to support her, and took the opportunity to pinch the fourth uncle a few times to vent her anger.

  When the grandfather saw this, he was so angry that he wanted to go up and kick him twice, cursing, "This is a good-for-nothing."

  Grandmother refused, dragged grandfather to prevent him from kicking the youngest, and spoke for the fourth uncle, "Men, who doesn't socialize outside, this also shows that our fourth brother has a lot of good friends."

   "Why do you have a lot of friends, but they are a bunch of cronies who don't work properly, you just know how to get used to them!" Grandpa was so angry that he scolded grandma.

  Father Zhu Shouyi and elder brother Zhu Pingchuan were the last to come. They both carried baskets on their backs and went into the mountain again today.

   "Ah, the second brother has come into the mountain."

  The little fourth aunt, who was supposed to be serving the little fourth uncle in the house, rushed out like a wolf smelling blood, which made Chen's face darken as he just stepped out of the east wing.

  There are quite a lot of things in Zhu's father's back basket, two live rabbits, a pheasant, and a lot of bamboo shoots and mushrooms. There are many things in Zhu Pingchuan's back basket, but they are all wild flowers, which makes the fourth aunt a little unhappy. Why is Da Chuan infected by pigs? Why do you pick so many wild flowers.

   "I want it." Zhu Pingan came out on short legs, and explained the doubts of the fourth aunt.

  Grandmother and my fourth aunt were not interested in wild flowers, so they put all the other things together like last time, and threw the basket of wild flowers to Zhu Pingan.

  Zhu Pingan surrounded the basket full of wild flowers, smiling like a fool.

  The eldest aunt sneered at the side, a little wild flowers are such a fool, what level is it, it’s just a ignorant, how can it compare with us Juner.

  When Zhu's father and elder brother heard that Zhu Ping'an was selected by Mr. Sun's talent for free education, they were overjoyed. Zhu's father was even more happy to grab Zhu Ping'an with both hands and danced in the air for a few times, almost vomiting Zhu Ping'an.

"Mom, my wife said it's free, so we can't just go like this. I think, why don't I send this pheasant and some wild game mushrooms picked from the mountains to Mr. Sun Xiucai to try something new." Zhu Shouyi put it down. After Zhu Ping'an, he discussed with his grandmother.

  Grandma looked unwilling, and before she could say no, grandfather spoke up.

   "That's the reason. The second child is right. These mountain mushrooms and wild game are worth a few bucks, so they should be brought." The grandfather nodded repeatedly.

   "Why use so much?" Grandma was not happy.

   "What do you know, you woman!" Grandpa interrupted with a black face, "Listen to me, go tomorrow and bring everything with you."

   Eating at night is naturally harmonious. Grandpa drank two more glasses for the first time, feeling a little drunk.

   "It would be great if this cloth could make new clothes for Xi'er. It's all your fault for spending money indiscriminately."

  After dinner, in the East Wing, Mrs. Chen looked at the pink cotton cloth with a white background on the head of the bed and began to complain about Father Zhu.

  Father Zhu naturally said yes again and again, with a black face full of smiles.

  Big brother Da Chuan outside the window is helping Zhu Pingan to fetch water for a bath. He will learn from his teacher tomorrow, so he has to take a good wash. Apprenticeship to a teacher was a major event in ancient times, and one had to take a bath, change into new clothes, eat a vegetarian diet, etc., to show respect, and this is the so-called fasting. Although it is not so particular about apprenticeship in the countryside, bathing and bathing cannot be omitted. Dressing up cleanly must at least show respect for the master.

"Oh, by the way, I also have a blue cotton bed sheet as my dowry, quickly find it for me, and I'll get you some new clothes." Chen, who was complaining about Zhu's father, suddenly thought of it, and immediately urged her with a smile on her face. Father Zhu went to rummage through the boxes and cabinets to find the bed sheet.

   "That's your dowry." Father Zhu promised.

   "What do you know, I'm happy." Mrs. Chen kicked Father Zhu vigorously, urging Father Zhu to get the sheets, "Zhu Shouyi, hurry up."

  (end of this chapter)