Zhao Han took the purchased ingredients to the thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain and handed them over to Xu Ying's parents.

Say hello to Pang Chunlai and follow Lou to the academy.

After all, his true identity is that of a bookboy, and he is just a part-time student. He must serve his master when he comes.

The Lou family, mother and daughter, all went up the mountain in sedan chairs, and Zhao Zhenfang followed them on foot the whole way.

Zhao Han said distressedly: "Little sister, are you tired?"

"I'm not tired," Zhao Zhenfang was in a happy mood at this time and said with a smile, "I'm full after every meal, but I'm more energetic than in Tianjin. I've been staying in the inner courtyard before, but today I can go out to climb the mountain, and I met my second brother to accompany me.

I am extremely happy."

"It's good if you're not tired." Zhao Han also laughed.

Climbing all the way to the mountainside, we finally arrived at Hanzhu Academy.

Fei Ruhe left his mother behind and ran quickly to the yard where his father was studying. He shouted as he ran: "Dad, dad, mom is here!"

When everyone came to a courtyard, Fei Yinghuan came out to greet them after hearing the news, as well as Hu Mengtai, Zhan Zhaoheng and other scholars.

Mr. Lou went to distribute the gifts and help her husband make friends with his classmates.

Fei Rulan and Fei Rumei, two ladies who had never been to the academy before, looked around curiously.

Taking this opportunity, Zhao Zhenfang pulled her brother aside, suppressed her excitement, and whispered: "Second brother, I can also make money."

"My little sister is so awesome!" Zhao Han praised.

Zhao Zhenfang took out a bunch of copper coins from her arms and stuffed them into Zhao Han's hand: "I heard that I was coming to the academy, so I brought the money. Second brother, please take it and use it."

There are about 800 copper coins tied with cloth ropes, all of which are wages and reward money. The winter solstice wedding money has not been given yet.

The top servant of Fei Yinghuan's family can earn up to two taels of silver a month, and he holds a management position, so there is money to be made secretly.

The maids in the inner courtyard earn about one tael a month.

As the young lady's playmate, Zhao Zhenfang is provided with food, housing and clothing, and a monthly salary of 600 Wen.

The same cannot be said for the lower-class slaves. Not only are their wages low, they are often deducted by the stewards. Some domestic slaves live a miserable life, but they do not resent their masters, only the stewards.

Of course, this also depends on which company is involved.

The same Fei family from Ehu, Fei Yinghuan's second brother is very harsh. The mistress is very stingy. The wages of domestic slaves are cut in half, and she often beats, scolds and abuses her. Some time ago, she accidentally killed one of them, and she just lied about being sick and buried her quietly.

.

"Don't you usually use money?" Zhao Han asked.

Zhao Zhenfang smiled and said, "No need, I have food and clothing. The young lady is very kind to me." After that, she rolled up her left sleeve and showed the silver chain on her wrist, "This is a gift from the second lady. She has it."

A few new ones, but no more old ones."

"Okay, second brother will save it for you. You can take it back when you need it." Zhao Han stuffed the copper coins into his arms.

The eldest lady, Fei Rulan, walked around the courtyard a few times and couldn't help but said, "Mom, can I go somewhere else in the academy?"

Mrs. Lou loved her daughter very much and immediately called Fei Ruhe: "Take my sister around."

"I want to go too!" Fei Rumei shouted quickly.

Mr. Lou smiled and said: "Everyone goes, everyone goes."

Since Fei Ruhe was leading the way, Zhao Han and Fei Chun, as book boys, naturally had to follow them.

The eldest young lady Fei Rulan, the maid Xiyue; the second young lady Fei Rumei, the maid Chunfang...well, that's Zhao Zhenfang. They all left the courtyard together, Fei Ruhe rushed out of the way and ran away quickly alone.

Watching her children leave, Mr. Lou suddenly asked: "I heard... that the family from Lilie Nufang also lives in the academy?"

Fei Yinghuan nodded and said, "We'll move down the mountain soon."

Mr. Lou said: "It's so pitiful for orphans and widowed mothers. Let's give them a winter solstice plate."

Wei Jianxiong, who had been silent all this time, suddenly jumped out: "I'll send them off, I know where they live."

Mrs. Lou sorted out a gift, handed it to Wei Jianxiong and said, "That's it."

Wei Jianxiong picked it up and ran away, completely elated.

"What's wrong with him?" Lou didn't understand.

Fei Yinghuan smiled and said: "I don't know, these days are very strange anyway."

After a while, Mrs. Chen brought Fei Yuanjian over to thank Mr. Lou for the winter solstice gift. Wei Jianxiong followed beside him with a face full of joy.

From the looks of it, the relationship seems to be making progress.

The martyr girl is afraid of pestering her husband, and no matter how scheming Chen is, she is still an emotionally empty woman, not to mention that they have known each other since childhood.

Lou and Chen, two women, had a conversation.

The atmosphere was very harmonious, and we even made an appointment to go to worship Buddha together the year before.

After Mrs. Chen left, Mrs. Lou smiled and said, "This little aunt is also smart and smart."

Fei Yinghuan's focus was different, and he murmured to himself: "There is something very wrong with Old Wei. Even if he is having an affair with Mr. Chen, he should not make it so obvious. I will have to remind him if I have time. Since it is an affair, it should be

Being silent and unaware of the gods and ghosts can last a long time."

Mr. Fei's thinking is still so cunning and strange.

When he discovered that the slave was having an affair with an elder of the same clan, his first reaction was not to stop him, but to complain about the slave's affair skills and to remind the other party to be careful.

Mr. Lou resisted the urge to roll his eyes and didn't bother to say any nonsense. Apparently he was used to this.

Suddenly, Fei Yinghuan clapped his hands fiercely: "I forgot to tell my wife, Brother Han has a new method. Putting two decks of cards together, the game is called mahjong. Come into the room and explain it in detail!"

Mr. Lou was dragged into the house, dumbfounded.

Fei Yinghuan held out a wooden box and said as if to offer a treasure: "Brother Han is a smart man. According to his idea, my husband asked someone to carve a set of mahjong tiles out of wood, and even specially equipped the dice for this. Hurry up.

Sit down and I will teach you how to play cards."

Mr. Lou finally couldn't bear it any longer, and asked with a straight face: "You abandoned your family, went to the mountains to study in seclusion, and came out with a set of mahjong tiles?"

Fei Yinghuan chuckled and said shamelessly: "Madam, don't worry, I don't play cards every day. I just do it for fun when I'm bored with studying."

Mr. Lou sat down and sulked.

Fei Yinghuan was shameless, and some coaxing finally worked, and the couple began to study the art of mahjong.

…

Zhao Han usually went to private school at the foot of the mountain and had never been to the academy on the mountain. He just wandered around with everyone.

The library here is very large, much larger than at the foot of the mountain.

Thirteen-year-old Fei Rulan looked up at the library and whispered to herself: "It would be better if I were a man. I don't have to hide at home all day long and learn to be a female worker."

Fei Ruhe smiled and said: "Sister is smarter than me. If I were a boy, I'd probably be a scholar."

Fei Rulan smiled helplessly and said nothing.

Her fiancé was from a prominent family in Jiujiang, and his reputation as a libertine had spread to Qianshan.

A dandy, he couldn't even pass the scholar examination. Meng Yin became a Imperial College student, and spent money to buy a minor official some time ago.

Governor Wei Zhaocheng kept his promise and accepted two thousand taels of silver, and soon helped to obtain the needed amount.

Yin Jiansheng will definitely not be able to be the county magistrate, but he can be the eighth-level county magistrate. He can only go to Shanxi to take office after the Chinese New Year.

The price of buying an official position is also rising year by year.

In the mid-Jiajing period, a state judge only needed 300 taels, and a doctor only had 3,000 taels. It was so cheap and affordable, both because silver was scarce at the time and because those who wanted to buy an official position were qualified enough.

In the late Jiajing period, the price of a doctor had risen to tens of thousands taels. At that time, the inflow of silver from the Americas increased, and they dared to sell their official positions to those with insufficient qualifications.

As for now, three thousand taels is enough to buy the chief official of a small county, but a wealthy county must buy seven or eight thousand taels, or even tens of thousands of taels.

There are also supporting financial services, and there are powerful people in Beijing who specialize in loan sharking.

Don’t you have money to buy an official position?

Don't worry, just borrow usury.

This kind of loan sharking is called "Beijing Debt". If you borrow 10,000 taels, you will actually get only 5,000 taels, and the interest rate is horribly high. After borrowing money to buy an official, you must quickly search for a place, otherwise your life will be in vain.

Fei Rulan thought that in a year or two, she would have to fulfill her engagement and marry a bastard and a playboy, and she suddenly wanted to die.

Walking slowly to the edge of the cliff, Fei Rulan looked at the wilderness and had the urge to jump off. When she looked back, she saw that there were children all around her, and she couldn't help but recite a poem: "In the third winter, the moonscape is in the year of the dragon, and thousands of people watch the wind and come out.

Sichuan. In the distance, you can see the leaping dragon turning into a horse, and looking back at the fields of frost and jade."

Zhao Han found a stone, sat down with his butt crooked, then stood up feeling cold, and said with a smile: "Sister, do you want to be Shangguan Wan'er? It's a pity that the current emperor is a man."

Fei Rulan was a little surprised: "Have you ever learned this uncommon poem? I'm afraid you've rarely heard of it even when it comes to promoting people to Jinshi."

"My father taught me this before he was alive." Zhao Han has become accustomed to pushing everything to his own father.

Fei Rulan praised: "I think your father is a learned man."

Zhao Zhenfang quickly said: "My father is very powerful and has read many, many books."

Fei Rumei was not to be outdone: "My father is also very good and has read many, many books."
To be continued...