The next day at noon.

The northern suburbs of Jinhua Prefecture.

Qin Song carried two gift boxes and inquired with Mo Ziming and Lu Buping all the way, and finally found a slightly dilapidated courtyard.

A wall collapsed and was blocked with a fence.

Through the fence, you can see a little black dog lying in the yard and a few chickens and ducks foraging in the yard.

"Auntie, cousin!"

Qin Song stood outside the yard and shouted.

"Woom wool wool ~"

Hearing the voice, the little black dog raised his head and called out symbolically to prove that it was not a waste of food.

"Who?"

Then, another old voice came.

"Auntie, it's me, Qin Song."

"Qin Song?"

A surprise sound and rapid footsteps came from the yard.

"Squeak~"

The gate of the courtyard opened, and standing behind the door was an old lady with a hunched back and gray hair.

Before, Mo Ziming heard Qin Song talk about the relationship between the two parties: Ning Caichen's mother was Qin Song's mother's cousin, and the two parties looked three years apart.

But now when you look at it this way... the two sides are like a thirty-year-old gap.

Although Qin Song's mother is nearly forty years old, she is usually pampered and well-maintained, and she still has charm and looks almost ten years younger.

The aunt in front of her... looks like Ning Caichen's grandmother.

The two sides have not seen each other for many years, so when the door is opened, the aunt didn't know which one was Qin Song.

But his eyes were staring at Qin Song. After all, Qin Song was holding a gift box in his hand, so he should be right.

Qin Song also called out a little hesitantly: "Auntie?"

"It's really Komatsuko... are they your friends? Come in and sit in, and sit in."

The aunt greeted her enthusiastically.

At the same time, he turned his head and shouted: "Caichen, Caichen, what are you still doing? Come out quickly."

"Here you come!"

He responded in the room, and then Ning Caichen walked out.

When he saw Ning Caichen, Mo Ziming couldn't help but frown... Because, compared to the last time he met, Ning Caichen had obviously lost a lot of weight.

His face was not normal, and a hint of blue appeared.

His steps seemed a little frivolous and in poor spirits, just like he was staying up all night.

"cousin!"

Qin Song went forward and greeted him first.

Ning Caichen looked surprised and bowed his hands and quickly greeted him: "Cousin, Brother Mo, Brother Lu, I didn't expect you to come. It's really a mistake to welcome you, and a mistake to welcome you."

"I'm so sorry, the yard is too dirty, you guys are careful..."

The aunt subconsciously glanced at the chicken manure, duck manure and other things in the yard, and said with a cramped expression.

"Auntie, it's okay."

Qin Song glanced at the chickens and ducks with sympathy.

If nothing unexpected happens, I don’t know which chicken is going to be unlucky…

"Okay, Caichen, please call me first, mom and go and boil some boiled water."

"Okay mom."

Ning Caichen responded, and then warmly greeted Mo Ziming and the other two to the study.

Of course, his study room is far from that of wealthy families.

Not only are they small, but they are pitifully few... After all, for those who are not wealthy, books can be regarded as luxury goods.

Therefore, many scholars who cannot afford books can only borrow books with shameless face, copy the whole book, or even steal books.

Stealing a book is not considered stealing a book.

Can scholars be called stealing?

"Congratulations to Brother Mo, congratulations to my cousin for both of them, especially Brother Mo is even more enviable. He won the championship in one fell swoop, and Jie Yuan in high school."

As he spoke, Ning Caichen's expression was inevitably a little lonely.

After all, he is also a scholar, and his dream is to be able to win the imperial examination one day and change his destiny.

In fact, the Ning family's ancestors were even poorer than they are now, and they didn't even have a house in their own home.

When he arrived at the generation of Grandpa Ning Caichen, he was finally poor and wanted to change his fate as a tenant farmer and a long-term worker when he was poor.

For poor families, there are two best ways to change the fate of the entire family: one is to do business and the other is to study.

But neither method is easy.

Doing business requires original capital, a business mind, and there are also considerable risks. Maybe you will be able to bear debts that you will never be able to pay back in your entire life.

Besides, businessmen have no social status.

Scholars, peasants, industry and commerce are the division of the status quo of the people by the court, and scholars are scholars with the highest status.

If you pass the exam, it will be a matter of glorifying your ancestors.

Especially in some remote places, a scholar is also quite respected.

After three generations of unremitting efforts and efforts, the Ning Caichen's father's generation finally had its own house and several acres of thin land.

After certain conditions were met, all hope was placed on Ning Caichen.

Since childhood, Ning Caichen has never been to the fields and devoted himself to studying.

Situations like the Ning family are actually very popular. The accumulation of generations of people is for one person to study in order to change the fate of the entire family.

Once you pass the exam, the efforts of several generations will be rewarded with great rewards, and you will become a famous family, and the whole family and even future generations will benefit from it.

It’s a pity that passing the imperial examination is not an easy task.

There are even many scholars who have been studying until their hair is gray and are still an old boy, and they have not even passed the exam for scholars.

Ning Caichen was quite successful and passed the scholar after taking the exam twice.

However, in the Jiangnan region, scholars are really too ordinary, and they can only be said to be slightly better than ordinary farmers.

Most scholars usually rely on selling some calligraphy and paintings, writing letters, naming names, accounting, etc. to help others spend their lives.

"Hey, his third uncle, do a favor and kill this chicken..."

The old lady's voice came faintly outside.

"Cousin, are you and Brother Mo, Brother Lu going out for a special trip this time?"

After sitting down, Ning Caichen subconsciously asked.

Qin Song replied with a smile: "That's right, I happened to accompany Brother Lu to Jinhua Mansion to finish the bill."

"Collection? Have you received it?"

"Well, I received it, but I experienced a little storm..."

After chatting for a while, Mo Ziming suddenly found a painting hanging on the wall on the west side.

There is a woman in the painting with delicate facial features and black hair like a waterfall, standing under the moonlight and looking into the distance.

His appearance actually gave Mo Ziming a sense of familiarity.

Thinking about it a little... Yes, it looks like a female star named Liu in her previous life, and her gentle and gentle appearance is somewhat classical.

There is also a poem on the painting: The lake is green all over the sky with ten miles, and the jade hairpin secretly cherishes the youth. If the rain cover can protect each other, I only envy the mandarin ducks but not the immortals.

"Um?"

Mo Ziming couldn't help but walk forward and carefully observe the painting.

Seeing this, Ning Caichen's expression suddenly became a little nervous. He hurriedly walked over and explained:

"I bought this painting from an old calligraphy and painting stall. It is not a famous work, but it only takes dozens of words to be used as a decoration."

Qin Song couldn't help but smile: "What's wrong with me, are you afraid that Brother Mo will ask for it?"

"Cough~" Ning Caichen said embarrassedly: "Of course not, how could Brother Mo look down on such an ordinary painting?"

But Mo Ziming turned his head as if he was smiling: "If I really want this painting, I wonder if Brother Ning can give up?"
To be continued...