Jiu Sheng suddenly heard a lot of people outside. He didn't know why. He quickly got up and looked outside. It turned out that the ship had arrived in Shanghai. A group of porters, coachmen, and friends picking up guests from the inn all rushed on board to solicit business, so th

Twenty-one to twenty-three

Chapter 21

Big things and small things

Jiu Sheng suddenly heard a lot of people outside. He didn’t know why. He quickly got up and looked outside. It turned out that the ship had arrived in Shanghai. A group of porters, coachmen, and friends picking up guests from the inn all rushed on board to solicit business, so there was a lot of noise. Jiu Sheng's mother, aunt, and sister all woke up. Everyone felt happy when they knew they had arrived in Shanghai, and they all got up and washed themselves up.

Jiu Sheng packed up the scattered things. After a while, it was broad daylight. After Jiu Sheng waited for his mother and aunt to wash up, he called a carriage and went to the inn, where he picked two rooms and rested temporarily. Because I had been in the wind and waves for several days on the sea ship, I was a little sleepy. At night, Jiu Sheng wrote a letter to Mr. Wu and planned to send it tomorrow.

This is the inn where Jiu Sheng stayed when he returned to Hangzhou. That Mr. Hu is a very sincere person. Of course he still remembered Jiu Sheng, and he said cheerfully: "This is easy. There is a boat sailing on the Yangtze River tonight, and I have a man to go, so I asked him to take him with him." So, the two of them chatted about some daily things.

Jiusheng said to his mother: "I have already written to Mr. Wu, asking him to find a house for us first, so that we can live in it when we arrive. Otherwise, I am afraid we will have to live in an inn when we arrive in Nanjing. Mr. Wu will definitely refuse to give up. If we stay in an inn and want to live in his mansion, we are afraid of not having enough space; the Chinese New Year is coming soon and it is not a problem to disturb others." Jiu Sheng's mother said, "How long can we stay here? "Jiusheng said: "Mr. Wu has written back. After a few days of hard work on the road, it's time to take a rest." Jiusheng's aunt said: "When I was in my hometown, I always heard people say that Shanghai is lively, but I don't know. Where is the liveliest place? Just go and see it." Jiu Sheng said, "It's a break anyway, we have plenty of time, let's go shopping together." The aunt said, "Your sister is a young widow. I'm afraid it's not suitable to go out and show off!" Sister

said: "I don't necessarily want to go shopping. Mom, you said this, but I just want to go shopping. Women should not show up in public. I have always been the most dissatisfied. Believe it. This sentence is for the kind of woman who has no self-respect. How can I not have any self-respect? "My aunt said, "If I don't let you go, you are still a decent woman." My sister said: "There is a kind of woman who has no self-respect. She puts on makeup and makeup every day and looks at people with the tips of her eyes. One look seems to have a thousand words written in it. How can those frivolous men not be distracted when they see it? If she is a serious woman, she behaves Those who are generous and don't laugh lightly will naturally not cause trouble."

Jiu Sheng's mother said: "As the ancient saying goes, inner words do not come from the inner world, and external words do not enter the inner world. What do you think?" My sister smiled and said: "This sentence means that women's words are not allowed to be heard by people outside, and men's words are not allowed to be heard by the women in the boudoir. But it is possible to shut a woman in the door and not allow her to go out. If you want to avoid foreign language, then you must never enter a woman's room. If you do, you need to pretend to be mute. If you don't pretend to be mute, the woman will hear him when he speaks. If it gets into the woman's ears, it will break the precept of this sentence." This sentence made everyone laugh.

Jiu Sheng said: "When I was a child, I heard Master Meng teach the same thing. He said that vulgar words from the outside should not be spread inside; obscene words from the inside should not be spread outside." Sister said: " This is another overbearing explanation. It seems that the words on the outside are vulgar, and the words on the inside are not serious. "Sister

said: "I can't agree with the saying that 'a woman's lack of talent is a virtue'. This sentence by the ancients was based on an incident, and later generations adopted it as a golden rule. "Jiusheng asked: "What do you disagree with the most?" Sister said: "Many women are educated and literate. There is no place for me to put my skills to use, so I only treat reading as a special thing. Once I know a few words, I will not seek to improve.The big deal is that she is a talented woman if she can read a few articles, poems, etc.; some people only know how to read a small book with operas written in it for only 3 to 5 cents on the street. The handkerchief is lost, or a tael of silver is lost, and a story about a beautiful woman matching a talented man comes out. So when I say this, I mean one person and one thing. How can it be generalized? "

Jiusheng's mother smiled and said: "According to you, a woman must be talented? "My sister said: "I have read the "Female Commandments" and "The Classic of Filial Piety" before. After understanding the principles, natural virtues will have a foundation. Then I will read serious and useful books. There is no moral thing. I am Won't do it. For people like us, it is absolutely impossible for us to steal from a man. The aunt laughed and said, "Why did you go so far!" "My sister said: "I, if I had been reading those little opera books since I was a child, and had been full of romantic stories about beauties and talented people, I wouldn't be here now. "The aunt said: "You should talk less. You and Jiu Sheng should also be separated and let Jiu Sheng live inside. It is best not to interfere with each other. As the ancients said, there is no way to go wrong! " Jiu Sheng saw Mr. Hu talking to a man in ragged clothes, mumbling in a low voice. Jiu Sheng couldn't speak, so he just sat down next to him. Mr. Hu said, "You said there are such ridiculous people in the world! He brought four to five thousand silver and said he was going to Shanghai to do business. Now, I have lost all the money first. Business is like a meat bun beating a dog. "Jiusheng said: "Is there a casino in Shanghai? Mr. Hu said: "As for whether there are casinos, Shanghai's ban is so strict that there is not even a single casino. If there are no casinos, there are casinos everywhere." There is a group of people in Shanghai who cheat by gambling. They may have rented a house and pretended to be a mansion, or they may have pretended to be a foreign brand, and the ostentation was very grand, specifically to seduce passers-by or young people. "They all get you hooked step by step. At first they start drinking and having tea, then they gradually start gambling, and then they grow up. Those who are fooled will not be able to get back on the stage until they lose completely." "Jiusheng said: "Why do everyone only lose money in gambling games? Mr. Wu said: "Use fake dice and fake cards!" Fooling people. "Jiusheng said: "Is this person just now your friend? " Mr. Hu said: "I knew him when I was in my hometown, and he stayed with me when I arrived in Shanghai. A few days ago, a gambler lived in my store. Later, I saw through it and asked him to move elsewhere. Unexpectedly, I was a step too late. My friend had already made acquaintance with him. He was addicted to and gambling, so he hid it from me. He only said that he had a business and was moving out. I didn’t know where he moved, but I didn’t expect that he would end up like this. "Just now, he came to ask me, where did the gambler move to?" He is desperate now, and I'm afraid he won't be able to think about it anymore. But, how do I know! It is said that this gambler has great magical powers. He claims to be a candidate doctor. He has good writing skills. He often writes two articles and sends them to newspapers for publication. His name is written at the bottom, so everyone knows that he is a scholar. In addition to the good title of scholar, he is also very well-informed in officialdom. He often knows about things that have not been published in newspapers before, so people suspect that he is a famous figure in officialdom. In addition, he is also a tipper. For example, if he recognizes you, he will invite you to tea and wine, and invites two gamblers to get acquainted with you; but after you get acquainted, he avoids you. Later, when those people dragged you into the game, he just pretended not to know, and never came to join the game. When you lost all your money, he went to divide the stolen money according to shares. So what if I find it? The money has already been divided. "Jiusheng said: "Those who participated in the gambling together can sue him. "Mr. Hu said: "The whereabouts of that group of people are elusive and have long since dispersed, and their names are not fixed. Today they are called 'Zhang San', and tomorrow they can be called 'Li Si'. I heard that in one place, two small officials who were waiting to take office were also involved and mixed in to do this business. " Early the next morning, Jiu Sheng suddenly heard a loud noise in the room next door, like the sound of a fight. He didn't know what it was. He went out to take a look and saw two old men arguing there, one with a Beijing accent and the other with a Beijing accent. Sichuan accent.The man with the Beijing accent seemed to have grasped something about the Sichuan accent, and shouted: "Tell me what you are. If you can't tell me, I'll beat you to death!" As he spoke, he raised his hand to hit him.

The person with the Sichuan accent said: "I'm afraid of you! I'm a bastard, I'm a bastard!" The person with the Beijing accent said: "Should you pay me back the money?" The person with the Sichuan accent said: "Yes, I should!" Beijing The person with the Sichuan accent said: "You dare to give me a penny less, so that I won't beat you up?" The person with the Sichuan accent said: "I don't dare to owe, I don't dare to owe! I'll deliver it when I get back." The person with the Beijing accent let go, The one with the Sichuan accent slipped away. With a Beijing accent, he sneered: "Others compliment you as a famous person, but I won't accept that! I will make you recognize me today." Jiu Sheng saw that there were many books listed in his room, some of which were wrapped, and some of which were not wrapped. Jie, and the book had not been bound, and then I realized that the person with a Beijing accent was a book seller.

Coincidentally, this person is none other than a cousin of Jiu Sheng, named Wang Boshu. This Wang Boshu was originally from a family that had been scholarly for generations. He himself was a chief official. After filling the vacancy, he was promoted to Yuanwai Lang, and soon he was promoted to Langzhong, and was released to Datong Prefecture in Shanxi Province. After taking office, he was particularly willing to travel privately in private to visit people's sufferings. But he is very short-sighted and needs glasses to see clearly. When it comes to shooting birds, his gun's accuracy is excellent. Shanxi has the largest number of sculptures. When he paid a private visit, he brought a shotgun to hunt for sculptures. Once, after finishing official business, he went to the provincial capital for a private visit incognito. Soon, he met a person among the teahouses and wine shops. They were talking about local affairs, and the man asked Wang Boshu: "How is Futai in your place now?" Wang Boshu said: "Futai. ? He was born in the Youth Department, and after a few jobs in Beijing, he became popular and filled the gap in Futai. Look at what he can do as soon as he takes office! At that time, I wanted to do everything in one day. I wanted to do this and that. How could I succeed in one thing? The first thing I talked about was the ban on opium, but look at him. Zhezi also said no smoking, and the notices said no smoking, and Xia Zhazi also said no smoking, but never said the method of banning smoking. In short, this kind of people just talk empty words and don't implement it! The people dispersed. However, what he met was actually Futai from that province. If he said it out loud, he would regret the water he threw out.

This Futai was indeed a junior in the department, it was indeed Kamijou Chen who became famous, and he was indeed appointed in Shanxi. The first thing was to ban smoking, but since he took office, more and more people smoked opium. On this day, he also went out for a private inspection and met Wang Boshu. But something doesn't sound right. One of them is a superior and the other is a subordinate. Although they don't see each other very often, they meet quite often when it comes to business matters. Don't they recognize each other? But don’t forget, Wang Boxu is a very short-sighted person. Without glasses, he can only distinguish colors from three feet away. But there is a rule in official circles that few people know: you cannot wear glasses when meeting your boss. Although Wang Boshu had seen Futai, he had almost always seen him when he was on duty in the Yamen. He couldn't wear glasses when he saw him. He saw him every day, but he couldn't see him clearly every day. But Futai recognized him and deliberately tried him. Unexpectedly, he ended up with a lot of good comments, which made him feel very annoyed! Therefore, if you don’t wear glasses for myopia, it’s like seeing flowers in the fog. If you’re not careful, it can bring you unexpected shocks. The platform mentioned before by

wants to know what the people below really think of him, and often eavesdrops. Mr. Futai probably didn't have enough confidence in himself, so he wanted to ask others for confirmation. Now after hearing this, he felt half melancholy and half worried, thinking that this was how he was. Now, all I want to do is get involved in Wang Boshu's fame.The author's interpretation: From ancient times to the present, there have been many comments on various things. Some people understand it this way, and some people think it is another explanation; there are so many right and wrong, how do people in the world deal with it? Can we ensure that there is no such thing? Are you deceived and not deceived by the rhetoric? Life seems to have many possibilities. No matter how you choose, life will give you corresponding rewards. In daily work, it is best for us to maintain an optimistic attitude. It may not be possible to complain or complain. You will encounter it. The best work attitude is not to let the negative emotions caused by trivial things in life affect your work; for life, everyone faces different family environments, no matter how hard you work, To deal with life, it may still be unsatisfactory. If they are too concerned about gains and losses, no matter how good the job remuneration and living environment are, they will be just ordinary things to them, and no matter how great luck they are, they will just be a passing cloud. In this way, the meaning and fun of life will be lost.

Chapter 22

That gentleman from Futai, Shanxi, has had a smooth career since he passed the No. 3 Flower Award, and has a bright future. Who would you think would not flatter him? Moreover, this person only likes to hear praises. Who would dare to criticize him if he is not wise enough?

On that day, Wang Boshu's words made him feel extremely humiliated. Because he couldn't swallow his bad breath, he went to the superiors to report to Wang Bo, saying that he was not suitable to stay here as an official and could not set an example for the people. It is better to remove his official position for a period of time and then make a decision after inspection. Wang Boshu was also very well-informed. Knowing that he was about to take action, he lied that he was sick and wanted to seek medical treatment. Mr. Futai is processing the dismissal papers, and Wang Boshu's sick leave note for the vacancy has also arrived. Mr. Futai was at his wits end, unable to let Wang Boshu resign for the time being, so he had to write a postscript on the sick leave note, indicating that he believed Wang Boshu was not suitable for the current official duties and so on. Wang Boshu resigned from his official position at Datong because he had a sick leave note. This is his past history, I don’t know what will happen in the future. This family of relatives is far apart. I have never seen him before. Only my uncles and uncles have seen him a few times.

Uncle Wang said that after leaving office, he switched to book selling. I bought some stone-printed books from Shanghai and went to Beijing. I exchanged some Beijing blackboard books and exchanged them for stone-printed ones. By doing this several times, I was able to make a profit. Jiu Sheng asked again about the old man with a Sichuan accent, "Why did you two have such a big quarrel just now?" Uncle Wang said, "His name is Li Yuxuan. He used to be a county magistrate in Jiangxi. He was like me. His situation was similar. He also resigned. "Jiusheng asked: "Does he owe uncle money for books?" Uncle Wang said: "Isn't it true? If he dares to go crazy in front of me, I will not forgive him. He is so crazy that even Futai is afraid of him. Unexpectedly, he met me today. "Jiusheng asked, "Why is Futai afraid of him?" Wang Bo said, "It's a long story. . Listen to me. When he was an official in Jiangxi, he went to a feudal government office, but he brought opium smoking paraphernalia and started smoking directly in the official hall. He was very reluctant, so he sent his subordinates to say to him: "Master, if you want to have a good time, please go back and have a good time before coming back. It is not appropriate to smoke in the official hall." After hearing this, he immediately stood up and ran to the flower hall. . At this time, Fan Tai was meeting with several alternates to discuss official matters. He didn't ask for the reason, so he yelled at Fan Tai: "You don't allow me to smoke!" I still smoked my shisha in my former master Zeng Wenzhenggong's room. I never saw you coming! Your official hall is bigger than my master's room - "Fantai" Before he could finish speaking, he became furious and shouted: "Isn't this counter-intuitive! Get him out!" After hearing the word "expulsion", he took off the big hat on his head and pointed it at Fan Tai. , threw him in the face, and said: "Who are you, you deserve to throw me away! I don't want to be an official anymore!" Fan Tai was hit squarely in the face. Take him down. At that time, the people gathered around and wanted to take him down.He became more and more crazy, barking like a mad dog. Fortunately, several alternates nearby persuaded Fan Tai to stop him and let him go.

When he returned to the Yamen, he packed his luggage and left immediately without waiting for his successor to explain. Fantai went to see Futai on the same day and discussed how to consult him in detail. Na Futai said: "Forget it!" This kind of madman is not the material to be an official, so just appoint someone to take over his job. ’ When the feudal lord saw Futai acting like this, he had no choice but to hold back. When he came to Shanghai, he wrote a few crooked poems and published them in the newspaper. Two people complimented him and called him Jiang Baishi and Li Qinglian, so he became even more crazy. " Jiu Sheng said: "You think his poems are always good? "

Uncle Wang said: "I don't know if he is good or not. I only remember a couplet in his "Ode to Running Water": "If you want to pour water into an urn, you don't need a well; when you come from the lake, you don't need a boat." Isn't this a riddle made by children? How can people walking on the lake come and go without taking a boat? It's just a little arrogant. These are called Jiang Baishi and Li Qinglian. I'm afraid Jiang Baishi and Li Qinglian will cry bitterly under the Nine Springs! "

Jiusheng said: "These two lines of poetry are really not good. But writing poetry is just writing poetry, so why should he be so crazy? "Uncle Wang said: "If this kind of person reveals his true feelings, he will be a shameless villain! His kind of madness is just like the behavior of a servant who treats a concubine poorly and relies on favor to become arrogant. All servants and concubines, once they are favored, will act coquettishly and foolishly. At first, he was annoyed because of his coquettish behavior. But when I looked back, I already loved him, so I had to tolerate it a little and let others hear it, so that others felt that I had no tolerance. Therefore, if he tolerated it twice, he would become lawless. "This group of crazy slaves is exactly the same. He accidentally wrote a crooked poem or two, or wrote a manuscript, and made the governors and nobles nod their heads. He felt very proud, and from then on he pretended to be flattering. To please people. According to his behavior, why wouldn't the noble governor be annoyed with him! Just because I have admired him before, or someone among my colleagues has admired him, and I recognize him for a moment, I am afraid of being said to be too small-minded, so I am used to this kind of people who know how to please. People. According to me, tie him up and reward him with a whip of 1,800 yuan to see if he dares to go crazy! Just like Li Yuxuan, he scolded the feudal lord for something, but the feudal lord ignored him. He just said this everywhere, "What the hell are you!" This is always a curse word. He bought a book with me, wanted to cheat me on the price of the book, and then scolded me with this sentence. I got angry, pulled his pigtails, and asked him, and he willingly admitted that he was a 'son of a bitch'. "Do you think this kind of person has any backbone?" Confucius said, "Only women and villains are difficult to maintain." Women are maids and concubines, and villains refer to these shameless madmen. There is also a group of people who are not motivated, and no one appreciates them, and they imitate them to be crazy and talk about "the poor, the humble and the proud".

You think, what is so noble about being poor and humble, but can it be used to despise others? Could it be that he is very poor and his family is very poor because he is too noble and regards money as dirt? He doesn't blame himself for being poor and lowly because of greed and laziness. He still pretends to be noble, but says that rich people are just common people. In fact, he was jealous of the rich man's money and couldn't give it to him, so he acted like this. I said he was crazy about money! After finishing speaking, Wang Boshu laughed. Then he sighed and said, "Have you read the newspaper in the past two days?" The little France can't beat him, but in the past two days I heard that they were going to reconcile.

Nowadays, foreigners pay attention to industrial knowledge, but we in China only pay attention to reading. Reading is a good thing, but when those people read it, they all became celebrities! Unfortunately, once he gets the law and becomes an official, he still drinks wine and composes poems while discussing public cases in the yamen. Do you think where the place will be better? Which country will be stronger? If the country is not strong, how can we deal with those powerful countries? Foreigners have long said that China will never be able to stand on its own in the future, and other countries will come and divide China.Think about it, after being divided up by them, let alone drinking and composing poems, I'm afraid they won't even let you fart! " Jiu Sheng said: "Why is it so beneficial? Bo Shu was about to answer when he saw Chunlan girl coming over and asking Jiu Sheng to eat. Wang Bo Shu said casually, "Please go ahead and we'll talk after dinner." " Jiu Sheng just listened to Bo Shu's words and thought it was very reasonable. After dinner, he went to see him. Unexpectedly, he locked the door and went out, so he had to go back to the room. Jiu Sheng saw his sister holding a book. Look, when Jiu Sheng came closer to look at it, he turned over the book and saw that it was "Dianshizhai Pictorial" and asked where it came from. "There was a kid selling it just now, and there were two newspapers." . After that, he handed the newspaper to Jiu Sheng. Jiu Sheng's mother sent the girl Chunlan to call Jiu Sheng and asked: "After the letter you wrote yesterday, did you write one to your uncle?" "Jiusheng said: "Mother, I didn't write it. "My mother said, "If we don't have a big delay, we don't need to write; if we are delayed for a few days, we should write a letter first to inform us. "Jiusheng said: "Haier wrote to Mr. Wu, but asked him to find a house. We will wait for his reply in three to five days before we make a decision. "My mother said: "In that case, you should also write to your uncle and ask your uncle to find a house for us. Do you have a lot of time to rely on Mr. Wu alone? "Jiusheng agreed, and went to write a letter and showed it to his mother. He wanted to seal it, but his sister said, "Wait a minute. There is one important thing you did not write down, which you must explain. Regardless of whether the house is rented or not, you must inform your uncle and tell him that Mr. Wu has been asked to find a house. Otherwise, if we rent both houses and we go together, how can we live in two houses? Jiu Sheng added this sentence, sealed it, and sent it to the accounting room.

Wang Boshu took a book from the desk and handed it to Jiu Sheng and said, "I'll give this to you to read." After reading this kind of book, you can learn something practical, so you won't have to imitate that kind of famous person who doesn't know the heights and heights of the world. Jiu Sheng took it and thanked him. Seeing that the book was "Policies for Enriching the Country", he said, "Is this a new one?" "Wang Bo said: "It is a book written by a Japanese and translated into Chinese by a Chinese in recent years. He added: "With the general trend of the world at the moment, if we don't correct the path of scholars, I won't dare to talk about what will happen in ten years." I often hear people say that Chinese officials are not good. I have also been an official, so I cannot say that this is not true. But if you think about it carefully, who is this official? And no official class is hereditary. Those who are officials will be officials from generation to generation, and those who are not officials will not be officials from generation to generation. If this is the case, you can say that. Being an official is supposed to be done by scholars, so we should first complain about scholars. Forget about the kind of fanatics mentioned in the first half of the day; in addition, there is another kind of person. There is a local saying in Shanghai called "bookworm head", which is the meaning of "bookworm" here. You think, after reading a good book, they will be poisoned and become "idiots". Will they be able to do anything in the future? "

Jiusheng said: "What my uncle said this morning is that countries like France will carve up our country in the future. After that, they can't even fart. What's the truth? Wang Boshu sighed: "In today's world, we can no longer stick to ancient Chinese books as examples." You just read " Twenty-Four Histories ". When the Wuhu was in trouble, when they arrived in China, they all became Chinese and became Chinese civilized people. Even this dynasty was not Chinese, but after entering the customs for 300 years, Over the years, all of them have been converted to Chinese culture; even now, many of the bannermen do not understand Manchu dialect, so everyone has forgotten about it. Is this still the case in a country where foreigners are destroying people now? At this time, there was no partition, but he had already set up churches everywhere and started preaching. He wanted to spread his religion throughout China first; then you can imagine what will happen after the partition. When I was in Shanxi, I met a foreigner named Li who went to Shanxi to preach. He often came to sit in my Yamen. I asked him many foreign things, but I couldn't tell you much at the moment. I'll just tell you a story about Russia. Russia destroyed Poland. The first decree he implemented in Poland was that Poles were not allowed to speak Polish, and they were not allowed to use Polish characters.I said: "Then what words should I say and what words should I use?" "Boshu said: "If you want to speak his Russian language, use his Russian writing! Jiu Sheng said: "What happens if you don't understand?" "Boshu said: "Those who don't understand, he takes them and forces them to learn. Wherever he heard a Polish phrase, he took action. Jiu Sheng said: "What does this mean?" "Uncle Wang said: "What he is afraid of is that these people just talk about their homeland, and then they start thinking about their homeland, and once it wants to be restored. The second decree was that Poles were not allowed to walk on the side of the road, but had to walk in the middle of the road. "Jiusheng said: "This meaning is more difficult to understand. "Uncle Wang said: "Although I am not a Polish person, I am hateful for the Polish people when I say this! He said that the Poles were all bastards, and that they were all thieves. If he walked by the roadside, he might have stolen something from the shop. At this point, he slapped the table and said, "You say it's hateful or not!" Jiu Sheng thought, it sounded really chilling. After being stunned for a long time, Jiu Sheng asked: "I wonder if we in China will ever see this day?" If it is necessary, I wonder if there is any way to recover it? "Uncle Wang said: "As long as the top and bottom work together to do things seriously, save those irrelevant things, and do coastal defense and border defense seriously. When I was in Beijing, I submitted a statement to the court official. After arriving in Shanxi, I heard Pastor Li tell me about the advantages of foreign countries. No matter which subject, there are specialized schools. I have never been to a foreign country, and I don't know if his words are entirely reliable. However, if you think carefully, it may not be false; if it is false, why would he create such a rumor? At that time, I relied on Pastor Li's words, slandered my own intention, and submitted a statement to the governor of the province. Unexpectedly, he just treated it as if it was nothing and didn't mention it. We are in a hurry, but those who have the authority to do things only do so. Since I lost my official position, I have traveled from south to north countless times, looking at those scholars, but that's all. The reason why I quit doing other business and want to sell books has a deep meaning. Because the book dealers in the market are all ignorant. They only know which books sell well and make money, but they don't know which books are useful and which books are useless. So I decided to sell books, so I wanted to choose some useful books to sell. Who knows that the book buyer is just like the book dealer, he only knows things like "Duobao Pagoda", "Pearl Ship", "Da Tiwen Mansion" and so on. And the stone seal can be used for entrainment, which is the best for sales. As for "Jingshiwenbian", "Fuguoce", and all atlas books, he not only did not buy them, but he did not even know the titles of the books. When I asked him to buy them, he was confused and took out the books. , it was brought to his eyes, but he didn’t know how to look. You say it's amazing! These bastards were lucky enough to get the citizenship and become an official. How did they get it? "Jiusheng said: "Not all officials are of that group, but I have lived in Nanjing for a long time, and I have seen a lot of behavior in the officialdom, some of which are unspeakable. "Wang Bo said: "In the donation class, not to mention, they are not officials, but they are actually doing business like me at the moment. Their profit-making intentions are even more profitable than those who do business! The people you want to be officials are either of this type or that type. How will things in the world be done! Jiu Sheng said: "Since my uncle is so enthusiastic about saving the world, why not go out and become an official?" In the future, if you have the opportunity to get promoted and become more powerful, you will have something to rely on, and you can also push forward these ideas and theories of yours. "Uncle Wang said: "I am already over fifty years old. Now I am going to cancel my sick leave and have to wait to make up for it. After a few more years, when I reach sixty years old, a person will have a twilight spirit. How can I still get things done! Even if China is said to be destroyed, I'm afraid it won't be destroyed for a while. We who are older are at the end of our lives and are useless. I hope you young people can learn from Baba well, and there is still hope for China. All in all, China is not dead. Just become stronger; if you don’t become stronger, you will perish; there will never be a spiritless person who will exist there forever like this. However, we always miss it. "

Jiu Sheng felt that chatting with this distant relative, Uncle Wang, also gained a lot of knowledge. For example, what he just said about the subjugation and rejuvenation of the country, Jiu Sheng thought it was very good. Only when the country becomes stronger and revitalizes, Our country is a truly big country.

Chapter 23

Two days later, Jiu Sheng called a carriage and went to Shen Garden with his mother, aunt, and sister. The weather was cold at this time and there were very few tourists. Then we went to Jing'an Temple to see the gushing spring, which was surrounded by a stone fence and engraved with "The Sixth Spring in the World". My sister smiled and said: "This is always done by a man in the market. All the springs in the world are humiliating to him! This kind of turbid spring is the sixth spring. What is the clear spring in the world?" Wandering around. Once again, get on the bus and go back to the stack. As soon as he entered the inn, Mr. Hu greeted him quickly and handed Jiu Sheng a telegram.

Jiusheng took it over and saw that it was from Nanjing. I got the telegram back immediately. What he didn't expect was that the telegram said that his aunt was gone and his uncle asked him to return to Nanjing immediately. Jiu Sheng immediately shed tears. He felt like he was in a dream. He was very sad and didn't want to believe that this was true. Jiu Sheng's mother couldn't help but sigh with tears: "I've been separated from my grandma for twenty years. I fully expected to see you again, but when we got here, he was gone!" Jiu Sheng said: " Originally, my aunt was sick when the baby left. When I went to say goodbye, my aunt said that I might not see her anymore, but she actually agreed. Mother, we should leave immediately, or what? After that, there was no reply."

My aunt said: "Since there is a telegram calling you, there is always something to discuss, so you should hurry up and leave." My mother also said the same. Jiu Sheng looked at his watch. It was already past four o'clock in the afternoon. The weather was short at this time and it was almost dark. I'm afraid it would be inconvenient to go to the pier. After discussion, we decided to leave tomorrow. After dinner, Jiu Sheng went to see Wang Boxu again and told him that he was leaving tomorrow. Wang Boxu looked reluctant to leave, and the two talked for a while and then said goodbye.

Early the next morning, Wang Boxu sent several maps and several books, saying they were for Jiu Sheng. He also sent Jiu Sheng a memorial ceremony for his father's death. In the afternoon, the luggage was handed out first, and then everyone got off the boat. It was not until midnight that the boat finally set sail for Nanjing. When they arrived in Nanjing, Jiu Sheng and the others had to stay in a nearby inn and settle down everyone. Jiu Sheng then rode a horse, whipped a few times, and walked to his uncle's mansion. He met his uncle and paid homage to his aunt at the funeral. The uncle was a little surprised and asked: "Is your mother here too?" Jiu Sheng replied: "Yes." The uncle said: "Is the disease cured?" Jiu Sheng did not tell the truth about the situation inside, but just replied: "It's cured. "Jiusheng asked his uncle: "I wonder when Auntie was here?" His uncle said: "Tomorrow is the first day of the week. There was originally a telegram sent to your home in Hangzhou, but I didn't know you had already arrived in Shanghai the next day. I received your reply, but I thought it was just you who was on your way to Nanjing, so I called you again and asked you to pick up your mother quickly. I have something to discuss with your mother and son. "Jiusheng said." There are also aunts and sisters here." The uncle asked in surprise: "That aunt and sister?" Jiu Sheng said, "It's the aunt from the third room." "What are they doing here?" He said: "Because my sister is also a widow, it was my nephew's wish to take her out. On the one hand, his mother and daughter have no reliable people at home, and on the other hand, they also invited me to keep my mother company." The uncle said, "You How short-sighted! Is it easy to be a guest outside? I wonder what will happen to you in the future! With so much gossip, how can I live here?" Jiu Sheng said, "My nephew also trusted Mr. Wu to rent a house for me. I wonder if the rent has been confirmed." Uncle asked, "Can Mr. Wu live here?" Jiu Sheng said: "We don't live with Mr. Wu, but we asked him to rent a house for us." His uncle said, "You go and pick up your mother first, and I will discuss the matter with him." Jiu Sheng agreed and rode on. Horse, go to Mr. Wu.

Mr. Wu was not at home, so Jiu Sheng went in to meet Mr. Wu's old mother and Mr. Wu's wife. Knowing that Jiu Sheng's mother, aunt, and sisters had all arrived, the old lady was very happy. She said, "Did you accept Mr. Wu's letter? He has found a house for you. The place he found at first was a good place. , it’s a grand mansion, but it’s too far away from my place and I don’t want to.It was rare that he knew what I meant, so he simply found a place next door. Someone originally lived there, so he negotiated with them, gave them some moving fees, and asked them to move elsewhere. I forced myself to make the decision with you, and opened a small door in the courtyard of the study that you can go through directly. In this way, we became a family. Do you think it’s okay? It's still being packed up now, I'll take you to have a look. "After that, she supported her girl and walked out. Mrs. Wu was also very happy and said: "From now on, our family can be lively! In the past two years, the old lady in our family was generally reluctant to step out of her room, which made everyone live a lonely and boring life. Unexpectedly, your old lady is here again, as well as my aunt, my aunt, and my aunt. This time, I am afraid that I will gain weight because of their joy! "According to seniority, Mrs. Wu calls Jiu Sheng's aunt as aunt and old lady, and Jiu Sheng's sister should be called "aunt's wife", here it is "aunt's wife". The old lady said: "Amitabha! If you could gain weight, my life would be shortened by a few years. You are so thin and pitiful! "

Mrs. Wu said: "So, my wife will never dare to gain weight in her whole life! If I get fat, my mother-in-law will lose a few years of her life. I still don’t want to get fat. However, there is a way, that is, if I gain weight, my mother-in-law will be happy and I will live a few decades longer. In this case, both of us will be fine. Then I will gain weight. The old lady said: "Okay, I listen to you, just get fatter!" "When we arrived next to Mr. Wu's study, we saw a small wooden door there. Everyone walked over and took a look. It turned out that there were three main rooms in a row, two wing rooms, and a large room on the west that was the kitchen. The old lady said cheerfully: "I have made an arrangement on your behalf: your old lady will live in the east room; the west room will be connected to the wing to make a suite. Your aunt and uncle can live there comfortably; you can just surrender. I live in the east wing; there is a main room in the middle, where we often come to quarrel. If you want to have guests, come over to our side. Be cautious and simply close the door. It is better to go in and out through our side. "Jiusheng also said happily: "Auntie arranged it well, thank you for your trouble! But now I have to go out of the city to pick up my mother. The old lady said: "Yes." Although the house is not ready yet, we can live there temporarily. We didn't feel aggrieved, so we slept on the same bed for two nights. There was no point in staying in an inn. It was a joke to others, as if we didn't have any friends in Nanjing. Jiu Sheng said, "Let's wait until the house is ready in two days before coming back. Now we are taking my mother to my uncle's house to discuss something." The old lady also lowered her voice and said, "Yes." Your aunt heard that she was gone. I don’t know what the disease was. It’s so pitiful. Then go and do your work. Jiu Sheng was about to leave, but the old lady stopped him again and said, "Wait a minute." When you pick up your old lady, I'm afraid you will leave your aunt and uncle in the inn again. They are unfamiliar with life and are prostitutes. How can you do that! I have become your master, let's take it together. "After that, he asked the girl to go out and call two family members. He asked him to hire two small sedans first, and asked the two old ladies to sit there. Then he asked the family to hire horses and follow Jiu Sheng out of the city. When they arrived at the inn, they packed up. Jiu Sheng followed the sedan on horseback and told the two family members to take care of their luggage. When they arrived at Wu's house, everyone greeted each other and asked his mother to go to his uncle's house. The old lady said, "You kid, why are you in such a hurry." Got it! Your mother came all the way and never had a good rest, so you had to drag her there! Think about it, if you go there, see the coffin, and touch the feelings of the sisters-in-law, you will be so sad that you will cry. This is the first level. On the second level, my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are here, very quiet, and usually very boring, okay It's easy for a visitor from afar to come, why don't you let us chat and just come and rob him? "Jiusheng asked his mother how she was doing.

His mother said: "Since the old lady here is happy to stay, you can go by yourself. It's just the same as saying that I am sick from hard work on the road and I have something to say to you. I'll go there tomorrow. "When Jiu Sheng arrived at his uncle's place, he only said that his mother was sick. Unexpectedly, Jiu Sheng's uncle couldn't help but said angrily: "She's sick.It's not healed yet. Could it be that it won't get better? Your aunt went there and didn't come even if she wanted to be invited for a discussion. What a big arrogance! When your father died, why did you call me by telegram and take you back with you to transport his coffin? Now that I have something to do, you put on airs! After talking for a while, Jiu Sheng did not dare to agree. After a break, his uncle continued: "When your aunt was dying, she said that she hoped you could adopt us. But you have to tell your mother, you also know the hardships of our family. Now it's also for your aunt's last wish. If you adopt me, everything after my death will be yours; even if I remarry and have a son, you will be the eldest son. When I get a worldly position in the future, it will also be from you. You just went and told your mother, and you will get back to me tomorrow. "Jiusheng listened and agreed, but didn't know what to say. Returning to Mr. Wu's mansion, Jiusheng only briefly told his mother about his uncle's adoption. His sister smiled and said: "Congratulations! One more piece of wealth. The old lady of the Wu family said: "This is your family matter. You can discuss it slowly in the evening." Today is my gift to support your family. I said that from now on, you are not allowed to avoid it. You and my son will also eat together today. I just told your mother that you would be my godson, and I also asked my son to ask your mother to be his godmother. "Jiusheng said: "It's good for me to ask the old lady to be my godmother, but my mother is not good enough to be Mr. Wu's godmother. "

The mother smiled and said: "You see, children's families also know that this is not allowed. "Jiusheng said: "The old lady loves me as much as she loves my elder brother. Not only is she a godson, I think she almost regards me as her own son." At that time, everyone was talking and laughing, and it was very lively. After a while, it was already on the stage. When the lights were on, Mr. Wu came back and greeted each of them. The old lady first took Sister Jiu Sheng's hand and said, "This is Jiu Sheng's sister, your sister. Come and see her soon." From now on, take care of each other and don’t treat us like outsiders! Mr. Wu said: "I can't see you being so happy, mother. Why don't you take this sister under your knees and become your goddaughter?" Besides, I don’t have a biological sister or biological sister. "When the old lady heard about it, she happily hugged Sister Jiu Sheng and said, "Are you willing? "My sister said: "If the old lady is so happy, why wouldn't I be willing? When the banquet was about to be served, the old lady said, "You are not allowed to move." One is a new arrival from afar; the other is too weak to be afraid of others and even complained of stomachache when he woke up early this morning. Let's all rest and wait for the girls to do it. "After a while, the table was set, and the old lady invited her to the table. During the dinner, they talked about her godson and godmother, just talking and laughing. After dinner, Jiu Sheng and Mr. Wu went to the study together. The little girl sent Mr. Wu off. When the cigarette pouch came, Mr. Wu stopped and said, "Go and tell your wife to prepare a few things as a gift for me to pray to my godmother and my wife to be my mother-in-law tomorrow." "The girl agreed and went. Jiu Sheng said: "Brother, are you going to take their words seriously? Mr. Wu said: "Why should we do this? This is a matter for women and children." However, when the old man is happy, we should also join in the fun and make him happy. The ancients had to do the colorful play in colorful clothes, let alone this. When it comes to friendship, why do we need to pay so much attention? If there is no friendship, what can we do if we have a close relationship? " This sentence touched Jiu Sheng. He thought of his aunt's adoption before her death.

Mr. Wu said: "Did you tell your mother what your uncle said later about letting you inherit all his property? ? Jiu Sheng said: "I didn't say anything." Mr. Wu said: "I think you just agreed to the adoption in a daze." But there is nothing wrong with having you attend the funeral and the funeral for two days. Jiu Sheng sighed and said, "It's just a play. My uncle's family doesn't have a son, so he has to do it even if it happens." "Mr. Wu said: "This is not a show, this is an expedient measure. If you definitely don't agree and make a fuss for a while, it will be another joke. I guess your uncle's intention is just to hold a funeral and to have a filial son to look good. He sighed again: "I watched with cold eyes. It's really hard to tell between your flesh and blood!" Jiu Sheng said: "Isn't it?" I see that there are many friends who are friendly, and for a reason, they are much better than my own relatives."Mr. Wu said: "You are talking about bowing, let me tell you a joke: half a month ago, when you went back, there was a man outside the Yamen on Yanxun Road here who sold memoranda to accuse others. It says: From a certain year and a certain month, I met such a friend. At that time, everyone was in difficulty, and that friend wanted to do business. He was in trouble, so he lent him the capital, but he lost all his money. The friend was about to go out to find a job again, and he was short of money. His family was in a difficult situation at the time, but he was kind enough to lend him money so he could leave. Therefore, the two people made an appointment and said many words that the poor and the humble should live together, and the rich and the noble should not forget each other. That friend left for several years and never came back, and he didn't have any money to send home. How come his family was in poverty, but he still had to support his family on his behalf. I wrote such a large series in such a mess that I can’t remember all that much. What is written at the end is: That friend is actually rich now. He has built a Taoist platform and made up for the real shortcomings; but he is poor in his hometown and remains the same. I wrote several times to borrow some money from that friend, but not only did I not borrow the money, I didn't even reply to the letter. So I collected the money and went to the Nanjing Yamen to see me. Unexpectedly, I went there seventy or eighty times, but never saw my friend once. This shows that the friend If you think he is poor, you will not recognize him as an old friend who is a close friend of the poor. It was useless for him to save the complaint, so he was willing to take it out and sell it for a few pennies. Those of you who are rich, you can go ahead and buy it. Find a Taoist and ask him if there is such a thing. If you are a rich person, the Taoist may also make friends with you. At the end there was a piece of paper spread out, with the name, place of origin, date of birth, and three generations of ancestors written on it. Who do you mean? It’s the current Salt Patrolman! Are you trustworthy? Jiu Sheng said: "What happened next?" Then he said: "After selling it for two days, it disappeared." Probably the Taoist spy heard that he was here to cause trouble, so he sent some money and told him to leave. Jiu Sheng said: "This peddler has a good idea!" "Mr. Wu said: "He is a man of merit. The Shanghai Investment Promotion Bureau has a general office who is from Guangdong.

He has a brother who is very unmotivated and does all kinds of things including drinking, gambling, opium, and whoring. He went to ask his brother for money many times, but it wasn't that he asked for less. He asked for a few hundred yuan. I asked him to come over, but he was gone. He finished his makeup in a daze outside, but he came again. This happened dozens of times, and his brother hated him so much. One day he came to ask for money again. His brother was so angry that he gave him a sling of copper coins. But he didn't think it was too little, so he took it and left. He took it and bought a stove, a few kilograms of charcoal, and a few kilograms of potatoes. He got up early every day, went to the door of Jinliyuan Inn, set up a stall, and started selling simmered potatoes. "

Jiusheng said: "Is it because he has changed his ways? "Mr. Wu said: "What about reforming evil and returning to righteousness! That Jin Liyuan is the hotel of China Merchants Bureau. Who among the people in the hotel doesn't recognize him as the brother of the general manager? Seeing his unkempt appearance, they can't help but point their fingers forward and backward. He was passed around, even the cart All the little workers who carry the burden know this, and they will definitely look at him when he comes and goes. When his brother found out, he became furious and asked him to scold him. He said instead: "I used to be a prostitute, so it's okay if you say I'm not good. Now I'm doing my own small business, and you blame me for being bad. What should I do?" ’ His brother was so angry that he couldn’t answer. Finally, he invited his fellow villagers to mediate, promised him a large amount of silver, and asked him to sign a pledge never to return to Shanghai before sending him back to Guangdong. Do you think it's strange or not? "

Jiusheng said: "Although these two things are somewhat similar, the people who betrayed the heart are different. One is his friend who comes to ask for money, and the other is his brother who comes to ask for money. "Mr. Wu said: "It's all the same routine, but it's just a new cover. " Jiu Sheng said: "Between friends, they turn against each other because they see others become rich and powerful; among flesh and blood, it's usually the poor one who likes to cheat on others. This is probably a common problem. "Mr. Wu said: "It's pretty much the same. It's just that lately many people are making fun of friendship. I once saw two people who wanted to be a sworn disciple. They were both disciples. One day, they had a falling out. They found the sworn vows letter, tore it up and burned it. , said: You are not worthy of being friends with me, and you have become ruthless just because of a little benefit. "