A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 79: No Hardship
Bao Zheng felt that Shi Jie was embarrassed.

Zhang Fangping thought that Shi Jie was "going too far".

It’s so delicious that no one will look down on you even if you just eat one meal.

Besides, this is not charity!

Since you're here to stay, you can't eat coarse food while we eat all the delicacies, right?
The principle of guests should follow the host's wishes.

Don't you understand?

"Oh."

Song Xuan nodded seriously:

"Shijiulang is nineteen years old and still able to study. He must have a large family. It's not like he can't even have a good meal at home during the New Year."

Shi Jie nodded slightly. "Shi Erlang is right. My family is prosperous and has been farmers for generations. But my father was promoted by Emperor Zhenzong twelve years ago and became the Prince's Secretary. He is now the Doctor of the Imperial Household, specializing in the Three Schools of Spring and Autumn."

"So it's not that I can't afford good food, it's just that I don't want to easily destroy my determination to endure hardship. It's definitely not that I look down on Twelve Lang's hospitality. I've been living this way for several years."

Everyone at the round table looked sideways.

This poor boy's father became a close friend of the emperor more than ten years ago, and that's why he is dressed like this, right?

It can be said that Shi Jie's background is better than anyone else here.

But Song Xuan did not abandon his vulgar interests and set out to become a saint.

“It turns out it’s not as bitter as eating it hard.”

Song Xuan put down his bowl and chopsticks and stood up as well: "Does Shijiulang have any money on him?"

"Have."

"Then go out and walk to the end of the intersection. Turn left and walk fifty steps. Turn right and walk a hundred steps. There's a small alley. There's a stall selling vegetarian noodles there."

"It tastes pretty good, and you can eat a full meal for just five cents. You can ask the stall owner to add three drops of sesame oil. I suggest you eat there every day. It won't ruin your mood."

Song Xuan responded to these people's insistence by saying, "Let them do whatever they want."

I'm not your father, why should I care about you?

"Thank you."

After Shi Jie thanked him, he took the initiative to leave.

I went to have dinner according to Song Xuan’s instructions.

After Shi Jie leaves, it's time for everyone to eat.

We are all young people, who would leave delicious food uneaten?

Are you going to starve yourself to become a saint and hone your mind?

Do you really think that everyone has never experienced the hardship of not having enough food to eat when they were young?
Except for Bao Zheng, Song Xuan and others felt that this kind of person was just complaining without any reason and was doing this deliberately to hone himself.

Pooh.

If you have the ability, you can become a beggar and wander around for a while. There is no need to be so artificial, and you will deeply understand the difficulties of life!
Only those who have truly suffered will not be so pretentious.

"Twelfth brother, have you also eaten at that vegetarian noodle shop?"

In response to Zhang Fangping's question, Song Xuan shook his head.

He said that he learned about the extremely cost-effective vegetarian noodles from chatting with neighbors.

Everyone was eating with relish, forgetting Shi Jie at all, and even Bao Zheng's appetite was aroused.

The exam is coming soon.

How can we handle a bad meal?
Do you really think you can pass high-intensity exams without using your brain and relying on willpower alone?
When his hair falls out and he becomes bald, Shijie will have time to cry.

After the disc.

Zhang Fangping leaned back on a bamboo chair:

"Twelfth Brother, I just thought about it. Mr. Fan also refused delicious meals in the past, saying that if he ate, his mind would be unstable and he would not be willing to study hard."

"I don't believe it." Song Xuan rinsed his mouth.

Bao Zheng cleared the dishes and asked, "Why don't you believe me, Twelve?" "Mr. Fan has a very firm heart. He just doesn't want to easily accept the 'good intentions' of officials, lest he have to run around for others' private affairs and repay their favors in the future. This is not his character."

Bao Zheng was stunned.

Yes.

He had also experienced wealthy businessmen in his hometown repeatedly inviting him to banquets, but he always declined with this excuse.

After all, Bao Zheng looked down on wealthy businessmen from the bottom of his heart.

I didn't want to run around for him just to repay his kindness after I passed the imperial examination.

Shi Erlang's words were indeed very insightful.

Bao Zheng shook his head and found that he was indeed no match for the younger Song Xuan in some cognitive aspects.

Doesn’t he know what Song Xuan has experienced at such a young age?
But Bao Zheng was certain that Song Xuan had a lot of life experience, but he seemed to have no scheming at all, which was really strange.

Song Xuan spat out the residue in his mouth. "Perhaps in Shi Jie's eyes, we're all local underachievers who want to join the army and fail to get into the academy. He doesn't want to communicate too much, which is better for everyone. I don't want to include him in the clique either. Does he really think anyone can join?"

Zhang Fangping slumped in his chair and laughed.

Among all the students in the Song family private school, is there anyone other than myself who can be looked up to by my twelfth brother?

Many people want to hang out with Brother Twelve, but Brother Twelve looks down on them.

Bao Zheng was stunned again. Am I accepted now?
I think I arrived a few days earlier than Shi Jie.

Song Xuan was exercising daily, practicing archery over there, while Zhang Fangping was taking Bao Zheng to practice Ba Duan Jin.

"Brother Bao, you are about to get married. If you and your wife train together for a few months, your offspring will surely be stronger."

Listening to Zhang Fangping's words, Bao Zheng sighed and followed Zhang Fangping's movements and said slowly:

"My wife has been ill and passed away for two years."

Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping both paused.

Then some continued to perform the movements, while others let go and shot.

Bao Zheng was already twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and his father was an official. He had a son in his old age, so how could he not get married young?

Song Xuan pretended to be casual and said, "After the exam, Brother Bao must send someone to send the Eight-Section Brocade drawings back home!"

"Let the elders practice as well. When you get married again, they can see their grandchildren being born and fulfill their wish. When the elders are in a good mood, they can live longer."

Zhang Fangping also agreed with Song Xuan's words. The dead cannot be resurrected. There is no point in talking nonsense. Everyone has to look forward.

It’s not something that can be healed by a few words of comfort from others, and it’s not something that happened to you, so it’s hard to empathize with you!

Neither of them expressed condolences, as life had to go on.

Nowadays, it is extremely normal for women in the Song Dynasty to remarry and for men to remarry.

It is not like the Southern Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, which were against human ethics, with their chastity arches and cannibalistic moral codes.

The daughter-in-law of the previous Emperor Zhenzong remarried and was unable to bear children, but she still became the empress dowager and was able to control the government.

After all, Renzong has not yet taken power, and he is mostly just a mascot.

Bao Zheng originally thought that Song Xuan and the other two would urge him to mourn like everyone else, and he had prepared his usual words.

Unexpectedly, the two of them skipped over this topic and focused more on the living people.

"Thank you."

Bao Zheng thanked him solemnly.

Song Xuan and Zhang Fangping waved their hands indifferently, and after the exercise was over, they went back to their rooms to continue reading at night with lights on.

Shi Jie ate the vegetarian noodles from that restaurant, and they were indeed delicious with three drops of sesame oil.

He also bought two candles and a piece of Hui ink, and gave them to Song Xuan as a token of his appreciation after his stay ended.

When he entered the house, he found that Song Xuan had already returned to his room to study. He also saw his servants sitting in the cool air and looking at account books, and some practicing martial arts. He nodded silently as a greeting.

I returned to my room, lit a candle and opened a book.

(End of this chapter)