Chapter 30 1. By pleasing Zhou's mother's little tricks, Wang Kaiyun's anger was eliminated

At the end of this winter, the Xiangqi Tower of Yunhu Bridge in Xiangtan has been completely restored under the solid supervision of Qi Baishi.Qi Baishi carefully painted several landscape paintings, mounted them himself, and hung them on the walls of the study and living room, adding a bit of interest to Xiangqi Tower.The two houses on the east side of the first floor were carefully arranged by Wang Daiyi. The interior is a set of brand-new mahogany furniture, which is full of brilliance, and a few blooming wintersweet plants are transplanted outside the window, giving off a faint fragrance.This is his and Yang Zhuang's wedding room.

In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, Wang Kaiyun withdrew his five-year teaching chair at Dongzhou Academy, returned to Yunhu Bridge, and lived in the restored Xiangqi Building.The sixty-six-year-old generation of famous teachers decided not to go out to teach anymore, just between the clouds and lakes of Yunhu Bridge, among the poems, books and pictures of Xiangqi Tower, quietly with Zhou Mama and her children and grandchildren To pass the old age. On the day of celebrating the new year, the Xiangqi Building was dressed in red and was full of joy. Wang Kaiyun represented the man's family and Yang Du represented the woman's family to hold a grand wedding ceremony for the couple.Dai Yi put on the long robe and mandarin jacket he bought from Changsha, and Uncle Ji wore a red woolen shawl trimmed with peacock feathers, and worshiped heaven and earth amid firecrackers and music.

Yang Jun also lives in Xiangqi Building, one is to keep studying, and the other is to accompany his sister who just left her natal family.Yang Du traveled between Shitangpu and Yunhu Bridge, continued to learn classics and epics from Wang Kaiyun, and often met with Qi Baishi, Zhang Dengshou and others to talk about poetry, calligraphy and painting.Wang Kaiyun is the president of Bihu Poetry Club.Every two or three months, the poetry society holds a poetry meeting, and Wang Kaiyun often takes Yang Du to participate.Speaking of Bihu Poetry Club, it is the most famous literati association in the modern history of Hunan.Its establishment dates back to more than twenty years ago.

In the winter of the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, the ancestral hall of Zeng Wenzheng, built in the north gate of Changsha, was finally completed after more than two years of construction and decoration.Zeng Guohuang, the fourth younger brother of Zeng Guofan, who has the title of a salt transport envoy and is an alternate doctor, wanted to imitate the elegant story of the Baixiangshan Luoyang association, and invited a group of senior senior elders who had lost hope in central Hunan to attend the completion ceremony of the ancestral hall. Compose poems to commemorate at the feast of the day.With the fame of Zeng Guofan during his lifetime and the glory after his death, when the first ancestral hall in central Hunan was completed, it was a great honor to be included in the congratulatory list, not to mention such an elegant event that can last forever. Once in a century.For a time, heroes from Hunan gathered in Xingsha, and Wang Kaiyun was also invited to attend the meeting.At that time, there were nine old people who were born in the Hanlin Academy and had official careers above the level of ministers. The youngest of them was 70 years old and the oldest was 85 years old.These nine white-haired old men gathered at a table and talked freely about the old affairs of the Hunan Army, feeling very emotional.Zeng Guohuang valued their age and status, so he asked each of them to write a poem on the wall of the ancestral hall.These poems immediately spread like wildfire and spread widely.Gulao also became a news figure in Hunan at that time, and he made a lot of limelight.The poems of other participants were also engraved and printed by the Zeng family, and were widely distributed, and were praised by scholar-bureaucrats.After the celebration of the ancestral hall, these elegant people were still in high spirits, so they were initiated by Guo Songtao brothers to set up a poetry society, where they met regularly to recite poems and compose Fu, which was readily approved by everyone.Because the standards of the poetry club are very high, the restrictions on participants are very strict.They are either Zhongxing Xunchen, such as Zeng Guoquan, Li Yuandu, etc.; or they are the direct descendants of Xunchen, such as Zeng Jize brothers, Zuo Xiaotong brothers, etc.; and others.Wang Kaiyun was accepted as a member of the society as a famous literary name.

The first meeting of the poetry club was held by Bilang Lake in front of Kaifu Temple outside the city, so the poetry club was named Bihu Poetry Club.Guo Songtao was promoted by the first president.Later, Guo Songtao went abroad to serve as the British Minister, and the post of president was succeeded by Zeng Guoquan who was at home.Later, Zeng Guoquan went to Jiangning to become the governor of Liangjiang, and Li Yuandu took over as the president.Slowly, Xunchen passed away, the elders withered, and the poetry club added new young members year by year.At the same time, the conditions for joining the club were gradually relaxed accordingly, and their reputation was no longer as prominent as before.But despite this, it is still an association that top literati in central Hunan are willing to join.When it was passed to the fifth term, Wang Kaiyun took the president's seat as expected.After Wang Kaiyun became the president, the recruiting members paid more attention to their achievements in poetry, and did not take into account their background and social status.So monk Jichan, blacksmith Zhang Dengshou, coppersmith Zeng Zhaoji and others all became members of the poetry club.

In the first few times, Yang Du maintained the attitude of a junior, only watching other people write, not writing himself.Later, he saw that these so-called masters in the poetry world were nothing more than that, so he wrote a poem according to the rhyme, which immediately attracted everyone's attention and praised him, so Yang Du also became a member of Bihu Poetry Club.Yang Du was originally talented in poetry, and he also made friends at poetry conferences to learn from each other, and the more he wrote poems, the better.Every time the Bihu Poetry Club gathers, Master Jichan, the abbot of Miyin Temple, is indispensable.Yang Du not only talked about poetry with him, but also about Zen theory with him, and they both felt that they hit it off very well.

Just when Yang Du was singing poetry and wine with Huxiang literati, an earth-shattering event happened in the north of China. It turned out that as early as the middle of Qianlong, a non-governmental organization named Yihequan appeared in Shandong area.The imperial court regards it as a cult and strictly prohibits it, but it has not been suppressed and has been secretly operating among the lower classes.After the Sino-Japanese War of 1898-1895, Yihequan was aroused by the righteous indignation of the nation and began to organize the people to resist foreign invaders.It follows the tradition of worshiping various ghosts and idols of the White Lotus Sect, and believes that it can be invulnerable by reciting spells, and its activities are full of strong mystery.In the 24th year of Guangxu, Shandong governor Zhang Rumei sympathized with Yihequan's anti-imperial mentality, and Shangshu suggested that the imperial court adapt Yihequan into a group practice, so Yihequan was also called Boxer.Because some people in the imperial court advocated the policy of pacifying the Boxers, the Boxers quickly developed in Shandong and Zhili.Later, he actually set up an altar in the capital to accept disciples and held public activities.

After the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Cixi planned to abolish Emperor Guangxu, so Pu Jun, the son of Prince Duan Zaiyi, was appointed as the elder brother to replace him.But the envoys of various countries did not enter the palace to congratulate, which made Cixi very angry, and came up with the idea of ​​using the Boxers to beat foreigners.Her idea was supported by Zai Yi and the co-organizer Gang Yi.In this way, the boxers all over the country set up the banner of "supporting the Qing Dynasty and destroying the foreigners", and confidently set up a posture of decisive battle with the foreigners.The ministers stationed in China panicked. In the name of protecting their embassies, more than 2,000 people from Russia, Britain, the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria marched into Beijing from Tianjin. firm resistance.At this time, the navies stationed in China jointly captured the Dagu Fort, and the flames of war ignited again.

Within the Qing court, Emperor Guangxu, Xu Jingcheng, Yuan Chang and others opposed war with foreign countries, while Zai Yi, Gang Yi and others advocated declaring war.Among the governors, Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong, Yuan Shikai and others also opposed the war.However, out of personal grievances against foreigners, Cixi agreed with Zaiyi's and resolute opinions, officially declared war on the Eight-Power Allied Forces, and issued an imperial edict, claiming that "it will be ashamed forever if we live together with it, and it will be a showdown."Unexpectedly, shortly after the start of the war, the Boxers and the Qing army who participated in the war were completely defeated, and the Eight-Power Allied Forces soon approached the city of Beijing.

A few days ago, Cixi, who was still beating her chest and was about to have a showdown with foreigners, panicked. On the one hand, she hurriedly transferred Li Hongzhang, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, to Beijing to act as a plenipotentiary representative to negotiate peace with other countries. He fled from Beijing to the west in a hurry.The Eight-Power Allied Forces immediately occupied the capital of the Qing Empire. The capital fell, the emperor and the empress fled, and finally begged foreigners to withdraw their troops and make peace with indemnities. The humiliating scene 40 years ago was repeated unchanged. People all over the country hated and cursed, and even civil and military officials with a little bit of national integrity were filled with grief and indignation, and lost confidence in the imperial court.

On the one hand, Empress Dowager Cixi deeply felt the decline of the country and tried to save it. On the other hand, she also wanted to save face and win the hearts of the people. On the way to escape, she issued an edict on reform and self-improvement.Among the many reforms, there is one item that aspiring students are very interested in. That is, the imperial court ordered the provinces to select students to study abroad with government fees. Sending young children to study abroad with official fees was originally a suggestion made by Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang to the court during the ten years of Tongzhi. After it was adopted, Yung Wing was in charge of the matter.He selected 120 bright youths, 30 of them each year, divided into four batches, and arrived in the United States in the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth years of Tongzhi, and the first year of Guangxu.These young children studying in the United States breathed the free atmosphere of the West in the United States and changed their domestic submissive mentality. However, this aroused the resentment of the Qing government officials stationed in the United States. A group of stubborn domestic officials also felt the same, so they were all ordered to return to China in the seventh year of Guangxu, and the matter of studying abroad ended in this way. Twenty years later the matter was brought up again.The severe situation of the national crisis has made many officials in power in the country start to wake up, realize the importance of this matter, and handle it seriously in the places under their jurisdiction.Many young people who are concerned about state affairs and open-minded are eager to sign up, eager to be selected.At this time, the main destination of studying abroad was not Europe and the United States, but the neighboring Japan. Japan and China are only separated by a narrow strip of water, and they are known as the same language and the same species.A small island country, since the implementation of the Reform Reform more than 30 years ago, its national power has become stronger day by day, so that the old empire has been defeated under its artillery fire.Japan's successful experience is indeed worthy of China's emulation, not to mention that it is more convenient to go to Japan because it is close to Fei Province. Since Hunan was released from the Hunan Army, the atmosphere has become more popular, and more people have been selected to study in Japan than other provinces.Last year, when Huiluan of the Two Palaces again issued an edict to reform and implement the New Deal, Governor Yu Liansan of Hunan sent 19 people to go abroad to Japan.This year, I heard that more than forty people will be selected, and Yang Du's heart has long been restless.He really wanted to take this good opportunity to go to Japan to have a look, to broaden his horizons and learn more.When he discussed this idea with his husband, he did not agree.Wang Kaiyun believed that it was not worthwhile to travel across the ocean to learn from foreign countries. If he wanted to save the country and the people, and to display his ambitions, he just had to follow him to study the knowledge of emperors and wait patiently for the opportunity.This did not shake Yang Du's determination. He believed that going to Japan to see it on the ground would only be beneficial and not harmful.Yang Du asked his younger brother and sister to help him temporarily hide it from his husband and mother. On an early summer night, with the one thousand taels of silver note from Yuan Shikai in his arms, he took a boat from Xiangtan to Hankou, from Hankou to Shanghai, and then changed it in Shanghai. A Japanese sea ship arrived in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, and entered the crash course of teacher training at Hongwen College. While studying Japanese at Hongwen College, Yang Du paid attention to Japanese education. He made many new friends who were ambitious and accomplished, the most famous of which was Huang Xing.On the first day of class, he was at the same table as Huang Xing.Huang Xing was from Changsha, Hunan Province. He was the same age as him, but he was stronger and mightier than him. As a top student of Lianghu Academy, he was sent to Japan to study at official expense.Yang Du saw two lines of words engraved on the holder of his ink pen: writing in the morning, writing in the evening, why are you carving insects and seals?The contributor is a real man.I also saw two lines of words engraved on his inkstone: the days of ink wear out are short, and the days of people grow old.Cunyin is competition, but ruler and bi are not treasures.From this, Yang Du saw that Huang Xing was a man of great ambition, and because of his fellow countrymen, he became very friendly with him.Liang Qichao ran "Xinmin Congbao" in Yokohama. During this period, he went to Honolulu, Cai E went to Hiroshima, and Liu Kuiyi ran into him by chance. He was also studying in Tokyo.During the holidays, Yang Du often visited places of interest in Japan with Huang Xing, Liu Kuiyi and others, talking about current affairs, and half a year passed in a flash. The teacher training crash course of Hongwen College lasts for half a year.After half a year, those who pass the grades will be issued a certificate of completion.If you want to continue your studies, you can enter another class with this certificate of completion.After Yang Du graduated, he planned to choose another senior normal class to continue his studies.During this period, he felt that there was little knowledge about Japan in China, so he and Huang Xing and other Hunan natives founded a publication called "Yu Xue Yi Bian", which was intended to be published in China.They took a fancy to Su Song Taibing Beidao Yuan Shuxun as a more enlightened official and from Xiangtan, so they asked Yang Du to go back to China to find him and ask him to support this publication.Yuan Shuxun joined the Hunan Army in his early years and had friendship with Yang Du's uncle.When Yang Du came to Shanghai to meet Yuan Shuxun and explained his purpose, Yuan Shuxun agreed.Yang Du successfully completed the matter, and planned to return to Japan immediately to start publications, but Yuan Shuxun said, "Xizi, you should go back to Xiangtan once." "I should go home to see my mother and husband, but I don't have time right now." Yang Du thought that there were many things to do, and the most urgent task was to write an introduction for this upcoming publication, and at the same time organize a few more A good friend came to write an article, and strive to make "You Xue Yi Bian" the most influential publication in China. "Mr. Wang was very angry at your leaving to Dongyang without saying goodbye. He told others that you betrayed him." "Yuan Guanguan, how do you know?" Yang Du was very surprised.After arriving in Tokyo, he sent a letter to his younger siblings and husband respectively.The husband didn't write back, and Shu Ji's reply didn't mention the matter of the husband's anger.It's just that my husband is unwilling to send letters overseas, so I asked my uncle to take care of my health on my behalf.Where did Yuan Shuxun hear such words? "Can you hide the matter from me about Xiangtan?" Yuan Shuxun said with a laugh, "Two days earlier, a cousin of my uncle's family came to Shanghai and talked about it! The angry words of the old man Xiangqi are more than One or two people heard it. Xizi, you go back first and make it clear to Mr. I will buy the ferry ticket for you." It is a very serious crime to betray a teacher, not to mention that the one who "betrayed" is such a loving father who is as famous as a mountain teacher!Yang Du did not expect the matter to be so serious.There is no other choice, and I must go back to Xiangtan immediately to explain clearly to my husband.But this time I didn't plan to go home, and I didn't bring anything with me, so I couldn't go back empty-handed.Fortunately, there are plenty of oriental goods in Shanghai.Following his husband's preferences, he picked out a box of sweet jujube cakes produced in Fukuoka, a box of high-quality persimmons produced in Nara, and specially bought a pack of shredded tobacco produced in Kagoshima, and bought one item for his mother and siblings. , filled a large wooden box brought back from Japan.Just when he thought it was almost done, he remembered someone again.It's okay not to give away things from younger siblings, but this time, he must not be indifferent to this person.She is Mother Zhou. Yang Du never took Mama Zhou seriously, and when they met each other, he nodded slightly for the sake of his husband, saying hello.Relying on the old man's favor, Mama Zhou didn't think highly of this arrogant Juren.Ever since Uncle Ji came in, Zhou's mother's chest has been covered with a ball of cotton wool.Uncle Ji is even more lofty, she only treats Zhou Ma as an old woman serving her father-in-law, never greets Zhou Ma directly, and pays attention to keeping a distance from Zhou Ma anytime, anywhere.Although Zhou's mother was jealous in her heart, she couldn't find any excuses. Besides, the old man praised his daughter-in-law to the sky, far surpassing his love for his own children. On the contrary, Zhou's mother always had to apologize to her uncle.Seeing her, she called "Fourth Young Mistress" from afar.After hearing this, Uncle Ji nodded slightly, without even humming, as proud as a princess.Yang Du thought to himself, usually he doesn't need to buy Zhou's mother's account, but this time he has to curry favor with her, let her blow on the pillow, and say a few nice words in the husband's ear to calm down.So, he picked a piece of shiny black oriental fine velveteen for Zhou Ma, tied it up with a strip of red paper, and put it in a big wooden box. After Yang Du returned to Shitangpu, he didn't dare to meet his husband rashly, so he sent someone to Yunhu Bridge to take Yang Jun and his wife Dai Yi and Uncle Ji back home under the pretext that his mother was ill.The three of them were surprised and delighted when their elder brother came back from Japan, and they all liked it very much when they received the Japanese gift.Yang Du told them what he had seen and heard in Japan for half a year.Like Wang Kaiyun, they originally disapproved of Yang Du's going to Japan, but after all, they were young people with a lot of vigor, and their hearts were moved when they heard their brother talk about how rich and powerful Japan was.Yang Jun immediately stated that he was going to Japan, and said that the government was organizing the third batch of people studying in Japan. He hoped that his brother would do activities on his behalf, and it would be best to get a quota for government-funded students.Dai Yi also wanted to go, but remembered that his beloved wife was pregnant, so he didn't mention it for the time being.Yang Du said: "I heard that my husband is very unhappy about my going to Dongyang. You can help me give me advice on how to make it clear to my husband." Dai Yi said: "Father has always liked you. You go to Xiangqi Tower and kowtow in front of his old man. I think he will forgive you." Yang Du said: "Going to Japan is really a good thing. If I say it's wrong, why don't I slap myself in the face?" Dai Yi hurriedly argued: "It's not that it's wrong to go to Japan, but it's wrong to say it without saying goodbye." Yang Du remained silent, resting his chin on his face. After a while, Yang Jun offered a plan: "In a few days, it will be my husband's sixty-seventh birthday. I want my brother to come forward and invite brothers Baishi, Zhengyang and others to set up a table of wine for my husband. At the banquet, I will hold wine to celebrate my birthday. See you, sir." With brother's filial piety, the anger will naturally disappear." "Really, why did I forget that my husband's birthday is approaching!" Yang Duxi said, "Little San has a good idea, so why don't I go to Xiangqi Tower these few days." Uncle Ji said: "Chongzi's idea is good. However, you'd better fulfill one of Mr.'s wishes." "Sir, what wish has not been fulfilled?" Yang Du asked. "For the next year's exam, none of my disciples dare to go to Beijing to take the exam." Because of her pregnancy, Shuji looked thinner than before, and the joy of being a mother soon filled her eyes with a joy that was rarely seen in the past. . "Why?" Yang Du thought, Mr. Dongzhou Academy has more than a dozen disciples, why is it that no one dares to take the exam? Isn't it strange? "You are in Dongyang, and you don't know the domestic affairs. In July, the empress dowager and the emperor issued a decree, stipulating that from next year, stereotyped essays will not be used in the general examination and rural examination, and the new policy of the 1898 year will be restored, and policy theory will be used instead." "Oh, that's the reason. I've seen it published in newspapers in Japan." Yang Du said indifferently, "What's the matter? It's just about policy! It's nothing more than writing a few articles on current affairs without stereotypes." If you want to write freely, you can write even better.” "You put it lightly." Uncle Ji smiled, "I know that when you write stereotyped essays, it's like we women bind their feet. Once wrapped in cloth, it's very uncomfortable to walk, but once you get used to it, once you let go, In the first two months, walking was even more uncomfortable!" A few words made everyone laugh.Uncle Ji went on to say: "This is the first time in decades that no one from the Wang family will take the exam. How do you see that sir is not troubled? If you agree to take the exam, sir will be very happy. The old debt of going to Dongyang privately will be over It won't count." Before Yang Du could open his mouth, Dai Yi immediately vetoed it: "I can't make it in time for the examination. When is this time? Master Xuezheng has already reported the list of candidates for the next spring examination to the Ministry of Rites." "Can't I make another report?" Uncle Ji asked her husband. "No." Dai Yi shook his head. The room was silent. "Yes!" Yang Jun clapped his hands suddenly and said, "A few days ago, Mr. said that the imperial court would open a special economic department after the examination next year. He also said that the imperial court had been planning this matter for several years, and it was worse than the examination. It’s important. Brother, why don’t you take the Teke exam next year?” "That's right, if brother Xizi goes to take the special subject test next year, dad will definitely be overjoyed!" Dai Yi hastily added. Yang Du has also heard about the opening of the special economic department by the imperial court next year in Japan.Chinese students studying in Japan generally dislike the provincial examination and general examination, but many of them are eager to try the special economics department.Economic special course is one of the system subjects.The system of subjects began in the Western Han Dynasty and was a temporary imperial examination.In the Tang Dynasty, it was held every four or five years. In the Song and Ming Dynasties, there were not many systematic subjects, and in the Qing Dynasty, there were also systematic subjects, but fewer.Because of the small number, they have a superior status after taking the exam, so people pay special attention to the system, and the requirements for those who take the exam are stricter, and they must be sponsored by the governors of various provinces.Before Yang Du returned to China, he didn't expect to participate in the special economic department next year. Hearing what his brothers and sisters said, he thought he might as well give it a try.Studying abroad is not an end in itself. My goal is always to fulfill my ambitions in China.In the past half a year in Dongyang, my vision and mind have broadened a lot. Since the Economic Special Section focuses on current affairs, and I have a lot of views on the country's current situation, why not use this to make a few letters to the court?If you really went to high school, wouldn't it be your dream to enter the powerhouse?What's more, you can also use this to win the favor of your husband!As for "You Xue Yi Bian", it is the same if Huang Xing and others host it.Thinking of this, Yang Du agreed.He took out the gift for his husband and asked Dai Yi to pass it on, and Dai Yi readily agreed.He took out the material for Zhou Ma, but Dai Yi refused to do it for him.Asking Uncle Ji, she sneered and shook her head.Yang Du knew that they looked down on Mother Zhou, so he had to say to his younger brother: "Little San, go and deliver it for me." Yang Jun has the temperament of an entertainer, he is easy-going, and has a weak sense of hierarchy, so he doesn't care much about his status, so he readily agreed. Early the next morning, Dai Yi tiptoed into his father's study with the cakes and shredded tobacco bought by Yang Du.After paying his respects, he said cautiously: "Xizi came back from Japan, this is his old gift for you." Speaking of this, Dai Yi secretly glanced at his father, only to see his father's eyes suddenly lit up, he thought his father was about to say something, so he stopped.But the father didn't say anything, so he had to bite the bullet and continued: "Xizi knew that his father was very angry at him for leaving to Japan without saying goodbye. He wanted his son to come and complain first, and he would come to pay his respects to his father in two days." Dai Yi saw his father holding the copper snuff pot in his left hand and slowly pinching the paper twister in his right hand, but remained silent. Cold sweat began to break out on his forehead, and his legs trembled slightly. He didn't dare to wait for his father's instructions, so he took the Put the gift on the desk and exit quietly.As soon as she entered her room, Uncle Ji hurriedly asked, "What did Dad say?" "Not a word." Dai Yi shook his head. "Have you accepted the gift?" Dai Yi nodded, and Uncle Ji breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, Yang Jun walked into the kitchen with a smile on his black velvet cloth with a red note on his waist, and called out affectionately to Zhou's mother who was busy making breakfast for Wang Kaiyun, and said, "My brother!" I came back from Dongyang, and I specially gave you this piece of woolen cloth." He said and handed it over. When Zhou's mother heard it, her eyes shot surprise, she hurriedly rubbed her hands on the apron twice, then took the gift from Yang Jun, and said excitedly: "This is from Xizi? Xizi When did you come back, why didn’t you see him come to see the old man?” Zhou’s mother gently pinched her hands twice, pretending to be very experienced, “This is a real oriental product, you can see how thin and soft it is! " After a while, he shouted loudly again: "Oh, I still have a red note, Xizi is really polite!" Zhou's mother hurriedly took off her apron, held the velvet to her heart, and said to Yang Jun: "Thank you brother for me, I will put it away now. I will ask my son to go to the city to hire a tailor in a few days." Let’s make a good coat for the New Year. Don’t ask Yunhuqiao local tailors to do it. They have never seen the world, so they will spoil this material. This is a piece of oriental wool that came a long way ago!” As he said that, he walked out of the kitchen with a smile on his face, entered the bedroom, opened a suitcase, and treasured it up.Just this passage wiped away Zhou Ma's nameless resentment towards Yang Du in the past few years.In the evening, she kept praising Yang Du in the old man's ear: "I said, old man, Xizi's trip abroad is really enlightened, she is much more sensible and polite than before. , don’t always remember that he went to Dongyang without telling you. If you don’t agree, he has no choice but to do so. The third son said, he kept it from my mother and I! I’m afraid you will scold him. Hey, this child is also pitiful, you just Forgive him this time!" Seeing that Wang Kaiyun remained silent, she embraced the old man's face and said, "The woolen wool that Xizi gave me is thin and soft. It's really a good material. I want to make a coat and dress it up so that you will be happy. Hey , old man, what do you think it looks like?" Don't think that Wang Kaiyun, an old man who is nearly seventy years old, lacks passion, and don't underestimate the charm of this unattractive village woman in her forties. Mama Zhou's persuasion really played a role in Wang Kaiyun. Yang Du's anger disappeared 80% to 90%. It is impossible to say how angry Wang Kaiyun was with his disciples.Yang Du went to Dongyang without saying goodbye, of course it made him unhappy, and when he got angry, he would curse a few words, but he was not firmly opposed to his students going abroad to study abroad.Wang Kaiyun has always been sensible. Although he hated Japan's rude invasion, he also knew that Japan was indeed a powerful country, so it was not a bad idea to go and have a look.It's just that he thinks that Yang Du's foundation in Chinese studies is not yet solid, so he doesn't need to rush to go abroad in a hurry, and more importantly, because Yang Du was involved in the Kangliang faction in the year of 1898, and most of the Kangliang followers fled to Japan, he was worried. After Yang Du goes to Japan, he will continue to hang out with them. The poison of civil rights and democracy is too deep and will eventually shake his belief.Now that Yang Du came back, he felt gratified in his heart, and even gave Zhou Ma a gift, which put a radiance on the face of the careless old man.How could he not know about the discussions about his relationship with Zhou's mother and dislikes from his family and the outside world?For this matter, he has some difficulties that are difficult to explain clearly to the world. After Wang Kaiyun was widowed in his sixties, he still needed the warmth and care of a woman, but the continuation would bring new troubles to him and his family: the continuation of the sixty-year-old man could not be a virgin, and the person who came here once had his own love. The man in the family must have children who stayed in his ex-husband's house. How could she serve the old man wholeheartedly and serve the big family of the Wang family?Will her descendants accept the new head of the family, and give her the corresponding etiquette and respect?Wang Kaiyun has personally seen how many conflicts and quarrels within the family, and most of them ended in disintegration.Not to mention that this is the case today in the declining world, and even the ancient times with honest customs are no exception. Therefore, Yan Zhitui's family motto specifically lists "Later Marriage Chapter", which lists the virtuous fathers and filial sons of the previous generations, who were at odds because of the involvement of the second wife. After the death of many fathers, they resigned to the court, slandered the way, the son falsely accused the mother as a concubine, and the brother dismissed the brother as a servant, broadcasting the words of the ancestors, exposing the strengths and weaknesses of the ancestors, resulting in a tragedy of great misfortune for the family.Every time Wang Kaiyun read "Yan's Family Instructions" up to this point, he would always sigh with emotion, so he resolutely refused to marry again.Zhou's mother is meticulous and thoughtful, and she is very favored by Wang Kaiyun, and she can't leave her for a moment.The year before last, Zhou Ma's husband died.Zhou's mother expressed several times that she wanted Wang Kaiyun to marry her as a matchmaker, but the old man was not tempted at all, and she later rejected the idea.Since she is not a stepmother, no matter how powerful Zhou's mother is, she can't afford the style, and it is impossible to cause trouble in his royal family.He was taken care of by a woman and avoided family disputes, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.In fact, this is the application of Wang Kaiyun's vertical and horizontal learning in domestic economics.It is a pity for a worldly genius who wants to use this to mediate and mediate Kun Anbang to settle the country. It cannot be used in temples, but can only be used in room curtains.When the old man is complacent, he often cannot avoid the sadness in his heart.The children of the Wang family were influenced by poetry and books since they were young, and all of them are very noble. The maid who was born in a peasant family, who didn't know anything about it, was really humble in their eyes.In the past few months, he added a new daughter-in-law who is talented and arrogant. She didn't even bother to say hello to Zhou's mother, which made Wang Kaiyun feel quite wronged by Zhou's mother.Although she is a servant, she is the person in the house who sleeps with him, so she must show some face!Now that Yang Du came back from Dongyang, he actually sent Zhou Mama a generous gift from thousands of miles away, which moved Wang Kaiyun greatly.He felt that Yang Du's actions not only made up for the love he owed Zhou Mama, but also set an example for his children, especially his uncle.Wang Kaiyun decided to reward Yang Du for his move. Wang Kaiyun called his son, daughter-in-law, and Yang Jun into the study, and said to them with a smile: "Xizi really learned a lot by crossing the ocean this time. Li, I think this is promising. Zhongzi, you go back and call your brother, just because he cares about Zhou Mama, I forgive him!" When Yang Jun heard this, he was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "I'll go home and tell him." Dai Yi was also happy, Yang Zhuang's face showed joy, but he sneered in his heart: "What an old and dishonest father-in-law!" Yang Du came to Xiangqi Tower and apologized to Mr. Wang respectfully.Wang Kaiyun is a man with no ambitions, and he has great expectations for him, so he never mentions the past. Teachers and students meet each other as harmoniously as before.Yang Du also talked about his willingness to go to the capital to participate in the special science department next year. Wang Kaiyun was even more happy, and he agreed to ask Xiang Fu Yu Lian to recommend him. A few days later, Wang Kaiyun received a letter from Zhang Zhidong from the Wuchang Superintendent's Office.The letter said that over the years, the ups and downs of the officialdom, the social affairs and the book, the work has been too many constraints, the knowledge has long been unfamiliar, and it is very tasteless, but the old friend's writings are as high as his body, peaches and plums are all over the world, famous mountain careers, great achievements in the apricot altar, which is enviable; My old friend has resigned from the teaching chair of Dongzhou College and wants to be hired as the head of Lianghu College. I wonder if he is willing to go north?Finally, it was mentioned that the student Yang Du performed very well when he was studying in Japan. It is said that he has returned to China recently, can we come and see him? It has been a long time since Wang Kaiyun received a letter from Zhang Zhidong. Of course he was very happy to see the handwritten letter from this famous old friend, but he could not be invited to Lianghu Academy because he did not want to leave Xiangqi Tower again. Went out to earn a living.What surprised him was how the governor of Huguang, who was busy with everything, knew that he had a disciple named Yang Du, and that Yang Du had gone to Japan, and even knew that he had returned to China recently.Could it be that Yang Du did something amazing in Japan?Wang Kaiyun thought of Yang Du's examination of the Economic Special Section, and was about to be recommended by the governor. Instead of looking for the governor of Hunan, he might as well look for Zhang Zhidong.Wouldn't it be even more important if he was recommended by Zhang!So he wrote a letter to Zhang Zhidong, asking Yang Du to send it to Wuchang in person so that he could meet him.Yang Du is naturally happy.However, Yang Du was also very puzzled: How could the famous Governor-General know about such a little-known little guy?