Adults are too busy to take the bet between two young people to heart. Just when Qin Xiaoxiao was looking forward to Dahei's master coming to her door every day, and she would definitely beat Sanbao, Mr. Qin suddenly sent

She went to Qinghu Lake and caught several big fish weighing more than ten kilograms.

A few big fish were not enough, so Lin Qiuniang caught two more fat old hens, picked up the best jujubes, and filled two full baskets with brand new baskets. When she got to the city, she bought a few kilograms of fresh pork.

The thank you gift is very nice.

Seeing the adults preparing this and that as if they were celebrating the New Year, Qin Xiaoxiao asked more questions. When she learned that these things were going to be sent to Master Qiu's house, she didn't think much about it, thinking that the adults were thanking Master Qiu for teaching her third uncle.

.

This morning, Qin Xiaoxiao was dug out of bed by Lin Qiuniang in a daze, and she was dressed up carefully from head to toe. Then she asked belatedly: "Mom, I'm going to visit relatives today.

?"

Lin Qiuniang looked at her beautiful daughter, and the smile on her face never stopped: "Okay, you know, you have to be better today and have a sweeter mouth, you know?"

When Qin Xiaoxiao heard this, he smartly guessed that it was a relative he had never seen before, and asked curiously: "Mom, which family are you related to? Mom asked me to be nice and sweet, because she wanted my relatives to give me more greeting gifts.

?"

Lin Qiuniang was speechless and nodded her daughter's forehead: "Don't worry about the meeting gift all day long. When you get to someone's house later, just say whatever they ask. Don't be blind."

Qin Xiaoxiao became more and more curious and kept asking: "Which family are you related to? What will they ask? What if I don't know?"

Lin Qiuniang thought this was a problem and reminded: "If you don't know, just say you don't know. People see that you are so young and haven't studied well, so I think they won't embarrass you."

Qin Xiaoxiao scratched her head, wondering what this had to do with whether Nian had studied or not. After she asked several more questions, Lin Qiuniang became impatient and slapped her butt, finally shutting her up.

On the small mouth.

Not only was Qin Xiaoxiao carefully tidied up, Mr. Qin also put on new clothes that he would never wear on weekdays, and asked Mrs. Miao to use scissors to trim his beard again and again; Qin Shan and Lin Qiuniang also tidied themselves up.

Neat and more solemn than ever.

Seeing them like this and smiling at themselves from time to time, Qin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel a little nervous, always feeling that something terrible would happen today.

With such worries, the little girl was pressed on the table by Lin Qiuniang to eat breakfast. However, it was too early and stars were still hanging in the east. Her appetite had not been developed yet, and she could barely eat a few spoons of porridge and a boiled egg.

Already.

Mr. Qin and others had a good appetite. After the meal, Qin Shan, the strongest man, carried the processed big fish and old hen on his back. Mr. Qin and Qin He carried two baskets of jujubes respectively. Lin Qiuniang held Qin Xiaoxiao's hand and was in high spirits.

and walked towards the city.

Qin Xiaoxiao was very confused. Along the way, she kept asking whose relatives she was visiting. Mr. Qin and others looked at her and smiled, but no one answered her questions.

She anxiously followed the steps of the adults, and soon she lost the strength to leave, so she was picked up by Lin Qiuniang and continued on her way. Finally, when she arrived in Le'an County, the little girl was already sleeping soundly on Lin Qiuniang's shoulders.

When they were approaching Qiu's house, Lin Qiuniang had to wake up the little girl. Seeing her sleepy look, she quickly put her on the ground and let her walk to wake up.

Qin He knocked on the door of the Qiu family. Master Qiu and Mrs. Qiu saw that the Qin family had brought so many things. They even said that they were too polite. Finally, they could not resist Mr. Qin's persuasion and asked the servants to carry them down, leaving only one of them. A basket of jujubes.

Knowing that the Qin family was anxious, after asking how Qin He was performing in the autumn, Mrs. Qiu asked the driver to prepare the carriage and took the Qin family to the east of the city. But Mrs. Qiu was very reluctant to leave Qin Xiaoxiao and warned her Don't forget to come back for lunch after she finishes her apprenticeship.

Qin Xiaoxiao didn't even know that there was such a thing as becoming a disciple. She was carried into the carriage by Qin Shan in a daze. She nervously grabbed Mr. Qin's sleeve and asked: "Grandpa, do I want to become a disciple? What do I want to become a disciple for?" Am I like Ergouzi’s brother who learned to make benches from a carpenter master and earn money?”

Mr. Qin knew that his little granddaughter was very playful and had no interest in studying and literacy, so he deliberately said: "Yes, I will find you a carpenter master, and let you follow him up the mountain to cut trees every day, and learn to make tables, chairs and benches from him."

Lin Qiuniang understood what her father-in-law meant and quickly took over the conversation: "It's very hard to cut down trees. With a small body like yours, you accidentally cut off your own hands and feet. I don't know if my carpenter master will accept you."

Qin Xiaoxiao was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she immediately put away her hands and feet: "No, no, I don't want to become a disciple, and I don't want to chop down trees!"

Mr. Qin hardened his heart, touched his little granddaughter's head and said, "It's okay not to learn. Only by learning a craft can you earn money to support yourself in the future. It's just right for you to become a teacher at your age."

"No, it's not good at all!" Qin Xiaoxiao was immersed in the fear that cutting down the tree would cut off her hands and feet. She hugged Mr. Qin's thigh and cried loudly: "Big brother and second brother didn't cut down the tree. Sister Xueya I didn’t cut down the tree either, so why should I do it?”

For children from farmers' families, it is a great thing to be able to learn a skill from a teacher. Although they will suffer a lot during the few years or even more than ten years of learning a skill, they will not be rich even if they finish the course. It’s expensive and much better than digging in the ground.

It is not easy to learn a skill from a master. Skills are often passed down from father to son, and from son to grandson. Even if the children and grandchildren are unwilling to learn or have no children or grandchildren, they will pass it on to their nephews and rarely accept outsiders as apprentices. This is exactly the case. , no matter how hard it is to be an apprentice, there are still people who will fight for it.

Qin Xiaoxiao knew that it was for her own good that they asked her to learn skills from their masters, so she did not doubt what Mr. Qin and Lin Qiuniang said.

"Your eldest brother and your second brother are studying in the school. In the future, you will be a scholar like your third uncle. This is also learning skills, but it is much better than cutting down trees. You don't have to worry about cutting off your hands and feet, and you don't have to work hard." Qin The old man explained to his granddaughter slowly, with a deep smile hidden in his eyes: "As for your sister Xueya...she can help the adults with work, so she is indispensable in the family."

Qin Xiaoxiao cried "Wow" and refused to accept the fact that he was going to cut down trees: "Wow, I can also work. When I grow up, I will do many, many jobs. Grandpa, don't let me become an apprentice to cut down trees." OK!"

Mr. Qin felt very distressed. He wanted to change his mind but held it back: "No, either you can read and study like your eldest brother and your second brother, or you can learn to chop trees like Er Gouzi's brother. You have to choose a skill."

"No, I don't choose, wuwu..." Qin Xiaoxiao cried on Mr. Qin's lap. She didn't want to choose either. She didn't like studying or chopping down trees. She just wanted to stay in Qingshan Village and eat every day. , herding sheep and playing with friends.

Mr. Qin was angry and funny, and deliberately looked at her crying with a cold face. He knew his little granddaughter's temperament very well, and after making sure that they would not change their minds, he would obediently make a choice that was more beneficial to him.

Lin Qiuniang also turned her head to the side, forcing herself not to comfort her daughter, and stopped Qin Shan who failed to understand her and Mr. Qin's intentions.

Qin He and Master Qiu were sitting in the carriage in front. Hearing Qin Xiaoxiao's cry, Master Qiu wanted to stop the carriage and ask, but Qin He stopped him with a few words.

Sure enough, seeing that her crying did not make the adults feel soft, Qin Xiaoxiao was completely desperate. She cried a few times to Mr. Qin and aggrievedly chose to study as a teacher. She did not forget to make a request: "Wo, Wo wants to be with the big brother."

Elder brother and second brother go to the same school!"

Mr. Qin and the three of them looked at each other and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regarding his granddaughter's request, Mr. Qin pretended to be guilty and said: "Your eldest brother and second brother's school does not accept female students. Grandpa will find you a wife who will accept female students."

.”

Qin Xiaoxiao cried sadly again. She was already so pitiful, but she couldn't study in the same school as her eldest brother and second brother. Is there anyone more pitiful than her in the world?

When she was tired of crying, she made another request: "I want a master like Master Qiu who doesn't touch the palms of his hands. A master who touches the palms of his hands is so scary!"

Mr. Qin felt guilty and could not promise his granddaughter that the master would not hit her palms, so he said with some lack of confidence: "As long as you are obedient and don't make the master angry, the master will definitely not hit you."

"Yeah, I'll be good." Qin Xiaoxiao trusted her grandpa very much, and she felt a lot more relieved when he said this. Thinking that her eldest brother could make the most vicious master in the school like him and never hit him, she felt more confident.

A few points.

One day not long after, the brother and sister each covered their hands that had been beaten into pig's trotters, and looked at each other without saying a word. Only two lines of tears kept flowing.

The carriage drove for about three minutes before arriving at the Xu Mansion, the residence of Master Qiu's old friend. Mr. Qin and others were led to the living room by the concierge of the Xu family, carrying a basket of jujubes, and soon there were servants serving them.

Refreshments were served.

The whole family is still in the period of mourning. There is no color at all from the entrance to the living room. Even the tables and chairs are just white wood covered with a layer of rosin, replacing the original mahogany.

Mr. Qin and others were very nervous. They sat on their chairs and kept looking at the door, reminding Qin Xiaoxiao from time to time, for fear that there was something wrong with her words and deeds that Mr. Xu would see and leave a bad impression.

Qin Xiaoxiao was already a little nervous. After being reminded again and again by the adults, her mood gradually became impetuous. Fortunately, she knew that if she didn't take Master Xu as her master, she would have to take another master and go up the mountain to cut trees. After all, she was not willful.

Run away.

Not long after the group waited, they heard the sound of slight footsteps. The Qin family looked at the door in unison and saw a middle-aged man in plain clothes, about thirty-five or sixty-six, walking in.

The middle-aged man is Xu Ze, the head of the Xu family, whose courtesy name is Lianzhi.

The face comes from the heart. The face can usually reveal a person's character. From the vertical lines between Xu Ze's eyebrows and the tight corners of his lips, we can see that he is a serious and rigorous person. Such a face gives people a sense of indifference.

, it is especially easy for children to develop fear.

Master Qiu had talked about Qin Xiaoxiao with Xu Ze last year, and he knew that the disciple he wanted to accept was a four or five-year-old girl. As soon as he entered the door, his sharp eyes fell on Qin Xiaoxiao, as if

Can see through her insides.

Mr. Qin and others were surprised by Xu Ze's youth. He and Mrs. Qiu were two generations apart. They originally wanted to go forward to greet Xu Ze, but seeing that his attention was entirely on Qin Xiaoxiao, they had to give up the plan and stared nervously.

Qin smiled and smiled, not only afraid that she would be frightened by Xu Ze, but also afraid that Xu Ze would dislike her because of her fear of hands and feet and would not accept her as a disciple.

Master Qiu, who was the recommender, was also very worried. It was not that he was worried that his old friend would refuse to accept Qin Xiaoxiao, but that he was worried that his old friend was too strict and had no experience in teaching and educating people, so he was not suitable to teach a child like Qin Xiaoxiao.

Qin Xiaoxiao, who was worried by everyone, was not scared to cry, nor was she timid. She was completely stunned. She didn't know how to react under Xu Ze's eyes, so she could only stare at him blankly.

look.

Xu Ze frowned, making the vertical lines between his eyebrows deeper. He stared at Qin Xiaoxiao for a long time, and his cold voice could freeze someone to death: "You want to worship me as your teacher?"

Qin Xiaoxiao came back to her senses and looked at her grandparents subconsciously, obviously afraid that if she said something wrong, she would make the master angry.

Before Mr. Qin and others could react, Xu Ze shouted with a straight face: "Speak for yourself!"

Qin Xiaoxiao was startled, tears welled up all of a sudden, and she didn't even dare to reach out to wipe them: "Yes, it was grandpa who asked me to worship my uncle and make him my teacher. If uncle doesn't accept me, grandpa will send me away."

Go up the mountain and chop down trees.”

At the end of the story, the little girl's tears fell down. She felt that the fierce Xu Ze would never accept her. She would definitely be sent by her grandfather to chop down trees, and then she would chop off her little hands and feet.

, can only wriggle on the ground like a big insect.

Mr. Qin and others did not expect Xu Ze to ask such a question, nor did they expect Qin Xiaoxiao to be so honest and say such words. They were both embarrassed and powerless.

Xu Ze's brows furrowed even more tightly. Without looking at the Qin family, he asked his second question: "Do you want to learn to read and write?"

Qin Xiaoxiao met Xu Ze's oppressive eyes and did not dare to lie: "I don't want to."

Mr. Qin and others covered their eyes and did not dare to look at Xu Ze's face. They felt that today's apprenticeship would definitely not work.

Surprisingly, Xu Ze didn't frown this time, and then asked the third question: "What do you want to do?"

Qin Xiaoxiao glanced at Mr. Qin and the others with tearful eyes, then at Xu Ze, who was not so scary, and bravely spoke out what was in her heart: "Just kidding!" After saying that, she lowered her head tightly, no

Dare to look at the faces of adults.

There was silence in the living room. Mr. Qin and others had completely given up hope in his granddaughter becoming a disciple. If they were Mr. Xu, they would not accept such a playful and uninterested disciple.

Even Master Qiu had the same idea. Although he felt a little regretful, he was relieved that he no longer had to worry about such a cute little girl like Qin Xiaoxiao being wronged at the hands of his old friend.
Chapter completed!