Chapter 61: I will support your wife
Chapter 61: I will support your wife
Shao Quanzhong looked down at the clever child and waved to the guard, "Get up, get up. Why do you have to go to the village to serve as a soldier?"
"Report to the master, for the sake of eating meat."
Shao Quanzhong laughed, "Not bad, not bad, when I was your age, my ambition was to eat meat every day.
But, eating meat requires skills; you can’t just eat it whenever you want.
What are you good at? Tell me about it."
The boy stood up and scratched his head, “I’m smart.
I eavesdropped on the lectures of the teacher in the landlord's private school. I understood it after he taught it once, but the landlord's stupid son studied for a long time but still couldn't understand it.
It’s a pity that I don’t have money to go to school.
Oh, and I’m a very good swimmer. I can go down to the lower reaches of the river with a steel fork to spear fish. I can hold my breath in the water for half a quarter of an hour and even float on the water without moving.”
"Okay, okay, he's a smart boy, I like him.
But I don’t just accept a godson casually. If you are so poor that you can’t even afford to eat, since you have found me, we have a destiny. I will give you two taels of silver, which will be enough for you to eat for a year.
When you grow up to be sixteen, come back to me and I will let you be my guard."
“Master, I don’t want money, I just want to join the army.
I heard that you are the leader of the Huai Army and will fight against the Taiping rebels. In four years, who knows where you will fight to and what high position you will hold.
If you become a general guarding the country, it will be difficult for me to find you again, and I will probably not be able to enter your house.
Now that I finally have the chance to talk to you, please accept me as your godson. If you don't want me to be your godson, I can help you put on your military boots and feed your horses."
"Oh wow, you still want to emulate our dynasty's great ancestor? You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve."
Shao Quanzhong was as hard as a rock and remained unmoved. "That won't work either. I'm very busy. Siwen, give him two taels of silver and send him away."
Zhang Siwen reached into his arms and suddenly stopped, "Second brother, why don't we take him in?
When I was young, I accompanied the children of the rich to study. This child is so smart, it would be a pity if he doesn't go to school now. Otherwise, I will pay for his education?"
Shao Quanzhong shook his head and sighed, "Civility is useless. There are so many poor people in the world, can you save them all?"
Zhang Siwen's eyes were firm, with a bit of the madness in Lin Bozi's eyes, and he muttered to himself, "There should be a way to save them all..."
The child listened to the conversation between the two, his big eyes rolled around, and suddenly he ran over, knelt down and hugged Zhang Siwen's big thick legs, "My lord, if you can support me to go to school, I am willing to take care of you in your old age and serve you forever!"
This poor child kowtowed and flattered everyone, wanting to be someone's godson. Zhang Siwen recalled his life story that he had not even told his second brother, and his eyes suddenly became a little moist.
He pulled the child up and said, "Child, my second brother doesn't want you, but I want you. Come with me."
The child looked very happy, knelt down and kowtowed three times, "My son greets godfather, I will be filial to him in the future."
"Okay, okay, what's your name?"
"To answer godfather's question, my name is Zeng Xiaoyi, and my nickname is Runtu."
Zhang Siwen insisted on adopting the child, and seeing his determined look, Shao Quanzhong was not in a position to interfere.
He turned around and walked towards the gate of the village, muttering, "It's over. Zhang Er was originally a fool, and now he has been infected with Bo Zai's madness. He has gone crazy."
Zeng Xiaoyi happily ran to the bushes nearby, picked up his only possession, a steel fork, and followed Zhang Siwen into the dike with his head held high. He turned around, stuck out his tongue and made a face at the guards who were trying to stop him.
Shao Quanzhong went to Wang Siguizi's funeral hall again, kowtowed to the tablet, and turned back to order, "Ask Le Sen to prepare rations for ten days. We will set out in the afternoon and set up camp in Yangzhou in the evening."
Behind him, Wang Siguizi's son helped his mother, who had recovered slightly, to come over. Wang Si's wife saluted to Shao Quanzhong and said, "Thank you, Commander, for avenging my late husband. Child, kowtow to the Commander!" The child knelt down obediently and said, "Thank you, Commander, for your kindness!"
Looking at the sensible child, Shao Quanzhong bowed to the spirit tablet of Wang Siguizi again, "Brother Wang Si, your sacrifice was not in vain.
This time we have eradicated the roots of the Qinhu bandits, and the whole of Taizhou will be peaceful. Every family in the city will thank you. You can go with peace of mind. I will take care of your wife and children."
Shao Quanzhong pulled Wang Si's son up and looked at him carefully. "How old is he? What's his name?"
"To reply to the commander, my nephew is ten years old and his name is Wang Yongxian."
"Since you have kowtowed to me, I can't let you kowtow in vain. I want to take you in as my adopted son. Are you willing?"
The child was a little confused and couldn't react for a while.
Sister Wang Si was overjoyed and pushed the child on the back, "Why don't you kneel down and call me godfather!"
Sister Wang Si knelt down in front of Shao Quanzhong and said, "My late husband chose the right person. It is my duty to work for you.
You should know that you take such good care of his children. If he knew about it, he would be very happy. "
"Sister-in-law, how can this be possible?"
Shao Quanzhong wanted to help her, but it was inconvenient. He was scratching his head anxiously when a light blue figure came over and helped Wang Sisao up.
"Hui'er, you're here just in time. This is my new adopted son. He will live in the house in Gulou Lane from now on.
When you go back, take him with you and tell the servants in the mansion to treat him like my own son. He is the eldest son of the Shao family.
Child, come here, kowtow and call me godmother."
Wang Yongxian kowtowed as per the rules, "I pay my respects to my godmother."
Hui Er was embarrassed, her face flushed, and she stepped forward and slapped Shao Quanzhong hard, "You are not serious in front of the child, but I am not your wife yet."
Shao Quanzhong was being beaten with a smile on his face, "They both want it, I think it's only a matter of time, it's better to call it sooner rather than later.
By the way, Huier, you can teach him the literacy class, so take him with you. I didn’t have the opportunity to study, so I have to train my godson well.
And that clever little boy over there is Zhang Siwen’s godson, and they are studying in the literacy class together.”
Rong Hui nodded, "Should we let them both join the Boy Scouts?"
Shao Quanzhong shook his head and said, "Zeng Xiaoyi joined the Boy Scouts, but he doesn't need to learn German. He will join the English class in the future. Since he is good at swimming, he will join the navy in the future.
Wang Yongxian is the only son of Fourth Brother Wang and he has to carry on the Wang family's bloodline. I can't let him fight.
He is our godson. When you are at home, you can give him special lessons, teach him literacy and English, and send him to study economics at university abroad in the future, so that he can live a peaceful and wealthy life.
When he grows up, China will need talents who understand economics, and they will also be given high positions and generous salaries."
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Zeng Xiaoyi was extremely smart. Instead of asking Shao Quanzhong to be his godfather, he immediately changed his name to call him second uncle. His ability to climb up the ladder was catching up with Shao Quanzhong.
Wang Yongxian is two years younger than Zeng and Xiaoyi, and has a more upright and honest personality. He followed Xiaoyi and bowed, "Thank you, godfather."
…………
At dusk on November 17, the tenth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, Shao Quanzhong led the Huai Army's Zhong Camp and Heng Camp to set up camp at the Fairy Temple in Jiangdu County, and began to attack the forces of Hou Boqiu, the big salt lord in Guazhou.
(End of this chapter)