Chapter 1731 Mother and daughter join the army and become sworn brothers

Zhu Yingtai saw that everyone was looking at Su Mingzhe in shock, and then she realized and asked:

"I have seen many hermits. For them, breaking stones is a piece of cake. Writing on a stone tablet with your fingers shouldn't be difficult, right?"

This time, Su Mingzhe did not wait for Liang Shanbo to speak, but took the initiative to explain with a smile:
"Cracking the stone tablet and writing on the stone tablet are two ways of using strength. If we talk about the difficulty of each, we can only say 'it's easy for those who know how to do it, but difficult for those who don't know how to do it'."

"What a saying: 'It's easy for those who know how to do it, but difficult for those who don't know how to do it'!"

Zhu Yingtai's eyes gradually brightened as she looked at Su Mingzhe.

She was originally somewhat dissatisfied with Su Mingzhe, but after reading "On the Love of Lotus", this impression disappeared quietly.

After all, in the popular view, "literature conveys truth, songs express aspirations, and poems express emotions."

Seeing that Su Mingzhe could write such a beautiful article as "On the Love of Lotus", she subconsciously thought that Su Mingzhe should be a gentleman who "emerges from the mud without being stained, and washes in the clear water without being coquettish".

In her opinion, the verbal confrontation between the two was just a harmless friction.

At this time, Liang Shanbo also recited "On the Love of Lotus" and suddenly sighed:

"Although Brother Su's article "On the Love of Lotus" is short, every word is as exquisite as Mr. Jingjie's (Tao Yuanming) "Returning to the Countryside". Now that it is published today, there will definitely be more people in the world who love lotus!"

"Not bad!"

Zhu Yingtai also praised:
"From now on, this lotus pond will be filled with golden-paddled magnolia boats, picking lotus from the south of the Yangtze River."

People carry people in sedan chairs.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai's praise of "On the Love of Lotus" made Su Mingzhe, a "plagiarist", feel flattered:

"You two are overrated. Overrated."

Just as the relationship between the three people was gradually getting along, the mother and daughter who were selling lotuses talked in a low voice for a while, then came to Su Mingzhe, knelt down again and said:
"Master Su, although we are mother and daughter, we are of humble origins, but we also know gratitude, loyalty and filial piety. Today, Master, you have shown us great kindness, and we are unable to repay you. We are willing to serve you as slaves and servants, and we beg you to take us in."

"Madam, you are confused. After you join my sect, you and your daughter will no longer be innocent."

When Su Mingzhe saw the mother and daughter take the initiative to join the army, he suddenly became a little curious.

You have to know that during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, once you pledged your allegiance and signed a contract, your descendants would become slaves and would have little chance of turning things around.

Unexpectedly, Su Mingzhe's dissuasion further strengthened the mother and daughter's determination to join the army:

"Sir, you are so kind and righteous. We are willing to serve you."

Seeing that persuasion was ineffective, Su Mingzhe had no choice but to reluctantly accept the mother and daughter.

After all, for him, taking in a mother and daughter was just a matter of spending more money on food for the family.

For the wealthy Yuyao Su family, this is not a big deal.

However, he is now going to study at Nishan Academy, and Nishan Academy only allows each student to bring one servant, so the mother and daughter still have to go to Sanqiao Lane in Hangzhou City to find Yu Wuxia to settle down.

When the mother and daughter saw that Su Mingzhe was willing to take them in, they immediately kowtowed to acknowledge their master, and then happily went to Hangzhou City.

……

Zhu Yingtai looked at the backs of the mother and daughter holding hands and suddenly burst into tears.

When Liang Shanbo saw this, he immediately felt distressed and said:
"Yingtai, why are you crying?"

"Mr. Zhu must be homesick."

Su Mingzhe's mouth curled slightly and he chuckled:
"If I'm not mistaken, Master Zhu must have seen the scene of Gu's mother and daughter relying on each other and loving each other, which made him think of his family."

"You're right."

Zhu Yingtai wiped away her tears and looked at Su Mingzhe in surprise:
"I did think of my mother! When I was at home, I always felt that I was disciplined and restrained by my mother. Now I am out and free. However, after seeing the scene just now, I suddenly realized how happy it is to have relatives around! I really miss them..."

Girls will be girls.

After saying these three sentences, Zhu Yingtai was about to cry again.

Su Mingzhe saw it and quickly comforted him:
"Mr. Zhu, you will be studying at Nishan Academy for three years. If you continue to cry at this rate, you will probably cry your eyes blind in three years."

Liang Shanbo felt like rolling his eyes after hearing Su Mingzhe's comforting words. Is there such a comforting thing?

As expected, Zhu Yingtai was shocked after hearing this: "Three years? You mean, we have to stay in the academy for three years? I won't see my family for three years?"

Liang Shanbo didn't know what was wrong with him. Seeing Zhu Yingtai feeling uncomfortable, he felt uncomfortable too.

Seeing that Zhu Yingtai was about to cry again, he quickly spoke to comfort her:

"Yingtai, don't be afraid. If you are really worried about your family, just treat me as your family. I will always be with you."

"Mr. Liang is right. When we are away from home, we are all brothers!"

Su Mingzhe suddenly remembered that in the TV series, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai became sworn brothers at this time, so he quickly spoke first:

"Master Zhu, the three of us met and got to know each other before entering the academy. It can be considered a fate. Why don't we swear to be friends here and become sworn brothers? After entering the academy, we will share honor and disgrace and advance and retreat together. How do you think?"

"Eight oaths of friendship, sworn brotherhood?"

Zhu Yingtai only had a slight liking for Su Mingzhe, which was far from the point of becoming sworn sisters.

However, she had a very good impression of Liang Shanbo, and at this moment she couldn't help but look at Liang Shanbo, asking for his opinion with her eyes.

When Liang Shanbo heard that Su Mingzhe wanted to "become sworn brothers", his heartbeat quickened. When he saw Zhu Yingtai looking at him, he immediately said happily:
"Mr. Zhu, I have the same idea! What do you think?"

"That's okay with me too."

Seeing that Liang Shanbo agreed, Zhu Yingtai could only nod in agreement.

Afterwards, the three of them made a stove out of clay, picked willow branches as incense, and bowed eight times to make peace.

Zhu Yingtai's maid Yinxin originally wanted to stop it.

After all, among the three, Zhu Yingtai's family is the most prestigious, and it is a bit "self-degrading" for her to become sworn brothers with Su Mingzhe and Liang Shanbo.

……

During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Nine-Rank System was implemented.

The so-called Nine-Rank System is a simple and crude way of saying "rank is based on family background" and "family background determines rank".

In other words, 'there are no commoners in the upper class, and no aristocrats in the lower class'.

The Zhu family belonged to a middle-class aristocratic family (a third- or fourth-rank aristocratic family). If a man in the family entered the court to serve as an official, he would at least be an assistant official in a prefecture or county, an official of the fifth or sixth rank.

The Su family was a local gentry (a prominent family of the fifth or sixth rank). If they were recruited or selected as filial and incorruptible officials, they could only become minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank.

The Liang family was a poor local family (a small landlord with a small fortune that would not starve to death). Even if they had enough ability and knowledge, they could at best be a county official of the seventh or eighth rank.

The three families belong to three classes in society.

Today, the three of them becoming sworn brothers, in the eyes of ordinary people, is a great disrespect to the current aristocratic family system.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yingtai didn't care about these at all and simply ignored the obstruction of her maid Yinxin.

……

Before officially becoming sworn brothers, the three asked each other about their birth dates.

Su Mingzhe is twenty years old and the eldest brother.

Liang Shanbo was eighteen years old and was the second brother.

Zhu Yingtai was only sixteen years old, so he was the third brother.

The sworn vows are completed.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai both looked at each other with affection and joy in their eyes.

Su Mingzhe took a look and suddenly felt a sense of frustration of being ignored, which made him feel ashamed and angry.

(End of this chapter)