The heroine Jiangshan

Chapter 157 Accepting Disciples

"Ji Jianing?"

Yun Ruochen was stunned, Gu Che was also stunned, and Ye Shenyan who was standing behind them was also stunned...

Where is the name that a fisherwoman would have?

Fishermen and village girls are all called Huaercaoer, older sisters and younger sisters!

Ji Jianing probably understood what they were wondering about, and hurriedly added: "It's true!"

She caught a glimpse of a bowl of tea on the small table beside the bed, hurriedly crawled over, dipped her finger in the tea, and wrote "Ji Jianing" on the small table.

"Are you literate?"

Yun Ruochen was even more surprised.

Not only can this girl know how to read, but she can also write decently. At least it is much better than Gu Che's Goupa handwriting, and it is also better than Ye Shenyan's handwriting.

She subconsciously looked back at the two of them, they seemed to know what Yun Ruochen was thinking, and they shrank their necks in a hurry.

They knew that they were not well educated and couldn't compete with Yun Ruochen and Zhao Xuan, but... unexpectedly, the little girls rescued randomly on the river could write better than them, it was unreasonable!
After Ji Jianing finished writing her name, she hid in the corner of the bed again, still clutching the thin quilt tightly, it was obvious that she was really terrified.If it weren't for the girl like Yun Ruochen standing in front of her, she probably wouldn't even have the courage to speak.

"How do you know how to read?"

Yun Ruochen generally doesn't like to inquire about other people's affairs, but speaking from her own personal experience - "Who doesn't have a little secret that can't be told"!
But Ji Jianing's name and the weird fact that she could read and write aroused her curiosity.

In this era when education is extremely unpopular, literacy is basically the patent of the upper class.For reading and literacy, you have to hire a teacher, which costs a lot of money, and most people can't afford to read books at all.

Even if you try your best to scrape together money to go to school, you have to have a private school opened by a gentleman near your home, otherwise where can you go to study?As for official studies, that is the privilege of city dwellers.

"I... my father taught me how to read."

Perhaps it was because Yun Ruochen seemed more friendly, Ji Jianing was not so afraid, and told her life experience intermittently.

It turned out that her family was originally from the city.Her grandfather was a hardworking blacksmith, working hard day and night, and finally saved some money to send his only son to a cheap private school.

Her father was also very competitive, and was admitted as a scholar at the age of 20.But my grandfather was so happy that he forgot to turn off the fire in the hearth and went all over the street to tell his relatives and friends. When he turned around, he found that not only his own blacksmith shop was completely burned, but also several neighboring shops were affected!
Extreme joy begets sorrow, and the family suddenly became destitute and owed a lot of debts.If it weren't for the appearance of a scholar in his family, the creditors would not let him go.Whose shop is not a place of livelihood!

Her father couldn't continue his exams anymore, so he was busy going to the pawn shop to learn how to be an accountant, copying for others, and saving money day and night to pay off debts.My grandfather didn't have a good time and died of poverty and illness.

And her father, because he couldn't afford a bride price to marry a wife, had no choice but to marry a rough fisherman in a rural fishing village.

As long as she can remember, her parents have been running around day and night to pay off the debt.Every month, we need to borrow new debts, fill in the holes in the old debts, and tear down the east wall to make up for the west wall.She used to have older brothers and younger brothers, but they didn't take care of them, and she was the only child in the family.

But her father, no matter how difficult life is, his temperament is still optimistic.Ever since she was sensible, she had never seen her father's worried face, he was always smiling.

"Ning'er, look, our family's debts are almost paid off. When the debts are cleared, Daddy will study hard. He must be admitted to a Juren or Jinshi, and let my Ning'er be an official lady!"

Father Ji is always so happy.Even if there were only two small broad beans left for dinner, he would give the big one to his wife who weaves every day, and feed the small one to his young daughter.

"You have a good father."

When Ji Jianing talked about her father, she couldn't finish talking, and she didn't know where the fear just now went.Yun Ruochen sat down next to her, looked at her tenderly and smiled.

She also thought of her father.The ninety-five emperor who sat alone in the dragon chair of the Hetai Palace and stood above tens of thousands of people.

Although their identities are as different as heaven and earth, their love for their daughter is the same.

"Yes, my father treats me very well..."

Seeing Yun Ruochen's sincere smile, Ji Jianing couldn't help but continue talking about her father's benefits.I made a sandbox at home to teach her how to read, stole scraps of old paper from the shop where he was the accountant, and brought her back to write. Occasionally, I would play sandbags with her in my free time. Was nagged by mother.

However, such a good father still failed to realize his wish of making his daughter a "Miss Official".

Poverty and debt did not weigh him down. He died in an accident. He was knocked down in the middle of the street by a wealthy servant who was riding a horse in the downtown area. He stepped on his chest with a hoof and died on the spot.

Orphans and widows, no relatives and no one to rely on, where can they go to seek justice?The heartbroken mother couldn't even afford the life of the two of them in the city, so she had to take her back to her natal fishing village to join her grandfather, and the mother and daughter made a living by fishing.

"Your family members are gone?"

The corners of Ji Jianing's eyes were wet, but she tried her best not to shed tears, bit her lip and nodded. "Grandfather and mother both passed away last year."

For more than a year, she supported herself by fishing in a small boat left by her grandfather.Although the morals of the world are bad, it is still barely enough to fill the stomach.

"troubled you."

Yun Ruochen stroked Ji Jianing's hair and sighed.She naturally knows how difficult it is for a little girl to survive in today's troubled times, but she is not as light as Ji Jianing said.

I remembered that when I met the river pirates before, it was already dark, and other people's families took the fishing boats home early, but she was still fishing, which shows her diligence.If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have encountered river robbers.

The world is tough!

Yun Ruochen thought of other problems, his eyes darkened.

The world of Daqing...

It's not like defeating King Cheng, eliminating the Destiny Sect, and limiting the welfare of the vassal king will make things better.The fate of the country, which has been in decline since the first emperor, has now been fought endlessly, and the empire is almost on the verge of collapse.

At this time, no matter how tough the foreign enemies are, it will only take a matter of minutes to go directly south and disintegrate Daqing.

Like Ji Jianing, who used to have enough food and clothing in the city, and the whole family can't survive with hard work. What about those who are worse?
Can you only be born a beggar like Ye Shenyan?
Ye Shenyan was lucky, he also met himself.

But many little beggars either froze to death in a winter snow, or were bitten to death by the vicious dogs of the rich.

Those who were lucky enough to live to the age of seven or eight were either broken off by old beggars and thrown at temple fairs to beg for mercy, or cut themselves off and begged those old fathers-in-law to take them into the palace as eunuchs.

Becoming a eunuch is already the best way out for them.Every year, there are so many poor boys who eunuch themselves voluntarily or forcedly. How many of them can enter the palace?

Sixty percent of them died within a few days after the operation.Those who have survived this test, if they cannot enter the palace, can only continue to beg for food.Those who have a decent appearance may be able to work as young husbands in the South Pavilion—and few of those young husbands can live to adulthood.

Yun Ruochen clearly remembered that Gu Ge said to her father that the average life expectancy of ordinary people in Daqing was about 35 to 40 years old.

Shocking numbers, but this is the status quo of the lives of ordinary people in the Qing Dynasty.

Ji Jianing is just the tip of the iceberg.She has gone through so much, but if she hadn't happened to meet Yun Ruochen and his party tonight, her fate... can be imagined.

Yun Ruochen shook his head, temporarily put aside these fantasies, and took Ji Jianing's hand to comfort her.

"Ok?"

As soon as she took Ji Jianing's right hand, she was stunned again.

"What, what's wrong?"

Ji Jianing talked for a long time, she was not so nervous at first, but suddenly Yun Ruochen pinched her palm so painfully, she became afraid again.

"Do not talk."

Yun Ruochen raised his hand to stop Ji Jianing's questioning, and concentrated on looking at Ji Jianing's palm by the light.

Gu Che and Ye Shenyan were originally listening quietly and did not speak, but when they saw Yun Ruochen acting strange suddenly, they looked at each other and moved closer.

But Yun Ruochen just said don't talk, even though he didn't say it to them... Well, let's continue watching.

Yun Ruochen looked at it, his eyes became brighter.

Unexpectedly, she was allowed to pick up a natural talent here!

To become a disciple of Qimen, just like practicing martial arts, in fact, more than half of it depends on talent.

If you are not born with this material, no matter how hard you practice, you will not be able to enter it for life.Of course, age also matters.Once a person gets old, no matter how talented he is, his aura will wear off long ago.

Yun Ruochen himself is a genius.And now she found that Ji Jianing's talent is not bad!
"Your horoscope?"

Yun Ruochen raised his voice, stared at Ji Jianing and asked.Ji Jianing hesitated for a moment, but Yun Ruochen urged her to speak up impatiently.

Originally, how could such things as Bazi be said casually?But at this time, Ji Jianing was dizzy, so she had to be honest.

Speaking of it, it is also thanks to her father being a scholar.If it was an ordinary poor fisherman's family, who would remember the girl's horoscope!Remember whether it was born in spring or autumn, it is not bad.

"This horoscope, um, um..."

Yun Ruochen let go of Ji Jianing's hand, and immediately took out copper coins from his palm to calculate.

"very good!"

what?
Ji Jianing was even more confused.Her horoscope is good?

Just kidding, her fate... She has never seen a girl whose grandfather, maternal grandfather, and parents have all passed away would be praised!
She is 14 years old, and no one in the village came to her house to propose a marriage. They said behind her back that she was a hard-working woman who conquered the whole family, a bastard, and she must never marry.Even idlers dare not mess with her, for fear of getting her "bad luck".

Now the girl said... how good is her horoscope?Is there a mistake?
"Little girl, are you willing to be my disciple?"

Yun Ruochen collected the copper coins and looked at Ji Jianing with a smile.

Everyone present was dumbfounded!

"Ruochen, what did you say?"

"Girl, what did you say?"

Gu Che and Ye Shenyan yelled in unison, even Nie Shen who was outside was startled.

　Bingmeng, Ji Jianing's roleplay has appeared... No, it's not a roleplayer, it's a female supporting role...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)