In recent years, many people's sons seem to have been picked up, and according to later generations, they were sent with phone bills.

In addition to the most natural idea of inheritance from ancient times to the present, poor families have sons so that the family can always have enough labor force in the prime of life and provide for the elderly; Rich and noble families give birth to sons, that is to inherit the family business, and there are always people who can glorify the lintel...... Therefore, when a son sees his father, it is like a mouse seeing a cat, and when a father sees his son, he also looks fierce.

Therefore, in today's era, Zhu Er's condition as a son is already very good. Zhu Jing was certainly quite strict with him, but at least he didn't bring people to him all day long to train him, even if he strategically gave up this son before the Northern Expedition, he still handed over the family to him. Even if Zhu Er made a fuss about wanting to marry Zhu Ying to Lu Sanlang, after coming back and teaching him once, he never beat him three times a day, at most, he just trained people often under the comparison of Zhu Tingfang's brother.

At this time, in front of Zhang Shou in the outer city public school, there was a poor child who was crying and claiming that he could not come back to study. And next to him, there were two other peers who were also depressed, tears rolling in their eyes. In contrast, these three who are also sons are truly pitiful.

All three of them are from the intermediate class, and they all know a little bit of reading and writing before entering public school - of course, they are more literate, and they can stumble and recite part of the three-character scriptures, and they can really write about hundreds of words in addition to their own names and parents' names.

Although Zhang Shou didn't know them originally, he remembered that the Jiuzhangtang students who substituted for teachers on weekdays said that even if they were students in the intermediate class, their qualifications were almost all very ordinary. At the beginning, it was selected among the applicants, that is, the tallest of the short, after all, it would be good to be able to read and write. Therefore, the three of them are not the kind of characters who turn into dragons when they encounter a storm, but this is undoubted.

Zhang Shou knows that in the intermediate class, even if most people study diligently, once every seven days, for a few years in the intermediate class, when they finally come out, they can skillfully perform the four operations, and can proficiently read those notices and official documents.

In fact, many college students who graduated from ordinary universities in later generations became ordinary clerks, but in fact, they only mastered similar skills, but calligraphy became proficient in the use of computers and office software, and that's it.

However, even if the students in the intermediate class will not be able to become officials in their lifetime, this is not a reason for him to accept the withdrawal of the three of them. At this moment, seeing that the child who cried the most had already cried into a big face, he glanced at the fourth prince who had accompanied the three of them, and then handed over a handkerchief as he had done to appease the bear child.

"Okay, don't cry, speak slowly, wipe your face first."

This was just a very ordinary comfort, however, the ten-year-old child took the handkerchief handed by Zhang Shou in a daze, looked down for a while, but finally returned it with a frightened face, snorting and not knowing what to say. Fortunately, the other two children behind him were slightly older than him, and one of them explained it for him.

"Master Zhang, your handkerchief is silk, it's really a waste to wipe Chen San's face, he doesn't dare to waste things like this!"

The four princes on the side widened their eyes, and then thought that they seemed to have ruined a lot of handkerchiefs from Zhang Shou, because Zhang Shou said that they were not given by Zhu Ying, so he didn't take it seriously later. Most of the handkerchiefs were crumpled and dirty after wiping his face, and he didn't even notice where they went.

And Zhang Shou realized after the accident that the three children in front of him were from a lower background than the students of Jiuzhangtang, and they really felt that their faces were not as good as silk. Therefore, he didn't insist, smiled and took back his handkerchief, and then said gently: "You just said that your family doesn't let you study here, because your livelihood is difficult, and you can't even squeeze out four days a month?" ”

The three children looked at me, and in the end, it was the tall child who had just explained on his behalf and said: "It's our father and mother who saw that the restaurants over there in Xinglong Tea House were thriving, so they planned to sell them by cart as well." But because there are too many food and drinkers, they only know a little bit of homely skills, so let's go to a big store as an apprentice and try to learn a few tricks. ”

"Apprentices don't have a break, so we shouldn't be able to come back to school in the future."

Hearing this, the fourth prince finally couldn't help it: "But I heard that being an apprentice only covers food and lodging, and there is no salary, you come to class once every seven days, and the public school also provides you with three meals, and you can do other work for the remaining six days, isn't it better?" Besides, if you want to steal the craftsmanship in other people's stores, where is it so easy, which craftsmanship is not hidden, for fear of being learned! ”

"Your father and mother are too short-sighted, this is picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelon!"

"You know what!"

Chen San, who had just cried the most, sniffed hard, and his face turned red with anger.

"You will go to this public school to study because the elders in your family have a relationship with Master Zhang, so they stuffed you here. But if I don't work at home, I'm going to starve! I come to class every seven days, and the remaining six days can indeed do other jobs, but I can only do the kind of odd jobs, chopping wood and fetching water, which shop needs a rest at every turn! ”

"And if I were to work, I would have to be an apprentice, because I don't know how to trade. If you want to learn the craft, you have to be a cow and a horse for the master, and serve carefully to learn one and a half moves...... I was able to learn to read and write before I went to public school, because my father used to work as a bookkeeper and could earn a lot of money, but since he broke his right hand, my family can't afford to send me to private school. ”

"But the family still has to live, my father has no choice, can only take some simple, do not need to write too good-looking copying work, and after learning to write with his left hand, he taught me by himself, while still wanting to continue to go back to do the account, but jealous of his man-made rumors, saying that he did not break his hand, but because of corruption was broken by the master's hand, so no one wants him!"

"Because my father had to help support the family, he copied under the sun during the day and by the light of the fire at night, and his eyes were wounded, and now he can hardly see. So, since my mother wants to eat and drink in the future, and she also asked me to go to those big stores as an apprentice, how can I not go because I want to study! If I don't go, what will my dad do! ”

The fourth prince had never been yelled at like this by someone with a lower status than himself—but at this moment, he was not angry, but stood there a little embarrassed, without the momentum of an impulsive bear child at all.

Although he had only stayed in the public school for a total of two days, and he was still one of the few children of other people's families—only referring to the children of rich and noble families, and it had nothing to do with studying—the four princes, who were usually familiar with each other, still relied on their attentive smiling faces to talk to a bunch of students in the intermediate classes who came to the public school before and after, and also inquired a little about the situation.

For example, he already knew that most of the people in this class were children from poor families, and at first he thought that this was a poor family, but Xiao Peanut just pouted, but Xiao Cheng, who was serious last night, was so silent that he couldn't make a sound.

"Not all poor families are qualified to be called poor. Brother Zhu once said to me that during the Wei and Jin dynasties, there was no poor family in the upper grade, and no scholar clan in the lower grade. The Hanmen is also the Shu clan, at least it is also a well-off and honest family that has been an official in the family! If you tell the adults in the court that the students in this public school are from poor families, they will have to laugh off their big teeth! ”

However, the four princes are generally asking, it is impossible to chase people and ask what your father and mother do, and how do you live on weekdays...... Even if the bear child no longer understands human feelings, he is not stupid to this point.

Therefore, at this time, he was really at a loss in the face of this too real confession and emotion. As a result, another student who was a little younger than Chen San saved him.

Chen San really had no choice, so he had to listen to the family, his father and mother were already very good to him. My family is not in a different situation with him. My eldest brother has a good memory since he was a child, and after a few months of secretly studying in a private school, he was praised by the teacher as a seed of reading and taught him to read for free. But even if you don't want to fix it, books, paper, pen and ink still need money to buy, so in addition to my father and mother, my sister and I have also tried our best to do what we can since we were young, hoping to support him. ”

"The teacher said that the eldest brother is expected to take the county exam next year, but he has to go to meet more friends and ponder the article, but it costs money. When I was a child, he also taught me to read and write, but my qualifications were far inferior to him, so my mother heard that even if I studied in a public school for three years, I might not be able to learn anything, so I thought of letting me drop out of school to become an apprentice, even if I could learn one or two famous dishes...... They said it, and I couldn't possibly not say yes. ”

And when he heard the third student babble and say that it was the eldest brother in the family who was obsessed with gambling and lost the only bit of family property, so he almost wanted to sell him to be a servant, and his father and mother were frightened before they planned to send him to be an apprentice, what so-called future catering business is just a pretext, Zhang Shou finally couldn't help but rub his eyebrows.

Happy families are all alike, and unhappy families have their own misfortunes...... Tolstoy's statement is always true.

He saw that the face of the fourth prince changed from shock to dazedness, and from dazed to angry, but in the end, it changed from anger to frustration, so he said lightly: "I know that you all have to drop out of school because of your family, and I also know that your parents and elders have their own last resort. However, I think when you first entered the school, you all signed the corresponding contract, remember? ”

Seeing that the three students looked at each other suddenly, and then nodded hesitantly, Zhang Shou laughed: "When Lu Xijiu first opened the public school, I considered the problem that students could not last, so when recruiting students, I should repeatedly emphasize to your elders that unless you can temporarily suspend school due to birth, old age, sickness and death, you should not leave school early." ”

"After all, you have enjoyed free food and drink, free books, and even a monthly reading subsidy of 100 yuan. Although it is not a long time, you have all enjoyed all kinds of things after all, and this is your power. ”

"But you also have obligations that you must fulfill! That is, at least three years of study here. If not, according to the contract, according to the standard of 20 wen for the teacher's training, 10 wen for food, 1,000 wen for one-time books, and 1,000 wen for one-time pen and ink fees, the public school will be compensated for your investment. ”

This time, all three students turned pale at the same time. And the four princes, who were still fighting for them in their hearts, showed a puzzled expression. In his opinion, this is obviously a great opportunity to go back and persuade his parents and elders to stay in the public school and continue to study, why are these three guys so stupid?

"Bachelor Zhang...... Is this really not accommodating? ”

Chen San's eyes were red again, and after stammering and asking, he couldn't help but raise his sleeve and wipe his eyes fiercely, and then muttered: "But my father and mother can't help it, I also want to reduce the burden for them......"

"I don't know which shop near Xinglong Tea House you want to apprentice to. All I know is that all the big restaurants are working hard to prepare for next year's Imperial Chef Competition, so of course they will accept apprentices, but they are only miscellaneous apprentices, and they will definitely not be able to enter the kitchen for half a step. Think about it, why don't these celebrity chefs use your own sons and nephews? ”

Zhang Shou's words made the three children silent, so he said unhurriedly: "Moreover, no matter whether it is true or false that your father and mother want to do a catering business, but now that you are squeezing in, I'm afraid it's too late." The streets and alleys near the Xinglong Tea House already have a fixed land allocation, and there is a fixed group of vendors and groups, which cannot be intervened by outsiders if they want to. ”

"Moreover, whether it is the Xinglong Tea House or the nearby area, the reason why it can have the current prosperity is because of my planning. If you have difficulties in your family, don't you know that you should first bring it up to the tutor who teaches you and see if there is a solution to the best of both worlds? Take 10,000 steps back and say, if the public school comes forward, it is not difficult for you to be apprentices for six days and study for one day. ”

If it is said that the three children were frightened by the word compensation that Zhang Shou said just now, then Zhang Shou's last sentence at this time is like re-injecting a breath of spirit into them and making them come back to life.

Even if their qualifications are mediocre, they can pass the assessment and be accepted into study, at least one trait, that is, studious and clever - and people who are studious and clever will never be unaware of the sensational imperial chef selection competition in the capital, let alone the role that Zhang Shou played in it.

If Zhang Shou is really willing to say a word, then they may be able to be worthy of their families and continue their studies!

Next, Zhang Shou effortlessly asked the shop where the three of them were going to be apprentices, and when he learned that it was the Gusu Restaurant under the Suzhou Guild Hall, he couldn't help but smile. But at this moment, the fourth prince suddenly asked in a low voice: "The fourth master of Hua, the richest man in Suzhou, and the head of the Hua Guild in Suzhou Guild Hall, seem to be very shrewd people, as for this Gusu Xiaoguan to accept students from public schools as apprentices?" ”

The three children were still a little ignorant, but Zhang Shou secretly appreciated the words of the fourth prince. Immediately after, he narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "Being Zheng Qiang, it seems that I really want to ask those two about it." Okay, you go back first, you just said these words, you will keep them secret, as for the apprenticeship, I will ask clearly, and give you an answer. ”

Seeing the three children wiping their tears and leaving gratefully, Zhang Shou saw that the four princes seemed to be full of uncomfortable words, so he smiled and said: "Zheng Qiang, didn't your father ask you to do one thing before you can return to the palace?" Since you think there is a problem in this just now, okay, I will lend you a piece of little peanuts and Xiao Cheng, and Ah Liu will also lend you a piece, and you can find out the truth for me. ”