On the second day of the first lunar month, this day was covered with clouds, and soon a heavy snow fell like cotton wool, and there was a vast white silver sea between the sky and the earth.

Xu Hao and Noble came to a village in a carriage, because of the experience of Cao Dagongzi, they are now traveling with two middle-aged guards, Sun Lao Er, Sun Lao Si. Early in the morning, Feng Quan personally went to Xu's house to greet him for the New Year, and he thought about going out to visit.

Xu Hao didn't have many friends, the first stop came to visit Zhou Peng, who was also a teacher and friend, and finally found Zhou's house, Xu Hao looked at a few brick houses on the side of the road, there was no courtyard wall, surrounded by a fence, but half of it was overwhelmed by the heavy snow.

There was an old tree outside the chaimen, there was a broken fence hanging on the tree, and there was a pile of dung buried in the snow next to it, and a few chickens were digging on it, and before the people arrived, the leash dogs in the yard were frantically pounced and neighed.

At this time, Zhou Peng and his wife Wu were vomiting in the house, and Wu complained that her husband's hands were scattered, and the dozen taels of silver earned in Mu's house were all donated to the poor disciples who came to pay New Year's greetings, so the couple had a big quarrel.

Zhou Peng also regretted that he was too generous, and sat on the kang with his head bowed with a plate of fried tofu left over from last night, drinking stuffy wine alone.

"I don't know who came to fight the autumn breeze, and I can't open the pot if I don't see the poor people in the family? I really haven't sent it this day. Wu heard the barking of the dog, raised his hand to wipe his tears, and walked out to open the door with a nagging mouth.

Xu Hao stood alone in the snow, and saw a woman about thirty years old with a blue cloth on her head, wearing a thick blue cloth jacket, no skirt underneath, a pair of purple half-used cotton pants, and two black oilcloth boots on her feet.

"Who are you looking for?" Wu saw that he was a young rich man wearing a mink cloak, with a dignified appearance and an indescribable dusty temperament on his body, thinking that he had come to inquire about the road.

Xu Hao wasn't sure if the woman in front of him was a dignified lady, looking at her appearance, she thought it might be, but this dress didn't look like it, maybe it was a descendant or relative of the Zhou family, so he asked politely: "May I ask sister-in-law, is Zhou Xiucai at home?" ”

Wu was very surprised, since the family was poor, those husbands and friends in the past had disappeared in front of the door for about several years, but today it is rare.

"My grandson is at home, dare to ask you?" Wu Shi hurriedly said a thousand blessings and asked cautiously.

Xu Hao arched his hand and smiled: "I have seen Mrs. Zhou, my surname is Xu Minghao, I am half a disciple of Mr. Zhou, and I specially came to pay New Year's greetings to Mr. ”

"Oh, come inside, it's cold outside." Wu turned around with a smile and invited Xu Hao into the house, secretly saying that it should be a private school student of her husband in the past, and now the family has made a fortune.

Xu Hao followed Wu into the house, and a wave of heat rushed in front of him, the fire in the stove was blazing, and the gruel that was probably cooking in the cauldron smelled very fragrant. Looking around, the outside aisle is the stove room, one bright and two dark three rooms, all blocked by curtains, just used for the living room, the one on the left is Zhou Peng's study, and the right should be the couple's bedroom.

Picking up the curtain and walking into the middle room, Zhou Peng got up in surprise to greet him, Xu Hao stopped and bowed respectfully to him.

"Don't dare to be, don't dare to be."

Zhou Peng smiled and waved his hand to look very happy, and said to his wife: "Go and grab a chicken to stew, and then take half a catty of good wine on credit, this Brother Xu is my classmate." ”

Wu is very virtuous, she doesn't want to complain in person, even if there are a few old hens left in the house that can lay eggs, she is very distressed, or silently turn around and go out to prepare.

Xu Hao saw that the Zhou family had almost reached the point of being a disciple, how could he still be a villain? immediately smiled: "Don't bother my sister-in-law, when I came, I booked a table at the wine shop at the entrance of the village, and I came to invite Brother Zhou to eat and drink." ”

Wu's face immediately brightened a little, and he said kindly: "Then sit down and eat tea first, go to the cold and then leave." ”

If it was according to his temper in the past, Zhou Peng would have to argue and force the guests to eat at home, but after the quarrel in the morning and the fact that the family had no money, he finally sighed deeply.

"Yes." Xu Hao was very respectful to Wu, which made Wu's heart feel a little good.

After eating a cup of tea, the Wu family stayed with him, Xu Haoke casually accompanied him and talked for a while, the couple were very polite, and did not ask half a sentence about Xu Hao's family history, even if they were speculating in their hearts.

In the past two months, Zhou Peng has always thought that Xu Hao is a companion from an ordinary family, and today it seems that he is still a family, and the haode fur on this body is worth at least dozens of taels of silver.

The Ming Dynasty divided ordinary people into lower households, middle households, and upper households. This household is equivalent to a well-off level, the family has land and land, there are cattle and maybe one or two subordinates, the whole family is basically free of food and clothing, but there is still a distance from the big and rich households, not to mention the rich landlords like the Xu family.

After sitting at Zhou's house for a while, Xu Hao and Zhou Peng went to the wine shop at the entrance of the village together, until the evening, Xu Hao sent the drunk Zhou Peng back, Wu saw that her husband was drunk, and politely did not invite Xu Hao into the house, Xu Hao said goodbye and left outside the door.

Helping her husband to lie on the kang and covering it with a quilt, Wu heard his neighbor Li Sangou yelling outside, and strangely came out to open the latch, and saw a pile of gift boxes in front of the door.

Li Ergou licked his face and stood behind the fence and stretched his neck and asked, "Sister-in-law of the Zhou family, who sent such good things?" Your woman's house has no strength, I'll help you move. ”

This Li Ergou is idle, he is a famous prankster in the village, Wu doesn't want to see him, she has already guessed that it must be left behind by Xu Hao when he left, and scolded nosy angrily, and hurriedly moved a bunch of gift boxes to the house.

Closing the door, Wu was panting tiredly, his heart was happy and entangled, he didn't know what to do with these gifts, and he thought about waiting for his husband to wake up. When resting, Wu was inevitably curious, and opened a delicate lacquer box on the top casually, and was immediately shocked, there were four silver ingots in the box, looking at the size of one estimate can have five taels, which is a full twenty taels of silver.

In the middle of the night, Zhou Peng woke up from thirst, and saw his wife sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the box in a daze, and asked, "Why don't you sleep yet?" ”

Wu pushed the box and said with a wry smile: "Look for yourself, in addition to a few fine silks, some chickens, ducks and fish, half a pig, a whole sheep, a few boxes of Suzhou snacks, four jars of old wine, how much favor is this?" ”

Zhou Peng looked at the twenty taels of silver in front of him blankly, and Wu explained the origin of the silver. After a long while, Zhou Peng said slowly: "This Xu Hao is a caring person, he said that he wanted to give me a bundle that day, and today he saw that our family was poor, so he quietly left these silver and gifts, even if I send them back, I will use this excuse to stop me, since this is the case, then accept them all." ”

Wu said hurriedly: "But after receiving so much money and goods from others, what will you give in return in the future?" ”

Zhou Peng smiled at his wife, and said leisurely: "You treat me with sincerity, I should repay him with sincerity, and in the future, I will redouble my efforts to teach him knowledge, and it is cheesy to mention these things outside my body." ”

"If you want to teach others, that's how it should be." Wu smiled with relief.