Chapter 43 Bead Counting

Seeing that Gu Qing was about to leave, Mo Li also followed him out. It took an hour or two to get from the town to Gujiacun even with an oxcart. They were really worried about letting Gu Qing take the two children back alone.

People are needed to carry water, chop firewood and teach in the evening. Mo Li is a scholar and is also good at farm work. Naturally, it is more suitable for him to follow him back.

The four of them bought some pork belly, got on Gu Jiang's oxcart, and returned to Gujiacun.

As soon as they got home, Gu Yu and Gu Nuo hurriedly carried their baskets on their backs to dig wild vegetables to feed the chickens and ducks.

Mo Li first went to the vegetable garden to water the vegetables in the garden, while Gu Qing lit a fire in the kitchen to cook.

There are not many people in the family today, but there is not much work to do. We will have to harvest mushrooms later, and Gu Yu and the others have to go to class in the evening.

Gu Qing cooked a pot of white rice, stir-fried a green vegetable, and prepared to make a stir-fried pork. When he looked up, he saw Mo Li messing around in the yard.

Several children were learning abacus and needed an abacus. Seeing that money was being spent everywhere at home, Mo Li thought of making it himself.

But making an abacus is not simple. It requires wood and various tools. It is a meticulous job.

Gu Qing finished frying the vegetables and walked over and said, "Ali, your hands are not suitable for this. Why don't I buy some abacus tomorrow?"

Mo Li pursed his lips and said, "The cheapest abacus costs three to four hundred cents each."

The price is indeed a bit expensive.

Gu Yu said with a smile: "Brother A Li, let's just take turns using your abacus. We will definitely learn it."

Gu Qing held her chin and said slowly: "Nono, I don't know how to do carpentry, maybe I can also do abacus?"

Abacus is also carpentry, so the principle should be the same.

Gu Nuo's eyes lit up: "Then I'll go find Grandpa."

Mo Li washed his hands and said, "I'll take the abacus with me."

"Wait a minute." Gu Qing stopped the two of them, "The abacus is a very delicate thing. If you ask me to help with the abacus, you have to pay me. Ah Li, how much do you think I should pay for an abacus?"

Mo Li recalled the prices on Yunshan Street. The cheapest abacus cost three hundred and fifty taels of silver, while the most expensive abacus cost more than a dozen taels of silver. It depends on the workmanship and material.

He said: "We won't know until we make it, but even if it's the worst, it's worth at least fifty cents each."

Gu Qing nodded: "Okay, let's make it then."

Gu Nuo took Mo Li Feng Feng Huohuo to the Gu family's old house.

Gu Nuo called people one by one.

Mo Li greeted him politely: "How are you, grandpa and grandma? How are you, my second aunt and my third aunt?"

Although several of Gu Qing's husbands and sons-in-law usually do farm work, their posture and aura are completely different from the mud-legged people in Gujia Village. As soon as Mo Li entered the yard, the others felt a little uncomfortable.

Even Sun, who always likes to find trouble, didn't dare to stare at Mo Li for too long. She always felt that she was blaspheming the scholar. She went into the room and brought out a stool, but she felt that the stool seemed too worn, so she went in to replace it.

A decent and clean stool was brought out, wiped again and again, and placed in the yard for Mo Li to sit down.

Mo Li waved his hands repeatedly: "I'm here this time because I want to ask Grandpa for help with something."

Mr. Gu was smoking a cigarette under the eaves. When Mo Li called him, he nodded casually, but in fact he had been secretly looking at Mo Li... He had only heard of the Dong family member as Tong Sheng before, and he didn't know about the Mo family.

The boy is a scholar, and he just found out a few days ago that Mo Li, who is a good worker, is a scholar. He has always wanted to have a good chat, but there is no reason to go to the eldest granddaughter's house.

During the last meal, he couldn't keep talking to a junior. This time, he really saw it up close. It was at this moment that he finally understood why his eldest granddaughter spent five taels of silver to buy him back.

.

Even if he is good-looking, he can read, he seems sensible and well-behaved, and he is also humble and polite to farmers like them. Why is such a good young man not the son of their Gu family... If their Gu family can cultivate a scholar, he will be closed in the future.

You should have more dignity when you go to meet your ancestors.

Then I thought about it, Mo Li was already the eldest granddaughter’s husband, so rounding it off meant that he was a member of their old Gu family!

When Old Man Gu was overjoyed, Mo Li suddenly asked him for help if he had something to do.

The old man stood up immediately: "Boy Mo, if you need anything, please tell me immediately. As long as it's something I can do, there will be no ambiguity."

Mo Li picked up the abacus: "I wonder if I can do abacus?"

Mr. Gu has traveled all over the country for so many years, so he naturally knows abacus. Most scholars can do it. The waiters in some shops will also specialize in learning this. He once begged a shopkeeper to teach him, but the shopkeeper looked down on him as a farmer and refused to teach the essence.

He fooled around every day and learned nothing after studying for half a month. In the end, he broke off relations with the shopkeeper in anger.

Old Man Gu walked over and took the abacus. The round beads rolled on his heart.

He nodded: "You have to try even if you don't know how to do it."

He looked at Gu Youyin who had just walked in and said, "Third brother, go to the mountain and cut down a tree, either camphor or cypress."

In the yard after dinner, Mr. Gu was sawing wood, and Mo Li was helping.

Although Mr. Gu did not learn any crafts back then, he did have all the tools he needed. Over the years, he used these tools to make the tables, chairs, stools, and bed frames at home. Although they are not as beautiful as the ones he bought back, they are better than the ones he bought.

It is cheap, and the wood used is the best wood in the mountains, so it is not afraid of insects and damage.

"To make an abacus, the best ones are sandalwood and huanghuali, but these good woods are hard to find. You can also use cypress." Mr. Gu said while sawing the wood, "Is it possible to make such a big abacus?"

Mo Li nodded respectfully and obediently: "Make it smaller so it's easier to carry around."

Mr. Gu sawed the piece of wood a little shorter.

The two divided the labor and cooperated, and soon made a square frame. Next, they made beads, which was the most meticulous process.

Saw the wood into small square shapes, and then use a foot turning machine to polish it. This was bought by Mr. Gu at a large price many years ago when he was an apprentice. He put it away in less than half a year and later made it.

Carpentry work does not require polishing bead-like decorations. This thing has been stored for thirty or forty years. When it was taken out, there was dust everywhere.

There is a small iron blade on the top of the foot turning machine, and there is a pedal at the bottom. Use the blade to hold the wooden block and step on the pedal. Under the action of high-speed rotation, the wooden block will gradually be ground into a rounded shape.

After grinding out the shape of the beads, it is not enough, they still need to be polished.

Mr. Gu said: "My master said that you need to use fine cloth to polish it. This thing is too expensive and I can't afford it. Just use burlap. If you play with it for a few days, it will gradually become smooth and round."

Without saying a word, Mo Li lifted up his robe and tore off a piece of cloth from his inner garment: "Master, this is fine cloth!"

Mr. Gu stared at him: "Why are you such a tough kid? How can you wear your good clothes if there is a hole in them?"

Mo Li looked unconcerned: "I noticed that no one is wearing underwear. I don't have to wear any in the future either."

"Can this be the same?" Mr. Gu became anxious, "You are a scholar, and you will be a civil servant in the future. How can you compare with us who are digging in the fields? You are not particular at all! Put this piece of cloth away.

If you go back and sew it yourself, using white thread, no one will see it."

Mo Li's expression was a bit strange. The owner of the family had specially bought this fine lining for them. He didn't know what he was thinking, so he tore the lining when he heard that he was going to polish the abacus beads. The owner knew that he would be scolded.
Chapter completed!