Wei Daxiang was quicker-witted than Tang Shungui, and before the latter could react, he had already knelt down and kowtowed heavily to Ye Zhuo: "Thank you, Miss Ye."

  "Hey, Wei brother, what are you doing? Quickly get up." Ye Zhuo hastily stretched out his hand to support him.

  Wei Daxiang got up, but still bowed and said: "Miss Ye's kindness is like a rebirth to me, I'm grateful beyond words. However, my family's second child is a girl, Miss Ye must not include her just because you want to treat everyone equally. I'm not the kind of person who can't bear others being better off, I won't be jealous of Tang Dage. Just send the eldest son over for a try and it will be settled. If he's dull-witted, Miss Ye mustn't force yourself to accept him just because of me. What kind of person does what kind of thing is arranged by heaven, there's no need to force it. Even if you force it, it will be very difficult to live with."

  "Yes, yes, Miss Ye, you mustn't just consider the emotional aspect. If that's the case, then neither I nor Da Xiang will dare to come see you again." Tang Shun Gui came to his senses and hastily chimed in.

  They are indeed two honest and reliable men!

  Although Ye Zhuo had known the nature of these two men for a long time, she was still worried that they would be eager to have their children become successful and give birth to greedy thoughts. She thought about whether or not to take in one child from each family, regardless of their talent. If they couldn't learn jade carving, they could be trained as small clerks to do miscellaneous tasks. These children who knew their roots were better than outsiders. Moreover, taking them in would also win over the hearts of these two cart drivers and eventually gather the people's hearts in Nanshan Town's horse-drawn carriage team for her use. Now that she saw their performance, her heart finally put down, and she made up her mind to take in one child from each family as an apprentice no matter what.

  It's probably like this, but Ye Zhuo still said: "Two big brothers say so, then I really won't give face."

  "No need to be polite."

  "This is the right principle."

  Tang Shungui and Wei Daxiang said in unison.

  Ye Zhuo nodded and looked at Wei Daxiang: "However, Brother Wei has one place that is not right. Your Niuniu. I didn't let her come to try out just to balance with the Tang family. Who says women can't learn jade carving? Look at me, I've learned it. If she learns well, she will certainly bring honor to our ancestors."

  Wei Daxiang waved his hand repeatedly: "Can Niuniu compare to the young lady? In our town, who doesn't say that the young lady is a goddess descended from heaven? It's not something we ordinary people can compare to."

  "Descended from the gods?" Ye Zhuo was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. She really had no idea how people outside were talking about her.

  "Don't laugh, miss. I'm really saying this, it's not that I, Wei Daxiang, want to flatter you or make things up." Wei Daxiang saw that Ye Zhuo didn't believe him and became anxious.

  "I know." Ye Zhuo waved her hand, "I'm not familiar with Wei's character? However, Brother Wei, you're wrong about Nian Nian. There's a saying: it's better to cheat an old man than to cheat a poor young person. You haven't even tried teaching her, how do you know she's not the right material? Think back to when I was just a useless lady from the Ye family's second house? All my skills were obtained through hard practice." As she spoke, she stretched out her palm for the two of them to see.

  Tang ShunGui and Wei DaXiang saw that Ye Zuan's white, soft hands had thick calluses, even thicker than their own hands which held the reins all day, and couldn't help but feel a deep respect.

  Ye Zhuo withdrew his palm. He said seriously, "I showed you my hand, not to ask for your praise. But to tell you that practicing jade carving requires not only a nimble mind but also the spirit of endurance. If your children are unwilling to endure hardship or if you are reluctant to let them suffer, then consider what I have just said as nothing."

  "It's bitter to be a human, but only by being bitter can one become a superior person. This principle is understood even by petty people." Wei Daxiang was clearly more educated than Tang Shun'gui and bowed his head. "Don't worry, Miss, my children, whether it's Zhu Zi or Niu Niu, are all kids who can endure hardship."

  "My family has three tigers and four tigers too." Tang Shungui also said hurriedly.

  "That's good, you see when you have time, bring them over and let me take a look." Ye Zhuo said.

  "Yes, I'll go and bring them over." The two of them said as they hastily bid farewell to go pick up the kids.

  It was probably because they were anxious, and the two of them came especially quickly this time. Before long, Tang Shungui, who lived nearby, had taken the child away, and soon after, Wei Daxiang also brought a boy and a girl in.

  "Alright, you all go back first and come back to pick them up after half an hour." Ye Zhuo saw the four children arrive, and then he drove Tang Wei and others out.

  Tang ShunGui and Wei DaXiang saw Ye Zhen's attitude, which made them feel more intimate. After instructing the child for two sentences, they left. However, the two did not go to receive the goods, but waited in the carriage outside the alley.

  At this time, Ye Zhuo had already asked Qiu Ju to prepare paper and pen, let the four children sit down on the clean dinner table, each with a piece of paper and a pen, and also asked Qiu Ju to grind ink for them.

  "Yè, Yè Gūgu, we...we can't write." Wei Daxiang's son looked at the paper and pen, then at Qiujie's inkstone, and said timidly.

  Ye Zhuo smiled and put the stones in front of them, one for each person: "I don't want you to write words, I want you to draw pictures. Don't you see the stones in front of you? We jade carvers are supposed to carve these kinds of stones into various shapes. Now take a close look at these stones, each one has a different color and shape. If you were to carve it, what shape do you think you would carve it into? Now I want you to draw what's in your mind. It doesn't matter if it doesn't look like it, just draw first and tell me what you drew later."

  The youngest Niu Niu is also eight years old this year. And poor people's children grow up early, these children are more mature than ordinary rich families' children. What Ye Zhuo said, they naturally all understand. At the moment, she reached out and picked up the stone in front of her, examining it carefully.

  At this time, the kitchen was empty, Yu Shu had already avoided going away, Ye Zhuo also left with Qiuju after finishing speaking, and only four children were left in the house.

  The four children all carefully looked at the stones in their hands, but after about an incense stick's worth of time, each one's personality began to show. Tang Shungui's two children, Sanhu and Sihhu, were clearly more restless, especially Sihhu, who couldn't sit still for a moment, scratching his head or rubbing his cheek, twisting his body back and forth, and even reaching out to touch the pen holder. Sanhu glared at his younger brother when he saw him move, signaling him not to fidget. But before long, he himself couldn't resist moving either.

  It was Zhu, who had been carefully looking at the stone all along. After a while, he started drawing on paper with his pen; Fourth Tiger saw it and quickly picked up his pen to follow suit. The other two children saw this and finally learned from each other, also starting to draw.

  Ye Zouli stood outside the window, watching the commotion in the house, without making a sound. It wasn't until all four children had put down their brushes that he walked in and began to ask each of them what they were drawing.

  The situation of the pillar is almost the same as what she thought, this child is bold and meticulous, likes to ponder, and the designed pattern is extremely excellent; As for Niu Niu, she is a bit shy and timid, asking her what she painted, she also stammered and couldn't say anything; It's actually the lively Four Tigers, who thought he wouldn't be able to sit still or calm down, but unexpectedly his imagination was the most abundant, and the things he drew made Ye Zhuo greatly praised, a good seedling; while San Hu was slightly worse, the things he painted were mediocre.

  She tested their imagination, and then had Qiu Ju give each of them a whetstone and a chopping knife to sharpen. Finally, she called Tang Shun Gui and Wei Da Xiang over, pointing at Si Hu and Zhu Zi: "I've taken in these two children." In fact, she was somewhat regretful - she had originally wanted to take on a female disciple, someone who would be more considerate; but Nian Nian wasn't suited for designing and practicing jade carving. As for San Hu, his talent was average, and even with extra education, it wouldn't have been impossible. But he was slightly older, and since she could only take in one child from the Wei family, she didn't want to be unfair, so Ye Zhuo had no choice but to give up.

  Tang ShunGui and Wei DaXiang had been worried outside, afraid that neither of them would be selected. Now hearing that one of them was selected, they were overjoyed and hastily said: "Quickly, quickly, kowtow to Master."

  Si Hu and Zhu Zi were quick-witted kids, they immediately went up and gave Ye Zhuo three loud knocks on the head.

  Ye Zhuoduan sat on the chair and received them, then let Qiu Ju take out four small cloth bags and hand them to the four children: "A little gift for meeting, don't be disdainful." Seeing Tang Shungui and Wei Daxiang wanting to decline, he waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite with me." He also encouraged the two unselected children a few words, then instructed, "Come every day at dawn, don't be late."

  "Don't worry, I'll call him over as soon as it gets light." Tang Shungui hastily said.

  Just then, Autumn Moon came in from outside and heard this, laughing: "Tang big brother, are you intentionally not letting my family's girl have a good rest?"

  "Not, not." Tang ShunGui only then discovered that sentence was inopportune, hastily said, "Then I'll have him arrive a bit later."

  "It's almost time, just get here around then, don't be too early, I still have things to do in the morning." Ye Zhuo instructed, and after finishing, she waved her hand at Tang ShunGui, indicating that he shouldn't speak.

  Wei Zhu was the most clever and knew that Ye Zhuo wanted them to agree, so he bowed his head and responded with a "Yes, we will definitely be there on time."

  Tang Sihuzi also repeated it, and Ye Zhuo let them leave.

  "Alright, call Yú Shu over. You all go with her to clean up the storage room next door. I need it tomorrow." Ye Zhuo stood up.

  "Miss, that storage room is really too old. The madam's wedding day is still twelve days away, why not wait until after the madam gets married and then teach them? Isn't it said that besides them, you're also going to recruit a few more apprentices? You can teach them all together then, it won't make a difference of just over ten days."

  Ye Chou shook his head and sighed: "No time left. The sooner the better."

  Thank you Baby One Meter Seven for the peace amulet and entanglement of three lives, Phoenix Dance in Heaven, Blue Morning Star's pink ticket!