In a side room in the backyard of the college.

Saturday's head was wrapped in gauze, and she stubbornly looked up at the man who was speaking.

The man's surname was Fu. He was over thirty years old, not very tall, with beady eyes and a hooked nose. He had a sophisticated and smooth demeanor, but he was the youngest teacher in the college.

At this moment, Mr. Fu was bowing deeply, his hands clasped in a gesture of apology to Mrs. Guo, Guo Wuyong's mother.

Mr. Fu said, "It is because I have not disciplined my students properly that they have made such a mistake. I hope that you will forgive me, and I will definitely punish Zhou Liu severely."

The noblewoman standing in front of Mr. Fu was Guo Wuyong's mother. She was adorned with rich headdresses and dressed in fine clothes. Guo Wuyong, standing beside her, was raising his chin and arrogantly provoking Zhou Liu.

On Saturday, he was not afraid of Guo Wuyong and met his gaze with his big eyes.

Madam Guo snorted coldly, "It seems that Qingshui Academy is not so great after all. They accept all kinds of peasants. I should have known better than to have my husband send so many desks, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones to Qingshui Academy."

The Guo family are wealthy merchants in Qingshui Town, and their business has even spread to Luzhou Prefecture. I heard that the second young lady of the family married an official and became his principal wife.

It's not easy for a merchant to marry a man who has a personal steward, let alone a wife!

Upon hearing Madam Guo's words, Mr. Fu repeatedly apologized, saying that if the Guo family stopped sponsoring the academy in the future, he would have to rely solely on the meager tuition fees provided by the academy.

They simply couldn't afford many writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, let alone provide a comfortable life for their family.

After apologizing, Mr. Fu glared angrily at Zhou Liu. If it weren't for the fact that Zhou Liu's injuries were quite serious, he would have punished him severely right now!

“There’s no need for Mr. Fu to say anything nice,” said Madam Guo. “But this country bumpkin doesn’t seem to have any remorse at all.”

“If he has any bad intentions in the future, I won’t feel comfortable sending my precious son to school again.”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Fu immediately understood Mrs. Guo's intention and sternly said to Zhou Liu, "Hurry up and apologize to Guo Wuyong!"

On Saturday, he stood tall and motionless, exuding an aura of resistance from head to toe.

Madam Guo twisted the silk handkerchief in her hands, wishing she could slap Zhou Liuji herself.

That peasant dared to hit her son; he must have a terrible life!

Madam Guo accidentally dropped the silk handkerchief on the ground. The maid behind her quickly got up, picked it up, and handed it back to Madam Guo.

"Wow, the floor of this academy is quite clean," Madam Guo said, feigning surprise.

Seeing that Saturday had not responded for a long time, and hearing Mrs. Guo's words, Mr. Fu's dissatisfaction also welled up in his heart, and he angrily rebuked, "Saturday, you beat up your classmate, and you also disrespect your teachers!"

Hurry up and apologize to Guo Wuyong, and kowtow to Madam Guo. You hurt Madam Guo's precious son, and you can't make up for it even if you have ten lives!

Madam Guo is kind and won't hold it against you, so what are you still hesitating for? You're simply incorrigible!

On Saturday, upon hearing this, she pursed her lips, remaining silent, her eyes sharp as she stared directly at Mr. Fu.

Just as Mr. Fu was about to reprimand him a few more times, he heard a loud shout.

"Let's see who dares to make Xiao Liu kowtow!"

Before Madam Lu even stepped into the school, she heard a sharp male voice demanding that Zhou Liu kowtow. How could she tolerate that?!

Absolutely impossible!

Ms. Lu stormed through the door, and when she saw the bandage on Saturday's head, her heart ached terribly!

"Xiao Liu, are you alright?" Madam Lu asked.

Seeing that Zhou Liu gently shook his head, Mrs. Lu was relieved.

She then shielded Saturday behind her, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

When Madam Guo saw Madam Lu, she looked her up and down and asked, "Who are you?"

Mrs. Guo often heard her son talk about how a certain orphan named Zhou Liu was arrogant and looked down on them just because he was good at studying.

Upon suddenly seeing Madam Lu dressed in short, coarse clothes, Madam Guo was momentarily confused.

“Who I am is none of your business!” Madam Lu said. “My child is incredibly considerate and obedient to his elders at home. He would never hit someone for no reason. There must be a reason! Why should he kneel down as soon as you open your mouth?”

Madam Lu was known for her loud voice, and Madam Guo was startled by her outburst, which only fueled the fire in her heart.

Madam Guo also cursed, "Look what he did to my son! Making him kowtow is too lenient; sending him to the authorities wouldn't be an exaggeration!"

As she spoke, Madam Guo pulled Guo Wuyong forward.

Only then did Mrs. Lu see that Guo Wuyong's face was bruised and swollen, and his original appearance was almost unrecognizable. A trace of blood could still be faintly seen on the gauze wrapped around his head.

After comparing the options in her mind, Mrs. Lu felt secretly pleased. Serves her right!

Madam Guo took in Lu's secret delight and put pressure on Mr. Fu again, saying, "Mr. Fu, how do you think this matter should be resolved?"

On one side was the Guo family mansion, which offered the academy convenient access; on the other was a country boy with no background. Mr. Fu made his decision without even a moment's hesitation.

Mr. Fu said, "Apologize to Guo Wuyong on Saturday. If he is still unrepentant, he should drop out of school and go home. I can't teach him anymore!"

Madam Lu was not afraid of Madam Guo at all. If she were afraid, it would be Xiao Liu who would suffer. She was there to support Xiao Liu, so she could neither back down nor be afraid.

However, when Mr. Fu threatened to drop out of school, Madam Lu panicked completely. After spending so much money, she was left with the prospect of dropping out. How was she going to take Xiao Liu home and explain this?

Seeing that Madam Lu's arrogance had plummeted, Madam Guo's expression gradually improved. Just when she thought victory was in her grasp, a graceful woman walked into the house.

The woman had skin as smooth as jade, wore a long purple dress, and was adorned with an exquisite hair ornament; she was stunningly beautiful outside the city.

Mr. Fu was also a little stunned, but Saturday's eyes lit up, and Mrs. Lu felt that she had found a pillar of support.

"Sister Lu," Zhou Liu called out softly.

As soon as Lu Qiqi returned to the house, she heard that Saturday had been beaten. She put down a bag of candied fruit and rushed to the academy.

“Sir, I am Lu Qiqi’s older sister, surnamed Lu,” Lu Qiqi said calmly. “May I ask what my younger brother has done at school that warrants his expulsion?”

Mr. Fu looked at Lu Qiqi, who was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an extraordinary temperament. She didn't seem like a peasant girl, and he was afraid that he couldn't afford to offend her. For a moment, he was in a dilemma and stammered for a long time without being able to utter a single useful word.

Looking at Lu Qiqi, Guo Wuyong thought of his cousin, who never said a kind word to him except to scold him for being useless.

Therefore, Guo Wuyong's jealousy of Zhou Liu intensified. He said, "When Zhou Liu stole my pen and I caught him red-handed, he became enraged and beat me up."

Upon hearing this, Madam Guo was outraged. "A thief, no matter how well he studies, will never have the chance to pass the imperial examinations. This scoundrel, Mr. Fu, should be handed over to the authorities!"

Lu Qiqi dismissed Madam Guo and Guo Wuyong's words as nonsense; her family had no habit of petty theft.

Besides, she had prepared everything for him, from writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to clothing and food. He also had a tael of silver in pocket money on Saturday, so there was no need for him to steal.

Lu Qiqi turned her head and said, "Little Six, don't pay attention to them. Just tell me what happened, and I will definitely give you justice!"