Chapter 13 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (Thirteen) The next day, ...

The following day, Chu Nanfeng's house was bustling with visitors, even more so than when the news of his passing the imperial examination first came back.

Some people brought a basket of eggs, some carried two grass carp, and others brought several feet of cloth. Basket after basket of fruits were also delivered, quickly filling the Chu family's small courtyard to the brim.

The Liu family's wife brought over ten catties of homemade tofu.

The old man from the Zhou family carried a basket of cleaned vegetables on his back.

Butcher Wang even carried a pig's hind leg to Chu Nanfeng's stove. He usually had a loud voice, but this time he spoke softly, mimicking others.

"Lord Chu, my brother-in-law is not home, and my sister is busy taking care of the children. This meat is for my aunt to nourish her body. If it weren't for you, my little niece would have been in great trouble."

They left their things and said directly that it was Xie Yi who saved the child. Chu Nanfeng could not refuse, so he had to bow and thank everyone one by one.

When Han Qige arrived, she saw this bustling scene and couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

If he had known this would happen, why did he have to suppress Chu Nanfeng so easily? He could have simply had someone beat him so badly that he couldn't take the exam. Then he would be the one enjoying all the glory now.

Han Qige's eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly concealed it and walked over with a smile, "Brother Chu, look what I brought."

He opened the box in front of everyone and handed it to Chu Nanfeng, saying, "I specially picked out this antique inkstone from Duobaozhai. It cost me ten taels of silver."

Chu Nanfeng smiled, reached out and took it, and said earnestly, "Qige, there are too many intricacies in the world of antiques. You are not proficient in this, so you should stop playing with it in the future. Look at the gap in the carving of this inscription, the color is obviously different from the one next to it. It's just a fake."

Chu Nanfeng returned the inkstone to him, patted him on the shoulder, and even made a joke.

"You've already thrown in over a hundred taels of silver. You're almost at the age to get married. You should save some money for your future wife."

There were still some neighbors coming and going around, and people were always in the courtyard. When they heard this, they joined in with a few words of laughter.

An old woman pulled Han Qige aside and asked him what kind of girl he liked, saying she wanted to arrange a marriage for him. After all, he was a scholar, and he was only fifteen years old. He might be able to advance further in the future.

Han Qige's face stiffened for a moment, then she quickly smiled sheepishly, "Brother Chu, you're teasing me again. You haven't found a partner either, and I'm two years younger than you, so there's no rush."

Seemingly afraid that Chu Nanfeng would nag again, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Brother Chu, do you still have any tax-free allowance left? I'll register five mu of land under your name, and I'll give you the same reward as everyone else. You definitely won't be at a disadvantage!"

"Oh dear, that's not a good time," Chu Nanfeng said regretfully. "There are quite a few neighbors here today, and many people have asked about this. You said before that you didn't plan to be affiliated with them, and my family doesn't own any farmland, so we've given it all away."

He looked at a simple, honest man next to him and said, "The last three mu of land have just been reserved by Brother Liu. Qige, you have the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations), and the land tax is not high, so you don't necessarily have to register here."

The man surnamed Liu smiled憨厚ly, "Prime Minister Chu is kind-hearted. The reward is only 30% of the government's tax revenue. We are taking advantage of you."

"You can't say that. When I was young and weak, Brother Liu helped me carry water for more than half a year. Now my abilities are limited, and I can only do my bit." Chu Nanfeng waved his hand apologetically.

Most of the people living here are not wealthy. The two hundred acres of tax-free land under his name are all registered under the names of his neighbors, and he receives very little tax credit.

Chu Nanfeng did this not just to gain a good reputation.

When Chu's father passed away, he left behind some money, but Chu Nanfeng was only eleven years old, and his mother suffered a premature birth due to the shock. He was completely terrified and had no idea what to do.

It was the aunties and grandmas in the neighborhood who helped find a midwife, who helped deliver the baby for his mother, and then taught him how to take care of his younger sister and mother.

It was the uncles and elders from the neighborhood who helped set up the mourning hall for my father, changed him into his burial clothes, and helped carry the coffin down for burial.

His mother's health never improved after giving birth to his younger sister, and since his sister was still young, he was able to support the family and have time to continue his studies thanks to the help of others.

Now that I've made a name for myself, I naturally want to help them out.

Seeing his good-natured demeanor, Han Qige secretly pursed her lips. Not wanting to listen to others praising Chu Nanfeng any longer, she took her leave.

After he left, someone suddenly said, "I always saw Minister Han coming over to deliver things, and he spent quite a bit of money on them. So he was just trying to help Minister Chu keep an eye on things."

Some people commented, "This Han Xiangong really knows how to spend money. That much money could buy ten acres of prime farmland."

Han Qige was unaware that from this moment on, the image he had cultivated as Chu Nanfeng's closest friend began to deviate slightly.

Almost every household in the county with children came to deliver gifts. Chu Nanfeng entertained his guests all day long, and it wasn't until the sun was setting that the event came to an end.

The three members of the Chu family looked at the yard full of food and couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances. There were only three people in the family, and so much food would probably spoil before they even ate half of it.

Finally, Chu's mother waved her hand and said, "I had someone choose an auspicious date yesterday. Three days from now is perfect for a banquet. We should all celebrate Nanfeng's success in the imperial examination."

Chu Qing immediately nodded in agreement, and Chu Nanfeng naturally wouldn't object either. However, some ingredients still needed to be processed.

Chu Nanfeng took a kitchen knife and, together with his mother, cut the more than ten-pound pork hind leg into small pieces, rubbed them with salt, marinated them, and hung them on the beam in the kitchen.

That large basin of firm tofu was cut into palm-sized pieces, steamed, and then left to air dry in a ventilated place to be made into dried tofu.

Chu Nanfeng moved the fruits and vegetables to the cellar for storage, while Chu Xiaomei hung the dried fruits and candied fruits in a basket. Chu's mother put the eggs into a vat and found a large wooden basin to keep several live fish in it.

Besides these, there were two proud and imposing roosters with very bright plumage. Looking at the roosters flapping their wings, Chu Nanfeng was unusually helpless.

Chu's mother and Chu Qing didn't know what to do. In the past few years, their family had only ever bought a small piece of pork the size of a palm during the Lunar New Year, and they had never eaten chicken.

But letting them run around the yard isn't a solution either.

In the end, Lin You came up with an idea: cover them with old baskets, weigh them down with stone slabs, and feed them with rice husks in the gaps. When waiting for guests, they would ask someone to help kill them.

By the time they finished dealing with these things, it was already dark. Chu's mother and Chu Qing packed up the cloth and needles, while Chu Nanfeng went to wash up and change his clothes.

After all that fuss, he was covered in dirt and grime, his sleeves were stained with oil, his shoulders were covered in rice husks, and even his hair was askew.

"Chu Nanfeng, there are actually things you can't do." Lin You couldn't help but tease him, looking at his unusually disheveled appearance.

"Sister, you're joking. I'm just an ordinary person; how could I possibly know everything?" Chu Nanfeng said, then paused, her hand already on her clothes, before adding helplessly, "Sister, would you like to go play with your little sister for a while?"

Even if he now knows what the system blocking function is, he still doesn't have the habit of chatting with girls while taking a shower.

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving now. I won't be able to see you anyway, so what's there to be shy about?"

After successfully teasing Chu Nanfeng, Lin You immediately felt happy. Even though Chu Nanfeng urged her to study the system's introductory skills until midnight, it didn't affect her good mood.

The next day, after breakfast at the Chu family home, Chu Nanfeng suddenly moved a small desk to the courtyard, took out a copy of the Records of the Grand Historian, and said to Chu Qing, "Qing, your brother will tell you a story from the Records of the Grand Historian today."

Chu Qing blinked, her face remaining calm, but she was somewhat puzzled. Hadn't she already finished studying the Records of the Grand Historian three months ago?

"Let our elder sister see how diligent and studious our Ah Qing is." Chu Nanfeng winked at his younger sister.

The little girl immediately understood. She smiled sweetly and said in a soft, gentle voice, "Can I come to class with you, sister? You always go with my brother, I want you to come with me too..."

"Yes, of course I'll stay! I'll sit next to you!" Seeing the girl's slightly disappointed tone at the end, Lin You quickly agreed.

It's just classical Chinese. Even if it's different from the history of her previous life, it's probably not that different. It's just reading comprehension and classical Chinese translation. Lin You is a liberal arts student, and she applied for a history major. It's a perfect match for her major.

"My sister has already agreed. If you don't understand anything later, you can ask her for help." Chu Nanfeng seemed to be comforting Chu Qing, but in reality, he was subtly setting a trap for Lin You.

Lin You: ………

Fine, I'll listen carefully then. I'm a scholar who passed the imperial examinations in ancient times, so I'm not much different from a university professor.

Chu Nanfeng opened the Records of the Grand Historian and selected a simple and easy-to-understand passage to explain. Chu Qing then concisely and clearly described the schemes and tactics within it.

Lin You felt that this classical Chinese text was relatively simple compared to the practice papers she had done, and quickly gave her answer.

After hearing this, Chu Nanfeng couldn't help but rub her forehead. Although her understanding was too colloquial, it was still correct.

But how do you interpret the statement, "The author used exaggerated description to express the scholar's admiration for the general"?

The passage clearly states that the scholar used flattering words to elevate the general's image and provoke him into sending troops to support the neighboring city!

Hearing him repeat his words, Chu Qing couldn't help but widen her eyes. Her older sister's explanation was too... simple and straightforward.

Unaware of the subtle exchange between the two, Lin You thought she had answered quite well and urged Chu Nanfeng to continue with the next lesson.

Chu Nanfeng initially thought it was just an isolated case, but after trying to explain two more articles, he discovered that his older sister seemed to have a specific set of explanations for each article, which she could use by changing a few words.

"Sister, did someone teach you this kind of explanation?" Chu Nanfeng frowned slightly. Was it something the master did on purpose?

“Yes, this is a template for reading comprehension in classical Chinese. We have to answer questions like this during exams to get higher scores,” Lin You replied crisply.

Chu Nanfeng was momentarily at a loss for words. The place where she had lived before must have been a peaceful and prosperous era. Only in such a place could all the students have been raised to have simple and innocent personalities.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as Han Qige who was resurrected through possession of another's body.

Chu Qing glanced at her brother, then at the book, and asked casually, "Shall we continue?"

Chu Nanfeng quietly shook his head. There was no need for that. His older sister's perspective on things was completely different from theirs.

It's not that she can't see through the scheming and power struggles, but rather that she subconsciously tries to think of everything from a righteous and honorable perspective.

This is a deeply ingrained understanding that cannot be changed with just a few words. Moreover, he can't say for sure whether changing it would be good or bad for her.

Chu Nanfeng closed the book and said gently, "Sister and Aqing have both learned very well. Let's stop here for today. Go and have some fun."

"I'm going out for a walk. If anything happens, don't forget to message me."

Lin You was a little bored staying in the house. She couldn't get involved in the household affairs, so she told Chu Nanfeng and slipped out to go shopping.

She wanted to find out more about the situation in this county. As for which system abandoned its task and went off to play, she had done her task well, and besides, Chu Nanfeng wouldn't complain about her.

"Big brother, sister will leave again, right?" Chu Qing didn't leave, but instead held her brother's hand and asked softly.

If my sister had stayed at home all the time, even if she was a bit simple-minded, with them looking after her, it wouldn't have been a problem. There was no need for my brother to be in such a hurry.

“She’s different from us; she has a long road ahead of her.” Chu Nanfeng rubbed his little sister’s head. “It’s always good that she knows more.”

After hearing this, Chu Qing rested her chin on her hand, frowned, and pondered for a while. She then sighed softly, realizing that this matter seemed to be a little difficult.

She looked up at her brother, who had also sighed. Well, if even her brother couldn't help, then it was probably more than just a little bit of a problem.

Lin You, who was outside, had no idea that her two siblings at home were worried sick about her personality. She went to the snack street, familiar with the area, to listen to the latest gossip from the neighbors.

Most people are still talking about the previous human traffickers, nothing else.

Passing by a teahouse, Lin You listened to another storytelling session, which was the exciting tale of "the discerning eye of the Chu scholar, leaving the human traffickers with nowhere to escape." Only then did she return home satisfied.

A note from the author:

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