Early the next morning.

After delivering the goods, Ye Bajin returned to the village and went straight to Old Ye's house.

Ye Caiping, Ye Daquan, Du Shi and Wei Shi, Ye Xuan, Ye Peng and Zhao Jinshan got into the car together.

"Big brother and little sister, I'm entrusting the matter of the two children to you," Ye Erquan said.

It wasn't that he didn't care about his son, but rather that his knowledge was limited, and he was content with having Ye Caiping and Ye Daquan in charge.

Today was his delivery day, and he also had a lot of work to do at home, so he couldn't leave.

Don't worry!

The oxcart slowly drove away.

Seeing that no one was waiting for the cart at the village entrance, Ye Bajin drove the oxcart away.

After walking for a while, they saw a mother and daughter standing by the roadside. It turned out to be Hu Xiuxiu and Xiuxiu's mother, and they seemed to be waiting for a bus.

Du's expression was rather unpleasant, and even Ye Xuan's face tightened.

Ye Daquan snorted and turned his head away, pretending not to see.

Ye Bajin was somewhat taken aback. Why wasn't the bus waiting area at the village entrance?

Ye Bajin hesitated, wondering whether he should ask.

The atmosphere was clearly off, and remembering the unpleasant look on her mother's face when she came home yesterday, she guessed that the Hu family and Caiping's family might have had a falling out.

Never mind, I'll just pretend I didn't see it and wade over it!

"Hey, Sister Xiuxiu—" Zhao Jinshan suddenly yelled.

Du and Ye Daquan almost vomited blood.

Ye Xuan and Ye Peng wished they could hold him down, gag him, and beat him up.

Ye Caiping was also startled, her lips twitching slightly. Where did this eye-catching bag come from!

"Sister Xiuxiu—Aunt Hu, where are you going?" Zhao Jinshan waved his hand.

Xiuxiu's mother had already seen them, but she had turned her head away, pretending not to see them.

Now that Zhao Jinshan has been yelling and yelling, he can't pretend anymore.

Because it was the village head's wife who arranged the marriage, Xiuxiu's mother also harbored resentment towards Ye Bajin. She resolutely refused to ride in Ye Bajin's cart, so she walked a distance, hoping to wait for an oxcart from another village to pass by.

"Oh, you're going into the mountains... to go to school?" Xiuxiu's mother asked with a forced smile.

"Hmm, is Auntie waiting for the bus? Why isn't she waiting at the village entrance?"

"Hehe, I'm going to town to take care of some things. I'm not waiting for a bus, I'm waiting for someone. You guys should hurry up and go!"

"Okay, goodbye."

Ye Bajin quickly flicked the ox rope, and the ox quickened its pace.

Hu Xiuxiu's face flashed by in Ye Caiping's eyes.

She stood there, cold and deserted, expressionless, her eyes lifeless.

Only when the figures of the Hu family mother and daughter became small black dots did Ye Caiping smile and say, "Are you very familiar with Xiuxiu after entering the mountain?"

“Of course, her house is right behind mine,” Zhao Jinshan said. “When I have nothing to do, I sometimes teach Xiao Si and the others to read, and Sister Xiuxiu always brings my family some firewood as a thank you gift.”

Ye Caiping raised an eyebrow.

They have a good sense of propriety.

Hu Xiuxiu is seventeen and Zhao Jinshan is fourteen. The girl is three years older than him, which is not unreasonable.

But Hu Xiuxiu didn't send any food or anything else, only some firewood, which prevented others from having any wild thoughts.

Ye Caiping didn't ask about Hu Xiuxiu anymore, and changed the subject, asking Zhao Jinshan to talk about the academy.

Soon, we arrived at the town.

Guided by Zhao Jinshan, we arrived at a quiet courtyard with the four characters "Qingfeng Academy" hanging at the gate.

On the oxcart, Zhao Jinshan had already introduced Qingfeng Academy.

The master's surname is Qian. He is over sixty years old and has a modest fortune.

Mr. Qian and his wife have a son and a daughter.

The daughter was already married, and the youngest son was a scholar who studied at the county school.

For the sake of his studies, the youngest son's family lives in the county and rarely comes back.

Ye Caiping and her group followed Zhao Jinshan into Qian Fuzi's bookstore.

Master Qian was an elderly man with white hair, who was writing when he saw the visitors. He looked up and asked, "Why are you in the mountains so early? Oh, who are these people?"

“Master, I’ve brought you a new student.” Zhao Jinshan hopped over, grinning.

"Naughty boy, stand still!" Master Qian scolded with a laugh. This shows how good the relationship between teacher and student was.

"Greetings, Master Qian." Ye Caiping stepped forward and said, "I am Ye Caiping from Qinghe Village. Today I have brought my two nephews here to study."

"Oh." Master Qian was somewhat surprised to see Ye Caiping's poised and confident demeanor.

The other two women and one man, who appeared to be the parents of the two children, were nervously clenching their hands.

Master Qian then looked at Ye Xuan and Ye Peng, both of whom were fifteen or sixteen years old.

The two of them involuntarily straightened up. Ye Xuan said, "Greetings, Master Qian. I am Ye Xuan, your student."

"Student Ye Peng".

Master Qian nodded: "You two also failed the county school entrance exam? Why are you here seeking education at this time?"

The county school usually starts its enrollment period after the Lunar New Year in the spring. Why is it being delayed until the end of October?

"Reporting to Master, I... have never taken the county school exam. Nor am I qualified to take it," Ye Xuan said. "I only studied at the elementary school for three years before having to drop out due to poverty at home. Now I want to resume my studies and take the imperial examination."

Master Qian was somewhat dumbfounded: "We... have already begun studying the classics. You've only studied for three years... what... do you know?"

"When I was a child, I only memorized the Three Character Classic, the Thousand Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames in school, and I also practiced calligraphy."

Master Qian covered his forehead: "I think you should go back to the elementary school and learn step by step?"

Ye Xuan's expression changed slightly.

Ye Caiping coughed lightly. "How about we hire a tutor and let him learn little by little at home?"

The current situation seems to be this: Ye Xuan is only at a third-grade level, but Master Qian is teaching high school!

“No, Brother Xuan also knows the Analects, Mencius and the Doctrine of the Mean, and can even write some scriptures!” Zhao Jinshan said anxiously.

Master Qian was taken aback: "What's going on?"

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