Meanwhile, Li Erlang, following his memory, set foot on the path leading to the private school. The path seemed to be frequently traveled, and the originally bumpy surface had become much smoother!

After walking for a while in the fierce cold wind, I saw two thatched houses and could faintly hear the sound of children reading.

Li Erlang walked under the eaves and saw about twenty children, big and small, sitting in the small room. Lin An was standing in the classroom, holding a copy of the Analects, slowly explaining the meaning and essence of the text. The children listened attentively to Lin An's explanation, their eyes filled with deep longing.

After Lin An finished speaking, he asked the children to recite it together. The children recited while shaking their heads!

When the recitation was over and it was time to go home from school, the children began to get restless as if they had lice all over their bodies.

Lin An smacked the ruler, and the children, startled, immediately sat down properly. "Alright, go back and memorize the Analects. I'll check on you during my lecture tomorrow!"

Amid the children's wailing, Lin An walked out of the classroom.

When Lin An walked out of the classroom, he saw Li Erlang waiting outside the door. Li Erlang clasped his fists and saluted: "Uncle!"

Lin An nodded: "Let's go, it's windy outside!"

Li Erlang followed Lin An, walking home step by step. The atmosphere was silent for a while, and only the whistling of the cold wind could be heard.

Suddenly, Lin An asked, "Little sister, how are you now?"

Li Erlang quickly replied, "Wan'er, everything is fine!"

Lin An nodded, and silence fell between the two again.

Li Erlang sighed softly, breaking the silence. "Uncle, the road to the imperial examination is long, and it's inevitable that there will be some hesitation and pressure. Although I haven't slacked off, I still feel uneasy."

Lin An knew that his brother-in-law had failed the imperial examination again this year, so he wanted to comfort him: "The road to the imperial examination is difficult and tortuous. These experiences should be regarded as training for you. Don't forget your original intention, and you will eventually get what you want!"

The two walked in silence, almost reaching home. Lin An suddenly turned to look at Li Erlang and said in a deep voice, "Although I only passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, I don't think that your knowledge is inferior to mine. If you don't mind, you can come and discuss any problems you have in the future with me!"

Li Erlang bowed gratefully to his uncle. In the past, he had thought his eldest uncle was too old-fashioned and serious, and had never spent any time with him alone. Now, as they chatted, Li Erlang realized that perhaps it was because he had been too protective of his uncle in the past, and he felt that his eldest uncle had been too rude and heartless in kicking Lin Feng out of the house! Perhaps there was some entanglement between the two of them that he was unaware of.

When the two of them walked to the door of their house, they met Sun, who looked anxious.

Lin An: "What happened?"

Sun recounted her nephew's story: "I am a woman, and I don't know what to do when I encounter such a problem!"

Li Erlang hurriedly said, "Uncle, please go and take a look. The child's condition is serious. I just happened to drive a donkey cart here today, so you can drive my cart faster!" After saying that, he hurriedly drove the cart away without waiting for Lin An's answer.

When Li Erlang pulled the donkey cart over, Lin An apologized, "I'm sorry for the poor hospitality today..."

Li Erlang: "Uncle, you can go ahead and don't worry about home!"

Lin An nodded, then waved his whip and left with his wife.

When Li Erlang returned home, Li Yan was busy in the kitchen with her cousin Lin Qing.

Li Erlang: "Yan'er, don't make your cousin work so hard, we can just have a simple meal at noon!"

Lin Qing: "Uncle, my mother has prepared all the ingredients! Please go to the main hall and sit for a while, it will be ready soon!"