Chapter 45
Having said that, there is no need to say what the truth is.
In just a moment, Jiang Wanning's face turned pale and her body swayed uncontrollably. She leaned on the door frame with her backhand to steady herself.
Fan Sanniang came in with Dabao. Seeing this, she ran to her side and grabbed her arm: "Wan Ning, don't think too much. Uncle Pang definitely didn't mean that..."
"What do you mean that's not what I meant? I am that—" Uncle Pang waved his arms and was about to retort with curses, but when he met Jiang Wanning's dazed eyes, he abruptly stopped talking.
At this time, Lu Shang also came over. He first went to Jiang Wanning's side, carefully patted the top of her head, and whispered, "It's okay, I'll take care of it."
Then he said to Fan Sanniang, "Sanniang, please come into the room with Aning and talk for a while. There are some plums we bought yesterday on the table. Ask Dabao to try some."
Fan Sanniang was stunned and nodded subconsciously.
However, just as she was about to take Jiang Wanning away, Jiang Wanning brushed her hands off, not with much force, but with exceptional firmness.
Jiang Wanning lowered her head: "Husband, ask me to say a few words to Mr. Pang."
When Dabao and Pang Liang were accepted, it was under Lu Shang's name. Now, asking him to resolve this series of disputes seems to be nothing wrong.
But Jiang Wanning felt that since she had taught these two children for a month or so, she had some connection with the two families. It would be a good idea to part ways amicably and make the most of the time they spent together.
She didn't wait for Lu Shang's answer, but walked past him. When she saw Mr. Pang, she gave him a not-so-nice smile and said, "Come in and tell me."
There are four rooms in the house, but no dedicated reception room.
There is a room in the east and west wings respectively, which is obviously not suitable for entertaining guests. The other study is not only simple, but also contains important items such as Lu Shang's account books and Jiang Wanning's calligraphy, so it is not suitable for outsiders to enter. In this way, only the children's study can go in and sit for a while.
This primary school has been in use for so long, but neither Uncle Pang nor Fan Sanniang has ever had the chance to come in. Only the two children occasionally say a few words to let them know that the place where they study is very well-behaved.
Jiang Wanning walked in front, pushed open the door, and made way for the people behind to go in first.
Uncle Pang was very aggressive when he came, but now he seems inexplicably short of breath.
But he thought again -
It's not my fault! It was clearly the Lu couple who lied!
Thinking of this, he snorted again and swaggered into the house.
When Jiang Wanning and Lu Shang came in one after another, they saw Grandpa Pang standing in the middle of the room, looking around at a loss. He walked slowly to the low table, bent down and touched the table, then looked up and saw that there were papers stuck on both low tables.
Jiang Wanning explained, "Those are Dabao and Liangliang's names. They wrote them by hand and put them on the table so that we know which seat is ours."
After saying that, she went to the bookshelf by the wall and took a few rolls of paper, spreading them out on the low table, one on the left and one on the right. As soon as she finished spreading her side, Dabao, who was hiding behind Fan Sanniang, shouted, "That's Liangliang and I's homework! The one on the left is mine, and the one on the right is Liangliang's!"
Uncle Pang couldn't help but look to the right.
Jiang Wanning spread out four pieces of paper. As time went by, it was obvious that the handwriting on them became more neat and smooth, and even the gestures were not as awkward as before.
Whether a person's handwriting is good or not, there is no need for anyone to judge it. Whether it is comfortable or beautiful can be seen most intuitively.
Even though Uncle Pang was full of prejudice against Jiang Wanning, he couldn't say "bad" about her.
He squinted his eyes and read every word Pang Liang wrote. He had already wavered in his thoughts, but Dabao was still chattering in his ears -
"This one was written when I first started learning calligraphy from my aunt, and this one was written after we moved to town... This one was just written the day before yesterday! My aunt said we've made great progress. If we work harder, we can not only pass the imperial examinations but also become juren or jinshi in the future!"
"Auntie is so kind to us. Not only does she teach us to read and write, she also tells us stories and teaches us to draw... Grandpa Pang, please don't get angry with Auntie."
Children are most sensitive to emotions. Dabao didn’t know what happened exactly, but he knew that when he returned home yesterday, Grandpa Pang was stopped by Aunt Wang, who said a lot of bad things about Auntie.
Early this morning, Grandpa Pang not only forbade his little friends to come to school, but also came to my aunt's house and got angry with her.
Dabao has no interaction with Grandpa Pang, but he spends every day with Jiang Wanning.
If he were asked to choose someone to protect, it would undoubtedly be the latter.
Dabao mustered up his courage, ran out from behind Fan Sanniang, and quickly ran to Jiang Wanning, holding her with his arms wide open. "Grandpa Pang, if you're angry, just come at me!"
After he finished shouting, he closed his eyes in fear, and his arms raised in the air trembled constantly.
The cold atmosphere was suddenly broken by his action. I don't know who was the first to laugh, but soon the whole room was filled with laughter.
Uncle Pang wanted to put on a cold face, but he couldn't suppress it after trying several times. He could only rub his face fiercely and sighed: "I'm not looking for trouble, but we clearly agreed to let Mr. Lu teach his good grandson to read."
Jiang Wanning asked him to sit down and poured him a glass of water. "How about this, can I talk to you about this?"
As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person, and Uncle Pang couldn't say anything harsh.
Jiang Wanning spoke first, "It was indeed agreed that my husband would teach Liangliang. Later, it was my turn. I didn't tell your family, so it's my fault. I apologize to you and your family first."
"Hey——" Uncle Pang raised his hand, not wanting to continue the sentence.
Jiang Wanning changed the subject, "But then again, your family asked Liangliang to start his education, firstly because you wanted him to try studying, and secondly because you had big ambitions. So, do you think Liangliang has learned anything from me?"
There is no need for Mr. Pang to answer this question. The homework on the low table not far away is the best answer.
Uncle Pang couldn't lie to his conscience, so he lowered his head and said, "I've learned it."
Not only did he learn it, he also learned it better than the children in the same village.
There was a butcher in their village who also found a teacher for his young son. It was said that the teacher was an old scholar. He paid a lot of tuition to arrange for his young son to be the old scholar's disciple. However, the child was taught by the old scholar for half a year, and he studied Chinese all day long. In the end, he could not even write his own name properly.
On the other hand, his good grandson, who was two years younger than the butcher's, studied for a total of one month and learned more than ten characters. His handwriting was getting better and better, and he could even recite poems!
One or two are exceptions, but the old scholar has taught for so many years and has not produced a single scholar. It is a blessing that he can work as an accountant in the town. However, these two little kids taught by the Lu family are very smart and have great prospects.
If Jiang Wanning wasn't a woman...
Uncle Pang covered his face, feeling torn.
Jiang Wanning continued, "Of course, I understand your dilemma. I haven't become your disciple, nor have I paid any tuition fees. I've only been providing guidance to you as a friend for a while now. If you feel it's inappropriate to send your child here, then you can find another reputable teacher. Is that okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about Pang Liang being mentored by me. If you're really worried, just ask your husband to go out and dispel the rumor. It won't delay him."
In fact, many things are not that complicated.
You can tell whether a teacher is good or not by looking at his students.
If Jiang Wanning wasn't just a woman, Mr. Pang wouldn't have been so bothered.
In other words, if Jiang Wanning wasn't a woman, how could he have sent his child here? Not only did he rely on her to learn to read and write, but he also didn't even receive the tuition he was supposed to receive. Even though he had sent her two gifts, compared to other teachers recruiting students, these gifts were nothing.
Jiang Wanning clearly didn't say anything harsh, and every word she said was for the sake of Mr. Pang's family, but he still went from being angry at first to being ashamed now.
At this moment, Fan Sanniang stood up and said, "Anyway, I don't care about those lies. I feel at ease leaving Dabao to Wan Ning's instruction."
She did not say that she already knew the truth, but just stood firmly on Jiang Wanning's side.
In the end, Uncle Pang could no longer ask any more questions. He quickly found an excuse and left in a panic.
Jiang Wanning stood up to see him off, but Lu Shang, who had remained silent beside her, stopped her and said in a deep voice, "You sit down, I'll see you off."
Jiang Wanning looked up at him, met his dark eyes, and did not refuse again.
After Lu Shang went out, he caught up with Uncle Pang in just a few steps. After sending him out, he called him to stop.
"Uncle Pang, you know I've been busy lately, running around all day and night. I'm rarely at home. You should have heard me at the last housewarming party that I was doing some small work for Guanhe Tower."
"To be honest, for this job, I've changed my status to merchant. I don't need to explain the rule that merchants can't enter the examination hall, right?"
He ignored Mr. Pang's drastic change in expression and continued, "I know your family hopes Pang Liang will pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. Yes, it's true that I was once a scholar, but you must not know that before Aning married me, all the people she interacted with were Jinshi (Jinshi) and the like. What kind of people were they? And she has been familiar with poetry and literature since she was a child. How can you and I imagine the talent she possesses?"
"I dare say that even if you search the entire town, you won't find a teacher more suitable than her."
Outsiders only think that Jiang Wanning is the daughter of a criminal, but why don’t they think about the fact that even a criminal was a minister first and then committed a crime, not to mention that she comes from a family of scholars in the capital.
Uncle Pang's expression kept changing, and he opened his mouth several times, but couldn't say anything.
Lu Shang finally said, "I respect Aning's opinion. Whether you choose to continue sending Pang Liang here or send him somewhere else, I won't say anything. If your family needs my help in refuting rumors, you can always come to me."
"That's all I have to say. Please think about it carefully."
After saying that, Lu Shang nodded slightly and turned back home.
Just as he was about to close the door, Uncle Pang suddenly called out to him, "Lu Xiucai!"
Lu Shang looked up.
Grandpa Pang said, "Your family...your stepmother, I know the truth. She stopped me last night and said a lot of bad things. Anyway, you-"
After all, it was someone else's family affair, so he couldn't get too involved.
Fortunately, Lu Shang quickly understood, thanked him, and then closed the door.
As for what other unpleasant things Wang said, he soon learned everything from Fan Sanniang.
Not long after Grandpa Pang left, Grandma Lu came back.
She went to the entrance of the alley and bought two bowls of soy milk, one with sugar and one without. Both bowls were filled to the brim, and she had to walk very carefully to avoid spilling it.
Lu Shang hurried out to greet them after hearing the noise. When the others followed, Grandma Lu was stunned for a moment, then rubbed her clothes and said, "Hey, I didn't know you were coming. Look, I didn't buy enough. Well, you guys drink it first, I'll go out and buy two more bowls..."
It was the first time for Grandma Lu to go out shopping. She was nervous when she first went out, but when she brought the soy milk back, she felt that she was still capable. However, she was used to being frugal. It was okay for her to buy soy milk for her two grandchildren, but as an old woman, she was not worthy of drinking such a rare thing.
Even though a bowl of soy milk only cost two cents, she was reluctant to buy one for herself.
Jiang Wanning guessed the general idea at a glance and hurriedly stopped her: "Grandma, my husband and I don't like the taste of soy milk, so we won't drink it."
"It's just right for you and Dabao to share a bowl each, so we'll just forget about it."
Grandma Lu was a little skeptical, but Lu Shang agreed. When she looked at Fan Sanniang, Fan Sanniang said, "Grandma, don't look at me. I get diarrhea whenever I drink soy milk. I don't dare drink it anymore."
"Then, did I buy the wrong thing..." Grandma Lu stammered.
Jiang Wanning helped her sit down, then beckoned Dabao over and gave him the bowl with sugar. Dabao took a sip and his eyes lit up: "Delicious!"
Jiang Wanning smiled faintly and turned to look at Grandma Lu: "Look, is this still the wrong purchase? Since you're back, I'd appreciate it if you could help look after Dabao. Let's go in and talk for a while."
When she heard that they had something to do, Grandma Lu no longer cared about the few cents and agreed immediately.
Dabao is also familiar with Grandma Lu. People say that generations apart are close, and the love between grandparents and grandchildren is even stronger.
With Grandma Lu helping to look after the children, the rest of the group returned to the elementary school room.
After the doors and windows of the house were closed, Fan Sanniang could not help but curse, and then slowly told the story of what happened last night -
It turned out that when she went to the village entrance to pick up Dabao last night, she happened to meet Wang going out.
Wang was beaten and her face was still covered with bruises. Because of Jiang Wanning, Fan Sanniang didn't have a good impression of her. Even though she walked with her all the way, she didn't say a word to her.
So they arrived at the village entrance. She had just taken Dabao down from the ox cart and the two children were saying goodbye to each other when Wang rushed up.
Her face was hideous, and the wound at the corner of her mouth was particularly horrific. She opened her mouth and said, "You have all been deceived!" Then she told the story of Jiang Wanning teaching in place of Lu Shang, interspersed with countless dirty words, all of which were contempt and curses against Jiang Wanning.
Fan Sanniang tried to interrupt several times, but Wang kept shouting and yelling, making it impossible to interrupt.
Uncle Pang was uncomfortable listening to this, but he was obviously more concerned about Jiang Wanning's education of the child. Especially after he asked Pang Liang seriously, Pang Liang couldn't help but said, "Yes, it's my sister..."
Uncle Pang suddenly became annoyed.
Wang was still chattering: "What can a little bitch teach! When the news gets out, who knows what others will say about your two children. What kind of people are you? The little bitch still wants to turn over -"
What followed was all Wang's abuse, which Fan Sanniang really couldn't learn, so Lu Shang could guess whether she said it or not.
After Fan Sanniang finished saying this, she looked at the expressions of the two people opposite her and knew that they must have something to say in private.
She said goodbye tactfully and said that she would take Dabao back first. As for when to send him back, it would all be up to Jiang Wanning to arrange.
Jiang Wanning forced a smile. "Thank you for the trip, Sanniang. As for Dabao... if you don't mind, I can always teach him here. But I won't be able to do that in the next two days. Let's wait a few days. In three or five days, I'll have my husband talk to Brother Lu Qi and then we can ask Dabao to come over."
"Okay, okay, then you guys take a rest first, I'll be leaving first."
When Fan Sanniang reached the door, she turned around and said, "Wan Ning, I know everyone is prejudiced against women, but at least in our family, we are all grateful to you."
Jiang Wanning was stunned. When she came to her senses again, Fan Sanniang had already left the room. There was redness around her eyes and her throat was hoarse.
The sound of conversation among three generations of people, old, middle-aged and young, could be heard in the yard, but the warm atmosphere outside could not be transmitted into the house at all.
Jiang Wanning felt a weight on her shoulders. She turned around and found that it was Lu Shang who came over. He put his hands on her shoulders, pressed them a little harder, and said, "It's okay."
His voice was filled with chills. "I thought Wang would stop being so busy after we left, but it seems she's still too idle. Since she can't bear to see us have an easy life, you can't blame me for disrespecting my stepmother."
Jiang Wanning turned her head and looked at him: "Husband..." Of course she hated Wang Cuilian, but she absolutely did not want to see Lu Shang hurt a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred of his own.
Lu Shang slightly suppressed the cold expression on his face and patted her shoulder soothingly.
"Don't be afraid, I won't do anything rash, but do you still remember Wang Zhanxian?"
Jiang Wanning thought for a long time before she remembered: "Husband, are you talking about... her younger brother?"
Lu Shang chuckled twice. "They say nine out of ten gamblers lose. I don't know if Er Niang's good brother has made his money back recently, but I guess not. Otherwise, why would he chase after the Lu family for money and beat his own sister until she was bleeding?"
Jiang Wanning didn't know about this and her eyes widened when she heard it.
Lu Shang had no choice but to tell her the gossip he had heard from the villagers again, and finally added: "It is their own fault. This is also the blessing for these two siblings."
"Aning, tell me, am I not tolerant and respectful enough towards Wang?"
Jiang Wanning blinked, but didn't know how to respond.
For the next two days, Lu Shang stayed at home, fearing that Wang Cuilian would do something out of line again. If she came home, it would be difficult to deal with Grandma Lu and Jiang Wanning.
And Uncle Pang didn't send Pang Liang over again.
Jiang Wanning waited for a day or two, and went from initial expectation to disappointment, and finally to acceptance.
Lu Shang often comforted her: "They just don't know what's good for them. Why should Aning be sad for them? Pang Liang is gone, so you only need to teach Dabao, which will be much easier. Besides, have you forgotten the young master of Guanhe Tower?"
After he reminded her, Jiang Wanning suddenly remembered that she still had a "student" who didn't need face-to-face teaching.
Lu Shang reminded him at the right time: "The last time I went to Guanhe Tower, I heard Shopkeeper Fu mention that Master Feng's family has almost made all the arrangements. He will be able to study full-time by next month at the latest. He also wants to strive to participate in the Tongsheng examination next year. In all these years, he has only passed the prefectural examination and still needs to pass the academy examination."
The Dazhao imperial examination system was consistent with what Lu Shang had learned. The spring and autumn examinations were held every three years. The autumn examination was held in August of each year, and the spring examination was held in April of the following year. The palace examination would be held one to two months after the spring examination.
The examination for Tongsheng was set by each prefecture. For example, in Songxi County where they were located, there were two examinations every three years, divided into three sections: county, prefecture, and academy. The scores for each section could be retained. As long as one could pass all three sections in his lifetime, he would be a scholar.
Not long ago, the autumn examination had just ended, and only two people passed the imperial examination in their Tang Town. I don’t know how many people passed the examination in the provincial capital where Feng He was.
However, he is not even a scholar now, so it is too early to think about taking the autumn and spring examinations. Besides, even if he passes the academy examination next year, it will be another three years before the next autumn examination.
Lu Shang brought this up just to divert Jiang Wanning's attention so that she wouldn't focus too much on Pang Liang's family and cause unnecessary worries.
His method obviously had some effect, and Jiang Wanning turned to think about Feng He's situation.
Another day passed like this, and seeing that there were indeed no outsiders coming to the house anymore, Lu Shang began to think about finding a place to rent two large courtyards for the farmhands of Pingshan Village to live in.
There is also Lujia Village. Just for the sake of his "good second mother", he must go there as soon as possible.
Who would have thought that the day was almost over. In the evening, when a few people were having dinner, they heard a knock on the door. When Lu Shang opened the door, he saw that it was Grandpa Pang and his family.
Yes, there is not only Uncle Pang, but also more than a dozen people in his family, young and old.
Mr. Pang stopped outside the door, bowed deeply to Lu Shang, and then asked loudly, "Excuse me, is Madam Lu at home?"
Grandma Lu and Jiang Wanning both looked towards the door. When Jiang Wanning heard someone mention her, she stood up and walked over. Several neighbors passing by the door also stopped when they saw this.
Just as Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning were wondering about their intentions, they saw Uncle Pang drag Pang Liang to the front and make him kneel at the door. He then said, "What happened a few days ago was indeed my pedantic offense. After returning home, I thought about it carefully and discussed it with my family. In the end, we came to the same conclusion—"
"Mrs. Lu is an excellent teacher!"
"I just wonder if Madam Lu is still willing to accept my grandson. Today, our whole family is here, and we have brought a gift. If you can forgive the past and are still willing to teach Pang Liang, we will do the ceremony of becoming his disciple right away."
Before Jiang Wanning could come to her senses, a short and fat woman came out from behind the family, holding a child about the same age as Pang Liang.
She smiled flatteringly and pushed the child forward: "And my family, I am Pang Liang's aunt, and this is my second son, Lin Zhongwang. Madam Lu, can you also teach my son?"
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