Chapter 56
When Feng He rushed back from outside, Master Feng had already prepared generous gifts and was waiting for him to set off together.
Feng He hadn't recovered from the shock of the case when, upon entering, he was met with another heavy blow from his own father. Master Feng rushed towards him and slammed his palm on his shoulder. "Good job, my son! You have good taste! I had no idea he could recognize such a world-renowned master, and he could actually carve something out of rotten wood. Hahaha!"
Feng He: "..." What we mean is, there is no need to be so blunt, right?
He slowed down, then took a moment to look at the boxes on the ground. He asked, "Dad, what are you going to do?"
"Of course I'll take you to thank my teacher!"
"Thank you, my dear teacher... Wait! When did I say I wanted to go and thank you, Mr. Master?" Feng He's head began to throb with pain.
Putting aside whether he has the qualifications to express gratitude, even if he truly acknowledges his teacher, his status as a teacher makes it impossible for him to publicly go to the teacher's door to express his gratitude.
Master Feng was unaware of the inconveniences involved. Upon hearing this, he simply flew into a rage, "How dare you! When did you become so ungrateful? If it weren't for your teacher, do you really think you could have become the top judge in the prefecture?"
"Forget it, I'm too lazy to tell you. You can go or not. Just tell me where your mentor is now. I'll send a thank-you gift on your behalf. We can't let people say our business has no tutors. I'll deal with you when I get back!"
Seeing that he was unable to speak, Master Feng became anxious and went to ask the servant beside him, "Liushun, tell me! You have been following the young master for the past six months. Who is the young master's mentor?"
"No, Dad! It's not what you think!" Feng He hurriedly stopped him, waved his hand and told all the servants in the hall to leave. Then he said, "Dad, you want to thank the master, but how come you don't know that he still refuses to take me as his apprentice?"
"Ah?" Master Feng was stunned. "No, not an apprentice... can you teach someone to be the best in the case?"
Feng He couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Have you forgotten the book 'On Current Affairs' that I brought back last year? You think that anyone who can write such a masterpiece is not just an ordinary person. A mere first place in the case is nothing more than a mention in the eyes of others."
"Master has been guiding me for half a year, but he's never met me in person. He's determined not to have anything to do with me. Dad, coming straight to him like this, isn't that breaking Master's rules? It's really making things difficult for me!"
Master Feng knew a few words, but he hadn't studied them in depth. He didn't quite understand what he was saying. "Even if I didn't accept you as my apprentice, the old master has shown such great kindness to you. Isn't it worth it for you and me to personally thank him?"
Feng He shook his head, a look of dejection on his face. "It's not that it's not worth it. As long as she's willing, even if she wants me to recognize her as my godmother, I wouldn't hesitate at all. But now I don't have any personal relationship with her. If I rashly go to her house, wouldn't that just cause her trouble?"
Mr. Feng suddenly realized something was wrong, and his heart was in turmoil. "What did you just say you admitted? What are you doing?"
Feng He took a half step back, lifted his skirt and knelt down: "I was reckless and didn't tell you that the teacher I was with was not an old man, but a female teacher."
Mr. Feng's eyes went dark, and he felt a little absurd again.
…
Three days later, the results of this spring's imperial examination were also spread to counties and towns across the country.
Feng He was not the most eye-catching one among the many scholars, but he became the biggest dark horse, even surpassing Gu Yanxi, the young master from Lu Lin Academy who had the greatest hope of winning the first prize. Although he was only the first in the city, he still shocked everyone.
Those who had business dealings with the Feng family all rushed to visit the Feng Mansion, but they found that only Mr. Feng was greeting people in a listless manner, and Feng He did not come out to meet the guests.
Many towns and counties in Songxi County were also discussing this. Walking into any bookstore, one could hear scholars discussing, "I've never heard of this Feng He, the top scholar. But is he a young master from some aristocratic family?"
"I heard that this Feng, the first in the case, is the son of a merchant, but his household registration is registered with a distant relative..."
"How can a merchant's son get such good grades? Brother Gao, don't lie to me!"
This has been said so often that even ordinary people have heard of it. The low status of merchants is well known to everyone. It is even more surprising that a child from a merchant family suddenly appears to be the top of the case this year.
In the end, even people at Jiang Wanning's letter stall were saying, "Have you heard, Madam? This year's top prize winner in the prefectural city is the son of a merchant!"
Jiang Wanning looked up, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
But she quickly regained her composure and said with a smile, "Whether he's the son of a merchant or a noble family, to be able to pass the imperial examination means he must have put a lot of effort into his studies. And to be the top scorer in the imperial examination, doesn't that further prove that there's no distinction between high and low in the field of learning?"
"Madam is right. If someone can become the first in the examination, he must have real talent and knowledge. If my family can become rich in the future, I will send my children to school. Even if we don't ask for them to become the first in the examination, even if they can become scholars, it will bring honor to our family!"
Jiang Wanning smiled and buried her head in the letter again.
Although Feng He becoming the first suspect in the case was somewhat unexpected to her, it was not too strange. He had never come to the Lu family again. After the storm passed, Jiang Wanning no longer thought about it.
Who would have thought that half a month after the college examination results were posted, Feng He came to visit again.
Not only him, but also Mr. Feng and Mrs. Feng, a total of three masters of the Feng family, all moved to the nameless alley one after another.
At first, Jiang Wanning didn't know about this. She just heard that an elderly couple moved into the house of Mr. Feng, and they were dressed richly and didn't look like ordinary people.
She thought that Feng He had passed the imperial examination and sold the house, but that night the couple came to her house.
Jiang Wanning had just sent the children away and returned to the courtyard to look at the vegetable patch that Grandma Lu and Aunt Jiang had just finished tending. Although she didn't know how to grow vegetables, she thought to herself, "I think my husband prefers crispy vegetables. Can we plant some lettuce when the weather warms up?"
"Lettuce is good. It grows fast and is easy to care for. Remember to divide out a piece when the time comes!" Aunt Jiang said happily.
Grandma Lu asked again, "What does Wan Ning like? This vegetable patch is quite large. After planting the lettuces, there's still a lot of land left. Shang'er goes out early and comes back late every day. He rarely eats meals at home. Let's not worry about him! Just tell me what you like and I'll plant it for you!"
"That's great." Jiang Wanning thought for a moment, "Then let's plant some more soybeans. The newly grown soybean sprouts are tender and crisp, and they can be eaten by blanching them in hot water. I remember some families like to eat hot pot, where the whole family gathers together and dips vegetables and meat into the prepared soup while eating. Then they take the food out and coat it with dipping sauce. It's also very delicious."
"There's actually this way to eat it?" Grandma Lu asked in surprise.
"Exactly. If grandma is interested, let's try it in a couple of days. It's not too hot now. It would be inconvenient to eat around the pot when it gets hot."
"Okay, okay, let's try it."
As he was speaking, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Wanning didn't think much of it, thinking it was a neighbor coming.
However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw a stranger couple smiling at her. They probably wanted to show some kindness, but because of unfamiliarity and restraint, the smile was really forced and came across as awkward.
Jiang Wanning was stunned for a moment: "Who are you two?"
"we are--"
Before Master Feng could introduce himself, another person appeared behind the two of them. Feng He tilted his head and said, "Madam..."
Some ominous thoughts emerged in Jiang Wanning's mind.
Master Feng pushed his son back and looked at Jiang Wanning cheerfully, "My name is Feng Youcai. I heard that my son is being well taken care of by Madam Lu in Wuming Lane, so I brought Madam Lu to visit her."
Jiang Wanning didn't respond, but looked at Feng He at the end: "Young Master?"
Feng He had no choice but to come forward again and said shamelessly, "I wonder if Madam would be so kind as to invite us in for a chat."
The noise at the door had attracted the attention of Grandma Lu and Aunt Jiang, and the neighbors passing by also cast puzzled glances.
Jiang Wanning nodded after a long while and moved aside, "Master Feng and Madam Feng, please."
"Okay, okay, sorry to bother you--" Mr. Feng hurried in, followed by Mrs. Feng and Feng He.
Grandma Lu and Aunt Jiang were standing in the yard, and they were even more confused when they saw this: "Wan Ning, who are these people?"
Mr. Feng immediately introduced himself: "Hello, old lady. I am Feng He's father. I recently moved to Wuming Lane with my wife. I am here to visit our neighbors. I guess you are the Grandma Lu my son mentioned."
“Oh, yes, yes…” Grandma Lu was not good at socializing. She responded stutteringly and didn’t know what to say anymore.
Jiang Wanning sighed softly and said, "Master Feng and Madam Feng have come from afar. Why don't you come in and have a seat? My humble abode is quite small. We don't have a reception room, and we only have a children's school. Please don't mind."
"I don't mind, I won't mind. I'll listen to you, madam!" Mr. Feng agreed quickly.
Jiang Wanning first pointed out the location of the school to them, then walked over to Grandma Lu and said, "This is your husband's friend. I'll entertain him. You can go back and rest after you finish your meal with Aunt Jiang."
"Okay, then I won't wait?" asked Grandma Lu.
"No need to wait." Jiang Wanning called Aunt Jiang again, "Aunt Jiang, please accompany grandma to eat first."
After saying this, she walked into the primary school. At this time, several people from the Feng family had not sat down yet. It was just because there were mostly low tables in the primary school, and it was too cramped and indecent for Mr. Feng and Mrs. Feng to sit on them, so they had to stand first.
After Jiang Wanning came in, she first apologized and then invited them to sit at the round table. Feng He was too embarrassed to sit down, so he just stood behind his parents, while Jiang Wanning sat opposite their family.
After a moment, Master Feng spoke first: "Madam Lu...are you setting up a school at home?"
Although Jiang Wanning hadn't publicized the fact that she was running a school in the alley, she hadn't hidden it either. A quick walk through the alley would reveal it, so she didn't argue, simply saying, "Teaching the kids to read isn't a big deal."
"It's good to be able to read, it's good to be able to read..." Mr. Feng felt a little embarrassed when he saw that she had no intention of saying more.
He looked at Mrs. Feng for help, hoping that the women in the family could communicate better with each other.
Madam Feng then took over the conversation: "I've been in the capital city all the time, but I've never been to Tang Town. I didn't know there was a talented woman like Madam Lu in this county town. I really admire her."
Jiang Wanning thought for a moment, then asked directly, "It's just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. I wonder what brings you here?"
"Ah..." Mrs. Feng was also frustrated and threw the difficulties back to Mr. Feng.
They were from a merchant family and were good at conversation, but as soon as they thought about the female teacher who had taught their only son to become the top student, they seemed to have lost the ability to speak and everything they said sounded vulgar.
Mr. Feng had no choice but to get straight to the point: "It's like this, Madam, you've probably heard too. My son luckily won first place in the imperial examination this spring. Madam and I are well aware of his abilities. This meteoric rise is ultimately due to the guidance of a good teacher."
"We heard that the lady was acquainted with that gentleman, and we did not dare to bother him rashly, so we had to come and see the lady."
"The Feng family has been doing business for generations. Although they seem to be well-off, they are actually just money-grubbing. Even if we want to thank you generously, we don't know what to give. My wife and I have thought about it again and again, but we really can't find a suitable thank-you gift. In the end, we can only give something tacky." As he said this, he took out a silver note that had been hidden in his sleeve for a long time. The silver note was wrapped in a red envelope, but the amount was revealed.
Jiang Wanning lowered her eyes and saw that it was a full ten thousand taels.
Mr. Feng continued, "This is just a small gift. Please give it to that gentleman, Madam. We know that you don't want to attract attention, and it's not appropriate to bring a large gift. So we can only bring silver. This will express our gratitude without causing any embarrassment to you."
After Mr. Feng finished speaking, Madam Feng added, "We just found out that Madam has opened a school. Madam's house is spacious to begin with, but now it seems a bit crowded because of the school. If Madam doesn't mind, how about I find a spacious house for you?"
Mr. Feng's eyes lit up, and he quite agreed with his wife's addition: "Yes, yes, yes, if Madam needs anything else, please let me know as soon as possible. My wife and I will definitely get it done for you!"
They talked about the master in every word, but their eyes were always on Jiang Wanning, and they were hoping for her opinion.
Jiang Wanning suddenly felt a little bored.
It is obvious that both parties know the truth, but because of those meaningless worldly views, they are still acting out their own dramas, using a non-existent "gentleman" to achieve this so-called neighbor visit.
Mr. Feng and Mrs. Feng were both elders, and her upbringing prevented her from saying anything harsh to them.
Apparently, there was only one person left who could let her vent her frustrations.
"Young Master." Jiang Wanning called out.
"Here, here, here!" Feng He, who had always been hiding behind his parents, stood up and faced Jiang Wanning directly, his face flushed.
At the beginning, Lu Shang repeatedly reminded him that "Master" did not want to be in the world and could only give him written instructions.
However, he secretly inquired about it, revealed the identity of the "master", and took advantage of the distance to ask for advice several times. Especially in the month before the college entrance examination, he came to the Lu family almost every day, and often spoke out of turn and asked Jiang Wanning directly for advice.
Now he couldn't stand the pressure from his parents anymore, so he brought them to Jiang Wanning's house.
Although Feng He did not understand the principles of family and country, he knew what it meant to break one's promise.
He valued filial piety and could not stop his parents. In the end, he forgot to respect his teachers and transferred all the pressure to his mentor.
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Feng He's mind. He looked up and saw the hint of anger in Jiang Wanning's eyes. His heart skipped a beat and he blurted out, "Madam, just follow your own heart. If you don't want to accept the banknote, I'll take it back right away. I will apologize tomorrow for my disrespect today. If you can do me the honor of accepting it, it means you've forgiven us."
"No matter what, I dare not forget the great kindness of Madam."
After saying this, he lowered his head in shame.
Mr. and Mrs. Feng had never imagined the situation would turn out like this, and they were a little at a loss for a moment.
Just when the situation reached a stalemate, there was a knock on the door and a voice came from outside asking: "Can I come in?"
Wow——
Before others could react, Jiang Wanning stood up directly. Without caring about being rude, she turned around and ran out of the house. She opened the door and saw a familiar figure.
Lu Shang had a faint smile on his face. He didn't look inside. He just took Jiang Wanning's hand and asked quietly, "A Ning, did you miss me?"
The last time he returned from Lingnan, he asked the same question, but Jiang Wanning did not answer.
This time, Jiang Wanning suppressed the warmth in her eyes. She covered her mouth and nodded heavily: "I want to, I want to -"
The smile in Lu Shang's eyes grew deeper. He resisted the urge to embrace her and simply pulled her to his side. Then he looked into the elementary school: "I heard from grandma that there are guests at home. I wonder who these two are?"
Jiang Wanning suppressed her emotions, her voice still a little hoarse, "These two are the parents of Young Master Feng. Young Master Yuezhong graduated from high school and came to visit us today with Master Feng and Madam Feng."
Lu Shang understood the meaning as soon as he heard it. He turned to look at Jiang Wanning's expression, but couldn't see anything.
Jiang Wanning was still angry just now, but no matter how many emotions she had, after seeing Lu Shang, she was left with only joy.
Now she just complained a little about why Feng He's family hadn't left yet. It was because of their unwillingness to leave that her reunion with her husband was delayed.
She lowered her head slightly, her expression unrecognizable.
Lu Shang thought for a moment and gently stroked her back for a moment. "I brought you a Xiang blue silk-carved jade brocade spring shirt. I heard it's very delicate. I don't know if it's damaged along the way. The shirt has been sent back to the room. Aning, would you mind going to take a look?"
"Then over here..."
"I'm here." Lu Shang said, "Didn't grandma say that my friend came to visit? Well, now that I'm back, it's naturally my turn to entertain, huh?"
Jiang Wanning had no desire to deal with outsiders at all. She nodded and said "OK".
She said a final word to Mr. and Mrs. Feng, turned around without any reluctance to leave, and hid back in her room in a short while.
As she closed the door, the smile in Lu Shang's eyes faded a little. He looked at Feng He's family and asked kindly, "Madam is not good at handling these things, so what about the rest?
Why don't you ask me to talk to a few of them?"
"Okay, okay, I guess this must be Mr. Lu, he is indeed a handsome man..." Mr. Feng was nervous in his heart, but he still greeted him. Only after accepting Lu Shang's courtesy did he dare to sit down again.
Lu Shang tapped the table with his fingers, his eyes shifted to Feng He, and he raised his chin slightly: "Young Master, please sit down too."
In terms of whether they look friendly or not, it is obvious that Jiang Wanning is easier to get along with, but for some reason, Feng He did not dare to speak lightly in front of her. Instead, he felt much more relaxed when it came to Lu Shang, who was more distant.
He sat down as he was told and sighed, "It's my fault..."
Winning the first place in the case should have been such a happy event, but who would have thought it would turn out like this.
Lu Shang nodded slightly and asked, "Madam is most afraid of trouble. Young Master knows this, right?"
…
Half an hour later, Feng He and his family left the Lu family. The expressions on their faces were complicated, as if they were embarrassed, but also seemed relieved.
But Jiang Wanning obviously didn't care about their emotions. As soon as they left, she couldn't help but walk out of the room, stand on the steps, and look at Lu Shang who was seeing them off from afar.
As the door closed, Jiang Wanning called out softly, "Lu Shang!"
Her voice was not loud and soon faded into the air, but Lu Shang still caught the last bit of it and turned around suddenly.
He used to leave once a month, but now it is the beginning of April, a full three months before he returns. This is because he left the logistics team behind and only delivered the wood, leaving the return journey entirely to Hunter Zhan, who rushed back early on horseback.
They had just formed feelings for each other, but they had to face such a long separation. Lu Shang missed Jiang Wanning no less than she did.
He took two steps at a time and quickly walked up to Jiang Wanning. Without even saying a word, he pulled her back into the house, closed the door, and pressed her against it.
"Hmm——" A familiar breath came over her, and Jiang Wanning couldn't help but close her eyes.
It was a quarter of an hour later when the two finally separated.
Jiang Wanning sat on the edge of the bed, her lips abnormally red, and two traces of blood were faintly visible at the corners of her mouth.
Lu Shang examined her hands carefully and was even more satisfied when he saw that there were no traces of frostbite on them. He asked, "Aning, have you seen that spring shirt? It was given to me by the Xu family's young lady when I went to deliver something to them in Lingnan. I also asked the embroiderer in Lingnan Prefecture to alter the size. I think it will suit you. I wonder if you like it."
Jade brocade is expensive. Even a spring shirt can be sold for twenty or thirty taels. What's more, the workmanship of this spring shirt is even more exquisite, and the engraved silk and water patterns make its price more than double.
Even though Lu Shang made a lot of money this time, he would probably hesitate for a long time if he had to take out hundreds of taels of silver to buy a spring shirt.
The young lady of the Xu family gave away her spring clothes so easily. Such financial resources really shocked Lu Shang.
The last time he went to Lingnan, he did not deal with the wealthy families in the city. This time he had the opportunity to visit the Xu family, and he realized how the wealthy families in ancient times lived.
Before, he had thought that as long as Jiang Wanning had enough food and clothing and lived a rich life, it would be enough. But now he had changed his mind.
Not to mention being as lavish as the young lady of the Xu family, but at least she should be able to afford expensive new clothes, right?
Jiang Wanning had no idea what Lu Shang was thinking, and she only glanced at the spring shirt he mentioned, and spent the rest of the time waiting for Lu Shang to come back.
Although she didn't see Chunshan's appearance, since it was Lu Shang's intention, she would not say anything bad, she just smiled and said: "I like it, I like everything."
Lu Shang asked: "What kind of pattern is embroidered on it?"
“…”
Lu Shang laughed: "I should have guessed it earlier. Aning didn't even look carefully."
Jiang Wanning chuckled slightly and asked, "My husband, have you had dinner after all this rush? I haven't eaten yet, so why don't you eat something first?"
When Lu Shang heard that she was still hungry, he immediately stopped asking and said, "Then I'll go cook. Aning, help me boil some hot water so I can take a shower later."
"good."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
