Chapter 171 Father and daughter express their gratitude
Zheng Wangfeng was dressed in a light blue long robe and was holding a folding fan in his hand.
Qian Hui wore a long robe in shades of red and black, with a particularly eye-catching jade pendant at his waist.
Cheng Wanwan noticed that their boots were covered in mud and grass clippings, and sighed inwardly, "If you don't like Dahe Village, why stay here?"
Zheng Wangfeng closed his paper fan, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother Qian and I came here to find Brother Cheng to study together. I wonder if Brother Cheng is at home?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Zhao'er and Xiao Zheng should have gone to the Zhao family ancestral hall to study. It's quiet there."
There were always workers at home, and people were coming and going everywhere. Even Cheng Zhao, who was focused on studying the classics, couldn't concentrate and always wanted to lend a hand. So, Cheng Wanwan sent the two of them to the Zhao family ancestral hall, which was spacious and bright, with many tables and chairs, creating a great learning atmosphere.
Although there was a learning atmosphere, Shen Zheng didn't want to go at all and dawdled along the way.
He dawdled for a full fifteen minutes, even though it was a place he could normally walk in a few hundred steps.
Cheng Zhao stopped in his tracks and said coldly, "When the county magistrate comes to Dahe Village next time, I will report today's events truthfully."
"Hey, you're so disloyal!" Shen Zheng punched his shoulder. "We sleep on the floor together every night, and you not only don't help me, but you also went to my dad to complain. Humph, I'm angry!"
Cheng Zhao had a headache.
He used to really dislike playboys like Shen Zheng, but after spending so many days with Shen Zheng, he gradually gained a deeper understanding of him. This guy was actually very smart, even smarter than him. Every time he saw Shen Zheng not doing his job properly, he felt that such a good academic talent was being wasted, which made him feel regretful.
He patted Shen Zheng on the shoulder, about to say something, when a father and daughter walked towards them.
The road was narrow, and Cheng Zhao pulled Shen Zheng to the side to make way for them. Suddenly, the father and daughter knelt down in front of Shen Zheng with a thud.
"Young Master Shen, I have no way to repay your great kindness, so I have brought my daughter to kowtow to you!" The burly man cried, snot and tears streaming down his face. "In the next life, I will repay your kindness by serving you like an ox or a horse!"
The little girl kept kowtowing, but luckily it was muddy ground, so her head wasn't seriously injured.
Shen Zheng quickly helped the man up, saying, "I'm not an official, you don't need to kowtow to me, get up quickly!"
The man wiped away his tears and said, "My wife has been sick for over a year. During the autumn harvest, she forced herself to work up a rice harvest. After her condition worsened, we asked Doctor Zheng to take a look, but he said she might not make it through the month... If it weren't for Young Master Shen helping us find the best doctor in town to examine her and even paying for her medical expenses, my wife wouldn't have survived. Young Master Shen is our family's greatest benefactor!"
The little girl choked up as she spoke: "My mother said she would sew a pair of red brocade socks for Young Master Shen by hand, symbolizing a good start, and hoping that Young Master Shen will pass the imperial examination with flying colors!"
The man nodded: "Young Master Shen will surely become the top scholar in the imperial examination and become a benevolent official who benefits the people of this region!"
The men in the village had heard of the term "top scholar" but had no idea what it meant, which made Shen Zheng feel inexplicably guilty.
He was already incredibly lucky to have passed the county-level imperial examination; he wouldn't dare dream of becoming the top scholar.
Fearing that the father and daughter would place even higher hopes on him, he gave a few perfunctory words and quickly dragged Cheng Zhao away.
He stopped saying he didn't want to go to school and sat properly in the classroom reading.
Two trees were planted at the entrance of the Zhao Family Ancestral Hall. Shen Zheng and Cheng Zhao sat under the shade of the trees, where the light was bright but not glaring.
The two were quietly reading when footsteps sounded at the entrance of the ancestral hall.
Shen Zheng wasn't a focused person; he looked up as soon as he heard the sound, and when he saw the two people in front of him, his brows furrowed immediately: "What are you two doing here?"
Zheng Wangfeng, with his mild temperament, said, "I would like to discuss the Four Books and Five Classics with Brother Cheng."
He walked over and stood in front of Cheng Zhao, holding a paper fan and bowing, saying, "Brother Cheng, would you be willing to take the time to discuss this with me in detail?"
Cheng Zhao instinctively wanted to refuse, but her second aunt's words inexplicably surfaced in her mind.
He pursed his lips and said, "Brother Zheng, please speak."
Zheng Wangfeng spoke eloquently: "Nowadays, the court is recruiting talents widely, but even so, there is still a lack of truly talented people. How to find truly talented people is a question that those in power have been thinking about all along. It is also a question for policy essays. I wonder what Brother Cheng's insights are?"
Cheng Zhao stood up, bowed, and said, "Actually, the imperial examination is a way to select talents. Besides that, there is also..."
Qian Hui couldn't help but interject: "You can also buy an official position with money. One of my distant cousins in the Qian family donated tens of thousands of taels of silver and became a minor official..."
Cheng Zhao curled his lips and said, "Donating an official position is to alleviate the financial difficulties of the court, and has nothing to do with selecting talents."
Shen Zheng sat casually in his chair, already clearly sensing that Cheng Zhao was getting impatient dealing with the two people.
One of these two men was the son of the county magistrate of Phoenix Town, and the other was the son of a wealthy merchant. Cheng Zhao, a poor scholar, naturally couldn't afford to offend them. Of course, although his father was also a county magistrate, he couldn't afford to offend Zheng Wangfeng too much.
Shen Zheng's eyes rolled, and he turned and walked out of the ancestral hall.
Zheng Wangfeng watched his figure disappear through the doorway, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
Even if Shen Zheng is commended by the prefect, what good is it? He has no ambition whatsoever, and he probably won't even pass the county-level imperial examination.
If you don't pass the imperial examination to become a scholar, all your efforts are in vain.
Zheng Wangfeng pulled Cheng Zhao aside and continued chatting, and they talked for less than a cup of tea.
Zhao Sidan rushed in like the wind, grabbed Cheng Zhao's sleeve, and ran out: "Big cousin, my mother wants you to help chop wood!"
Shen Zheng, who followed him in, was speechless. Cheng Zhao was too weak to lift anything, and Aunt Zhao had never let Cheng Zhao chop firewood. This little brat couldn't even come up with a better excuse.
Cheng Zhao cupped his hands and said, "Brother Zheng, Brother Qian, as you can see, I have family matters to attend to and really can't get away. We'll discuss this issue again tomorrow."
He followed Zhao Sidan outside.
Shen Zheng shook a large leaf and sighed, "Do you think Cheng Zhao has no worries about food and clothing like us? He has to get up before dawn to work. If he doesn't work, he won't have food to eat. Aunt Zhao is his second aunt, not his biological mother, so she definitely won't feel sorry for him. I won't say anything more. I'm his brother, so I'm going to help him with the work."
He turned and left.
Qian Hui scoffed: "The provincial examination is just around the corner, and you're still doing farm work. I really don't know what you're thinking."
Zheng Wangfeng opened his folding fan and said, "This is his own choice. It has nothing to do with us."
He and Cheng Zhao were both top students at Nanfu Academy. His father hired a scholar to tutor him privately, while Cheng Zhao spent his days chopping wood in the village. When it came to the provincial examination, he was sure he could surpass Cheng Zhao. From then on, he, Zheng Wangfeng, was the number one student at Nanfu Academy.
He decided to learn by carriage, where tea could be brewed and the seats were cushioned, making it more comfortable.
Zheng Wangfeng walked in front, and Qian Hui followed behind.
The two walked carefully on the muddy ground, trying not to get their brocade boots dirty. After walking a few steps, a pretty young girl came towards them.
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