He Yingyuan and Gu Qingshan did not return until the afternoon, because the village head and clan elders were so enthusiastic that the two of them had to stay with them.
Even after living most of his life, Chen Lizheng had never felt so happy!
It is said that he and the old village heads from the neighboring villages would usually get together during the New Year. This time, they arranged to meet at Chen Sheng's house. Coincidentally, He Yingyuan and his companion were there to offer New Year's greetings. Chen Sheng, wanting to show off, proudly announced that Chen Yingyuan was the top scholar in Jingyuan and had now settled in Shiligou. He even planned to open a school after the New Year!
The village heads of the other villages were all astonished, for this case was a high-ranking official case, and it was reported to various places. The old village head of the neighboring village had once dreamed of bringing peace to the country through literature, and he had somehow obtained a list of high-ranking officials from all over the country.
Sure enough, He Yingyuan's name was on the list.
In an instant, Chen Shengli, the village head, was in tears. He was almost ready to take He Yingyuan's hand and call him brother. Fortunately, he wasn't too drunk. He just said that it was a blessing that Shiligou had accumulated over several lifetimes that He Yingyuan was able to settle here!
The key point is that the scholar was very generous and agreed to open a school here to teach students.
You must understand that even those who have passed the preliminary examinations are now studying diligently, burning the midnight oil, to prepare for the provincial examinations. He Xiucai, on the other hand, has achieved the top score; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he's practically guaranteed to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations), let alone a Jieyuan (the top scholar in the provincial examinations)!
The kids from Shiligou will all be top students in the future, which will be a source of pride for them!
Thinking of this, Chen Sheng felt a little ashamed. He had suspected it before. They deliberately said that He Yingyuan was a scholar because they wanted to settle down in Shiligou. However, after meeting him in person and seeing that He Yingyuan was eloquent, Chen Sheng, who thought he had met several scholars, felt that this person might indeed be a scholar.
But he absolutely refused to believe it was the top scholar! The top scholar was someone who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, a rare occurrence only possible if their ancestral graves were blessed with extraordinary luck! To put it more dramatically, they were reincarnations of the God of Literature! How could someone be called the top scholar so casually? That would be utterly ridiculous.
At this moment, seeing the envious looks from his old friends next door, Chen Shengli was feeling quite smug. It was as if the wine itself was intoxicating!
“Chen Lizheng, He Xiucai, we have some acquaintances and are from neighboring villages. I wonder if the children from our village can come here to study? Oh, don’t worry, we will also contribute to the cost and manpower for building this school.”
"Yes, Brother Chen, we can't leave our village out! If there are any children who want to go to school, we can't let them fall behind!" They must be talking about their own child, right? Although there is a school in their village, run by a scholar, not all scholars are the same. This Scholar He has passed the imperial examination! Their grandson has always been intelligent, and they absolutely cannot let him be held back.
"Yes, yes! Scholar He, Brother Chen, we always look out for each other and help each other. We can't let the children in our village be left behind!"
...
In the end, He Yingyuan nodded first. If the child and parents were willing to come, of course they could, and he would treat them equally.
He Yingyuan's gesture of respect pleased Chen Sheng, the village head, who chuckled again. Fueled by the alcohol, the group discussed choosing a suitable location for the school, as the previous clan house could only serve as a temporary measure. Now, he intended to build a proper school.
Finally, a location was chosen that wasn't too far from several villages, so that if the children from those villages wanted to go to school, they wouldn't have to wear out their shoes.
The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests, and Gu Qingshan didn't find it boring at all. As a representative of the four families who came to pay New Year's greetings to the village head, he naturally received a warm welcome.
He was entertained by Chen Jincai, the eldest son of the village head!
Chen Jincai was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, the same age as him. He had heard before that Brother Gu had hunted a wild boar all by himself, and he admired him greatly. However, he had never had the chance to meet him. Now that he heard that Gu Qingshan had also come, he took the initiative to come and get to know him.
Unlike his younger brother, Chen Jincai had always loved going up mountains and down rivers, catching rabbits, fish, and shrimp. However, the surrounding mountains were all small hills, and behind them lay deep forests, but those forests were full of wild beasts, and nine out of ten people who went in never came back. Although Chen Jincai wanted to explore the deep mountains, he couldn't bear to leave his young children, elderly husband, and mother at home, so he put it off.
More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye!
How many decades of good times does a man have? Who didn't dream of wandering the world with a sword when they were young? It's just that later they get bogged down in trivial matters and lose that ambition.
Today, it's incredibly exciting to see someone achieve their dream.
The two clinked glasses and even made a pact to go to the mountains together next time. They wouldn't venture deep into the mountains, but rather just learn some hunting techniques.
Gu Qingshan wasn't the kind of man who wouldn't teach others. Besides, hunting requires skill, strength, speed, and experience—all are indispensable! He had his strengths, but others might not have the talent. However, it was rare to meet such a studious and compatible young man, so he didn't mind making his acquaintance.
Overall, everyone was quite happy after the meal!
He Yingyuan also met He Jinwen, the village head's youngest son, who is now the only student in Shiligou who has passed the imperial examinations. He is currently studying at Changlong Academy in He County and plans to take the exams this year, hoping to pass and become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations).
Although he's the youngest son, he's actually twenty-one or twenty-two. He'd heard from his father that a scholar had come to their Shiligou village, and he was even the top scholar in the examination. He wondered if the scholar was just a fraud. But to his surprise, he was completely taken aback when he met him today!
The man's demeanor made him feel extremely uncomfortable. Even the teacher was not this powerful. Chen Jinwen, who had much more experience than his father, felt that this man was quite capable!
He greeted He Yingyuan respectfully, and having received instructions from his father that he should seek his advice later, He Yingyuan readily agreed, saying he was welcome anytime, and that he dared not presume to seek his advice, but would at most share some of his own experience with him!
He Yingyuan didn't have much affection for Chen Jinwen. His eyes flickered, and a shrewd glint occasionally flashed in them. Although he appeared honest and upright on the surface, he was definitely a cunning person inside.
However, it wouldn't be fair to say he was afraid; this person wasn't even worth his attention. Better safe than sorry; many things ultimately fail because of insignificant people. But as long as he wasn't provoked, He Yingyuan wouldn't take the initiative to deal with him, lest he lower his own status!
Chen Sheng, the village head, naturally didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. He was quite pleased to find that his two sons were having a pleasant conversation with the families he had chosen. If his youngest son could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, all his worries would have been worthwhile!
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