"Auntie, Uncle, this is Mr. Jiang, a scholar from the previous imperial examination. Because the capital was moved so suddenly, his clansmen were scattered. He has been living in the north of the city, making a living by writing letters and teaching children in the north of the city to read."
“We met by chance and I really admired Mr. Jiang’s erudition and open-mindedness. It just so happened that our village was looking for a mentor for the children, so I recommended him to give it a try.”
Scholars are all concerned about their reputation, and the old lady and Li Lao Er were somewhat worried when they heard Mr. Wen speak so frankly about Mr. Jiang's difficult struggle for survival.
But Mr. Jiang still smiled gently. Perhaps sensing their embarrassment, he offered a few words of comfort, "Madam and Lord, please don't worry. Although Brother Wen and I haven't known each other for long, we became fast friends and consider each other confidants."
"Brother Wen has helped me a lot, and I gladly accepted it. After all, life is long, and now that I have accepted Brother Wen's help, there will be a day when I can repay him."
The old lady and Li Lao Er both laughed along.
Mr. Jiang is indeed broad-minded, not bothered by trivial matters, and seems to have a thorough understanding of human relationships. Even if a person like him is not very knowledgeable, the children he teaches in the village will not be bad.
Li Lao Er immediately asked, "Mr. Jiang, when can you come to the village to teach?"
"Anytime is fine!" Mr. Jiang replied readily. "Your Excellency, you may not know, but I've been longing to visit Broken Gold Beach for a long time. I'd love to soak in the hot springs in the valley, but unfortunately, I'm short of money. I wish I could move here right away and take a look at the valley immediately!"
Everyone laughed at his words. Even Jiayin felt that this scholar, who was of average appearance and short stature, was much more pleasing to the eye because of his humor and open-mindedness.
After thinking for a moment, Li Lao Er said, "Then you can move whenever you want, sir. Come and rest for three days before starting classes. There are empty rooms at the school, with tables, chairs and bookshelves. We also have new bedding at home."
"The teacher's tuition is paid monthly, five taels of silver a month, and two sets of clothes and shoes for each season. But let's make this clear from the beginning: if the teacher is not up to the task, our village can dismiss him at any time."
"Of course, I'm here to teach. If I can't teach, I won't have the face to stay here any longer, even if the Lord doesn't say anything." Mr. Jiang stood up, bowed, and replied solemnly.
But he hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Sir, may I bring a young page? There’s a homeless boy in the north of the city who often reads with me. He’s an orphan and very pitiful. I’d like to bring him along to keep him company.”
Before Li Lao Er could speak, Li Lao Tai nodded, "Of course it's possible. The teacher should have someone to take care of his daily life. Besides, he's a poor but studious child. Our village isn't short of food."
Mr. Jiang smiled and bowed deeply to Old Lady Li with utmost sincerity. “I think the person I should thank most in my life is Brother Wen, because he introduced me to such a wonderful place as Suijintan.”
Everyone laughed. Mr. Wen pulled Mr. Jiang to sit down and said, "When I saw you standing up for homeless children in the north of the city, I felt that you were a sincere person. And the villagers in Suijintan are the same. So, I hope that you will settle down here in the future. That way, every time I come, I will not only have family but also friends to talk to."
When Old Lady Li heard them mention the north of the city, her heart stirred, and she asked, "Mr. Jiang lives in the north of the city. Have you heard of a family whose head of household is also a scholar named Sun, who is said to run a school?"
Mr. Jiang was taken aback, then thought for a moment and said, "If the Mr. Sun that the old lady mentioned is around forty years old, he does resemble the one who lives near me."
"Does the old lady know this Mr. Sun's name? Should I stay in the north of the city for a few more days and inquire about him for her?"
Grandma Li quickly waved her hand, "I don't know this Mr. Sun's name either. I'll trouble you again after I find out."
"Alright, I'll move here first, so as not to delay the children's studies. I've lived in the north of the city for over a year, so I'm very familiar with it. If anything comes up, it won't be difficult to go back and ask."
Mr. Jiang spoke frankly, but Mr. Wen saw through his little scheme, saying, "You're more eager to enjoy the scenery and soak in the hot springs than to teach!"
“Oh, Brother Wen, let’s not say anything even if we see through it. We’re still brothers!” Mr. Jiang said, pulling his sleeve to cover his face.
His feigned shyness made everyone burst into laughter again.
Jiayin grew to like this teacher more and more, and for a moment she was tempted to go to school herself, but then she thought about having to get up early, so she gave up the idea.
Winter is just around the corner, and nothing is more important than a warm and cozy bed!
After exchanging a few more casual words, Mr. Wen took Mr. Jiang back to move.
Grandma Li carried her granddaughter on her back, and took Granny He and Shuiyun Shuiyue with her, wanting to go to the school to take a look.
Mr. Jiang's long gown was patched, which showed that he was living in poverty. Therefore, his family should help him more with his food, drink, clothing and other necessities.
As soon as they stepped out, Sister Li brought Nannan over.
Hearing that the old lady was going to school, she wanted to go and help. After all, she was living and eating at the Li family's house now, and she couldn't just stay idle. She always wanted to help with some chores.
The old lady couldn't refuse, so Granny He stepped forward and picked up Jiayin, saying with a smile, "Madam, it's time for Miss to learn manners. This old servant will take her back to her courtyard first."
"Okay." Old Mrs. Li nodded quickly. Jiayin waved to her grandmother and then entered the Marquis's courtyard.
Aunt Li asked curiously, "Auntie, is the yard next door also part of our family's yard?"
Old Mrs. Li was afraid that her sister-in-law would send Nannan there, so she quickly brought up the Marquis, "No, that's the Marquis's courtyard. Fu Niu'er is the Marquis's adopted daughter, and she's learning manners there."
As expected, Sister-in-law Li immediately shut her mouth, her expression showing great respect.
The village was not short of money, so they were not stingy when building the school. The study room, the kitchen, and the teacher's living quarters were all very spacious.
These days, it's just a matter of cleaning, changing things, and airing out the room.
There wasn't much work to do, and everyone quickly returned home.
Two carriages were parked in front of the Li family's house; it turned out that Li Zhensheng had returned.
The carriages carried things out one after another, and even the wind carried a faint smell of the sea.
Just then, Jia'an, Jiaxi, and Maoge'er saw it from the mountain and ran back to join in the fun.
Li Zhensheng greeted them with a smile, "The family's fleet has arrived, come and help! Didn't you say you wanted more seashells last time? This time, we've brought you a whole bunch of sea sand, not just seashells!"
The boys cheered excitedly, shouting, "Uncle (Father) is so good!"
Hearing the commotion, Jiayin was also carried over by Granny He.
Soon, a large pile of fine white sand was dumped in the corner of the yard.
Jiayi carried a box full of seashells and buried it in the sand so that his younger brothers could experience the joy of collecting seashells.
The seashells were all cleaned, colorful, and varied in size. They were buried in the fine sand and were gradually dug out, which was very beautiful.
The boys called out to their little sister, "Fu Niu'er, come dig for treasure with us!"
Jiayin ran over with a grin, and her two chubby little hands dug open like cat claws.
The little girl was anxious and struggled to get over.
Sister-in-law Li didn't take it seriously and let go of her hand.
Granny He and Granny Li tried to stop her, but the little girl had already started playing.
Granny He glanced at Fu Niu'er, who was surrounded by her brothers, and Nan Nan, who was far away, and said to Old Madam Li, "Don't worry, Madam, this old servant will take care of them here."
Just then, Li Zhensheng, perhaps having something to do, called out "Mother" from inside the house, and Old Lady Li went inside.
Granny He rolled up her sleeves, wanting to find an oil-paper umbrella to shield the young master from the sun.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred...
Served at midnight~~
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