The two instinctively pulled off the wooden plaques from their waists. Li Ge'er was so angry that he was about to throw them, but Li Laosan took them from him.
"This brand is still useful, let's keep it for now."
As he spoke, Li Laosan put the two signs together, fiddled with them for a bit, and the signs opened.
He put the two small notes back in, then fastened them tightly, so that they were completely hidden from view.
Li Zhensheng, Li Lao Er, and Mr. Wen took turns looking at the wooden sign, and they were all amazed.
Li Lao Er said, "What an ingenious idea! Ordinary carpenters simply couldn't do it."
Mr. Wen then asked Jiaren, "Your family has already checked the signs, and those two classmates who framed you also wore similar signs."
"Your father's idea is to have someone switch the wooden tags. That way, if they cause trouble in the exam hall, you can demand that their tags be checked as well. Then, they'll be the ones cheating, and all the consequences will fall on their heads!"
Li Ge'er's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded in agreement: "Good, let them taste what it's like to be framed!"
Jia'an and Jiaxi were also excited to hear this. Jiaxi even shouted, "Yes, yes, that's how it should be! Let the examiners kick them out so they can never take the exam again!"
But Jiaren hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "Teacher, I don't want to do this."
Mr. Wen smiled and asked, "Why don't you want to do that? Tell me."
“Because of the academy!” Jiaren took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and trying to calm down, and said, “These two people act so viciously that it’s not wrong for us to retaliate in any way. However, they represent not only themselves, but also the students of Luo’an Academy.”
"If we let them cause trouble during the exam, whether they cheat or we cheat, it will ruin the reputation of Luo'an Academy. They may disregard the academy, but we cannot."
"We brothers have been at the academy for so long, enjoying the friendship of our classmates and the erudition of our teachers. We are deeply grateful for the academy's guidance. If we cannot repay the academy, then bringing it honor is enough. But if we were to ruin the academy's reputation for the sake of venting our anger or satisfying our personal grudges, we would surely have a guilty conscience later..."
After he finished speaking, no one responded for a long time.
Xia Feng wandered over from next door, and even tried to mischievously lift everyone's clothes, but was startled by the atmosphere and quickly slipped away along the wall!
"Good, well said!" Mr. Wen was extremely excited and was the first to stand up. He cupped his hands to congratulate the Li family. "Auntie, the Li family will definitely be successful in the future. Jiaren is more than capable of shouldering the great responsibility of bringing glory to the family!"
"Reading and understanding principles are things almost everyone can do, but such magnanimity and spirit are extremely rare! This is what the eldest grandson of a great family should be like. The Li family has a bright future, a truly promising future!"
Grandma Li nodded repeatedly. She had only thought of an eye for an eye, but her grandson had given her such a big surprise.
An eye for an eye is just a way to vent one's anger, but it's rare for a grandson to have such a broad perspective, which is something that our small family lacks!
This book was definitely worth reading!
The three Li brothers were overjoyed. They went up and grabbed Jiaren's arm, one patting his shoulder and the other his back, not knowing what to do with him.
Especially Li Lao Er, he felt both ashamed and proud!
As a father, he doesn't consider things as comprehensively as a child, but this outstanding child is his son!
Jiaren was initially worried that his family would be angry, since the family's motto was to neither cause trouble nor be afraid of trouble, and to confront anyone who dared to bully them.
Although he considered the overall situation, he still seemed somewhat cowardly and yielding.
I never expected my family to be so supportive...
"Good lad, sit down quickly!" Li Zhensheng pulled his nephew down to sit, then patted his own son Li Ge'er's head and comforted him, "Don't worry, it's not wrong for you to want revenge just now. However, sometimes a fight is not just about a punch or a kick, but more about considering the overall situation."
"Especially our family, we're no longer farmers in Qingshui Village. You'll gradually come into contact with more and more people, and their status and position will be higher. If there are disputes, they won't be resolved by fighting and killing."
"Fortunately, you are still young, and your eldest brother is growing up very quickly, so you will have plenty of opportunities to learn in the future..."
Li Ge'er nodded obediently and sat down next to his father.
Jia'an and Jiaxi blushed with embarrassment. They were older than Li Ge'er, yet their studies were not as good as their younger brother's, and they were not as thoughtful as their older brother in times of trouble. Were they too useless...?
Cat Brother had a lot to say, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Jiayin quickly took out a fruit and pulled him down to sit.
Then, the brother and sister took turns munching on the food, with the occasional greedy little fox trying to snatch a bite.
Sure enough, once Cat got distracted, he stopped trying to interrupt.
Mr. Wen continued to ask Jiaren, "Although we have to consider the reputation of the academy, we can't suffer in silence, and we can't let these two people stay by your side. Do you have any good ideas?"
Having just received affirmation, Jiaren spoke even more fluently.
"Those two are students of the academy, and they almost ruined the academy's reputation. I have already given up the chance to fight back for the sake of the academy, so of course the academy can't just watch me suffer."
"Therefore, my suggestion is to gather all the witnesses and evidence, and then present them to Dean Zhou and the teachers to expose their schemes. We should ask the academy to expel them as a warning to others!"
Mr. Wen nodded, affirming again, "Yes, that's how it should be. No matter how strong or weak the enemy is, it's best not to face them alone. Try to turn your one enemy into everyone's enemy!"
"At that time, you wouldn't have to lift a finger; others would eliminate the enemy for you, and there would be fewer future troubles. No one would judge you or say whether you were right or wrong, because if you were wrong, then everyone would be wrong!"
Jiaren quickly stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, teacher."
"Alright, we're family, no need for such formalities." Mr. Wen glanced at the sun, then looked at Li Zhensheng and the others. "Let's go, let's go visit Dean Zhou."
Li Zhensheng and the others got up. Li Laosan tidied up the wooden plaque, took Jiaren and Lige'er, and went out together.
Jiayin was worried that her family would be taken advantage of, so she told Yeshan and Dongmei, "Uncle Dashan, Aunt Mei, you should go and check on them. Don't let the bad guys get away."
"Okay, Miss, don't worry." Ye Shan replied and followed Dongmei to the academy.
The three boys, Jia An, Jia Xi, and Mao Ge'er, were left standing under the eaves, somewhat at a loss.
They usually attend classes and study at the academy, learn to ride horses and shoot arrows, have good classmates, and have family members nearby to take care of them, so they don't have to worry about food, accommodation, or clothing.
They lived such a joyful life, more carefree than the gods.
But today we suddenly discovered that beneath this beautiful facade, there are hidden thorns and sharp knives, as if they are always looking for an opportunity to stab us.
The world is full of beauty, but suddenly the filter shatters, revealing its true ugliness. It feels terrible!
The boys instinctively moved closer to their grandmother and sister, wanting to say something, but unsure what to say...?
Served at midnight~~~
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