Chapter 165 Ping'er Fighting
Just as she stepped out, she spotted a horse standing by the river at the edge of the village. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Xiaoli.
Xiaoli was strolling along the riverbank with her head down, eating something now and then, and drinking water now and then, looking quite happy.
Not far away, the two children were already fighting.
"If you dare utter another word, I'll gouge out your eyes and cut out your tongue!" Ping'er rode on the back of a young boy of similar age, his eyes filled with chilling intent. The murderous aura emanating from him was completely unlike that of a boy his age.
The slightly chubby boy beneath him was filled with fear, but he stubbornly retorted, "Did I say anything wrong? You...you...you're a lowly person. I heard your father was a traitor, and your mother used to be a lowly maid who washed other people's feet! You're just a little bastard...Ah! You! You dare hit me!"
The little boy looked at him with a hint of disbelief: "You're finished. Tomorrow I'll tell the dean! I'll make sure you can never take the quizzes again!"
Upon hearing this, Ping'er's tightly clenched fist momentarily stopped, but she ultimately did not smash it into the little boy's face again.
The little boy shrank back, covering his face in fright. Noticing the fist hadn't landed, a smug look appeared on his face. He shoved Ping'er away.
"You've been in so many fights this month! The dean warned you that if you do it again, he won't write you a letter of recommendation! At that point, no matter how good your studies are, it won't be useful. You won't be able to take the quizzes, and you'll always be a peasant, a lowly person!"
Come on, hit me! Hit me here. I'll make sure tomorrow... I'll make sure the principal punishes you even more severely tomorrow.
Jiang Nuanzhi listened from afar, her brows furrowing inwardly. In the Great Wilderness, to participate in the imperial examinations, one must first pass the preliminary examination (童生). Only after becoming a preliminary student could one participate in the examination for the student degree (生员), which, upon passing, became what everyone called a scholar (秀才).
Only after becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination) could one have the opportunity to participate in the imperial examination. Once one's name was on the list of successful candidates, one would become a Juren (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination).
Those who passed the provincial examination could participate in the metropolitan examination, and those who passed were called Jinshi. Jinshi could then participate in the palace examination, which was the grand examination held before the emperor to determine the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua).
Of course, those are things to worry about later. Ping'er hasn't taken the preliminary examination for the imperial examinations yet.
To become a candidate for the imperial examination, one must participate in both the county examination and the prefectural examination.
In principle, ordinary people can participate in the exam, but those with criminal records are different. They need to be recommended by someone of a certain standing.
This is why criminals would pay high prices to send their children to school.
Because the academy's headmaster was highly respected, he would write letters of recommendation for children in criminal records every year. This was also the point through which Ping'er was now being manipulated.
Jiang Nuanzhi went to see Ping'er, wondering how Ping'er would handle the situation.
For a moment, I hesitated, unsure whether I should step forward to help him.
In the brief moment she was stunned, she heard the boy's painful cries again.
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback and subconsciously looked over, only to see Ping'er beating the man until he was kneeling on the ground. Jiang Nuanzhi was also stunned.
Ping'er, however, squinted and grabbed the little boy's collar, pulling him close to her face: "I'll only give you one chance. Remember, you broke your own face. If I hear any rumors or the dean finds out, and I lose my eligibility for the exam, I'll drag you down to hell with me! Anyway, that's how my life is going to be, so having you as a scapegoat isn't a bad deal."
The little boy was so frightened that he couldn't speak clearly: "You... Waaah, I won't say it, but if someone else says it, it has nothing to do with me, why are you only targeting me?"
Ping'er's voice remained cold: "I mean what I say. If you really disobey me, I really will kill you."
"Why...why are you targeting me? Waaah, I was just saying a few words, I didn't really provoke you."
Ping'er frowned: "I've already told you, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Before, when they provoked me and sprinkled dust in my food, wasn't that all your doing?"
I have many ways to torture people. If you're not afraid, you're welcome to try again. Anyway, your father has two sons, not one like you, so it shouldn't matter..."
The little boy finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears, trying to run home. But before he could get far, Li Junping pulled him back: "Wash your face clean. Have you thought about how you're going to tell your parents when you get home?"
The boy looked aggrieved and terrified, but he obediently washed his face by the river and pouted, saying, "It was... I fell by myself."
Li Junping nodded: "Get lost."
Having dealt with the immediate matter, Ping'er glanced at her filthy clothes and couldn't help but frown.
Standing by the river for a moment, he took off his clothes and began washing them in the river.
While washing, he kept looking around, looking like a guilty thief.
Jiang Nuan instinctively hid behind the tree again to avoid being seen by him.
I watched him from the shadows as he finished washing the clothes and then washed his face. Then he wrung out the clothes several times.
Then he frowned and stared at the clothes, as if hesitating whether or not to wear them.
Jiang Nuan sighed inwardly. Finding a suitable opportunity, she casually walked towards this direction and called out, "Ping'er! Why are you still playing in the water so late? Your clothes are all wet! Hurry up and eat."
When Li Junping heard Jiang Nuanzhi shout that, his heart jumped into his throat, and his whole body tensed up.
After listening to her words, his tense expression relaxed a little.
He immediately led his horse and hurried towards Jiang Nuanzhi to greet her.
"Ah Nuan, you came out to meet me?"
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "If you don't go back now, your brother will have to heat up your food again. How old is this child? Why did he play outside so late? His clothes are all dirty."
Jiang Nuanzhi brushed the dust off his legs as she spoke. She then checked his body and found no injuries, which secretly relieved her.
Li Junping was completely stunned. He inexplicably clenched his little fists again, looking at Jiang Nuanzhi with some nervousness.
Jiang Nuanzhi didn't say anything, but frowned at him and asked, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Jiang Nuanzhi naturally noticed the child's disheveled state from top to bottom, but she pretended not to see it.
She walked slowly up to him, took the wet clothes from his hands, put her arm around his thin body, and led him home.
Ping'er froze, her tightly clenched fists loosened slightly, and she followed Jiang Nuanzhi home step by step.
(End of this chapter)
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