Chapter 6 The Top Scholar Who Murdered His Wife and Daughter (Part Six): The Farmer's Son's Counterattack Against the Emperor...
Pleasant times are always fleeting, and before they knew it, it was afternoon, and Song Ce had to return to the county.
As Fang Shi instructed him while stuffing pickles and fruits into his bundle, Song Ce took out a purse from his sleeve and took out the two taels of silver he had left over from buying things, leaving only some copper coins inside.
“Mother, I don’t need that much money at the county school. Don’t ask Uncle Zhou to send me money anymore. This is the bonus I received from the county school two months ago. Don’t be too frugal at home.” As she spoke, she handed over the two taels of silver in her hand.
Fang paused slightly in her movements, but didn't take the money. She said softly, "I'm happier than anything that Ce'er has this intention. You spend a lot in the county, so why should you worry about things at home? You've seen it yourself, our family is doing quite well, even better than the village chief's family! Just keep the money safe. If you can make something of yourself in your studies and help Yunhui, I'll be content!"
Upon hearing this, Song Ce nodded and solemnly said, "Mother, please rest assured, Yun Hui is my own sister. No matter what happens in the future, I will never abandon her."
"With your words, I can rest assured," Fang said with a smile, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"Mother, please take good care of yourself at home. Uncle Zhou is a good man. With him around, I feel at ease. I will study hard in the future so that you, Uncle Zhou, and my sister can live a good life."
"Why!"
After Song Ce finished packing his things, he was about to leave when Zhou Yunhui suddenly ran in from the outer room, hugged his leg tightly, and said in a tearful voice, "Brother, I don't want you to leave."
Song Ce gently patted her head and smiled, "It's not like your brother won't come back in the future. When your brother comes home next time, we'll take Yun Hui to play on the mountain again, okay?"
Zhou Yunhui immediately looked up and whispered, "Really?"
Song Ce picked up the little girl with a hint of helplessness and said, "Of course it's true. Yun Hui, stay home and listen to your mother, okay?"
Zhou Yunhui nodded somewhat dejectedly: "I'll listen to my brother."
Inside the main room, carpenter Zhou was sitting in a chair. When he saw the three of them come out, he quickly stood up and looked at his gentle-looking stepson, not knowing what to say.
He could vaguely tell that his stepson used to look down on him, but this time when the son returned home, his attitude towards him had softened considerably, as if he was ready to accept him.
Before Zhou the carpenter could speak, Song Ce stepped forward and said, "Uncle Zhou, I'm leaving the family to you. If anything happens at home, just send me a message from the county school. Now that I can also receive the county school's bonus, you won't need to send me money from the county school anymore."
Carpenter Zhou hurriedly said, "Brother, don't worry about things at home. Your studies are more important. Don't make yourself suffer."
Song Ce nodded and agreed to them one by one.
In truth, the original owner of this body was very fortunate to have such a harmonious family and loving relatives. Not only did he fail to cherish them, but he even deeply hurt them. Song Ce secretly vowed in his heart that even if the mission didn't require it, he would never follow the original owner's path. He would take good care of them until he left this world.
Carpenter Zhou, Fang Shi, and Zhou Yunhui escorted Song Ce to the village entrance, where an oxcart was already waiting.
The car belonged to Zhou the carpenter's younger brother from the same branch of the family. Song Ce stepped forward and called out "Second Uncle," but before he could even take out his purse from his sleeve, Uncle Zhou glared at him and said, "Ce boy, what are you doing? Are you treating your second uncle like an outsider?"
Carpenter Zhou also stepped forward and said with a smile, "Brother, you are now the youngest scholar in our Qingzhou County. Your family is very proud! We don't need to pay for the carriage. Let your second uncle share in your good fortune. Maybe his son will also pass the imperial examination and come back as a scholar in the future!"
Having no other choice, Song Ce could only bow and express his gratitude.
Chenjia Village is not far from Qingzhou County, and fortunately the road is relatively flat. Song Ce felt that it only took half an hour to reach the county, which was a quarter of an hour faster than the return trip.
After thanking Uncle Zhou, Song Ce returned to Granny Zhao's house.
Grandma Zhao was overjoyed to see him return. The reason was simple: Grandma Zhao's husband had passed away early, and the two had only one daughter, who had married into a neighboring county, Juchuan County. The young couple had been living a happy and harmonious life, but the girl was unlucky. She died in childbirth, and her unborn child also perished.
Grandma Zhao was devastated. She lost her only child and was getting old. What would she do in the future?
So, despite being a spacious house, it was usually quite deserted. It wasn't until the original owner arrived that Granny Zhao seemed to find new motivation or support, and she took great care of the original owner. If it weren't for the original owner's pride and insistence, Granny Zhao would never have accepted the 100-coin rent.
The original owner's memories and even the plot did not contain Zhao Apo's final ending. Well, she was just a minor character, so who would bother to record the ending of such an insignificant person?
Thinking of this, Song Ce felt a little sour. He quickly took out the pickles and fruits that Fang had prepared for him and handed them to Granny Zhao, saying softly, "Aunt, these pickles were made by my mother. They are sour and salty and refreshing, perfect for whetting the appetite. These fruits are also from our own yard. Please have a taste."
Grandma Zhao hadn't felt any care or concern from others for a long time.
She wiped her hands on her apron, quickly took the things, and said with a smile, "Brother Ce is so thoughtful, still remembering an old woman like me."
Song Ce bowed deeply and said, "Auntie treats me like her own son, how can I not remember it? Auntie, rest assured, if you don't mind in the future, just consider me your own son! I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days on behalf of Sister Ayan."
Song Ce's speech was not fast. He looked at the old man in front of him solemnly, word by word, and spoke softly.
These words, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold, brought tears to Granny Zhao's eyes. Trembling, she reached out and grasped Song Ce's hand, murmuring, "It's my blessing that you have such a kind heart, young man..."
The sun gradually set, casting a faint shadow over the ground. Song Ce helped Granny Zhao into the house before returning to his own room to contemplate the upcoming events.
More than half a year has passed since the original owner passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. He has also turned nineteen. Soon, Xue Ziyi, the head of the county school, and Du Zhiyuan, the county magistrate, will invite him to their residence for a meal. Then, his marriage to Du Ningwan, the county magistrate's daughter, will be settled...
The thought of this gentle and kind woman being plotted against and killed by someone like the original owner of this body made Song Ce feel a tightness in his chest.
What a scumbag!
After reviewing the events to come twice and watching the recent episodes several times, Song Ce's mind was filled with thoughts, and naturally, he became sleepy. He got up, blew out the candle, took off his shoes by the moonlight, and went to bed, quickly falling asleep.
The next morning, Granny Zhao prepared breakfast for him as usual, but her attitude was much more casual than usual. She looked at Song Ce with the same tenderness as Fang Shi.
"Young man, don't just focus on reading and practicing calligraphy. Take a break when you need to. It wouldn't be good if you ruined your health."
Song Ce quickly agreed.
After breakfast, following the original owner's memories, Song Ce arrived at the largest study in Qingzhou County—Donglin Study.
The original owner was a familiar face at the study. As soon as he saw him, the shopkeeper hurried over and said, "Scholar Song, you've arrived. We've just received some popular collections of essays by renowned scholars from the capital, as well as some obscure poetry collections. Would you like to take a look?"
Song Ce was quite a figure in Qingzhou County. After all, he was the youngest scholar in the county, and who knew what kind of future he might have! Therefore, all the bookstores, big and small, in Qingzhou County welcomed him warmly, and he always got the best prices when buying books or writing materials from him.
If he were to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, or even go to the capital to take the exam and achieve a high ranking, wouldn't all the study rooms he visited become living advertisements?
Song Ce smiled slightly, exchanged a few polite words with the shopkeeper, and then explained his purpose: he wanted to copy a book.
The shopkeeper was stunned upon hearing this.
This scholar, Song, was usually arrogant and disdainful of his talents; he would never stoop to copying books, a profession he looked down upon. However, since it was he who had proposed it, the shopkeeper naturally had no objections. The price he offered was also slightly higher than what he would pay to other scholars and students.
What Song Ce was thinking was that, after all, he was not the original body, and in his previous life he mostly used ballpoint pens to write, so he should practice calligraphy more.
He then went to the used book section and picked out a few more books, which surprised the bookstore owner once again. So this Scholar Song was also someone who bought used books?
As Song Ce was browsing through books, a gentle voice suddenly came from the doorway, "Manager Wu, have the books I ordered arrived today?"
Song Ce turned around following the sound and saw a beautiful woman in a light purple dress standing at the door.
Du Ningwan.
Song Ce never expected to run into Du Ningwan in the study. This was the first time he had met Du Ningwan since he came to this world.
In Du Ningwan's eyes, this was the second time she had seen this person. Because of the last time her father received Song Ce, she had secretly peeked at him from behind the screen.
Song Ce tilted his head slightly, and whether it was her imagination or not, Du Ningwan actually saw a hint of tenderness and pity for her in his eyes.
"We're here! Miss, we've packed them up for you this morning, just waiting for you to pick them up." Manager Wu took out several books that had been packed earlier and handed them to Du Ningwan.
Du Ningwan took the book and saw that Manager Wu took out three more books from behind his back, as well as paper, pens and ink, and said to Song Ce with a smile, "Scholar Song, these are the books you want to copy. Please take them."
Song Ce accepted the book with a smile, then paid for the old books he had selected. Just as he finished packing the books into the basket, he heard Manager Wu say, "Actually, our study has long wanted to ask you to leave a word or two, so that we can absorb some of your literary influence."
"Look at what you're saying. My handwriting is really just so-so. My classmates at the county school are far better than me. I thought it would be good to have a chance to practice more," Song Ce replied.
Du Ningwan looked up and saw a calm expression in his eyes, without the slightest hint of shame or embarrassment. It should be known that copying books was a profession that even common students disdained, let alone those who had already achieved official rank, as long as they could make a living.
"What are you saying, sir? With your talent, if you put it that way, it would make us feel ashamed." Manager Wu waved his hand: "Our study has really benefited today. I feel much more enlightened after talking with you, sir."
Upon hearing this, Du Ningwan couldn't help but smile gently, amused by the shopkeeper's tone. Her already beautiful face became even more captivating. Her lovely eyes stared at him intently, their dark and bright gaze making him gasp for breath.
Song Ce felt his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He quickly avoided Du Ningwan's gaze, not daring to look at her again.
A note from the author:
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Thanks for pointing out the wrong age! [starry-eyed emoji]
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