Ji Hengzhi, who was waving his fan, originally wanted to see how his former rival had fallen on hard times.
At this moment, he pricked up his ears by the window and fixed his eyes on Ah Mian.
Her husband treated her badly.
But he saw with his own eyes that as long as Ah Mian appeared, the thugs didn't care about anyone else.
He doesn't seem like he dislikes Ah Mian at all.
Perhaps, you can only know a person's face but not their heart; appearances are just a facade in front of outsiders?
Ji Hengzhi's expression was complicated. It wasn't that he wanted to meddle, but rather that A-Mian was now literate and a student at their academy, making her a rare talent in the surrounding area. Besides, A-Mian was also quite beautiful, and her quirky and clever nature inevitably drew attention.
As for Meng Chijian, he's not young (by ancient standards), but he's just a country bumpkin who runs a small shop. He's already climbing the social ladder by marrying A-Mian, yet he doesn't appreciate it at all. What a fool!
"Zhao Fei!" he called out, then whispered a few words in his playmate's ear.
"Ah Mian, after class today, I... would like to invite you to get something to eat." Wangwang felt sorry for Ah Mian, as she had no siblings and no one to speak up for her.
However, Want Want couldn't afford anything expensive, so he could only get some roasted ginkgo nuts sold on the street for two coins a pack. This stuff is very simple to make; it's also called roasted ginkgo nuts, and it has a fragrant aroma when cooked.
Ah Mian ate three and thought they tasted good, with a soft and chewy texture, and were more fragrant than cooked taro.
The vendor exclaimed in surprise, "You must be the female scholars from that academy. You have such an air about you."
"That's not all! Have you heard? There's a female 'school bully' in the academy. The term 'school bully' means the tyrant in the academy... Hey, Old Wang! Don't interrupt me! All those things you were worried about, like promiscuity between men and women, don't seem to be happening! I think if you have a daughter in the future and want to find her a good marriage, sending her to the academy to learn a few words would be quite good!"
A waiter waved a white towel, enthusiastically sharing the latest happenings.
"Is there really a female school bully? I... I'm worried she might bully my little girl."
"Of course! They came early this morning in a donkey cart. I heard they've subdued all the former school bullies."
"You're just bragging. You're exaggerating to the heavens. You're even sending your little girl to the academy, which costs ten taels of silver!" a busybody sneered.
The crowd was buzzing with discussion, while Ah Mian and her companion had already slipped away during a brief respite.
However, the news spread rapidly throughout the city. Strangely enough, with a pioneer like this, women attending academies no longer seemed so shocking. But some suggested that since that was the case, they should simply open a "girls' academy." This way, there would be no reputational concerns, and money could be made into their pockets—a perfect solution.
Gradually, the academy actually opened a "girls' academy," which only cost five taels of silver a year, but only half a day of classes every other day. The main teachings were literacy and poetry writing, and it became a place for some young ladies from well-off families to relax and meet friends.
Upon learning this, Meng Jing resolved to work hard to save money and find a way to attend the "Women's College".
It's not that I dislike Ah Mian's teaching quality; these kids, those who study hard, can generally recognize two or three hundred commonly used characters and can even read the notices posted at the city gate, albeit haltingly. But Ah Mian's writing skills...
Well, even though Meng Jing hasn't seriously studied poetry, I still feel that her poems like "A roast chicken, all black and charred, is quickly swallowed" don't seem like poems worthy of being presented in a refined setting!
This is also why Ah Mian couldn't get into a higher school for so long. When it came to essay topics, Ah Mian's thinking was always different from ordinary people. Her thoughts jumped between sentences extremely quickly. At first, the teacher thought she was deliberately causing trouble, but later he found that it was actually her own thoughts. He often didn't know whether to laugh or cry when grading her papers.
Regardless of how well she did on the exam, her test papers were always neatly stored away at home, never even used for pasting on the windows.
That day, Ah Mian was writing large characters when she suddenly heard a commotion in the next study room. "Who is it? Stand up and be the judge! If you don't admit it, don't blame me for reporting you to the authorities!"
The schoolchildren rushed to the window, poking their heads out and chattering excitedly.
"It's Zhao Fei from next door. He said he lost five taels of silver."
"Why did he bring so much silver to the academy?"
Zhao Fei, standing outside the window, was so excited he was practically spitting as he spoke: "Our academy has produced a thief! That five taels of silver was money I was planning to use to buy some more books and writing materials. You know how Huizhou ink is; it costs at least a few taels of silver. I put it in my purse, which is right here on the table. I just went to relieve myself and when I came back, the purse was gone!"
"What's all this noise about? What kind of mess is this in the academy! Do you think this is a marketplace?" The teacher had originally given them a quarter of an hour to rest, but who would have thought that such a thing would happen.
Zhao Fei pouted: "Master, I lost five taels of silver. It was stolen by a thief."
"Speaking nonsense! Don't talk rubbish. Perhaps you just forgot where you put it. With everyone watching, who would take your silver?"
"But there were so many people just now, there might have been someone from a poor family who was quick and agile..."
Zhao Fei puffed out his chest. "If you don't take care of this, I'll go and report it to the authorities right now."
The teacher naturally didn't want to report it to the authorities. If word got out that there were thieves in the academy, what would become of its reputation? It would make the place seem like a filthy, corrupt place, where even the last vestiges of integrity had been swallowed up by money.
“The incident happened only recently. If there really was a thief, he certainly couldn’t have hidden the silver in such a short time. It must still be on him…” the teacher pondered. “Then let’s just check everyone’s pockets and book baskets.”
Ah Mian felt that this matter was very strange, but Wangwang had taken the day off, so there was no one to discuss it with.
Soon everyone in Zhao Fei's study was searched, and no one had five taels of silver on them.
"Zhao Fei, there's nothing we can do about it. You brought the silver to the academy, so you should have kept it safe. Who knows if you accidentally lost it on the way?"
"Impossible! I clearly remember putting it on this table, how could I be wrong?" Zhao Fei slapped his forehead. "Teacher, what about the students in the next study room? We rested together for half an incense stick's time, could they have sneaked in?"
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Exactly, exactly, what would we do at your school?"
The students were furious. "I'm afraid you lost the family's money yourself and are trying to blame someone else because you don't know how to explain it!"
"Who needs your five taels of silver?"
"Since you're not afraid, why don't we just search you? Or are you scared?"
Zhao Fei, accompanied by two pageboys, began to examine the items one by one. A-Mian felt increasingly puzzled, yet she couldn't quite grasp the situation.
Until Zhao Fei skillfully took A Mian's basket and shouted, "Found it!"
Inside was a staggering five taels of silver.
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