Chapter 85
85
Cheng Yeran studied with Mr. Lin for a month and copied the Three Character Classic for a month. He did not learn anything about the imperial examination, but he did develop patience and his handwriting became much better than before.
If he still wanted to study in the second month, he would have to continue paying tuition. Cheng Yeran naturally did not want to be the complaining one, so after receiving the letter from County Magistrate Chen, Cheng Yeran went to find Mr. Lin and told him that he would not study anymore.
Lin Xiucai was not surprised to hear him say this, "It's good that you have self-knowledge. Studying is different from farming. It requires talent. Turn back in time to avoid wasting money."
"Why are you being so noble? In your eyes, farming is something that anyone with hands can do? Have you ever farmed? Do you know how to turn the soil, sow seeds, and harvest?" Cheng Yeran was disgusted by Lin Xiucai's arrogance since the first time he met him. "It's true that knowledge can change one's destiny, but knowledge should not be a weapon for you to look down on and attack farmers. Aren't we studying and taking the imperial examinations to serve the court and to make the people live a good life?"
Mr. Lin knew that he loved to go crazy and scold people, but usually he just thought he was an unreasonable and reckless man who used twisted logic to scold people. But after hearing what Cheng Yeran said, he actually felt very ashamed.
But he was ashamed for a moment before he immediately became angry and said to Cheng Yeran: "You are worthy of being called a scholar? Don't insult the word scholar. Just go back to farming."
Cheng Yeran originally wanted to say that he was going to study in the county town, but it would be a waste of time to say any more words to such a person, so he didn't say anything more and turned away.
Although Cheng Yeran left without saying anything to him, Mr. Lin was still very angry. It was so embarrassing that he was taught a lesson by an ignorant villager.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't sit still at home anymore, so he went out for a walk to cool off.
On the way, he met Lao Li, the pig-beater from the village. He hated Lao Li the most. Every time he met him, he could smell the fishy odor of pigs on him. Whenever he met Lao Li, he would stay as far away from him as possible.
But Old Li is an enthusiastic person, and Old Li and Lin Xiucai's father are in the same industry. When Lin Xiucai's father was alive, he was also a Qiaozhu. The two of them often sat together to drink.
Later, Old Lin passed away. Old Li felt close to Mr. Lin whenever he saw him. He would come over to talk to him every time he saw him. He would also visit the Lin family during the holidays and bring some pork and offal.
"Mr. Lin, what are you doing?" Old Li saw him from a distance and called him loudly. He walked over and saw Mr. Lin looking at him silently. He thought the young man was introverted, so he took the initiative to find a topic and said, "I heard that the boy from the Cheng family is studying in your place. How is his study going?"
"Him?" Lin Xiucai didn't want to talk to Lao Li at first, but when he heard him mention Cheng Yeran, he immediately became interested and said with disdain, "What can he learn from reading? He's not even as good as a child."
"No way. I met his father-in-law a few days ago. Old Shen said that he was going to study in the county. People who can go to study in the county are extraordinary, just like Xia Xiaowu in the village. Everyone in the village knows that he is destined to be an official in the future. People like that have the ability to go to study in the county. If Cheng Yeran is really worse than a child as you said, how could he go to the county?" Old Li was a rough man. He said whatever he thought and did not notice the expression on Lin Xiucai's face.
"He went to study in the county?" Lin Xiucai was stunned for two seconds, and couldn't help laughing, "You must have heard it wrong, is he going to study in the town? There are a few private schools in the town, but the teachers there are all old men with hearing impairment, not as good as me. It would be a waste of money for him to go there."
"It's not the town, it's the county town. I heard it clearly." Lao Li said affirmatively.
"Just because of him? He was just bragging, but you took it seriously, Uncle Li, why are you more easily deceived as you get older?" Lin Xiucai changed the subject, "Also, what do you mean by mentioning Xia Xiaowu to me? Xia Xiaowu is a scholar, and so am I. He can go to the county to study, but I can't. Are you mocking me for not being good at studying?"
"What's sarcasm? I just say whatever comes to my mind," Lao Li saw that he was angry and quickly explained
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"I'm sorry, I forgot."
"Am I so bad at studying that you forget I'm a scholar?" Mr. Lin was so angry that the veins in his head were throbbing. He was usually a petty person and liked to think too much. He felt that others looked down on him, but he also looked down on others.
Others looking down on him is just his imagination; his contempt for others is a real manifestation.
Lao Li realized that he had said the wrong thing and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Mr. Lin originally came out to vent his anger, but ended up getting even more angry. He completely hated Cheng Yeran, but he had no place to vent his anger. The next day during class, he started saying bad things about Cheng Yeran to a room full of elementary school students.
No knowledge was taught in this class. He used all kinds of vicious words to satirize Cheng Yeran. These kids were still at an age without self-judgment. They took everything the teacher said seriously. They also began to hate Cheng Yeran and even made up a song to sing for fun when they went back.
The content of the ballad is that Cheng Yeran is too stupid to learn anything, is not as good as other children in studying, and likes to brag about going to the county town to study.
After selling the dried tofu that day, Cheng Yeran locked the door and went to look through the express boxes. "Let's go to the county town tomorrow to get the shop done, and then go thank Mr. Chen for the letter of recommendation he gave me."
Although they were the ones who saved Lord Chen's child first and Lord Chen repaid them, Cheng Yeran felt that giving the medicine was just a matter of convenience, but the other party helped him a lot. Who knows, after entering the school, he might be able to rise to a high position, pass the imperial examination, become a high-ranking official, and reach the peak of his life.
And this opportunity to reach the pinnacle of life was given by Lord Chen, so he naturally had to thank Lord Chen very much.
"Well, prepare some dried tofu? Or bring some local eggs and the vegetables I grow? There is nothing else to give at home, and I don't know if Lord Chen will dislike it? Or don't bring anything, and go to the county town to buy some snacks?" Shen Yuntang had never given gifts to a person of this level, so he didn't know what to give.
"The local eggs and the vegetables you grow yourself are much more valuable than the snacks in the county town. He is such a high-ranking official and has eaten all kinds of exquisite snacks, but he has definitely never eaten the vegetables you grow." Cheng Yeran took out a box from the express cabinet, opened it and saw that it contained the book about Ge'er he bought last time. It happened that he had plans to have a child, so he wanted to understand how Ge'er gave birth to a child first.
He did not ask Shen Yuntang about this topic. There was a lack of sex education in ancient times, and perhaps Ge'er himself did not know how to have a baby. Shen Yuntang had never given birth to a child, so he probably didn't know how to conceive a child. Moreover, Shen Yuntang was a shy person, so he would not get an answer even if he asked. It would be better for him to read some books and study it himself.
"Then do as you say." Shen Yuntang had just learned to count from one to ten. He couldn't understand what book Cheng Yeran was holding in his hand. He thought it was a book for the imperial examination, so he didn't ask any more questions.
"Pack a few more soy milk soaps. We made a lot before, but the cost was high, so the price had to be set higher. If the price is too high, the villagers won't buy it. This time we'll go to the county to send some to Lord Chen. He can use it himself or distribute it to the women in his family. If it works well, he or his family will recommend it to others, and then we can take it to the county to sell." Cheng Yeran thought that he would study in the future, so he might as well teach the method of making soap to Shen Yuntang. When they sold tofu in the past, Shen Yuntang participated in making every piece of tofu. At that time, Shen Yuntang always said that the money earned this way gave him a greater sense of accomplishment, and he always felt uneasy when selling dried tofu.
"So you have such thoughts in mind. What if Lord Chen says that we are using him?" Shen Yuntang was worried. After all, the other party was an official and could kill ordinary people like them with just a flick of his finger.
"No, we didn't ask him to help promote it. If it's useful, he will take the initiative to share it with others without us asking. Just like my cousin, every time she sees a good TV series, she will talk about it crazily in my ear and drag me to watch it. The director doesn't pay her, but she is happy when she shares it herself." Cheng Yeran told him not to worry and that he knew his limits.
"There is one more thing. Have you listened to the songs made up by the children in the village recently? Do you want to explain it?" Shen Yuntang was upset after listening to those songs. He had been sulking for several days. He thought Cheng Yeran would get angry, but he didn't expect that he was calmer than himself.
"After the New Year, we will indeed go to the county to study. The more they laugh at us now, the more painful it will be when they slap us in the face." Cheng Yeran held the book and pulled him into the house. "It's getting dark, and we have to get up early tomorrow. You go to bed early, and I'll read a few pages and then go to sleep."
"Don't be too tired." Shen Yuntang didn't persuade him much. He thought Cheng Yeran was reading a book about the imperial examination. He heard that scholars have to work hard. He couldn't hold him back just because he felt sorry for him.
Cheng Yeran was afraid that the light would disturb Shen Yuntang's rest, so he took a desk lamp and went to the kitchen to check. Aunt Li always peeked into their house before, and he didn't buy a desk lamp for fear that someone would see it if he turned it on, as the whole village was aware of the advertisement.
Now that the courtyard wall has been built, he doesn't have to worry so much. The oil lamp is too tiring for his eyes, and he didn't want to read after dark before.
He took out a book from the box, intending to read a few pages before going to bed.
The book he pulled out was called "Pretty Little Husband". "With that name, how pretty can I be? No matter how pretty I am, can I be as pretty as my wife?"
He tore open the package, turned to the first page, and found that the protagonist's name was Shen Yuntang.
Cheng Yeran's eyes widened, he couldn't wait to read on. Not only did the protagonist have the same name and surname as Shen Yuntang, but also the same family background. He had four brothers and a cousin. However, Shen Yuntang in the book married Xia Xiaowu, and the cousin married a lazy man named Cheng Yeran.
Cheng Yeran's fingers were shaking as they held the book. Are they living in a book? But why is the plot completely the opposite?
He read on. In the book, Shen Yuntang married Xia Xiaowu, and they lived a very hard life. He was so tired every day that he could not straighten his back. His fingers were deformed from doing heavy work. His mother-in-law always beat him, and his father-in-law wanted to do something bad to him. Xia Xiaowu tried every way to humiliate and abuse him, and later he even married a concubine. The two of them planned to drug Shen Yuntang, give birth to a child through surrogacy, and then take Shen Yuntang's life. But this was only half of the story, and there was still half of the plot to be seen.
Cheng Yeran was furious when he saw this, and he wanted to kill all the members of the Xia family right now. No, even if he killed them all, he would not be able to get rid of the anger in his heart. Shen Yuntang was such a good person, why would they do that? Is it a psychopath?
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