Meng Liniang's heart ailment was cured with the right medicine, and she recovered quickly.
A few days later, Meng Fangxu reluctantly brought over an envelope: "That scoundrel Xu Chengzong said he wrote a poem and asked you to give him your critique."
He delivered the letter and left after a short while.
There is a strict order of seniority, and his younger sister, this beautiful and delicate cabbage, is about to be eaten by a pig. He is also being urged to get married as soon as possible, and he and his parents are looking for a matchmaker.
Qiuju was a little curious, so Meng Liniang sent her away, opened the envelope, and as she took the letter, several bright red camellia petals fell and scattered on her light green skirt.
She stared in surprise, then a smile involuntarily appeared on her face.
She gathered the petals together, held one to her nose and inhaled its fragrance, then lay down on the wicker rocking chair and began to read the letter.
It's been a long time since I've seen his handwriting. It's improved a lot. It still looks neat and tidy, but it's actually ready to fly away at any moment.
Every word and phrase is filled with straightforward longing and affection. The verses are perfectly matched, but they are too deliberate and always sound a bit awkward.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew in from outside the door, causing the petals on her nose to fall to the ground. She got up to pick them up, gathered them together with the other petals, called Qiuju in to grind ink, and picked up her pen to reply to the letter.
Before she turned ten, Meng Liniang had attended school with her brother and was literate. Later, she stayed at home with nothing to do and gradually borrowed and read many books from her brother's study. In the timeline, she was even able to exchange a few words with Xu Liang.
She didn't want to discourage Xu Chengzong, so she didn't really comment on anything. She just wrote a short poem in response and asked her maid to bring some red beans, which she sealed along with the letter.
With these occasional correspondences, Xu Chengzong had a clear hope in his heart. He never slacked off again, and even became more diligent, beginning to emulate the ancients who studied diligently by hanging themselves from beams and pricking their thighs with needles.
His friends called him repeatedly, but he wouldn't come out, and they gradually stopped contacting him.
He was oblivious to everything else, focusing solely on his studies. But when he heard the servant say that Xu Liang was leaving, his eyes lit up, revealing an irrepressible mischievous glint in them.
He quickly asked his teacher for leave, ignoring the threat of having to read five times more books, and insisted on going to see Xu Liang off.
He wasn't deaf. Even if his family was intentionally keeping it from him, he had heard about the Meng family's interest in Xu Liang. Meng Fangxu had brought it up twice, but he didn't want to listen and changed the subject.
It's definitely not that I feel inferior to Xu Liang; it's just that I get annoyed just hearing his name.
His entanglement with Xu Liang is a long story. In short, it was about a few thieves who stole his money. The slowest one was caught and then threw a tantrum, even soiling his new clothes.
When Xu Liang saw this, he spouted a bunch of grand principles, basically saying that his family was rich, and that the little beggar was so young and pitiful because he had no parents. He told Xu Liang to be tolerant and generous, and not to be unforgiving. It seemed like he thought Xu Liang would kill the beggar because his father was the county magistrate.
He was so confused by the Confucian classics and sages' pronouncements that he lost his temper and started fighting with the thief. The thief took advantage of the chaos to escape, leaving Xu Liang with nothing but the loss of his money and his reputation for speaking out for justice.
That's how this feud began.
He strolled over to Xu Liang's house, where the latter was still tying his belongings onto the donkey cart. Upon seeing him, he frowned again and asked, "Young Master Xu, what brings you here?"
Xu Chengzong realized that reading could indeed cultivate one's character. Seeing his usual annoying appearance, he felt a sense of peace.
He scoffed, "It's nothing. What could a playboy like me possibly have to do? I just came to take a look and chat with Magistrate Xu for a bit."
"Magistrate Xu, when you get to Tong County, don't forget what you said before. If you ever handle a theft case, remember to tell the victim that 'forgive and forget.' Which sage said it again? 'Never forget your original intention, and you will achieve your goal.' Don't forget that!"
Xu Liang's brow furrowed even deeper unconsciously. Xu Chengzong glanced at his family's blue-tiled house, whistled, put his hands in his sleeves, and strolled away, quite pleased with himself.
Hey, thank goodness this guy isn't an official in Xiushan County. Whether he wants to be a good person or a good official, he should go somewhere else and not get in the way here.
A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years, and he finally, finally, finally threw that bastard's bullshit morals right in his face.
Xu Liang stood there lost in thought for a long time. Xu Jin called him several times from inside the house, but he didn't respond. She dragged a basket of things out of the house, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, "Who came just now?"
Xu Liang snapped out of his daze, put the things on the donkey cart, and said, "Nobody's here. Mother, how much stuff is left?"
Xu Jinshi patted the last basket and said that was all. She looked back at the blue-tiled house, her eyes flashing with reluctance, and sighed, "I don't know when I'll be able to come back again."
"Mother, if you want to come back, your son will bring you back anytime."
Xu Jin hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "Let's go."
The mother and son had a lot of possessions, mostly clothes, shoes, and socks, besides money.
As Xu Liang drove the donkey cart, he glanced one last time at the high mountains behind him and remembered that one evening he had encountered a fox.
After encountering the fox, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
They left Xiushan County, beyond the range that 001 could scan, and didn't know if they would ever meet again.
Xu Chengzong asked for leave from both sides and was in a good mood. He went for a stroll in the street. When he passed Huiweilou, he remembered something and went back in. He ordered a lot of snacks and then said, "Send them to the landlord Meng's house."
Dim sum tastes best when it's hot, but it was already winter, and even the hottest food would be cold by then. However, problems that can be solved with money are not problems at all, so Huiweilou was set up immediately.
Xu Chengzong went to the bookstore again. Remembering how the storybook he read last time made his sweetheart cry, he specifically asked the bookstore owner this time and chose one with a happy ending.
He wanted to send some more fun things, and after looking around, he suddenly saw a vendor with a little white cat in a cage. It looked incredibly cute, and even after teasing it a few times, it wouldn't scratch him. Thinking he could send it to Li Niang to cheer her up, he bought it.
He hired a donkey cart and delivered the items to the Meng family. He chatted with Meng Liniang for a while, ate some pastries sent by Huiweilou Restaurant, and the Meng family insisted that he stay for lunch. Only then did he leave reluctantly.
When he got back, he was stunned to see the thick stack of books on the desk in his study.
The servant boy next to him said with a hint of schadenfreude, "Young master, the teacher told you to finish reading it within half a month. The teacher will test you then."
"Half a month?" Xu Chengzong was speechless for a moment.
"The master said that time is short and the task is urgent. Young master's foundation is weak. If you want to pass the imperial examination, you must work very hard." The servant paused, then sighed, "Young master, are you going to let Miss Meng down?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Chengzong immediately perked up. Looking at the stack of books, his legs no longer felt weak and his headache disappeared.
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