Chapter 521: Reunion with Fellow Disciples [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The former prefect was transferred to the border.
This incident once caused panic among the common people of Heyin County.
Compared to Shen Tang, this "abnormal" prefect, the common people knew all too well what a "normal" prefect was like.
Previously, those prefects who chose to remain aloof would mostly have been harmed; but if they chose to collude with the local bullies and fawn over them, they would exert all their strength and bar their teeth to squeeze the last drop of profit from the already emaciated commoners.
Their lives are tough.
After finally managing to live a decent life with Shen Jun for two years... who knew Shen Tang would be transferred to a lateral position! A complete bolt from the blue!
Many commoners secretly wiped away tears, wanting to pack their belongings and flee this place, but they were also afraid that fleeing would only make things worse.
Finally, we can only hope that the successor is a decent person!
Government officials also know what the common people are worried about.
Actually, they were worried too.
They worried that the new superior would not be as easy to get along with as Shen Jun, that the new leader would make a big splash as soon as he arrived, and that he would overturn the foundations that Shen Tang had built to assert his authority, and so on... Fortunately, the successor was Xu Jie, personally selected by Shen Jun.
Although this person's ancestors were merchants, he possessed none of the sharp-tongued, petty, or calculating airs of a mercenary. On the contrary, he was humble, gentle, and acted with a forthright and generous spirit. He personally told them that the past was the past and the future would remain the same, and there was no need to worry.
Before long, the common people also discovered that the new prefect did not bring the disaster they had imagined, and life continued to be peaceful.
but--
There are also many inconveniences.
For example, the "Fugu Department Store" they used to frequent no longer had as many different kinds of goods as before; for example, the various types of paper slips that used to be very convenient were canceled after Shen Jun's liquidation before he left, and the county government had no intention of introducing a similar replacement; for example, without the help of martial arts warriors in their spare time, the pressure of farming increased sharply, but fortunately, it was not difficult to rent farm tools from the county government...
Overall, things are neither the best nor the worst. Life hasn't gotten any better, but it hasn't gotten as bad as I imagined either. I just occasionally reminisce about the past—those two years when every day when I opened my eyes, life was visibly getting better.
Even the daily routine is full of motivation.
However, they were unaware that their new prefect was also facing difficulties and had been looking grumpy for several days.
On this day, Xu Jie handled government affairs as usual.
Just as I was about to put down my pen to rest, I heard someone announce my arrival.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jie frowned, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure: "Did the person who came say which family they belonged to?"
To everyone's surprise, the servant shook his head and said, "She didn't say which family, she only said that she was an old classmate who came to bother us..."
Xu Jie lowered his head in thought: "Classmates or old friends?"
I can't think of anyone who would come at this time.
He then got up and tidied his appearance.
"Take the person to the guest room; they'll be here shortly."
The servant bowed and withdrew.
After gathering his thoughts, Xu Jie slowly walked over to meet this "classmate" who hadn't even given his name. Although the prefectural government was newly built, it continued the simple and unpretentious style of its former owner, Shen Tang, and had a somewhat rugged and spacious feel.
The side hall was rarely used and completely bare. Only the warm afternoon sun slanted in, casting shadows on the latticed windows and making the room seem less empty. The boy knelt on a mat, looking around and occasionally adjusting his position to make the sleeping girl in his arms more comfortable. Unlike the boy's languid ease, the girl's mother stood tall and strong.
The boy muttered, "This is too rudimentary..."
He had witnessed the luxury of the palace, where everything was exquisite and every piece was a treasure. How could he possibly care about "bare walls"?
The overwhelming feeling of poverty!
Before I could finish speaking, footsteps came from the doorway.
The boy immediately fell silent and looked over.
The wooden door was opened.
The newcomer was a well-dressed, handsome young scholar. Despite his neatly trimmed beard, his youth was undiminished. The young scholar also looked over, and upon seeing his face, his previously relaxed expression tightened slightly.
Emmm...
Clearly, the other person doesn't like his face.
The boy shrank his neck and lowered his head.
The newcomer indifferently shifted his gaze to the woman, paused for a moment in surprise, and then remembered her identity.
He strode forward: "You are... Senior Sister Ning?"
It took me a while to be sure.
There was no other reason than that the woman in front of him had gone through something terrible; her face was sallow, her temples were streaked with white, her eyes were sunken, and there were even wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. This haggard and tired appearance was about twenty years different from the person in his memory, and he almost did not recognize her.
Upon hearing this address, the young man cautiously glanced at the newcomer out of the corner of his eye—despite his limited education, he knew what "senior sister" meant; it implied that the young scholar before him and the woman beside him were classmates, which was quite significant.
Studying and pursuing education has always been a male-only activity.
And the woman—
If a young woman comes from a wealthy family and is doted on by her elders, they might hire a female tutor to teach her to read and write. Otherwise, her mother would be the one to provide her with early education.
The idea of actually leaving home and going to school only exists in storybooks.
The woman replied, "Junior Brother Xu."
Xu Jie then realized what was happening and hurriedly ordered someone to serve tea. Once the two were seated, he asked, "Senior Sister, what brings you here...?"
Why are they in such a sorry state?
Upon hearing this, the woman smiled bitterly and said, "It's a long story. My late husband has passed away, so I took my daughter and fled... to find a safe place to hide and lay low for a while, so I could raise my daughter in peace and let her carry on my late husband's legacy..."
The woman paused when addressing her husband.
Those two words felt like a knife scraping her throat.
The emotions she thought she had become numb welled up again, an indescribable bitterness welling up within her. Her eyes reddened, but not wanting Xu Jie to see her suffer, she turned slightly away, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Once her emotions had calmed somewhat, she turned back, forcing a smile, and said, "I'm sorry to have made Wen Zhu laugh..."
“My late husband? Brother Yan, could it be…” Xu Jie had not yet received news of Yan An’s death, but seeing the plight of his widow, he vaguely guessed what had happened. He imagined that the situation was quite complicated, and could only sigh, “It has come to this, please accept my condolences.”
Xu Jie and Yan An were only casual acquaintances.
The two had once studied under a renowned scholar.
They greeted each other and exchanged names.
However, there was no in-depth understanding.
In comparison, he was more familiar with Yan An's wife, this Senior Sister Ning, and had even received favors from her—it should be noted that although Xu Jie was extremely wealthy, his ancestors had started as merchants, a fact that had always been criticized, with tangible and intangible discrimination manifesting in every aspect of his life. When he left home as a young man to study, admiring various renowned scholars, he was either directly rejected or politely refused…
Xu Jie was both angry and helpless about this.
Once, while boating and drowning his sorrows, he accidentally bumped into another boat, startling him so much that he hurriedly apologized. The boat owner was a handsome young man with rather effeminate features. Seeing Xu Jie's distressed state, the young man casually asked what was wrong. Xu Jie, in his drunken state, vented his frustrations about the setbacks he had experienced in his studies, and the young man felt great sympathy for him. He then said he had connections and could introduce him to another highly respected scholar.
If Xu Jie were sober, he certainly wouldn't believe it.
He might even suspect that the other party had ulterior motives and was planning to extort money from him, but he believed it when he was drunk.
The next day, I sobered up.
He carried the letter of recommendation given to him by the young man in his arms.
Instead, he was introduced to Master Yan—a figure he dared not even visit, for so many of Master Yan's students admired him, and Xu Jie knew his own limitations, so he didn't want to invite trouble. But with the letter in hand, he feared that if he didn't try, he would be wasting the master's good intentions.
After much deliberation, Xu Jie, with the mindset of "giving it a shot if all else fails," went to the other party's house to deliver a visiting card and request an audience.
Master Yan simply glanced at the letter and agreed with a smile, even arranging a place for him at the academy.
Xu Jie was in a daze upon hearing this.
This matter—
That's it?
Who is that boy?
Could it be Master Yan's beloved son?
Soon, Xu Jie met the boy who had been boating the day before. The boy's surname was Ning, not Yan, but he had an excellent relationship with Master Yan, who also greatly favored this bright and clever student. With the boy's help, Xu Jie's studies went quite smoothly. Occasionally, there was discrimination, but out of consideration for the boy, no one made things difficult for him.
The only thing that Xu Jie regretted was that although the boy was exceptionally gifted and intelligent, he was born without the ability to cultivate his inner wisdom and open his dantian, meaning he could only live an ordinary life.
He felt regretful about this and said frankly that he would help the boy find a good doctor and treasures, which might enable the boy to gain literary talent.
The young man smiled and said, "I know you're incredibly wealthy, but some things in this world are beyond our control. As for me, this is my only life; I'll just accept it."
ヾ(ω`)o
Today wasn't as long as yesterday, boohoo.
If I add another hundred or two hundred words to the mushroom recipe, I'll reach 2,500 words, at least matching yesterday's total.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
