Chapter 10 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 10) "Mother, I..."
"Mother, I'm back. Now that your son can support the family, you can rest assured and take care of your health. You don't need to bother with embroidery anymore." Chu Nanfeng supported his mother's arm and took his sister's hand as they went back into the house together.
Chu's mother smiled and patted her son's hand, repeatedly saying "good" with her eyes full of joy.
"Ah Qing, your brother brought you a lot of gifts, including new clothes, new hair ties, and your favorite osmanthus cake." Chu Nanfeng put his luggage on the table, which was now piled high with gifts.
The little girl named Chu Qing's eyes lit up, and she quickly poured herself a cup of tea. "Big brother, you must be tired from your journey. Please sit down and have some water."
"Don't try to fool me with that. Have you been listening to your mother lately? Have you finished the homework I assigned you? Has anyone been bullying you lately?"
Chu Nanfeng took the teacup, took a sip, and asked several questions in quick succession with a stern face.
The little girl wasn't afraid of him. Despite being only six years old, she spoke logically and coherently, listing things off on her fingers as she reported to her brother.
"I've been very obedient. I helped my mother buy groceries and tend the fire, and I even helped with needlework and thread. I finished my homework a long time ago. Apart from that brat surnamed Wen who said I was a child without a father and made me cry after I scolded him, no one has bullied me!"
Chu's mother shook her head and chuckled, "It's good enough that she doesn't bully others. When Sister-in-law Wen came to complain, she hadn't even reached me before she shooed her away."
Chu Nanfeng patted his little sister's head and praised her, "Well done, but this method only works for reasonable people. What if you encounter someone unreasonable..."
"Show weakness to the enemy, seize the opportunity to slip away, or ask for help, and settle scores later when the opportunity arises!" the little girl replied decisively.
Lin You was stunned. Was this really a six-year-old child? How could he be so amazing? How did Chu Nanfeng usually educate him?!
She suddenly remembered something, opened the system page, and went to the plot summary in the orange book page.
She hadn't paid much attention to the details of Han Qige's rebellion back then, but now she realized that more than a decade later, the woman who helped the young emperor overthrow Han Qige was a woman named Qing Gu.
The woman had her face disfigured and wore a veil all year round. She was extremely cunning and scheming, and was treated as a teacher by the young emperor. However, she disliked going out and refused to see outsiders.
Looking at the little girl in front of her, who was trying to get more snacks by begging her brother, Lin You reminded her, "Chu Nanfeng, don't let Chu Xiaomei go out alone these days!"
The last time Lin You spoke in such a cautious tone was when she reminded him of a problem with the basketball test. Chu Nanfeng paused, his hand holding the snacks still. Could his little sister be in danger?!
He composed himself, picked up the pastries, and looked at the expectant little girl beside him. "Brother plans to participate in the imperial examination after the New Year. He needs to study hard recently, but he's missing a page to help him pour water and grind ink..."
The little girl stared at him, "Is it really worth it to make me do this for so long for just one piece of pastry?!"
"Of course not! One pastry a day, and after a month of work, you'll get four new outfits. I'll take you to the store to choose for yourself!" Chu Nanfeng tempted with a smile.
"Deal!" Chu Qing took the pastry, took a big bite, and looked full of fighting spirit.
The clothes her brother usually buys for her are all brightly colored and flashy, which doesn't suit her taste at all! His and her mother's clothes are always so simple and elegant!
But he only gave me four sets of clothes in a month, and bought so much stuff. Has my brother struck it rich?
As Chu's mother tidied up the things Chu Nanfeng had brought back, she watched the two of them playing with a smile. Only then did she ask, "Nanfeng, didn't you plan to go to the imperial examination in three years? Why did you suddenly change it to next year?"
To avoid causing his mother worry, Chu Nanfeng had already discussed with her that if he passed the imperial examination, he would find a wealthy student to teach at their home for two years to save up for the spring examination travel expenses.
"Mother, don't worry, I've found a way to raise enough money for the trip. You and my sister can come with me to the capital. If we're all together, we can look after each other."
Chu Nanfeng helped his mother take out all the food from her luggage, and then took out the hair accessories and hair ties for his younger sister and handed them to her. Chu's mother frowned when she saw the pile of things he had bought.
She knows her own son well; although he buys things for the family, he's not a thrifty person.
She bought such a complete set of high-quality items this time, yet she claimed it didn't cost much. This is something her son shouldn't have done.
Chu's mother glanced at him several times, seeing him reach out and pull Chu Qing's braids, then snatch away the hair ornament that the little girl had just put on after practicing in front of the mirror for a while.
Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to have a girl he likes. Besides, what girl would worry about him so much after only knowing her for a short time?
Lin You watched with amusement, and only after seeing Chu Nanfeng make the little sister stomp her feet in mockery did she return the hair accessory to her.
The hair ornament was specially chosen by Lin You for the little girl. It was made of pale yellow silk with osmanthus flowers, several small flowers the size of mung beans clustered together on one branch, and a small white pom-pom rabbit next to it.
The entire hair accessory is only an inch in size, uses very little material, and is therefore relatively inexpensive, yet its design is quite unique.
After her younger sister ran away, Chu Nanfeng asked Lin You, "Sister, can I tell my mother and younger sister about what happened to you?"
Chu Nanfeng was also helpless. His mother had been glancing at him several times since she started packing, and she had definitely noticed something.
He also needed to tell his mother and sister about Han Qige's matter so they could be on guard, as all of this was inseparable from Lin You's presence.
"Huh? Wait a moment, I'll check if the system has any confidentiality clauses in this regard."
Lin You opened the system page, searched for several keywords, and studied them carefully for a while before saying, "There are no confidentiality requirements in this regard. You can decide for yourself."
Anyway, no one else can see her. These two are Chu Nanfeng's family members, so whether they say it or not won't affect her.
Chu Nanfeng casually agreed, but her mind was elsewhere. In her place, there were confidentiality clauses. Were there any other restrictions?
The reason why her older sister couldn't tell her directly what Han Qige would do in the future or what dangers her younger sister would encounter was probably because of these regulations.
However, why would she need to look up such crucial information? Shouldn't she have memorized it all?
Making a mental note of this, Chu Nanfeng looked at his mother, who was scrutinizing him again, and said with a smile, "Mother, I also found you a goddaughter while I was away this time."
Lin You was sitting on a bronze mirror to the side, watching Chu Qing try on other hair accessories. Upon hearing this, she swayed and almost fell off the mirror.
She was only called "sister" a few times by Chu Nanfeng, so how did she suddenly get a godmother?! In ancient times, did family members always count towards kinship recognition?
Lin You glanced at Chu Nanfeng, then at Chu Qing. If that counts, Chu Xiaomei is also her younger sister. She suddenly became happy again.
Chu Nanfeng continued, "Your daughter is two years older than me and has always been by my side. The things I brought back were chosen by her; they are all things that are highly praised by the neighbors."
Lin You swung her legs happily. That's right, those were things she had picked out after listening to gossip for a long time. It took her a lot of effort.
Mother Chu nodded thoughtfully, looking at Chu Nanfeng and saying, "It seems you're quite capable, and well-informed as well."
Lin You blinked involuntarily; something about those words sounded rather strange.
"My older sister is amazing. During the exam, someone framed me for cheating, and it was she who discovered it and alerted me. I was almost at the entrance of the examination hall..."
Chu Nanfeng recounted in detail what had happened before the exam. Chu Qing, who had been playing, stopped playing and sat down on the stool next to her mother, looking very serious.
"She is indeed a good child, and kind-hearted. I'll make a place for her later." Upon hearing this, Mother Chu's expression softened.
Lin You was even more confused. What was wrong with tidying up the space? What was wrong with that?
Chu's mother continued, "What's going on with Han Qige? Didn't you two get along quite well before?"
"My sister said that the real Han Qige died a long time ago and was possessed by something that came from nowhere. That thing is not a good one, so we should stay away from it in the future."
Seeing that both Chu's mother and younger sister nodded seriously, Lin You remained silent. "Is this what I told you back then?"
Chu Nanfeng, you're supposed to be a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, isn't there something wrong with your translation skills?
But then Chu Nanfeng continued, "I owe my money for taking the imperial examination to my elder sister. She conjured up a set of excellent painting tools for me, as well as many paintings. I painted four paintings and sent them to the study, where they sold for a total of twenty taels of silver."
Mother Chu frowned slightly and instructed, "We can figure out a way to get the money later. We can't let her waste her energy on this kind of thing and affect her cultivation!"
Conjure it up? Cultivate it? Only a ghost would need to cultivate!
Lin You finally understood something: Chu Nanfeng had introduced her as a spirit medium!
She immediately shouted angrily, "Chu Nanfeng! How many times have I told you! I'm a system! A system! Not a ghost!"
With a smile in his eyes, Chu Nanfeng said to his mother in a very serious tone, "Mother, my sister said she is not a ghost."
Chu's mother glared at her, speaking in a tone that sounded like she was coaxing a child, "Of course, our eldest daughter is definitely not a ghost."
Chu Qing nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, it's the eldest sister."
In their area, there has always been a custom of worshipping household spirits. Some of these spirits are deceased family members, while others are mountain spirits. It is said that there are also many people who can communicate with spirits. What Chu Nanfeng said was quickly accepted by Chu's mother and younger sister.
Lin You slumped helplessly onto the table, looking at Chu's mother's earnest eyes, still unable to understand the thoughts of people from ancient times. How could they really believe it?
Chu Nanfeng was already familiar with her personality. Seeing that she wasn't protesting anymore, he knew she was really angry, so he quickly coaxed her:
"Sister, don't be angry. Although Yue County is not big, our academy is the best among the surrounding counties. There are several study rooms in the city. How about we go shopping later and sell a few of the paintings I have stored?"
Lin You was extremely conflicted. She planned to ignore Chu Nanfeng for three days, but she also wanted to sell her paintings and didn't know how much money she could make.
“The brushes, ink, paper and inkstone used for the painting were all given to me by my elder sister. I only did a little work, but I still have to go to the capital to take the imperial examination, so I’ll shamelessly take half of the money. I’ll save the other half for my elder sister, okay?”
Lin You's lips twitched. What kind of artist calculates revenue sharing like that? Chu Nanfeng was clearly teasing her on purpose. Lin You snorted inwardly but remained silent.
Chu Nanfeng continued, “Not far south of our house, there are a few shops that sell snacks. Because my studies cost money, our family is struggling financially. My little sister always looks longingly when we pass by, but she has never asked me for anything.”
This guy is definitely playing the victim! We absolutely must ignore him!
Lin You turned her head and saw a well-behaved and intelligent little girl next to her. Her dry, yellow hair and thin body clearly indicated that she was malnourished.
The little girl called out "Big Sister" in a clear, sweet voice, which melted Lin You's heart and made her forget why she was angry.
Chu Nanfeng definitely did it on purpose!
"How about you come out with me, sister? I don't understand young girls' thoughts, and she might not like what I buy."
Chu Nanfeng's usually radiant face was now smiling in a way that was exactly like Chu Qing's, appearing exceptionally adorable. Lin You secretly covered her face; how could such a grown man act so cute!
"Chu Zaizai! Humph! I'm leaving." Lin You floated down onto his shoulder and sat down, even tugging at his hair. Of course, Chu Nanfeng wouldn't notice.
While the two were browsing through the bookstore with the painting in hand, the yellow-robed scholar, who had been in a coma for several days, finally opened his eyes in the clinic of Jin County.
Upon seeing the county magistrate and his advisor who had rushed over after hearing the news, the scholar in yellow robes laboriously cupped his hands and said in a hoarse voice, "This student, Shen Tianqi, from Wen'an County, pays his respects to Your Excellency."
"Well then, recount your previous experiences in detail," the magistrate instructed, and the clerk beside him began to take notes.
Shen Tianqi touched his wound and gave a bitter smile. The person who injured him was Shen Tianjie, the blue-robed scholar who had traveled with him at the inn. The two were relatives of the same clan.
The Shen family was a small family in An County. Although they had a large population, they were not wealthy. The family pooled their money to sponsor the education of their gifted children, and he and Shen Tianjie were selected at the same time.
The two passed the imperial examination and became scholars, which made the clan happy. However, the clan's financial support was stretched thin in order to support two scholars to take the provincial examination.
Three years ago, neither of them passed the exam. Before they came this time, the clan chief said that if they failed again, the clan would only support one person in the next provincial exam, and the other would stay and teach at the clan school.
This time, he and Shen Tianjie failed to make the list again, but he made it onto the secondary list, which aroused his jealousy and almost cost him his life.
A note from the author:
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