Across the crowd, Lin Mo looked at Wang Xiucai from afar. The other party seemed to feel his gaze and raised his eyes to give him a kind smile.
This scholar had delicate features and a gentle face, and he exuded a scholarly air that was not found in others.
Although he was surrounded by people, he still had a warm smile on his face, spoke slowly and leisurely, and his every move was full of grace.
Surrounded by this group of country farmers, he stands out even more, like a dragon among men, a crane among chickens.
As he spoke in a rhythmic manner, the villagers couldn't help but feel fascinated and their faces were full of admiration.
"This is the first time I've met a scholar. He's really different from the rest of us digging for food in the dirt. The way he speaks, the way he waves his fan, is so charming."
Lin Wu, who had squeezed through the crowd at some point, was speaking admiringly.
The swaying bonfire and the gradually darkening sky could not block the dazzling light of Mr. Wang.
His eyes were full of envy, and he even planned to squeeze into the crowd and try to say a word or two to Mr. Wang.
Lin Mo grabbed him by the back of the neck and said, "It's crowded, don't join in the fun. I spent a long time trying to squeeze out, and I don't know who stepped on me several times. You just changed into new shoes, are you willing to let others step on them?"
"No way! I can't even bear to wear these shoes, so how can I bear to have people step on them?"
Lin Wuguo then huddled up his feet. His old clothes and straw sandals were either patched or worn out. The better ones were used by Lin Mo to cover the bean sprouts with rags.
The whole family has been wearing new clothes and shoes these days, so they take extra care of them.
Especially Lin Wu, he was afraid of getting his shoes dirty when walking on the road.
It had rained before and the road was full of mud and puddles. This guy was reluctant to wear his new cloth shoes, so he insisted on weaving a pair of straw sandals to wear instead.
He pursed his lips, his thick black brows particularly obvious in the night. After pondering for a long time, he added: "There are not many stones in the open space of the threshing ground, so I can just go barefoot. It's not easy to see Scholar Wang. Our village may not have a scholar for several years. It would be a pity not to say a few words."
After saying that, Lin Wu quickly took off his shoes and socks. To prevent the soles of his shoes from dirtying his clothes, he placed the two soles facing each other, then carefully put them in his arms and squeezed into the crowd barefoot.
Lin Mo: “…”
This was comparable to the star-chasing teenagers he had seen in his previous life.
"Take it easy on yourself. Mu Mu and I are going home first. We'll discuss the village affairs after we get home."
Lin Mo was too lazy to care about Lin Wu anymore. After giving a few instructions, he prepared to take Su Mu away.
When he turned around, he found that Su Mu was looking in the direction of Wang Xiucai, and his eyes reflected in the firelight were flashing with the same envy as Lin Wu's.
He couldn't help but ask, "Little Wood, do you also want to be a scholar?"
Su Mu was startled and shook his head hurriedly: "My status is too low to take part in the imperial examination.
My family wouldn't let a farm boy like me go to school.
Only the sons of wealthy families have the opportunity to learn to read and write."
The rules of this world are such that if a man or a woman cannot pass the imperial examinations, then no matter how much she studies or how talented she is, she will never be able to serve in the government.
People here regard studying as the only way out. Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, scholars are ranked first.
Lin Mo was also very clear about these things. The simplest thing was that his current conditions were definitely better than Wang Laoer's.
But it was precisely because the Wang family had a scholar that he could go anywhere on the business road.
In the eyes of the public, they are always merchants who are not worthy of being on the stage. After all, scholars are at the top and merchants are at the bottom.
If Mr. Wang really passed the imperial examination in the future, he might even be awarded an official position.
That means if one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit. By then, the Wang family will probably be able to rule the entire area.
Lin Mo smiled and said, "Then why have you been staring at Mr. Wang? Do you think he is prettier than me?
If you do this, my husband will be sad. If you like reading, after the shop opens, I will find a teacher to teach me how to read and write."
Su Mu's eyes widened in shock, and his lashes trembled with shame. He could tell Lin Mo was teasing him, and said shyly, "No, you... you are more handsome than Mr. Wang. I... Lin Mo, you are the most handsome man I have ever seen."
Lin Mo's face flushed when he met Su Mu's serious eyes. He was used to being thick-skinned.
But after being praised so directly by his beloved, his old heart couldn't help but beat violently.
As the night deepened, Su Mu did not notice the blush on Lin Mo's face, but just looked at Wang Xiucai again.
He said slowly, "I'm just curious about what scholars are like. I heard that those who can pass the examination to become a scholar are all extremely smart people who are one in a million.
But for me, whether Mr. Wang passed the imperial examination to become a scholar, a juren, or even became a high-ranking official in the future, it had nothing to do with me.
Looking at him, I didn’t have many thoughts, except for you.”
Lin Mo was puzzled. "I'm right next to you. Why do you have to look at Wang Xiucai and miss me? He and I look alike."
Su Mu shook his head and continued, "It's not that they look alike, it's that they feel alike, whether it's you or Mr. Wang, for me.
It’s like the bright white moon in the sky, shining brightly, yet so far away.
And I am nothing but a speck of dust struggling in the mud."
As he spoke, Su Mu suddenly grinned, revealing a row of beautiful and neat white teeth.
He said solemnly, "Although I don't know why you chose me, I will cherish you. Lin Mo, this... is for you."
Before Lin Mo could recover from that dazzling and charming smile, a palm-sized bamboo animal was stuffed into his hand.
He held it up to where the firelight could clearly illuminate it, and a lifelike little brain tiger lay on his palm.
The little tiger is not big in size, and the bamboo strips used have been polished to be fine and smooth. The interweaving and weaving make the little tiger look lively and vivid.
The small, round body and short, fat, cute limbs exude a sense of naiveté.
The meticulously carved eyes are vividly depicted on the bamboo surface.
Just looking at the head, it has some of the tiger's majesty and majesty, but when you look at the whole thing, it looks even more stupid and foolish.
Just one glance and Lin Mo was so adorable that he couldn't let go.
Su Muyan looked at Lin Mo with a coquettish look, and her eyes were filled with embarrassment as she looked at him cautiously. Her voice was even more nervous as she said, "You gave me a gift before, and I didn't know what to give you. I don't have any money, and I don't know how to embroider a handkerchief purse. After thinking about it, I decided to make a little animal for you. Do you like it?"
Su Mu looked up expectantly, his eyes falling on Lin Mo.
His hands were clenched together nervously, like a primary school student waiting to be judged by his teacher, and even his breathing stopped.
There were thick dark shadows under Lin Mo's long eyelashes, and there was intense joy in his eyes.
He said excitedly, "I love this gift so much, Mumu. You made it so beautifully. This little tiger looks just like a real one. Have you ever seen a tiger? How did you make it look so real?"
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