Chapter 41 Transfer
Meng Guanqi's palms were sweating, and his whole body was sweating.
Li Xiaoxiao looked at him with encouraging eyes.
To everyone's surprise, after holding back for a long time, Meng Guanqi could only manage to say, "You can go down now."
Li Xiaoxiao's face immediately fell.
However, she quickly realized that he probably felt it was inconvenient for him to be present as an outsider and wanted to speak to Magistrate Meng alone, which was understandable.
She quickly took the empty plate, bowed, and left.
Seeing that she had already walked far away, Magistrate Meng clenched his fists, as if he had been trying to muster the courage to say something, but his lips moved but he could not say anything.
Magistrate Meng thought he understood his son's feelings and was too embarrassed to speak to him as his father. He smiled tolerantly and said, "Qi'er, if there's something you can't tell me, you can tell your mother."
Tell your mother? Meng Guanqi was taken aback. How could she tell her mother? Her mother had always stayed in the inner courtyard and had no idea about the intrigues and backstabbing in officialdom. Besides, if she found out about this, what could she do but worry so much that she couldn't eat or sleep?
He couldn't even bring himself to tell his father, so how could he possibly tell his mother such a thing?
He looked up at his father's kind and gentle face, and felt tears welling up in his eyes. The long-dormant affection he felt for his father came over him with an overwhelming force. Li Xiaoxiao's words, "You're still young. Isn't it normal for you to ask your father for help when you have problems?" resonated deeply with him.
Yes, his father is so good to him. Now that he's in trouble, isn't it normal for him to seek his father's help? Why should he risk such a huge problem for his future just because he's too embarrassed to talk about it for a moment?
Magistrate Meng was taken aback. He saw a very aggrieved look in his son's eyes. Had something happened?
Meng Guanqi took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and decided to tell his father everything: "Father, I have something to tell you."
Magistrate Meng straightened his face and adopted a look of being all ears.
Meng Guanqi closed his eyes and recounted the events of the day in his fastest possible voice.
After he finished speaking, the entire study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Meng Guanqi opened his eyes, feeling a huge weight lifted from his heart. Actually, it was easy to say it, not as difficult as he had imagined. Moreover, judging from his father's expression, he was very shocked and angry, his face turning pale with anger.
Magistrate Meng was truly surprised that his son would tell him such a thing, especially since he never expected his son to encounter such a thing at the Zheng residence!
He had taken his son to eat in the front yard of the Zheng residence. He saw his son get drunk and be helped down, but he didn't think to ask Zhao Jian or Asheng to watch over him. Instead, he let the servants of the Zheng family help him down to rest.
This was his fault; a moment of negligence led his son to almost fall into such a dangerous situation.
He dared not imagine what he would do if Meng Guanqi were one of the people rescued from the fire today.
He was trembling with rage and slammed his fist on the table: "You bastard! This is outrageous!"
Meng Guanqi was startled. He never expected that the usually mild-tempered Magistrate Meng would get so angry. He quickly grabbed Magistrate Meng's right hand, turned it over, and saw that the whole hand was red.
Meng Guanqi murmured, "Father..."
Magistrate Meng's face turned ashen with anger. Looking at his son's still-childish face, he felt deep remorse and said in a sorrowful tone, "Qi'er, it's my fault. I didn't protect you well..." He was too arrogant and too kind-hearted, which is why he let his fourteen-year-old son sleep in a place where there was no one of his own, and he even forgot to arrange a servant for him.
If Li Xiaoxiao hadn't overheard the maid's words and saved him... he shuddered, and this family would have been destroyed.
Thinking of this, he slapped himself hard.
Meng Guanqi was shocked and quickly grabbed his hand: "Father! What are you doing?"
Magistrate Meng smiled bitterly, “This slap woke me up. I’ve been stuck in the past and doing nothing, which is why others dared to bully me. I almost couldn’t even protect my own family… Meng Ying, you are unworthy of being a father.”
Meng Guanqi cried out in alarm, "Father, no, I know you've never liked being competitive—"
Magistrate Meng smiled bitterly, "That's why those people don't take me seriously, and it's even dragged you down with them, my son."
A look of guilt crossed his face: "Ever since I received the decree of my demotion, I have been dwelling on the past and unable to accept reality. They dared to target you because your father was too weak, allowing himself to be bullied time and time again without fighting back. Qi'er, I am so glad that you told me what happened today. As your father, if I could turn a blind eye to my son being humiliated like this, I would not deserve to be a human being."
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze now filled with determination: "I will never let those who harmed you get away with it. I will find out who Lu Weifu is and make sure he never has the chance to get close to you again. There is still a year until next year's autumn imperial examination. You must focus all your energy on your studies. Leave everything else to your father. Once you pass the examination and become a scholar, those evil spirits will naturally not dare to approach you."
After all, murdering a scholar is not the same as murdering a candidate for the imperial examination. Before Qi'er passes the imperial examination, he will do everything in his power to ensure his safety.
Meng Guanqi breathed a sigh of relief, once again grateful that he had listened to Li Xiaoxiao's advice and told his father about it. His father not only gave him strength but also became his solid support, making him feel that he was not alone. His father would do his best to support and solve any problems he encountered that he could not solve.
His eyes welled up with tears, and he choked out, "Yes, I will study hard and live up to your expectations, Father."
Magistrate Meng patted him on the shoulder: "Your talent for studying is better than mine. I believe in you, and you will definitely pass the imperial examination next year." A fifteen-year-old scholar who has passed the imperial examination is a rare genius in the entire Great Wu.
Meng Guanqi nodded and clenched his fist.
My father is now weak and alone. If he passes the imperial examination sooner, it will relieve some of his burden and prevent those who look down on our family from bullying us again.
Magistrate Meng was so thirsty from talking that he walked to the table, picked up the teapot, and found it was empty.
He frowned: "Where's Ah Sheng?"
Have the servants become so inconsiderate? The tea is all gone and no one has come to refill it.
Meng Guanqi hurriedly said, "Asheng went to the market to buy things for me. Father must be thirsty. Please wait a moment."
He took a jar of water from beside his desk, poured it into a small red clay pot, and gently blew on the charcoal in the small stove to light it: "It'll boil in a little while."
Magistrate Meng felt uneasy: "Asheng went to buy things, and you even had to boil water yourself? Is our family already that poor? I'll go back and tell your mother to arrange two more servants for you."
Meng Guanqi was about to refuse when he realized that Magistrate Meng only had Steward Zhao, Zhao Jian, and coachman Yu Dayong by his side these days, and he rarely went out, so there was really no need for them. Thinking of this, he seemed to remember something, and his eyes lit up: "Father, I don't want anyone else, but could you talk to Mother and give Li Xiaoxiao to me?"
Magistrate Meng was taken aback. Li Xiaoxiao? But considering that she had saved Meng Guanqi today thanks to her quick thinking, and that it was really necessary for his son to have someone skilled in martial arts to protect him, he hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
When Magistrate Meng returned to his inner courtyard, he mentioned this matter to Lady Liu.
Liu was shocked: "What? Qi'er is going to give Li Xiaoxiao to him? Why?"
Magistrate Meng didn't want Liu to know what Meng Guanqi had experienced today, so he only said, "Qi'er has too few useful people around him. Asheng is only eleven years old, still a child, and can only do what he can. He won't be of any use when something big happens. Li Xiaoxiao is naturally strong, and it's a waste to only use her to fetch water and chop wood in the kitchen. It would be better to put her by Qi'er's side to protect him. I will feel more at ease when Qi'er goes out in the future."
Mrs. Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought Qi'er wanted her because he wanted to take her into his house. I was so scared..."
Magistrate Meng initially had the same idea, but when he thought of Li Xiaoxiao's tomboyish appearance, he thought it was impossible: "Qi'er is still young. The most important thing now is the autumn examination next year, so nothing can distract him this year. As for his taking in the women in the house, Madam, let's put it off for now and talk about it next year."
After thinking about it, Liu felt it made sense. Her son wasn't very old. Although wealthy families in the capital usually prepared a concubine for their sons around the age of thirteen, Meng Guanqi was fourteen this year and would only be fifteen after participating in next year's autumn imperial examination. It wouldn't be too late to prepare one for him then.
We should listen to our husbands and not cause any trouble to distract him this year. Any plans should wait until after he's finished his term.
If he can pass the imperial examination and then take a wife, it would be a double blessing.
Early the next morning, Liu summoned Mama Mao and told her that Li Xiaoxiao was to be assigned to work for the eldest son.
Madam Mao was taken aback and almost went crazy. Li Xiaoxiao had been at the government office for three months, and the kitchen never lacked water or firewood. She was her most satisfied and capable assistant. Although she always liked to scold Li Xiaoxiao by pulling her ear, she liked her very much and even had the idea of passing on all her skills to her. However, she felt that this girl was impulsive and always thinking about going out to play, and she was not steady enough. She also didn't want Li Xiaoxiao to learn her skills in just a few months, fearing that she would become too arrogant. She wanted to temper her temperament a little longer before taking her as an apprentice and passing on all her skills to her.
Who would have thought that the person she had her eye on was also someone Liu Shi had taken a liking to!
Madam Mao didn't want to let her go, so she boldly said, "Madam, Xiaoxiao is very helpful in the kitchen. She can do the work of two people. I'm afraid I won't be able to manage without her."
Liu said, "I know she is very capable, but it was Master who personally asked me for her. He felt that she would be more useful by Qi'er's side. As for the kitchen, you don't need to worry. Steward Zhao will go to the brokerage today to hire someone. I guarantee that the person he hires will be able to help you."
It turned out to be the person the master had asked for! Madam Mao dared not speak, and quietly replied "Yes," before slowly retreating.
Looking at Madam Mao's dejected figure, Granny Qi couldn't help but say, "Madam, Madam Mao originally wanted to temper Li Xiaoxiao's temperament a little more, and then pass on all her culinary skills to her..."
Madam Liu sighed, "How could I not know that Madam Mao likes her very much? It's just that Qi-ge only has A-sheng by his side. He can't stay at home all day like us. To learn to read and write, one must read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. When Master passed the imperial examination, he also spent more than a year traveling around the mountains and rivers to broaden his horizons. How could he manage without someone to protect him? You know our family's situation. Where would we get the extra money to raise someone like Zhao Jian? Master is walking on thin ice as the county magistrate. What can I do to help him? Can I refuse him if he asks me for someone?"
Having said all that, Granny Qi couldn't plead any further. After all, compared to the young master's safety and future, what did Mama Mao's culinary skills amount to?
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