Chapter 129 Brothers (Second Update)
"Auntie! My dear daughter! I'm here! I've missed you both so much!"
Feng Lin shouted as he ran into the yard.
While Xiao Liulang was correcting Xiao Jingkong's homework in the study, his hand trembled, and with a "plop," he drew a long ink mark on Xiao Jingkong's homework.
The weather was fine today, and the old lady was leisurely sunbathing in a wicker chair in the backyard, occasionally grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds and cracking them open.
Gu Jiao was cooking in the kitchen.
Xiao Liulang waited in the study, but Feng Lin did not come to find him for a long time.
That silly boy who used to chase after him... he's finally lost him!
After greeting the old lady, Feng Lin went to the kitchen to find Gu Jiao and told her about his journey. He had traveled by water back to Song County, where he met his elderly parents, his married sister, and his soon-to-be-married sister.
To support his education, one of the sisters married a widower as his second wife, while the other was betrothed to a tea merchant who was over fifty years old.
Feng Lin, who was already married, had no choice. Besides, the widower treated his sister well. His sister was pregnant with his child, and the couple lived a good life, taking good care of their parents.
"I've called off my sister's engagement!"
Feng Lin muttered.
"Oh?" Gu Jiao opened the pot lid and added a ladle of water.
Feng Lin skillfully added a handful of firewood to the stove.
Watching this scene from outside the door, Xiao Liulang's temples throbbed. "Kid, your technique for starting a fire for Jiaojiao is even more skillful than mine!"
“That tea merchant is no good! He’s so old, and his son is even older than me! Besides, he has a terrible reputation. I heard he beats his wife. I don’t want my sister to suffer after marrying him, so I’m returning the bride price to him and calling off the engagement.”
If it were the old Feng Lin, this marriage would definitely not have been called off. The tea merchant was in cahoots with the local government, so who could offend him?
But Feng Lin passed the imperial examination.
He had already passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Not only that, he had also been granted a place at the Imperial Academy to study in the capital.
Feng Lin said to the tea merchant, "You broke off the engagement today, so I, Feng Lin, owe you a favor. Otherwise, when I, Feng Lin, become successful in the future, the first person I'll deal with will be you!"
The tea merchant was frightened by Feng Lin's words and, after much deliberation, finally called off the marriage proposal.
"Strictly speaking, I have to thank Liu Lang. Without him, I probably wouldn't have passed the exam." Feng Lin knew his own limitations. Like Lin Chengye, he wasn't a gifted student. His grades were all the result of hard work. Diligence was one aspect, but a good teacher was also very important.
Feng Lin listened in on a lot of Xiao Liulang's tutoring sessions for Lin Chengye and benefited greatly from them.
"There's still a spot at the Imperial Academy. I really didn't expect Liu Lang to give it to me. Isn't he afraid he won't be able to pass the provincial examination? That's such a risk..."
Feng Lin was unaware that the truth about the quota was that Steward Liu had interfered and made things worse. He thought that Xiao Liulang had directly told the county magistrate to give up the quota.
Xiao Liulang wanted to give it up, but his current status wasn't enough to bribe the county magistrate to do it. It was thanks to Steward Liu's help that he got things done.
Xiao Liulang stood outside the door, his eyes blazing with daggers!
You should be thanking me, but have you extended your gratitude to my wife?
Feng Lin was talking non-stop when he suddenly felt a chill down his back. He didn't know what was wrong with him!
Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Yan went out.
Xiao Jingkong looked at the hands of the sundial in the courtyard. Usually, the two of them would only go out for half an hour (as stipulated by Xiao Jingkong), but today they went over by a quarter of an hour.
Xiao Jingkong's obsessive-compulsive disorder has flared up again!
He frowned seriously.
Playing for so long, and you have absolutely no sense of time!
Xiao Jingkong decided to go and find his two playful older brothers.
He knew where they had gone; it was an orchard near the market. Entry was free, but if they wanted to pick fruit from his orchard, they would have to buy it by weight. His orchard's fruit was fresh and inexpensive.
The pomelos were pretty good the other day; they must have gone to pick pomelos again.
Xiao Jingkong went to the pomelo trees in the orchard and, as expected, saw Gu Yan sitting on a high branch, clinging tightly to the trunk.
But Gu Xiaoshun was nowhere to be seen.
Little Jingkong raised his head and looked at Gu Yan on the tree branch: "Brother Yan, why did you climb up the tree?"
Gu Yan said in a chilling tone, "Because I'm more capable?"
Xiao Jingkong currently lacks the ability to distinguish between sarcasm and irony; he understands dialogues literally.
“But you’re clearly not that great,” he said seriously.
Gu Yan: "..."
"Where is Brother Xiaoshun?" Xiao Jingkong asked again.
"He couldn't climb up, so he went to get a ladder!" Gu Yan would never admit that he couldn't get down himself, so Gu Xiaoshun went to get a ladder and rope to help him down.
Xiao Jingkong said, "It's getting late, you should go home. Come down!"
Gu Yan said, "I'm not coming down!"
Xiao Jingkong, hands on hips, said, "Why aren't you coming down? You've already exceeded your playtime for today! I'm going to deduct your playtime for tomorrow!"
Gu Yan stuck her tongue out at Xiao Jingkong: "Fine, I won't come down! If you're so capable, come and grab me!"
Little Jingkong really couldn't understand Gu Yan's naughty behavior. He was only three years old, but he had already stopped climbing trees and wouldn't make faces at people. He was a mature child, while Gu Yan was still a baby!
"You're not afraid to come down, are you?" Xiao Jingkong boldly guessed.
"No, no, I didn't!" Gu Yan firmly denied!
According to Xiao Jingkong's close observation, whenever Brother Yan lies, he looks around and stares at the sky, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
He fit all three of these criteria!
"You just don't dare to come down!"
"I didn't! You're just too scared to come up!"
Why did I come up here?
"..."
Gu Yan was quite speechless.
Xiao Shun went to look for a ladder, but no one knows where he found it.
Gu Yan was almost out of strength. He felt he couldn't hold on any longer, and if Gu Xiaoshun didn't come soon, he was afraid he would fall down.
Just as the atmosphere became awkward and tense, Gu Changqing, who was passing by, heard Xiao Jingkong's voice.
It wasn't that he deliberately went this way, but this was the only way from the military camp to the Marquis of Ding'an's residence. Otherwise, he wouldn't have run into Xiao Jingkong last time.
He heard that Xiao Jingkong's voice sounded anxious, as if he was arguing with someone. He paused for a moment, then spurred his horse over.
"What are you doing?" His horse stopped behind Xiao Jingkong.
Little Jingkong looked up, his big, dark eyes lighting up: "Big brother, it's you! We meet again!"
"Hmm." Gu Changqing nodded lightly. "Were you arguing with someone?"
Xiao Jingkong sighed, "No, it's just my older brother who climbed up a tree and can't get down. I'm so worried!"
This is exactly like saying, "It's because of my naughty child who climbed up the tree and can't get down, it's driving me crazy!"
At the age of three, yet with the mindset of a thirty-year-old, Gu Changqing felt his eyelids twitch.
He looked up at Gu Yan in the tree, and without saying a word, he leaped up and pulled Gu Yan down.
Gu Yan was already exhausted, so she was easy to lift. Moreover, Gu Yan was very light, and Gu Changqing could hardly feel the weight of the person in his hands.
Gu Yan was dizzy and confused, not understanding what had happened. By the time he came to his senses, he was already on the ground.
"Huh?" He blinked strangely, looking at the tall and imposing man in front of him, momentarily stunned. "Who...who are you?"
Xiao Jingkong explained, "He's like an older brother! He saved me last time and even gave me a bird!"
"Oh." That fierce-looking eaglet was a gift from this big guy!
"Brother Yan, what happened to your face?" Xiao Jingkong asked.
"What?" Gu Yan subconsciously touched his face, and upon touching it, he felt that something was wrong.
Xiao Jingkong took a small peach wood and bronze mirror out of his pocket and placed it in front of Gu Yan: "Look for yourself!"
Gu Yan looked at her face in the mirror, which was covered in rashes and was swollen and red, and was so frightened that she almost fainted!
"What happened to my face?!"
He's going to die! He's going to die! His stunning good looks are gone!
"It might have been bitten by bugs in the tree. We need to see a doctor right away," Gu Changqing said, then, remembering that the little girl was the doctor, he added, "Let's go back quickly."
Gu Yan looked down at her swollen ankle: "My...my foot!"
Gu Changqing paused for a moment, then said, "I'll take you back."
"Huh?" Gu Yan was taken aback.
Xiao Jingkong nodded and said, "Thank you very much, big brother! You take Brother Yan back first, I'll wait here for Brother Xiaoshun! So that I won't be unable to find him when I come back!"
Gu Changqing looked at Xiao Jingkong and asked, "Can you manage by yourself?"
Little Jingkong patted his chest and said, "I can do it! I know this place very well! I won't get lost!"
"Alright." Gu Changqing mounted his horse and extended his hand to Gu Yan.
Gu Yan stood there, stunned, without moving.
Gu Changqing simply grabbed Gu Yan and placed him directly on the saddle, sitting in front of him. Then he tightened his grip on the reins, encircling Gu Yan in his arms.
Gu Yan had never been this close to anyone since he could remember, except for Gu Jiao.
But Gu Jiao is his older sister; they are twins, a boy and a girl, and they were together before they were even born.
Gu Yan felt uneasy and wanted to go down, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words of rebuke.
He couldn't tell whether he was intimidated by the other person's aura or whether the condition of his feet and face had genuinely terrified him.
Gu Yan sat obediently on the saddle like a little quail, trying to distance herself from Gu Changqing. But the saddle was only so big, and Gu Yan's back would bump into Gu Changqing's chest from time to time.
Gu Yan gasped in pain and groaned softly, "Is it made of iron? It's so hard!"
The journey wasn't long, and they soon arrived at their home. Gu Changqing dismounted first, then looked at Gu Yan, who had a resentful expression, and asked, "Can you get off?"
Gu Yan covered his pig-like face with his sleeve.
So ugly, it's embarrassing!
“Turn around, I’ll get down myself!” he said.
Gu Changqing didn't move, just stared coldly at Gu Yan.
Gu Yan bristled at the stare and poked half her head out from behind her sleeve: "I told you to turn around!"
Gu Changqing immediately reached out and picked the person up.
That silly kid managed to get down by writing his name backwards!
Gu Yan roared inwardly: Ah! Even my own brother has never hugged me like this! Put me down!
Gu Changqing carried the person into the courtyard and placed them on a rattan chair.
Gu Yan was so angry that smoke was practically billowing from his head.
In the past, he would have looked good no matter how angry he was, but today his face was swollen like a pig's head, and now that it was steaming, it looked like a boiled little pig's head.
It even comes with a deadly stare!
Even the usually serious Gu Changqing couldn't help but laugh.
Gu Yan couldn't beat him or swear at him, but his eyes were piercingly sharp!
Gu Changqing suddenly narrowed his eyes, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, flicked Gu Yan's forehead with his finger.
Gu Yan was like a baby who couldn't sit still, and was bounced down!
Gu Baobao was stunned!
Gu Changqing burst out laughing this time.
If the soldiers in the barracks saw this scene, they would probably be terrified. Gu Changqing, who was known as the Iron-Faced Yama, would actually tease a child? And even make himself laugh?
There's a saying circulating in the military camp: "When Yama smiles, the King of Hell's palace opens."
Gu Changqing only smiles when he kills people, and everyone who has seen him smile is dead.
Gu Yan grumbled and turned her back, giving Gu Changqing a big slap on the butt!
Gu Changqing went to the orchard and saw Xiao Jingkong with another boy who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. That boy must be the Xiao Shun brother he had mentioned.
Gu Changqing did not appear; instead, he rode his horse to the military camp.
Before they knew it, the day of the Imperial College examination arrived.
The elementary school exams were moved up to the 25th for various reasons.
There were two exams: one on arithmetic and the other on filling in poems. They sounded simple, but the questions were actually quite difficult and there were a huge number of questions.
Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao escorted Xiao Jingkong to the examination hall.
"Don't be nervous," Xiao Liulang said to the little guy.
Little Jingkong raised his chin and said, "I'm not you, so I won't be nervous!"
Gu Jiao squatted down and checked his little book bag again: "Just like when you do your homework at home, pay attention to writing neatly, and don't rush."
The reason for emphasizing this is that Xiao Jingkong's only drawback is that he writes too slowly, and Gu Jiao is worried that he will get anxious if the amount of questions increases.
Little Jingkong patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Jiaojiao! I can write very fast and very well now!"
Looking at his smug little face, Xiao Liulang chuckled and said, "So impressive, what rank are you aiming for?"
Xiao Jingkong said solemnly, "I will definitely get first place!"
Most of the children who came to take the exam were between six and eight years old, with Xiao Jingkong being the youngest. If it weren't for the exam fee being as high as one tael of silver, Gu Jiao suspected that they would never have allowed such a young child to take the exam.
Xiao Jingkong, holding the examination certificate, found his place.
He was indeed the youngest candidate, but he was also the most calm and composed.
The exams for elementary school students were not held in individual examination booths, but rather dozens of children sat in a large classroom with ample space between them.
As soon as the bell rang, the invigilators in each examination room began distributing the exam papers.
He filled in the blank spaces on the first few pages without any trouble, but he was dumbfounded when he got to the last three pages.
What are these strange and bizarre scribbles?
They are a folk song from Qi, two five-character eight-rhyme poems from Chen, and three seven-character quatrains from Zhao, all of which are set in the languages of their respective states.
When Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang, who were outside the examination hall, heard that this year's exam actually included three languages, they couldn't help but feel a little guilty!
Oh no, I forgot to teach Xiao Jingkong foreign languages!
(End of this chapter)
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