Shulan excitedly said, "Our Young Master Xiaobei’s luck is truly incomparable to ordinary people. When he first passed the child scholar exam, it was just right. When he took the scholar exam, it was also just right. This time, he passed the scholar exam again! This shows that our Young Master Xiaobei is a lucky person. Being a 16-year-old scholar, what a great honor!"
Xin He smiled and patted Xiaobei’s shoulder, "That’s right, it’s our Xiaobei’s luck. I just hope that you will have good luck all your life, so I won’t have to worry about you anymore."
Xiaobei, praised to the point of embarrassment, laughed, "Don’t say I’m the first person in Yu State. My brother-in-law passed the scholar exam when he was only fourteen, and I heard he was even the Jieyuan. How can I compare to my brother-in-law?"
Xin He snorted lightly, "Your brother-in-law wasn’t from Yu State back then, so it doesn’t count! Our Xiaobei is the most amazing."
Xin He laughed, showing her protective nature.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked, "Where’s Little Firewood?"
Actually, Xin He had already guessed the answer in her heart, but she couldn’t help wanting to ask.
Xiaobei’s smile faded when he heard the question, and with a tinge of regret, he said, "He didn’t pass."
Xin He’s expression changed slightly, and she shook her head helplessly, "I see."
Xiaobei looked at her in surprise, "Sister, how can you be so calm?"
"Hmm, I guessed." Xin He sighed lightly, "That child is really troublesome. Where is he now?"
Xiaobei whispered, "Little Firewood said he was afraid that sister would feel uncomfortable seeing him, so he didn’t come."
Xin He laughed sarcastically, "He knows I’m uncomfortable? If he knew, he wouldn’t be so clueless all the time."
Xiaobei sighed softly, "Well, I don’t know what happened. I passed, but Little Firewood didn’t. He shouldn’t be worse than me."
These years, even if Little Firewood had been neglecting his studies, his intelligence was undeniable. Even if he studied hastily, he was still better than Xiaobei.
Over the years, whether they were taking child scholar exams or scholar exams, they took them together. Although they both passed each time, Little Firewood’s results were consistently disappointing, completely failing to meet his teacher’s expectations. Throughout these years, their teacher had also been very disappointed with Little Firewood.
Xiaobei said, "Perhaps Little Firewood always has a problem with performing under pressure during exams since he tends to score worse than expected."
Xin He shook her head. If it were someone else who couldn’t perform well under exam pressure, she might believe it, but this person was Little Firewood. How could she believe it?
Didn’t she know how steady Little Firewood was?
Over the years, this child had been helping her with various tasks, demonstrating his ability to manage things independently. There wasn’t a single thing he had messed up. No matter how critical the situation, he could always handle it calmly. How could a mere exam make him consistently fail?
Xin He believed in his first failure because of nervousness, but if she continued to believe it after the second and third time, she would be a fool.
The only possibility was that Little Firewood didn’t want to do well.
Xin He helplessly said, "I don’t know what this child is thinking. Never mind, let him do what he wants. I can’t force him to take the exam."
If he was determined to have no ambition, what could Xin He do other than support him? After all, she had been treating him like her own younger brother. Now that he was so grown up, she couldn’t discipline him with beatings or scoldings. She could only let him be and wait for the day when he gained clarity. If he never gained clarity, Xin He didn’t expect him to necessarily become successful. A peaceful life would be enough.
——
By the lake in the outer courtyard, Little Firewood casually sat on the lakeshore with one leg hanging over the water. He grabbed a stone and threw it onto the lake’s surface, making it skip five times before sinking.
"Amazing!" Ah Guai, who had been placed on a clean, large rock by the lake, clapped excitedly at Little Firewood’s feat, "I want to watch more!"
Little Firewood glanced at her, suddenly feeling envious of the carefree girl, "You can only watch one more time, and then you have to go back."
Ah Guai’s originally excited face suddenly fell, and she frowned, "Then I won’t watch anymore. Ah Guai will stay with Uncle Xiaonan."
"You don’t need to accompany me," Little Firewood said indifferently.
Ever since they returned to the mansion, this girl had been following him around, fearing to lose him.
Nevertheless, Ah Guai’s face turned serious, "If I don’t follow, I’m afraid you’ll do something foolish. Uncle Xiaonan, tell me honestly, are you sitting by this pond planning to seek death?"
Little Firewood looked at the pond, which was less than half a person’s height, and said calmly, "No."
It was a good thing Little Firewood was prepared. if it were Xiaobei, he would have been so shocked by Ah Guai’s alarming words that he would have fallen into the pond!
Ah Guai said solemnly, "Don’t lie to me. I’ve read stories where scholars who failed the exam become disheartened and seek death, either by jumping off a cliff or into a lake."
"And then they were saved by a beauty?" Little Firewood said calmly.
Ah Guai blinked, "How did you know?"
Little Firewood glared at her, "Don’t read those messy storybooks with your uncle in the future."
Ah Guai innocently said, "I didn’t read them with my uncle; I read the ones my mother had read."
Little Firewood: "..."
"In any case, I can’t trust you to be alone here doing something foolish!"
"I’m not sad," Little Firewood stared at the lake, his voice very light, and his face, as always, expressionless.
But Ah Guai said, "No, Uncle Xiaonan is clearly very sad."
Little Firewood raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise, "How can you tell?"
Ah Guai pointed at his eyes, "I think, in these eyes, is a great sadness."
Little Firewood touched his own eyes. For so many years, he thought he had hidden his emotions well. Whether it was sorrow, happiness, or excitement, he never let it show, but now a little girl had seen through his emotions.
Perhaps those with pure hearts can see more clearly.
At that moment, Song Xi emerged from a small path, laughing, "Uncle Xiaonan is indeed sad, but not because he failed the exam. He won’t seek death; don’t worry."
Ah Guai cheerfully said, "Brother Song Xi!"
Song Xi ruffled her little head, "Aren’t you going back? Your mother is about to send people everywhere to look for you. You’re such an unreliable little girl."
Ah Guai mumbled, "But I’m worried about Uncle Xiaonan."
Song Xi laughed, "He won’t jump into the lake, don’t worry. He can’t bear to die."
As he spoke, he teasingly looked at Little Firewood.
"Really?" Ah Guai blinked and asked blankly.
Little Firewood said lightly, "How did you get here?"
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