Chapter 111 Chapter 111 So what if I get a little beaten up? ...
The best academy in Pyongyang Prefecture is Changseong Academy, which is also the best academy in the entire Andong County.
As the sons of a marquis, the brothers Nguyen Kim Ho and Nguyen Kim Latt were naturally among those who enrolled in this school.
The two brothers were in the same class. When they were little, they looked exactly alike, and it was hard to tell them apart except for their parents. They often swapped clothes to play pranks on the teacher, but this trick stopped working as they grew up, one becoming more academic and the other more athletic.
Especially now, one brother is fair-skinned and thin, the other dark-skinned and thin; even with his eyes closed, the teacher can tell them apart.
"The saying 'to regulate one's family begins with cultivating one's character' means that people tend to distance themselves from those they love and cherish. ① Ruan Jinle, what comes next?"
Sitting in the corner, Ruan Jinle, who was folding a paper sword with a piece of paper, hunched his neck, tucked the object under the book, and frantically gave his older brother Ruan Jinhe a look. What did the teacher just say?
Ruan Jinhe sighed helplessly and said in a low voice, "People are biased towards those they love and those they despise."
Ruan Jinle realized what was happening and immediately said, "People are biased towards those they love, and biased towards those they despise; they are biased towards those they fear and respect, and... well, towards those they pity..."
His voice trailed off, growing softer and softer, the more guilty he seemed. He shrank back and continued to give his brother meaningful glances.
And then, what was it again?
He remembered that he had memorized it before, but it had been so long that he had forgotten some parts.
While feeling helpless, Ruan Jinhe was also used to it and was about to whisper another reminder.
Confucius said: "Ruan Jinhe, who said that regulating one's family begins with cultivating one's character, used this as a topic to discuss the relationship between Fan Xiu and others in the Central Plains."
Ruan Jinhe: "Fan Xiu of the Central Plains was resourceful and always ready to help those in need. He once persuaded the prefect to convert the granary into a proper one, and later, as a prefectural judge, he changed the route for storing grain, saving countless disaster victims..."
The Master nodded: "And then?"
Ruan Jinhe's mouth was a little dry. He swallowed and whispered, "His own father forcibly abducted a good woman, while his own brother embezzled public funds. Later, he was beheaded by the Grand Secretary in front of the mansion..."
The teacher didn't speak, and Ruan Jinhe didn't stop either. His speech was intermittent, with some stumbles and omissions, but overall it was quite good, considering he was only twelve years old.
In contrast, Ruan Jinle, the younger brother, listened to him recount Fan Xiu's nepotism and beheading deeds, and shrank back, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.
Until he finished speaking
Confucius commented: "The writing is mediocre and shallow. Go outside, clear your head, reorganize it, and submit the text to me tomorrow."
Nguyen Kim Hoa whispered, "Yes."
As he spoke, he carried his books and walked outside. Ruan Jinle stood there, glancing at his brother and then at the teacher, before quickly grabbing his books and running outside as well. The two brothers then stood side by side outside the classroom.
Ruan Jinle scratched his head: "Brother, I'm sorry."
He was always involved whenever his brother was punished.
Ruan Jinhe was already used to it; after all, studying could be done indoors or outdoors. However, the teacher's words just now still served as a wake-up call. He whispered, "As long as I don't end up like Fan Xiu's younger brother, that's fine."
Ruan Jinle rolled her eyes: "Why don't you talk about Dad?"
It's not just the unlucky younger brother.
Ruan Jinhe opened a book, leaned against the wall, and said worriedly, "Speaking of Father, Mother's health isn't good. I wonder if she's feeling any better today. I'm worried about her."
Ruan Jinle scratched his head: "Should I run back and check?"
Nguyen Kim Ho: "Getting a triple beating?"
His mother is gentle, but she's very strict about their studies; otherwise, they wouldn't be at school today.
Helpless, Ruan Jinle squatted down on the ground, looking at the jumping grasshoppers with great envy.
When will he ever be so free, without having to go to class? He's not taking the imperial examinations anyway. Sigh, his mother is the same, and so is his father.
The two brothers stood outside the classroom. Although one was fair-skinned and the other dark-skinned, one short and the other tall, their identical facial features revealed their identities.
Song Jin watched them from afar, squinting her eyes.
The academy naturally wouldn't easily let outsiders in, but those walls weren't much of a barrier; she easily entered and began searching everywhere.
As the sons of a marquis, the two were quite famous in the academy and easy to find.
Song Jin found the classroom with little effort, and then saw them standing outside the door. What do you call that?
Heaven rewards those who persevere.
She rolled up her sleeves and strode over.
Qi Zheng stood behind her, silent, following at a distance that wasn't too close, without any intention of stopping her—he couldn't stop her anyway, so he might as well let her vent her anger first.
She's still young, it's normal for kids to play around, right?
Song Jin, the little boy, strode to the classroom door, squinted, and looked down at Ruan Jin and Ruan Jinle, the two short children, with a clearly hostile air.
Nguyen Kim and Nguyen Kim Lor were stunned by her gaze.
Where did this older sister come from?
So beautiful
She was dressed in luxurious attire, a green-based pink shirt made of fine silk. Although her hair was somewhat disheveled from the previous fight, it couldn't conceal her outstanding beauty; she was radiant, flamboyant, and dazzlingly beautiful.
Ruan Jinle grinned, her words instantly becoming sweet: "Sister, who are you looking for?"
Song Jin exclaimed "Oh!", bent down, and raised her eyebrows to examine the little black monkey: "Oh, what did you call me?"
Ruan Jinle scratched his head, hesitating: "Sister?"
Given Song Jin's figure and demeanor, anyone who sees her would assume she's older, not younger.
Take the Ruan brothers, for example. Although they are twelve years old, they have grown taller recently and are already over 1.7 meters tall. They are still shorter than Song Jin, so she should be the older sister.
Could it be...?
Ruan Jinle hesitated again: "Aunt, Aunt?"
Song Jin chuckled: "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you? Come on, call out to me a few more times."
Even the most naive person would know something was wrong with her appearance.
Ruan Jinle's lips twitched, and he looked at her sullenly, taking a step back without saying a word.
Ruan Jinhe frowned and asked warily, "What is it, young lady?"
The two brothers resembled Ruan Donglin, especially his eyebrows and mouth; they were like miniature replicas of him. They didn't look much like their mother.
That's good. If it really looks like her, she won't have a good chance of making a move.
Looking at Ruan Jinhe's wary expression, Song Jin stroked his chin and asked, "Which of you two is the older brother and which is the younger brother?"
Nguyen Kim Hoa is calm and collected, while Nguyen Kim Latt is lively and outgoing; the two brothers' personalities complement each other.
That old man is quite fertile.
Nguyen Kim Hoa cautiously replied: "I am the older brother."
Song Jin nodded leisurely, "Then you can go first."
As she spoke, she took action.
The fact that the two people were more likable than she had expected wouldn't affect her decision.
Unlike Ruan Jinle's naive and innocent nature, he could tell that Song Jin was no good person, but he didn't expect her to be this ruthless.
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, right inside the academy, this strange woman dared to attack him directly.
"presumptuous"
Ruan Jinhe was being held in mid-air by the collar, his face flushed with anger. He struggled, but it wouldn't be proper for men and women to touch each other. He stubbornly retorted, "Do you know who I am? Stop now, and I'll pretend this never happened."
"hiss"
Before he could even speak, a slap landed on his head, followed by a twisted ear and a kick that sent him crashing into the flowers and grass outside. The pain wasn't the worst part; the humiliation was immense.
No matter how good-tempered and composed Ruan Jin was, he was still a twelve-year-old child, and the son of a marquis. How could he not have a temper? His face turned red with anger, and his gaze towards Song Jin was full of fury.
Seeing her brother being beaten, Ruan Jinle disregarded her looks and, realizing what had happened, angrily threw a punch at Song Jin.
Song Jin didn't even flinch, casually blocking the punch with her hand. Following the fist downwards, she grabbed the wrist and gently squeezed it. Amidst the man's groan, she twisted his ear hard and kicked him away.
Ruan Jinhe's expression changed, and he quickly caught the person, but he didn't use the right amount of force, and the two of them rolled together.
Song Jin watched the two brothers playing Jenga, a smirk playing on their tongues. She then scaled the fence and jumped over it, giving them no chance to react. Grabbing one of them by the hair with each hand, she made them bump into each other and "play" with themselves.
The two brothers bared their teeth, both bewildered and genuinely angry.
Although the two looked thin, it was because they were still growing. They had been practicing martial arts since childhood and were quite strong. They were just initially mindful of the proper distance between men and women and would let her have her way, but she took advantage of that.
The two brothers could no longer "endure." They struggled free from Song Jin's restraints and charged forward without thinking, striking and kicking with considerable skill and maintaining their footing firmly. It was clear they had practiced martial arts extensively.
Unfortunately, it was full of flaws.
In Song Jin's view, the two of them were like chicks that had fallen into the water, their wings outstretched and heads raised, their feathers ruffled everywhere.
She clicked her tongue twice and threw a punch at the two men.
"hiss"
The two brothers gasped, their hands trembling, tears welling in their eyes.
It hurts so much!
Song Jin didn't give them a chance to cry out in pain. With a light touch, she kicked the two brothers twice in the buttocks, sending them rolling on the ground like balls, mouthfuls of mud.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"
Another elbow strike, a heavy pinch, a hard squeeze.
Song Jin came here just to vent her anger; she didn't do anything, she just wanted to torment people.
She knew she was going to suffer serious injuries, and being bruised and battered was to be expected.
...
The commotion outside was quite loud, and the teacher and other students inside quickly ran out.
Song Jin's female identity proved particularly useful at this moment. Adhering to the principle of men and women not touching each other, no one stepped forward to stop her. Moreover, she remained calm and composed throughout, beating up the two people as if teasing a dog.
She was too calm and too open, and the two brothers didn't say anything either.
No one stepped forward to stop them.
She vented her anger completely, without breaking a sweat, then swaggered out of the academy with a flick of her sleeve.
Looking at the two brothers lying on the ground with bruises and swelling, the teacher frowned and asked, "Are these your newly recruited martial arts instructors?"
Marquis Andong was known for his unconventional and unpretentious ways of doing things, so it's not impossible that he would come up with such an unconventional idea.
Ruan Jinle, clutching his arm and closing one eye, bared his teeth and shouted, "What new martial arts master? Who is this crazy woman? I've never seen her before!"
Ruan Jinhe was in slightly better condition, but he was also covered in injuries, and even the slightest movement required him to gasp for breath. He frowned, looking equally bewildered, and asked, "Who is that?"
If the two brothers were a couple years older, people might be able to think of other possibilities, but they're still young, just starting to grow, like little chicks. With Song Jin's bright and flamboyant appearance, it's impossible to think of anything inappropriate.
So, what exactly happened?
No one present could figure it out.
The two looked so miserable that they couldn't attend class and had to go back to find a doctor to treat them.
Ruan Jin and Ruan Jinle happily withdrew from their positions early. Supporting each other, they limped out of the academy. The guards waiting outside, seeing the brothers' bruised and swollen faces, felt as if the sky were falling.
Oh no, did those two young masters burn down the academy and get beaten up like that?
"What's wrong with the eldest and second young masters?"
"What trouble have you guys gotten into?"
"Oh no, the Marquis is in a bad mood today; I'm going to get a beating when I get back."
...
The guards swarmed around them, chattering amongst themselves, their conversation revealing nothing of their injuries.
There was nothing they could do. Back home, they were often beaten like this by Ruan Donglin and the martial arts instructor. As long as they weren't seriously injured, it was a minor problem.
Ruan Jinle said aggrievedly, "No, I didn't burn down the school or smash the teacher's statue. We were attacked by a crazy woman."
The guards didn't quite believe him.
This is Changsheng Academy! Someone actually went inside and beat someone up? And one against two, two young masters from noble families at that?
What deep-seated hatred could cause this?
Still a woman
Ruan Jinle's personal servant trembled and said, "Second Young Master, you...you guys...you wouldn't be secretly bullying the young lady behind our backs, would you?"
They couldn't think of anything else besides this hatred.
But if that were the case, they'd be doomed.
Ruan Jinle was so angry that he spat blood on the ground, his hair almost flying up, and roared, "What did you say? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Someone nearby looked over.
Ruan Jinhe tugged at him, frowning, "Alright, let's talk about it when we get back."
As the son of a marquis, he possessed his own pride. Before the beating, his rationality was gradually replaced by anger, and he only wanted revenge. Now that the beating was over, his rationality was slowly returning.
Thinking about his mother's strange reaction yesterday, he had some ideas in his mind.
Compared to Ruan Jinle, who only gained strength but not brains, Ruan Jinhe knew a little more. He knew they had an older sister, and they had lived together for a while when they were young, but in the end, she was a fraudster and was arrested.
The real person is still out there and hasn't been found yet.
The only one who could make his mother so preoccupied and absent-minded was probably her.
but
Nguyen Kim Hoh clutched his ribs, praying silently that it wasn't...
Otherwise, he felt that such days would inevitably continue in the future.
...
The two brothers first went to a nearby clinic for bandaging and medicine. After some acupuncture and massage, they boarded a carriage and returned to the Marquis's residence.
This time is about the same as their usual school dismissal time.
Ruan Donglin and Tai Qingxin have already returned home. Naturally, they want to spend more time with Niu Tielan, and some even invited him home directly.
However, the scene of the family reunion was rather unpleasant.
Ruan Donglin acted like a mad dog, provoking, fighting, and cursing, and then cried and wailed for a long time. Feeling utterly humiliated and wanting to disappear into a hole, he decided to go home first to calm himself down after the brief family reunion.
He's over fifty years old; he still needs to save face.
Secondly, I need to rest at home too.
Their precious daughter is home, the house has to be spotless!
Upon their return, the two summoned the stewards and servants of the manor to conduct a thorough cleaning of the Marquis's residence, especially the courtyard that had always been kept clean; it had to be cleaned inside and out, leaving not a speck of dirt behind.
Specifically referring to Nguyen Kim Latt's doghouse, it should be thrown away, replaced, and washed.
The maids and servants in the Marquis's mansion were busy.
When the carriage returned to the manor, Nguyen Kim Latt lifted the curtain and saw his beloved long staff and a jumble of clothes and belongings thrown onto the oxcart, about to be dragged out and thrown away.
"My precious staff, what's wrong with you? What are you trying to do?"
His legs buckled as he disembarked, and he tumbled off the carriage. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled over to his two-meter-long, patina-covered staff. He groaned twice, then looked closer: "My greatsword, my horse, my shield, my armor... Was the Marquis's mansion raided? How come all my treasures are here?"
Ruan Jinhe limped after him, looking at the pile of patina-covered, chipped, and burr-covered junk. He thought to himself that it was hard to say whether their house would be ransacked or not, but his brother's little house had certainly been.
Although they were sons of a noble family and never lacked food or drink growing up, the younger brother was sentimental and loved collecting things. He couldn't bear to throw away any junk or broken items, and they would pile them up year after year.
Tai Qingxin tried to cleanse him every year, but she couldn't stop his crying.
This time they went to such lengths.
Ruan Jinhe felt heavy-hearted; he knew that the beating he had taken today had been for nothing.
Ruan Jinle's howling quickly attracted the attention of Tai Qingxin and Ruan Donglin. The couple walked towards the backyard, and seeing the dog lying on the ground, they felt a pang of pain in their eyes.
Get a little closer
Tai Qingxin's expression changed. She rushed over, touched Ruan Jinhe's face, and asked with concern, "What happened? Did the carriage overturn?"
Ruan Jinhe forced a smile: "I'm fine, Mother, don't worry."
Seeing his mother's worried expression, he felt it was best not to say anything, lest he put his parents in a difficult position. After all, the man hadn't really hurt him; he was just venting his anger.
He was sensible and generous, but Ruan Jinle rolled over like a dog, ripped off his clothes, and howled, "Mom, your youngest son was almost beaten to death today! Look, ouch, it hurts so much! I think my bones are broken..."
Considering how miserable he is, please spare his baby.
Their house is so big, can't they even fit his little bit of stuff?
As he was thinking this, several familiar large boxes were carried out by servants on the other side. Ruan Jinle's vision went black, and he immediately started throwing a tantrum on the ground.
"Mother, it hurts so much, it breaks my heart."
Tai Qingxin could tell he was faking it; he'd always done this since they were children. But he was her precious child, and even knowing he was faking it, she still felt a pang of heartache and reluctance. Touching his noticeably bruised and blackened lip, she snapped, "Who, who bullied my son? I'll have your father teach them a lesson!"
Ruan Jinle rambled on: "A crazy old woman, half a head taller than Mother, she's pretty, but she's really crazy. She started beating us as soon as she arrived. Oh, right, she said her name is Song Jin. Mother, is there such a person in our Pingyang Prefecture? Could she be a mistress that Father has been messing around with outside?"
Tai Qingxin swallowed back her words of reprimand, and slapped him instead, scolding, "I see you acting crazy all day long. You have no manners as an elder. How can you talk like that? Get up right now, you're filthy. We just cleaned the house, and you've made it even dirtier."
Ruan Donglin, his face dark, came over and kicked him: "Get up, or I'll send all your junk to live at the villa. So what if you got a beating? You can't even beat a junior, and you still have the nerve to complain? You coward."
"Young lady," he said. "If you say another word, he'll kick his bird out."
idiot
Nguyen Kim Lor: ...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
