Chapter 6, Section 6: Bad Friends
"Candied hawthorns! Candied hawthorns for sale!"
"Tangyuan, freshly cooked tangyuan, sweet tangyuan"
"Buy a needle, thread, or scrap of fabric and give it a try."
...
Song Jin led Xiao Hei down the street, surrounded by the shouts of various peddlers and the occasional laughter of young women. The lively and joyful atmosphere made her unconsciously think of the new dynasty she was dressed in.
At the end of the previous dynasty, the court was corrupt, and the emperor was even more absurd and depraved, forcibly taking wives of his officials, recruiting concubines everywhere, and dragging out and beheading anyone he disliked. Over time, disasters occurred frequently, the people suffered, and they rose up in rebellion.
After three years of war, the previous dynasty fell, and the powerful Qi family of the north regained imperial power, establishing the new dynasty, Dayan. Using the Qing'an era as its calendar, it is now the eighteenth year of Qing'an. The young emperor of that time is now fifty-two years old, and seeing his advancing age, the young princes are becoming increasingly ambitious.
I wonder what kind of disputes will arise next.
Song Jin felt a little worried. She wanted to enjoy her leisurely life for another hundred years, and she really hoped that the current emperor could live to be a hundred years old, so that her life would remain unchanged.
But there was no point in overthinking it. She was just a small landlady; she couldn't influence things above her. She could only stand by and watch. Anyway, if things really got too bad, she could take her mother and retreat to the mountains. With so many tiger cubs around, they could manage.
With this in mind, Song Jin cast aside her unfounded worry, turned around, and excitedly headed towards her usual bookstore, which was also the largest bookstore in the entire Si'an County.
As mentioned earlier, Si'an County was once a poor county. Just how poor was it?
The best illustration is that in three imperial examinations, not a single person from the entire county passed the highest level of the examinations.
Therefore, after life improved, Si'an County focused on education, building numerous academies of varying sizes from the county seat to the towns below. While the teaching staff might not have been exceptionally strong, they were certainly adequate for basic education. The county also held annual assessments for the teachers.
Besides academies, the city was filled with bookstores of all sizes, selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as well as the insights of famous scholars, various poems, mathematics, agriculture, and other serious books.
Miscellaneous Books
Song Jin's target is this thing.
In the apocalypse, survival was difficult for everyone, resources were scarce, and books were a rare luxury. Aside from some basic educational books, Song Jin had never read a proper book in her life. After transmigrating to this world, she accidentally entered a bookstore that year and was immediately awestruck.
She became a devoted reader of all kinds of novels and miscellaneous books, and even had a dedicated study in her home.
Niu Tielan gave a four-word evaluation of this.
Unbearable to look at
Cough cough, Song Jin thought it was quite appealing. She often took it out to read when she went hunting in the mountains; it was quite interesting. Sure enough, as soon as she entered the bookstore, the 'shopkeeper' noticed this regular customer and immediately walked over to her.
"These are all new arrivals. See which ones you'd like," the shop assistant winked at her, then pulled out a few books and whispered, "Highly recommended."
Song Jin understood immediately, and waved her hand, "I'll take them all!"
The waiter patted her on the shoulder happily: "Good brother, so generous!"
Song Jin smiled and bowed, saying, "You're too kind."
The waiter was beaming with excitement, about to say something to her, when suddenly a furious roar came from the other side: "Shu Chenghao, what are you doing over there? Get over here and serve the guests!"
Song Jin couldn't help but purse her lips: "What does your father mean? Aren't I a guest?"
The shop assistant, Shu Chenghao, touched his nose guiltily and explained in a low voice, "I stole my dad's business and reopened a small bookstore. What you're buying now is from my shop."
Song Jin was amazed. She looked her childhood friend up and down and exclaimed, "You're something else! I can't believe your dad didn't beat you to death!"
Without even thinking about it, she knew that this person's bookstore definitely wouldn't sell anything 'good'; it would only sell trinkets that would be considered utterly unbearable by respectable scholars.
Not only did Grandpa Shu let him open a shop, but he even allowed him to solicit customers inside. This just didn't seem like his style at all.
Song Jin asked curiously, "What did you do?"
Shu Chenghao's face immediately showed shame, his expression darting around, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a word.
Song Jin raised an eyebrow, looking at the man suspiciously, then suddenly realized and exclaimed in disbelief, "You promised him you'd break off all ties with me?"
When Song Jin first came to the city, she encountered Shu Chenghao, a chubby boy who was being bullied. After helping him chase the bullies away, the two became friends. Later, when Niu Tielan went to see a doctor and Song Jin studied medicine, the mother and daughter lived in the city. Song Jin and the chubby boy often ran into each other and gradually became close, becoming typical best friends.
Before that, Shu Chenghao was an introverted, timid, and hardworking chubby boy who didn't like studying. After that, he became a spoiled brat who wouldn't utter a sound when scolded and would run away when beaten.
Grandpa Shu, who desperately wanted Shu Chenghao to study, couldn't stand Song Jin no matter what. Every time he saw her, he gave her the cold shoulder, practically begging her to leave.
Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Is their friendship finally about to capsize?
Song Jin was heartbroken
Shu Chenghao's face flushed with anger: "No, how could I break off our friendship? Am I that kind of person?"
Song Jin continued suspiciously, "Then how did you convince your father?"
Shu Chenghao, with his fair skin, blushed from his face down to his neck and earlobes, and stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.
Song Jin guessed and guessed
Old Master Shu had already walked over, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Isn't this Miss Song, the great heroine? Your arrival truly brings honor to our humble bookstore."
Song Jin didn't care about his attitude at all. She raised an eyebrow, looking smug and arrogant, and went along with his words, saying, "Not at all, Grandpa Shu, you're too kind. We're practically family."
Old Master Shu retorted angrily, "Who said I'm on your side? Go back now, if you have nothing to do, don't bother Cheng Hao. He's aiming to pass the imperial examination."
Song Jin wondered if she had misheard, and rubbed her ears: "Huh?"
Grandpa Shu felt pleased and said smugly, "My Cheng Hao is going to be involved this time. Didn't expect that, did you, little girl?"
Song Jin still doubted that she had misheard, and looked at the person involved, Shu Chenghao.
Shu Chenghao lowered his head in shame and stammered, "Yes, that's true."
Song Jin tucked her chin in, remaining silent for a long while before finally coming to her senses and sighing deeply, "Maybe you should just break off our friendship."
Everyone knows each other, right? This person isn't cut out for studying anyway.
Grandpa Shu was not happy to hear this. He glared at him, his beard bristling, and jumped up and down, saying, "Little girl, get out of here right now! Don't bother him before the exam is over!"
Shu Chenghao stopped him: "Grandpa..."
Old Master Shu's expression instantly hardened: "What did you promise me?"
Shu Chenghao immediately shut up and looked at Song Jin with shame.
Song Jin found this unbelievable. After all, they had agreed to be best friends and remain illiterate together for life, and this guy had suddenly turned against them. But turning against them wasn't a big deal; after all, becoming a scholar wasn't something you could just do on a whim.
Song Jin never took such trivial matters to heart. She smiled and readily said, "Alright, Shu Chenghao, then do your best on the exam. I'll be waiting for your good news."
She stood in that corner, a paper and pen basket beside her, the setting sun casting its rays through the gaps in the bamboo weave, dazzlingly bright on her.
Shu Chenghao was in a daze
Grandpa Shu couldn't stand it anymore, so he kicked him in the leg and said irritably, "What are you daydreaming about? Go back to your studies! Do you really think that exam is some fancy test? If you don't pass, don't even think about anything else!"
Song Jin thought he was referring to the bookstore, and chimed in, "That's right, that's right! If you're going to take the exam, you have to study hard! Shu Chenghao, if you pass and become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations), I'll rise in rank too and become a Xiucai's friend!"
Shu Chenghao took a deep breath: "I will."
Grandpa Shu glared at Song Jin: "That sounds nice, but why aren't you leaving? You're just bothering people here."
Song Jin: "I haven't bought anything yet."
Grandpa Shu said disdainfully, "Those tattered books, take them and get out of here, they're soiling my land."
Song Jin shrugged: "Oh, not at all. That was just a side trip. I came here to seriously buy things. Grandpa, could you recommend some good writing brushes and ink? I'd like to buy them as gifts; they're scholars, after all."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, and she smiled, "Oh right, how about I ask Cheng Hao what kind of materials are useful? My friend is in the top class at Wenyuan Academy."
Shu Chenghao's face stiffened.
Grandpa Shu stomped his foot and said, "You brat, do I need you to introduce me? Get out of here, get out of here, just looking at you annoys me!"
Song Jin: "Hey, hey, hey, my pen and ink!"
...
Before long, Song Jin was chased out of the bookstore with her writing brush and ink. Standing outside, she scratched her head, wondering what had gotten into the grandfather and granddaughter today.
weird
But thinking about it carefully, it's understandable. Taking the imperial examination for the lowest degree requires some pressure, right?
The county-level examination is held twice every three years, and only twenty people are admitted each time. Given the difficulty, Song Jin, putting herself in Song Jin's shoes, knew that if she were in that situation, she wouldn't just feel pressured, she would go completely insane.
She shook her head, shunning her friends' strange behavior, happily put the miscellaneous books in the basket, and went to complete the task her mother had assigned her.
Send pen and ink to that brat Yan Sheng
Although Song Jin didn't show it on her face, she actually understood very well that her mother was so good to Yan Sheng all for her sake.
I'll have someone to rely on in the future.
Yan Sheng was a bright student from a young age, quick to learn and able to apply his knowledge to new situations. He was always the top student in their town's school, and when he had the opportunity to go to the county level, he was directly admitted to Wenyuan Academy.
This was built by the former magistrate who changed the fate of Si'an County. He invited a great Confucian scholar from the previous dynasty to oversee it, and also invited many famous and wise people to join in. It was built little by little.
Founded just over thirty years ago, the academy has gained considerable renown throughout the Dafeng Dynasty, consistently producing graduates who excel in the imperial examinations, with many achieving first or second place. Consequently, countless individuals aspire to enter Wenyuan Academy each year, but only a hundred or so are ultimately admitted.
Those students who were able to enter the academy were either exceptionally intelligent or came from extremely wealthy families.
Yan Sheng belongs to the former.
He was also a shoo-in for the title of Xiucai (a scholar who has passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) this time; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was guaranteed to pass.
If he passes the county-level imperial examination at his age, he'll definitely pass the provincial-level examination, if not the metropolitan-level one. Then he can easily secure a minor official position in the county.
When the time comes, he'll have to keep an eye on the mother and daughter, who were his big benefactors who funded him.
Song Jindong
As for the future big shots, although they're not big enough/thick enough yet, let's hold onto them for now.
When it comes to intelligence, her mother is the real expert.
Song Jin thought to herself that experience is indeed valuable, and soon they arrived near Wenyuan Academy.
This area is one of the most expensive in the county, and the residents are all wealthy and influential. They all want their children to have a better education, ideally following the academy's schedule, and if they're lucky, they might even get to learn from the teachers and students.
As soon as Song Jin arrived, she encountered a group of students in school uniforms gathered together, discussing something loudly. She listened carefully...
"Song Shang was a treacherous minister with wolfish ambitions; it is fortunate that Your Majesty possesses extraordinary magnanimity."
"This traitorous scoundrel is truly despicable."
"Absurd, utterly absurd! What right does Song Shang have to do this?"
...
Song Jin exclaimed "Oh!" and quickly moved closer.
Let her hear what evil deeds this treacherous minister has done this time.
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