"Third Uncle and Third Aunt, this is the courtyard where Mr. Kang lives. Let's go in!"
Lei Zi, as the older brother, behaved very maturely and steadily at this time, which made He Jiu Niang approve of him even more.
If this child really ends up with Lianhua, it would be a powerful alliance, and their lives would definitely get better and better.
However, it's not the time to consider these things yet; He Jiuniang is overthinking it.
"Mr. Kang! My third uncle and aunt have come to visit you!"
As he spoke, he ran inside to find Kang Xiucai. The courtyard was small, and Kang Xiucai had already seen He Jiuniang and the others without him having to say anything.
"Dr. He, Third Master Lu, what brings you here?"
Kang Xiucai was clearly surprised by the couple's sudden visit, and appeared somewhat flustered, his smile even seeming a little forced.
He called the couple separately, not for any other reason than he was used to calling her Doctor He. Besides, He Jiu Niang was not only Lu Baichuan's wife, but also a very famous doctor who could run so many businesses. No matter what she was called, she was worthy of it.
He Jiuniang understood that Kang Xiucai had no other intentions, so she didn't take it to heart and didn't argue with him like she did in the capital.
He Jiuniang said, "Mr. Kang, I'm so sorry. We didn't even have anyone tell us beforehand about this sudden visit. We just got back last night, and when the children told us they were coming to see you today, we thought that since you've been in the city for so long, we hadn't visited you yet, so we came together. I hope you won't take offense."
When speaking to scholars, one should naturally be more polite, and He Jiuniang understood these principles.
Lu Baichuan then presented the gifts he had brought to Kang Xiucai, who accepted them with both hands and, quite embarrassed, invited them inside, saying, "My humble abode is simple and unassuming; I apologize for making you both laugh."
"Mr. Kang, what are you saying? This little courtyard is quite nice; I like it very much."
As He Jiuniang spoke, she looked at the scenery of the courtyard. Several other students who lived with her also came out to greet her, and everyone nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Because they lived together, they would occasionally hear the children mention Xishuiyuan. After asking around and observing the children's clothes, they could guess their general identities. Then they would secretly observe Kang Xiucai to get a general idea, and that would be enough.
Hearing Kang Xiucai address the other party as "Third Master," it must be that Third Master Lu from the Fire Cloud Division. After the brothels and gambling dens were shut down, Third Master Lu's name was quite well-known in Jingzhou City.
Such a rare opportunity naturally calls for them to show their faces, but as scholars, they are reserved and cannot be too flamboyant; they simply come out to pay their respects.
Since the other party was so polite, Lu Baichuan naturally couldn't ignore him. He also cupped his hands in greeting before following Kang Xiucai into his room.
The room is fairly large, but it was divided into two sections to save space. The inner room is for sleeping, and the outer room is a small study that can also serve as a temporary living room.
Normally, with only Scholar Kang and a servant, the place was quite spacious, but with so many people coming in today, it instantly felt crowded.
He Jiuniang didn't feel uncomfortable at all. When Kang Xiucai asked the servant to make tea, she put out some of the pastries they had brought. They were all specialties from the capital and rarely seen in Jingzhou. He Jiuniang thought they were too sweet, but people in this era liked to eat them.
When Kang Xiucai returned, Jiezi placed a plate in front of him and said, "Sir, please try this. This is a hibiscus cake that my third uncle and aunt brought from the capital!"
Kang Xiucai was quite surprised to hear this. He leaned closer to take a look and said, "Brought from the capital? It's so fresh?"
It would take three days and three nights to get here from the capital at full speed, and even if you weren't in a hurry, it would still take eight or nine days, and the journey would be bumpy. Yet these pastries didn't spoil at all and looked just like they were fresh out of the oven. It's amazing!
He Jiuniang chuckled inwardly. Of course it was fresh; she had just sent someone to buy it yesterday afternoon.
If it were anyone else, they naturally wouldn't have been able to preserve it so well, but who is she? She bought it and put it in her spatial dimension, where time was frozen. What she went in was exactly what she came out. Now that she's taken it out, it's exactly the same as when she first bought it!
Moreover, they flew back last night, which shortened the travel time by more than half, so it's normal for Kang Xiucai to be surprised.
"Hehe, we've preserved it quite well, Mr. Kang, why don't you try some!"
He Jiuniang began to explain, and took out a tea cake and placed it on the table. She continued, "This is a tea that the famous scholars in the capital like to drink. My husband thought that you would like it too, so he brought some back."
"You two are too kind. These things are extremely valuable. I cannot accept such gifts without having done anything for them. Please take them back!"
Kang Xiucai was somewhat at a loss. Although He Jiuniang and her husband were thinking of him, which eased his gloomy mood over the past few days, he was really embarrassed to accept so many gifts from them. Although he was the first teacher of these children in the Lu family, he had also received tuition fees. It was really not good to keep accepting gifts from them.
Moreover, he no longer runs a school, so he feels even more unworthy of such an honor.
“Sir is the mentor of my children. I have been away from home for a while, and the children have been coming to visit often. It is only right that they bring some small gifts for you. If you do not accept them, it means that you think these little things are too shabby.”
He Jiuniang said this on purpose, making it impossible for Kang Xiucai to refuse, and he finally accepted it.
"Alas, I am ashamed to say that I am happy to see the children. I really can't say that I am bothering them. Besides, they have been concerned about me during this time, which is why they come to see me whenever they have free time."
Thinking of that unpleasant incident, Kang Xiucai's expression grew heavier.
He Jiuniang glanced at Lu Baichuan, indicating that he should speak on the matter. Lu Baichuan then said, "The children have mentioned Mr. Kang's matter to us. Perhaps I can help with the specifics of what happened."
He Jiuniang then added, "Yes, sir, we have a connection with you. We certainly won't refuse to help you."
Kang Xiucai never actually intended to ask the couple for help with this matter. After all, so many days had passed, and he had already taken the exam. As for not performing well, that was his own problem, and he couldn't blame anyone else.
But when he heard them ask about it, Kang Xiucai was still very touched.
They were practically strangers, yet the fact that the person came to greet him as soon as he returned made him feel quite flattered.
"I don't know the specifics of this matter. On that day, I went to take the exam as usual and passed all the checks. However, the examiner found a cheat note under my desk and accused me of cheating. The handwriting on the note was very similar to mine, so he identified me as the cheater and immediately told me to leave the exam room and wait in the courtyard."
"I saw the note, and it contained the exact question I was working on. Fortunately, my answer was different from the one on the note, so I used that as an explanation. But no one believed me. They just made me wait in the yard for punishment. After a long time, someone came and told me it was just a misunderstanding, and then I was allowed to go back and continue the exam."
"I intended to ask the examiner about it afterward, but I didn't perform well when I got back and was in a bad mood, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Later, when I wanted to visit the examiner again, he refused to see me no matter what, so I kept putting it off until now."
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