Chapter 17, End of the Year
“Su, the clerk, will stop at nothing to amass wealth,” Gu Congsi said helplessly. “He has rented out all the available spaces in the county school with clearly marked prices.”
"Several restaurants nearby even bribed him to recommend out-of-town test takers to stay there."
If that were all, Instructor Gu could tolerate it; out of sight, out of mind.
“The clerk, Su, wanted to leak the exam questions to my father. He kept asking my father what questions he was going to use for the preliminary exam of the county examination.”
Su Qing was not surprised by this.
Everyone's making money, who cares about anything else?
Especially someone like Su Dianli, who can run away with his second brother's valuables and constantly beat his wife, what else is he incapable of doing?
Gu Congsi sat down to the side, looking rather helpless.
If things are left to develop unchecked, his father's reputation as an official will be completely ruined, and the candidates this time will also suffer greatly.
Because everyone knows that.
The county examination hasn't even officially started yet, and there are already so many problems.
If we continue, it will all be over.
Gu Congsi looked at Su Qing, wanting her to make a decision: "This time, we were too hasty."
Before he could apologize further, and without intending to make things difficult for him, Su Qing said directly, "The trouble at the county school seems to have nothing to do with the yamen."
"Why do you think that is?"
Gu Congsheng lived there.
There are many problems at the county school.
But if people want to criticize, they will only criticize the county school, and they will not cause trouble for the government.
Why?
Because Director Su had already distanced himself from the matter.
From the very beginning, she was the person most opposed to holding county-level examinations.
Therefore, if something happens, no one will come looking for her.
He came to her on his own, asking her to resolve the matter.
Gu Congsi understood: "You mean, you want my father to distance himself from this as well?"
"Why not just shut it down completely and solve the problem once and for all?"
Su Qing smiled and looked at the twenty-year-old scholar Gu.
In modern times, that would be the age of a bright and clear-headed college student.
Having had a bit more free time recently, Su Qing wanted to explain: "There are three reasons why it's being suspended now."
"First, this matter was brought about by Instructor Gu, and its sudden halt proves that your father's judgment was wrong. Therefore, this matter is undoubtedly a mistake."
"Second, after all this trouble, students from six counties registered, totaling four or five hundred candidates. If we just stop now, who will appease them? Even if Clerk Su refunds the registration fees, what about their food and lodging during this period?"
"Thirdly, besides these matters, there are also the five county governments around here. They issued notes to local scholars and collected a lot of money. They stopped collecting the money as soon as they received it, which made them lose face."
It was rare for Su Qing to explain so much.
Explain the disadvantages of suspending the event in detail.
This not only embarrassed Instructor Gu, but also put the students and even his colleagues in other counties in a difficult position.
Of course, there was one more thing that Su Qing didn't mention.
That means the mistake Su Dianli made wasn't serious enough, so there's no need to mention it.
Gu Congsi suddenly remembered what Su Qing had just said.
She said that such a big thing happened at the county school, so why didn't anyone cause trouble for the government?
Because they distanced themselves from the relationship.
She was implying that Instructor Gu could also distance himself from the matter.
"We can make a fuss about leaking the exam questions."
"As long as your dad can pull through, that's fine."
Everyone around knew about Su Dianli's evil deeds.
His intention to sell exam questions couldn't be kept secret.
If Instructor Gu had insisted on fairness in the imperial examinations and had held firm to this principle...
It stands out as a breath of fresh air in adversity.
Gu Congsi's eyes shifted; with his intelligence, he would grow very quickly.
Su Qing thought to herself.
No wonder everyone loves to be a teacher; if she had such a smart student, she would definitely be willing to teach him.
Seeing that Su Qing continued to attend to official duties, Gu Congsi raised his head slightly.
If Su Qing saw his expression right now, she would most likely never want to teach him again.
She only wants to teach apprentices, not rivals.
Su Qing thought of something else and comforted her, saying, "Whether the provincial examination can be held or not has little to do with the county examination."
"In my opinion, the provincial examination next year should not be delayed."
Since March of this year, which is the first year of Yongsheng, Guangyue Prefecture has not had a prefect.
Surely there still won't be a prefect by August of the second year of Yongsheng next year?
With a prefect in charge, everything can be supported.
To please the new emperor and to reassure the people, the provincial examinations would not be delayed.
"Don't worry, Instructor Gu."
These words made Gu Congsi frown. After a long while, he said, "Do you know why my father attaches so much importance to the provincial examinations?"
Su Qing paused.
Gu Congsi himself said, "You know."
Just because you pass the imperial examination, does that mean your whole family can leave?
What Gu Congsi wanted to ask was...
My father is in such a hurry to escape the verbal engagement, how come you don't care and even comfort him?
Gu Congsi knew the answer without Su Qing needing to reply.
Then Fei Kaiyu walked in. Fei, who was already handsome, came over very attentively and looked very pleasing: "Manager Su, what do you think of this official document?"
Su Qing smiled: "Very good, but I'm not a professional, so keep it simple and clear."
"How could he not be professional? Manager Su is so capable."
Gu Congsi turned and left, leaving Fei Kaiyu completely bewildered.
This scholar, Gu, is unpredictable.
I heard that he and Steward Su are engaged.
With such a bad temper, she's not worthy of Manager Su!
Gu Congsi was indeed a good student.
On that day, news spread from the county school that Su, the clerk, and Gu, the instructor, had a dispute.
Instructor Gu firmly adhered to the bottom line.
I will absolutely not reveal the questions.
Furthermore, the candidates who stayed at the county school were strictly supervised.
There are rules governing everything from walking, sitting, and lying down to when to get up and when to rest.
A virtuous person is cautious even when alone, and does not deceive himself in secret.
A virtuous person should always be consistent in word and deed, no matter the circumstances.
After the commotion, the county school indeed became quiet.
After the news spread, most people distinguished between Clerk Su and Instructor Gu.
When Su Dianli is mentioned, people naturally say he is insatiably greedy.
When Gu Jiaoyu was mentioned, he said instead, "He meant well but did something wrong, but he was wholeheartedly devoted to the imperial examinations, so it's understandable."
Upon hearing this, Clerk Su cursed Instructor Gu in the restaurant, calling his behavior despicable.
They are all conducting county-level examinations.
How come your reputation has suddenly improved?!
Is it your son and future daughter-in-law who are up to something?
Gu Congsi and Su Qing are two cunning villains.
You two are destined to be engaged; you're truly a match made in heaven!
Su Qing almost burst out laughing when she heard Su Dianli scolding her like that.
Alright, Clerk Su knows exactly how to stab Instructor Gu in the heart.
Knowing full well that Gu Jiaoyu was the least willing to accept this marriage, she deliberately cursed him in public.
This leaves the other party speechless, unable to refute, and forced to suffer in silence.
Gu Congsi calmly replied, "Thank you for your blessings, Third Uncle."
Su Qing could no longer laugh.
They were watching the commotion when their own house suddenly burned down.
On the contrary, Mei Niang was very happy and pulled Su Qing aside, saying, "I thought..."
"Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore."
"Qingqing, how about I go to the Gu family and arrange your marriage?"
Although Mei Niang hesitated to speak, Su Qing easily understood her meaning.
I originally thought that Gu Jia, or rather Gu Congsi, was unwilling.
Moreover, the Su family is still in mourning, so it's not appropriate to bring up marriage.
Now that Magistrate Su has been buried for six months, if they can make a private agreement, they can get married directly after the three-year mourning period.
This is a wonderful thing for Mei Niang.
She only has one son and one daughter; her youngest son, Su Cheng, is only four years old and doesn't need much care.
My daughter is sixteen this year. Although she is not very old, in her opinion, there is no one more suitable than Scholar Gu.
After all, when the Prime Minister was alive, everyone praised Gu Congsi for his loyalty to the emperor and his love for the country, saying that he would be a good minister and would definitely have a bright future.
Su Qing didn't comment on the relationship between loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, being a good minister, and having a promising future; he simply replied vaguely, "That's not necessarily true."
“If he passes the provincial examination next year and becomes a Juren, the Gu family will definitely not be happy.”
This was the first time Su Qing had spoken so bluntly. She said again, "Mother, we don't need to fawn over others."
“Scholar Gu agreed, otherwise why would he say thank you for your blessings, Third Uncle?” Mei Niang confirmed. “He is satisfied with this marriage, as long as the future husband is satisfied.”
Su Qing couldn't persuade him, and it was obvious to the naked eye that Mei Niang made a pair of shoes for Gu Congsi.
Gu Congsi not only accepted the gifts, but also bought two handkerchiefs for Mei Niang and Su Qing, and even collected his own primers to give to Su Cheng.
Besides that, they visited each other frequently.
The implications of this for outsiders are self-evident.
Anyway, the way Instructor Gu looked at Su Qing made Su Qing feel quite guilty.
It seems as if she saved Gu Jiaoyu's reputation, and his son Gu Congsi repaid her with his body.
What's this called?
Will the son sell himself to save his father?
It's really not that bad.
never mind.
Let's take it one step at a time.
In the blink of an eye, it's already mid-December.
The county seat of Nanjiang County was still bustling with people this year.
Not only local residents came to buy, but even wealthy families from neighboring counties bought New Year's goods.
Because their area has recovered the best and has the most abundant supplies.
Moreover, the medicinal herb seedlings cultivated indoors are also growing very well.
The owners of seven shops took the initiative to visit and express their gratitude.
They said it was all thanks to Steward Su's foresight; they had heard that the price of medicinal herbs outside had skyrocketed.
As long as the medicinal herbs can be successfully grown, everyone can make a fortune.
Su Qing distributed the gifts brought by each family to his clerks and servants as part of the New Year's gifts.
That doesn't seem stingy, does it?
The only source of conflict remains the county school.
Su Dianli wanted money.
Instructor Gu wanted the county examination to be fair.
It was impossible for them not to argue, but fortunately Gu Congsi was on his father's side, so they were evenly matched.
Even on the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, when the government offices temporarily closed for the winter, the dispute continued unabated.
The atmosphere inside the government office was quite harmonious.
One chief constable, three constables, and a dozen or so constables and runners.
There were six acting clerks, and a dozen or so remaining clerks.
The gatekeeper was led by Yunxi and consisted of five or six people, along with the kitchen staff.
Each person received their annual salary according to their position, along with extra mutton, chicken, duck, fish, and eggs allocated by the government.
Outside the once solemn courtroom, it was as bustling as a vegetable market.
But no matter what official position or status one holds, what one seeks and needs is nothing more than three meals a day, with meat and vegetables.
Mei Niang and Luo Hufang were in charge of distributing the goods.
The late Registrar's wife, Aunt Zhu, also helped.
"Five catties of mutton, two chickens, one duck, two fish, and five catties of eggs. Take them home, and we'll definitely have a good New Year."
"After a year of hard work, there's finally something to look forward to."
"The rice for my salary is also new rice, that's great."
"It's all because our Manager Su is stingy, but he's not really that stingy, is he?"
Su Qing appeared with a smile and said to the constable, "What are you saying?"
Su Qing sensed the homeroom teacher's joy, and the constable immediately stood up straight: "No! I didn't say anything!"
As soon as Su Qing left, everyone couldn't help but laugh: "The person in charge isn't that petty."
When it came to Yunxi last, even though he was only twelve, he was still given the money as usual.
Mei Niang asked another question: "Where are you going to stay for the New Year?"
Yunxi had no parents and could only stay at the yamen, where he also worked as a guard to earn a little extra food and drink.
Mei Niang said, "Then come to the back courtyard. I'll mend your clothes for you. They were just mended a while ago. How did they get torn again?"
They didn't mention it in their casual conversation, but when they got to Zhu Niangzi and her daughter, it was a completely different story.
At this moment, most of the officials in the yamen had left, except for those on duty. They would resume the court proceedings on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month after the New Year.
Zhu Niangzi had saved up a lot of words, and at this moment she said, "Thank you so much, elder sister. If it weren't for you, my daughter and I wouldn't know how we would have survived."
Registrar Liu is gone.
The mother and daughter should have moved out of the government office.
But Su Qing had ten-year-old Liu Xiaomei follow him around, supposedly to serve tea and water, but she mostly just dozed off or read books.
Not for any other reason than to provide a monthly salary to the mother and daughter.
After that, Zhu Niangzi was put in charge of the kitchen, and she received another salary.
Now, during the Lunar New Year, they still give double portions.
For this, how could Lady Zhu not be grateful?
Su Qing held Zhu Niangzi's hand and said, "Little sister is clever and has helped me a lot. You also manage the kitchen well. This is what you deserve."
As he spoke, Luo Hufang deliberately interjected to make the atmosphere less uncomfortable: "There are still three copies left to collect."
“Clerk Su, Instructor Gu, and County Magistrate Tian.”
The first two are easy to handle, but these two families argue every day and don't have time to collect them right now. We can just send someone over later.
County Magistrate Tian is a troublesome fellow.
He was still dead drunk, lying in some hidden doorway.
His entire family perished, and Magistrate Tian was utterly devastated.
"Don't give it all to him at once, give it to him five days at a time," Su Qing sighed.
He'll have to recover from this on his own.
Luo Hufang praised Su Zhushi for his thoughtfulness, and finally saw Su Dianli and Gu Jiaoyu off, thus temporarily ending the year's duties at the yamen.
If anything else happens, we'll have to wait until next year.
This year has really been tough.
Everyone felt a sense of relief and joy at having survived a disaster.
Another year has passed.
Next year will definitely be better.
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