W Chapter 82
by VolareThis matter should be done sooner rather than later. If time is delayed, who knows whose house the things in the house might appear in.
The moved items will be temporarily placed with Ling Xing, and then moved over after the courtyard is rented and tidied up.
Ling Xing was worried about Xie Qingya going back alone, so he went with him.
It was also a good opportunity to go home and see his parents.
They rented a carriage at the carriage and horse shop. Neither of them knew how to drive a horse, so they hired a driver.
They agreed with the driver that they would give him thirty extra coins to help move things when the time came.
The driver was happy to earn money and nodded in agreement.
They arrived at Xiao Liucun at the second quarter of Si time (around 10:30 am). At this hour, most of the people in the village were in the fields.
With no one around, the road from the village entrance to Xie Qingya’s house was peaceful.
Xie Qingya and the driver went into the courtyard first to tidy up, and Ling Xing went to his home.
Because people came to the Shen family from time to time to deliver velvet flower work, the courtyard door had always been open until night.
Xu Youfang was sitting at the door of the main room, sewing sachets somewhat absentmindedly.
Seeing that the provincial examination was approaching, she sewed two sachets and filled them with medicine to repel insects and mosquitoes.
This would allow Shen Hui to be more comfortable in the examination hall.
Thinking of Xie Qingya and Wang Juan’s affairs yesterday, Xu Youfang felt uneasy.
She was worried about what would happen if Shen Hui and Ling Xing were discovered.
As you think during the day, so you dream at night. Last night, she had a nightmare, dreaming that Shen Hui and Ling Xing were tied up and beaten, and no matter how she shouted, no one stopped.
She wanted to rush over, but an invisible force kept hindering her.
She could only watch helplessly as the two were beaten until their heads were bleeding and they breathed their last.
When she woke up in shock, Xu Youfang’s only feeling was relief.
Fortunately, it was just a dream.
“Mom! I’m back!”
Ling Xing trotted into the courtyard. Xu Youfang raised her eyes when she heard the sound and saw Ling Xing running over safe and sound, which calmed her heart a lot.
“Ling Xing!”
After entering the house, Xu Youfang poured water for Ling Xing.
“Why are you running? Look at all the sweat on your forehead.” She pushed the water glass in front of Ling Xing, “It’s mountain spring water, brought by your sister’s husband’s brother every few days. It’s sweeter than well water. It’s all boiled and cooled, drink it quickly.”
Ling Xing was indeed thirsty and dry-mouthed. He gulped down a cup and still felt it wasn’t enough, so he drank two more cups before feeling refreshed.
“It’s really sweet, delicious!”
“It’s good that you like it. If you can take it, I’ll bring some back to the county for you.” Xu Youfang sat down and asked, “Why did you come back at this time? Is it about Qing Ge’er’s matter, did you find out?”
Ling Xing nodded, “Yes, he came to me yesterday.”
“Mom, thank you for speaking up for them yesterday.”
Xu Youfang sighed softly, “What’s there to thank? Now that I think about it, I’m still very scared. If the villagers hadn’t listened to me at that time, I don’t know what the situation would be like now.”
The matter had passed, and Xu Youfang didn’t want to mention it again. She felt scared whenever she thought about it.
“By the way, did that Qing Ge’er tell you what exactly happened?”
Yesterday, Wang Juan said that unless it was absolutely necessary, the real truth could not be told to others.
The matter concerned the lives of both of them, Ling Xing thought for a while, leaving aside the Wang family’s deliberate actions.
He explained for the two of them, “He said it was all nonsense from Wang Juan’s family. When they were together, their identities were in accordance with etiquette.”
Xu Youfang breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this.
“With your words, Mom is relieved. Later, Mom will release the news, at least the villagers won’t be thinking about killing people anymore. It’s just that there will be some gossip.”
Ling Xing nodded, “Thank you, Mom.”
“Qing Ge’er and the others will live in the county from now on. I’m also here today to help him pack up. I’m afraid they won’t come back to the village. Gossip can’t be stopped, and they can’t hear it, so it doesn’t matter.”
Knowing that Xie Qingya and Wang Juan had made arrangements, Xu Youfang said, “Mom will go with you to help Qing Ge’er pack.”
Shen Chengshan had gone out to develop velvet flower buyers again, and Ling Xing didn’t see him.
Rushing to help Xie Qingya pack, the two didn’t waste time. They left Cao Manyue to look after the house, and they went directly to Xie Qingya’s to help.
Xie Qingya and Wang Juan didn’t have many things. The most were books.
They packed three large boxes of books, and two boxes of clothes and sundries. The bedding was tied directly, and the pots and pans were all padded with dry grass and then tied with hemp rope.
Cao Manyue delivered food at noon, and the four of them worked until the afternoon before finally packing up.
Xie Qingya thanked Xu Youfang again. Because they were rushing to return to the county before dark, they said that after they settled down in the county, they would invite the Shen family to eat in the county, and the two of them would thank them properly.
Xu Youfang also took some pickles and fresh seasonal vegetables from home and brought them to them.
If the carriage couldn’t hold any more, she could have given more.
Wang Juan had been out for a long time and only returned to Ling Xing’s courtyard in the afternoon.
Today, he looked at seven courtyards and selected two that he was satisfied with, waiting to go with Xie Qingya to see them again tomorrow.
If Xie Qingya liked one, they could settle on it tomorrow.
He came back earlier than Xie Qingya and Ling Xing.
At this time, only Ling Yue was at home, sitting upright and looking at the difficult problem that was trapping him in the book.
Hearing the knock on the door, Ling Yue put down the book and went to open the courtyard door.
Wang Juan looked down at him, the child’s eyebrows were lightly furrowed, and his thoughts were scattered.
“What’s wrong, Ah Yue?”
Ling Yue shook his head, “Just some doubts in my studies.”
Wang Juan thought that Ling Yue’s appearance as if he was facing a formidable enemy was because of something tricky.
But after thinking about it carefully, matters related to his studies were indeed important to Ling Yue.
This child was young but thoughtful.
He had given him some pointers a few times before, and it could be seen that Ling Yue kept the matter of Ling Xing supporting him to study in his heart day and night, fearing that he would disappoint Ling Xing. The child had strict and high demands on himself and did not allow any mistakes.
But keeping the string too tight might not be a good thing.
Especially since Ling Yue was young and precocious and had experienced a lot at a young age, his temperament was a bit stubborn, and he would not change his mind about what he believed in.
Wang Juan discovered yesterday that Ling Yue was under more pressure as time went on because he was studying at home, and he was spending more energy.
Always pushing himself like this would cause great harm to his body.
“If you don’t understand anything, you can ask me.” Wang Juan reached out and gently touched Ling Yue’s brow, smoothing his eyebrows, “You should smile more at such a young age.”
Ling Yue felt the kindness and also knew that Wang Juan was highly knowledgeable, which he had deeply experienced before.
Thinking that the troubling problem would be solved, Ling Yue relaxed a lot, and his eyebrows relaxed.
“Thank you, Uncle Juan.”
When Ling Xing and Xie Qingya came back, Shen Hui had also finished school and happened to help them unload the luggage from the carriage and put it temporarily in the main room.
After dinner, according to the usual routine, Shen Hui was going to answer Ling Yue’s homework questions.
But today, the two returned to their rooms separately.
Ling Yue, seeing Ling Xing’s confusion, explained, “Today, Uncle Juan taught me my homework, so I didn’t bother Second Brother Shen again.”
Ling Xing nodded thoughtfully.
While Wang Juan and Xie Qingya went to count their luggage, Ling Xing ran into Shen Hui’s room.
A pair of eyes looked at Shen Hui brightly, “Second Brother, do you think I can ask Wang Juan to be Ah Yue’s teacher?”
“He’s talented, has a good personality, and is also an acquaintance, and Ah Yue likes him too.”
Ling Xing enumerated a bunch of reasons, and Shen Hui chuckled, “Didn’t Brother already make up his mind?”
“That’s true.” Ling Xing finally found someone who was good in all aspects and extremely suitable as a teacher, and was very happy, speaking with a smile, “But I still want to ask your opinion. You were also taught by Wang Juan, what do you think of him?”
Shen Hui liked the feeling that Ling Xing would think about and consult with him when something happened, and looking at Ling Xing’s smile, the fatigue from a day of hard study lessened a lot.
He recalled seriously.
“He’s knowledgeable and talented, and also a Jinshi, and has a lot of books. If he’s willing, it would be great to teach Ah Yue.”
Ling Xing had a good idea.
He also paid a lot of attention to his younger brother.
After all, he was young, and even if his mind was stable, he was vaguely anxious.
He was afraid that he would not study well and worried that he would not be able to keep up.
If Wang Juan could agree, he wouldn’t have to go to the prefectural city to find a teacher later.
He was unfamiliar with the place there, and without any relatives or friends to take care of him, the first days would be very difficult.
It wasn’t as comfortable as it was in Yunshui County.
It was better to say it sooner rather than later. Ling Xing left the wing and went to find Ling Yue.
He explained his thoughts to Ling Yue and asked him if he was willing to let Wang Juan be his teacher.
If he was willing, he would ask Wang Juan to teach.
If Wang Juan could agree, that would be great, but if he didn’t agree, he would only be able to save enough money and then take Ling Yue to the prefectural city.
Before Ling Yue took the child student exam, he had studied with Wang Juan.
Today, when he encountered a problem, Wang Juan helped him solve it.
It had to be said that learning could not be done behind closed doors, and someone needed to lead the way and teach.
Ling Yue liked Wang Juan very much.
He also admired his talent.
“Brother, I’m willing.”
Ling Yue nodded, and all that was left was Wang Juan.
The two brothers went to the main room together to find someone.
Xie Qingya and Wang Juan had just finished counting and agreed to go see the two courtyards tomorrow to see if they could settle on one.
But even if they settled on it, cleaning would take time, and they would have to disturb Ling Xing for a few more days.
Seeing Ling Xing coming over, Xie Qingya stuffed him with several bottles of snake repellent powder.
“I don’t know when I’ll make more later, take these and use them, they also prevent mosquitoes.”
Ling Xing didn’t stand on ceremony with Xie Qingya and naturally accepted it.
He took a deep breath, “I have something I want to ask your opinion on.”
Xie Qingya nodded, “What do you want to ask, Brother Xing? Just ask.”
Ling Xing said, “I want to ask, is Brother Wang Juan willing to be Ah Yue’s teacher?”
Xie Qingya was stunned, and reacted faster than Wang Juan. He glanced at Ling Yue and said helplessly, “Brother Xing, aren’t you afraid that Ah Yue will be talked about?”
Although he was very happy that his friend trusted him, no matter what the truth was, he and Wang Juan were initially driven out of the Wang family for the crime of adultery.
If Wang Juan taught Ling Yue, and Ling Yue really entered the officialdom in the future, he would probably be gossiped about.
He would also be squeezed out by the Wang family and the people in the Wang family’s camp.
Xie Qingya and Wang Juan knew about Ling Yue’s affairs in the county school.
They also knew that because there had been no suitable teacher, Ling Yue was now studying at home by himself.
In a moment of desperation, a wrong decision could be made. Xie Qingya was happy for Ling Xing’s trust, but he was also afraid of harming Ling Yue.
Ling Xing had considered Xie Qingya’s worries.
But he ultimately knew too little about ancient times, and more thought about it with modern thinking, thinking that teachers were teachers and students were students.
What the teacher was like had nothing to do with the student.
In addition, he knew that the truth was not as rumored, so those bad reputations on Wang Juan didn’t matter.
But here, the relationship between teachers and students was very deep.
If you became a disciple, it was a matter of shared honor and shared disgrace. Unless you declared to the outside world that the two had severed their relationship, otherwise, they would be regarded as one.
While Ling Xing was thinking, Ling Yue took a step forward and respectfully bowed to Wang Juan.
“Ling Yue doesn’t care about anything else, he only wants to be taught.”
All things in the world have gains and losses.
Ling Yue didn’t want to lose an opportunity to be taught because of some untrue things.
And there was still a long time to come, who knew what the situation would be like in ten or even decades?
The future was too long, and there were too many changes.
He just wanted to seize the moment and live in the present.
Xie Qingya looked at Ling Xing, wanting him to stop Ling Yue.
But Ling Xing shook his head and whispered to Xie Qingya, “Although Ah Yue is young, he has his own ideas and decisions. This is his decision after thinking, so listen to him.”
Xie Qingya sighed softly. Well, if he only taught as a teacher and didn’t become a disciple, the impact shouldn’t be too great.
Wang Juan had not spoken all along, and his mind was also full of thoughts.
He didn’t expect that Ling Xing would want him to teach Ling Yue.
Even more, he didn’t expect that under many disadvantages, Ling Yue still had a pure heart and wanted him to be his teacher and asked him to teach.
The place where he had lived since he was a child, the people who taught him were all weighing the pros and cons, and whatever he did, he had to choose the path that was most beneficial to the family.
A rare sense of timidity arose in Wang Juan’s heart.
Could he really teach the sincere Ling Yue well?
And after this timidity arose, it also made Wang Juan clearly realize that he wanted to teach Ling Yue.
Because he wanted to, he was afraid of not teaching well.
After a moment of silence, Wang Juan reached out and helped Ling Yue up.
“Okay.”
Life was limited, and he also wanted to try.
Change an identity, change a way of living.
…
Wang Juan and Xie Qingya’s courtyard was settled.
The courtyard was not big, with only a wing and a main room, but it faced south and had good light. There was a stove room on the west side, a shed next to it, and the other two sides were surrounded by earthen walls.
The street where the courtyard was located was not very prosperous, with not many large restaurants and few shops. It was similar to Ginkgo Street, quiet and the rent was cheap.
Moreover, it was close to Ling Xing’s courtyard, only two streets away.
If you walked through the alley, the distance was even closer than going to the county school.
Ling Xing could feel that Wang Juan and the others chose this courtyard because of Ling Yue, to make it easier for him to come and go.
The second day after Xie Qingya and Wang Juan moved, Ling Yue was going to study.
Because the main room was large, a bamboo curtain was used to separate it, and on the right side, Wang Juan used it to teach Ling Yue’s lessons.
Ling Xing also came this day to give the tuition fee.
Wang Juan didn’t want much, saying that he would give it according to the other private school teachers in the county.
Ling Xing added three times more.
Those people were at most only scholars, and they charged money according to the name of the scholar. Wang Juan was a Jinshi, and he only taught Ling Yue alone.
Even if it was given at three times the amount, the money and food added up to only ten taels a month.
It was half the price of the county school.
Coming today was not only to give the tuition fee, but Ling Xing also wrote down some food recipes.
There was no shortage of tofu sellers in the county, and Xie Qingya’s tofu business could not be done.
After Ling Xing came here, he was busy with livelihood every day, and because his thoughts and experiences were different, he couldn’t talk to others. Therefore, his only close friend was Xie Qingya.
He wanted his friend’s life to be good. Xie Qingya had helped him a lot before, and this time he chose the courtyard to accommodate Ling Yue. So he wrote down pudding, double-skin milk, taro balls, and also wrote down the method of making egg ice cream.
With these small ingredients, Xie Qingya could set up a sweet soup stall.
If it was done well, and accumulated over the years, he could also get a sweet soup shop.
Ling Xing thought for Xie Qingya, and Xie Qingya also remembered Ling Xing.
The tuition fee had already been given more than expected, and he was determined not to accept anything else.
“Brother Xing, I know you’re doing this for my own good. But I have hands and feet, how can I not earn money? You have the recipe, isn’t it better to set up a sweet soup shop yourself?”
Ling Xing couldn’t push it through, and after thinking about it, he suggested, “My own manpower is limited. Anyway, Brother Qing, you haven’t figured out what to do, why don’t we open a sweet soup shop together?”
Xie Qingya didn’t rush to refuse this time.
“How do we cooperate?”
Ling Xing said, “If you have money, you can take it out and open a shop with me. The money earned in the end will be divided according to the ratio. If you don’t have money, then help me look after the shop, and I will pay you a salary as a shopkeeper.”
Xie Qingya smiled and said, “Oh, I can also be the shopkeeper of the shop in the county!”
Joking aside, Xie Qingya also thought about it carefully.
Anyway, it was all Ling Xing’s kindness, thinking of him.
It was better to devote himself wholeheartedly, treat this shop as a livelihood for the rest of his life, and manage it well.
Xie Qingya decided, “I still have some money on hand, I’ll take it all out and open a sweet soup shop with you.”
If you want to do it, do your best.
Ling Xing chuckled, “You really trust me, aren’t you afraid that I’ll run away with all your money?”
Xie Qingya replied seriously, “If you want to take it, take as much as you want.”
The two looked at each other and smiled. It was really lucky to have such a good friend who trusted him wholeheartedly.
Ling Xing and Xie Qingya were both people who said they would do it, and the sweet soup shop was put on the agenda.
Sugar was not cheap in Da Yu, and some small ingredients were also expensive at the original price. This shop could not be selected on a street where people with no spare money lived.
The best place was still Spring Rain Street, where there were many rich people.
But the shops on Spring Rain Street were all worth every inch of land. If it wasn’t for Magistrate Lin giving him the snack shop, Ling Xing would have to work hard for at least ten years to be able to afford it.
And not necessarily someone would be willing to sell it.
The two went to the brokerage every day to ask about the shop, and finally found a suitable shop in August.
The broker was more excited than Ling Xing and Xie Qingya, and he was finally able to do this deal.
Coincidentally, the shop was next to Spring Rain Street, next to Yunshui Restaurant, the largest restaurant in Yunshui County.
And this restaurant was opened by the wife’s younger brother of County Deputy Magistrate Zhou Tuo.
This person had quite a relationship with Ling Xing.
When the bun stall had just started to improve, it was targeted by the manager of the Yunxia Restaurant in Yunxia Town, which belonged to the Liu family.
In the end, he offered Magistrate Lin the fermentation recipe, which was resolved.
Because of this, he became acquainted with Magistrate Lin and Tu Hai, and walked all the way to today.
Now, at least in Yunshui County, he would no longer be like he was at the beginning, needing to hand over the recipe to protect his safety.
This shop had two floors, one less than Yunshui Restaurant, but it was still grand enough.
It was a clothing shop.
The clothes were all made and hung up. It was said that they sold the latest styles from the state capital.
The owner behind it was the Qin family in the prefectural city, who started by selling cloth and slowly grew bigger. Later, the Xu family took the lead, the Qin family declined, and the business gradually went bad.
The Xu family’s cloth shop was next to Lingji Snack Shop.
Ling Xing listened to the broker’s general introduction to the background of the owner of the shop and couldn’t help but sigh that the world was really small.
They were all tangled together.
“I guess something happened to the Qin family, and they were in a hurry to use money. The sale of this shop is very urgent. The other party is also willing to lower the price, and there is room for negotiation. If you two are satisfied, it is better to take it down as soon as possible. This location and this grand shop are waiting for people to buy it.”
The broker finished speaking a long string without even breathing.
Ling Xing stood in the shop’s hall and looked up.
The interior beams, wooden stairs, were very particular, and some patterns were carved, which looked really beautiful.
The Qin family was really wealthy to have built such a shop.
He looked up and watched carefully, not forgetting to ask the broker, “Is there any movement from the restaurant next door in such a good location? If the restaurant owner buys it, he can open it up here, wouldn’t the restaurant be bigger?”
The broker sighed and whispered, “Is it that the restaurant next door doesn’t want to buy it? Isn’t it because the Qin family and the Liu family have grievances?”
“A few years ago, when the Qin family had just started to decline, the Liu family wanted to buy this shop and open it up to make a restaurant. At that time, the Qin family was not so bad that they had to sell the shop. As a result, the Liu family was too impatient. It is said that they also used some tricks, and the Qin family gritted their teeth and held on.”
“The two families had a grudge because of this. When the Qin family came to sell the shop, they specifically emphasized that it could not be sold to the Liu family or people who were friendly with the Liu family.”
Ling Xing didn’t know that there was this reason, no wonder such a good shop could be his turn to see.
He was very satisfied with the shop from left to right.
Even Xie Qingya praised it, saying that this shop was not inferior to the good shops he had seen in the capital.
Good things could not be faulted, so the only bad thing was the price.
The shop was only for sale and not for rent. Ling Xing asked the price, and the broker gestured a number, “Six hundred taels.”
Ling Xing was a little speechless.
So expensive.
He now had a total of one hundred and seventy-two taels in his hand, which was not enough to buy it at all.
The broker naturally saw that Ling Xing had limited money in his hand and was afraid that he would not be able to buy it. If Ling Xing and Xie Qingya did not go to the brokerage every day to ask, he would not have immediately brought the two to see this shop.
If you sincerely want to buy a shop, even if you don’t have enough money in hand, you will find a way to borrow money to buy it if you see a shop that you are satisfied with.
Doing business, how can you not borrow money?
He didn’t urge Ling Xing, just waiting for him to decide whether to give up or find a way to raise money.
Xie Qingya was also extremely satisfied with this shop.
To be honest, it was a great bargain to buy such a two-story shop with a good location and a well-renovated interior for six hundred taels.
If the Qin family was not in a hurry to sell, it would not be so cheap. And because they had a feud with the next door, the shop would not be their turn to see.
It would be directly taken by the next door.
He pulled Ling Xing a few steps away and whispered, “All the money in my house is seventy-three taels and two cents, which can all be taken out.”
Ling Xing calculated silently, and there was still more than three hundred and fifty taels missing.
The broker guessed that they were discussing money matters and appropriately reminded, “I can talk to the Qin family about fifty to seventy taels, but no more.”
Ling Xing calculated again, calculating according to the minimum of fifty taels, and there was still more than three hundred taels missing.
Where could he raise these money…
He should be able to borrow seventy or eighty taels from his mother at home, his fourth brother and third sister could borrow a total of forty or fifty taels, and his second brother could probably borrow fifty or sixty taels.
Plus Tu Hai, not to mention, he could really get it together.
Just…
Ling Xing was stunned, the amount was too coincidental.
It seemed to be specially tailored for him, just enough to empty all the money from him and the Shen family, and borrow a little more to be able to buy it.
It was stuck at a perfect point.
If it was before, Ling Xing might not have thought too much, borrowed it and bought it with gritted teeth.
But more than two months ago, something had just happened, involving the county deputy magistrate and the cloth shop next to the snack shop.
The owner of that cloth shop and the restaurant next door were all entangled with the Qin family…
Magistrate Lin had reminded him at that time to be careful and sent guards to protect the shop secretly.
It had been calm for more than two months, but it didn’t mean that it was really calm.
This shop was weird.
Ling Xing pulled Xie Qingya away and apologized to the broker, “Find a shop again, I don’t want this one.”
There were many times when a business could not be done, and the broker was used to it.
“Okay, I’ll take you to see it when there is a suitable shop.”
Back at the small courtyard, Ling Xing poured a glass of water for Xie Qingya.
After drinking to quench his thirst, Xie Qingya asked Ling Xing why he suddenly didn’t want the shop.
He could see that Ling Xing wanted to buy it before.
Later, they were going to do business together, and there was no need to hide the matter about Zhou Tuo and the cloth shop next door from Xie Qingya.
Ling Xing told him roughly about what happened after the Dragon Boat Festival. It involved Magistrate Lin, and it wasn’t explained in detail.
But it was enough for Xie Qingya to understand the reason.
After listening, he also felt that something was wrong, “Looking at it this way, that shop seems to be prepared for you.”
“After two months without any movement, people with poor vigilance will not care.”
“Fortunately, the amount was wrong, and you found it.” Xie Qingya said with some fear, if he hadn’t reacted, wouldn’t all the money be gone?
Ling Xing was thinking, the amount was really wrong.
It calculated exactly the money he could use.
It was like reminding him that there was a fraud.
Ling Xing sent Xie Qingya home first, and he went to the county government office to tell Magistrate Lin about this matter.
Lin Qingyu took a bite of the frozen milk custard and pondered.
He took another bite of the frozen milk custard and continued to ponder.
When it was almost bottoming out, he finally finished thinking, “You may be right, there is a problem with this shop.”
“I will send someone to the prefectural city to investigate, and don’t look at the shop again recently. I don’t know what that group of people wants to do, so I will respond to all changes with constancy.”
It was already August, and in four days, Shen Hui would go to the state city to take the provincial examination.
With Magistrate Lin’s help, he still lived in the house where he had borrowed last time.
Therefore, there was no need to rush too early and rent a hotel in advance.
Shen Hui’s imperial examination was important. Now was a time of trouble, and it was really not suitable for any action, to be taken advantage of by others.
Ling Xing nodded in agreement, and after going back, he waited for Magistrate Lin’s news and began to help Shen Hui pack his bags.
After waiting for three days, Ling Xing did not wait for Magistrate Lin’s news, but waited for Li Huiyuan.
Since he came to the county, they had not seen each other much.
He knew that Li Huiyuan had also passed the exam, and he wanted to send something to congratulate him.
Fortunately, Shen Hui reminded him that if he went, it would make people gossip.
Ling Xing thought about it too, he was now a widower, Li Huiyuan was still unmarried, and he was also a scholar.
If he appeared at Li’s house with something, he would definitely be gossiped about.
He simply avoided suspicion and asked Shen Gui to send some food over, and also brought a word of congratulations, and didn’t even dare to write a letter.
Li Huiyuan also expressed his thanks through Shen Gui.
Later, Shen Hui said that Li Huiyuan was going to enter the county school, but for the sake of livelihood, he chose to open a private school to earn some money and study by himself, and did not enter the county school.
This matter spread throughout the county school, and it was not a secret.
Perhaps the private school was busy, and Ling Xing himself was busy, and the two of them lost contact.
Seeing Li Huiyuan in front of the shop today, Ling Xing was stunned for a moment.
Shen Hui was going to rush to the state city early tomorrow morning, and he did not go to the county school today, but rested at home to recuperate.
Hearing the knock on the door, he knew that Ling Xing had returned from seeing the shop business, and he hurriedly went to open the door.
The moment he opened the door, the smile on Shen Hui’s mouth froze.
Li Huiyuan saluted with his hands clasped, looking tired, “Brother Shen.”
Shen Hui replied expressionlessly, “Li Sanlang.”
Ling Xing went to the stove room to pour tea and went to the main room to entertain Li Huiyuan.
After not seeing each other for a long time, Li Huiyuan had changed a lot.
He did not have the energy he used to have, and he was much thinner, his face was exhausted, and he was also wearing a white cloth strip on his arm.
This was a filial piety band.
When a close elder relative died at home, the descendants needed to wear it.
The larger the family, the more rules there were. Not only did they have to wear filial piety bands, but they also had to eat vegetarian food for three months.
Ordinary people did not have so many rules. Some filial piety bands could be taken off after only seven days, otherwise, it would be inconvenient to work.
In addition, they were busy with their livelihood all day long, and it was easy to forget to wear this.
It was better to shorten the time and do their filial piety.
Ling Xing noticed Li Huiyuan’s filial piety band at first glance, thinking that Li Huiyuan had been smart since he was a child, but he was unlucky. After passing the child student exam, there were close relatives who died in his family every time there was an imperial examination.
This year, he was finally able to participate in the college entrance examination, and he finally passed a scholar exam, just waiting for the provincial exam in late August to get a provincial graduate, and then he could enter the palace exam in the spring of the following year, followed by the palace exam.
It seemed that Li Huiyuan had no chance to take the provincial exam again this time.
When close relatives died, officials had to resign to observe mourning. Only officials who were highly valued and capable could have the emperor seize their love and not have to leave the court to go home to observe mourning.
Scholars could not participate in the imperial examination during the three years of mourning.
Ling Xing did not dare to ask along the way, Li Huiyuan was really too unlucky.
No wonder he was so distraught.
For the deceased close relatives, and for himself not being able to participate in the imperial examination again.
This situation, like a curse, was very tormenting to the mentality.
After drinking two cups of tea, Li Huiyuan came back to his senses.
Shen Hui sat next to Ling Xing, hugging his chest with his arms crossed, staring at Li Huiyuan.
Li Huiyuan’s eyes fell on Ling Xing, and he barely smiled, and then noticed Shen Hui next to Ling Xing, hesitated for a moment, and discussed with Shen Hui, “Brother Shen, I have something I want to say to Brother Ling, I wonder if Brother Shen can avoid it for a while?”
Shen Hui glanced at Li Huiyuan, and then stood up.
He stood in the courtyard, took a few steps to look at the main room, and adjusted his position several times, then stood still.
In the main room, Li Huiyuan’s face was pale.
The death of his maternal grandfather before the provincial examination had a great impact on him.
It took him several days to accept the fact that his maternal grandfather had passed away and that he could not participate in the provincial examination this year.