Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Qin Er Lang Leaves
Brother Cheng obediently picked up the ink stick and started grinding ink on the inkstone. After grinding, he held the paper down with one hand and wrote with the other. Being young, it was somewhat difficult for him to handle a brush as thick as an index finger, so the characters he wrote were worse than usual.
Master Xia watched him from the moment he began grinding ink, to paper holding, and then writing. His frown deepened throughout the process. It was a good thing he had come; otherwise, this child’s talents would have been wasted by the Gu Family.
The movements for grinding ink were incorrect, using hands to hold the paper while neglecting the paperweight beside him, the brush held unsteadily, and the posture while writing was not correct either – it lacked the upright stature of a pine or the stability of a boulder.
The written characters were too round, totally devoid of the vigorous and elegant beauty of a dragon’s dance.
Master Xia felt he was going to go insane; it was almost unbearable.
Still smiling, Brother Cheng presented his writing to him: "Brother Cheng has finished writing, please take a look, Master."
Master Xia’s irritation softened substantially at the sight of Brother Cheng’s smiling face. There was hope. It’s worth teaching him properly.
Master Xia accepted the paper and praised as he looked at the characters: "Not bad at all."
Brother Cheng beamed at the compliment, turned to wink at Gu Jin’an, made faces at Gu Jinli, and stood obediently when he turned back to Master Xia, looking very well-behaved.
Gu Jin’an watched Brother Cheng and was filled with emotion... Back home, Brother Cheng was always scolded and beaten by the Old Gu Family, which made him timid. He was not just quiet but also very afraid of contact with strangers. It worried him greatly, but now, having left the Old Gu Family, Brother Cheng had finally become lively.
Gu Dashan watched Master Xia anxiously and, once Master Xia put down the paper, asked, "Master Xia, Brother Cheng is a country child and has never attended a private school... If his writing is not good, please take the time to teach him."
Master Xia was waiting for these words: "Brother Cheng is a bright child. With good instruction for a decade, it’s not improbable for him to pass the highest exams and become renowned far and wide."
Gu Dashan smiled shyly: "He doesn’t need great achievements. As long as he is sensible and able to pass for a Scholar, having the skills to provide for the family would be sufficient."
Hearing this, Master Xia inwardly cursed Gu Dashan. Do you think you’re like yourself? Content with just farming the land? Brother Cheng must at least become the top scorer of the imperial exams, place within the top three, and possess a skill to be renowned throughout Great Chu to be worthy of his status as an heir.
Otherwise, his blood, mixed with that of the rural Gu Family, would surely be disparaged and rejected by every noble family.
However, Master Xia’s intention was to take Brother Cheng as a student, so he had to maintain a good relationship with the Gu Family People. Regardless of his distaste for Gu Dashan, he had to greet with a smile: "Brother Gu, rest assured, I, Xia, will teach Brother Cheng properly."
Gu Jinli: "Wait a minute. Does Master Xia mean to take my younger brother as a student? Does someone as scholarly and madcap as Master Xia also like to take disciples?"
First disliking his father, then taking Brother Cheng as a disciple, it all seemed quite strange.
Master Xia threw his wide sleeves elegantly, forming a beautiful sleeve gesture which he gracefully brought back to rest on his knee. He looked at Gu Jinli and said: "I, Xia, believe in fate. Brother Cheng is pleasing to my eye, and I have no problem teaching him for a few years."
He teased with a smile: "Could it be that the Gu Family looks down on someone like me, Xia, a scholar who is unworthy to instruct Brother Cheng?"
Gu Dashan, alarmed, quickly said: "Master, you misunderstand. Our family has no such thoughts. Xiao Yu has always been fond of Brother Cheng and tends to ask a few more questions regarding him. If she has said anything unpleasant, please do not take offense, Master."
Gu Dashan was a farmer who had never met a Master Scholar in his life. After being charmed by Master Xia for an hour, he practically saw Master Xia as a divine being and was eager for his child to study under Master Xia and eventually succeed in life.
Gu Jinli frowned and took an instant dislike to Master Xia; she turned to look at Gu Jin’an, seeking his opinion with her eyes.
Gu Jin’an said, "Xiao Yu, rest assured, Master Xia is a trustworthy person, it would be great for Brother Cheng to be taught by him."
Although he also felt that there was something off about Master Xia, the care he had received from him was definitely genuine.
He had also met Master Xia’s wife, a dignified, beautiful, gentle, and generous lady, who treated him with the affection of a parent. During the two days he stayed at the Xia family home, every meal was personally prepared by Lady Xia.
After hearing this, Gu Jinli spoke, "Father, studying is Brother Cheng’s matter, we should ask Brother Cheng about it. He has always been timid, and he’s most afraid of staying away from home. What if he doesn’t want to leave home to study in town?"
Brother Cheng was indeed very scared of leaving home and staying with strangers. Gu Jinli’s remark made him anxious immediately.
The little guy’s eyes widened with fear, and with a tearful voice, he said, "Father, can’t I stay at home while studying with Master Xia? If not, I won’t study, please don’t send me to town. Sister Hui Niang said that this house is haunted; Brother Cheng doesn’t want to live in a haunted house."
Gu Dashan hurried to comfort him, "Don’t be afraid, there are no ghosts here, Sister Hui Niang was teasing you."
Master Xia frowned upon seeing this, troubled by how dependent Brother Cheng seemed on the Gu Family People. This would not do.
He smiled and gently patted Brother Cheng on the back, saying, "Brother Cheng, don’t worry, you’ll just come to study with the teacher for four hours a day, and you can go home in the afternoon."
Upon hearing this, Brother Cheng finally stopped crying: "Really?"
Master Xia nodded, "Really."
Brother Cheng smiled, "Then I’ll come study with Master Xia."
Brother Tongsheng always came to invite him to play, but Brother Tongsheng liked to play with things that he didn’t enjoy at all—shaping mud into the form of dishes, then baking them over a fire, and finally pretending to enjoy a feast together. He didn’t like this game at all; each time he played, he felt it was so silly.
He might as well go to town to study.
Seeing that Brother Cheng had agreed, Gu Jinli had no choice but to let it be.
Gu Dashan was very happy, believing that Brother Cheng would surely pass the exams and secure an official position after studying with Master Xia, and wouldn’t have to worry about his future. He said goodbye to Master Xia, agreeing to send Brother Cheng to study in a few days.
Master Xia saw them out, and instructed his servants to load the books given to Gu Jin’an by the Zheng Family and the Shangguan family onto the Gu Family’s mule cart.
Gu Dashan, seeing the five full boxes of books, was ecstatic, feeling that both of his sons had promising futures. His spine straightened with pride as he drove the mule cart back home.
The news of Gu Jin’an’s return spread quickly, and as soon as Village Chief He learned that he had brought back many books, he immediately pulled He Jinseng over to the Gu Family’s home. This time he made his request plainly, "Good Brother An, you must help Jin Sheng. When you go to Master Xia’s home or to Jinling Prefecture, take him with you... and lend him some of those books given by the nobles. Village Chief Grandpa thanks you."
Gu Jin’an smiled and said, "Village Chief, Brother Jin Sheng and I are friends. If he has any difficulties, he can come and talk to me. If Master Xia agrees, I will take him to see Master Xia. As for the books, Brother Jin Sheng can read them if he wishes, but he must take good care of them; they are not easy to come by, and we must cherish them."
He Jinseng quickly responded, "Rest assured, Good Brother An, I will take good care of them and not damage a single page."
Village Chief He was even more delighted upon hearing this and chatted happily with the Third Grandpa at the Gu Family home for a long time, only leaving when it got completely dark.
The news about Gu Jin’an’s return from Jinling Prefecture, as well as his acquaintance with Master Xia, who had recently moved to the town, circulated around the village for an entire day. However, on the third day, the news was overshadowed by Qin Er Lang’s departure from the village to join the military at Yuchang Prefecture.