Chapter 29: Xu Jian is Punished, Xu Nian Succeeds

At the foot of Ling Mountain, in the county school

Xu Ji and his two brothers had been in the county school for over ten days. From the initial confusion to their current composure, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

“Ji, are we heading to the Ziyuan dining hall? I’m starving,” said a young boy who still had a bit of baby fat. He appeared to be about the same age as Xu Ji.

This was none other than Fan Wensi, Xu Ji’s roommate and the youngest son of Instructor Fan. His only passion was eating, and the one thing he couldn’t endure was hunger.

Xu Ji put away his paper and brush before slowly making his way to Fan Wensi, walking together towards the dining hall.

The county school was divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D, further split into upper, middle, and lower levels based on academic progress.

Class A consisted of students who had already obtained the “xiucai” scholar title, making their numbers few. Class B was for those who had passed the “tongsheng” exam, typically around fifteen years old. Class C was for students with a solid foundation, preparing to take the “tongsheng” exam. Class D was the most diverse, with some students already studying the Four Books, while others had yet to memorize their basic primers.

During their entrance assessment, Xu Ji was placed in Class D Upper, while his two younger brothers, Xu Kang and Xu Jian, were assigned to Class D Middle.

Although they studied in different classrooms, they were fortunate to be assigned the same dormitory.

Besides the three brothers and Fan Wensi, their dormitory housed two other students: Wu Ziwen, the county magistrate’s youngest son from a concubine named Madam Qiu, and Qiu Jie, Madam Qiu’s nephew.

Both of them were in Class C Lower. Xu Ji was not familiar with them beyond occasional nods of acknowledgment.

By the time Xu Ji and Fan Wensi arrived at the dining hall, many classmates were already seated. Among them were Xu Kang and Xu Jian. Upon seeing Xu Ji, Xu Jian excitedly waved his hands, only to have Xu Kang swiftly press them down.

“Do you want to get punished by Instructor Zhou again for making a scene?” Xu Kang scolded.

Xu Jian awkwardly retracted his hands. He had forgotten himself in excitement.

Scholars valued decorum and proper conduct, and the county school was strict in enforcing these principles.

In the past few days, Xu Jian had already been punished at least three times for shouting loudly and running in the halls. Now, every time Instructor Zhou saw him, he would glare at him with wide eyes, making Xu Jian so nervous he barely knew how to walk properly anymore.

Xu Ji nodded at his younger brothers before heading off with Fan Wensi to get their meals.

The county school provided free accommodation and meals, with no tuition fees required. These expenses were covered partly by land revenues and partly by contributions from wealthy families, whose children were admitted through donations.

According to regulations, only students who had passed the “tongsheng” exam could enroll in the county school. However, exceptions were made for those recommended by officials, like Xu Ji, and for the sons of wealthy landowners who paid for entry.

At the food counter, Fan Wensi groaned in frustration upon seeing that the meal consisted of tofu and amaranth greens once again.

“I’m still growing! Who is so cruel to treat me like this?” he wailed dramatically.

Xu Ji calmly filled his bowl with rice and vegetables before smirking. “They have chicken legs for eight wen.”

Fan Wensi gave Xu Ji an aggrieved look, internally complaining that this was deliberate. Xu Ji knew full well how frugal his father was.

If he bought a chicken leg, his father would make him write ten extra pages of calligraphy as punishment.

After some internal struggle, Fan Wensi sighed and begrudgingly scooped up a serving of tofu and greens.

Meanwhile, Xu Jian’s eyes turned watery the moment he saw his elder brother. He immediately began complaining about how Instructor Zhou was constantly watching him like a hawk.

Xu Kang gave him a deadpan look, as if he were looking at a fool.

Sure enough, Xu Ji’s calm voice soon followed, “No talking while eating. Do you want to sweep the courtyard again?”

Xu Jian instantly clamped his mouth shut, resembling a duck with its neck squeezed.

He wanted to go home. He needed to tell his eldest sister how miserable he was. He had to tell her that even his second brother was bullying him now…

Fan Wensi had just taken his seat when he noticed Xu Jian looking red-faced and exasperated.

“What’s wrong with you? Got punished again?” he asked curiously.

Xu Kang couldn’t hold back his laughter, and even Xu Ji’s lips curved slightly in amusement.

Xu Jian ignored the three of them and focused on eating his meal. Hmph! None of them were any good.

Fan Wensi: ……

On their way back to the classroom, the four of them started discussing the upcoming break.

“Ji, where will you be going during the break?”

Xu Ji also missed his family, but he had his own plans.

“I won’t be going back this time. There’s a monthly exam at the end of the month, so I plan to stay and take it before returning home.”

Hearing this, Xu Kang and Xu Jian agreed. “Then we won’t go back either. We’ll return together after the monthly exam.”

Fan Wensi had originally planned to invite Xu Ji to a restaurant for a proper feast, but now his plans were ruined.

“Are you guys even human? I already tolerate the late-night studying, but now you won’t even take a break on our rest days!”

After spending time together, Fan Wensi had come to understand Xu Ji’s personality—this guy was determined to move up to Class C as soon as possible.

Hmph! Trying to surpass him and enjoy a carefree life in Class C? Wishful thinking! If Xu Ji wasn’t going back, then neither was he! He’d stay here and study just as hard!

The three brothers watched in silence as Fan Wensi suddenly puffed up like a victorious rooster, marching ahead with great determination.

Xu Kang couldn’t help but mutter, “Brother Wensi’s temperament is just like our fourth brother’s.”

Xu Jian, feeling like he had just been insulted: ……

Meanwhile, Xu Nian, who cared deeply for her younger brothers, was unaware that they had decided not to return home for the break.

By the time she got back from the Zhu family, Xu Fugui and his brother had already sold all the vegetables and returned home. In the courtyard stood Hunter Wang.

It turned out that Hunter Wang had caught a large prey on Ling Mountain and earned some silver. He had come to repay his debts.

Madam Wang took out the IOUs from various families, found the one belonging to Hunter Wang, and handed it over to him, settling their accounts.

“Haha! It feels so good to be debt-free. I haven’t been able to sleep well these past few days!”

“Just be careful. Don’t go too deep into the mountains just for the sake of silver.”

Hunter Wang knew that Madam Wang was speaking out of concern, so he smiled and assured her, “Don’t worry, Aunt Xu, I always stay cautious.”

Xu Nian, listening from the side, suddenly had an idea.

“Uncle Wang, when you go hunting in Ling Mountain again, can you take me with you?”

Hunter Wang was taken aback. That was out of the question! If it were before, he might have agreed, but things were different now. The Xu family’s eldest daughter was practically managing the household. If something happened to her, it wouldn’t be a minor issue.

Seeing his hesitation, Xu Nian turned to Madam Wang with a pitiful look.

Madam Wang had a soft heart despite her stern demeanor. As expected, she couldn’t resist her eldest granddaughter’s pleading expression. Xu Nian had always worked hard for the family and had never asked for anything. It was just a trip to the mountain—why not? She had to go!

“Hey, Wang boy, how about this? I’ll have my second son go with her. They won’t venture too deep into the mountains, so it should be safe enough.”

Since Madam Wang had spoken, and since an Xu family member would be accompanying them, Hunter Wang no longer had any objections.

“Sounds good. We’ll set out for Ling Mountain two days from now, early in the morning.”

Having gotten her way, Xu Nian’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Madam Wang playfully poked her, saying, “Look at you, grinning like a cat that just stole a fish. Always up to mischief!”

Xu Nian, smiling cheekily: “……”