Chapter 163: Why

The brand-new roof, adorned with glass tiles at the eaves, shimmered in the sunlight.

The doors and windows, being of good quality, were not replaced but instead received a fresh coat of paint or tung oil, giving them a brand-new appearance.

The walls of the house and the courtyard were meticulously sanded and repainted. Half of the courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, while the other half was adorned with flowers and plants. A small section was left for growing vegetables for daily consumption.

Inside the house, all the furniture was in place, with delicate decorations and furnishings elegantly arranged.

The overall look was simple yet elegant, with each decoration and furnishing exuding quality.

With the courtyard tidied up, on a day when most were free, a meal was prepared and enjoyed in the new residence, marking the warming of the new home.

As the end of July approached, the courtyard exam was imminent.

To allow the students to focus on their preparations, Master Meng granted a break to the eight students preparing for the provincial examination, allowing them to return home and get ready.

Consequently, half of the seats in Master Meng’s classroom sat empty, as half of the students were on break.

Observing the vacant seats around them, the remaining students who still had classes couldn’t help but envy those who were granted time off.

Passing the provincial examination meant obtaining the title of Xiucai.

Being a Xiucai came with various privileges such as exemption from labor duties, tax exemptions, and the ability to meet county officials without the need to kneel…

Those who passed the Xiucai examination had the chance to enroll in the county school, receiving a monthly stipend provided by the school. Even if they couldn’t enroll, just carrying the title of Xiucai would attract individuals seeking help to educate others and start earning money, supplementing their not-so-wealthy families.

After all, education required funds. Most households were not impoverished, but they weren’t affluent either. At this point in their studies, dedicating efforts to education and being able to contribute back to the family was the wish and dream of almost everyone.

Yet, at present, they hadn’t even reached the level of Tongsheng, so they needed to work even harder.

Due to the Tongsheng candidates participating in the courtyard exam, the enthusiasm for studying among others in the school was noticeably higher than usual.

Even Jiang Chunbao was more diligent than usual.

Just the thought of Jiang Yocai’s words, only allowing him to study for two more years, and if he couldn’t pass in that time, he would be stopped from studying, made Jiang Chunbao feel uneasy.

Especially upon hearing that Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun had warmed their new house and were planning to move to the county town in the coming days, his heart felt even more unsettled.

Comparing oneself to others can be maddening.

This Song Jingyun truly seemed to have good luck.

Jiang Chunbao’s mind was filled with bitterness, to the extent that as he walked home from the school in the evening, he “accidentally” passed by the Third family’s household and saw Song Jingyun digging soil for peonies in the yard. This only added to his feelings of discontent.

Life really isn’t fair.

He studied through the coldest winters and the hottest summers, couldn’t even pass the Tongsheng examination, while Song Jingyun, who seemed to be idle upon returning, spent most of the time around Jiang Mixia, was now about to participate in the courtyard exam?

Angry!

Why!

Jiang Chunbao was shaking with rage.

I must figure out a way!

Jiang Chunbao’s eyes darted around as he bent down to pick up a sharp-edged stone lying by his foot, weighing it in his hand.

The weight was just right, and the stone had sharp edges.

If thrown and it hit someone, it would surely leave a bruise. If it happened to hit an unfortunate spot, it could cause injury.

Moreover, Song Jingyun was holding a shovel. If the stone hit perfectly, it might just make the shovel strike his hand, foot, or shin.

If he ended up injured, unable to participate in the exam, he would never be able to take part in the courtyard examination again.

However, even if there were no severe consequences, just causing an injury would still affect Song Jingyun’s performance in the exam.

If Song Jingyun encountered an unexpected mishap, hindering the smooth progress of the exam, Jiang Chunbao would find solace.

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Chunbao, seeing nobody around, tightened his grip on the stone, took aim at Song Jingyun, raised his hand, ready to throw the stone!

But as Jiang Chunbao lifted his arm, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow sprinting towards him out of the corner of his eye.

It was a dog.

A large black dog, with shiny fur even in the dusk of the evening, robust limbs, agile strides, swiftly approaching him.

Jiang Chunbao didn’t recognize this dog. He had never seen it before, not even recalling any household in the nearby villages owning such a dog.

Yet, at that moment, the dog was barking loudly, charging towards him with its jaws wide open.

The target seemed to be him?

After a moment of confusion, Jiang Chunbao, disregarding the stone, let out a cry and bolted, trying to escape.

The dog swiftly closed in on him.

Jiang Chunbao ran as fast as he could, but the dog matched his pace. When he slowed down, so did the dog. If he turned a corner, the dog followed suit…

Jiang Chunbao sprinted frantically, nearly in tears and screaming, utilizing every ounce of his strength.

Despite his efforts, the dog with four legs caught up to him. After a couple of turns, Jiang Chunbao was tackled to the ground.

Jiang Chunbao hit the ground hard, struggling to keep running, feeling the sharp bite of the large black dog sinking into his leg.

The intense pain left Jiang Chunbao’s mind blank, his face drained of color, and beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.

After a moment, Jiang Chunbao finally let out a painful cry, struggling to break free from this seemingly hellish dog.

However, before he could make any movement, the large black dog had already bitten him several times in succession.

His calf, thigh, back…

Jiang Chunbao could even feel the moment his flesh and blood were being torn from his body.

As he witnessed the gaping maw with jagged teeth, seemingly still holding shreds of his own skin and flesh, charging straight at his face, Jiang Chunbao let out a heart-wrenching scream, his eyes rolling back as he fainted.

The sounds of whimpers, tearing, shredding of clothes and flesh gradually faded into the night.

…

When the people of Jiang Family Village found Jiang Chunbao, the sky had already turned pitch black.

From noon onwards, the clouds obscured the sun, and by evening, not even a few stars were visible in the sky.

In such darkness, it was extremely challenging to spot Jiang Chunbao lying unconscious at the village entrance.

By chance, Jiang He noticed a missing lamb while counting his sheep at home. Upon searching, he stumbled upon the gruesome sight of Jiang Chunbao, causing him to sit in shock for a while before rushing back to the village to seek help and inform Jiang Yocai’s family.

Jiang Chunbao was carried back to the village by the villagers and Yang, the doctor, was urgently summoned to provide treatment.

Doctor Yang stayed at Jiang Yocai’s home all night, using four or five bottles of medicine to treat the wounds. By dawn, wiping the sweat off his forehead, he remarked, “With injuries like these, it’s best to quickly take him to the county medical clinic for further assessment.”