When Shen Cui saw Xiaoci’s greatly shocked reaction, she had one thought in her mind—just this? Just this?

He had been saying before how he wasn’t afraid of hunger or beatings, not afraid of anything.

Just a casual remark from Mu Yunchuan and it ended like this?

Mu Yunchuan also saw his devastated look and had closed his mouth.

He gave Shen Cui a look, asking if he had spoken too harshly?

But upon further thought, he felt it wasn’t that serious, right?

If these words were said by someone very close, it would certainly be hurtful.

But to a total stranger, saying a word like ‘unreformed,’ it should be able to hit him, but not to the extent of really making him feel so dejected.

However, Mu Yunchuan also had no experience in dealing with children and was not sure if his judgment was accurate.

He just thought that he shouldn’t overdo it, and really crush the child.

Shen Cui also didn’t expect Xiaoci to be so fragile.

She didn’t continue to poke the fire, sighed and said, “Such things also depend on mutual willingness. Since you really don’t want to, then let it go.”

After saying a few words, it was time for lunch.

Zheng Shi, after imparting her experience earlier, had already taken the opportunity to prepare the meal while they were talking.

And the meal not only suited their tastes but was also specially prepared for Zhou Shi, the pregnant woman, and Xiaoci.

With her around, Shen Cui really didn’t need to worry at all—when Zhou Shi or Ah Yao were in the academy before, although they were very helpful, they did things according to her instructions.

And Zheng Shi always seemed to be one step ahead of her, sorting out the trivial household matters before she could even speak, and often even more thoughtfully than she had imagined.

“That’s why they say having elders at home is like having a treasure. After grandfather and grandmother arrived, I see mother looking even younger than before.” Zheng Shi has always been good to Zhou Shi.

Today, she has imparted her experience and singled her out for special treatment, so Zhou Shi, who doesn’t usually speak well at the table, couldn’t help but say so.

Shen Cui agreed, didn’t she? After saying this, she sighed again and said, “It’s a pity that your grandmother is still unwilling to live out her old age in the capital. It was only after I and your grandfather’s coaxing that she reluctantly agreed to come and stay with us for a while.”

“You are getting more and more like her. As for us, we rely on our married-out daughters and grandsons to support us. It’s okay to stay for a short while and let relatives and neighbors say that you are filial, inviting us to the capital for a short stay, allowing us old folks to broaden our horizons. That’s fine. But if we were to live here permanently, people would start saying that you two are unfilial.” Zheng Shi spoke of Shen Cui, but couldn’t help but laugh.

Having lived to this age, she had seen the warmth and coldness of human relationships, seen many cases where the elderly were despised by their descendants.

But in her own family, it was her son and daughter who were eager to show filial piety to her.

She had only been away from home for a few months, and she had already received several letters, all specially written by Shen Da and Shen Yi, asking if they were comfortable living away from home? Were they having any problems with the climate and environment? They said that if they were not used to it, they should write back, and they would come to pick them up personally.

Shen Cui wanted to say that in the future, she could also let her two brothers move here.

Except for one careless sister-in-law, everyone else in the family was very honest.

But then she realized that it was not right. Both of her nieces were married in Yongning County.

It was impossible to ask her niece’s in-laws to move their whole family.

If she really let the Shen family move here, she would be able to reunite with her family, but her two nieces would be too far away from their maternal family.

Moreover, at present, Mu Erpang was only serving in the Hanlin Academy, and his salary was barely enough to support a few people, far from being wealthy.

Finally, in a different environment, Shen Cui was also worried that Zheng Shi would not be able to control the whole family as before.

As soon as Mu Erpang and the others passed the exam, there were people rushing to send them house deeds and land deeds.

In the future, this situation would probably become more and more serious.

If she was not careful, it would not only cause a family upheaval, but also affect Mu Erpang’s career.

So, arranging for Mu Yunchuan to have a family with no entanglements, just a stepmother and a foolish younger brother, was actually a kind of help.

If it was a poor rural family with a bunch of relatives, just dealing with family matters would be enough to worry about for half a lifetime.

So Shen Cui didn’t say much more.

But even though she didn’t say anything, with a slight movement of her eyebrows and eyes, Zheng Shi guessed what she was thinking.

So while serving her dishes, she whispered to her, “Don’t think like that. Your brothers are indeed honest, but that honesty is because they are still in their current positions. In the capital, it’s not certain. Don’t think too much. As I said before, you just need to accompany Erpang, and I’ll take care of the family affairs. When your father and I are gone, you and Erpang will be the Mu family, and they will be the Shen family. They can be considered two families, so far apart, gradually reduce contact, and no one can find fault with you and Erpang.”

Shen Cui’s heart softened when she heard this, and she just softly called out, “Mother.”

As the mother and daughter talked, Mu Yunchuan personally served Zhou Shi vegetables and added soup for her.

The meal was truly enjoyable, except for Xiaoci who was not happy.

He didn’t cry anymore, but his face was wooden, and eating was like chewing wax. He ate whatever Lao Buyu gave him.

After the meal, Shen Cui didn’t keep Zhou Shi, who was pregnant, for too long, so she asked Mu Yunchuan to accompany Zhou Shi back to rest.

When they heard that they were leaving, Xiaoci, who had been like a dull puppet, jumped off the long bench.

He staggered a few steps and followed, asking Mu Yunchuan, “Why don’t you want to teach me? You were willing to teach Mu Hanshan before, even though he was so stupid! I’m much smarter than him.”

Although Mu Yunchuan and Mu Erpang were not as close as the siblings in other families, when they heard this strange child insulting Mu Erpang, their faces darkened.

“He is my brother.”

“Then I am still your… you…”

Xiaoci hesitated again.

He couldn’t go against the principles of this world, revealing things that went against the natural order, revealing his true identity.

Mu Yunchuan also ignored him, helped Zhou Shi up, greeted the others, and left Cuiwei.

Xiaoci was completely listless.

Lao Buyu, feeling sorry for him, said, “Xiaoci, what’s wrong with you? You were the one who insulted others just now, and no one insulted you, right? What Headmaster said is right. There’s a kind of fate between teacher and student… Myself, although not as talented as Mu Yunchuan, you can learn from me first. When you improve, you can then study under him!”

Xiaoci used to hate it when Lao Buyu recited scriptures, always thinking that what Lao Buyu said was nonsense, going in one ear and out the other.

But now he actually listened to this, unprecedentedly not talking back, just wiping his eyes and saying with a nasal voice, “I’ll think about it.”

Saying this, he asked to go back to the room.

Shen Cui followed him and got up to lock the gate of the academy.

Back in the hall, Shen Cui saw Lao Buyu with a relieved smile on his face.

He wasn’t really angry that Xiaoci admired Mu Yunchuan more than him, just relieved, saying, “Headmaster is really capable. It only took a few days to make him change his mind. I hope he can understand sooner. Learning to read and write is a good thing that many people dream of, it’s good for him.”

Shen Cui also asked Lao Buyu to take advantage of Xiaoci being unusually quiet and go rest for a while.

She didn’t think as well as Laobuyu did. Xiaoci said he would think about it again, but he might not actually agree later.

This matter, was still not ripe.

So she got up again and went to the back room.

Xiaoci lay flat on the kang, staring silently at the canopy, tears silently streaming down his face.

If he were really an ordinary student, Shen Cui would have felt sorry for him.

But now was not the time to feel sorry.

Shen Cui first thought about all the things he had done before, and then sat down directly on the kang edge.

Xiaoci turned over silently, facing away.

“Ah, this matter has caused a fuss. I was thinking, if he were your teacher, you would probably be more at ease,” Shen Cui said.

This was actually quite true, after all, he had indeed been tempted before, but he still sulked, saying in a muffled voice, “Are you really that kind-hearted?”

Shen Cui suppressed a smile. “Am I really as bad as you say?”

“Not bad, just disrupting the order of the world I painstakingly maintain, taking away my disciple, and keeping me locked up here!” Xiaoci turned around and jumped up.

“My order is not right, but the changes you’ve made after joining in are right? You let so many people participate in the imperial examination, defy fate, vie for supremacy, and compete endlessly…”

Shen Cui couldn’t help but be amazed, “Well, even though you haven’t read many books, you’re quite adept at using idioms.”

“Hmph.” Xiaoci raised his chin somewhat arrogantly, “In places you can’t see, I do almost the same things as you, but I also study with Mu Yunchuan every day!”

Speaking of this, tears welled up in his eyes again, but it was too embarrassing to cry at this juncture of negotiation, so he tried hard to sniff and hold back.

“Well, it seems we have different philosophies. I think a story where one person shines alone is not very interesting; it’s better to have a variety of talents. Look, all the students from our Cuiwei Academy have entered officialdom, but they haven’t overshadowed Mu Yunchuan, have they? He’s not even twenty yet, and he’s already a fifth-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel. Even without your help, he would continue to rise in rank.”

At this mention, Xiaoci burst into tears again. “What’s the point of this kind of promotion that’s the same as ordinary people? Let him be like that person surnamed Pang, who didn’t enter the Grand Council until he was in his thirties. It’s so boring! He could have…”

Shen Cui said solemnly, “But it seems like he doesn’t want that ‘could have.’ Didn’t you already tell him about the future in his dreams? Aren’t these things now his own choice? You said we were doing the same thing before, but I just wanted to help them, give them a boost, let them rise with the wind, but I wouldn’t interfere with their own choices… and certainly wouldn’t want to harm the lives of those around them.”

Unable to argue with her, Xiaoci lay down angrily again, facing inward, saying, “This kind of thing is meaningless! If your story were written into a book, it would be very, very ugly, and no one would read it!”

After saying that, he covered his ears, refusing to communicate with Shen Cui anymore. “Forget it, I said I’ll think about it again, so I’ll think about it again. Whatever you say now, I won’t listen!”

Shen Cui stood up. “Well, it seems I can’t convince you. Oh well, I’ll invite Mu Yunchuan over next time. By the way, he left something here earlier.”

Xiaoci curiously peeked out from under his eyelids and saw Shen Cui holding a long piece of yellow paper with some intricate cinnabar patterns on it.

He immediately recognized this as the charm that Mu Yunchuan had begged from the officials of the Qintianjian when he had treated his special care as an invasion of demons and evil spirits.

Seeing this thing made him more uncomfortable than being beaten to death!

“Why is he still keeping this thing?” He was angry and embarrassed, and he let go of his hand covering his ears.

Of course, Shen Cui had mentioned this when she asked them to come over.

She had specifically mentioned that she had not been feeling well lately, but it didn’t seem like an illness.

She had seen Mu Yunchuan dealing with the officials of the Qintianjian while accompanying Zhou Shi to buy New Year goods, and had asked him about it.

So this thing was not something Mu Yunchuan had left behind, but something Shen Cui had specifically asked for.

She lied with her eyes open, saying, “I don’t know either. Maybe he’s still on guard against something? Since he’s carrying it with him, it seems to be very important. We’ll have to return it to him next time.”

Xiaoci sat up like a carp, crying and shouting, “I’ll study, I’ll study! Don’t let him come again, I don’t want to see him again!”

Then he quickly got off the kang, put on his shoes, and rushed into the classroom.