Chapter 496: Chapter 256 Home Tutor_2
It’s a rather serendipitous story. Long before Empress Shen passed away, there were plans to construct a temple, and an architect had even been commissioned to design and draw up the plans. At that time, Mr. Loo was in the capital and had participated in the design and drawing process. Some people mentioned this to the Shen Family on behalf of Mr. Loo, pleading for his sake.
After making inquiries, the Shen Family learned that Mr. Loo was a man of talent and integrity, and he hadn’t offended anyone of significance, so they agreed to the request, petitioned the Emperor, and had Mr. Loo’s exile commuted, allowing him to come here to devote his efforts to constructing a temple for Empress Shen.
However, what caught Lian Manman’s attention wasn’t that Mr. Loo had been an official of the fifth rank, but that he was an Imperial Scholar from The Sixth Year of Xihe.
An Imperial Scholar! Lian Manman’s eyes lit up at the time. Within a hundred miles of their location, no one had ever achieved the rank of Imperial Scholar, and even the tutors in the town’s private schools only held the title of Scholar.
It was as if a golden phoenix had unexpectedly fallen from the sky. Though down on his luck, he was nonetheless a genuine golden phoenix. Lian Manman didn’t care whether Mr. Loo was an official; what mattered to her was that he possessed genuine knowledge and had once passed the examination to become an Imperial Scholar.
If they could get Mr. Loo to be their tutor, then wouldn’t Wu Lang and Xiao Qi have a better chance on the path of the imperial examinations, and wouldn’t she no longer have to wait eagerly every day for Wu Lang and Xiao Qi to teach her what they had learned at the private school?
Such an opportunity was rare and must be seized to make Mr. Loo their home tutor. That was the decision Lian Manman made once she learned of Mr. Loo’s background.
She shared the idea with her family, and everyone, especially Wu Lang, strongly supported her decision.
Mr. Loo didn’t have many managerial duties on the mountain and served more like a design consultant, with the Shen Family providing him with a rather generous remuneration. Mr. Loo was a man who liked cleanliness, but he was not very good at tidying up. Ever since discovering that Lian Manman was adept at washing clothes, he often brought his laundry for her to wash.
Lian Manman took this opportunity to bring a book to Mr. Loo for advice. Mr. Loo was quite surprised to find a country girl who could read and write and was seeking his scholarly guidance. After his initial surprise, Mr. Loo patiently explained the answers to her questions.
After several such encounters, Lian Manman realized that Mr. Loo was very knowledgeable, capable of discussing astronomy and geography with ease. Mr. Loo could provide extensive references and explanations that were both deep and vivid for a simple question, broadening Lian Manman’s horizons.
Then Lian Manman deliberately arranged for Wu Lang to interact with Mr. Loo, and Wu Lang greatly benefited from the experience, feeling that Mr. Loo’s level of scholarship was unattainable by the private school tutors.
Over these days of interaction, Lian Manman found Mr. Loo to be upright and approachable. After they became more acquainted, he was even easier to get along with. After a subtle probe, Lian Manman felt the time was right for the next step—asking Mr. Loo to become their teacher. He probably wouldn’t refuse.
She was carefully assessing Mr. Loo, but it went without saying that Mr. Loo was also assessing them. After all, no matter how knowledgeable Mr. Loo was or how capable he was of teaching, if the students were dull and lacked insight, it would all be for naught, wouldn’t it?
Lian Manman calculated while firmly deciding to prepare a more lavish dinner that evening and finalize the matter! She must bring the golden phoenix, Imperial Scholar Mr. Loo, into their home!
Once Lian Manman had finished calculating the day’s accounts, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi happened to return from school.
Seeing Mr. Loo there, both Wu Lang and Xiao Qi’s eyes shone with joy, and they respectfully greeted Mr. Loo with a bow.
"What did you learn today?" Mr. Loo, pleased with the brothers’ respect, put down his scroll and asked.
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi answered one by one.
"Sir, I have a question I’d like to ask you," Wu Lang said.
"Good, come and sit down to talk," Mr. Loo replied gently.
Lian Manman quickly cleared away the account books from the table and moved the table closer to Mr. Loo. The three siblings listened together as Mr. Loo gave a lesson.
It wasn’t until Lady Zhang began to cook dinner that Mr. Loo’s lesson came to a pause. Wu Lang thoughtfully poured Mr. Loo some hot tea, while Lian Manman went to the outer room to discuss with Lady Zhang about adding more dishes to the evening meal.
"Brother, why don’t we try to bring up the matter of becoming Mr. Loo’s disciples later?" Lian Manman suggested to Wu Lang when he came out to fetch water.
"That would be great; I’ve been looking forward to it," Wu Lang replied with joy.
Inviting Mr. Loo to be their tutor required a more formal proposition from the family’s elders.
Xiao Qi went to fetch Lian Shouxin.
"Mr. Loo, in the eyes of us tenant farmers, you are like a celestial being. I have a request to make, albeit reluctantly," Lian Shouxin said, somewhat nervously, as this matter concerned the future of the children. Although Lian Manman and Wu Lang had coached him earlier on what to say, such as the phrase "albeit reluctantly," Lian Shouxin had just learned these new words. "...to guide a few children,... it must be fate, otherwise, even with us burning incense and offering any number of gifts, we could not have hoped to have you... we will definitely do our utmost to provide the tuition..."
Unlike the people Lian Shouxin usually dealt with, Mr. Loo was an Imperial Scholar, the elite among scholars. Nervous, Lian Shouxin stumbled over his words, forgetting the lines Lian Manman and Wu Lang had taught him, but what he said came from the heart.
"Sir, please be our teacher," Wu Lang, Lian Manman, and Xiao Qi bowed down to Mr. Loo.
***...***......
The second watch, seeking pink.
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Recommended finished book by Ruoyan "The Most Enchanting" – A fantasy version of My Sassy Girl, less than 500,000 characters, moderately long. The direct link is below; click to go straight there.
Book Number: 2184407 (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to give recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
