Chapter 532: Chapter 274 Academic_2
"...Little Imperial Doctor Wang is our benefactor, indeed," Lian Shouxin said with emotion, "We’re just a family of tenant farmers, barely scraping by with enough to eat. What reason would such a family have to take any interest in us? It’s pure kindness on their part."
"Indeed," Lady Zhang also nodded, "Imperial Doctor Wang is a good person too. Even our village’s Doctor Li is a decent man, right? Sometimes when we ask him over, there’s still a question of whether he would come willingly or not. When Manman was ill, we owed it all to them. What status do they hold, and yet they saved Manman’s life, and Da Hei even came to visit her. Knowing we had no money, they didn’t even charge us for the medicine."
"The people from the Old Wang Family are all quite benevolent," Lian Shouxin remarked.
The Wang Family had a very good reputation across all the villages within ten miles. Scholar Wang’s Family in the village, although a bit aloof, had never been involved in acts of bullying or oppressing the locals. Imperial Doctor Wang and his son Wang Youheng were even kinder, truly embodying the heart of a healer.
"Manman is lucky," Lady Zhang glanced at Lian Manman, who was happily holding a sweet potato, as her conversation drifted back to Manman. "If Imperial Doctor Wang hadn’t been in the village at that time, this child might not have been able to cling to life."
It wasn’t just that Manman had a stroke of luck; if it weren’t for Imperial Doctor Shi stepping in, she would have lost her life long ago. Now that Lian Manman’s family had separated and started a new life, things were gradually looking up. People said to her that those who survive great misfortune are destined for later blessings.
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi came home for lunch and learned about the sweet potato matter. Xiao Qi, looking at the plump sweet potatoes, felt his mouth water a bit.
"Sister, can we eat one to try?" Xiao Qi asked Lian Manman.
Lian Manman coughs dryly, feeling the struggle herself. Xiao Qi had never tasted sweet potato; he was merely curious. But Lian Manman vividly remembered the delicious taste of sweet potatoes. She wanted to eat one too, but she couldn’t.
"No, Xiao Qi, these sweet potatoes need to be saved for seeds, we can’t eat them. Just think, if we eat one now, come autumn, we would harvest several hundred pounds less of sweet potatoes. Be good, Xiao Qi, hold on. Just wait for autumn, then you can eat however you want, as much as you want," Lian Manman said, gently patting Xiao Qi’s fuzzy head, patiently persuading him.
"Okay, then I won’t eat it, we’ll save all these sweet potatoes as seeds," Xiao Qi said, squinting and smiling.
Xiao Qi was a sensible child, easy to coax. In fact, he was just playfully nudging Lian Manman. The children of tenant farmers, even the most pampered, all knew the preciousness of seeds.
Of course, what Xiao Qi didn’t know was that all the reasons Lian Manman gave were more to convince herself than him.
That evening, Lady Zhang, along with Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman, prepared a sumptuous meal. Wang Youheng, timing it just right for when Wu Lang and Xiao Qi got out of school, picked them up and brought them from town. This meal, besides Wang Youheng and Mr. Loo, didn’t include other guests. These two men were not outsiders in the eyes of Lian Manman’s family. Thus, Lian Manman, Lady Zhang, and Lian Zhizhi also sat at the same table, and everyone dined together.
After dinner, Lian Manman brewed some hot tea, and initially, there was some general small talk. Eventually the conversation turned to studies, with Mr. Loo, Wang Youheng, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi discussing academic matters.
"...I’ve read your two essays," Mr. Loo told Wang Youheng, "Although the rhetoric is not yet mature, the logic is clear. This year, you might as well take a shot at the exam. In a moment, I’ll write down two topics for you, write on them when you get back, and bring them to me for review," he said.
"That is most kind, Teacher," Wang Youheng quickly stood up to express his gratitude.
The suggestion that Wang Youheng could sit for the examination didn’t make much impression on Xiao Qi, but Wu Lang’s eyes shone bright with anticipation.
"Don’t rush, you’ve got time," said Mr. Loo who had had a sip of wine and seemed keener and more alert, as he smilingly advised Wu Lang.
Wu Lang’s face turned a shade of red as he lowered his head, aware of his eagerness. Because of his family’s circumstances, he had started his studies later than others. Therefore, he valued every opportunity even more, trying to make every Chinese hour count as two, wishing to seize every moment for studying, hardly letting go of his books. Yet even so, he had only been studying seriously for so long; it would probably take a few more years before he could consider sitting for the exams.
Mr. Loo looked at Wu Lang with a smile, his understanding of the student from their day-to-day interactions enabling him to guess rather accurately what Wu Lang was thinking. Wu Lang’s ambition pleased him; his diligence and eagerness to learn had been one of the reasons Mr. Loo agreed to teach these young students initially.
"Mr. Loo, this year can I try to reach the level of Brother Youheng..." Wu Lang hesitated but ultimately raised his head to ask.
Mr. Loo stroked his beard and chuckled, but didn’t immediately respond. Everyone watched him, waiting for his reply, while Mr. Loo enjoyed the small moment of being the center of attention. Lian Manman thought Mr. Loo appeared slightly childish, and she couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Mr. Loo was indeed a man of genuine character, something that became more apparent the longer one knew him.
"...As long as you are willing to apply yourself, not afraid of hardship, and follow the plan I have laid out for you, well, next year, perhaps you can start by attempting the Tongsheng examination," Mr. Loo teased everyone’s curiosity to the limit before finally speaking.
For that answer, everyone in Lian Manman’s family was pleasantly surprised.
That night, the group chatted until late, parting happily when the evening was over.
The next day, just after lunchtime, another piece of good news arrived. A person from the Prefecture of Fuzhou up in the mountains knew how to cultivate sweet potatoes. Lian Shouxin immediately went up the mountain and brought the person down.
***......***(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, I welcome you to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
