Top Scholar

Chapter 32 The Secret That Was Not Passed Down
"Oh my! Mr. Dongpo, isn't that our ancestor on the wall?" Su Tai exclaimed, speechless with surprise.

"Shh...don't make a sound." Su Man nervously looked back and saw that they had already left the people behind far behind, so she warned, "Don't flaunt your wealth, especially your treasures. If outsiders find out, our family will be in trouble."

"Mmm!" Su Tai quickly covered his mouth and nodded vigorously, saying in a muffled voice, "Don't worry, big brother, I'd rather die than tell!"

"Well, this is something we should keep to ourselves," Su Man said in a low voice. "Don't even tell Qiu-ge'er yet; he's still young and his mouth isn't tight enough."

"Yes, yes." Su Tai wholeheartedly agreed, determined not to let his younger brother be placed in danger again.

"But brother, are you sure it was that treasure that worked its magic?" But this matter was too outrageous, and Su Tai couldn't just believe whatever his brother said.

“Hmm…” Su Man was stumped by the question, and stroked her chin as she said, “That thing was given to me by an old monk. He said that when we were studying, if we encountered an insurmountable obstacle, we should lift it up, and our ancestors would bless us to get through it.”

"Huh? Is that so?" Su Tai's mouth dropped open, and he hurriedly asked, "Did you get it?"

“At first, I was impotent.” Su Man coughed lightly and said, “When I received this thing, I didn’t take it seriously. I just rolled it up in the mattress and used it as a pillow because it was a gift from my elders and I couldn’t throw it away.”

"After a while, I forgot about it." He continued, "If it weren't for leaving school today and having to empty the dorm, I would have remembered it. I hesitated for a while before taking it with me."

As Su Man spoke, he clasped his hands together and apologized towards Meishan, saying, "This unfilial descendant truly deserves to die a thousand deaths."

"And then?" Su Tai asked, "I didn't see you lift anything today either."

“At first I didn’t want to give it a try, thinking that with Qiu’er’s level, passing the test would be a piece of cake.” Su Man sighed and said, “But when Qiu’er came out after the test in the afternoon, seeing his dejected look, I didn’t know how to comfort him.”

"Didn't you slap yourself twice?" Su Tai said, deliberately bringing up a sore spot.

"I was in a hurry, and I feel guilty, you understand?!" Su Man said irritably. Then she lowered her voice and said, "At the time, I was desperate and just thought of that treasure. Then I found a secluded place and made a big show of praying to the ancestors to bless Qiu Ge'er so that he could be on the list."

"And then?" Sutai pressed.

“You saw what happened next,” Su Manyi said, spreading her hands. “That’s why I was so determined to take another look when you told me there was no Qiu Ge’er. And that’s when I saw that a corner of the red paper was missing!”

"Our ancestors have shown their power!" Su Tai now believed it without a doubt.

“Right!” Su Man spread his hands again, helplessly saying, “Scholars are supposed to ‘respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance,’ but who wouldn’t be confused when they’re in this situation? What am I supposed to think?”

"No matter what, this is a good thing," Su Tai said with a smile, comforting his elder brother. "It means our family is going to have a prosperous literary future! Maybe the literary lineage of our ancestors will be continued in the two of you brothers!"

"Don't talk nonsense..." Su Man quickly stopped Su Tai. "If you say it, it won't work."

~~
The Su family, a group of more than ten people, walked back to Erlangtan by the moonlight.

The Su brothers, Su Man and Su Tai, were at the front of the procession, engaging in feudal superstitions, while the Su brothers and others in the middle were chatting happily.

The eldest uncle, carrying his sword, brought up the rear of the procession, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He hasn't smiled since he saw his nephew get into the academy.

At this moment, Su Youcai deliberately lagged behind and walked alongside him.

The eldest uncle kept his eyes straight ahead, or rather, avoided looking at his second brother.

"Is something on your mind, brother?" Su Youcai asked.

"My wife isn't around, I'm overjoyed, what could I possibly have on my mind?" the uncle said gruffly.

"Then what did you mean by what you said today?" Su Youcai then revealed his true intentions.

"What are you talking about?" the uncle asked, feigning ignorance.

"It was what you said to Qiu-ge when he entered the examination room at noon," Su Youcai said bluntly. "There was clearly something hidden in your words."

“Sigh, that’s why you scholars are so prone to overthinking. You’re always pondering nonsense. It’s all just idle talk.” Uncle shook his head vigorously.

"Is it because Qiu-ge'er is studying and you're short of money?" Su Youcai asked in a low voice.

"No, no, we can handle it at home." The uncle said, first hard and then soft, "...If we really can't handle it, we'll definitely tell you."

"I really didn't mean anything by it. You know your eldest brother's words are often unreliable." As he spoke, he lightly tapped his second brother with the scabbard and laughed, "We're happy today, so don't say anything that might spoil the mood."

Su Youcai nodded and didn't ask any further questions, but for a schoolteacher, his elder brother's words were enough for him to do some reading comprehension and interpret eight layers of meaning.

~~
As they approached Erlangtan, the Su family caught up with the Cheng family's group.

A scholar who has passed the imperial examinations is well-regarded in the village, especially a renowned scholar like Cheng. Since he personally escorted the examinee to the examination, the academy naturally treated him as an honored guest, inviting him into the reception hall and serving him the best food and drink.

As soon as the admission list was released, I showed it to him so he could head home as soon as possible and avoid having to serve him dinner again...

So the Cheng family's main force set off quite a while ahead of time. Only a few skeptical individuals stayed behind to check the list, hoping for a miracle. Unexpectedly, the main force was still overtaken by those beasts from the Su family.

The main problem was that Cheng Xiucai's entourage was causing too much trouble. Two porters had to carry the sedan chair, and students had to lead the way with lanterns. In the pitch black, it would be strange if they could move quickly…

The Cheng family's sons, like wilted eggplants, stopped mocking the Su family as they passed by.

For the first time ever, Cheng Xiucai said to Su Youcai, "I didn't expect you to have some skills, young friend. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

In terms of relationship, he was his aunt's uncle. According to etiquette, among scholars, those who had achieved success were considered seniors, while those who had not were juniors, so calling Su Youcai "little friend" was perfectly appropriate.

"You flatter me, senior." Considering the overall situation, Su Youcai did not give him a cold shoulder and politely cupped his hands, saying, "The Han family only had two children pass the exam, while your family had three. You are indeed superior, senior."

“You can’t say that,” Cheng Xiucai shook his head and said, “This result is already beyond your expectations, and it’s something to celebrate.”

After saying that, he glared at the Cheng family disciples and said with disappointment, "But they were personally taught by me, and at least six of them should have passed the exam. In the end, only three passed. It really infuriates me!"

"..." These words left both families speechless.

Su Youcai pondered for a while before realizing that it wasn't a sarcastic remark...

Unlike the uncouth Su family, the Cheng family considered themselves a scholarly family! Of course, in the Wumeng Mountains where even scholars were extremely rare, whatever they said was reasonable.

Moreover, these students were personally taught by Master Cheng, a seasoned scholar with over a decade of experience. Their fundamental skills were extremely solid; some could even write the eight-legged essay.

They should have no problem passing entrance exams of this caliber.

According to Master Cheng's estimate, at least six students will pass. If they perform exceptionally well... well, let's not even talk about it...

He tried to comfort himself by saying the questions were too difficult, but the number of people from the Su family who passed the exam had actually doubled...

Therefore, the conclusion can only be that I failed the exam.

It's not that Cheng Xiucai is bad at speaking; he's quite witty and charming in public, making people feel comfortable and at ease. It's just that when talking to an old scholar like Su Youcai, you don't need to think at all; just say whatever makes you feel good.

Fortunately, we've reached the edge of town, so we don't have to keep up the awkward small talk.

~~
It was already past midnight, but torches burned like dragons on Erlangtan Beach, where about two hundred people from the Su and Cheng clans were waiting at the town entrance.

Logically speaking, it's just an exam for an academy; there's no need to make such a fuss. But once the two clans start vying for power, there's no room for reason. In previous years, when the two families were fiercely fighting, they wouldn't miss any opportunity to dampen the other's arrogance.

In those years, the Cheng family would make a big fuss every year at this time, beating drums and gongs to welcome the triumphant return of the examinees, just to make the Su family, who shaved their heads every year, feel uncomfortable.

It was precisely because of this traumatic experience that the former patriarch of the Su family made the painful decision to establish a clan school and train his descendants to take the imperial examinations.

Since then, the Su family's children have gradually improved. Although none of them have passed the imperial examinations yet, at least one or two of them are able to get into the academy every year.

Despite still being firmly suppressed by the Cheng family in terms of academic performance, the Su family couldn't afford to lose face, so they would also make a big fuss to welcome their own candidates each time.

Once both sides started arranging the rice seedlings, they were both caught in a dilemma, which led to this strange scene. Outsiders even thought that the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month was the Torch Festival at Erlangtan.

"They're back! They're back!" The Su clan members shouted excitedly upon seeing their sons return in triumph. The group from noon had already brought back news that five of them had passed the written exam. Surely one out of those five would pass?
When they asked Su Youcai, they learned that two of them had passed the exam. The Su family was even happier, setting off firecrackers and horns, and adorning the three of them with big red flowers.

Su Youpeng also arranged three sedan chairs to carry the returning teachers and students to the ancestral hall.

Su Lu felt embarrassed looking at the sedan chair and muttered to his father beside him, "It can't be that bad, we're still a long way from passing the imperial examination."

"It's precisely because the hope of becoming a scholar is so slim that if we don't have fun now, we'll miss our chance." Su Youcai chuckled, lifted his robe, and sat down on the sedan chair.

"Let's just try it out first, who knows if there will be a next time." The usually sarcastic Chewing Spirit was very cooperative at this moment, straightened the red flower on her chest, and followed her master to sit on the second bed.

Su Lu had no choice but to follow local customs and shamelessly sit down. The Su family then happily carried the sedan chair into the narrow alley with music and fanfare.

On the contrary, the Cheng family, whose three children passed the exams, were far from happy. They each picked up their children and went home, not wanting to bother their ancestors with such a trivial matter…

Therefore, starting too high isn't a good thing. A high starting point means a high threshold, making it difficult to experience joy...

Then look at the Su family, starting from a low point, with sensitive skin, easily excited by any stimulation... They paraded through the streets in high spirits to the ancestral hall, offered incense to their ancestors, and reported this best achievement in history.

After finishing their business, the teachers and students went to the old clan chief's house in the back, ate a bowl of pig's feet noodles, and made a ruckus until late at night before going home.

At home, the old man and woman were still awake, waiting for their husband to come home.

"Grandpa, I didn't back down, I didn't embarrass you." Su Lu bowed deeply as soon as he entered the house.

"Very good." The old man laughed heartily with satisfaction, "This is my good grandson, Su Dacheng!"

(End of this chapter)