I trade in both worlds

Li Wenyuan bowed to the old clan leader and said, "Old Clan Leader Xu, you are too kind. I am just doing my duty as a teacher. What I should really be grateful for is the clan's support for clan studies and the children's hard work and perseverance."

"In the future, I will continue to contribute my strength to clan studies, and I hope that our Xu family can cultivate more pillars of society."

Hearing this, the old patriarch laughed loudly: "Well, with what Mr. Li said, there is no need to worry about the future of our Xu family."

As soon as the patriarch finished speaking, everyone echoed him and applauded loudly.

Mr. Li Wenyuan smiled modestly, his eyes full of satisfaction and pride.

No one knows better than him that behind this honor are countless days and nights of hard work and sweat.

The next morning, Xu Jin and Xu Zhun got up just as the sky was turning pale. They dressed neatly, had breakfast, and walked to the clan school impatiently.

The two walked and talked, and soon they arrived at the gate of the clan school. Coincidentally, Xu Weihao also hurried over with a book box on his back.

"Uncle Jin, Uncle Zhun, good morning." Xu Weihao greeted them warmly.

Xu Jin and Xu Zhun replied in unison: "Good morning, Weihao."

The three of them smiled at each other and walked together to the wing room of the clan school. The wing room was spacious and bright, and it was where Li Wenyuan and Chen Zeyun worked on weekdays.

At this time, Chen Xingrui was already waiting in the side room. When they saw Xu Jin and Xu Zhun coming in, they all stood up to greet them.

"Xiao Jin, Xiao Zhun, you are here." Chen Xingrui said with a smile.

Xu Zhun jumped over and put his arm around Chen Xingrui's shoulders: "Brother Rui, why are you here so early?"

Chen Xingrui smiled and said, "I got up early to practice martial arts, and I came here early because I wanted to see you today."

"Why hasn't the gentleman arrived yet?" Xu Weihao scratched his head in confusion.

Xu Jin looked around and indeed could not see Li Wenyuan, and he couldn't help but feel a little confused.

Chen Xingrui shook his head, looking slightly puzzled: "Maybe something delayed him. Let's wait and see."

Upon hearing this, everyone had no choice but to wait patiently.

Just as everyone was waiting anxiously, a slow sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

Li Wenyuan walked in leisurely carrying a pot of steaming hot water.

He was wearing a blue shirt and his hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, looking both elegant and easy-going.

When he saw everyone was there, he smiled and said, "Wow, you're all here so early. I thought I was early enough."

As he spoke, he placed the kettle on the table and began to pour tea for everyone.

When Xu Jin and the others saw the gentleman coming, they all stood up and saluted: "Good morning, sir."

Li Wenyuan waved his hand, motioning them to sit down: "No need to be polite, just sit down. You all performed very well this time, which was a bit beyond my expectations, especially Chen Xingrui and Xu Zhun."

At this point, he paused for a moment, his eyes lingering on Chen Xingrui and Xu Zhun for a moment: "I originally thought you were here to accompany me in the exam and gain experience, but I didn't expect that you both passed the exam. Although your scores are at the bottom, it is still a big thing worth celebrating."

Chen Xingrui scratched his head embarrassedly when he heard this: "Sir, we are lucky, and with your daily guidance, we barely passed this test."

We all know our own business. It was purely luck that we were able to pass this time.

Xu Zhun also echoed, "Yes, sir, we can achieve today's results thanks to your careful teaching. Without you, I'm afraid we can't even enter the gate of the academy, let alone pass the examination."

Li Wenyuan felt very relieved after hearing their words.

He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "You don't have to belittle yourselves. The fact that you can pass the examination to become a scholar already shows your ability."

"Besides, you are still young and there are plenty of opportunities in the future. As long as you are willing to work hard, I believe you can go further."

At this point, he changed the subject: "However, although you have passed the examination, you cannot become complacent and stand still."

"You must know that the road to the imperial examination is long and arduous. Only by continuous efforts and continuous progress can you go further and higher on this road."

Xu Jin also said, "Sir, you are right. This exam is just a starting point in our lives. We will face more challenges in the future."

"We must continue to work hard and make progress to live up to Mr.'s expectations and teachings."

Hearing this, Li Wenyuan nodded with satisfaction: "Xu Jin is right. You should have lofty ambitions and not be limited to the small achievements and honors in front of you. Only by constantly pursuing higher goals can you go more steadily and further on the road to the imperial examination."

At this point, he paused and swept his eyes over everyone: "I hope you can all remember what I said today. Only in this way can you keep moving forward on the road to the imperial examination and keep surpassing yourself."

When everyone heard the words, they nodded to show that they would keep them in mind. They knew that the teacher's words were not only expectations and teachings for them, but also guidance and enlightenment for their future lives.

Xu Jin stood up and respectfully filled a cup of tea for Li Wenyuan: "Teacher's teachings, students will remember them in their hearts. Although we have passed the examination, we still have a long way to go, and we must continue to work hard."

After that, Xu Jin paused and continued, "Sir, we have something to discuss with you."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Li Wenyuan asked kindly.

Xu Jin looked at the others, and after receiving their encouragement, he continued, "We discussed with Mu Feng and decided to spend half a year traveling abroad to study, gain knowledge, and broaden our horizons. We will definitely come back before the autumn exam next year to continue preparing for the exam."

Hearing this, Li Wenyuan shook his head slightly: "Mu Feng never mentioned this to me, but traveling for study is indeed a good idea. Reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, I am very pleased that you have such an idea."

"But have you ever thought about where you want to go? And when do you plan to leave?"

Xu Weihao took over the conversation, his eyes gleaming with anticipation: "We plan to start from Guoyue County, go all the way south, pass through Youzhou, Qizhou, Yanzhou, and finally reach Lin'an."

"We can stay in Lin'an for a while and exchange and learn with local students. Then, we can start from Lin'an and go to Suzhou, Qingzhou, Tianjin and all the way back to Youzhou."

Chen Xingrui also added: "Moreover, we plan to travel from the inland and then return from the coast. In this way, we can not only learn cultural knowledge, but also see different geographical features and marine landscapes along the way."

Li Wenyuan nodded, and glanced at the four people, with a bit of concern in his tone: "You probably haven't discussed it with your family, right?"

The four of them looked at each other and shook their heads.