The heat wave scorched the earth.

The back of his shirt was soaked with sweat.

Cui Chengliang was not in the village and was not found.

Silang and Golang huddled on the side, not daring to breathe.

"The discovery of the water source was entirely thanks to this young man from the village. Jingwen, please quickly explain to the county magistrate how you discovered the water source."

The village head winked at him frantically. This was a good opportunity to show off in front of the county magistrate, something that others could not get even if they begged for it.

Cui Jingwen bowed slowly, recalling in his mind the knowledge his mother had taught him on the way.

"...The student once read a book and found some very interesting mnemonics in it. He read it several times and memorized them. This time, he used these mnemonics to find water."

Master Pei asked curiously, "What kind of formula is it?"

He also studied Feng Shui, but such books were far from interesting.

"Where the two ditches meet, springs flow forth."

"When the mountain mouth meets the mountain mouth, there is good water under the mouth."

"A lonely mountain is sandwiched between two mountains, and the water never dries up."

......

Master Pei was stunned. So simple?

After thinking about it carefully, I couldn't help but sigh at the exquisiteness of the formula. In just a short sentence, the terrain was described thoroughly, and the writing was easy to understand. Even the villagers who could not read could understand its meaning.

"It's really interesting." The county magistrate laughed.

Cui Jingwen gave him the impression that he was not the type to write the flowery words in the petition, but rather that these words were more suitable to come out of his mouth.

"But I have a question." County Magistrate Wang looked at Cui Jingwen, "Since you knew all this, why didn't you look for it earlier?"

The county magistrate hurriedly explained, "Your Excellency the County Magistrate, you may not know that Jingwen only returned to our Xiahe Village a few days ago."

The poor boy was forced to interrupt his studies and is now trapped in the countryside.

Unexpectedly, the scholar who seemed indifferent on the surface had such a rough life. County Magistrate Wang felt deeply sorry.

"Discovering the water source is a good thing that benefits the people's livelihood. Since it is a contribution, the county should reward it."

Magistrate Wang was impressed, as if he had discovered a pearl hidden in the dust. He said, "When I return, I will explain your situation to the principal of Mingde Academy. From now on, you can study with peace of mind. The county will cover all your tuition and fees."

The villagers were in an uproar.

The county magistrate actually funded his studies!

Even though they were envious, no one among the onlookers was jealous. Just kidding, this was the most promising child in Xiahe Village.

Looking around the villages within a dozen miles, which village's scholars can win the favor of the county magistrate?

The villagers secretly straightened their backs.

The head of the village was so excited that he wanted to pull Cui Jingwen to kowtow, but Cui Jingwen frowned, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

He doesn't want to study.

I finally got through high school and college, but before I could enjoy a few years of good life, I have to go back to school.

He would rather copy books than go to school!

What's more, my mother and sister rely on him copying books for support.

County Magistrate Wang's expression turned slightly colder: "Why, you don't want to?"

The village head knelt down with a thud. "Please calm down, magistrate. This child... just didn't react for a moment. He was too excited."

The village head was so anxious that he kept pulling at the corner of Cui Jingwen's clothes.

Cui Jingwen grabbed the village head's arm and pulled him up.

"Your Excellency, the magistrate, I really do not want to."

The headman's feet went weak and he slid to the ground again. It was all over.

As expected, County Magistrate Wang's face darkened.

Master Pei was secretly anxious: "How dare you! Are you so happy that you've lost your mind?"

He also came from a poor family and was admitted to the university. He knew how difficult it was to meet a noble person who appreciated him during the study. What's more, Cui Jingwen was not only talented, but also able to apply what he learned, which was extremely rare.

He couldn't bear to see such an outstanding student being delayed.

Lin knew what her son was thinking. She sighed and went forward to drag the village head up from the ground again, but the village head had a sad face and refused to get up no matter what.

"Don't worry about me. I feel at ease kneeling down."

"I'll ask again, are you really unwilling?"

Lin stepped forward and said, "Your Excellency, County Magistrate, I am Jingwen's mother. May I have a few words to say?"

County Magistrate Wang snorted coldly, and Master Pei nodded at her, motioning her to continue.

"As the county magistrate has seen, Jingwen has been a bit brighter than others since he was a child. He was appreciated by his teacher in school and won first place in the Tongsheng examination at the age of thirteen."

The more Lin spoke, the more her heart bled. What a good brain, it was a pity that it fell into the hands of her lazy son.

County Magistrate Wang's expression eased slightly, but he was still unhappy.

Lin continued in a serious tone, "I may not be well educated, but I know everyone has their own destiny. Jingwen is smarter than others, that's his destiny, but his family is poor, that's also his destiny."

County Magistrate Wang slowly raised his head and looked seriously at the woman who was speaking.

"God won't bestow all the advantages upon him alone. Since he possesses talents superior to others, he should find ways to overcome his shortcomings. No one, including me, can help him throughout his life."

“If you are used to relying on others for help in studying, then even if you pass the imperial examinations, you will only know how to study.”

County Magistrate Wang suppressed the displeasure on his face, put his hands behind his back, and kept thinking about what Lin had said.

I didn't expect to hear such insightful comments from a village woman.

"Are you his mother?"

Lin bowed slightly and said, "It is I, a commoner."

"well."

Magistrate Wang's face showed no emotion. He simply repeated "yes" and then fixed his gaze on Cui Jingwen: "Do you think so too?"

"Yes."

County Magistrate Wang suddenly smiled and personally helped the village head who was kneeling on the ground to his feet.

It’s no wonder that a mother with such insights can raise such a promising child.

Perhaps the different temperament of Cui Jingwen from other students came from this.

He finally understood why Cui Jingwen could directly reject the benefits he offered, because even without him, Cui Jingwen would still be able to pass the imperial examinations, it was just a matter of time.

He remembered this child and waited for the time when he would rise to prominence.

"Since you don't want the county to sponsor your studies, then let's get a reward instead."

When the village head heard about the reward, he subconsciously wanted to kneel down, not because he was happy, but because he was afraid!

The Cui family must not refuse again!

County Magistrate Wang looked around at the Cui family members and asked, "How many people are there in total who are digging for the water source?"

The village head wiped his sweat and said, "There are six people. One is not here. The remaining five are all here."

After saying that, he pulled Silang and Wulang forward, glanced at them, and then turned his gaze back to Cui Jingwen.

"Then each person will be awarded two acres of land. For these twelve acres of land, no taxes will be levied for five years."

If you cultivate twelve acres of land well, you can support a student.

Five years is enough time for a scholar to pass the imperial examination, and then the Cui family will no longer have to pay taxes on their land.

The head of the village was overjoyed: "Thank you, County Magistrate..." Seeing that there was no movement behind him, he hurriedly winked at Lin and others.

"Thank you, County Magistrate." Lin thanked him gently.

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