After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The next day, two carriages were prepared, and Li Mo and A Niu each drove one.

Wenbin and Jiang Xiaoqi sat in two separate carriages. Inside one carriage, Jiang Xiaoqi was writing down his observations of Puzhou at a table.

Thinking about the cities that he had to bypass by boat, he decided that when he returned home after completing his studies, he would still travel by land.

Firstly, to complete my map, and secondly, to capture the scenery I had missed in my writing.

The journey by land was noticeably bumpy, and it took three days to cover a distance of over two hundred li.

Three days after departing from Puzhou City, the group arrived in Yizhou.

It was nearly noon, and the weather was hot; the car felt like a sauna.

Wenbin lifted the curtain and peered out, where he saw rolling mountains in the distance.

Is this a place far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, deep in the mountains?

"A little further ahead is Yunqing Mountain, where the great Confucian scholar resides. Let's rest at the foot of the mountain for a while."

Li Mo said as he drove the carriage, "After all, it's an apprenticeship ceremony, so it's not good to let the young master look so disheveled."

Jiang Xiaoqi nodded, put away his paper and pen, and compiled his observations along the way into a book.

With his destination in sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it would be good to publish a travelogue when he had the chance in the future.

"Young master, there's a tea stall up ahead. Let's have some water and rest for a bit. Please change into some clean clothes before you go up the mountain."

Wenbin took out a face towel and a small bundle containing Jiang Xiaoqi's change of clothes.

“Alright, the carriage can’t go up the mountain. Li Mo will accompany me up the mountain, while Wenbin and A Niu will watch over the luggage and carriage at the foot of the mountain.”

Jiang Xiaoqi gave the instructions.

"Yes, Master!"

Wenbin also wanted to go, but he was worried about leaving Aniu alone to look after things, since Aniu was a newcomer and he couldn't fully trust him.

Forget it, let Li Mo handle the arduous task of climbing the mountain. He just needs to keep an eye on the young master's belongings.

The four of them arrived at the tea stall, ordered several bowls of coarse tea, and Wenbin asked the shopkeeper for some hot water to wash his young master's face.

Jiang Xiaoqi had also changed her clothes in the carriage, and took the towel that Wenbin handed her, wiping her face clean in a few moments.

Despite days of travel, he showed no signs of fatigue; his skin was radiant and his eyes were bright and alert.

Although he is not yet seven years old, one can already foresee the future handsome young man.

After sharing a cup of coarse tea, Jiang Xiaoqi led Li Mo up the mountain.

The mountain path was rugged, and the higher you went, the more lush the trees became.

Occasionally, bird calls could be heard, but the bird itself could not be seen.

About half an hour later, the two finally saw a slightly flat bamboo forest.

When Lord Jiang Changqing wrote the letter of recommendation sent by the Liu family, he mentioned that Yunqing Mountain, with its verdant bamboo forest, was the residence of a reclusive scholar.

Looking at the dense bamboo forest that stretched towards the sky, Jiang Xiaoqi sighed inwardly: "Hmm, indeed a reclusive scholar. This bamboo forest is very suitable for hiding."

Jiang Xiaoqi and Li Mo walked into the bamboo forest along the winding path, their clothes soaked with dew as they passed.

A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of bamboo.

Before long, we finally saw steps made of stones of various shapes. We climbed the steps and came to a simple bamboo house at the end.

There was a stone table and two stone benches in front of the bamboo house, and some dried vegetables that had just been drying for a few days were hanging under the window, indicating that someone lived there.

Jiang Xiaoqi stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door slowly opened, and an elderly man with white hair and beard appeared in the doorway.

His eyes were clear, and his expression was serene, as if he were detached from the world.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?" the old man asked in a deep and gentle voice.

Jiang Xiaoqi bowed respectfully and said, "I am Jiang Mingfei, and I have come from Xinghe Prefecture to pay my respects to you, sir."

After saying that, he handed over the letter of recommendation from the Liu family.

The old man took the letter, read it, and frowned slightly: "So it's the Liu family. This Liu Mao really knows how to cause me trouble."

Liu Mao is the current head of the Liu family in the capital. Jiang Xiaoqi had to sacrifice a great deal of benefit to obtain this letter of recommendation.

Although his workshop was still operating under a different guise, it ultimately provided tangible benefits to the Liu family.

He carried that letter of recommendation with great confidence.

Seeing the old man's reaction, he remained calm, knowing he would be accepted.

"Forget it, it's just that we owed the Liu family a little favor many years ago, and we're in such a hurry to get it back."

"Little one, what is your relationship with the Liu family?"

“My elders are related to the Liu family, and they love me dearly, which is why they asked the Liu family to write this letter.”

"Alright, alright, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it. But I've made it clear to you beforehand that this mountain of mine is not some paradise."

If you stay, you can't keep any servants or young men to serve you. All the work of chopping wood, carrying water, cooking, and washing clothes will be yours!

You'd better think it over carefully—whether you want to stay or give up now.

Jiang Xiaoqi was not surprised to hear this, after all, the bamboo house was only three small rooms, and even if he brought his servants, there would be no place for them to stay.

He wasn't afraid of chopping wood, carrying water, cooking, or washing clothes; it's just unclear whether this was intentional or...

"Young Master! You've never done those kinds of manual labor before. How can you not let us come along?"

Before Jiang Xiaoqi could say anything, Li Mo got anxious. He didn't want to bring too many people to disturb the peace. He said he could come alone and sleep on the floor!

Jiang Xiaoqi raised her hand to signal Li Mo to be quiet, "I have my own considerations."

How could he possibly let go of such a great scholar who would require the Liu family to go to great lengths to invite him?!

"Old sir, I have decided to stay and serve you, to study literature and philosophy under your guidance. I hope you will accept me as your disciple!"

The old man smiled and nodded. "In that case, after you've settled your attendants down the mountain, come here."

Jiang Xiaoqi bowed again, then left with Li Mo, intending to go down the mountain to find a village and set up a small courtyard to settle the three people who had followed him.

Once the two figures disappeared from sight, the old man's smile faded, and he sighed softly, "I hope this can last a few more days..."

After meeting up with Wenbin and the others at the foot of the mountain, and discussing the arrangements, Wenbin was the first to let out a wail.

"What?! What kind of great scholar is this? Even reclusive masters can't be unreasonable! How old is the young master?"

This little kid has to chop wood, fetch water, cook, and do laundry for that old man. When has our young master ever done such rough work?

"Isn't this blatant bullying?! Young master, let's not take this master anymore. You can pass the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official by studying on your own. You don't need to follow this so-called great scholar!"

Wenbin spoke Li Mo's mind, and Li Mo nodded, giving Wenbin an approving look for the first time, making Wenbin feel very uncomfortable.

Ah Niu stood blankly to the side, not daring to speak. He didn't understand anything about becoming a disciple or a great scholar. He was just thinking about how he could help the young master with his work if he couldn't go up the mountain.

He was very good at carrying water and chopping wood. He could chop wood and secretly deliver it to the young master, or he could fetch water early every day so that the young master could just focus on his studies.

Jiang Xiaoqi looked at the group helplessly and said, "Alright, you all know my personality. Once I've made a decision, I won't change it."

It's just some trivial matter; I'll handle it myself. I'm not a three or four-year-old child anymore. These are just small things; what can they do to me?

The three said: "But you're only six or seven years old!"