Chapter 63

Ye Xianggao and Yu Ziyou were at loggerheads, making Lin Yanchao feel that this future chief minister was not someone easy to deal with.

Lin Yanchao wondered if he should help Ye Xianggao, as it was a good opportunity to build a good relationship with him.

But after some thought, he decided against it, as his relationship with Ye Xianggao was not very close.

Yu Ziyou and Ye Xianggao looked ready to come to blows. The others in the dormitory immediately rushed forward to hold them back.

"Fuzhou boy, I'll teach you a lesson today."

"Come on, try it."

People say that scholars only exchange insults when they fight, but these two were not like that at all.

Ye Xianggao even pulled out a wooden stick from somewhere, glaring.

Lin Yanchao was startled; this person was clearly prepared and would not be at a disadvantage. It seemed that from the moment they entered the dormitory, Ye Xianggao and Yu Ziyou had a grudge, and Ye Xianggao was ready for it.

From Ye Xianggao, he finally understood why the local associations in his hometown could dominate overseas in the future.

Apart from Lin Yanchao, the other five people in the dormitory tried to persuade them, but to no avail.

Seeing that he couldn't move Ye Xianggao, Chen Wencai said to Lin Yanchao, "Brother Yanchao, don't just sit there, come and help."

Lin Yanchao said indifferently, "Let them fight if they want to."

Yu Ziyou, who was blocking Yu Ziyou, found it much easier than Chen Wencai and said irritably, "Brother Yanchao, you're still making jokes."

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "Let them fight. If they cause trouble, the headmaster will know, and they will at least lose their eligibility for the quarterly exams. We will benefit. We might as well sit back and watch the show."

When Lin Yanchao said this, everyone was stunned. Ye Xianggao and Yu Ziyou were the first and second in the outer dormitory. If they lost their eligibility for the quarterly exams, it would be a benefit to others.

Ye Xianggao, who had just been immovable, immediately threw the wooden stick to the ground, and Yu Ziyou also stopped, tidying his clothes.

Zhu Xiangwen panted and said, "Brother Yanchao, why didn't you say that earlier? We were exhausted."

Yu Ziyou, who was not ungrateful, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yanchao, for your timely reminder. I almost did something wrong."

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "It's my duty."

Ye Xianggao also thanked Lin Yanchao.

Lin Yanchao smiled.

Yu Qingzhou patted Lin Yanchao on the shoulder and said, "You have a knack for it. What we five couldn't do, you did with one word. But it was wrong of you to watch the show just now."

When Yu Qingzhou said this, everyone in the dormitory laughed.

Thanks to the Little Ice Age, Lin Yanchao saw the first snow of winter at the academy.

The snow was light, white flowers in the air, but when they landed in his palm, they turned to water. Only the faint white on the tree branches on the distant mountains clearly testified to the snow.

The students of the outer dormitory were rubbing their hands and carrying their book bags.

Life at the academy was always like this: reading, monthly exams, reading, quarterly exams, reading, monthly exams, quarterly exams, reading, monthly exams, quarterly exams.

Even the freshness Lin Yanchao felt when he first entered the academy had been completely worn away. Every day was spent reading, doing exams, and memorizing model essays.

Lin Liao taught very diligently, and Lin Yanchao could feel himself improving every day.

One day, Lin Liao summoned Lin Yanchao to the study and explained the lecture notes he had submitted.

"From your lecture notes, I can see that you have made significant progress over the past two months," Lin Liao said with satisfaction.

"It's all thanks to the teacher's guidance."

Lin Liao chuckled and said, "Don't give me that. You will soon be studying the Five Classics. Have you decided which one to focus on?"

Lin Yanchao replied, "I haven't decided yet."

Lin Liao said, "Why haven't you decided? I don't know your previous foundation, so I can't make the decision for you. You might ask your启蒙 teacher for advice and let him decide for you."

"Understood."

Lin Yanchao, reminded by Lin Liao, also thought that he owed his admission to the academy to Lin Chengyi's recommendation. Now that he was settled, it was a good time to visit him.

Two days later, Lin Yanchao found some free time and asked for leave from Lin Liao.

The academy was under closed management, and leaving without permission would result in punishment. Lin Liao agreed when Lin Yanchao said he was going to visit Lin Chengyi, but told him to return to the academy before the gates were locked.

Lin Yanchao then went back to the dormitory, changed into new clothes, and took the three taels of silver he had earned as a scholarship for coming second in the last monthly exam. He then went out. First, he bought four kinds of pastries, and then, remembering that Lin Chengyi had just married a new wife, he went to a cloth shop and bought half a bolt of cloth. With some other small items, he almost spent all three taels of silver.

In his previous life, Lin Yanchao was generous to others and to himself. When he first crossed over, the environment was difficult, and he had to be cautious. Now that he had some money, he wanted to make life better for those around him.

Besides, it was his teacher who had nurtured him. After tidying up, he set out. Following the address Lin Chengyi had given him in a letter, he asked a villager and learned that it was next to the Lin family's ancestral home.

Lin Yanchao was impressed. The Lin family of Lianpu was indeed good to Lin Chengyi, even letting him live in the ancestral home.

Lin Yanchao knocked on a black wooden door, and an old servant opened it. After introducing himself, the servant led him into the courtyard.

The Lin family's ancestral home had been renovated when Lin Tingji became a minister.

After entering the black wooden gate, the first thing on the right was the sedan hall, a must-have for the homes of officials, where sedan bearers and servants could rest.

A straight path led to the bottom, with three rooms on the left and four on the right. The servant didn't need to say more; from the drum-shaped stones in front of the courtyard gates and the plaque inscribed with "Generations of First-Class Officials," Lin Yanchao could feel the wealth and nobility of generations.

Many maids and servants passed by, holding their breath and bowing to Lin Yanchao, showing the strict rules of the high-ranking family.

The old servant led Lin Yanchao to a courtyard in the northwest corner and stopped, indicating that he should go in. Lin Yanchao entered the courtyard, passed the screen wall, and walked into the right corridor.

It was drizzling, and raindrops fell from the black tiles on the eaves into the courtyard. A stone vat in the courtyard collected the rain, carved from a single piece of stone, which could be used for water and also prevent fires, a necessity for large households.

Walking under the eaves, he came to three rooms. The side rooms were probably for study and living, while the central room was the main hall, with living quarters behind it.

The main hall was inscribed with "Harmony."

A man in a blue robe came out of a side room and walked to the main hall. It was none other than Lin Chengyi.

"Pay respects to the teacher."

Lin Chengyi, who had just finished reading in his study, was surprised to see his student. After a moment, he smiled and said, "Ah, it's you."

Then Lin Chengyi saw the packages Lin Yanchao was carrying and frowned, "Why are you spending money? Bringing so many things to my house, take them back."

Lin Yanchao blushed and said, "Teacher, you just got married, and I didn't bring any gifts."

Lin Chengyi's face darkened, and he was about to scold Lin Yanchao, but Lin Yanchao quickly changed the subject, "May I ask where the teacher's wife is? I want to pay my respects."

Lin Yanchao was Lin Chengyi's favorite student, almost like a family member, so he didn't avoid the women. Lin Chengyi then took Lin Yanchao to meet his wife. Lin Yanchao saw that his teacher's wife was about sixteen, well-educated, and clearly from a good family.

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but admire Lin Chengyi's good fortune.

Seeing the gifts Lin Yanchao brought, his wife smiled and said, "In the past half month, many students have visited, but this one is the most thoughtful." Lin Chengyi smiled at his wife's praise and said, "Tell the kitchen I have a guest and add a few dishes."

"Yes," his wife said obediently.

"Thank you, teacher."

"Let's go to the study and talk."

In the study, Lin Chengyi asked about Lin Yanchao's progress and shared his insights on the classics without reservation.

Lin Yanchao listened attentively. Lin Chengyi talked at length, leaving no room for Lin Yanchao to interrupt, and even the discussion about choosing a classic was delayed.

By dinner time, the two came out of the study, and his wife had already set the table in the courtyard.

Suddenly, a long laugh came from outside, "Brother Lin, forgive me for coming uninvited, but I'm a bad guest!"

The man who spoke was unapologetic. Lin Yanchao saw that he was about thirty, wearing a wide robe, carrying a bottle of wine, and with his hair loosely tied, giving him a style reminiscent of the Wei and Jin scholars.

Seeing the visitor, Lin Chengyi stood up, and Lin Yanchao did the same, saying, "Brother, I'm glad you came."

"And you have a young friend," the man looked at Lin Yanchao.

Lin Chengyi said, "This is my student, Lin Yanchao, studying at Lianjiang Academy. Yanchao, this is your Uncle Lin."

Lin Yanchao, realizing the man was important and that Lin Chengyi was introducing him, called out, "Uncle!"

"Brother Lin, you... you know I came uninvited and didn't bring anything. How can I let a junior call me Uncle without giving anything in return?"

The man then took out a silver ingot and gave it to Lin Yanchao, saying, "For good luck."

"You're insulting me. I'm embarrassed to accept it."

Lin Chengyi nodded and said to Lin Yanchao, "Take it. Your uncle is generous. If you don't accept it, he'll be upset with me."

Both laughed, and Lin Yanchao also smiled, thanked him, and accepted it, thinking that this trip was worth it. He spent three taels and received five, making a profit of two taels.

PS: I have something to do today, so I'll continue with two updates tomorrow. Please give me some recommendations.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends