Chapter 3

The Qin family was not considered a respectable household, as the head of the family, Qin Xiang, was a constable. In the Ming Dynasty, constables had a poor reputation and a low political status, and were categorized as low-class citizens, just like prostitutes and entertainers.

A respectable household would be one of the seven major categories: scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, craftsmen, or cooks. Constables and servants did not fall into these categories.

Last night, Qin Dewei had a high fever and fell into a coma. His uncle, Qin Xiang, was very anxious and took a leave of absence from the constabulary today. He then sent his wife, Jiang Shi, to the Xu Commander's house to inform his sister-in-law, Zhou Niangniang, who was Qin Dewei's mother.

By the time Zhou Niangniang hurried over, Qin Dewei had already regained consciousness. Both Qin Xiang and Zhou Niangniang breathed a sigh of relief. Although he still looked dazed, at least he was not in critical condition.

Qin Dewei, who had been "reborn," lay in bed, looking blankly at the two people in the room. One was his birth mother, and the other was his uncle who had raised him. These two were the closest family he had.

At this moment, the two closest family members were having a heated argument, and the topic was only one: how to arrange Qin Dewei's future.

Poor children grow up fast. Qin Dewei was already twelve years old, and he could no longer continue his studies at the community school. It was time to consider how to support himself, save money, get married, and have children—this was the life of an ordinary person.

"My own son must listen to my arrangements!" Zhou Niangniang said firmly, "The Wei Guogong family is currently recruiting servants. If we miss this opportunity, there won't be another one. I have asked my mistress to help, and there is a high chance that he can be sent in!"

The Wei Guogong family was the famous Xu family of Nanjing, descendants of the founding hero Xu Da, known as the first non-imperial noble family of the Ming Dynasty, with hereditary titles and permanent residence in Nanjing.

Zhou Niangniang's family, the Xu Commander's house, was closely related to the Guogong Xu family, which is why she said she could help get her son into the Guogong's household as a servant.

Qin Xiang was very dissatisfied with his sister-in-law's plan. "Although Wei Ge'er is your biological son, he has been raised in my home for these years and bears the surname Qin. He should follow the arrangements of the Qin family.

I have no son, and I have always treated Wei Ge'er as my own. He should follow me to the county constabulary and eventually take over my position."

Qin Xiang believed he had the right to decide. After all, he had no son, and his nephew could take over his position as a constable and support him in his old age. It was a perfect arrangement.

Zhou Niangniang sneered at Qin Xiang's idea: "What's good about being a constable, who can be demoted or killed by a superior at any moment? That's also a low-class profession, just like a prostitute. How can it compare to being a servant in the Guogong's household?

As the saying goes, 'A seventh-rank official stands before the prime minister.' If you serve the master well in the Guogong's household, you will have a lifetime of food and clothing without worry, no need to work hard or pay taxes, and no one will dare to bully you outside. It's like relying on a big tree for shade, how comfortable is that?"

Hearing his sister-in-law compare constables to prostitutes, Qin Xiang was very angry and retorted, "If he goes to the Guogong's household as a servant, will he still be a Qin or a Xu?

Although constables are low-class and hardworking, they are still free men. The neighbors will give them some respect, which is better than being a servant, right?"

Seeing the two elders arguing more and more intensely, Qin Dewei looked from one to the other and sighed softly. One wanted to send him to be a servant in a wealthy household, and the other wanted him to be a constable. Both were considered stable jobs, truly the actions of family.

From his knowledge of web novels, one path seemed to be the "elite servant" route, and the other seemed to be the "elite constable" route... But in his heart, he didn't want to choose either.

Zhou Niangniang and the constable Qin Xiang argued until they were hoarse, but still couldn't reach a conclusion.

Continuing to argue like this was not a solution, so they both directly asked Qin Dewei, "Wei Ge'er, you decide. Which path do you want to take?"

Qin Dewei sighed maturely and answered honestly, "I don't want either. I want to study and take the imperial exams in the future."

Zhou Niangniang and the constable Qin Xiang looked at each other in surprise. After such a great shock, this child still had the dream of studying? But born in a chicken coop, could he really fly to the treetops and become a phoenix?

Not to mention that Qin Dewei didn't seem to have much talent. Even those with a bit of talent, how many spent their whole lives studying and never even passed the scholar examination?

Not to mention the scholar examination, even the most basic county examination in a place like Nanjing, where thousands of people participate, only a few dozen pass.

After the county examination, there are the prefectural and provincial examinations. Passing all three exams just to become a scholar, but the distance to becoming a juren (advanced scholar) or a jinshi (imperial scholar) is still vast.

"Is Wei Ge'er still delirious?" the constable Qin Xiang asked doubtfully.

Zhou Niangniang, a woman of action, stepped over and felt Qin Dewei's forehead, also doubtfully saying, "He's not running a fever, he should be clear-headed."

Qin Dewei was speechless. These two closest family members thought he was talking nonsense? But he really wanted to study, and it was the result of deep thought!

He wasn't starting from scratch. In his previous life, he had studied a literature and history major, albeit a very obscure one in legal history. In this life, he at least had the foundation of reading and writing.

Moreover, after being reincarnated, his soul seemed to have been strengthened, and his memory was much better, which was a great talent for studying.

Furthermore, as a reincarnated person, he understood the intricacies of the imperial exams and could adapt and take advantage of them. As long as he could study, his chances of advancing were much greater than others.

Qin Xiang sighed and said helplessly to his sister-in-law, "Wei Ge'er was brushed off by the community school, and he seems very unwilling. But studying is something we, as constables, are powerless to help with, and our family can't afford to support him anymore."

Zhou Niangniang suddenly raised her hand and, without hesitation, slapped her son hard. The sound of the slaps echoed, and dust fell from the rafters.

The storm came so quickly that Qin Dewei, dazed, endured seven or eight slaps, his head spinning and stars in his eyes. He instinctively hugged his head and rolled to the corner, barely avoiding his mother's iron palm.

"You don't follow the rules of martial virtue and sneak-attack a young man like me!" Qin Dewei blurted out. His mother's face had truly turned on a dime!

What was martial virtue, and could it be eaten? Zhou Niangniang ignored her son's nonsense and, with her eyes wide and eyebrows raised, sternly scolded him.

"How can you be so unreasonable? You've studied and become foolish? Do you not understand our family's situation and your uncle's family's situation?

Your reckless behavior will drag down the entire family! You're not a child anymore; think carefully about what you should do!"

Qin Dewei looked miserable. He wanted to explain, but his mother wouldn't listen. He couldn't say that his soul had been strengthened and his powers had reached a great level, right?

The young man, with his last bit of stubbornness, said, "I will earn my own money to support my studies and will not drag down the family. Is that okay?"

Zhou Niangniang was about to hit him again, but Qin Xiang, feeling sorry for his nephew, quickly stopped her and said, "Enough, enough. Wei Ge'er is still young. Give him some time to think, don't beat him sick again."

He then turned to Qin Dewei and said, "You don't need to go to the community school anymore. Tomorrow, come with me to the constabulary to broaden your horizons and gain some experience."