Chapter 38.2

Translated by Aviana

At this moment, He-shi jumped up 3 feet high from the kang, and started cursing.

The first one to bear the brunt was Yang Tiezhu.

So long as He-shi wanted to admonish her family’s three sons, regardless of whether it was Yang Tiezhu who was at fault or not, he was always the first one to bear the brunt.

“You don’t have the silver? Then that when getting married, who was the ostentatious one? You even sent the betrothal gifts, as if you were some very wealthy landowner… also you lao da, you don’t have silver, yet you go out every day who knows where, every day you play cards to bet money….and you lao san, every single time this old lady looks for you for silver, your appearance seemed to that of wailing, as if this old lady owes you something…” At home, Yang Tiezhu was indeed not well received by He-shi. However, if the issue concerns her most precious treasure, Yang Xuezhang, even Yang Tieshuan has to step aside, not to mention Yang Tiegen. As such, at this moment, all of He-shi’s three sons were reprimanded by her, her mouth not showing even a little bit of mercy

But no matter how much He-shi scolded them, all of her three sons kept their heads lowered, not uttering a single word. Yang Tiegen didn’t speak because he truly didn’t have any money, Yang Tieshuan didn’t speak because he wanted to save a bit of money to go play outside, and Yang Tiezhu didn’t reply because in his heart, since all the money was given to his wife, then it was not his anymore. As such, he also didn’t have money.

Eventually, Yang Tieshuan was vexed by his mother’s scoldings and was about to retort…

(Tl/Note: Remember, Lin Qingwan and Yang Tiezhu still have roughly 16 silver taels and 235 copper coins in their savings.)

When He-shi saw her eldest son about to retort her, her target shifted to Yang Tieshuan, and all of her words zeroed on him. Seeing this, Wang-shi was unable to put up with it any longer.

Feeling annoyed, Yang laoyezi sat there, expelling the tobacco smoke, expending quite an energy in expelling. Don’t know for whom was he was expelling with such vigor as if he could extract some gold for tobacco.

Suddenly, while expelling forcefully, he choked and had a wild coughing fit, as if wishing to cough out his lungs. He-shi was still hurling abuses. Her sharp voice pricked Yang laoyezi’s temples.

He suddenly flew into a rage and flung the tobacco pipe in his hands onto the door with a ‘bang’.

The entire room quietened down and stopped making fuss, each and every one of them looking at Yang laoyezi in fright.

Under the dim light, Yang laoyezi’s face appeared even more older, his suntanned skin appeared to be enveloped in distress. Obviously, he was in his 50s, but he seemed to be in his 60s. At this moment, his face was somewhat distorted, while fatigue seemed to be written all over the pair of his eyes…

“Still quarreling? Still quarreling? Can your ruckus solve the issue?”

Yang laoyezi’s abrupt anger scared everyone into silence. Even He-shi was scared. He-shi fell onto the kanga and shut her mouth. Perhaps she had vented too much just now, her chest was still moving up and down.

Yang Tieshuan and Wang-shi blankly kept standing there, not daring to make even a sound.

After a moment, Yang laoyezi opened his mouth, “Lao si, you say… “Everyone’s eyes at one’s turned to Yang Xuezhang, who had been silently sitting all along, even when He-shi was hopping over and making clamor to help him out.

Suddenly, Lin Qingwan gave birth to a bit of contempt towards this man, who seemed to possess scholarly air from head to toe.

18 years old, at 18 years old, he ought to be considered as an adult. Many of the men of Yang Xuezhnag’s age would have even got married and had already taken the heavy burden of raising their families onto their shoulders. Yet here he was, still not realizing that he wasn’t meant for studying. Hiding in the protective shell He-shi had built for him, depending on the family’s money for eating as he irresponsibly spent the family’s silver, and still appearing as if he is cut above others and looking down upon everyone else.

Lin Qingwan was aware of the fact that Yang Xuezhang had taken the exam multiple times; this wasn’t that of a secret in Luoxia village either. However, as an adult man, even after repeatedly failing in the exams again and again, still not reflecting upon himself and unwilling to let go, not even stopping for a moment to reconsider if the problem is within him…

By nature, some people are not suitable; in that case, they are not suitable. Why not accept the fact, reflect upon oneself and change the path?

Lin Qingwan didn’t know what it was to take the exam to qualify as xucai, but in her previous, she had read a post in the forum, ‘A xuaci in ancient times, civil servant in modern times.’ She hadn’t specifically looked into the post in detail but only saw the conclusion, which said qualifying a xucai in ancient wasn’t any simpler than becoming a civil servant in modern times, where there are tens of thousands of people walking on a single-log bridge. Few of them squeeze and force their way through, while some of them can’t; some people who can’t squeeze their way through don’t give up yet, while some people change their path…

秀才 (xiùcai): a person who has passed the county level imperial exam

Her previous life had left a profound impression Lin Qingwan’s views. Modern people are a bit flexible; as such, she can’t bring herself to comprehend the thoughts of the people of this era.

‘Everything else is inferior, only studying is superior’ – This kind of view restrain many people here. She can understand and comprehend the saying that all roads lead to Rome. However, Yang jia’s people seem to be unable to understand it. Yang Xuezhang is unable to understand, He-shi is unable to understand, Yang laoyezi also doesn’t understand. Or else Yang laoyezi and He-shi wouldn’t have gathered them here at the moment…

条条大路通 罗马 (tiáotiáodàlùtōng Luómǎ): all roads lead to Rome / use different means to obtain the same result (idiom)

In fact, after they gathered here, as soon as Yang laoyezi opened his mouth, Lin Qingwan understood his intention. What decision is there to make? In the end, it’s nothing but asking for money, no. If there is a need for a decision to be made, would all of them be yelled at like this? Only when they have already made their mind, a situation like this will come to be…

Yang Xuezhang stood up with his back straight and one hand behind his back, assuming a stance of a master replying to the questions.

He assumed a stance, but perhaps everyone’s gaze on him made him feel uneasy, he once again changed his posture and cleared his throat before opening his mouth: “I…”

He was unable to say other words anything but ‘I’. Perhaps Yang laoyezi’s sudden question must have caught him unprepared, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Yang Xuezhang flushed in embarrassment and spit out a sentence, “I think this is an opportunity for our family——” Finishing sayilabor he hurriedly sat back at the corner of the kang.

Opportunity for our famfrom home is truly big!

After Yang Xuezhang sat back, he must have also found his argument just now lacked persuasiveness. After thinking over and over, he added another sentence. “If I qualify this time, not only will we be excused from several land taxes, but we will also be exempted from forced labour quota. Once I become a xucai, I can also become a teacher and earn money from the home. Naturally, if I qualify, the court will also issue us rice grains and silver.”

Apparently, Yang Xuezhang studying all this while was not for naught. He was also aware of the tactic of allaying their hunger with a cake first. As for the situation when the moment arrives, just talk again at that time.

How far his words have persuaded others, Lin Qingwan was unclear. However, she was well aware that, at the least, his words have successfully persuaded Yang laoyezi and He-shi.

When He-shi heard her son’s words, her face became red in excitement. Looking at her brightened eyes, Lin Qingwan felt her eyes twitch. Yang laoyezi’s hands also began to tremble.

It’s not that Yang laoyezi as a person is vain. Rather this kind of thought had become deep-rooted – a xucai would become a glory to one’s forefathers. There will also be a person with such identity in the family at last. And the most crucial point is that they would be exempted from taxes. Although Daxi Dynasty’s taxes weren’t heavy, they weren’t light either. Just from being exempted to a small extent, a lot of food can be saved in one year.

These points deeply stimulate Yang laoyezi’s brain nerves. Whenever he anticipated his son becoming a xucai, his blood vessels swelled…

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