diskusbooks Chapter 280 Going to Lin's Mother's House
Chapter 280 Going to Lin's Mother's House
Bai Jingzhou had told Gu Wenhai and others last night that when they wrote letters home, they should remember to inform their families that they would be staying in Linjia Village for a while. He himself had also planned to write a letter home tonight and ask Gu Wenxuan to deliver it to the county post station tomorrow.
Fang Youfu and others, whose letters did not need to be checked or revised by Bai Jingzhou, were the first to finish writing their letters and submit them to Bai Jingzhou. The other young men, who needed to have their letters reviewed by Bai Jingzhou first, waited until after dinner before delivering the revised letters back to Bai Jingzhou.
Bai Jingzhou had told all of them last night that they would be living in the Lin family for the next few months and continue to study with the Lin father and son, so the teenagers also told their families that they would continue their studies.
Father Lin has already told Bai Jingzhou and the others that in the next few months, he will focus on courses related to the imperial examination. Therefore, Bai Jingzhou and other young people who are determined to take the imperial examination and enter officialdom attach great importance to their study career in the next few months.
Unlike them, Gu Wenxuan, who did not need to take the imperial examination to enter the officialdom, decisively gave up the idea of cramming for the exam with Bai Jingzhou and others.
Rather than studying hard behind closed doors with a group of people who were preparing to take the imperial examinations, she preferred to travel around, eat and drink, and experience the customs and practices of different regions.
After listening to her talk about her next plans, Bai Jingzhou volunteered to help her research where it was worth going and said that he would help her arrange the itinerary and guide.
Gu Wenxuan decisively refused, "You don't have to worry about us. I can take care of myself and the others who follow me."
These other people, of course, refer to Jia Yuelan and Fang Youfu and his six brothers.
Although Yang Wandong did not intend to take the path of imperial examination to become an official, he regarded himself as Bai Jingzhou's servant and would not leave Bai Jingzhou alone to go out and enjoy the scenery.
Ning Qirui wanted to travel, but Bai Jingzhou asked him to at least pass the examination and become a scholar.
Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans are all divided into four classes. If a businessman is just a businessman, no matter how rich he is, he will still be looked down upon and schemed against, just like the Mu Hanzhi family in the past. So even though Bai Jingzhou knew that Ning Qirui was not interested in this, he still hoped that he could first pass the imperial examination to gain a good reputation.
It would be best if a scholar could pass the exam, but if he couldn't, it would be better to pass the exam and become a "tongsheng" rather than not having the title of a scholar at all.
Bai Jingzhou had already explained the reason to Ning Qirui a long time ago. Because of Ning Qirui's early experiences and the fact that he was able to endure hardships, he naturally would not refuse to do something that would be beneficial to him.
On the second day after they settled down in the Lin family's old house, Lin's father and his family went to Lin's mother's parents' home. Gu Wenxuan, Jia Yuelan, Gu Wenhai, Gu Wenche, and Bai Jingzhou also went with them as relatives and bodyguards. When they passed by the county town, they also stopped at the post station to send a letter home.
Lin's mother, brother and their families are all alive, but their family business has shrunk severely. Her cousins and their families are basically still alive.
The reason why there is such a polarized situation between them and the Lin family is that their clan built a fortress at the beginning of the war, which could not be taken down by bandits and refugees.
In addition, they were lucky enough not to have met a family like the Xiang family, so they survived the turbulent times smoothly.
The only regret is that Lin's mother's nephew is not good at studying. Her younger brother has now given up on his son and started to train his grandson.
Only two of her cousins' sons passed the imperial examination and became scholars before the war. The others who did not pass the imperial examination also took the examination in February and April this year, but unfortunately none of them passed.
As for the two who have the title of scholar, they are now preparing to take the imperial examination this autumn. But according to themselves, the best they can get is the title of juren, and they dare not even think about becoming a jinshi.
After testing and educating the children of Yue's family, Lin's father found that there were a few with great potential among them, so he took the initiative to suggest that these children could study at his home.
He was a double-examination Jinshi, so his knowledge was naturally impeccable. Everyone in his wife's family knew that he was exiled because he was framed by a villain, and it was not because he had done anything wrong as an official or as a person, so they were happy to send their children to the Lin family to study.
In addition, Lin's family and Gu Wenxuan and others each sent them a cart of earthenware gifts, and their financial situation was greatly alleviated.
——Gu Wenxuan and his friends’ car was still put together in a hurry. Half of the things were brought from their hometown, and the remaining half were purchased on the way.
At noon, everyone had the most sumptuous meal they could afford at Lin's mother's house, and then they drove or rode horses back to Linjia Village in a mighty procession.
Together with them are the teenagers and young men that Father Lin has specifically chosen to teach personally. Starting tomorrow, they will enter the intensive pre-exam training class with Bai Jingzhou and others.
After the news spread, members of the Lin family who also wanted their sons to be personally taught by Lin's father, a successful candidate in two imperial examinations, came one after another.
Father Lin didn't turn anyone away, but his attitude towards his clansmen was very clear.
He was friendly to the tribesmen who had helped his brothers and cousins, and would help them if he could. If he couldn't help, he would point out a way for them. However, as for those tribesmen who stood by and watched or even took advantage of their misfortunes, he would always be polite and distant when they came to him with a thick face. Not only did he not give them the opportunity to get close to him or to beat around the bush, but he also sent them back the way they came.
Master Lin Er was a little worried, "Will this be a bad idea?"
Father Lin didn't take it seriously. "Confucius taught us to 'repay evil with justice, and repay kindness with kindness'. What's wrong with me distinguishing between kindness and grudges?"
Upon hearing this, the Lin brothers couldn't help but sigh in unison. Their eldest brother had had this temper since he was young, and they had no ability to make him change, so they could only let him be.
The main courtyard of the Lin family's old house was bustling with activity, but the two guest courtyards where Gu Wenxuan and her friends were temporarily staying were peaceful and quiet.
After moving out of the inn, although they lived in the Lin family, they insisted on cooking alone and not eating with the Lin family, so as not to increase their financial burden and labor intensity.
Even the two rickshaw drivers they brought with them had their meals delivered to them by Yang Wandong every day.
Not only that, at Bai Jingzhou's instruction, the two cart drivers also took over the job of collecting firewood at the Lin family's old house, and they would take turns carrying several large bundles of firewood back every day.
As long as time permits, Bai Jingzhou would try his best to prepare delicious food for Gu Wenxuan in different ways. Not only would Jia Yuelan, Gu Wenhai and others benefit from this, but he would also always bring out some to honor his father.
After eating twice, Lin's mother couldn't help but sigh that Bai Jingzhou was deeply in love with Gu Wenxuan, "Young men nowadays are really considerate."
Father Lin:......