Shi Wuxiang had long known the headmaster intentionally picked out all the troublesome students and handed them to the four of them. It was obviously an old man throwing his weight around and trying to give them a show of authority. If they truly became frantic and caused a scene, they would only become a laughingstock.
Half a month passed. The classrooms under the four teachers had no tension whatsoever. They often indulged the students in fooling around. Houde Academy’s food was good. Not only did Shi Wuxiang and the others not suffer, they had actually each gained a pound.
Just as they had expected, the students could no longer sit still. They were all arrogant and conceited people and absolutely could not tolerate their own classes falling behind the others. While students elsewhere had memorized the same material perfectly, they themselves had barely even opened the books.
Because of this, they ran to the headmaster and bitterly complained, causing him to summon the four teachers for a discussion.
“Speaking of it, we truly are considering the students’ wellbeing. Since they dislike studying, they should not be forced. Things done reluctantly naturally come without any desire to learn. This benefits everyone.” Cheng Du spoke first.
Hu Lu, who had been tormented for a long time, immediately chimed in. “Exactly so. Headmaster, just look at the students now. They’re all smiling happily every day. Please don’t listen to students talking about diligently studying. Reading only causes them pain.”
Shi Wuxiang continuously nodded. “Indeed. Since Headmaster gathered those students together and assigned them to us, you clearly never intended for us to turn them into talents anyway. In that case, why should everyone make things difficult for one another? New Year is approaching. Students should relax more. Grades are not important instead.”
Those students only knew how to throw tantrums and act childish anyway, constantly hanging “unhappy, unhappy” from their mouths every day. Then they might as well go enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Not to mention, they were only pretending for now. Even if they truly ignored the students, it would not affect themselves in the slightest. Nowadays, simply possessing scholarly status already made one an object of admiration everywhere.
Shi Wuxiang himself did not wish to think this way, but those students needed a lesson, otherwise they would return to their old habits and continue being unbearably annoying.
The headmaster instantly became awkward.
He truly had feared these newly certified juren would disrupt the academy, which was why he deliberately assigned all the troublesome students to them. After all, the original reason he invited them had only been to increase the academy’s reputation.
If outsiders learned that Houde Academy had four newly certified juren teaching there, people would definitely rack their brains trying to enroll.
“Teacher Shi misunderstands. It was precisely because I deeply trusted the learning of the four of you that I assigned those troublesome students to you. I never expected things would turn out this way…” The headmaster desperately tried to smooth things over, his expression becoming increasingly troubled.
“Since Headmaster trusts us, then please allow us to teach using our own methods.” Though Shi Wuxiang could not guarantee every student would achieve good results, students could only progress once they themselves wished to study.
Teachers only guided the process, but students themselves were the core.
Since things had already been said to this extent, the headmaster naturally could not say much else. He only reminded them that there would be year-end examinations and that results would matter then, so they should prepare accordingly.
Though the four of them had been good students while studying, they had also been the kind of good students who gave teachers headaches. They had seen every sort of trick before. If those students were not properly dealt with once, it would be useless.
“So this old man intentionally assigned these students to us?” Cheng Du was furious enough to want to flip the table. “Isn’t this openly bullying people?”
After some thought, Fu Ying said, “The headmaster was probably deceived by appearances too. But things are already like this, so let’s just go with the flow. The students are already anxious enough to complain to the headmaster.”
“Let them wait a little longer,” Shi Wuxiang said with a smile. “All the other teachers are frantically lecturing while our classes have fallen this far behind. They should be getting anxious soon.”
The four nodded and continued lounging beside the table chatting while cracking the melon seeds Yuan Zhao had packed for them. They casually discussed which students were hardest to deal with, and time passed quickly.
Just as the conversation became lively, someone knocked on the dormitory door, instantly silencing the laughter inside.
Shi Wuxiang gave Cheng Du and the others a smug smile. “They’ve come.”
None of them rose to answer the door. Instead they called out toward the outside, “We’re busy at the moment. If you wish to stroll around the courtyard, just go yourselves. Don’t disturb us without reason.”
The students outside widened their eyes.
They had clearly heard laughter and lively conversation inside. What important business could there be? They simply did not want to teach them!
Even if they had behaved somewhat poorly before, the teachers could not truly abandon them. What sort of teacher abandoned students only to hide indoors chatting leisurely? Other teachers had always catered to them and had never ignored them before!
“Teacher, we came to ask you to return to class and teach us. Everything before was our fault. From now on we’ll definitely study diligently!” One of the students who genuinely wanted to learn could no longer endure it and begged desperately. “The other classes have already reached the examination material while we haven’t even begun. Please teach us and resolve our confusion!”
“No time. Go play by yourselves,” Shi Wuxiang replied mercilessly after recognizing his own students’ voices.
The students had already become uneasy from being abandoned. Hearing such cold and heartless words immediately made them panic.
“What kind of teachers are you? Teachers are supposed to educate and nurture students, yet you hide here eating, drinking, and amusing yourselves! You’re unworthy of being called human! For people like you to pass the juren examination is simply a waste of heaven’s gifts!”
“What exactly do you want? Haven’t we already admitted our mistakes? As teachers, shouldn’t you possess forgiving hearts? Even if we were wrong before, you can’t just abandon us like this!”
“Teacher! We were wrong! Please come out and teach us. We’ve already fallen too far behind. Please show mercy. From now on we’ll listen to everything our teachers say!”
“…”
The voices were chaotic and noisy. The four even heard the class ringleader lowering himself and begging humbly.
Only then had their objective truly been achieved.
Although they had ignored the students for half a month, privately they had still compressed and refined the important material as much as possible. Even if these students had previously ranked at the bottom, as long as they followed the plan, their grades would not end up too ugly.
After half a month of such exhausting work, when Shi Wuxiang was finally brought home, his entire body seemed weak and floating.
“Hurry and rest for a while. I’ll have the doctor come take a look shortly.” Yuan Zhao helped him sit down. “You still need to drink the tonic medicine.”
Shi Wuxiang waved his hand. His voice was hoarse and thick with nasal congestion. “I’ll be fine after resting two days. Better not drink medicine.”
Just thinking about those strange medicines again made his head ache.
His illness was too obvious, so Yuan Zhao naturally refused to listen to him. He sent Shi Wuxiang back to his room to rest while he hurried out to fetch a doctor himself.
Shi Wuxiang had caught a chill, and combined with his naturally weak constitution, simply enduring it would not work. He still needed medicine.
Fortunately, the household had already prepared some New Year goods, including candy and pastries. Then they could use them to coax Ah Xiang into drinking his medicine.
Only the three of them were home. Everyone else was helping at the eatery. By the time all this fuss ended, it was already evening, so Yuan Zhao first prepared dinner.
Only after Madam Shi returned with the two children did the family finally eat.
After dinner, the family sat around the charcoal brazier in the main room chatting, mainly asking about matters at the county academy.
“At first there were some difficulties, but now everything has been resolved.” Shi Wuxiang summarized the collapse of the first half month and the frantic rush of the second half month in a single sentence. There was no use telling them those aggravating matters.
“That’s good.” Madam Shi did not ask further about it. “Is everything at the academy alright? How are the food and clothing? It should be better than the town academy, right?”
Thinking of their meals and lodging, Shi Wuxiang nodded. “Quite good indeed. I even gained two pounds. The academy assigned the four of us to live together, which is rather convenient.”
“Why are the four of you living together? Not with the other teachers?” Yuan Zhao sharply lifted his head. Combined with Shi Wuxiang’s mention of the difficult first half month, he vaguely sensed something wrong.
It sounded very much like they had intentionally been separated.
Shi Wuxiang chuckled softly. “Perhaps there weren’t enough rooms before. These are all minor matters. There were some interesting incidents though…”
He selectively recounted amusing people and events. Hearing about certain students repeatedly claiming they would hand in assignments yet never actually doing so made everyone inwardly uneasy. There were surely many such students in their classes.
“Now we simply let them be. Right and wrong ultimately lie in people’s hearts. Even if nothing is said at first, once someone breaks trust too many times, nobody will believe them anymore.” Shi Wuxiang said, “To conduct oneself and do things, one must be honest and trustworthy. Once or twice is enough for people to stop believing you forever.”
Yuan Zhao inexplicably felt as though his hidden thoughts had been exposed. His face instantly burned hot, and he even became irritated, feeling Shi Wuxiang had deliberately said those words to hint at and remind him.
He truly had intended to play dumb and muddle through, thinking that as long as he never mentioned the matter, Ah Xiang’s personality meant he would certainly never take the initiative to drive him away. But now those words felt like a slap across his face.
“Maybe they just forgot. Why are you making it sound so serious?” Yuan Zhao snapped in embarrassment and anger, reflexively retorting as though someone had stepped on his tail.
“I’m being too serious?” Shi Wuxiang asked in disbelief. But seeing Yuan Zhao’s expression, he also sensed something was wrong and abandoned the thought of arguing with him. “Why are you suddenly in a bad mood for no reason? Fine, I won’t say it anymore.”
When people felt inferior, they often became especially rude.
Yuan Zhao felt certain Shi Wuxiang had intentionally said those things, yet he did not know how to explain himself. In the end, he simply stood up and returned to the room.
The people remaining at the table exchanged baffled looks. None of them knew exactly which sentence had angered him, yet not comforting him was clearly not an option either.
Madam Shi looked worried. “Should I call a doctor over? Maybe he’s feeling unwell.”
“Leave him alone.” Even Shi Wuxiang was somewhat annoyed for once.
If he rashly followed now, the two of them would definitely quarrel unpleasantly again. Better to wait until he himself calmed down before going inside to coax him.
Yuan-ge’er watched them all stop moving because of Shi Wuxiang’s words and felt uncomfortable. In the end, he could only go into the room himself to comfort Yuan Zhao.
He pushed the door open and saw Yuan Zhao sitting at the table silently pounding it.
“Brother?” Yuan Yuan called softly. “Brother, are you unhappy?”
“…A little.” Yuan Zhao pulled him into his arms. “If we get driven away, where should we go?”
Rather than feeling afraid, Yuan Yuan immediately brightened with excitement. “Then I’ll go to Apricot Peach Village! There are peaches and apricots there, hehe… peaches are tasty, I’ll eat eat eat!”
As he spoke, he even mimed grabbing fruit out of the air and stuffing it into his mouth.
“Alright.” Yuan Zhao gently patted his back.
Knock knock knock.
Shi Wuxiang was knocking on the door.
Clearly this was their shared bedroom, yet because he himself was angry, Shi Wuxiang still knocked before entering. The comparison only made Yuan Zhao seem more like an unreasonable child throwing a tantrum.
“Go open the door, and close it afterward,” Yuan Zhao softly instructed.
“Okay.” Yuan Yuan obediently nodded, then patted him with exaggerated maturity. “Brother, if you’re unhappy then we’ll leave. We don’t want them anymore, okay?”
Yuan Zhao smiled until his eyes curved. “Okay. Go on.”
Yuan Yuan opened the door and exchanged a glance with Shi Wuxiang. Without even acknowledging him, he turned and left.
Shi Wuxiang inexplicably felt guilty enough to rub his nose before entering the room and walking toward Yuan Zhao. Seeing that Yuan Zhao’s expression had returned to normal and no longer looked as upset as before, only then did he dare quicken his pace toward him.
Even during his student years, he had never felt this timid.
“Feeling better now?” Shi Wuxiang sat beside him and directly admitted fault. “What I said earlier was too harsh. In the future I’ll give students more chances and won’t ignore them over small matters anymore… can you talk to me now?”
“That’s not why I was upset…” Yuan Zhao stammered awkwardly.
What did those students have to do with him? Ah Xiang was their teacher and could discipline them however he wished. Yuan Zhao did not care about that at all.
Seeing him willing to respond, Shi Wuxiang immediately pressed the advantage. “Then what exactly did I say wrong? You suddenly became unhappy for no reason. How about I apologize?”
Yuan Zhao turned to look at him.
The scholar’s appearance was handsome and refined, his temperament extraordinary. His brows were lightly furrowed, clearly confused and puzzled by the current situation.
Guilt welled up inside Yuan Zhao, making him feel deeply excessive.
Perhaps Ah Xiang truly had not meant it that way. Perhaps Yuan Zhao himself was simply too sensitive, always overthinking things and making everyone else unhappy as well.
He hated this side of himself, but whenever he hid worries in his heart, it was always difficult for him to control his emotions.
There seemed to be no solution. He could only endure it until the three-year term ended.
“There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. I was the one who said the wrong thing.” Yuan Zhao softly apologized. “I shouldn’t have stormed away like that and made Mother and the others worry too. That was my fault.”
“You don’t need to apologize either. Like you said, arguments between husbands are normal. It was my fault for not immediately following to coax you earlier, but your temper came so suddenly that I also became somewhat upset.” Shi Wuxiang spoke softly while carefully watching his expression. Only after seeing no further signs of distress did he relax.
Yuan Zhao again apologized quietly, “Sorry, I threw a tantrum.”
Shi Wuxiang cupped his face and smiled. “I’m not saying all this to force you to apologize. I also have moments when emotions overwhelm me, but I’ll always take the initiative to coax you. All you need to do is wait for me. Can you do that?”
Yuan Zhao nodded. Naturally he could do that, but there was no reason things should always continue this way.
People had to keep their promises. Since he had agreed to something, he had to fulfill it.
Only after everything had finally been spoken clearly did Shi Wuxiang quietly relax.
Yuan Zhao was not someone demanding stars or the moon. Shi Wuxiang had truly never seen anyone easier to soothe. A slightly gentler attitude was enough to earn forgiveness. Why waste time arguing over right and wrong?
.
Another New Year arrived.
Yuan Zhao brought the entire family to the market to buy holiday goods. Melon seeds, candy, pastries—things they normally ate often—were bought in larger quantities. Meat and vegetables even more so. Everyone in the family could eat meat, so he bought some of nearly everything he saw.
Meanwhile, Shi Wuxiang brought Shi Qingyue to prepare visiting gifts. This year they would celebrate New Year in town. It was unavoidable that they would visit friends, classmates, and teachers. Showing up empty-handed would only invite ridicule.
Within a single day, the small storage room at home became completely filled. Everything was arranged according to which household it belonged for, making future visits convenient.
The eatery also closed early. Yuan Zhao was so busy his feet barely touched the ground, leaving him no energy to visit daily. So he simply closed the shop two days earlier, paid everyone their wages and bonuses, and sent them home for the holiday.
“How are all of you doing these days?” Yuan Zhao asked Gou Yi and the others. “Still living in the same courtyard house?”
That small courtyard had originally only been rented to them because Yuan Zhao personally guaranteed them. Now these half-grown children could already earn money themselves and paid rent every month. The landlord’s attitude toward them had improved greatly, and the guarantor matter was no longer mentioned.
Gou Yi nodded. “The uncles, aunties, and elders all treat us very well now, and the younger ones are cared for too, so we’re continuing to stay there. Does Boss have something to tell us?”
Yuan Zhao shook his head slightly. “Nothing like that. I’m only asking a few extra questions. If everything’s alright, hurry home and celebrate New Year. You still remember how to make dumplings, right?”
“I remember…” Gou Yi answered hesitantly. The dumplings had been taught by Mister Shi upstairs in the private room. Thinking about that inevitably reminded him of Mister Shi meeting those women.
At first he had felt he should directly tell the boss, but seeing how harmonious the married couple was, he did not know how to speak up. If it caused trouble between them, would that not make him the one ruining someone else’s family?
But Gou Er’er suddenly piped up crisply, “We remember it was Mister Shi who taught us, but he’s not a good person! He met with women from the flower house, and he smelled really really fragrant!”
Gou Yi’s eyes widened as he sharply turned to stare at her.
Hadn’t they agreed not to mention it?
“That was a misunderstanding. He accidentally picked up the scent, and he already explained it to me.” Yuan Zhao smiled until his eyes curved. “Have you been worrying about my affairs all this time? I’m really sorry for making you worry.”
Gou Er’er still did not understand. “Maybe he lied to you. You still trust him? Men’s mouths only know how to lie.”
Having wandered around town for years, they knew countless secrets and bits of gossip. They had seen how men deceived their wives at home while sneaking outside to seek pleasure elsewhere.
So even though she was young, there were very few men she trusted.
Yuan Zhao knew she was worried for him and patiently explained with a smile, “What he said was the truth. That time he was deceived too. Afterward, didn’t he stop meeting that merchant entirely? I have to trust him.”
Though Gou Er’er still did not fully understand, she nevertheless nodded. Since the boss said so, naturally she would listen. Then she would choose to trust Mister Shi for once.
Afraid she would continue blurting out nonsense, Gou Yi hurriedly dragged her and the younger children away. They still needed to buy New Year goods too.
Only after they had all left did Yuan Zhao sit in the chair lost in thought.
That day Ah Xiang had only said he accidentally picked up the scent. Yuan Zhao had never expected it came from women at a flower house. Ah Xiang had not explained in detail, likely because he feared Yuan Zhao would become upset.
Although hearing the exact circumstances from someone else’s mouth made him uncomfortable, at least the matter itself was true, and Ah Xiang’s words had also been truthful.
He simply had not expected those children to care about him so much, even paying attention to such little things for his sake. They were truly adorable.
After Madam Shi finished cleaning the private rooms, she came downstairs with the two children. The four of them bought a few more things along the way before returning home.
This was their first New Year spent in town.
And from New Year’s Eve through the fifth day, there would be lantern festivals every night. Yuan Yuan impatiently carried his own lantern and wanted to rush out onto the streets, tugging Yuan Zhao’s clothes while pulling him outside.
“Come on, Brother, come on! Ah Xiang-gege can chase after us later!” Yuan Yuan pleaded sweetly.
“Alright, alright… Ah Xiang, hurry up! Yuan-ge’er and I are heading out first!”
They had come out after dinner. Yuan Zhao had once seen the nighttime scenery of the provincial capital—brightly lit and dazzlingly beautiful—but he had never imagined the town could be just the same.
And because of New Year, the streets were lined with lantern vendors. The entire night glowed beneath those lanterns. Rows upon rows of neatly arranged lanterns shone softly in the darkness, looking especially hazy and beautiful.
“So pretty! But none are prettier than my little peach lantern, and none are prettier than Brother’s little apricot lantern!” Yuan Yuan happily ran everywhere. Had Yuan Zhao not been holding onto him, he likely would have disappeared into the crowd long ago.
A smile also spread across Yuan Zhao’s face. Occasionally the wind swept through the loose strands over his forehead, making his already bright eyes seem even more dazzling. Every now and then, people on the street greeted him and complimented their lanterns as well.
Whenever moments like this came around, Yuan-ge’er would secretly laugh. Once they went to Apricot Peach Village, they would be able to see real apricot-peach blossoms!
Qingshui Town at night was very different from how it was during the day. The stone bridge they had crossed over again and again in daylight now felt, when stepped onto at night, as though they had walked onto the Magpie Bridge itself. The lake waters on both sides shimmered beneath the glow of flower lanterns, making people dizzy.
A little embarrassed, he sat down on the edge of the bridge. “Let me rest for a bit, alright?”
“Then let’s not sit here anymore. Let’s go release river lanterns and pray for blessings instead?” Yuan Yuan’s gaze landed on the lotus lanterns floating atop the lake, his eyes full of longing.
“Alright.”
Naturally, Yuan Zhao granted him whatever he asked for. He spent ten wen to buy two lotus lanterns. The two carefully went down the small path beside the bridge to the riverside, crouching on the small stone steps to set the lanterns into the water.
Yuan Yuan hurriedly stopped him. “Big Brother has to make a wish and pray for blessings first before releasing the lantern. Otherwise, if it floats too far away, your wish won’t be able to catch up to our little lantern and will run onto someone else’s lantern instead.”
Yuan Zhao quickly withdrew his hand and made his wish again.
Actually, he no longer had many wishes left to make. All his wishes had already come true in the Shi family.
His younger brother could eat his fill and stay warm.
He himself could have kind in-laws.
Those had always been his wishes.
If there was truly anything left unfinished, it was that Ah Xiang still did not like him. But to him now, that was no longer especially important.
What he hoped for more now was for Ah Xiang to have a bright future and obtain good results in the metropolitan examination.
He hoped Ah Yue could also pass the xiucai examination next year.
He hoped Madam Shi Zhang would stay healthy, and Ranran would grow up safely.
So float on, little river lantern. Float wherever you wish. As long as it sets out on the journey, then his new wishes would always come true eventually.
Yuan Yuan tilted his head as he looked at him. He did not know what wish his brother had made. In his own wishes, there was only his brother.
“Brother, did you wish for me?” Yuan-ge’er immediately leaned in front of his face once he saw him open his eyes.
“Nope,” Yuan Zhao said.
Yuan Yuan instantly became heartbroken. “Even if your heart were split into six pieces, I should at least be the second biggest piece! How could there not be one for me?”
Yuan Zhao did not argue with him over that. Instead he asked, “Why are you the second biggest? You could also be the biggest one!”
“How could I be the biggest one?” Yuan Yuan sighed in mock complaint. “First place should be yourself! How could I steal that from you?”
Yuan Zhao’s eyes abruptly grew moist. He quickly curved his eyes into a smile, hiding the watery sheen within them as he laughed softly. “I didn’t wish for you because there’s no need to pray for it. Everything of yours, I can accomplish myself.”
The gods were not omnipotent, but he would give everything for Yuan-ge’er.
A little shy, Yuan Yuan threw himself into his embrace and coquettishly acted spoiled. “Brother, my feet are soooo numb~”
Yuan Zhao immediately picked him up. “Speak properly. Don’t talk in such a weird tone.”
“Nooo, nooo~”
Smack, smack.
Two light slaps landed on his butt, and Yuan Yuan gave two soft hums before obediently settling down.
The moment Shi Wuxiang stepped onto the bridge, he saw Yuan Zhao carrying Yuan Yuan up. He smoothly took Yuan Yuan from him with one hand while using the other to hold Yuan Zhao’s hand.
“There are too many people. Don’t get separated.”