Seeing him like this, Xie Yan was shocked: “Uncle, what’s wrong with you?”
Mr. Wu was of medium height, thin, with a round belly and a round face. At first glance, he looked prosperous, but upon closer inspection, he looked haggard.
He smiled, but his voice was weak and he seemed frail.
“I fell ill in the county seat, and with the cold weather lately, I haven’t recovered.”
This year, he didn’t go out during the New Year celebrations, and it was all up to Wu Pingzhi to take care of everything inside and outside the house.
A sick old man like this has been through life and death.
Lu Yang glanced at Wu Pingzhi, who had kept it a secret and not let on a word.
He asked, “What did the doctor say? Is he eating and taking his medicine properly?”
Wu Pingzhi answered, “He’s fine. It’s an old condition. He drank too much, and in the city, he competed with others in drinking, which caused him to vomit blood. This is good. It scared a lot of people that day, so he won’t drink anymore.”
Businesspeople can’t avoid drinking parties.
The Wu family had built their business to this level, so one could imagine how much Wu Laoye could drink.
Wu Laoye sighed with a smile, “When you’re old, a little alcohol like this is nothing.”
He shifted the topic to Xie Yan: “I used to drink with your father. Back then, he had just arrived in the county to find a house to live in. I saw that he was well-mannered, upright, and talented, so I invited him to drink with me a few times. You, on the other hand, can’t drink. You’ve been to my house a few times, but you can’t even finish a bowl of wine.”
Xie Yan was confused about the past and didn’t know which year Mr. Wu was referring to.
He remembered that his father had only met the wealthy gentleman after he passed the examination to become a scholar. The search for a residence also took place after he passed the examination. From Mr. Wu’s tone, it seemed like they had known each other for a long time.
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Mr. Wu explained, ” I knew your father before he passed the examination to become a scholar. At that time, he was very shy, and even when I invited him to a meal, he was too embarrassed to eat. Generally, merchants who befriend scholars do so with candidates for the imperial examinations, as that is a sure path to success. At that time, he was only a candidate for the provincial examinations and feared he would disappoint everyone’s expectations. I kept pestering him, but it was no use, so we didn’t have any contact for over a year.”
Later, when Xie Yan’s father passed the examination to become a scholar, he visited him to present gifts, and the two became friends.
Wu Pingzhi laughed and said, “Then I guess I’ve inherited his thick skin.”
Xie Yan dared not agree and said stiffly, “You’re a good person.”
Everyone laughed.
The Wu family were all businesspeople, smooth and charming. When chatting with Xie Yan, they didn’t neglect Lu Yang, asking him about his family and business.
Wu Pingzhi praised Lu Yang repeatedly, saying he was skilled in business, quick-witted, and a sharp individual.
Mr. Wu said, “Yan is good in this way, like his father, he doesn’t look down on people.”
Many scholars don’t like to get too close to merchants, considering them vulgar.
Xie Yan also praised Lu Yang, showing his admiration openly.
He had come today intending to ask Wu Pingzhi for some financial assistance to buy paintings. But upon seeing Mr. Wu, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
They painted in the warm room, while Lu Yang and Wu Pingzhi moved their seats to the side and sat down to talk.
Wu Pingzhi wanted to know some details about the courtroom, and Lu Yang had Xie Yan recount them, so he explained them clearly and told the whole story.
Lu Yang also had a question for Wu Pingzhi: “Can Ayan go back to the county school to study?”
Wu Pingzhi frowned: “Even if he could, he wouldn’t go. He had a hard time at the county school during that period. He was talented and straightforward, didn’t make friends easily, and spoke bluntly. The teachers liked him, giving him priority access to good books, which made many people jealous. You may not know that the imperial examinations are held every three years, and many people take them multiple times, which means three attempts over nine years. Only two years have passed, and the county school is still filled with the same people. What would Ayan go back there for?”
Even if he had become stronger and developed strategies to cope, Wu Pingzhi still did not recommend that he return to the county school to study.
“Time is precious. For people like us, it is better to focus on passing the exams and achieving official status than to waste time arguing with petty individuals. Once you have official status, the petty individuals will naturally step aside.”
As the saying goes, a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. If you really can’t swallow your pride, once you have official status, you can do as you please. There’s no need to vent your anger in the moment.
Lu Yang understood and raised his cup to Wu Pingzhi: “Ayan is fortunate to have you as a friend.”
Wu Pingzhi drank it: “No need to be polite. We’re just helping each other out. I’m not very talented, and without someone to help and guide me, it’s hard to make a name for myself.”
He didn’t really like drinking, but since they had already laid their cards on the table, and his father had developed health issues from drinking, he didn’t urge Lu Yang to drink. Instead, he switched to tea and said to him: I’ve already found a private school, but it’s a bit far from your shop. I might have to stay there, but they have two candidates for the imperial examinations as teachers. That’s quite impressive for a county town. The only place with better teachers is the county school.”
Additionally, Xie Yan’s strong learning ability can compensate for this.
His family may not have much else, but they have sufficient assets. His father has extensive connections and has gathered information from various sources, obtaining many imperial examination essays. They also have all the newly published books from the imperial libraries in the capital.
These materials are too much for Wu Pingzhi to read alone, and even if he does, he would only skim through them without truly understanding them. With Xie Yan, it was different. Xie Yan read quickly, had a sharp mind, and understood what the imperial examinations emphasized. He could help Wu Pingzhi filter out the essential information, allowing this average-talented individual to focus his limited energy on what truly mattered.
When it came to picking up a brush to paint, everything was prepared. Wu Laoye leaned back on the bed, unconcerned about his posture, and picked up the brush to paint, his expression calm and his eyes full of vitality.
Now, looking at him again, the attraction remained. He smiled and said to Wu Pingzhi, “I think his temperament will cause him trouble in the future. Please keep an eye on him and give him a hand whenever possible.”
That’s all right.
Lu Yang didn’t understand the imperial examinations before, but today he heard a lot about them from Wu Pingzhi.
The exams before the juren level were child’s play. You went in and came out on the same day, and there were no high physical demands. The provincial and imperial exams were three exams over nine days. In terms Lu Yang could understand, taking the juren and jinshi exams meant staying in the exam hall for nine days, with all eating, drinking, and sleeping done inside. A small room was crammed with people, and no one could lie down flat.
You needed a good body and a good mindset.
Mental illness is also an illness; many candidates were so frightened upon entering the exam hall that they fell ill. Every year, there were candidates who died from illness.
“I heard that every time there was an exam, the examination hall would perform rituals to appease the spirits of the candidates who had died in the exam hall,” Wu Pingzhi said.
Lu Yang: “…”
He had never heard of exams being life-threatening before.
He had previously taken Xie Yan’s desire to exercise his body as a joke, but upon hearing this, he took it seriously.
Without choosing an auspicious time, he decided to have Xie Yan practice today.
Xie Yan had not finished painting the portrait today, but he had already completed the draft, so he could just go home and add color.
He had a good memory, and Mr. Wu was dressed simply today, so this part wasn’t difficult.
Lu Yang refused: “Let him walk; his legs are too weak.”
Xie Yan glanced sideways: “What’s wrong?”
Lu Yang couldn’t help but laugh at his words: “You’re so clueless.”
Xie Yan also laughed.
Wu Pingzhi couldn’t bear to watch: “Then I won’t see you off further. Be careful on your way.”
This visit ended, and Xie Yan only brought his painting supplies. The couple held hands and walked home.
Lying on the bed, he suddenly thought of a method of exercise.
He had seen the Luo brothers practice it before, lying face down on the ground. He had followed them when he was a child, and at first his arms and back ached, but later his waist, legs, and calves all ached. This exercise could be practiced throughout the entire body.
Leave a Reply