Chapter 760 - 391: A Visit (2)

Chapter 760: Chapter 391: A Visit (2)

Scholar Zhou saw that his praise didn’t make the young man complacent and couldn’t help but think more highly of him. He took the initiative to ask, "You and your wife have come to visit. Is there something you wish to ask of me? This afternoon, you and that fellow Qingmu brought Yang Laishou over. Is he a relative of yours?"

Seeing Scholar Zhou ask directly, Huai Zi felt a surge of gratitude. He replied honestly and sincerely, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhou. My wife and I have indeed come for a reason, but we have nothing to ask of you."

Scholar Zhou asked in surprise, "Oh? Then what is it for?"

Huai Zi said respectfully, "First, we came specifically to pay our respects to you, Mr. Zhou, and to Grandma Zhou. Second, I wanted to make something clear to you, sir. Regarding Laishou’s education, both the Zhang family and the Zheng Family will abide by your decision. If you don’t wish to accept Laishou as a student, we will not say another word. In my view, you have no obligation to us here in Qingnan Village. For you to grace us by teaching here is a blessing we could have never hoped for, so how could we dare to impose our wishes on you regarding his schooling? Besides, the previous Mr. Zhou operated the same way. The old master accepted whomever he wished. If a student caught his eye, he was accepted. If not, it was useless no matter who put in a good word for them. In the eyes of us farmers, we deeply admire learned men like yourself and the previous Mr. Zhou. If Laishou can win your favor, it is his good fortune. If he cannot, it simply means he is not fated to."

Scholar Zhou’s gaze was profound. Stroking his beard, he looked at Zhang Huai for a long time without a word.

After a good while, he began asking some questions about farm life and how the villagers made a living. When Juhua came out after bidding farewell to Grandma Zhou, the couple finally took their leave from Mr. Zhou and headed home.

On the way back, the sky had already darkened. Faint starlight and moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees. Huai Zi held Juhua’s hand and asked, "How did it go?"

Juhua said softly, "I said everything that needed to be said. Regardless of what they’re thinking, you and brother should go make another round of visits to those families later. That should just about settle it."

Huai Zi nodded. After they got back, he was busy once more.

As it turned out, Juhua had been led into an inner room by the Zhou family’s maid. After paying her respects to Grandma Zhou, she had humbly expressed how they should have visited sooner to thank Mr. Zhou for gracing Qingnan Village with his presence as a teacher, but she had been worried about being a bother.

’A home with a woman in it really is different.’ Juhua had helped the previous Mr. Zhou clean this very house before, but it was no longer as simple and empty as it once was. Many new furnishings had been added—they looked newly purchased—and the room was tidied up to feel warm, simple, and elegant.

Scholar Zhou’s wife, Mrs. Feng, was a woman in her forties. Her attire was simple and tasteful, neither extravagant nor gaudy, and she had a pleasant, well-to-do appearance. Her smile was gentle and kind. While instructing her maid, Xia’er, to serve tea, she cordially asked Juhua some perfunctory, polite questions. Inwardly, she was thinking, ’This young wife is uncommonly beautiful. What a pity she was born into a peasant family and had to marry a farmer.’

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Juhua, Mrs. Feng simply smiled and fell silent, seemingly waiting for Juhua to state the purpose of her visit.

Juhua smiled and said, "Country folk like us hold learned men like Mr. Zhou in the highest respect. When we come to pay a visit, we have no elegant or precious gifts to offer, just some simple things from our own land. Please try them first, Grandma Zhou. If you find them to your liking, just say the word, and we’ll be sure to send more in the future. If not, we wouldn’t dare embarrass ourselves by bringing them again. We used to give them to the other Mr. Zhou quite often, and the old master found them agreeable, but I’m not sure if the new Mr. Zhou and you will enjoy them."

Mrs. Feng thanked her and said to the maid, Xia’er, who was standing by, "Later, have your mother prepare some of this for us to try. It is a kind gesture from Grandma Zhang."

Xia’er smiled and agreed.

Juhua quickly interjected, "Grandma Zhou, please, just call me Juhua. I am unworthy of such a title as ’Grandma’."

Mrs. Feng smiled. "Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Juhua." She then began asking about the previous Mr. Zhou’s life, such as whether he had anyone to help with his meals and laundry.

Juhua answered each question in turn.

Mrs. Feng noticed that Juhua never mentioned the reason for her visit, seeming to have truly come just to pay respects. Moreover, this Juhua was poised and articulate, and from the way she spoke, it seemed she could even read a little. Finding her anything but bothersome, Mrs. Feng began to chat with her in earnest.

Juhua seized the opportunity to say what she had intended: "When the former Mr. Zhou left, we were all very reluctant to see him go. Thankfully, Scholar Zhou has arrived, giving everyone hope again. But it must be a great inconvenience for him and you, Grandma, to be stuck out here in the countryside. I fear nothing is convenient, and all you’ll get out of it is a good name."

Mrs. Feng laughed. "Well, having a good name isn’t so bad. Was the former Mr. Zhou very famous?"

Juhua chuckled. "More than famous! After my brother-in-law and a few others became Scholars, the old master became a local legend. But in my opinion, he was already an extraordinary man; the rumors weren’t exaggerations. My brother-in-law told me the old master once said that although holing up in this wild place, keeping company with farmers and village children amidst the mountains and fields, was a bit too quiet, he felt he hadn’t wasted his life’s learning by producing a few prized students. ’A man leaves behind his name where he has been, as a goose leaves its cry where it has flown.’ His years of effort were not in vain. Otherwise, why would he have stayed here?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Feng nodded slightly, her gaze on Juhua distant as if she were lost in thought.

Juhua quickly added, "Mr. Zhou is a venerable scholar, so he is naturally a cut above. For him to produce a few prized students in the coming year should be an easy task!"

Mrs. Feng smiled, pressing her lips together. "You certainly have a way with words. But prized students aren’t so easily produced."

Juhua nodded. "That’s something I wouldn’t know about. I’m sure the master has his reasons. No wonder the previous Mr. Zhou was so strict about accepting students. Aside from children from our village, anyone from other villages had to pass his examination to enroll. And even then, out of a whole crowd of children, he would only select a few! No matter what anyone said, the master was unmoved, saying he didn’t want to waste his efforts."

A glint appeared in Mrs. Feng’s eyes. She gave a casual smile but did not reply.

Juhua chatted idly with her for a few more moments. Seeing that it was getting late, she finally rose to her feet, saying she had troubled Grandma for a long time and that it was time to go. With that, she took her leave.

Mrs. Feng offered a few polite platitudes and had the young maid see her out. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com and vote with recommendation tickets or monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)