Xiao Xitian looked towards home and sighed softly, "Second nephew, you are only fourteen this year, a good age to study at the academy, so Father and Mother will not agree to you raising cattle..."
Let alone the old man Yun and Madam Gu, if Yun Erman knew he wanted to drop out to raise cattle, he would whip him to death with a leather whip dipped in cold water.
Yun Jinshan listened, his face filled with melancholy and unwillingness, "Or, or Auntie, can you put in a good word for me? Just say I really don't want to study anymore. My father usually listens to you the most..."
Xiao Xitian smiled helplessly, stood up, and patted the grass dust off her skirt, "Second nephew, the report card hasn't come out yet, how do you know you won't pass the Xiucai exam?"
"Even if I pass, so what?" Yun Jinshan also stood up, feeling very depressed, "After passing the Xiucai exam, you still have to take the Juren exam, and after the Juren exam, you have to take the imperial examination. Even if I smoothly become an official, I'll probably be thirty or forty years old. My prime youth will be wasted on exams. What am I doing this for?"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
It seems that children in ancient times and children in modern times have the same idea: studying and exams are a torment to them.
But Xiao Xitian felt that although knowledge might not change destiny, it could certainly improve a person's character and cultivation...
Therefore, dropping out was out of the question.
"Alright then!~" Xiao Xitian raised her little head and looked at Yun Jinshan, "Since second nephew's dream is to raise cattle, then Auntie can help you achieve your wish..."
There were countless calves in her space. If she casually took out hundreds of them, it would be enough for the villagers to fuss over.
Yun Jinshan was excited upon hearing this, "Really? Really? Auntie, thank you so much. When I earn money, I'll buy you the most delicious and prettiest candy!~"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
No more candy, it gives me a toothache.
"Of course it's true!" Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes and changed the subject, "But second nephew has to promise me two things!~"
Only by stabilizing second nephew's emotions first could she negotiate with him...
What if this fourteen-year-old young boy really dropped out?
"Let alone one thing, even a hundred things, I'll agree to Auntie!~" Yun Jinshan rubbed his hands excitedly.
Xiao Xitian nodded lightly and raised her finger, "First, you must continue to study, and never mention dropping out again. Not only that, but you must also study with more diligence and effort than before, and strive to become a Juren!~"
The Yun family has always valued education. For a child like Yun Jinshan with relatively poor talent, becoming a Juren would already be a great blessing.
Yun Jinshan: "..."
Auntie, your request is a bit harsh.
He struggled to pass the Xiucai exam, let alone the Juren exam.
"Second, you must take your elder brother as an example and strive to study at the Imperial College. Auntie does not ask you to be rich and noble in the future, only wishing that second nephew will have ambition. Even if you become a businessman in the future, we must be cultured and knowledgeable businessmen!~" Xiao Xitian said seriously.
Yun Jinshan: "..."
If I had known this, I wouldn't have mentioned raising cattle.
Seeing her second nephew silent and looking troubled, Xiao Xitian smiled slightly, "As long as second nephew agrees to Auntie's two requests, Auntie will help you achieve your wish..."
Yun Jinshan hesitated for a moment, then mumbled, "In the end, Auntie still wants me to study, doesn't she!~"
"Yes!" Xiao Xitian nodded.
"Then, that's fine!" Yun Jinshan agreed, sighing, "Auntie, you must keep your word, don't go back on it..."
"Definitely, hehe!"
The aunt and nephew hit it off, dug up some wild vegetables on the hillside, and went home.
In the study of the West Residence.
Scholar Jiang held a ruler in one hand and a book in the other, reciting with his head shaking...
"The Master said, 'Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.' There are also tricks to reading and studying. You must know how to think about problems and analyze problems to truly absorb knowledge!~"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
So sleepy, can't I just sleep soundly?
Xiao Jinheng couldn't help but laugh when he saw the little village girl beside him struggling to keep her eyes open. He gestured for Scholar Jiang to stop for a moment, letting the little village girl sleep until she was rested...
Gao Jingde and Yun Xiaobao listened very attentively, occasionally taking notes and writing down their thoughts on the lecture.
Yun Sanman heard that his son was studying and sent several sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones early in the morning. He also bought many good things for Scholar Jiang...
The sudden silence in the study made Xiao Xitian sleep more peacefully. Her chubby little face lay on the book, occasionally letting out 'huhu' snores.
On the outside, she seemed to be sleeping soundly, but in her dream, there was another scene...
Xiao Xitian found herself in a sea of fire, surrounded by dense smoke and waves of heat. In the distance, there was a bottomless abyss, with scorching lava flowing below.
"Where, where is this?" Xiao Xitian shouted, feeling a little scared.
Since she transmigrated, she had never dreamed of such a terrifying scene...
At this moment, a red light flashed across the dark sky. Suddenly, muffled thunder roared, and lightning flickered. Fine rain fell, stinging Xiao Xitian's body like hot coals.
"Is there anyone?" Xiao Xitian's hand was burned, so she had to curl up in a crevice for protection.
Suddenly, an old voice came from the sky, "Yun Xitian, you reversed time and space, and your soul was damaged during transmigration. If you want to survive in this world, you must replenish your soul and seek a way to save yourself..."
Xiao Xitian: "???"
What nonsense is this?
She was alive and well, how could her soul be lost?
"Who are you, and why are you telling me this?" Xiao Xitian asked.
But the old voice disappeared. The sea of fire and the cliff in front of her were submerged in thick fog, replaced by endless wind and snow and vast glaciers...
In an instant, Xiao Xitian woke up from her dream, gasping for breath.
The room was very dark. Looking outside, the sky had completely darkened.
She didn't know when she had been sent back to her room and had slept for several hours...
"What a strange dream!~" Xiao Xitian got out of bed, put on her shoes, and poured herself a cup of water. "Who was that old man who spoke? What about reversing time and space, and damaged soul? If a person has no soul, they're dead, right?"
It was truly inexplicable...
"Auntie, it's time for dinner!~" Yun Xiaobao called from outside the door.
Xiao Xitian came back to her senses and didn't think much about it. She pushed open the door and walked out.