When Li shi and Zhan Feiyu were called to the old Zhan family residence by the mountain child, the main hall was filled with people. The weather was too cold, and the villagers who came to watch the excitement didn't want to freeze outside.
Zhan Feiyu's hair, not yet dry, was spread out. Her dark hair made her face appear even fairer and more delicate, complemented by her star-like black eyes, making her look too exquisite to be a child raised in a rural farmhouse.
"Little Yu, come over to the brazier and warm yourself. Don't catch a cold," an aunt called out, pulling Zhan Feiyu to sit by the brazier.
The villagers crowding the doorway made way for Li shi to enter the house as well.
"Little Yu's hair isn't dry yet. Can Zhan Lao Er's wife really say that Little Yu started the fire?"
"It's nonsense. Da Linzi and Uncle Hu didn't see anyone."
"Look at her and Widow Liu, whispering about something."
The old clan elder and the village head sat on either side of the square table. The food on the table had already been cleared by Grandma Zhan and Ma shi.
Old Man Zhan stood to the side, smoking his pipe. After this series of events, Old Man Zhan looked more than ten years older, his body stooped.
"I already made it clear under the banyan tree. Although the fire was suspicious, it definitely had nothing to do with Little Yu!" the village head's voice was loud and his expression stern.
"Zhou Tian was unconscious at the time and knew nothing. But Liu shi, you and Liu Fu were awake. The door was bolted when the fire started. If I hear anyone slandering Little Yu again, don't blame me, the village head, for dealing with her according to village rules!"
Meeting the village head's sharp gaze, Widow Liu lowered her head sheepishly, concealing the unwillingness and greed in her eyes.
She didn't know if there was a connection, but her family's property had been burned down. There wasn't a grain of rice left in the kitchen. It was cold and hungry in the middle of winter. Forget about celebrating the New Year, she didn't even know how they would survive.
The village head ignored Widow Liu and sternly addressed Xiao Yao shi, "And you, you talk nonsense in the village with just a flick of your lips. Zhan Lao Er indulges you, but the clan cannot tolerate women who spread rumors. If there's a next time, you'll be sent back to the Yao family with a divorce letter!"
As long as the old clan elder and the clan elders agreed, the clan could divorce Xiao Yao shi on behalf of Zhan Lao Er.
"Second sister-in-law is just saying things out of distress. Village head, I promise second sister-in-law won't talk nonsense again. If she does, I'll beat her." Ma shi nudged Xiao Yao shi, urging her to speak quickly.
After Li shi moved out, everything from washing clothes and cooking to cleaning the yard, feeding chickens and ducks, and tending the vegetable patch fell upon the two sisters-in-law. Ma shi was already lazy, and she argued with Xiao Yao shi all day over these matters.
Thinking that if Xiao Yao shi were divorced, all these tasks would fall upon her, Ma shi shivered in fear, almost forcing Xiao Yao shi's head to make a statement.
"How can there be such a coincidence? Only our three families' houses were burned down!" Xiao Yao shi glared resentfully at Zhan Feiyu. This little girl was taking revenge for Da Huang!
It seemed her words were all in vain. The village head, seeing Xiao Yao shi's stubbornness, was about to get angry when the old clan elder interrupted him.
"Xiao Yao shi, as the saying goes, you catch the thief with the evidence. You accuse Li shi and Little Yu of setting fire to your three houses, but you must provide proof." The old clan elder, being advanced in age, spoke slowly, but no one dared to slight him.
Before Xiao Yao shi could retort, the old clan elder continued, "There are over a hundred households in the village, with more than seven hundred people, old and young. There are always some conflicts. According to your logic, if something happens to any family in the future, anyone who has argued with that family will be the culprit? And can they demand compensation?"
The women in the village often argued over trivial matters. It wouldn't do for one family to demand money from another today, and then the other family to demand money from a third family tomorrow. Wouldn't that throw the village into chaos?
"I don't know about other people's affairs, but the arson was definitely instigated by Little Yu!" Xiao Yao shi, as if having caught Zhan Feiyu's weakness, her voice was high and sharp.
"Zhu Zi often said that the Hundred Household Officer was skilled in martial arts and could surely set fire to our three houses without anyone noticing. If not him, then who else! Could it really be ghosts?"
Although the villagers were ignorant and believed in ghosts and spirits, Xiao Yao shi didn't believe it was Da Huang's ghost causing trouble.
From the time Zhou Tian was thrown into the courtyard, Widow Liu's door bolt was still securely fastened. She was eating in the main house, but her house was burned down. After Zhan Lao Er reminded her, Xiao Yao shi thought of the Hundred Household Officer mentioned by Zhu Zi.
Xiao Yao shi raised her voice and questioned, "The Zeng family's guards and escorts were all trained fighters, yet they were still kicked and made to spit blood. What difficulty would it be for such an expert to set fire to our three houses?"
"This is quite possible," a man who didn't believe in ghosts and spirits muttered. If it were indeed done by a Hundred Household Officer from the garrison, then everything would make sense.
Zhan Feiyu, who was sitting on a small stool warming herself by the fire, stood up. Looking at the smug Xiao Yao shi, she couldn't help but smile. "Does Second Sister-in-law know what rank a Hundred Household Officer holds?"
"What does that have to do with me? Don't try to suppress me with your talk of high officials!" Xiao Yao shi retorted stubbornly, glaring fiercely at Zhan Feiyu. If she hadn't been adopted, this little girl would dare to speak to her like this, she would have slapped her to death!
Looking at the villagers who were equally puzzled, Zhan Feiyu said loudly, "A Hundred Household Officer in the garrison is of the sixth rank, one rank higher than Magistrate Chen. In other words, I can also order Magistrate Chen to set fire to the village."
The villagers were stunned, then they all shook their heads. This was absolutely impossible!
No matter how capable Little Yu was, she could only make the yamen runners like Constable Ma be polite. How could she order the magistrate? They wouldn't believe it even if they were beaten to death, let alone have the magistrate set fire to their houses. Their ancestors would have to be incredibly lucky for that to happen!
"If I could really get a sixth-rank official to do things for me," Zhan Feiyu tilted her head and smiled lightly, her eyes full of contempt and indifference, "who would I need to fear?"
On one side were Hundred Household Officers, more powerful than Magistrate Chen, and on the other were mud-legged peasants. Zhan Feiyu didn't even need to burn down three houses; if the Hundred Household Officer broke the legs of Zhan Dalang and the others, what could they do?
They could go to the yamen to cry injustice, but Magistrate Chen's rank was lower. Even if they were of the same rank, the county yamen had no jurisdiction over the garrison.
Looking at Zhan Feiyu, who was smiling charmingly but whose eyes were cold and merciless, the villagers felt an immense sense of unfamiliarity and fear.
They suddenly realized that Zhan Feiyu was not just a seven-year-old girl. Behind her was Teacher Lin, who was a scholar, Magistrate Chen, a local official, and even a Hundred Household Officer skilled in martial arts. They were not people that these mud-legged peasants could bully.
They didn't even dare to offend the yamen runners of lower rank, and they were afraid of those hooligans. What ability did they have to challenge Little Yu?
Ignoring the now fearful Widow Liu and Xiao Yao shi, Zhan Feiyu looked at the old clan elder and said seriously, "Great-grandfather, my teacher who taught me to read knew that I had been adopted, so he had the Hundred Household Officer send money for me to study. Therefore, the clan's money should be used to help clan members in need."
Zhan Feiyu only saw it when she was packing her clothes. Five one-hundred-tael silver notes, enough for an ordinary farming family to use for a lifetime. Even if studying for the imperial examinations cost money, five hundred taels was more than enough.
"Great-grandfather, Mother and I will go back now." Zhan Feiyu said, not looking at the expressions of the other villagers at all. She took Li shi's hand and left.
The people crowded in the house immediately made way. Accustomed to Zhan Feiyu's obedient and polite demeanor, they now felt a strange sense of fear looking at her cold, unapproachable attitude.
The old clan elder not only did not get angry at Zhan Feiyu's assertive attitude but also stroked his beard with a chuckle.
The village head and several clan elders were the same. These old fellows relied on their high seniority and age. Otherwise, why would Little Yu need to be so polite to them?
"Alright, it's cold, so I won't waste words. Just think about why Constable Ma is so polite to Little Yu. And why did the domineering Zeng family of Baofeng Cloth Shop not pursue the matter?" After speaking, the village head looked mockingly at the grim-faced Zhan Lao Er.
No matter how shrewd and calculating he was, he was still a mud-legged peasant. Although Little Yu was still a commoner, her future was boundless. If Zhan Lao Er continued to be restless, it would be too late for regret.
The villagers might not be shrewd, but they were definitely not stupid. With the village head's words, everyone had their own calculations.
Thinking that Zhan Feiyu even refused the clan's annual tuition of ten taels of silver, it showed that she was not short of money.
Thinking of Zhan Feiyu who had just left, wearing a brand new cloth cotton-padded jacket and leather boots, the villagers could no longer put on the airs of benefactors as before. After all, Little Yu's study expenses were paid by the clan. But who would dare now?
"Are we just going to let it go like this?" After the villagers had all left, Xiao Yao shi clenched her fists in resentment and unwillingness. The truth was laid bare before them, yet the clan and the village had given up on it.
Zhan Lao San rolled his eyes and lazily threw a remark, "Didn't Second Sister-in-law hear the village head? Even if the Hundred Household Officer set the fire, how many lives do you have to seek revenge?"
"I..." Xiao Yao shi's sharp voice abruptly stopped. She opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say.
Old Man Zhan knocked his pipe heavily against the edge of the table, warningly looking at the noisy Xiao Yao shi. "Lao San can hold his ground at the dock thanks to Constable Ma's care. That's also Little Yu's favor. Don't blabber with your loose tongue, think more about Dalang and Sanlang!"
Xiao Yao shi wanted to say that Zhan Lao Er and Constable Ma were brothers, but when Constable Ma arrested Liu Fu before, Zhan Lao Er had also gone to mediate, but it was useless.
And the reason Zhan Dalang was expelled from the private school was fundamentally because Teacher Lin protected Zhan Feiyu, while she could study at the county school at any time, but Zhan Dalang could only stay at home. Even with money, no private school would accept him.
Although Zhan Lao Er and Xiao Yao shi had a belly full of unwillingness, jealousy, and hatred, they could only suppress and endure it. They even felt that the attitude of Old Man Zhan and Grandma Zhan towards the second branch had changed.
The old couple valued the third branch even more. They even gave ten taels of silver to Ma shi, and next September, they would send Erlang to study at a private school.
...
The first winter snow fell. It was already the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the private school was on holiday. However, Zhan Feiyu still went to the private school on time.
"Little Yu is up so early." The uncle sweeping the snow couldn't help but sigh. In such cold weather, he wouldn't have gotten up if it weren't for sweeping the snow.
"No wonder she studies so well. My brat is still dreaming." The neighbor next to him stopped his shovel. He used to see Zhan Feiyu as just a junior in the village, but now he felt a sense of reverence.
Private school, study room.
Teacher Lin placed the charcoal basin by Zhan Feiyu's feet and began to analyze a model essay for her. "The opening of this essay is very ingenious: The conduct of the sage should be subtly revealed to those who are capable."
Last night, she had almost practiced the saying "Read a hundred times, and the meaning will become clear" countless times. Zhan Feiyu immediately said, "The first two sentences of the opening break the hidden conduct, and implicitly break the 'only you and I'."
"That's right. The opening can be approached from multiple angles: explicit, implicit, direct, refuting, following, and reversing. Regardless of whether the opening refers to sages or any other person, a substitute word must be used, hence the word 'capable' is used to substitute Yan Yuan."
Teacher Lin explained in detail. After all, Zhan Feiyu had only been studying for a short time, and these were things she needed to pay attention to.
Teacher Lin then asked, "What is the meaning of the continuation sentence?"
"Confucius insisted on his own views on the issue of conduct. Because Yan Hui followed him closely, he could discuss this topic with him." Zhan Feiyu summarized it in four words: "Use or abandon, conduct."
It speaks of a person's attitude towards life. When the world can use them, they strive to do their best; when they cannot be used by the world, they retreat and live in seclusion.
I am a brick in the imperial court, moved wherever needed! If not needed, I am placed in a corner.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, her frozen body warmed up. "Only you and I can comprehend the changes of the gods and respond without constraint..."
Zhan Feiyu recited the second to last paragraph of the essay, which was the postscript: "Indeed, it is the writing of a top scholar, majestic and profound."
Teacher Lin smiled, "The essay is complete at this point. If it lacked flavor, how could it be a masterpiece?"
Zhan Feiyu looked at the last two sentences: "It is so, only you and I, and at this time Hui, is also pleasantly obtained, silently understood." The entire piece concludes.
"Teacher, am I just all talk and no action?" Zhan Feiyu looked at Teacher Lin with a bitter and pitiful face. "Writing regulated essays is too difficult. I feel that if it were a policy question, it would be fine."
"First do the regulated essays, and we'll discuss the policy questions later." Teacher Lin ruthlessly nipped Zhan Feiyu's attempt to evade in the bud.
The topics for regulated essays are selected from the Four Books and Five Classics, and the answers must be based on books such as the Four Books and their commentaries for the imperial examinations. They expound on the principles of the scriptures and cannot incorporate personal opinions.
Regulated essays require high literary skill and strict parallelism, similar to parallel prose, as the saying goes, "speaking for the sages."
"But even if the county examination doesn't test policy questions, the prefectural and academy examinations will definitely test them." Zhan Feiyu made a last desperate struggle.
Policy questions, frankly speaking, are essays on current affairs. They can ask about civil affairs and people's livelihoods; ask about policies for governing the country; ask about defending against foreign enemies and pacifying the interior. Literary talent is secondary; governing and stabilizing the nation are the priorities.
Zhan Feiyu, who was discouraged, looked incredibly resentful. Seeing the new regulated essay topic handed over by Teacher Lin, her eyes widened, and she slumped onto the desk, feeling life was meaningless. "Teacher, I need to rest for a moment before continuing!"
"Alright, you rest." Teacher Lin's eyes hid a smile as he looked at the mischievous girl.
In fact, compared to when she first started writing regulated essays, Little Yu had already made rapid progress. It was just that her study time was short, and she was not yet accustomed to writing parallel prose with parallelism. After three to five years, when she formed the habit, she would not be so bitter and hateful.
After finishing the day's lessons, Zhan Feiyu, leaving the private school, felt that all her energy had been drained by the little demon called regulated essays.
"Teacher, my mother's birthday is tomorrow, so I'm taking a day off!" Without waiting for Teacher Lin's permission, Zhan Feiyu dropped the words and ran away with her short legs, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Dad, Little Yu, she?" Lin Xiuyuan, who had just come over wanting to say hello, stared dumbfounded at the round ball of fluff running wildly in the snow. Her diagonally slung cloth bag swayed up and down. Anyone who didn't know would think she was being chased by a fierce ghost.
"She's afraid I won't allow her to take leave." Teacher Lin chuckled and shook his head. No matter how intelligent she was, she was still a seven-year-old child.
His gaze swept over his son, who had already reached his shoulder. Teacher Lin looked at his pale and sickly complexion since the beginning of winter. "Xiuyuan, have you thought about how you will manage in the future?"
Lin Xiuyuan was a premature baby with a frail body, and the path of imperial examinations was long cut off. Although Lin Xiuyuan studied diligently and conscientiously, he lacked some talent.
If he could pass the Xiu Cai exam, he could take over the private school. However, Teacher Lin knew Lin Xiuyuan's level and suspected he would be a Tong Sheng (a student who had passed the first level of imperial examinations) for his entire life.
"Dad, I want to open a bookstore," Lin Xiuyuan replied in a low voice, guilt showing in his eyes. As a son, he could not inherit his father's legacy, and he felt he had failed his father.
Teacher Lin pondered for a moment, then patted Lin Xiuyuan's shoulder. "That's good. When Little Yu achieves fame in the future, you won't have to worry about business if you open a bookstore."
Hearing this teasing remark, Lin Xiuyuan chuckled. "I am Little Yu's senior brother, after all."
Wang shi, standing at the corner of the corridor, listened to the father and son's conversation, a hint of thoughtfulness in her expression.
In fact, in October, Teacher Lin had mentioned betrothing Zhan Feiyu to Lin Xiuyuan. They were fellow disciples and childhood sweethearts, which would have been a beautiful story.
However, Wang shi had refused without even thinking. At that time, Zhan Feiyu was still at the Zhan family and had not been adopted. The family was poor, and the only one studying at the private school, Zhan Dalang, was a good-for-nothing. If they were to form a marriage with the Zhan family, not only would it not help Xiuyuan, but those people from the Zhan family would become a burden.
But Wang shi did not expect Zhan Feiyu to have such literary talent and such good luck. She was not only valued by Magistrate Chen but also by noble patrons, and had even obtained recommendation letters for the county and prefectural schools.
Wang shi then brought up the matter of betrothing the two children again. Unfortunately, this time Teacher Lin disagreed, saying that Lin Xiuyuan was not worthy of Zhan Feiyu, which greatly angered Wang shi, and she ignored Teacher Lin for several days.