"A gentleman does not eat food given in contempt. Her things, even if your son were starving to death, he would not accept a single bit!"
"That's not the case!"
eting their son's deep, angry gaze, the couple could no longer afford to worry. Zhang Xiaocao hurriedly explained:
"You saw the piece your sister brought last ti, didn't you? It's not the sa as this one of mine. This is what I specifically went to the county town's silver shop to buy for you today, along with this set of fabric. I bought them all specially for your exam!"
Finally, she didn't forget to emphasize specifically:
"They were all bought by personally, truly not given by anyone else. Look, aren't they different from what your sister usually likes?"
After her words fell, Lin Qingyun's expression of disgust eased slightly for a mont.
His gaze carefully examined the several items, especially this jade pendant. It was only about the size of an infant's palm, and the jade quality wasn't particularly good. However, the green bamboo carved on it was exquisite and clever.
Bamboo carries the aning of rising higher with each step.
Confirming that this item was not "food given in contempt" and was not tainted by the filthy stench of money from those who willingly degraded themselves, Lin Qingyun then gave a faint nod. Under his birth mother's earnest gaze, he expressionlessly accepted the jade pendant into his hand.
He didn't ask where the money to buy the things ca from.
He only stood up and gave a slight bow to his parents, saying:
"Father, Mother, your son will return to his studies now!"
"Ah, actually, your sister..." Zhang started to say sothing.
Unfortunately, before the Lin couple could speak, the old master Lin at the head of the room cheerfully said to his eldest grandson before him:
"Ah, why so formal? Hurry along, studying is a serious matter!"
Only when their son's figure had completely disappeared did the smiles finally drop from the Lin couple's faces.
After a day of toil.
In the evening, Zhang Xiaocao couldn't help but massage her aching lower back and sigh to Lin Lao Da beside her:
"Ah, husband, Da Ni'er and Qingyun are full siblings, how... how did it co to this!"
Not to ntion their eldest daughter, who hadn't sent anything back for several months now, and didn't even say hello earlier.
And Qingyun...
Actually, as parents, the two of them weren't entirely unaware of where the problem lay.
"I suppose ever since Da Ni'er married into the Liang family, Qingyun has been thoroughly angry about it!"
This older sister, he also doesn't want to acknowledge anymore.
On the bed, the occasional creaking sound was mixed with barely audible sighs.
After all, it was her own flesh and blood. Thinking of these past years, Zhang Xiaocao's heart wasn't without pain. She couldn't help but complain:
"This matter, how did it beco so awkward!"
"Husband, if back then, Da Ya could have waited a bit longer, waited another year or half, until Qingyun passed the Tong Sheng exam, wouldn't that have been fine."
That was an eleven-year-old Tong Sheng, the first in the ten-mile-eight-village area. Rembering the glory of that ti, even though she was exhausted to death, a big smile still surfaced on Zhang's face.
Her old face, full of wrinkles, seed to have been forcibly coated with a layer of radiance.
But at the sa ti, the regret in her heart grew even stronger:
"If it had been a bit later, with Da Ni'er's good looks and a Tong Sheng brother, not to ntion the county town, wouldn't she have been able to pick and choose among the wealthy landowners in the ten-mile-eight-village area!"
By then, Qingyun's study expenses would be settled, and Da Ni'er wouldn't have had to humble herself to beco soone's concubine. Not only would she have a proper place, but Qingyun wouldn't have suffered endless humiliation and ridicule from his classmates at the academy.
These two siblings wouldn't have had to reach this point today.
Scholars value reputation most. Over the years, Zhang hadn't tried to persuade her son. But every ti before she could truly speak, Qingyun would already be furious:
"She feels wronged, but did anyone in the family force her to beco a concubine back then? And who was it who was so impatient to climb to wealth, who did such a disgraceful thing behind the family's back!"
"Wouldn't it have been better to earn money honestly and cleanly, and marry properly?"
"An eldest sister who is a concubine, and a rchant's concubine at that, full of the stench of money..."
As if afraid of dirtying his mouth, the young Tong Sheng gentleman's eyes showed no attempt to hide his disgust.
Especially at this mont, dressed in a pure white scholar's robe, with delicate features and a natural three parts of aloof pride, clean and refined to the point of seeming out of place with those around him.
Seeing her son like this, Zhang imdiately fell silent.
The more she thought, the more distressed Zhang felt. On the already worn-out small bed, the sound of soone turning over could be heard from beside her from ti to ti.
After a long while, Lin Lao Da beside her finally spoke up in silence:
"This can't be blad on our son. In the academy, most are the children of wealthy households. Our Qingyun has the humblest background, yet he studies the best, with the teacher praising him from ti to ti. These people would naturally pick at his weak spot!"
Day after day, as ti passed, this weakness beca a sore spot that couldn't be touched.
"Ultimately, Da Ni'er was still too bold, quietly becoming soone's concubine without a word."
It was easy to imagine that as long as this situation lasted a day, Qingyun would have his backbone poked at. It all cos down to that sa phrase:
"If only Da Ni'er could have waited back then, waited just a bit longer, it would have been fine!"
But saying this was useless. Seeing that the exams were approaching, the current plan was still to find a way to make Da Ni'er stop being angry.
"Ah, right, wife, didn't I tell you to pawn the jade Da Ya brought earlier? Why did you suddenly think of buying such expensive things?"
It wasn't until just before sleep that Lin Lao Da abruptly rembered sothing.
He was answered by his wife's clearly reluctant voice:
"What do you an, it's not that I didn't want to sell it. But husband, you also know those pawnshops in the county town. Such a fine piece of jade that Da Ni'er brought back, when taken to them, couldn't even be exchanged for a few asly taels of silver."
It was too black-hearted, just like the cloth earlier.
After her words fell, Lin Lao Da beside her also had nothing to say.
Actually, no matter how limited their knowledge or understanding, after so much ti, how could the Lin family truly be completely ignorant? Did Zhang know that this fabric was far less valuable than before?
Naturally, she knew!
But there was no choice. Her son would rather die than accept Da Ni'er's things. Yet ever since becoming soone's concubine, most of what Da Ni'er gave were these expensive items.
In terms of actual silver, she gave even less than when she was a maid.
Heartache was heartache, but the things couldn't really be left to rot in their hands!
"Rather than taking them to the pawnshop and suffering such a big loss, it's better to go directly to the jade shop and exchange them for sothing our son can use to maintain face when he goes out." Finally, thinking of sothing else, in the darkness, Zhang's expression visibly beca excited:
"Husband, I heard that last year, Xiucai Yang from the county town bought this thing called 'Rising Step by Step' from the Treasure Pavilion, and that's how he beca a Xiucai!"
"Alright then."
People are always superstitious, especially about sothing as big as becoming a Xiucai.
After a long while, Lin Lao Da's obviously heavy voice finally ca from the darkness: "Rember to talk to Si Ni'er tomorrow, tell her to speak properly when she sees Da Ni'er."
"We're all one family. Only when Qingyun does well will Lao Da and the girls at ho be stable."
Sure enough, early the next morning, Lin Si, that is, An Ning's maternal aunt, specifically dressed up in her best clothes and headed towards the county town.
And regarding this point, the entire family, except for the unaware Lin Qingyun, had no objections.
But at this mont, the system could no longer spare the effort to watch the spectacle.
Seeing that specially made "Jade Talisman" actually being worn close to Lin Qingyun's body, and thinking back to a certain soone's few words to the He family girl several days ago.
Looking at its host who was currently leisurely arranging flowers and playing, the system couldn't help but give a big thumbs up!
"As expected of the host, striking so early?"
It thought they would have to wait until Young Uncle Lin obtained his "opportunity"!
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