Xu Wan recalled the last ti the little troublemaker had stord off from the soccer field, so broke that he couldn’t even afford a bowl of pear juice. At the ti, even she had considered giving him so money, but when he returned, he never ntioned needing any.
The little troublemaker seed to live a carefree life of indulgence, but once he settled into a certain lifestyle, he rarely changed it.
She tilted her head and instructed Cui Liu, “Go and find out where they went, who they t, and what they did.”
“Yes,” Cui Liu replied.
After Cui Liu left, Xu Wan’s drowsiness completely vanished.
She began to wonder what the little troublemaker was up to, but without any concrete clues, she couldn’t figure it out. She decided to go discuss the upcoming etiquette lessons with Baili Weihong, which were set to begin the next day.
anwhile.
The two brothers headed straight for the slums as soon as they left the house.
Since Zong Wenxiu had said he didn’t want to use money to buy a house, the little troublemaker had given up on asking Xu Wan for the thousand taels of silver. Instead, they now wanted to find the boy who had once begged for coarse rice porridge.
By their calculations, the boy should be around sixteen years old now.
Zong Wenxiu thought it would be difficult to find him, but since his younger brother insisted on searching and wanted to help the boy, he had no choice but to follow along.
The slums were as dark, damp, and filthy as ever, just as they had been for years. The place where the boy had once lived was now a pile of ruins. Zong Wenxiu asked an elderly woman nearby if she knew where the boy had gone.
The old woman’s voice was distant and weary, “Gone mad, left, died… long gone, impossible to find now.”
……
When the little troublemaker returned ho, his mood was still heavy. He asked, “Brother, I rember Jingzhe once said that people in the slums rarely live to adulthood. Is it really that harsh?”
Zong Wenxiu was silent for a mont before replying, “Yes, very few make it. Thinking about it, it’s not surprising that the boy didn’t survive.”
“Not surprising?” Zong Jincheng frowned.
What seed so simple for people outside was so difficult for those in the slums. How could that be?
The little troublemaker asked in confusion, “Why doesn’t the court help those people?”
The books said that officials, who enjoyed the emperor’s favor, should relieve the emperor’s worries and serve the people.
Yet, right under the emperor’s nose, tragedies unfolded daily in the slums. Why was no one stepping forward to help them?
Zong Wenxiu said, “Perhaps no one has noticed them, or maybe there are too many to help, or perhaps no officials are willing to step up.”
Zong Jincheng tilted his head and thought for a mont before declaring, “Then when we beco officials, we’ll help them.”
If no one else was doing it, they would.
Zong Wenxiu smiled and agreed, “Alright, when we beco officials, we’ll help them.”
The little troublemaker felt a surge of determination and vowed, “Then I’ll study hard! If I pass the imperial exams and beco the top scholar, I’ll start as a sixth-rank official!”
“Right, starting as a sixth-rank official is the highest. We must do well!” Zong Wenxiu chid in.
The two brothers quickly reached an agreent and rushed back to the study to hit the books.
There were still eight hours left before the tutors returned.
Cui Liu’s n ca back with a report on the brothers’ whereabouts, leaving Xu Wan utterly baffled.
They went to look for a boy who had gone mad?
Couldn’t find him and then ca back to study?
They didn’t spend any money, nor did they ask for the thousand taels of silver again…
What were these two rascals secretly up to?
At dinner, the little troublemaker suddenly realized sothing, “Where’s my grandmother? Where’s my grandfather??”
Today was his birthday, and the celebration wasn’t even over yet. How could they have left without saying a word?
Grandmother had even said she would discuss setting goals after his birthday… Why had they left so suddenly?
The little troublemaker glared at Xu Wan and accused, “You must have said sothing to my grandparents, which is why they left in such a hurry!”
Xu Wan replied indifferently, “Your grandparents left on their own. Their reason was the sa as the last ti they left. Believe it or not, I’m not going to bother making up excuses to lie to you.”
The little troublemaker continued to glare at her, “You’re definitely lying. They left last ti because I caused trouble at your wedding banquet. But this ti, I didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, they kept praising for my progress, saying I’ve beco well-behaved and obedient!”
Xu Wan raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh? Then what were you doing visiting them last night? Were you helping your grandparents wash their feet to show your filial piety?”
The little troublemaker: “…”
The little guy’s face instantly turned red. He hadn’t been helping with foot-washing; he had gone to ask his grandparents for money.
Zong Jincheng argued, “But they didn’t give any money!”
“If they had stayed one more day, that might not have been the case,” Xu Wan glanced at him. “Isn’t that right, our confident Young Master Jincheng?”
Zong Jincheng’s face burned even redder, his cheeks and ears turning a deep shade of crimson.
Damn it.
Why did this woman have such a precise grasp of his thoughts?
In front of her, it was as if he were completely exposed, with every action and thought laid bare. It was utterly unreasonable!
“Hmph!”
The little troublemaker let out a loud snort and buried his face in his food, refusing to engage with her any further.
Just you wait, Xu Wan.
Once I eat a lot, grow tall and strong, study hard, and beco even more capable…
Then it’ll be my turn to leave you speechless and hopping mad!
Xu Wan rolled her eyes at his fiery expression and muttered, “Little fool.”
When he heard her, he shot her another fierce glare.
Xu Wan: “…”
His ears were really sharp.
The next morning, the tutors returned to work, rejuvenated by the promise of high salaries and ready to face the next phase of challenges.
Xu Wan introduced the newly appointed etiquette tutor, Baili Weihong, to everyone. The little troublemaker led the applause, clearly showing his approval.
As the most challenging student in the advanced class, his endorsent would make the new tutor’s life much easier. The three private tutors quickly joined in the applause, casting envious glances her way.
Baili Xi smiled and nodded at her, stepping aside to let her take the podium.
“Good morning, students. I am Baili Weihong, your new etiquette tutor. From now on, I will be teaching you the fundantals of proper etiquette.”
As soon as Baili Weihong finished speaking, the little troublemaker started clapping enthusiastically again.
Zong Wenxiu couldn’t help but laugh, nudging his brother’s shoulder as he clapped along, “Alright, alright, tone it down a bit.”
The little troublemaker replied, “I’m just showing my support for Auntie Weihong.”
Zong Wenxiu sighed, “Fine, keep supporting her then.”
The little troublemaker happily continued clapping.
“Even knocking on a door has its etiquette. When you knock, you should tap once, pause, and then tap twice in quick succession. This shows respect and gives the person inside ti to prepare themselves,” Baili Weihong added, “Never bang on the door repeatedly, as it can startle people.”
Zong Wenxiu nodded in understanding, and the little troublemaker nodded vigorously as well.
Though it seed like Auntie Weihong’s example was directed at him…
But it was probably just a coincidence, right?
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