Chapter 97: Practical Learning

That evening, after Xu Guangqi finished washing up, he sat by the table in a single layer of clothing, reading an ancient book in his hand by the lamplight. On it were written four large characters: "Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People."

The book was written by Jia Sixie and primarily recorded agricultural production in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Xu Guangqi grew up in the fields and had been extremely interested in agriculture since he was a child.

He had flipped through this copy of "Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People" so much that the paper had begun to fade, and at the same time, a bold idea arose in his heart.

To gather the great achievements of his predecessors and write a book that surpassed "Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People."

Thinking of this, a wave of warmth welled up in his heart.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept in, and Xu Guangqi shivered.

Madam Xu happened to walk in from outside the room and, seeing her husband hunched over like a quail, couldn't help but laugh: "Look at you, it's so cold, don't you know to wear more?"

"I'm not cold," Xu Guangqi insisted stubbornly.

Madam Xu smiled and shook her head, closed the door, sat down beside Xu Guangqi, and stared into his eyes as she asked: "The Grand Secretary's son came personally to invite you today, why didn't you agree to him?"

"If you eat someone's food, your mouth becomes soft; if you take someone's things, your hands become soft. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

"But that is the Grand Secretary's son. If you were to get on his good side, how could your future prospects be compared to what they are now?" Madam Xu pressed her husband's arm and earnestly urged, "As the saying goes, a prime minister's gatekeeper is a seventh-rank official. How many people want to find this opportunity and can't even find it?"

"Let's wait a bit longer. If I still don't pass the next examination, it won't be too late to go then," Xu Guangqi smiled helplessly.

"I can afford to wait, but I'm afraid others can't."

Madam Xu curled her lips, clearly dissatisfied with her husband's answer. Xu Guangqi shook his head and replied, "If that noble young master really can't wait, then that is our fate; it means that is just how our fate is meant to be."

"Hehe, you've even started believing in fate now?"

"Besides that, I can't find any other plausible reason."

The couple bantered for a while, then Madam Xu suddenly wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and whispered with orchid-scented breath: "Husband, you said last night that tonight, hmm?"

"You... you go rest first, I'll read for a while longer." A layer of cold sweat couldn't help but seep onto Xu Guangqi's forehead.

"Still pretending? You're holding the book upside down!"

"Ah!"

Early the next morning, Zhang Yunxiu came to visit again.

Fearing that he would really keep coming to disturb him, Xu Guangqi simply stated his thoughts: "If the young master truly values me, then please go back first and wait for me to take one more examination. Regardless of whether I pass or not, I will certainly go to the capital to find you myself, and at that time, I will be at your disposal."

"That works too," Zhang Yunxiu smiled and replied, "In that case, I wish you, Brother Xu, success in the examinations and to see all the splendor of this world in a single day."

"I accept your kind words, Young Master."

Xu Guangqi cupped his hands and smiled, inviting Zhang Yunxiu to sit and drink tea. Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head: "No need for tea. I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't linger here. I only hope that you, Brother Xu, will not break your word when the time comes."

Having said this, he took Han San and walked quickly out of the small hall.

Xu Guangqi trotted to catch up a few steps, and only after seeing Zhang Yunxiu to the door did he turn back.

Once out of the Xu Family residence, Han San's face turned dark, and he gritted his teeth: "Young Master, you are just too indulgent with that fellow. If you left it to me, I'd beat him once, and if he wasn't convinced, I'd beat him again—that would guarantee he'd be obedient."

Zhang Yunxiu laughed out loud and teased: "This is what they call a scholar meeting a soldier; even if you have reason, you can't explain it clearly."

"I'm not good with words. Since reasoning doesn't work, then don't blame me for being impolite," Han San gave a fawning smile.

Laughing, he shook his head and headed toward Huating County.

On the way back, Zhang Yunxiu sat in the carriage, a strange thought appearing in his mind: what if, just what if he had agreed to me and followed me to the capital right now?

If, through my influence, he changed his nature, wouldn't the Great Ming be missing a treasure? The Great Ming is not short of people who want to be officials; what it lacks are people of Practical Learning.

Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.

Zhang Yunxiu thought of his father, Zhang Juzheng, who became a government student at twelve after passing the "Child Examination," and subsequently participated in the Provincial Examination, only to be suppressed by the Governor at the time, Gu Lin.

What Gu Lin thought was, if a person passes the provincial exam before thirteen, how arrogant would they become?

And so, with a wave of his brush, Zhang Juzheng failed the examination.

Afterward, not only did Zhang Juzheng not blame this iron-faced Governor, but he was actually extremely grateful.

Zhang Juzheng himself once said that if it hadn't been for Governor Gu Lin suppressing him, he probably would have become a "romantic talent" like Tang Yin.

"Forget it, why think so far ahead? Man proposes, God disposes; better to focus on getting through the current difficulty first," Zhang Yunxiu whispered with a smile, closing his eyes and leaning his body against the wall of the carriage.

Accompanied by the swaying of the carriage, he slowly drifted into sleep.

On the other side.

Just past noon, Zhu Ling led Xu Ruoxi into the women's hall, followed by a beautiful young woman of about twenty-five or twenty-six.

That was Zhang Jingxiu's wife, Gao Lan. Because women rarely had contact with the man's side before marriage, for convenience, Zhang Jingxiu had brought his wife along.

Women talking together is always much more convenient than men being together.

The group sat down in order, and Zhu Ling took the lead in introducing them: "This is the wife of the Ministry Director, Madam Zhang. And this is my little sister. What do you think?"

Xu Ruoxi stood up, bowed sideways, and Gao Lan smiled and replied: "Little sister is truly exquisite; you look just like someone out of a painting. If I were a man, I'm afraid I would be captivated by you at first sight."

"Ruoxi... Ruoxi is not as good as you say, Madam," Xu Ruoxi's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head, replying softly.

It wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't been shy, but once she was, the contrast between her snow-white skin and the blush was even more breathtaking.

Gao Lan nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself: "This girl has a gentle temper and a dignified appearance; she is a good woman to be a wife. It's just that her nature is a bit soft. The fifth one is always hot-headed; it will be interesting after the two of them marry."

Seeing the atmosphere turn dull, Zhu Ling, who was to the side, smiled and said: "Madam Zhang, my little sister is not only beautiful, but she is also proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework. Only the Grand Secretary's son could marry our precious girl."

Gao Lan was noncommittal, then suddenly asked with a smile: "Has little sister ever seen our fifth son?"

"I have," Zhu Ling smiled and answered first, "That day, when he and the Ministry Director were discussing business with my husband in the living room, I led my little sister to hide behind the curtain and peeked at him."

"How was it?" Gao Lan looked at Xu Ruoxi and asked eagerly.

Xu Ruoxi sat upright and answered nervously: "Young Master Zhang has a relaxed temperament and extraordinary eloquence. Looking at him, I felt a bit ashamed of my own inferiority and dared not make any further comments."

Although she said that, she felt that Zhang Yunxiu was different from ordinary scholars.

Ordinary scholars, even if they like wealth, at least don't show it.

Or they wouldn't show it so eagerly; he, on the other hand, came to pay respects to his grandfather and even took the opportunity to talk business with his brother.

Gao Lan, who understood Zhang Yunxiu's uninhibited nature, knew that Xu Ruoxi was just trying to save face, so she smiled to smooth things over: "The fifth one... the fifth one's temper is a bit different, but don't worry, as long as you enter our family, he will definitely treat you extremely well."

"Mm."

Xu Ruoxi nodded slightly.

Zhu Ling, standing to the side, helped liven up the atmosphere; she looked at Gao Lan, pointed at Xu Ruoxi, and teased, "Our little sister here is quite stubborn. Now that we are all one family, she still calls him Young Master Zhang. Ruoxi, tell us, what should you be calling Zhang Yunxiu?"

"Isn't... isn't it because we haven't married yet?" Xu Ruoxi's face turned red to the roots of her ears.

"It's only a matter of a year or two, what are you shy about?" Gao Lan clapped her hands and teased further, "How about we bring Wulang over to you, so the two of you can look at each other face to face?"

"How could that be allowed?" Xu Ruoxi was so anxious that sweat broke out on the tip of her nose, and she hurriedly waved her hands to refuse, "I... I am not prepared yet, sisters-in-law, please spare me."

"Giggle, giggle, giggle."

The two women laughed until they were swaying back and forth, while Xu Ruoxi, off to the side, hung her head, looking bashful.

A short while later, Zhu Ling and Gao Lan stopped laughing, the two of them exchanging a knowing look.

Gao Lan stood up, walked in front of Xu Ruoxi, and said softly, "Little sister, rest assured, as long as you enter our family, no one will dare to bully you."

"You just need to settle down and be the head wife, then have two big, healthy boys with Wulang, and this life will naturally flourish."

"Many thanks, sister-in-law."

"Look at that, still being polite with us," Gao Lan said, looking at Zhu Ling with a playful jab.

"Our little sister is just like that; I'm afraid she won't be able to change it for a while," Zhu Ling replied with a smile, then instructed a maid to take Gao Lan away to rest.

That evening, Zhang Yunxiu returned to the Xu Family residence.

As soon as he entered the main gate, he was called over by Zhang Jingxiu and his wife.

The three of them sat down according to their rank, and Gao Lan smiled broadly and said, "Wulang, sister-in-law helped you look at the Xu Family girl today. She is pretty and has a good temperament; the great fortune you will have after marrying her will not be small."

Zhang Yunxiu did not care much about her appearance, only about how much of a dowry the Xu Family could give this girl.

Glancing at his brother and sister-in-law, Zhang Yunxiu said solemnly, "Sister-in-law, when taking a wife, one should seek virtue, not beauty. I don't care what she looks like; as long as she treats me sincerely, I naturally won't treat her poorly."

Gao Lan was stunned and instinctively looked up at her husband.

Zhang Jingxiu straightened his back and looked at his wife with a proud expression, as if to say—this is the upbringing and cultivation of our family.

"If Wulang can think this way, then that is naturally for the best." Adjusting his clothes, Zhang Jingxiu said in a clear voice, "The Xu Family and our family have an indescribable fate, and this time it is even more of a union between families; in the future, you and Miss Xu must support each other."

"That's right, Wulang, you must never do something like favoring a concubine and neglecting your wife." Thinking of something, Gao Lan advised earnestly, "We know that women outside have wild temperaments and many tricks; there is no cat in this world that doesn't steal fish..."

"Ahem, Madam, there is no need to say this; Wulang knows the gravity of the situation," Zhang Jingxiu said with a stern face, waving his hand to interrupt.

"If even you don't know the gravity of the situation, how could he know?" Gao Lan looked unconvinced and was about to continue, but Zhang Yunxiu used the excuse of needing to relieve himself to escape the little bickering between the couple.

(End of this chapter)