Liu Mu awkwardly smiled and agreed, “Yes. Brother Zhang will definitely be able to pass the exams in the future.”
Hearing the words she wanted to hear, Old Lady Zhang was very happy. She told Liu Mu, “Fourth bro said that once he passes the exams, he will buy a three-entry courtyard in the city for the whole family to move there. He even said he would get me a big golden bracelet! Just look at this child, how filial he is!”
Liu Mu’s smile slightly stiffened. He recalled Zhang Fang’s previous words to trick the prison guard, and it was truly the same!
Since Zhang Fang was imprisoned, Old Lady Zhang had felt oppressed. Today, she finally relaxed her mood and continued to talk with Liu Mu, “My Fourth bro is the most outstanding student in the academy! The teacher really values him! If it weren’t for his upset stomach during the previous exams, he would have passed the scholar exam long ago! Maybe he would be a juren by now!”
Liu Mu smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t bear to shatter this old mother’s beautiful dream.
Suddenly, Old Lady Zhang changed her tone and fixed her non-blind eye on Liu Mu, telling him, “You two siblings must remember the kindness our Zhang family has shown you! It’s best to pray every day for my Fourth bro’s health and his success in the exams!”
“Absolutely!” Liu Mu immediately stated. He could see that the Zhang family had a crazy obsession with Zhang Si’ang’s exam prospects.
Liu Mu originally looked down on Zhang Si’ang; after all, the Zhang family had tightened their belts and endured hardships to support him in his studies, yet he didn’t study well and caused trouble, leading the family to bear a huge debt of twenty taels of silver. But now, he suddenly felt a bit of pity for Zhang Si’ang.
Putting himself in Zhang Si’ang’s shoes, he realized he was the hope of the entire family, with everyone wagering their prospects on him alone. If he failed to pass the exams, it would mean betraying the family’s sacrifices. There are many scholars in the world, but few can achieve success in the imperial exams. Zhang Si’ang came from a poor family; could he really compete with the offspring of prestigious families?
In the prison, Zhang Fang was unaware that Liu Mu felt sympathy for him.
After finishing his important matters, Old Zhang set off again for the city to visit the prison. He brought a lot of paper and ink, and when he handed the items to Zhang Fang, he earnestly said, “Fourth bro! The family is counting on you to pass the exams. You must work hard!”
Zhang Fang nodded obediently, took the paper and ink, and quietly asked, “Did the Liu siblings return home?”
Old Zhang nodded. If it weren’t for Liu Mu’s willingness to pay upfront, he wouldn’t have been able to bear spending so much money at once to buy these supplies for Zhang Fang.
Thinking of the spring palace picture that required a deposit of a hundred wen, even if it was difficult to bring up, Old Zhang still had to ask Zhang Fang, “Bring that book here; I’ll return it and get back that hundred wen.”
“Father, there’s no rush. Wait until I’ve finished the introduction, and you can take it to the bookstore to show the shopkeeper,” Zhang Fang replied confidently about the story he was writing.
Since the local imperial exams had their issues, Zhang Fang couldn’t rely solely on the examination path. He must quickly gain fame; only then could he speak up for himself and for others! So writing stories was the fastest shortcut!
Old Zhang stared at Zhang Fang and hesitantly asked, “Can what you write really work?”
In the past, as long as Zhang Si’ang said he could do it, Old Zhang would believe him. But now that he had seen his younger son’s true nature, he felt uncertain.
Zhang Fang confidently declared, “It will work! How about I read the story to you after I finish writing it?”
In the past, when Old Zhang asked what article Zhang Si’ang had written, and asked him to recite it, Zhang Si’ang would smile and say that his writing was profound and incomprehensible to those who hadn’t studied. Old Zhang had to awkwardly drop the subject.
Now, his younger son was the one who wanted to read the article to him. Old Zhang felt the change in Zhang Fang, and his trust in this son suddenly restored by half.
“Then when will you finish writing it?” Old Zhang asked, quite expectantly. After all these years, he could finally listen to his younger son read to him.
“In a couple of days! When you come to see me, I will have the manuscript ready!” Zhang Fang was extremely serious, very earnest.
Old Zhang felt his younger son had grown up, revealing a comforting smile. He softly said, “Then in these two days, you write well; I won’t come to see you.”
During these two days, he could contact the buyer and sell his several granddaughters.
Next, father and son each busied themselves with their own matters.
After contacting the buyer, Old Zhang returned home without announcing the matter. The next day, he directly took his three young granddaughters into the city.
Seeing the candied hawthorns, Old Zhang rarely splurged and bought a bunch, allowing each of them to eat two pieces.
The three girls tasted such delicious food for the first time, their faces glowing with happy smiles. Old Zhang looked at them with complicated emotions, sighed softly, and then said, “Er Ya, San Ya, Si Ya. Your Fourth Uncle is in a bit of trouble now; he is a scholar and will take the imperial exams in the future. He is the hope of our Zhang family. Our family is poor and cannot afford to raise so many children. Now Grandpa takes you to the city to work for others. Once your Fourth Uncle succeeds and passes the exam, he will bring you back home.”
The three girls were stunned.
What did Grandpa say? The family can’t afford them anymore? They want to send them to the city to work? They would only come back home after their Fourth Uncle passes the exams?
Understanding Old Zhang’s meaning, the three girls immediately burst into tears, clinging to Old Zhang and refusing to let go. Er Ya pleaded desperately, “Grandpa, we eat very little! We’ll only eat one bite every day! Please don’t drive us away!”
“Grandpa, when we grow up, we will get married, and then we can bring gifts home! I don’t want to leave home now!” San Ya thought Old Zhang would be persuaded by her words if he raised them for a few more years.
“Grandpa, I won’t go! I want to go home!” Si Ya directly broke down into a tantrum.
The commotion drew attention from those around them. Old Zhang’s face stiffened; he didn’t know how to comfort them. To be precise, he didn’t know how to comfort anyone. He softly said a few words to get them to stop crying. But the three granddaughters did not listen at all. Old Zhang felt embarrassed under the gaze of those around him, so he simply shouted sternly, “What are you crying for! It’s not like I don’t want you anymore! I’ve already said that once your Fourth Uncle passes the exam, he will bring you back home!”
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