Chapter 161: The Whole Family Cries
Knowing it’s an unfair request, why would he still press ahead? Is the old man leveraging his age for sympathy, or is he ready to go all out for Bai Yibo? Is he not afraid of offending Mr. Xie?
Bai Ruozhu wanted to stop him from speaking but not out of selfish concerns about the old mansion gaining an advantage. It was because Bai Yibo had been such a huge embarrassment today that they had already greatly offended Mr. Xie and his wife. If the old man made any more unreasonable demands, it would make the Bai Family look presumptuous.
Bai Zepei’s face darkened, his moody expression almost dripping with gloom. He had invited his mentor for a visit to express his gratitude, but now it seemed like his family was attempting to manipulate Mr. Xie. Anyone would be upset in this situation, wouldn’t they?
"Father, today is Erlang’s thank-you banquet for his mentor. We should be expressing our gratitude to him, not troubling him," Bai Yihong said through gritted teeth. He projected an air of authority that was both reasonable and decisive.
The old man took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the rage bubbling within, and then heaved a disheartened sigh. "I know my request is over the line, but as an old man nearing the end of my life, I have held your elder brother back for many years. Now I hope he can find someone to support him, so he can gain some insights when he goes to the Study Palace."
Bai Ruozhub rolled her eyes discreetly. It sounded like he had been bedridden from a long-term illness, and Bai Yibo had been taking care of his every need, which is why his Imperial Examination had been delayed. The truth was, Bai Yibo had just been loafing around at home, failing the exam time and time again.
Well, now that he finally passed, that must be just dumb luck, Bai Ruozhu bitterly thought.
What’s more, the old man was acting as if he were on his deathbed, giving his last words with heaviness. Even Mr. Xie would feel uncomfortable refusing such a plea.
"Why would you say such things, sir? You’re still fit and healthy. Such remarks will only worry and upset your children and grandchildren," Mr. Xie said. Being an experienced officer, he wisely refrained from making rash promises.
"This old illness acts up every so often. I don’t ask for much, just hope for Yibo to have a promising future. As for Erlang, he is still young and his foundation is solid, so I don’t worry too much," the old man said again.
How could he claim "not worry too much"? He obviously couldn’t care less! Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but grumble silently.
With the old man staring at him, Mr. Xie found it hard to refuse out of face and had to speak bluntly: "Sir, I don’t like to make empty promises that I cannot fulfil, leading to people’s big dreams being ruined. Given my current status, I can only recommend one person to the Study Palace. As Zepei is my top student, he is naturally my only choice, I really can’t help anyone else."
Mr. Xie shook his head, seeming somewhat regretful.
"What, what..." The old man was at a loss for words, realizing that Mr. Xie wouldn’t lie to him. After some contemplation, he said, "Erlang’s recent success in the examination has indeed paved a promising path for him. Even without Mr. Xie’s recommendation and support, he’s bound to enter a decent study place. However, his uncle has been striving for years and finally has an opportunity now. He doesn’t have time to waste because of his age."
Once he finished, the old man turned to Zepei and, with a sincere and pleading tone, said, "Erlang, perhaps you could give way to your uncle? Your uncle and his family will always remember your kindness. If he becomes an officer someday, it will be a good backup for you as well, isn’t it so?"
Wow... Bai Ruozhu felt she was on the brink of losing her cool. She genuinely wanted to lash out: You’re being totally shameless!
Mr. Xie promised to look after his star pupil, so where does Bai Yibo come into this? If Bai Zepei succeeds one day, it would also reflect well on Mr. Xie as his mentor. As for Bai Yibo, it was even doubtful whether he would be grateful and return the favor.
Furthermore, the Rural and Provincial Examinations to come were even harder. Even though Zepei topped this examination, it didn’t mean he could definitely pass the future ones. There was still a lot he could learn. If he could enter the best provincial school, it would certainly be a great chance for progression. However, Yibo’s academic ability was mediocre, and he had a slim chance of passing the Rural Examination. Giving the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to him would be a waste and cause Zepei to lose out, wasn’t this unfair?
Mr. Xie didn’t say anything; his face was completely still. Yu Hongxiu was also very discontent, but she closed her mouth after opening it. She was a sensible lady from Jiangnan, well aware that it was inappropriate for her to speak out in this situation.
The old man gazed at Zepei intently, as if he wouldn’t be satisfied unless Zepei gave him a response. Bai Ruozhu even suspected that if Zepei refused, the old man would immediately faint or have a fit, playing the victim, blaming Zepei for being selfish and unfilial.
Zepei also looked at the old man, his gaze steady and unperturbed. He took a deep breath and asked, "Grandpa, do you remember how I practiced writing when I was six?"
The old man was taken aback by the sudden question.
"I used the broken brush leftover from Uncle, dipped it in water, and wrote on a table," Zepei continued without waiting for his reply, "Even to this day, I practice in the same way. I’ve worn out so many brushes, and spots on the desk where the lacquer wore off, I’d switch to another spot. Now, there’s not a single spot with lacquer left."
Zepei then glanced at big brother "Actually, it wasn’t just me. Big Brother studied the same way when he was little. However, our family was poor and there were endless tasks for us to do. Big Brother voluntarily gave up his studies and left the opportunity to me. From then on, every time I read and practiced writing, I did double portions, feeling like I owed it to Big Brother."
Bai Zehao’s eyes welled up, and he had to turn away to wipe his tears secretly. Lin Ping’er was already crying uncontrollably.
"When the family was poor, many times they’d save dried food stealthily, in order to buy me a paintbrush. There was even a period of agricultural slack when mother skipped dinners covertly just so I wouldn’t need to do jobs like letter writing in the town to earn money and could focus on studying."
"For some, studying is to acquire more knowledge, for others, it’s to rise in society. But all I want is to provide a better life for my family. To ensure that my parents, my brother and sister, have someone to rely upon. I don’t know if I will be able to become a Juren (successful candidate in the Provincial Examination) in this exam, but I know I need to learn more and continually move forward. I cannot give up on the principles I have adhered to for years for any reason."
Bai Zepei’s tone was always calm, his expression still cold, but tears streamed down his face. It’s said that real men don’t readily shed tears, well, only when they get truly heartbroken.
Bai Yihong covered his face and sniveled, Bai Ruozhu began to cry too, Yu Hongxiu passed her a tissue, her own eyes were also reddening.
Mr. Xie had taken Zepei in as his student when he was thirteen, and knew well about his poor family background. He also felt a pang of sorrow at this moment, his eyes were a bit itchy.
Then, loud, wailing cries erupted from Bai Ruozhu’s hut. Great, the second family was crying too. Even the youngest and most naive, Dengdeng, followed suit and started crying!
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I guess I was really invested in the story, as I was writing, I was shedding tears myself. How does everyone feel?