gnovel Chapter 105 Paying Thanks to the Clan
Chapter 105 Paying Thanks to the Clan
Lu Shouye was panting heavily.
"Chuan'er, you are good at studying, but you don't understand the mind of farmers. Today is different from the past. This is the happiest day in our Lujia Village, and also the happiest day in our Lu family's life."
Lu Chuan's hand, which was reaching to unbutton his shirt, paused.
Seeing that his son was not moving, Lu Shouye softened his tone and said:
"My son, you passed the imperial examination at the age of eleven and became a scholar. This is the most glorious and joyous event in our village since the opening of the Heavenly Gate."
"Wear this coat and let all the uncles and elders in the village who helped us see it. They put in their labor and contributed rice. Now that they see you've made something of yourself, how happy and relieved they must be! This is what it means to bring honor to our ancestors."
He chuckled as he said this.
"Besides, your mother and Xiaoman are counting down the days at home, dreaming of seeing you wear the scholar's robes."
"If you take it off now, your mother will be very disappointed. Listen to your father, just wear it back."
Meeting his father's proud gaze, Lu Chuan felt relieved.
At this moment, the refined attire of the Great Qian Dynasty and the proper conduct of a scholar are not as important as making one's parents and the villagers who have been kind to them happy.
"Father, I'll listen to you. I won't change it. I'll go back like this."
Lu Chuan smiled and simply withdrew his hand.
"Okay, hold on tight."
Lu Shouye seemed to have become ten years younger, with inexhaustible energy.
After the oxcart rounded the last mountain pass, the village entrance suddenly came into view.
Looking from afar, the village entrance was now a sea of people.
It turned out that the village had already sent a fast-moving young man to scout the village road. As soon as he saw the oxcart enter the mountain pass, he ran all the way back to the village to report the news.
At this moment, the roadside was filled with people. It turned out that the whole village, young and old, had come out. Even the old man who usually had difficulty walking was being helped by his grandson.
"They're here. They're here! Big pipe, Erzhuzi, look!"
"Good heavens! Look at Chuanzi's clothes!"
As the oxcart approached, the crowd that had been eagerly waiting erupted into a frenzy.
Firecrackers exploded at the village entrance, mingled with cheers and shouts of approval.
Lu Shouye held his head high, his eyes red-rimmed.
Amid cheers, Lu Chuan stepped off the oxcart the moment it came to a complete stop.
Facing these folks dressed in coarse cloth, Lu Chuan showed no arrogance whatsoever.
He took a step back, raised his hands above his head, and bowed deeply to the ground in a kneeling ceremony before all the men, women, and children in the village.
This bow silenced the noisy village entrance.
The elders looked at each other in bewilderment.
Lu Chuan straightened his back, and his voice clearly reached the ears of every villager: "To the esteemed ancestors of the Lu clan of Qingyang County, all uncles, elders, aunts, sisters-in-law, brothers, and nephews."
"The fact that I, Lu Chuan, was able to pass the imperial examination and stand here today is not solely due to my great talent."
"Two months ago, I went to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination. That was the most difficult time. It was my second uncle's family who saved up their laying hens, and it was all the elders who contributed ten coins here and several liters of rice there, that managed to get me, Lu Chuan, into the examination hall in the prefectural city."
At this point, his eyes also reddened.
"Scholars value repaying even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude. Every penny and every liter of rice saved by my fellow villagers is etched in my heart and I will never forget it for a moment."
"Now, I have lived up to my expectations and obtained the title of Xiucai. The imperial court exempted our family from the tax on fifty mu of land. We only have three mu of poor land. I, Lu Chuan, will not waste any of the remaining forty-seven mu of tax exemption quota. I will leave them all to our fellow villagers."
"From now on, your land will be registered under my name and will be exempt from taxes."
"As long as I, Lu Chuan, am here, I can protect my fellow villagers and let them live a peaceful and stable life."
These long words, every single one, struck a chord in the hearts of every villager.
"Good, well done, Chuanzi hasn't forgotten his roots."
The village chief was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and he shouted "Good!"
An indescribable sense of pride filled the entire village entrance.
Those men who had gritted their teeth and scraped together money for Lu Chuan back then now stood tall and straight.
Look, this is the scholar we raised to support him.
Not only did they win the lottery, but they also received a tax exemption on their land, which brought an end to their family's hard times.
Among the crowd were many women and aunts who listened to Lu Chuan's account of the hardships he faced and saw that the child was still so respectful to his elders.
They felt a mix of heartache and relief, and they all tugged at their clothes to wipe away their tears.
"It's truly a blessing from heaven! We've really produced a prodigy!"
Amid cheers, Lu Chuan greeted his fellow villagers, and deep within the crowd, his mother and younger sister waved to him while wiping away tears.
Just then, the villagers in the front circle stepped aside to make way for them.
"Sister-in-law, hurry, Chuanzi is looking for you and Yaya."
"Hey you who's keeping the family business, hurry over there! The scholar is watching you."
The crowd parted from both sides, and two figures squeezed out.
It was his mother and younger sister.
The mother and daughter changed into clean clothes that they only wore during the Lunar New Year.
The mother was still wearing an apron, and she was trembling uncontrollably.
When Lu Chuan saw his mother and sister, he couldn't care less about anything else.
He quickly lifted the hem of his coat and hurried to meet him.
"Mother, little sister, your son is back."
The mother stared intently at her son.
After two months apart, my son has grown taller, darker, and thinner.
What she found even more unrecognizable was the blue robe her son was wearing.
"Chuan'er, my son." The old woman could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her cheeks.
She reached out, wanting to touch the official's clothes, but was afraid of fraying them, so she froze in mid-air.
Lu Chuan noticed his mother's unease, took a step forward, and held her hand: "Mother, feel it. From now on, our family won't pay taxes anymore. Your son will let you enjoy a life of comfort."
The mother hugged Lu Chuan tightly, bursting into tears.
The younger sister also hugged Lu Chuan's leg, shouting, "Brother, you look so good in this outfit!"
Meanwhile, Lu Shouye, who was standing next to him, had long been unable to contain himself.
From the moment he entered the village, he felt as if he were walking on cotton, his whole body floating.
Seeing his wife only crying, the old farmer finally found an outlet for his emotions.
He jumped off the car, took two steps to the front, and started shouting.
"Alright, alright, old woman, why are you crying? Can't you see all the uncles and brothers in the village are watching?"
"Our son is now a scholar, a master who doesn't have to kneel before officials anymore. Don't get the clothes issued by the court dirty with all those tears and snot."
As he spoke, Lu Shouye turned around, put one hand on his hip, and cracked the bullwhip in his hand with the other.
He faced the gaze of the entire village and shouted:
"And all you uncles and brothers, look at this! I didn't take the rice you all chipped in for nothing, did I?"
"My son, Lu Chuan, ranked second in the prefectural examination and became a first-class student. The imperial court rewarded him with a full fifty mu of tax-exempt land. Our family only has three mu of land. As my son just said, the remaining forty-seven mu will not be reserved for any of the quotas and will be distributed to our village."