Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 27 Homecoming

As Lu Chuan walked out of the school gate, he immediately saw his family's dilapidated oxcart and the man next to it who was nervously adjusting the hem of his clothes—his father, Lu Shouye.

Accompanying them was Uncle Liu, who was nodding to several acquaintances from the town.

"Father, Uncle." Lu Chuan walked quickly closer and bowed respectfully before the elders could speak.

Uncle Liu looked Lu Chuan up and down. He saw that although Lu Chuan looked a little thinner, his eyes were bright and piercing. His blue robe was washed until it was almost white, but it was still very clean. Uncle Liu's heart finally settled down a lot.

He chuckled and pulled two heavy cloth bags from the haystack on the cart.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Everything is going well at the school." Lu Chuan looked at the inquiry in his elder's eyes, without mentioning the cold and aloof exclusion he had faced. He simply smiled faintly and said, "The teacher is strict with me because he is afraid I will waste my time."

"When classmates have disagreements, it's always for the sake of learning."

Lu Shouye was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly picked up the cloth bag.

One package contained two plump wild rabbits, tightly bound and still smelling of earth—his catch after guarding the mountains for three nights. The other package contained several neatly arranged pieces of aged cured meat wrapped in washed lotus leaves.

"Let's go and pay our respects to Master Zhao. We can't disregard the rules. Although our Lu family is poor, we can't let Master Zhao think we're uncivilized." Sixth Uncle puffed out his chest and walked inside.

The old gatekeeper was the type to treat people differently based on their status, but when he saw the two lively wild rabbits, his eyes widened for a moment.

During the Qingming Festival, fresh wild game is much more desirable than snacks and fruits.

With the old servant's introduction, the three entered Master Zhao's study.

As soon as Lu Shouye entered the room, his toes began to turn inwards in a hurried manner, and his originally large hands seemed to have nowhere to go, so he just kept rubbing his knees repeatedly.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at the bookshelves that covered the walls, and simply put the wild rabbit and cured meat on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Master, country folk are no good. These two beasts are still alive, you can keep them for a treat." Uncle Liu added from the side, "Lu Chuan is a poor boy, he's all thanks to your help. If he misbehaves at the school, just beat him to death, and the Lu family will not say a word."

Master Zhao put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the two struggling rabbits before finally settling on Lu Chuan.

"You two are very kind," Master Zhao said without refusing, his tone unusually gentle. "Lu Chuan is meticulous and has unique insights into both mathematics and philosophy. At the academy, he is not only studying but also cultivating his character. This child is someone who can sit on the sidelines and endure hardship."

Although Lu Shouye didn't quite understand, he knew that the teacher was praising his son for being down-to-earth.

He was so excited that his lips trembled, and he could only repeatedly say, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

After leaving the study, Lu Chuan, as instructed by his father, handed a bag of homemade dried fruits and nuts to the old servant outside the door.

The old servant was a sensible man. After putting away the things, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, then leaned closer to Lu Shouye and Sixth Uncle, and lowered his voice:

"Gentlemen, please forgive me for speaking out of turn, but this kid from your Lu family is destined for great things."

Lu Shouye's breath hitched: "Brother, what do you mean by that?"

"A couple of days ago, the teacher rewarded Lu Chuan with a stack of his treasured paper and a half-new wolf-hair brush." ​​Old Zhang said this with envy in his eyes. "The teacher said it himself, this kid has a lot of talent in his mind, but his handwriting still needs practice. He rewarded him with paper and brush because he was afraid his learning would be hindered by his handwriting. Just think how much he values ​​him!"

Paper and pen were precious items that even wealthy families in the city had to use sparingly.

Lu Shouye was stunned. He turned to look at Lu Chuan and realized that his son was truly a scholar.

"Good, good..." Uncle Liu stroked his beard, his old face beaming like a chrysanthemum.

The oxcart creaked and groaned its way back, with Lu Yuanshan driving it, his back straighter than ever before.

He would glance back at Lu Chuan, who was sitting upright, every now and then, feeling incredibly pleased with himself.

"Chuan'er, what do you want to eat tonight? Shall I have your mother kill a chicken for you?" Lu Yuanshan rambled on.

"Dad, no rush, let's go back to the village first. I'd like to take a look at the village's public tax accounts for the past two years during my few days off," Lu Chuan said calmly.

Uncle Liu sat to the side, his heart skipped a beat. This child was different from others from the moment he opened his mouth. While other students would go home to slack off and steal birds' nests, he would come back and immediately ask to see the accounts.

"Why are you looking at that? The village accounts are a mess."

"Uncle, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Now that I've studied mathematics, I need to know how the fields in our Lu Family Village are cultivated and how taxes are paid. If I can't manage the accounts at home, how will I be able to manage the accounts of the world in the future?"

Lu Chuan's words left Lu Dechang speechless.

When the oxcart finally set foot on the bumpy road of Lujia Village, the once deserted village entrance was now bustling with activity, like a market day.

Lujia Village isn't large, but today, everyone—whether weeding in the fields or washing clothes by the river—put down their work and craned their necks to wait.

"He's back! That kid from the Lu family is back!"

A commotion arose in the crowd. A few naked kids tried to rush up and touch the oxcart, but their fathers slapped them back: "Don't bother the God of Literature."

Uncle Liu stood on the oxcart, and before the cart had even come to a complete stop, he opened his mouth wide, his voice echoing through the valley:

"Listen up, everyone. The teacher praised our Chuan'er for being 'thoughtful' and even rewarded him with paper and pen. Our Lu Family Village is about to produce a remarkable person."

With a loud "boom," the crowd erupted in chaos.

"A reward slip? How much does one cost?"

"I knew Lu Chuan had been steady since he was little. Look, even the teacher rewarded him!"

Lu Chuan jumped off the oxcart and looked at the villagers with their wrinkled faces and even fawning smiles. He saw the desperate hope in their eyes, but he didn't feel much joy. Instead, he felt an unprecedented calm.

He spotted the Lu family patriarch, Lu Deshou, in the crowd. He was leaning on a cane and being supported by his second uncle.

The old man walked forward shakily, took Lu Chuan's hand, and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he took out a red envelope wrapped in several layers of handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into Lu Chuan's hand.

"Take this; it's a small token of the clan's appreciation. Studying costs money, so don't deprive yourself. Our entire Lu family will be counting on you from now on."

Lu Chuan felt the heavy weight of the copper coin in his hand, looked into the old man's cloudy yet bright eyes, and for the first time bowed deeply to the villagers:

"Lu Chuan will study diligently day and night, and live up to the expectations of his entire clan."

This resounding response silenced the noisy neighbors for a moment, followed by even more enthusiastic cheers.

That night, the lights on the paths of Lujia Village never went out.