The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1107 - 186 Remember

Chapter 1107: Chapter 186 Remember

County Duke Yu had specifically come to collect the lucky bags for the Eastern Palace. After obtaining the bags, the group was about to enter the tea house for a conversation, but the youngsters were reserved in front of the adults. Everyone started to make faces and gesture to Bai Shan, secretly paying their respects to the several masters before scampering off.

Liu Huan pulled on Yin Huo, "Are you leaving or not?"

Yin Huo shook his head: "You go ahead, I’m not going."

Liu Huan looked around and saw that most of his friends had already run off. He hesitated for a moment but eventually decided to stay.

Mr. Jiang and Mr. Chen, among others, obviously held County Duke Yu in high esteem. While County Duke Yu had gone to collect the lucky bags, they respectfully waited on the side. After he obtained the bags, they respectfully invited him up to the second floor of the tea house. Only after he was seated did they perform a greeting and take their seats.

Sitting on only one-third of the seat, hands were placed in front as obediently as Manbao and the others during their school years.

Not just Manbao and Bai Shan, but even Yin Huo and Liu Huan were taken aback by the sight.

Mr. Jiang, seeing them stand there dumbfounded, said, "Why aren’t you coming forward to pay your respects to Duke Yu?"

The four of them moved forward, still in a daze, and County Duke Yu smiled and waved them off, "Do not make the children so constrained. We’ve all met the other day already. Come, come, sit down."

He smiled warmly at Mr. Zhuang, "Are these two children your disciples?"

Mr. Zhuang bowed and replied, "Yes."

County Duke Yu smiled and nodded, "When did you start teaching them?"

Mr. Zhuang replied, "Since they were enlightened."

County Duke Yu suddenly understood and his countenance grew even warmer, "So they were enlightened under your tutelage? Good, very good. You look quite familiar to me; have we met before?"

After a pause, Mr. Zhuang bowed and said, "When I was young, I came to the capital once and submitted a poem to Hang Liping, the former Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Duke Yu was also present, hence we have met."

County Duke Yu thought for a while before recalling, "Hang? Was it Hang Liping?"

Mr. Zhuang bowed and affirmed with a "Yes".

County Duke Yu sighed, "He died early, it’s been eleven or twelve years now. You submitted writings to him, that was more than twenty years ago, right?"

It was then that he had served as the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Mr. Zhuang affirmed again with a "Yes".

However, County Duke Yu felt there was something off.

Despite his good memory, there were so many people submitting writings to them every year. He couldn’t fully remember everyone who submitted writings to him, let alone those who submitted writings to his friends.

Why did he find Mr. Zhuang so familiar?

County Duke Yu looked at Mr. Zhuang stroking his beard, and after a moment, he asked with a chuckle, "Do you remember which poem you submitted back then? Judging from your white attire, that old fella didn’t select your piece and you returned to the countryside?"

Mr. Jiang and the others didn’t speak but felt the atmosphere stall.

Manbao opened her mouth to speak, but Bai Shan tugged at her sleeve. She turned to look at him and Bai Shan shook his head slightly.

Mr. Zhuang had already recited the poem he submitted back then, not changing a single word.

Mr. Jiang and the others couldn’t help but internally praise the poem as excellent, yet the smile on County Duke Yu’s face gradually faded.

His memory had always been good, moreover, he really liked the poem written by Mr. Zhuang. The aspiration it conveyed was something he himself had once felt, so he had taken quite a liking to it upon hearing it that year.

And naturally, he was aware of what had transpired afterward.

County Duke Yu sized up Mr. Zhuang, who stood straight with his head modestly lowered for inspection.

County Duke Yu’s gaze shifted to Bai Shan and Manbao, who were watching him with round, anxious eyes. Withdrawing his gaze, he turned back to Mr. Zhuang, "For all these years, have you remained unappointed to any official post?"

"Yes," Mr. Zhuang bowed in response, then added after a pause, "I have served as a steward for others, but didn’t hold the position for more than two years before I became a teaching master, which I have been up until now."

County Duke Yu slightly nodded and asked, "How many disciples have you taken on in total?"

"Three."

County Duke Yu’s gaze then swept back and forth between Liu Huan and Yin Huo.

Mr. Zhuang kept his head down and did not see his gaze, but Manbao and Bai Shan did, and they quickly explained: "County Duke Yu, our Junior Brother is not here today; he went out to play with his classmate."

"Junior Brother?" County Duke Yu then looked at Manbao with a smile and said: "So, that makes you the Senior Sister?"

Manbao nodded.

"But I think you look younger than your Junior Brother."

Why does everyone have to focus on this?

Manbao said: "But I joined the school earlier."

County Duke Yu then asked Mr. Zhuang, "Is this young girl from your family?"

Mr. Zhuang hurriedly explained, "No, she has been studying with me since she was a child. She is very clever, so I took her as my disciple."

Manbao explained: "The teacher opened a school in our village. My sister-in-law cooks in the school, and I’ve been following along since I was a child. When the teacher lectures, I sit on the threshold to listen. Because I learn quickly, the teacher took me on as a disciple."

"I didn’t have to pay tuition, and even my initial books and writing materials were gifted by the teacher."

County Duke Yu understood and, with a smile, asked: "Why didn’t your family give any tuition?"

"My family is poor; initially, we had no money."

"Your family is poor..." County Duke Yu glanced at Mr. Zhuang and then asked Manbao with a smile: "How many years have you been studying with your teacher?"

Manbao: "Eleven or twelve years, I suppose."

Bai Shan almost choked on his own saliva. Did you start studying from birth?

He couldn’t help but glance at her.

Mr. Zhuang also shot Manbao a warning look, signaling her to be more honest.

Manbao then thought, indeed, it has been eleven or twelve years, hasn’t it? Although she doesn’t remember, Keke does.

It had said long ago that when she was very young, just able to walk by holding onto the wall, she sat on the school threshold. The first sentence she learned was calling "Teacher" along with the other students in the school.

County Duke Yu looked at her and smiled, nodding slightly. After stroking his beard, he asked, "I remember back in the day you had a classmate who composed a fine poem. What was his name?"

Mr. Zhuang laughed and said: "It’s been too long; I’ve also forgotten."

By now, even Bai Shan couldn’t help wanting to speak up, but he was checked by a glance from Mr. Zhuang, so both disciples could only quietly lower their heads, not speaking.

County Duke Yu nodded upon hearing this and did not continue the topic. Instead, he took a sip of tea, had a little chat with Mr. Jiang and others, then left.

Mr. Jiang and others respectfully saw County Duke Yu off before straightening up. "Strange, when did Duke Yu return to the capital? Didn’t he retire to his hometown?"

Meanwhile, Mr. Chen stared at Mr. Zhuang thoughtfully. The classmate County Duke Yu mentioned, could it be Chen Fulin?

The object of admiration having departed, everyone looked at the sunset on the horizon, realizing there was no more time for leisure. Thus, they bid farewell to each other and each returned to their own homes.

Mr. Chen took Mr. Jiang with him in the same carriage.

Yin Huo also glanced at the time and said: "I need to get back home as well. If you need anything, just send someone to deliver the message, and I’ll help however I can."

Manbao and Bai Shan then understood that he had sensed something afoot and nodded, watching him board the carriage.

Liu Huan squeezed in behind him, calling out: "I’ll go with you; our homes are on the way."

After they all left, the teacher and students finally boarded Daji’s horse carriage.

Bai Shan and Manbao, puzzled, asked: "Teacher, why didn’t you tell County Duke Yu?"