The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 937 - 916: Visitor from the Yang Family

Chapter 937: Chapter 916: Visitor from the Yang Family

Manbao nodded. "That’s right, let’s hire two helpers; we’ll employ locals, so we can get to know the people here better."

Bai Shan nodded and summoned Liu Gui. "You go hire them."

Liu Gui agreed.

Everyone set out the food in the courtyard while Liu Gui and the others went to eat in the front yard.

Manbao sat on the side as Bai Erlang looked at her. "Aren’t you eating?"

Manbao shook her head. "Shopkeeper Zheng has already treated me to a meal."

Bai Erlang nodded and said, "I can tell, he indeed values you highly."

He looked curiously at Manbao. "You just gave them a few prescriptions, why do they value you so much?"

Manbao said, "It’s not just about giving them prescriptions; we’ve been exchanging medical knowledge. Whatever I know, as long as they ask, I will tell them."

So Manbao was also proud to be learning medicine at Jishi Hall because they were teaching and exchanging knowledge with each other.

Mr. Zhuang gently tapped his bowl. "Let’s eat quickly and then rest for a while; we have new lessons in the afternoon."

Bai Erlang’s face looked a bit pained. "Teacher, we just had new lessons this morning, why again in the afternoon?"

"This afternoon is for mathematics."

Bai Erlang blinked. "Didn’t you say that we could put mathematics aside for now?"

Mr. Zhuang then sighed. "That applies to Bai Shan; you can’t."

He pointed at Bai Shan and said, "He has already learned all the math required for the Imperial Academy; it’s sufficient for the exams. Can you say the same for yourself?"

Bai Erlang lowered his head.

Mr. Zhuang spoke earnestly, "Though you have received the imperial decree and wouldn’t fail the exams no matter what, performing well gives you the choice of which institute to attend, so you still need to work hard."

Manbao nodded repeatedly. "You at least have to get into the four main institutes, right?"

Bai Erlang wasn’t very confident. "Liu Gui said that among the candidates this time, we are the youngest. They are older than us, and they must have spent more time studying."

Mr. Zhuang couldn’t help but scold him. "You’ve lost your confidence before the exam has even started. Who says older age and longer study time ensure greater knowledge? Isn’t Bai Shan younger than you, yet he started his studies half a year earlier than you. Who says those who have studied longer are more knowledgeable? Manbao started studying later than you, and she hasn’t spent more time on it than you these past two years, yet she still has more knowledge than you, doesn’t she?"

Bai Erlang said indignantly. "Teacher, are you encouraging me or putting me down?"

"I’m advising you. This shows that being older doesn’t necessarily mean being better than you, and having studied longer doesn’t necessarily mean they have more knowledge." Mr. Zhuang said, "Is it that you don’t believe in yourself, or that you don’t have faith in your teacher?"

Manbao and Bai Shan nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, our teacher is more capable than theirs; even if you are dull, you will learn faster and know more than them."

Bai Erlang gathered his spirits and said, "I’m not dull!"

Bai Shan nodded in agreement. "So what are you afraid of? There are only forty-eight candidates; as long as you beat half of them, you can get into the four main institutes. If you can beat two-thirds plus one, you can get into the Highest Institute."

"The Highest Institute is even one level higher than your brother’s institute."

Bai Erlang’s eyes sparkled, and he fiercely grabbed a piece of braised pork, biting into it viciously, and nodded determinedly. "You’re right!"

Bai Erlang turned to Bai Shan. "When the time comes, I’ll study at the Highest Institute with you."

Bai Shan shook his head. "No, I want to study at the Imperial Academy; you can go to the Highest Institute by yourself."

Bai Erlang’s mouth fell open in surprise.

Manbao turned to Bai Shan. "How about I don’t come back for lunch tomorrow and run to the bookstore for you, to look through the Imperial Academy’s exam papers from the past two years?"

"Will the bookstore have it?"

"If not, I’ll just take a trip with Daji to the Imperial Academy. I think there will always be students who have kept copies, and if so, we can just buy them with money."

Mr. Zhuang said, "The exam is in two days."

"It’s fine. You all study at home; if we can find it, a day and a half will be enough for us to go through it. If not, we’ll just chalk it up to ordinary luck."

Bai Erlang hastily said, "Your luck has always been good. Why not pay a visit to Heaven Master later? Let’s go in the afternoon."

"I have class in the afternoon."

"Then in the evening." He finished speaking with eager eyes fixed on Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang knew this young disciple still lacked confidence, and to ease his mind, Mr. Zhuang could only nod in agreement with Manbao, "After afternoon class, you should go take a look, especially since the Imperial Academy will also be dismissing students by then."

Manbao agreed and then gestured for Bai Erlang and Bai Shan to give her something.

Bai Erlang was bewildered, "For what?"

Bai Shan had already bowed his head, untying his purse from his waist, and found a piece of silver to place in her palm, then looked at Bai Erlang.

It took Bai Erlang a moment to catch on. He reached into his pocket to find he had no money on him and dismissively waved his hand, "I’ll owe you for now, and give it back to you later."

"Fine." Manbao safely stored Bai Shan’s money, yawned, and stood up, "Teacher, I’m going to take a nap now."

"Go ahead."

It wasn’t until the three of them sat down at the desk in the afternoon that someone tapped on the door as if on cue. Liu Gui hurried in to report, "Mr. Zhuang, young master, Hall Master, Miss Man, visitors from the Yang Family have arrived."

The four people in the room exchanged glances, and Mr. Zhuang stood up to say, "Please invite them to the main hall for tea."

The visitors from the Yang Family included a chief steward and a matron stewardess.

The visitors didn’t just arrive; they brought gifts for everyone as well.

The matron stewardess, holding Manbao’s hand and smiling, said, "Old Madam mentioned we must invite Young Lady Zhou to our home for a visit; it’s only proper. You’ve taken trouble to bring these items all the way to the capital, which must have been exhausting."

Manbao replied, "It wasn’t troublesome; the items were simply tied to the cart. Our cart wasn’t full anyway, so it was just a matter of convenience."

The matron stewardess, surprised by Manbao’s straightforwardness, paused before laughing, "Young Lady Zhou, you do jest."

Beside them, the chief steward finished his pleasantries with Mr. Zhuang. They had come to pick up some things and also to meet the person their young master had asked them to look after.

The main reason was to leave behind a name card from their mansion.

Possessing this name card meant that if they encountered trouble in the capital in the future, they could use it to solve their problems or to seek help from the Yang Family.

After all, it wasn’t so easy to gain access to the Yangs’ doors. With the name card, the masters of the house could be met promptly.

Of course, they were unaware of the true background of Bai Shan and his party, let alone their ultimate purpose in traveling to the capital which was presumably to study at the Imperial Academy as the descendants of meritorious officials.

They were just acquainted because their young master served as the county magistrate in Luojiang County, and they happened to come from Luojiang County, so the relationship was decent.

Speaking of which, their young master, though gentle and modest, rarely brought friends home, let alone friends who needed to be cared for by the family.

So when their mansion received the name cards and letters yesterday, Old Madam was so pleased that she ate an extra half bowl of rice, then suffered from indigestion, and had to see the doctor for half the day, which was why they came to fetch the items in the afternoon.

Ideally, they should have come in the morning to show their importance.

The chief steward and the matron stewardess left behind a name card and, after many courteous bows, took their leave.

Even the normally stern Mr. Zhuang couldn’t help but stroke his beard and comment, "Truly the servants of a noble family, they indeed know propriety."

More than just knowing propriety; they were so excessively courteous that even Mr. Zhuang felt somewhat embarrassed by the comparison.

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