Chapter 705: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 705: A Distinguished Guest Arrives at Shen Ji's Door (2)
In recent years, with the support of the Mo family, villagers who were hired for various tasks received higher wages compared to elsewhere, which improved many households' situations. Though still not as prosperous as other villages, their conditions had markedly improved and were expected to get even better in the future.
With the village’s situation improving, Yang Bao had developed new ideas, one of which was to build a school. The goal was to educate the idle children and instill proper manners in them. Even if no one achieved fame right away, having hope was valuable. Perhaps someday a student from their village would achieve great things.
This would not only bring honor to a single household but to the entire village. The more educated people there were in the village, the more prosperous and thriving it would become. If Yang Bao were to pass away, at least his efforts in establishing the school would be remembered in the village records, justifying his time on earth.
Other village heads also hoped to see their villages produce outstanding individuals. They had been arguing for months about where the school should be built, each trying to claim the opportunity for their own village. Their desire intensified as they witnessed the Mo family’s success.
However, Yang Bao’s reasoning was difficult to counter, leading to dissatisfaction among the other village heads who were unwilling to concede the opportunity to Liu Yang Village.
Thus, a new round of debate commenced among the village heads, each vying to secure the school for their own village.
Meanwhile, Mo Yan and her father were unaware of these negotiations. They were at the entrance welcoming guests. Soon, Shopkeeper Xing and Shopkeeper Mu arrived. After exchanging congratulations and presenting gifts, they were invited into the study.
Both shopkeepers had helped Mo family with the heating last year and knew Master Liu and Han Zhiyun. Although they came from different backgrounds and social statuses, they were well-informed and had lively conversations when together.
By noon, most of the guests had arrived, except for Xiao Ruiyuan, Yan Junyu, and a few other invited “contemporaries” and mentors.
Not seeing any movement on the road leading out of the village, Mo Qingze casually mentioned his “contemporary” to his daughter.
“Contemporary” refers to Shen Ji, a young man of nineteen who Mo Qingze considered a refined and rare talent. They had met during a poetry competition at the academy and developed a good acquaintance.
Mo Qingze had a favorable impression of Shen Ji from the start. After getting to know him better, Mo Qingze began to consider him as a potential son-in-law. Having inquired discreetly about Shen Ji’s family background, Mo Qingze’s interest grew.
Shen Ji came from Huai County, directly under the capital, only a hundred miles away. He was the only child of his parents, who were still alive and wealthy. Despite his affluence, Shen Ji was very diligent. He had passed the scholar’s examination at sixteen, later studied at Changshan Academy, participated in this year's autumn examination, and ranked even higher than Han Zhiyun, placing 30th.
After learning of his results, Shen Ji sent a messenger to inform his parents and chose to stay in the capital to focus on his studies and prepare for the spring examination next year.
“Overall, Shen Ji is a commendable young man—hardworking and self-motivated. He requires no extra supervision, much better than Zhen’er,” Mo Qingze praised Shen Ji but also sighed over his lively younger son.
Having heard so much, Mo Yan realized that Shen Ji was the suitor her father had in mind. Although he seemed admirable, she was not interested. The more perfect Shen Ji appeared in her father’s eyes, the less favorable Xiao Ruiyuan would seem, which might complicate matters for all three.
Trying to steer the conversation away from Shen Ji, Mo Yan promptly took up the topic of Zhen’er as her father mentioned him, saying, “Zhen’er may be a bit restless, but he is very bright and hardworking. He has been in the top three in the monthly exams, so you needn’t worry.”
(The End of this Chapter)
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