Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 35: Wandering around for a long time without any reason, the story ends

"Why don't you speak?"

Guan Yin really didn't want to bother with Cheng Heng, and the reason was not complicated. She didn't want to hear that the latter was self-righteous and chose a completely new path for a historical figure, and she didn't want to hear that Cheng Heng was complacent about his so-called "fairness between good and evil."

"Just now I was..." Today's dream was a little sudden, Cheng Heng himself actually hasn't come back to his senses yet, "I don't know when I fell asleep."

"How are you doing? Is there anything I can help you with?"

After a few words, Guan Yin did not respond. Cheng Heng shrugged and heard a series of knocks on the door.

These knocks were more attractive than Cheng Heng's words. Guan Yin jumped up from his seat and carefully pulled Cheng Heng behind him: "Could it be that someone from the Liu family is here?"

"Look where this is..."

"Oh." Guan Yin realized that he was probably still asleep and didn't need to worry about the Liu family causing trouble, so he sat back down.

Facing Guan Yin's appearance, Cheng Heng felt helpless. The sounds of music were getting closer and closer, as if they were coming towards this area - maybe even towards his room. Cheng Heng couldn't figure out who it could be.

The sound of drums and music sounds very cheerful. Cheng Heng has been on the stage for many years and is very sensitive to these things.

But no one around me is married, and no one is in high school...

The tall horse surrounded by the crowd came closer. Cheng Heng saw the figure sitting on it clearly and felt vaguely familiar with it. He wanted to move closer to take a look. As he moved closer, he walked into the street, surrounded by the sound of people talking.

"I heard that the husband of the Ruan family passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi."

"You don't know, it is said that because the family had no money to bribe, the chief examiner even replaced the test paper once."

"This kind of thing can..."

"They are all legends. Maybe it's embarrassing to tell them out loud. Who knows?"

It's good to pass the exam. How old was Fan Jin when he passed the exam in "Fan Jin Zhongju"? The officialdom is chaotic. Cheng Heng thinks that it is better to experience many difficulties early than to encounter them in the officialdom, so that he can be prepared in his heart.

"Why? Not what you wanted, right?"

Cheng Heng didn't notice when Guan Yin walked up to him. He turned his head to look at the person who was talking, and continued to focus his eyes on Hua Hong's team not far away.

"Why not? It's better than wandering around when you were young and finally returning as a businessman. It's more in line with the original pursuit of the Ruan family."

"In today's imperial court, what's the point of passing the exam? You may not be able to get a job." How many Jinshi and Tongjinshi candidates are selected every time an imperial examination is held? How can all of them get suitable positions?

"His brother has made money from his business again. I think he will be able to buy an official position in the future."

"Buy an official? Why do you want to buy an official?"

"The imperial examination is not the same as taking the civil service examination. If you pass the examination, you will get a job." Guan Yin heard Cheng Heng's casual muttering and sighed, "When he gradually reaches a position where he is not so controlled by others, he may not be old enough to do anything drastic."

Cheng Heng said nothing, but just looked at the street and listened to the discussion of the people.

"If you ask me, even if several generations of my family want to raise a scholar, it would be fine if he has a few carts of books in his belly, but why would he bother... With the Ruan family's ability in business, I'm afraid they will become rich in these years."

"You and I are pursuing small things, but we cannot compare to the scholars."

"You..." The person who spoke first was choked by this remark, and felt a little unhappy in his heart, feeling that he was looked down upon by the people around him. "Don't forget the saying 'How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?' The teacher taught you that in the private school."

"Are we definitely the swallows?"

"We are sparrows, and he may not be a swan."

Cheng Heng took two steps back and closed the wooden door in front of him. Fortunately, Guan Yin was not completely focused on the noise in Qingshi Street, so he had time to retreat with him and return to the yard.

The osmanthus flowers in the yard were in full bloom. Guan Yin sat under the osmanthus tree, ready to wait for this dream to end so that he could continue to worry about his future life - until he found a way to completely leave here and return to reality.

A few osmanthus flowers fell on Guan Yin's shoulder for no reason. Guan Yin reached out and gently brushed them off. His eyes once again fell unfocused on the place less than five steps in front of him, thinking randomly.

"Susu."

A handful of osmanthus flowers sprinkled all over Guan Yin's head and body. Guan Yin finally looked up helplessly and saw someone randomly fiddling with the branches: "'When people are idle, the osmanthus flowers fall' shouldn't be this 'idle'. Cheng Heng, are you very idle now?"

"You really talk like a teacher." Cheng Heng jumped down from the stairs, looked at Guan Yin, and sneered for a while, "Oh, I forgot, you were originally a teacher."

Guan Yin didn't know what happened to his dream today. He usually didn't give him a chance to talk when he needed to, but now, he has no restraint in his dreams.

"Why don't you listen?" It's not a good thing to always ignore people like this. Guan Yin stood up and patted the fallen flowers and leaves on his body.

The unreserved fragrance of osmanthus still lingered around Guan Yin, and he couldn't tell whether it was because of the osmanthus on the tree, or just staying for a short time to scent his clothes.

"It's boring."

Cheng Heng rubbed his hands. Guan Yin saw that there was still water on his slightly red fingertips. He knew that it was the dew that had not yet dispersed from the trees. He felt vaguely curious, wondering if there was also the fragrance of osmanthus in the dew?

"Why is it boring?"

To be honest, Cheng Heng was a little too suspicious. Just now, the words of the two passers-by made Cheng Heng feel that they were really scolding himself, scolding his own idea of "helping others", which was actually nothing more than "the ambition of a sparrow": "I just think it's boring, there's no reason?"

"You haven't considered whether he can become an official in the future?"

When those gossips started, Guan Yin knew that nothing was absolutely right: "Or you yourself have not considered whether he can pass the exam to become an official."

"If he can't benefit the people here, some people will even say he is not as good as his father. After all, his father used his life savings to give to the villagers."

No matter how simple the folk customs are, people still have a desire for benefits. Cheng Heng had to admit that Guan Yin's words made sense.

"What if he does well?"

Guan Yin understood that further discussion of this topic would not produce any results in the short term.

"There shouldn't be so many things in life that are forced choices, right?"

"Okay." Everyone has their own obsessions. Guan Yin knew that he couldn't persuade Cheng Heng, just as Cheng Heng couldn't convince Guan Yin.

"If there is no such thing as time travel, and we just forgot the memories of this world, would you still be so timid and do nothing?"

The sweet-scented osmanthus flowers fluttered and fell to the ground. This time it was not a person, but the wind.

(End of this chapter)