Top Scholar

Chapter 67 Chun Ge'er Don't Cry

Luzhou City is located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Tuojiang Rivers, nestled against mountains and beside water, a place of outstanding natural beauty and cultural heritage. It serves as the gateway from Sichuan to the north and has been a prosperous center of commerce and education since ancient times.

The stone-lined city wall along the riverbank winds like a ribbon, reaching a height of five zhang (approximately 10 meters). The Ningguang Gate tower stands majestically, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Outside the city gate, the Guanyizui Wharf is lined with masts, and porters load and unload salt, wine and mountain goods day and night. The river breeze carries their chants and clamor, injecting endless vitality into the ancient city.

The population density in the town was more than a hundred times that of Taiping Town. Shops lined the wide bluestone streets, and merchants and pedestrians thronged the streets.

Located on Bijia Mountain in the south of the city, Heshan Academy is built against the mountain, with its flying eaves hidden among the ancient pines, enjoying a unique tranquility.

At the foot of Bijia Mountain, there is a row of simple houses, which were prepared by the academy for students who came to participate in the state and provincial examinations. They are called "Waiting for the Moon Thatched Cottage".

Before the provincial examination on the first day of the fourth lunar month, the thatched cottage was once bustling with more than two hundred students. But now, several days after the results were announced and the provincial examination was still far off, most of the students had returned to their hometowns. The place had become deserted again, and one could not see a single person for a long time.

But a faint coughing sound came from the easternmost house.

Through the half-open door, one could see a pale-faced young man lying on the large communal bed, covered with the robes of Taiping Academy. He was none other than Chun Ge'er, the eldest grandson of the Su family.

Su Man's eyes were lifeless, and he looked utterly haggard. Where was his usual dashing appearance? He looked more like a withered vine or an old tree…

He was under so much pressure that he didn't even get a break during the New Year holiday. His body was already exhausted, and he was only kept going by his burning desire to pass the exam.

When the results of the prefectural examination were released, his name wasn't on the list. This was a huge blow to Su Man. Although he knew the prefectural examination was difficult, he had, after all, ranked third in the county examination! He believed he had performed exceptionally well; even if he couldn't pass with flying colors, he should at least have achieved a modest ranking…

The immense psychological shock instantly extinguished Chun Ge'er's fighting spirit; he couldn't bear it any longer. Upon returning from seeing the results, he lay down fully clothed and fell ill that very night. He had originally planned to return the next day, but now he couldn't go.

He's aloof and has a sharp tongue, so he doesn't have many friends. Of course, the main reason is that making friends costs money, and he's short on cash and has high self-esteem, so he always keeps to himself.

It wouldn't be a problem normally, but getting sick in a foreign land was troublesome. He asked a classmate to send a message home, and then forced himself to go to the street to get some medicine, asking the old man at the gate to help him brew it.

He's been taking medicine for the past few days, but he's not getting better...

At this moment, Chun Ge'er lay stiffly on the empty dormitory bed, staring motionlessly at the tattered spider web on the ceiling, swaying in the wind. He felt that his life, like this spider web, was coming to an end...

The red paper announcing the results of the state examination flickered before his eyes, each name piercing his heart like a needle, causing him unbearable pain... Why wasn't my name on the list? I started my studies at the age of seven, studied diligently for ten years, hanging myself by my hair every day, copying books until dawn, the calluses on my palms thicker than the moss on the stone steps of the academy, how come I couldn't even get my name on the list?

This is only the state examination...

He touched the old academy clothes covering him; the original black collar was worn thin, and his mother had given him a new set, matching the original design. By now, his family must have received the letter. His parents must be frantic with worry, and his grandparents and Qiu-ge'er must be terribly worried too.
Luckily, Jinbao is still young and won't worry about me. But she's probably forgotten about her useless older brother again...

But it's also possible that the fellow villager hasn't sent a message back yet; with mountains high and roads long, anything can happen. Perhaps the family is still waiting for the good news of their high school entrance exam, preparing to hold a celebratory banquet like last time.

But I let them miss out on the feast... but it's hard to say, if I die of illness, they can still eat.

Sigh, if I had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, my parents would have been so happy, and my grandfather would have been able to let out his pent-up anger.

You can also show off a bit in front of Qiu Ge'er and leave that kid completely bewildered.

It could also allow the Su family to hold their heads high in front of the Cheng family, and maybe even get Langquan Well back. That way, Su's Winery wouldn't have to go bankrupt, and the livelihoods of the clansmen would be preserved.

But now, it's all gone, all because of me, the sinner...

Su Man was heartbroken, feeling that the Ming Dynasty was about to be destroyed because of him.

To calm his pain, he took out a small piece of sesame brittle from his bundle. His mother had given it to him before he came to Luzhou from Hejiang, and he still hadn't finished it.

Chun Ge put the black and white sesame brittle into his mouth, took a small bite and chewed slowly, but only two lines of hot tears came out.

He finally broke down in tears, sobbing with a mouthful of crumbs in his mouth:

"Mom, I want to go home..."

~~
Su Man was crying her heart out when suddenly everything went dark.

His crying stopped abruptly, and he slowly turned his eyes to look over. He saw his father, second uncle, younger uncle, Xia Ge'er, Qiu Ge'er... four big men and one small man squeezed at the door, staring at him in disbelief.

"It must be a hallucination caused by my homesickness..." Su Man closed her eyes, and sure enough, she couldn't see anything.

“It’s an illusion…” But when he opened his eyes again, he saw that it was even darker… Not only were the five figures still there, but they also came in through the door and stood in front of the dormitory with concerned expressions.

The uncle reached out and tenderly patted his son's head, saying gently, "Chun-ge'er, don't cry, all the family members are here..."

"I'm tired, let it all end..." Su Man closed her eyes, wishing she could just pass away like this.

Little did he know that there was a ring of black sesame seeds stuck to his cheek, making him look like he had grown a beard.

It was pitiful, but also hilarious… Fortunately, the father and sons all knew that Brother Chun was easily embarrassed, so they all held back. After all, they came to visit, not to laugh at him. Although it was funny, they couldn't help but…

"That Chun-ge'er has suffered a lot outside." The eldest uncle only knew how to worry about his son and instructed Su Youcai, "Quickly take a look at him, is he alright?"

Su Youcai then sat down on the edge of the couch, picked up the thin arm, and began to take his pulse.

Since ancient times, Confucian scholars and doctors have been closely linked. Old scholars like Su Youcai usually have some medical knowledge. When Su Lu suffered from heatstroke, it was he who prescribed the medicine...

Okay, at least taking a pulse shouldn't be a problem.

Su Youcai gently pressed three fingers on Su Man's wrist, focusing for a moment before slowly withdrawing his hand and saying, "The pulse is floating and weak, restless and unstable, clearly indicating that wind and cold are stagnating on the surface of the body. Occasionally there is a stagnation, and it jumps around with coughing, which means that the evil force is at its peak. Fortunately, it has not entered the lungs. With timely treatment, there should be no major problems."

"Mmm," the uncle said with a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness."

But Su Youcai paused for a moment and said, "The pulse here is slow and weak, which means that he has been starving and his qi and blood are not flowing properly. To put it bluntly, he is hungry."

"They can even pronounce this?" Everyone was in awe.

"No, I heard it." Before Su Youcai could finish speaking, Su Man made another gurgling sound.

Chun Ge'er's face turned red again. That bite of sesame brittle had stirred up his hunger, and his stomach was rumbling uncontrollably.

"Waaah, I hate sesame brittle, I'll never eat it again..."

"It's a good thing you feel hungry!" Uncle said happily. "It means you're getting better soon!"

He then looked at everyone and asked, "Does anyone have anything to eat?"

Su Tai then took out the dry rations he was carrying.

"Put it away. He's weak. Can he digest sorghum cakes?" The uncle took out a bag of fried rice from his shoulder bag, went to the gatekeeper to ask for hot water, and brewed it into rice tea for Chun-ge.

~~
This time, Su Youcai wasn't misdiagnosing; Su Man really did have a cold. Dozens of people slept in one large dormitory room, and anyone with a headache or fever would move around to another room. The added fatigue and stress caused it to develop into a severe cold, making him think he was going to die…

Whether it was from taking the medicine and lying in bed for days, or from seeing his family, Su Man was finally able to eat. After drinking a bowl of rice tea brewed by his uncle, he finally felt a bit of strength back in him.

The three brothers-in-law went to the street again to get medicine and buy him some food and supplies, with Su Tai and Su Lu accompanying Su Man.

Chun Ge'er finally emerged from the crack in the ground and asked, "Why are you all here?"

"As soon as we heard that my elder brother was sick, we set off that very night. We stopped at my uncle's house for a meal on the way, and he came along with us," Su Tai replied.

"That's not right. My classmate went home on the second day of the Lunar New Year, how come you're here on the sixth?" Chun-ge'er did some quick calculations and realized something was amiss. His family had arrived too quickly, otherwise he wouldn't have been caught off guard...

“That senior student was very kind and didn’t stop along the way. He delivered the letter to Erlangtan in three days,” Su Lu replied. “We were even more anxious and traveled for two days without stopping. If my father hadn’t been so slow, we could have arrived half a day earlier.”

"No, you traveled two hundred miles of mountain road in less than two days?" Su Man stared in disbelief, looking at her two younger brothers who were indeed covered in dust and dirt, their clothes soaked in sweat and dust and changed color.

"Mm." Su Tai nodded.

"How did you get here?" Su Man asked, shocked.

"We walked day and night, resting for three hours along the way." Su Tai counted on his fingers and praised, "I didn't expect Qiu-ge'er to be the fastest."

"I'm light on my feet, and I walk twenty miles to and from school every day, so I developed this skill," Su Lu said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Upon hearing the word "school," Chun-ge'er snapped out of his reverie and pulled a long face, saying, "Aren't you going to school anymore?"

“I asked Su Dan to ask the master for leave,” Su Lu said.

"How many days will it take to go back and forth? How much homework will you fall behind on? Can you keep up?" Chun Ge'er scolded in a deep voice.

"I'm worried about you," Su Lu said softly.

Chun Ge'er immediately lost her temper and, after a long while, said in a muffled voice, "What do I have to worry about?"

"I'm afraid I won't see you again, I'm afraid you won't be able to get over it," Su Lu said.

Su Tai also spoke up for Su Lu, saying, "Yes, brother, don't scold Qiu Ge'er. He never asks for leave even when he has a headache or fever. This time, our persuasion was useless; he insisted on coming along."

"Now you see? I'm alright. Don't worry unnecessarily..." Chun Ge'er's nose stung with tears, and she quickly turned her head away, glancing sideways at the tattered net in the corner of the room.

The stubborn spider was diligently spinning silk to mend its web, determined to create a larger and stronger one...

(End of this chapter)