Zhou Yu touched his nose. “Zhou Bing needs to keep a low profile. If it weren’t for avoiding corvée labor, he wouldn’t have taken the imperial examination.”

Zhong Yan had never asked about Zhou Bing’s background, nor had Zhou Yu mentioned it. Now that he thought about it, Zhou Bing was exceptionally low-key, never leaving his house. When he wasn’t teaching, he would stay in the courtyard. He didn’t even appear when General Bai came last time.

Seeing that Zhou Yu hadn’t explained clearly, Zhong Yan frowned. “Is his identity troublesome?”

Zhou Bing explained, “I’m already dead. To avoid trouble, it’s better to be disfigured.”

Zhong Yan understood. “It’s good that you all understand.”

Zhou Yu was embarrassed. “I’ve been a bit busy lately and forgot to tell Uncle.”

Zhong Yan stroked his beard. “It’s good that it’s not really disfigured.”

The students at the school knew that Zhou Bing was disfigured, and the news spread quickly throughout Shanghe Village. Liu Lizheng came in person and, seeing Zhou Bing’s injured face, spoke with great regret.

Zhou Bing showed a good attitude, saying, “The world is chaotic, but I don’t feel regret.”

Liu Lizheng wanted to say that the world wouldn’t always be chaotic, but he didn’t say it, pausing before saying, “It’s good that you can think positively.”

Zhou Bing smiled. “My older brother said teaching is a good thing.”

Liu Lizheng thought about it and agreed, smiling, “That’s right.”

Yang Xi continued teaching the girls after her postpartum period. She hadn’t forgotten to have the girls take the exams with the boys, but because she had been busy lately, she changed the exam time to the end of the first semester.

Zhou Bing’s scarred face was no longer a novelty, and summer had arrived; the first semester of the school was coming to an end.

Yang Xi and Zhou Yu, the couple, had created the exam questions together, and this time the questions were somewhat difficult.

The girls would take the final exam. Zhou Yu told the students after class, and the village children were stunned. Girls taking the exam with them?

The Zhong and Ye families, among others, already knew the news, so they weren’t surprised.

Bai Lang looked worried and said to Zhong Xu, “If I can’t beat the girls in the exam, I’ll be too ashamed to go home. I can’t bear the embarrassment!”

Zhong Xu looked at Ye Qiheng, his real rival. He got anxious every time he saw Ye Qiheng asking Uncle Zhou questions. He stared at Ye Qiheng, completely ignoring Bai Lang’s words.

Bai Lang was speechless.

Zhong Xu snapped out of his daze, looking down at his notes, preparing to ask Uncle Zhou for help that evening. Bai Lang said, “I’m talking to you!”

Zhong Xu snapped back to reality. “What did you say?”

“I said if I can’t beat the girls in the exam, I can’t bear the embarrassment.”

Zhong Xu replied, “You can’t beat them anyway.”

Bai Lang was speechless.

Zhou Yu observed the expressions of all the students and continued, “You’re the top student this time. You’ll be speaking on behalf of all the students at the start of the semester. It’s time to see the results of your semester’s work. I hope you’ll study hard.”

Bai Lang noticed the teacher looking at him and picked up the blackboard to cover his face.

Zhou Yu was speechless.

This kid really didn’t like studying. He was only in the advanced class because of private tutoring.

The atmosphere of studying in the school was very intense. Boys were all concerned about their image, and no one wanted to be outdone by girls.

The news spread through the students that girls in Shanghe Village would be taking the exam alongside boys. Deeply rooted in the patriarchal traditions of ancient times, the village was abuzz with gossip. Girls, once grown up and married, couldn’t contribute much to the family; boys were the foundation of the household. It was already unusual for girls to be literate, let alone take the exam with boys!

Many in Shanghe Village were old-fashioned. Before, when Yang Xi went to class, people gossiped about her, but after she had a child and stopped going, the gossip subsided.

Now, they were talking about Yang Xi again, saying she was restless, that a woman’s virtue lay in her lack of talent, and that women should only be wives and mothers. They also said that Zhou xiānsheng spoiled his wife too much.

The two daughters of the Wu family were also the subject of gossip. Li Shi was frequently stopped by the village women, who implied that it was better for girls to be honest and marry well.

Li Shi was furious, and they had several arguments.

Some people even came to Liu Lizheng’s house. Liu Lizheng was still considering whether to send his granddaughter there, as he was waiting for the exam results!

To those who came to his door, Liu Lizheng only said one thing: “It’s no use talking to me; go talk to the Zhou family yourselves.”

Who dared to talk? If they dared to talk, they wouldn’t have come to Lizheng’s house.

The more the villagers knew about the Zhou family, the more they understood the gap between them, and no one dared to visit.

Zhou Yu and Yang Xi didn’t care what the villagers were saying; the couple went about their business as usual.

Having lived through the days of death in their previous life in ancient times, the couple was full of hope for the future, and nothing could affect their mood.

The villagers’ gossip didn’t affect Yang Xi and her husband, but it did affect Wu Qianyi and the other girls. They studied even harder, determined to show the village that they, as women, were no less capable than men.

The closer it got to the final exams, the more tense the school became.

Third Yang, on the other hand, often went out, sometimes disappearing all day without a trace.

Zhong Yan asked Yang Xi and his wife, “Aren’t you going to keep an eye on him?”

Yang Xi and his wife hadn’t intended to control Third Yang in every way; they were very clear about their boundaries with him.

Zhou Yu said, “Third Yang is headstrong, but he knows his limits. Uncle, you don’t need to worry about him.”

Zhong Yan wasn’t worried about Third Yang; he could tell Third Yang was restless. “I’m afraid this kid is getting wilder and wilder, and you won’t be able to control him.”

Yang Xi smiled. “We never intended to control him.”

Zhou Yu said, “Uncle, we know what we’re doing.”

Zhong Yan didn’t know the couple’s plans. He quite liked Third Yang. “Forget it, I’m old. I won’t interfere anymore.”

Zhou Yu sensed the disappointment in Uncle Zhong’s tone and quickly said, “You’re not old at all. You’ll definitely live to be a hundred.”

Zhong Yan also hoped to live a long life, preferably until the end of the chaotic world; otherwise, he wouldn’t die in peace.

After Uncle Zhong left, Zhou Yu said, “That brat Third Yang had the Wu brothers teach beggars martial arts. He’s now supporting over a hundred people.”

Yang Xi had no idea. “Did he tell you?”

Zhou Yu nodded. “He’s supporting them in different places. He’s also taken in a few thugs from the county.”

Yang Xi was speechless.

Zhou Yu laughed. “That brat has spent a lot of money. When do you think he’ll ask you for the loom model?”

“Ever since he found out the loom was improved, he’s wanted to touch the model every time he comes. That brat has been eyeing it for a long time.”

Zhou Yu snorted. “We can’t give it to him. Once he takes it out to exchange for money, even if we’re careful, people will find out about him.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Third Yang couldn’t protect the entire Zhou family, so they wouldn’t give him anything more.

Third Yang was indeed short of money. Most of his silver was hidden in the capital. Supporting people was too expensive; they had to be fed and clothed. Martial arts training required proper nutrition, and Third Yang’s money was flowing out like water.

Third Yang didn’t want the loom as Zhou Yu had hoped, because he had another target: Zhou Bing. Zhou Bing had taken a lot of money south with him!

Yang Xi, knowing that Third Yang had borrowed money from Zhou Bing, laughed, “We forgot about Zhou Bing.”

Zhou Yu, patting his son to help him burp, said, “Indeed, we forgot about Zhou Bing.”

After Zhou Bing became family, it was inevitable to overlook his wealth.

That day, Third Yang returned from the county, just at lunchtime. He rushed back to the backyard, shouting, “Something terrible has happened!”

Everyone in the room stared at Third Yang, terrified.

Third Yang was covered in sweat. “The Emperor has killed Jiang Qiansui!”

(End of Chapter)

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