SFL Chapter 41

Mei Mingxuan looked at those vegetables, smiled, and shook his head. Part of the reason he received fewer gifts was due to the Muwa family’s situation, but since it was an elder’s gesture, he accepted them.

Seeing Mei Mingxuan accept those items, the old man finally felt relieved, expressing with guilt, “Shuxiu¹TL: Teacher or Private Tutor, I think hehe is modest, please don’t be offended, sir.”

During this season, vegetables are not valuable at all; a quick stroll outside can yield a handful of greens. Surprisingly, the least in quantity, the preserved meat, holds a value surpassing those two baskets of vegetables.

“Not at all, not at all. Shuxiu has received them. Let Muwa join the students for class,” said Mei Mingxuan.

The old man expressed countless thanks and left his grandson, Muwa, behind.

After his grandfather left, Muwa’s confidence visibly waned. Hesitant, he stood at the doorstep, both feet unwilling to step inside.

Mei Mingxuan approached, lifted Muwa across the threshold, and assigned him a seat.

Even though the books for Muwa’s class were ready, he timidly refrained from reaching out to touch them.

Seeing him like this, Liu Jinniang asked Liu Cheng to guide Muwa.

With genuine acceptance, Muwa quickly assimilated into the classroom.

Whether following the imperial examination path or not, a solid foundation was essential. Muwa initially struggled, but with the help of his classmates eager to teach, he caught up swiftly.

Among them, Muwa’s favorite friend was Liu Cheng, and he cherished the daily treats brought by their teacher, Liu Jinniang.

Not very likeable, although they haven’t developed into later debauchery and cruelty, relying on Mei Mingxuan being the master of the academy, they consider the academy their own territory.

With a strong sense of ownership, they couldn’t resist grouping together to assert influence over their classmates. Liu Cheng, being the nephew of Liu Jinniang, held a status not lower than theirs, preventing them from bullying him. The rest of the students came from affluent families, and subconsciously, they dared not provoke them.

Only Ji Lin, the Muwa whose name was changed by Mei Mingxuan, doesn’t have a stronger family background, lacks wealth at home, and is even more disregarded by his family. Hailing from a family making a living as carpenters, not to mention a scholarly uncle, even their own fathers openly scorn them.

Yet, due to their aunt’s compassion, Ji Lin, who is nowhere near their status, manages to lead a life at the academy that is no less than theirs.

What’s crucial is that Ji Lin surpasses them academically, causing the Mei boys to reach their limits in tolerating him.

Mingxuan is their younger uncle, yet the academic performance of these boys ranks at the bottom of the academy, a fact that would surely invite ridicule.

To avoid mockery from outsiders, the Mei boys joined forces to corner Ji Lin, ensuring his future exam results wouldn’t surpass theirs. They insisted that he must be the one to bear the burden for them.

“No, I can’t agree to that,” Ji Lin, now neat and tidy, declined with pursed lips. He came to the academy to gain knowledge, and his family had sacrificed much wealth for this purpose. He couldn’t agree to compromise on the one thing that mattered most to him.

“Ha, you should just stick to being a carpenter like your grandfather. Books are meant for people like us. Believe it or not, with just a word from us, we can kick you out of this academy,” threatened by the Mei boys from the Mei family, relying on their self-proclaimed authority.

“The master won’t be swayed by baseless claims,” Ji Lin gritted his teeth. Through their time together, he believed Mei Mingxuan was not that kind of person. However, the familial ties between Mei Mingxuan and the Mei boys were undeniable. While one person might not convince him, what if they all spoke together?

Would he still be able to stay and study in the academy under such circumstances?

Suddenly, Ji Lin’s eyes lit up as he remembered his good friend Liu Cheng, and the generous Liu Jinniang who often shared various pastries with them. The Mei boys were Mei Master’s nephews, and Liu Cheng was not just a classmate but also the true nephew of Mei Mingxuan and Liu Jinniang.

Unaware of Ji Lin’s brewing solution in his clever mind, the Mei boys continued their menacing threats, “If your next grades are better than ours, we’ll tear up your books. Your family must have spent a lot on these books and writing materials. Without them, your uncle won’t allow you to return to the academy.” Saying this, they began reaching for the books in Ji Lin’s arms.

“What are you guys doing?” Liu Jinniang, with a furrowed brow, asked upon seeing the scene.

Upon hearing Liu Jinniang’s voice, the Mei boys involuntarily shivered, feeling a sudden sense of being caught red-handed. Their minds took a while to process what just happened.

They stood frozen, but Ji Lin didn’t. He protected the books in his arms, crouched down, and burst into loud sobs.

They stood frozen, but Ji Lin didn’t. He protected the books in his arms, crouched down, and burst into loud sobs.

Liu Jinniang quickly walked over, seeing Ji Lin surrounded by the Mei boys. Her eyebrows furrowed immediately.

To be honest, as an aunt, Liu Jinniang didn’t like the Mei family children. Being quite young, they couldn’t conceal the disdain in their eyes for her.

Liu Jinniang, being considerably older than them, could easily discern what these kids were up to. Observing their behavior gave her a glimpse into the Mei family’s likely sentiments towards her own family.

However, Liu Jinniang had never perceived such disdain from Mei Mingxuan. After all, she shared her life with Mei Mingxuan, not the rest of the Mei family. While she had turned a blind eye to some of their behaviors before, Liu Jinniang wasn’t going to tolerate them any longer.

So, Liu Jinniang, metaphorically carrying a gourd, brought the Mei boys in front of Mei Mingxuan. When Mei Mingxuan arrived, Liu Jinniang was comforting Ji Lin, who had tear-stained cheeks. Compared to the Mei boys with their lofty attitudes, Ji Lin was undoubtedly obedient, adorable, and performed well academically. Adding to the relationship between Ji Lin and Liu Cheng, Liu Jinniang directly treated Ji Lin as her own younger family member to cherish.

“Mei Lang, you arrived just in time. Have your well-behaved nephews here tell you what good deeds they’ve done,” Liu Jinniang said, her tone unintentionally a bit confrontational.

Mei Mingxuan chuckled, “I didn’t cause trouble for you. Why are you upset with me?”

Liu Jinniang gave Mei Mingxuan a disdainful look. Even if she couldn’t stand the Mei boys, her role as an elder prevented her from lowering herself to scold someone else’s children. Mei Mingxuan was their real uncle, and enduring her anger wasn’t inappropriate.

After Mei Mingxuan offered Liu Jinniang a few kind words and she had calmed down a bit, he asked what had happened.

His first inquiry was directed at Ji Lin, who had stopped crying. Perhaps because Liu Jinniang was nearby, or maybe due to his trust in Mei Mingxuan as the master, Ji Lin glanced at the Mei boys who were exchanging sly glances with Mei Mingxuan and directly revealed the incident of the Mei boys threatening him.

Liu Jinniang, upon hearing this, immediately raised her eyebrows, “If you can’t outperform your classmates, you shouldn’t sabotage their performance. I didn’t realize your brains were so resourceful.”

Most importantly, what gave the Mei boys the confidence to threaten Ji Lin? It was her husband, Mei Mingxuan.

Mei Mingxuan was well aware of his affection for the students, being his spouse. The Mei boys were blatantly using Mei Mingxuan’s name to tarnish his reputation.

Mei Mingxuan wasn’t surprised by the malicious intentions of his nephews. After all, a significant part of human nature is innate, and later education can only correct to some extent.

As for turning a born troublemaker into a reformed person through education, achieving that is nearly impossible.

Mei Mingxuan looked at his nephews and asked, “Have I not taught you to be friendly with your classmates?”

“…Taught,” they muttered quietly.

“Since you remember that, why bully Ji Lin? Is it just because Ji Lin performs better than you?” Mei Mingxuan continued to inquire.

The Mei boys blushed, struggling to find words. Subconsciously, one of them said, “But, but Uncle, Ji Lin shouldn’t be studying so well.”

“Yes, Ji Lin shouldn’t be studying so well.”

“He’s just a carpenter’s child, while we are the nephews of a scholar. How could he possibly outperform us?” The Mei boys expressed their confusion.

Mei Mingxuan understood. It was a subconscious resistance from the Mei boys to let Ji Lin surpass their current social status. They believed that since Ji Lin was once beneath them, he should always remain inferior to them in the future.

Ironically, they themselves were more eager to embrace opportunities that transcended their social class.

“If one day, there’s someone with a more significant background and a better upbringing than all of you, yet you outperform them academically, and they bully you just as you bullied Ji Lin, would you allow them to do so?” Mei Mingxuan’s voice was calm.

“Why should we? Being good at studying is our true ability!” The Mei boys responded with an instinctive sense of indignation.

Upon seeing Mei Mingxuan and Liu Jinniang both looking at them with teasing expressions, recalling their recent actions and the words they uttered, a tremendous buzz echoed in their minds. Their faces turned crimson with embarrassment.

Before they went completely astray or made irreversible mistakes, Mei Mingxuan didn’t mind giving them a chance to correct themselves. Of course, if given the opportunity and they still continued down the wrong path, he wouldn’t be lenient.

“Do you realize your mistake?”

“We know…” The Mei boys hung their heads, their voices subdued.

“I… I accept your apology, but you can’t bully me anymore.” Encouraged by Mei Mingxuan and Liu Jinniang, Ji Lin gathered courage to speak.

Mei Mingxuan instructed them to write an extra page of calligraphy every day as a punishment for their mistreatment of their fellow student.

The impending bullying at the school was extinguished in its cradle.

Unfortunately, the matter didn’t end there, as during the break, the Mei boys returned home, no longer as lively as before. Naturally, their parents, who cared about their well-being, had to inquire about their school life.

Upon learning that Mei Mingxuan did not defend his own nephews at the school but rather took a different stance, the three elder brothers in the Mei family felt a subtle discomfort.

Even though they understood that Mei Mingxuan hadn’t done anything wrong, having their own sons compelled to apologize to someone else was a matter of blood ties. It was difficult for them to make a rational judgement in such a situation.

Even more so, the Mei brothers couldn’t help but harbour resentment. Their sons had never been bullied in the village before, but now, attending the family school seemed to bring them trouble. They found fault with the youngest, Mei Mingxuan, for not being responsible.

“How could Mingxuan help others bully our own children? No, I need to talk to him,” Mei’s mother, seeing her three sons’ stern expressions and the sudden coldness from their daughters-in-law, suddenly realized that her youngest son might have offended his three elder brothers. Naturally, she didn’t think it was her son’s fault, given the good relationship they used to have at home.

When did he change? Oh right, it seems to be after the engagement with the Liu family. Not only did he distance himself from being their father, but he also became less close to his elder brothers.

If it were before, no matter who made a mistake, whether it was his nephews or not, Mingxuan would always protect his family.

Now, he punishes his own nephews for the sake of a student. Even the court doesn’t hold everyone accountable for one person’s actions.

She heard from the children that their aunt is standing on the side of that student.

Knowing that Mei’s mother was just putting on airs, Mei’s father didn’t try to advise her. Without letting her bring anything, he sent her to the county town to give his sons a satisfactory explanation.²TL: I apologize for the late update (՞ •̥㉦•̥՞)

Seeing this attitude from the elders at home, Mei Mingxuan’s three elder brothers felt much more relieved.

 

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  TL: Teacher or Private Tutor, I think hehe
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  TL: I apologize for the late update (՞ •̥㉦•̥՞)