noffsinger Chapter 28: The "Poor Scholar" Doesn't Refer to You
Chapter 28: The "Poor Scholar" Doesn't Refer to You
"Mother, this, this is paper..."
Da Niu watched as his mother took down the sheets of paper drying on the wooden board one by one, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yes, toilet paper." Gao Mengli nodded lightly.
Toilet paper?!
Da Niu thought to himself with a strange cry, "Could it be that his mother made these handwritten papers so he could learn to read and write?!"
Although it wasn't as good as the paper sold in stores, the slightly yellowed and rough paper still surprised him.
But thinking about the cost of school, the light that had just lit up in his eyes dimmed again, and his voice carried a faint sadness, "Mother, I don't need to go to school, really..."
"Reading?" Gao Mengli stopped what she was doing, and Lin Xi also looked over when she heard the voice.
“Yes, Mother wanted me to study and pass the imperial examinations so that I could make paper. But Father, Mother, studying is too expensive. I don’t have to go.”
Although that's what he said, he still had a faint expectation in his heart. After all, studying hard, passing the imperial examinations, and gaining respect from others is everyone's goal.
Gao Mengli glanced at Da Niu from head to toe. Studying? How could her grown son even think of that?
Among so many talented poets, such as the Poet Immortal and the Poet Sage, who made it into the top three? Not even in the top ten, let alone the top three.
The term "students from humble backgrounds" does not refer to those from poor families, but rather to those from declining noble families.
The declining aristocratic family still possessed its inherent wealth, and coupled with its emphasis on education, its members were quite knowledgeable. By pooling the resources of the entire clan to support the poorer members of the family for their education, they were able to have any hope of a future.
As for a peasant family with no cultural heritage, it is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to produce a talented scholar.
That's why dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and rats' sons know how to dig holes.
Others are born with a head start, learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, martial arts, horsemanship, archery, and military strategy. They are said to be taught all six arts of a gentleman, not just rote memorization.
Her son is so confident! I have to say, he's really something!
Gao Mengli rolled her eyes at Da Niu's expectant yet worried, worried yet hopeful gaze.
They coldly and ruthlessly poured a bucket of ice-cold water over his head, saying, "You're overthinking it, kid. This is toilet paper, the kind you use to wipe your bottom in the outhouse."
Da Niu's eyes dimmed instantly, and his disappointment was clearly visible on his face.
I never imagined that the paper I thought was made for his studies would turn out to be just toilet paper.
But then, wait a minute, what he means is...
He looked up at his mother, his mouth agape in astonishment, "Paper to wipe your butt?"
He kept repeating those words to himself, his face contorted with pain.
People used leaves, tiles, or dry grass, even corn stalks, to urinate. Using paper to wipe one's bottom was an unthinkable luxury.
He stared blankly at the slightly rough yellow paper in his mother's hand, and then saw his father, Lin Xi, nod to him.
He miscalculated; he never imagined his parents would be so extravagant...
It's all fake, it must be all fake...
"Mom, is this paper... really for wiping my bottom?"
Da Niu couldn't help but confirm again.
Gao Mengli looked at her son's expression and smiled mischievously. "What, can't I?"
I made it, use it however you like, don't worry about it!
"Mom, this is such a waste! We could sell it..." Da Niu muttered softly, but he didn't dare to look at his mother.
He was afraid his mother would torture him to death with her eyes.
Those stacks of paper could sell for a lot of coins. What's the difference between wiping your butt with paper and wiping it with coins...?
Lin Xi rolled her eyes, but suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, "Then don't use it! Save it, we can use it a few more times!"
This won't do! This is just enjoying the good life while excluding him. We were supposed to be family.
So they're a real couple, and he, "DaDaNiu," was just an adopted child?
Lin Xi and Gao Mengli chuckled softly, ignoring the conflicted Da Niu, and continued packing their things.
It was getting dark, and the two of them still had to go pick elm seeds to bring back.
In the evening, Lin Xi cooked white rice, stir-fried cabbage and shredded pork, and made a meatball and spinach soup.
This is the first proper meal the two of them have had in the past few days.
This time, Da Niu learned his lesson. He could savor the delicious food later, but he absolutely couldn't let himself get distracted at the dinner table.
Otherwise, given how fast his parents ate, they definitely wouldn't have left him anything.
So the "family" had a rare quiet dinner together.
Meanwhile, the people in the old house next door also ate with great satisfaction because of the delicious dumplings.
Jiang ate a dumpling, then glanced at the neighboring courtyard wall. These two good-for-nothing "spendthrifts" seemed to have suddenly had their meridians opened up after falling into the water.
Not only did they not cause any trouble, they also made money, and the food they made was incredibly delicious.
Jiang made a significant decision in her heart with a sense of joy: she decided that she would no longer curse them to die young and be reborn in a better realm.
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi didn't care about the old house next door at all.
Right now, she's taken a nice soapy bath, changed her clothes, and is lying on that little bed, fast asleep.
The next day, it was another day of getting up in the dark. Every day, she had to get up at dawn when she was sleeping the best, and Gao Mengli had already started to have morning grumpiness.
However, remembering the bare walls and drafts from all sides, he suppressed his resentment and resigned himself to his fate, sitting up straight like a zombie.
Rubbing his eyes, he went to the kitchen with Lin Xi.
Lin Xi took out a tinderbox and lit the candle when she saw the "mosquito coil" on the stove.
His pupils contracted, his body trembled, and a sharp cracking sound rang out.
"Ah—spicy strips…!"
Lin Xi panicked and was scared. She immediately turned around, sprinted and jumped, and hung on Gao Mengli.
Gao Mengli was startled by Lin Xi's sudden action and almost lost her balance.
She steadied herself, supported Lin Xi, and frowned as she looked at Lin Xi trembling against her. "What are you yelling about so early in the morning?"
Lin Xi pointed tremblingly at the stove, "Spicy...spicy...spicy strips—"
Da Niu was startled awake from his sleep by his father's voice. He rolled over in a somersault, kicked the stiff quilt aside, and hurriedly ran out.
Then he was dumbfounded!
His father clung to his mother, trembling and sobbing.
What's going on?
Da Niu thought he was seeing things backwards, so he rubbed his eyes hard. When he looked again, the scene hadn't changed; it was still the same. The truth was just that stark and undeniable...
"Dad, Mom, what's going on? What spicy snack?"
Gao Mengli tried her best to pull Lin Xi off her, but the more she tried, the tighter the dog clung to her.
She turned to the side and pointed to the stove. "Look, that's the thing."
Da Niu followed his mother's finger and looked at the stove. He saw the plate of "spicy strips" that his father had mentioned. His face froze instantly, his pupils dilated, and his whole body trembled.
With a bounce, he landed on Gao Mengli's back.
Her voice trembled with terror, "Mother, Old Suo, Old Suo..."
At this moment, Gao Mengli, who was surrounded by women in front and behind her, had a "mmp" in her heart but didn't know whether she should say it or not.
"Come down."
"No more!"
The father and son both refused in unison.