Chapter 678 - 350: A Tiring Reputation (Part 2)

Chapter 678: Chapter 350: A Tiring Reputation (Part 2)

Madam Yang thought that sounded reasonable. She said no more, turned and went into the kitchen, leaving the young couple to their conversation.

Juhua looked at his deeply tanned skin and asked, "Have all those people left?"

Huai Zi nodded. "They’ve all left. Sigh! These people just see the glory of someone becoming a Scholar, but they never think about how difficult their lives really are. Yangzi and Little Shitou have been receiving instruction from their master these past few days. They missed this year’s provincial examinations, so now they have to buckle down and study hard for three years to take the exams then. If they’re lucky enough to become a scholar, they can take the Imperial Examination the following year. Who has time to think about marriage proposals right now?"

Juhua nodded. After a moment’s thought, she said, ’I bet their master arranged it this way on purpose. He was probably worried they were too young, so he’s having them study for three more years after becoming Scholars before they try to become scholars. Otherwise, if he’d let them take the academy examination last year, they could have taken the provincial examination this year, right? And then the Imperial Examination next February. But that schedule would be far too tight, and their foundations probably wouldn’t be solid. They’d be more likely to fail. Look at Li Changfeng—isn’t that exactly what happened to him?’

Huai Zi nodded. "Their master has his reasons. He didn’t originally plan on letting Little Shitou take the academy examination, but then he let him go. I guess he wanted him to enter the county school along with Yangzi and Sishun. Now, in a happy turn of events, he’s actually caught the eye of Ding Xuezheng and entered the Prefecture School. That’s a solid outcome."

Juhua was lost in thought for a moment, then she suddenly leaned in and whispered in his ear, "What do you think... if the old Emperor were to pass away and a new one ascended the throne, would they hold a special examination by imperial grace?"

Huai Zi’s eyes flew open, and he nodded emphatically. "No wonder... That’s why Yangzi has been studying so late every night! I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, and his lamp is still lit. I was just thinking, he finished his exams, and the next one isn’t for three years. Why is he pushing himself so hard? So that’s the reason!"

The two of them whispered about it for a little longer before finally dropping the subject.

Huai Zi rested his hand on her belly. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, he could feel a rhythmic bulging, a gentle, squirming push from within. He was both delighted and worried. "Why’s he moving so much? Is he uncomfortable? If he is, then you must be uncomfortable too, right?"

Juhua smiled. "I’m alright. Huai Zi, I’m worried this baby won’t be as obedient as Hulu. Whenever I’m reading, or teaching little Hulu to speak, or even just talking to my belly, he’s very quiet. But if I stop talking for a moment, he’s quick to kick me. What if he’s born a little attention-seeker?"

Huai Zi grinned. "No way. He’s not always causing a fuss. Since he loves to hear you read and talk, it just means he’s diligent and eager to learn. I’ll read to the two of you at night. We’ve been so busy with the harvest lately that we haven’t been reading as much. No wonder our son’s not happy—we’re holding up his lessons! His Uncle Shitou is so hardworking; I bet he’ll grow up to be just like him."

Hearing this dad-to-be’s confident conclusion, Juhua had to hide her laughter. She teased him for talking nonsense, asking how he knew the baby didn’t just like a bit of commotion.

Huai Zi analyzed with an air of profound wisdom, "Neither of us are people who like a lot of excitement. How could a child of ours be any different?"

Juhua shook her head. "There are plenty of kids who have completely different personalities from their parents. You can’t say for sure. Now, you’d better get going, or you’ll be late getting back with the shopping. Put Hulu in his walker; he’s done enough crawling for now. I think he’s about to start walking any day now!"

Huai Zi got up, placed little Hulu in his walker, and said admiringly, "This little guy is growing up so well. He’s quiet, but he has a mind of his own. He’ll definitely be more capable than his old man when he grows up."

He teased Hulu for a moment more before turning to leave.

Juhua worked on her needlework for a while, but her neck started to feel sore. Her legs were swollen and numb, and her hands grew so sweaty she couldn’t hold the needle properly. She stood up and began pacing back and forth under the tree, teaching little Hulu to talk as she walked.

Although the weather had cooled down some, there was still no sign of rain. The ponds and the small river only had a little water left, and there was no telling how much longer it would last.

Both her family and her in-laws had been netting fish from their ponds to sell, and they had dried a good deal of it as well. If the drought went on for too long, the pond bottoms would bake and crack. That would be a disaster. They’d have to catch every last fish, down to the smallest fry. What trouble would that cause for next year?

Lately, the villagers had all been drawing water from Jing Lake. If this great lake ran dry, the smaller ponds would surely be lost as well.

She gazed at the listless green bamboo in front of her, which seemed to have lost some of its vibrant energy. Just as she was thinking, Yun Ying’s voice called out from beyond the courtyard gate, "Juhua, it’s me! Are you there?"

Juhua hurried forward to welcome her in. "Weren’t you just at the Li Family’s home? What’s going on with Wan’er? Is she not feeling well?"

Yun Ying smiled. "No, she’s pregnant. Heh, the village chief and Aunt Li are overjoyed. But still, hmph!"

Juhua found it strange that Yun Ying would first smile while sharing the happy news of Li Changyu’s wife’s pregnancy, only to pull a long face and huff the next moment. She asked, completely baffled, "What’s wrong with you? Why the long face? Who got on your bad side? Oh, don’t tell me you’re upset because they didn’t ask you to stay for lunch?"

She said it as a joke, which earned her an eye-roll from Yun Ying. Yun Ying looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Instead, she said to Juhua, "I’m going to pop into the kitchen and see if Madam Yang has anything to eat." With that, she skipped cheerfully into the kitchen.

Juhua couldn’t help but smile when she heard the local accent that had unconsciously crept into Yun Ying’s speech.

A moment later, Yun Ying came back out, munching on half a cucumber she’d snagged. She pulled over a small stool, sat down right in front of little Hulu’s walker, and continued to eat, deliberately trying to make him jealous.

The little boy just watched her with a big smile on his face. Finally, she couldn’t take his innocent stare any longer. "Alright, alright!" she cried out. "Stop looking at me so pitifully! I’ll give you a little piece, okay? Sigh. No one could ever bear to be mean to you."

With that, she got up, went to the kitchen, and used a knife to cut off a thin, round slice for Hulu to teethe on.

Juhua watched her with a smile. ’She seems so much more spirited than when she first arrived,’ she thought. ’She’s regained her youthful liveliness and innocence. It seems that with time, those sad memories will gradually fade. Once I’ve safely given birth and her medical skills have improved even more, things will be even better.’