Chapter 44
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The tender new willow branches brushed over the river’s surface, and around the Fushui County’s yamen, a crowd of onlookers had gathered. When the main gates opened and someone came out, the crowd stirred with excitement.
“They’re posting the results!”
“…Make way, clear a path.”
The person who came out of the county yamen was holding the announcement list, escorted by constables as they posted it up on the notice board. Once the announcement was in place, two constables quickly crossed their water and fire rods to guard the notice board.
Across the street, the crowd surged forward, shoulder to shoulder, blocking the street completely. Those at the back could only stand on tiptoe to peer ahead.
“Ah… I made it! I passed!”
“Please help me see if my name is there!”
“Let me through, I think I got third place…”
In the gathering crowd, there were townspeople just watching the excitement, as well as candidates from the local child scholar’s examination. This scene happened every year during the Spring Exam. Although one must pass for three consecutive years to qualify as a scholar, many aspiring students still flock to it eagerly.”
At the back of the crowd, two burly men squeezed to the front of the bulletin board, pressing down the water and fire rods in front of them. When they saw the top name, they grinned broadly.
“Haha, Lu Lang passed again, and he’s the top scorer!”
“Hurry, let’s go back to spread the good news!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
The two men pushed their way out, causing the surrounding scholars to seethe in silence. Some of them, looking at the departing backs of the burly men, disdainfully wiped the wrinkles from their clothes.
“What’s the big deal… just because he’s the top scorer doesn’t guarantee anything.”
“Didn’t those two just mention Lu Lang?”
“I’ve never heard of Lu Lang. Does anyone know who he is?”
“Hey, you just came out from the study, and you came to participate in the child scholar’s exams?”
“So, Lu Lang is famous?”
“Not just famous… the reputation of ‘When there is an emergency, Lu Lang helps’ is well-known throughout Fushui County… and this is his third consecutive year as the top scorer…”
“Yes, that’s Lu Lang. I’ve heard some about him at home. Where’s the person who just said he hadn’t heard of him? Where did he go? Huh?”
“Looks like he’s scared off…”
The murmurs and voices mixed together. The scholar who had earlier claimed not to know ‘Lu Lang’ had long vanished, prompting nearby townspeople and candidates to laugh and scold him for being as cowardly as a mouse and so on.
It wasn’t unheard of for someone to be the top scorer three years in a row, but for a poor, humble farmer’s son to achieve such a feat was rare. In a small county such as Fushui, that made him quite a figure.
Even the local tea attendants often talk about Lu Lang and his stories on ordinary days.
“The Lu Family Village was once extremely impoverished. For generations, the villagers were either digging soil in the fields or hunting in the mountains. It’s said that perhaps Heaven took pity and blessed the Lu Family Village with such a talented and literate young man… Rumor has it that when Lu Lang was born, the whole courtyard was filled with a sweet fragrance, and by six months he could speak… and by two years he could articulate his thoughts with eloquence… He was taught by a great expert, acquiring exceptional knowledge in both the ways of Heaven and Earth. Otherwise, how could the Lu Family Village have become so prosperous in just three years?”
Stories like these, told by storytellers, were often embellished, making the audience react with varied emotions.
“A true prodigy…”
“No wonder Chief Registrar Shuhua wanted to be his teacher, he must have known from the start.”
“…Even though Lu Lang came from Lu Family Village, he’s undoubtedly a top talent in Fushui County. Who knows, he might even become a high-ranking official in the court one day.”
“Haha, I wonder if Lu Lang is betrothed. My family’s youngest daughter is still waiting for a match…”
Outside the bustling tea house, on the long street, two figures on horseback had already passed the street corner. After leaving the county gate, they cracked their whips, and a commanding shout of “Hya!” signaled the horses to speed along the official road in the southwest direction.
As they traveled, the towns and villages gradually receded behind them, and the verdant mountains stretched out, with the chirping of birds echoing from the old forests on the slopes.
As they rounded the bend ahead, a vast expanse of lush green fields came into view of the two strong men. Several white stone paths connected the official road, with one linking to another nearby village. Numerous buildings had been constructed over the past three years, mostly granaries, fish ponds, and homes built by villagers who had recently settled down.
Upon closer inspection, the two villages appeared to have merged into one.
In three years, thanks to the improved Spirit Gathering Array, the harvests had been abundant, with grains plump and full. The fish and shrimp in the ponds had become highly sought after, with merchants constantly coming and going to purchase them, even exporting them to other towns and counties. The people of Lu Family Village and those from the northern village naturally benefited from this, and their lives improved significantly. While they dare not say that they had meat for every meal, it was enough to have a meat dish every three days, a luxury they had once thought unattainable.
People from other villages coming to arrange marriages here had become a common sight, with even the young men in the families having their marriages settled early.
Of course, there was also a curious incident. Last winter, a wolf disaster struck. Several villages on the other side of Qixia Mountain, in Tongling County, were attacked, with reports of more than ten people killed. However, when the villagers from this side formed a night patrol, they found that the wolf pack dared not approach the two villages after they came within ten zhang. The wolves, terrified, retreated back into the mountains.
This became a local legend.
Everyone in the village knew well that their hard-earned prosperity was due to Lu Lang, but recently, the village had also established a private school. This had been registered with the county yamen, making Lu Family Village unique in the region. Many people had tried to pull strings to enroll their children in this private school, hoping to have them taught by the renowned ‘Lu Lang’.
This made the villagers stand tall with pride wherever they went. After all, their own children could attend the school first, while others would have to wait for another two years.
In the afternoon sun, the mountain village was bathed in light, the roads were clean and tidy. Grandpa Lu moved his sunbathing spot, settling into a grand chair with his cane beside him. He listened to the faint sounds of reading coming from behind the wall, nodding gently in rhythm.
Occasionally, villagers would stop by, peeking through the narrow window to see their children’s earnest expressions. Satisfied, they would head home with their hoes, planning to have their wives cook extra meat to nourish their children’s brains.
Soon, the reading ceased, and a group of children burst out of the classroom, excitedly carrying their book-filled cloth bags as they ran home.
The gently swinging door opened, and a young man in a flowing green silk robe stepped out. With an ornamental jade pendant hanging from his waist, he walked over to the grand chair and bent down.
“Grandpa, it’s time to go home.”
The elderly man, half-asleep, opened his eyes, glanced at the sky, and, with a toothless smile, took his pearwood cane and slowly made his way home.
The soft glow of the sunset illuminated his handsome profile. Lu Liangsheng smiled slightly, brushing his sleeve toward his rickety back. A wisp of breeze wrapped around Grandpa Lu’s legs, noticeably quickening his slow pace.
“Hehe… Even though I’m old, my legs are still quite nimble.”
Grandpa Lu, leaning on his cane and basking in the last rays of the sun, cheerfully spoke to the younger generations around him, looking in high spirits as he made his way home.
Lu Liangsheng turned with a smile, carrying his books as he walked towards his home. Villagers he passed all waved and greeted him, and some children who weren’t yet old enough to enter school had their heads gently pressed down by their parents, respectfully calling out: “Teacher.”
“You can enroll in school next year. It’s not too late to call me that then.”
Lu Liangsheng, seeing the slightly red-eyed child who looked a bit wronged, offered a warm smile and patted the child’s head. The warmth from his touch eased the child’s previous grievance, which had been caused by his parents’ insistence.
The child looked up with wide, innocent eyes at the young scholar.
“Teacher, don’t you hit the palm… I heard that teachers always hit the palm…”
In the distance, the faint sound of hooves shaking the ground could be heard. Lu Liangsheng, still smiling, replied: “I don’t hit.” His gaze shifted from the child and their parents to the village outskirts.
On the gravel-paved road, two figures on horseback were galloping towards him. Lu Pan, riding a horse, waved and shouted.
“Liangsheng, you’ve done it again, top scorer—”
With three consecutive years as top scorer and having secured scholar status, it was time to embark on a journey… Small good deeds should be done, and great deeds should also be accomplished.
The sunset bathed his refined face as Lu Liangsheng gazed into the distance
The edges of his robe fluttered gently in the wind.
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Lu Lang – Gentleman Lu
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