Ah Yan, with curiosity, grasped a weighty golden ingot.
The quality and weight of the gold ingots were substantial, too much for one hand to grasp.
This was an object he had not encountered before.
He looked towards his teacher with a gaze filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
The old man revealed a faint, cool smile and curled his lips, "Your 'senior brother' seems to regard us, master and disciple, as impoverished relatives who have come to freeload. After entertaining us with a meal, they send us such an item, clearly indicating they want us to depart with discretion. Hmph, quite novel."
The situation in Four Treasure County was widely known.
The county magistrate seemed to be quite comfortable, readily offering two hundred taels of gold as if regarding money as mere dirt!
"Senior brother, very good," Ah Yan said.
He had enjoyed many delicious treats today.
The old man, both amused and exasperated, lightly tapped his forehead with his finger and asked, "In your view, is someone who feeds you automatically a good person?"
Ah Yan pondered these words in his heart.
After a while, he nodded firmly, "Yes."
After some time, he added,
"But, teacher is the best."
The teacher not only provided him with food but also taught him many things. Although he did not understand the utility of these teachings, they were a rare source of joy amidst his mundane routine.
"Ah, the teacher knows," he sighed deeply.
Although he had heard Ah Yan express such sentiments many times before, each time he felt a warm glow in his heart, which somewhat improved his displeased mood.
Ironically, considering his successful career and the countless followers and subordinates he had, with many addressing themselves as his disciples, paying respect to both him and his master, how could he have ended up in such a destitute situation?
He had never dreamed that he would be dismissed in such a manner.
Shouldn't he be somewhat gratified that this student from Xiaocheng still had "a bit of conscience"? At least he cared about his reputation, preferring to send them away with silver rather than hand over his master and disciple to Zheng Qiao for credit.
Thinking of this, the old man couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh —
Back then, spreading rumors and scheming against others was commonplace, yet now he was treated lavishly and regarded as an honored guest, even willing to spend money on bribes.
Ah Yan keenly sensed the old man's complex emotions at this moment.
He did not know how to console him, so he awkwardly held the old man's hand, marked with the lines of time, with his small hand, and looked at him with eyes full of admiration. The old man pinched Ah Yan's little face and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Whether it's the bustling world or the treacherous officialdom, adding to the good is often more common than extending help in times of need. Now, I'm just a decrepit old man..."
Faced with Ah Yan's eyes filled with confusion, he said, "Ah Yan is still young now, and will understand when he grows older. However, given your circumstances, it is best for you to retire with me, as the world outside is not suitable for you. If you enter society, you will surely be exploited."
Exploited?
A hint of fear flashed in Ah Yan's eyes.
He buried his head in the old man's lap and murmured, "Don't let them exploit me, teacher, Ah Yan doesn't want to be consumed..."
"Alright, alright, Ah Yan is so adorable, I won't let them consume you," the old man was amused by Ah Yan's innocent words, laughing heartily, "Although this old man may not have many years left, I can still raise you. In the future, if anyone wants to consume you, you just punch and kick them back."
"Fight back?" Ah Yan asked.
"Yes, whoever it is, fight them!"
Ah Yan listened earnestly, as if intending to deeply engrave these words in his mind, as if they were a sacred decree: "Yes, fight back! Fight them!"
As the master and disciple were conversing, a knocking sound came from outside the door.
"Sir, the wine has been bought."
"The wine?"
"Yes, it was ordered by the master of the house."
In order to establish a connection with the old man, the county magistrate had made considerable efforts to inquire about the old man's preferences, hoping to cater to them and leave a good impression, perhaps even receiving some support in the future when entering officialdom. Even if that didn't happen, it was still beneficial to leave a positive impression.
Due to his humility, diligence, practicality, and abilities, the county magistrate had tasted some sweet fruits from the old man's side, secretly receiving some care, making his initial entry into officialdom less difficult.
Such gestures were remembered for many years.
But times had changed.
He specifically instructed the servants not to buy good wine — after all, with his eloquence, hadn't he tasted all the fine wines? Simply tasting an ordinary, cheap wine would reveal his attitude to the master.
But he did not know that the old man had quit drinking after raising Ah Yan.
The old man was about to refuse when Ah Yan, with bright eyes, looked at the round wine jars and said, "Teacher, candy."
"This is not candy, it's wine."
Ah Yan insisted, "It's candy."
The old man replied, "It's wine."
Ah Yan hung his head, "I want to eat."
The old man hesitated.
He instructed the servants to bring in the wine jars, opened the red cloth stopper, and a rich, dominating fragrance of wine filled the air, seeming to cling to everything, even the clothes. The old man was slightly surprised. Based on his understanding of that student, the wine he sent was either tasteless or had a mix of unpleasant odors, and the common folk could obtain a couple of taels with just a few coins.
But this was obviously a rare and exquisite wine.
Merely by its fragrance, it rekindled his addiction to alcohol, which he had abstained from for many years.
The old man looked at Ah Yan, then at the wine jars.
He was torn.
Ah Yan pointed at the wine jars, "It's candy."
The old man chuckled, "If you say it's candy, then taste it."
Ah Yan's eyes lit up, "Okay."
He only dabbed a bit
with his chopsticks.
Ah Yan made a sound as he tasted it, immediately wrinkling his small face in discomfort, his eyes reddening, awkwardly sticking out his tongue.
The old man laughed heartily.
"Alcohol is something that you'll enjoy when you're older."
Despite being sent good wine by a cheap student, the old man didn't hesitate. He filled his cup and drank two bowls in one go. He mused, "Your senior brother is good in many aspects, except for his character. He has climbed to his current position with who knows how many schemes. I wanted to warn him to be cautious of your senior brother, but he regards us as ferocious beasts, lingering around is not advisable..."
If you climb up on something, don't blame getting knocked down.
Ah Yan looked at the wine jars as if he were looking at ferocious beasts.
Hearing the teacher's words, he felt perplexed.
He didn't quite understand the teacher's words.
The old man said, "After finishing this, we'll leave."
"Senior brother? Senior brother?"
How could there be two senior brothers?
The old man seemed unperturbed.
"As my disciple, there are many who address themselves as senior brothers. Though our relationships are not particularly close, when it comes down to it, they are all your senior brothers. It's rare for Xiaocheng to have two senior brothers, but I didn't expect..."
The old grudges between Qishan and the county magistrate, back when they had made quite a scene in a small area, were well-known, and the old man knew some of the details. When he entered Xiaocheng and subconsciously started to make connections as a literatus, he found out that Qishan was nearby, and knew that the cheap disciple of the county magistrate was going to have a hard time.
The old man said, "That senior brother of yours, named Qishan, is the one who plans meticulously and strikes afterwards. If he dares to appear in the enemy's territory, it means he is confident enough to strike a decisive blow and settle old scores..."
Ah Yan listened with a bewildered expression.
"Stay away from them both." Recalling something from the past, the old man smiled and muttered, "One should not associate with those who are not of good character."
"Ah?" Ah Yan was still at sea.
At the same time, Qishan and Guchi had also resolved their differences, and the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before. Amidst the tension, there was now a hint of relaxation and ease, reminiscent of old friends reuniting.
Seeing Qishan's acceptance, Guchi furrowed his brows.
Qishan seemed to be able to read his mind better than he could: "Are you curious why I am not afraid of your literary skills?"
Guchi said, "A little."
Qishan said, "Because I've encountered things more frightening."