Chapter 165: Rolling to the Point of Madness
The two returned a full month later than the main force.
It was already the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.
As the New Year is approaching, there are vendors inside and outside the city, making it very lively.
Listening to the familiar dialect and feeling the familiar atmosphere of everyday life, Liu Qi wiped away the tears of excitement on her face, and her suspended heart finally settled down.
He thought that his third uncle should be the same as himself, so he turned his head to look, but found that his third uncle's eyes revealed a complex sadness that he could not understand.
"You go back first." Liu Ji pushed Liu Qi aside and went into the city alone.
Liu Qi hurriedly shouted: "Uncle San, aren't you going home?"
Liu Ji kept walking, turned back and said sadly: "I still have some things to do, you go first."
"Then, then I'll help you tell Third Aunt that you're back. She'll definitely be very happy." Liu Qi wanted to do something to help him express his gratitude.
If his uncle hadn't led him along the way, he probably wouldn't have been able to come back.
The corner of Liu Ji's mouth twitched slightly, and he thought to himself that if that woman knew he was back, she would definitely come over with a big knife and kill him immediately!
Thinking of this, Liu Ji felt that his heart was colder than the moat in December.
No, he had to do something. He had finally come back alive, how could he just give up so easily?
Isn't it just about asking him to study? It's okay if he studies himself to death!
Thinking of reading, Liu Ji thought he would feel the same disgust as before, but the strange thing was that he was actually a little impatient to read.
It's good to study. If you pass the imperial examination, you won't have to do corvee labor anymore.
Whoever wants to go to the border can go, but he will never go there again even if you kill him!
The confidence for not doing corvee labor was to pass the imperial examination, even if it was to become a scholar.
Liu Ji handed two cents to the gatekeeper and strode towards the academy in the city.
He left in a hurry and left many things in the dormitory of the academy, including quilts, heaters, pens, ink, paper and inkstone. Although they were not as good as those at home, he had slept on grass at the border before, so now even a tattered mat seemed great to him.
Liu Ji felt as if he had gained enlightenment. A stream of fresh air flowed from the soles of his feet into his head. He wanted to live a serious life!
"Brother Liu?"
Suddenly, someone called him tentatively from behind.
Liu Ji suddenly woke up from the wonderful feeling of enlightenment and shivered with cold.
When I looked down, I found that there was a big hole in my shoe. The cold air rushed in and went straight to the top of my head.
"It's really you, Liu Ji. You actually came back alive!"
Several scholars dressed in academy attire came forward in surprise and looked at Liu Ji in disbelief.
"No, it's me." Now there was no need to pretend to be a Taoist priest. Liu Ji quickly changed back to his original identity, smiled faintly and nodded to several classmates.
Several scholars looked at him curiously and felt that there seemed to be something different about him, but they couldn't tell what the difference was.
But coming back is always a happy event, and everyone said: "Congratulations, it's good to be back, we all thought you were gone."
Realizing that what he said was not a good thing, he lowered his voice and smiled awkwardly at Liu Ji.
Liu Ji waved his hand and said, "No problem, classmates, are you going back to the academy?"
A few people nodded, and Liu Ji invited them to go together.
When someone asked him what happened along the way, Liu Ji replied casually, "This is an opportunity, indescribable."
After he finished speaking, he realized that he had fallen into the identity of a Taoist priest again. He coughed twice and said again: "It was a bit unexpected, but fortunately, God protected me and I was saved."
"Brother Liu, why don't you go home?" everyone asked suspiciously.
Liu Ji replied: "I have neglected a lot of my studies during this trip, and I just want to catch up quickly. It won't be too late to return home during the holiday. Studying is important."
When the classmates heard this, their scalps tingled and they all took two steps back to look up and down at Liu Ji in front of them.
They finally understood what was different about him. His tattered coat and worn-out shoes could not hide his lofty aspirations.
He studied so hard, and after serving his labor service, he went to the academy instead of going home. Is this still the Liu Ji who used to spend his days drinking and partying with Fan Xiucai and others?
Someone rubbed his eyes to see if he was dazzled, and he actually felt that Liu Ji was more handsome today than before.
As a result, the man in front of him was still so dazzling that it was impossible to look at him directly.
They had arrived at the academy. Liu Ji bowed to them and left first.
When we arrived at the dormitory, there was some more greetings and explanations, and by the time we had sent away our roommates, it had already gotten dark.
Liu Ji heated up the water, wiped his body, washed his hair, changed into clean thin clothes, washed the dirty clothes, sat by the fire with his hair loose, and while drying his clothes and hair, he picked up "The Analects of Confucius", one of the Four Books, and facing the dim firelight, forced himself to study hard.
It would be best if you could memorize the entire Analects before the Chinese New Year.
In this way, when the evil woman comes to kill you, you will have a chance of survival.
Liu Ji felt that his mind had never been so clear. Having played the role of a Taoist priest, he seemed to have really put himself into the shoes of a fortune teller who was able to see through people's hearts.
Qin Yao is a person who puts profit above all else. She will only tolerate and assist anyone who benefits her.
Anything that does not benefit her should be ignored.
But if anyone brings harm to her, she will kill him in the cradle.
Having suffered so much at the border, Liu Ji certainly knew that Qin Yao wanted to kill him.
But this trip also made him understand why Qin Yao was so eager to force him to study.
It seems that she had foresight and saw through the sufferings of all classes of people, including scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, which is why she wanted to climb up a step.
Isn't this exactly what he has been trying to achieve for half his life?
It's just that he wanted to take a shortcut, but forgot a fundamental problem - he, a farmer, was of no use to those in power.
In fact, anyone can replace him in his flattery. That's why he always fails.
But if there is someone who can write, draw, has talent, is handsome, and can flatter, he will become irreplaceable!
The cotton-padded clothes were dried. Liu Ji held the book in one hand and put on his clothes with the other hand, his eyes never leaving the book.
After reading "Learning" and "Governing", he put down the books for a moment, spread the headband on his knees, picked up a pen and wrote five big words "Wenquxing protects me" on the headband, and tied the headband on his head.
It seemed as if this would really give him the protection of the God of Literature, allowing him to remember everything he saw.
From the day he came back, Liu Ji studied early in the morning and late at night, day and night, as if he didn't need to sleep.
His roommates were so scared that they moved out their books for fear that he would leave them behind.
Less than three days after Liu Ji returned, all the scholars in Kaiyang County Academy were forced to pick up their books and join the ranks of studying hard.
It's not that they wanted to do so, but because Liu Ji was such a weirdo, the head of the academy ordered everyone to learn from him and specially moved up the year-end exam.
In order to pass the examination, the students had to join.
Scholar Fan was so overwhelmed that he rushed to Liu Ji and asked him angrily, "Is it necessary to study so desperately?"
Without even raising his head, Liu Ji said quietly, "If there is a knife hanging over your head, which will chop you down as soon as you stop, will Mr. Fan learn or not?"
Mr. Fan rubbed his arms vigorously. It was really scary.
(End of this chapter)