Chapter 54: The Incident Occurs

  Li Balang arrived in Wangxian County and lived in a small ear house next to Chen Xuan's.

  On the first night, after dinner, the two brothers chatted idly in Chen Jing's ear room.

  Chen Jiong told him: "I want to open a medicine shop..."

  This is considered telling Li Balang about his own ideals.

  Li Balang was only two years older than Chen Xuan, and they were considered to be of the same age. Seeing Chen Xuan's candor, Li Balang also did not hide anything, and told Chen Xuan about his sudden enlightenment and the reason why he had developed a desire for fame and wealth.

  "...In the past, playing ball was because horse racing was mediocre, even if you won, it was just winning against people whose horses were worse than yours, as expected. Playing ball with someone like Du Shijiu, losing is more common."

  At that time, I always thought: if one day I can win quickly and easily, it would be great, and all those years of hard training in ball skills and horse riding wouldn't be in vain. Then, on Dragon Boat Festival day, I won, and indeed felt very happy. After the happiness, I also felt empty, what's the point of winning?

  I won, and all the previous efforts have been justified. But what's the point? The victory isn't as wonderful as I imagined it to be. To put it bluntly, it's meaningless.

  Those days, I was at home all day, thinking wildly and feeling confused, as if I had suddenly grown up. Later, Qianqian fell ill, and Du Shi again covered the sky, making it impossible for us to invite a doctor, and I suddenly understood overnight.

  Our Li family has a shallow foundation, and we will be mixed in the Yao River forever, never able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Du and Cai families. In the future, even if I marry into the Cai family, I will still be attacked for being overambitious all my life. The only chance to rise above is if someone in our family passes the imperial examination and becomes an official.

  "It's better for me to make a name for myself rather than relying on other brothers and nephews to bring honor to the family, so I think I'll study."

  "I knew it." Chen Jiong smiled.

  He could guess Chen's mental journey of twists and turns.

  Li Balang smiled.

  "And you, are you really going to open a medicine shop?" Li Balang asked Chen Jing. "To be a doctor, isn't it a life of no free will? You also studied from a young age, giving up is such a waste..."

  "It's indeed hard to control one's own fate." Chen Jiong smiled, "But in this world, everyone will have things that don't go as they wish. To cultivate great compassion and sympathy, to save the suffering of all living beings, without desires or demands, I suppose this is my ideal."

  This is the Chen family precepts from past lives.

  Chen Jiong woke up and felt a little nervous in his heart.

  Failed again. The family precepts that I've been reciting for a lifetime, I've never actually put into practice. Maybe this lifetime can try?

  He thought he could never become a famous doctor like his grandfather because in his heart, it was hard for him to be selfless and without desires.

  Li Balang hesitated for a moment.

  He couldn't help but smile and said, "You're still too young..."

  He thought Chen Jing's idea was naive, especially the words "no desire no demand", which sounded a bit ridiculous when spoken. At such a young age and not from a noble family, he didn't have the qualifications to say those words.

  The two of them chatted for a while before going back to their rooms to sleep.

  The next day, Chen Xuan got up at dawn.

  Li Balang was awakened by the sound of Chen Jing carrying a water bucket in the courtyard, and his sleep was very light due to choosing a bed.

  "What's going on?" Li Balang pushed open the window and asked Chen Jing.

  "Go get some water!" Chen Jing said softly, afraid of waking up her nephew and niece opposite.

  Li Balang's sleepiness was gone in an instant. He endured for a moment, but couldn't help asking: "Do you do these things at home every day?"

  Chen Jiong nodded: "Yes... He's gone..."

  Carrying a water bucket with ease, he went out the door.

  The dew is heavy on the grass, the night is quiet and peaceful, the moonlight under the eaves is clear and bright, but it's not dawn yet.

  Li Balang was stunned.

  Is Chen Jing living such a simple life at home?

  When Chen Jiong returned for the third time, the sky was painted with a reddish glow that seemed to be hanging from the eaves of houses and treetops, and finally dawn broke.

  Li Balang got up and washed his face, and saw Chen Jing's gaze was a bit strange.

  After finishing washing, having breakfast, Big Sister asked Chen Jing to take Li Balang out for a stroll on the street.

  She deliberately stuffed a purse into Chen Jing's hands, inside which were two one-hundred-tael silver notes that he had won the last time they played horseball in Yaojiang.

  Chen Jiong took Li Balang and looked around Wangxian County.

  Li Balang asked Chen Jing: "Does your family want to buy a young servant?"

  "No need, I can fetch water myself." Chen Jing saw through his thoughts and smiled.

  Li Balang was speechless for a long time.

  "You can also help me carry it. You're so big and strong, you shouldn't have any trouble lifting it, right?" Chen Jing said, seeing that he wasn't speaking up.

  Li Balang: "......"

  So they went back and bought two more wooden water buckets.

  ****

  After returning home, Chen Xuan started fetching water and reading books every day again.

  Never again did I meet Yang Zhiou by the Jade Swallow River.

  He said he would go to Mingzhou for a month last time. As a result, it's almost two months now, and he still hasn't come back.

  When he was there, Chen Jing could chat with him during the intervals of fetching water; when he wasn't there, Chen Jing didn't feel anything out of place and continued to live his simple life as usual.

  Li Balang studies hard and won't often fall asleep like Chen Jing does.

  On the third day, someone from the Zhong family came to their door.

  Chen Jiong thought there was something, but the little servant just said: "The second young master asked me to come and see if you have returned home. If you have returned, please ask Young Master Yang to go to Jingzhong Alley another day. The old lady has something to say."

  This is his great-uncle looking for him.

  Li also heard it, but didn't know what was going on, and said to Chen Jing: "Let's change the date for another day, go take a look now."

  Everyone in the family respects great-grandfather.

  Moreover, Li had a heart disease: the sacrificial fields she sold had not been bought back, and she was afraid that the people on the other side of Jingzhong Alley would find out. Yesterday, she had already found a broker to help her sell the fields. But the broker said that those fields had already been bought by someone else, Li was anxious beyond measure.

  She has already asked the porter to help her investigate who bought it.

  Now that Jingzhong Alley has come to find Chen Jing, Li is worried that the east window affair will be exposed, and her heart is uneasy, urging Chen Jing to go and explore the situation.

  "All right. I'll go and come back later." said Chen Jing. There were many people on the other side of the alley, so he had to pay his respects to his uncles.

  "It doesn't matter," said Mr. Li.

  Then, Chen Jing followed the young servant of Jiang Zhongxiang to Jiang Zhongxiang's place.

  Chen Er had nothing to do with it, it was Old Master Chen who found Chen Jing.

  The old man said to Chen Jing, "In the future, move to Songhe Hall to study and keep this old man company. Your writing utensils and food and clothing will be taken care of by us, just let your sister-in-law know."

  Chen Jiong was taken aback slightly.

  Is it so simple and crude to let him move to Jingzhong Lane?

  However, in an era where imperial power and patriarchal authority reign supreme, the old master's instructions to his juniors indeed do not require discussion.

  "I don't dare disturb Grandfather." Chen Jing smiled and said in a gentle tone, "My sister's brother from my wife's family has come to read books at Qiwan Alley and keep me company. Grandfather doesn't need to worry about me being lonely."

  Great-grandfather definitely didn't need Chen Jing as a companion, because there were too many grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the alley of Jingzhong, no need to find Chen Jing, a non-direct descendant.

  He wanted to control Chen Xiang.

  Chen Jiong thought, it was probably still because of that medical school incident.

  "Really?" This point made Chen Er and Lao Taigong slightly surprised.

  They didn't know Li Balang had come to Qiwang Alley yet.

  Chen Jiong nodded: "Yes."

  Chen Er and his paternal great-grandfather exchanged a glance.

  "Which brother of your sister's family is it?" Chen Er asked.

  Chen Jiong introduced Li Balang once again.

  "...and you're of the same age?" Grandfather frowned, "How can two people study together? In my opinion, playing together is more like it."

  Chen Jiong was silent.

  "Your brother is not at home, you are still young, if you go astray, how can our ancestors rest in peace?" The great-grandfather said again, "You come to Jingzhong Alley, don't mention anything else, at least we won't harm you, let you waste your studies. If your sister-in-law disagrees, let her speak to me!"

  That's a bit too much.

  This is the final ultimatum.

  Chen Jing also knew that people of this generation were very biased against women and that men's education could not be entrusted to women.

  After Dragon Boat Festival, great-grandfather wanted to say this.

  As a result, Chen Jiong and his family hid in Yaojiang and didn't come back for so long. His grandfather's words were suppressed for more than half a month. He originally wanted to persuade Chen Jiong properly, but now he had lost patience.

  The old man actually meant well.

  If I didn't wish Chen Jie well, I wouldn't think of interfering with him either.

  There are so many descendants of the Zhong family, and being able to study at Songhe Hall is a privilege that guarantees a position in the family. Who wouldn't want that? But the old master doesn't want any of them, he only wants Chen Xing.

  This is a great honor for Chen Jiong.

  Chen Jiong's exceptional medical talent made his great-grandfather think he was a malleable genius. Because Chen Jiong had the potential to be molded, the old man couldn't bear to let him waste it, so he spent money and time instructing him.

  This is indeed kindness.

  But Chen Jiong's ideal was not to read books and take exams, he wanted to be a doctor.

  He hesitated for a moment, thinking that since things had come this far, what reason could he use to refuse?

  It's impossible to go against great-grandfather. Not saying that the elder is for Chen Jing's own good, even if it's just looking at great-grandfather's age, Chen Jing still can't speak disrespectfully.

  He hesitated, but footsteps were heard at the door.

  A young servant ran in and said to the old master: "The second master and third young master have arrived..."

  It's already past the time for paying respects, what are they doing here?

  Normally, no one would let Songhe Hall run errands in person, they would just have Chen Er Dai pass on the message. The old master didn't like too many people making a fuss.

  Mr. Chen Er and Mr. Chen San came in person to discuss an important matter.

  "Go visit him and take a look." The old man said to Chen Er.

  Chen Erdao went out and met Chen Erlao and Chen San Chen Mei.

  Chen Jing stayed in the study, continuing to entangle how to answer. The old master was not in a hurry, slowly drinking tea and waiting for Chen Jing to speak up. His expression was a bit serious, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

  Finally, Chen Jiong smiled and said, "Great-grandfather, you know I couldn't find an excuse to decline..."

  This remark made the old man laugh too.

  "...Since you can't find it, then don't look for it. You're getting older and should focus on studying." The old man said, his tone much softer, "Don't think I'm being cruel to you. When you grow up, you'll understand that your great-grandfather is doing this for your own good."

  "I've always known," Chen Jiong said with a smile, "it's just that I really don't want to read books."

  The old man's face turned stern.

  He was about to say something when Chen Er walked in again.

  Chen Er's expression was gloomy, he glanced at Chen Jing, then whispered a few words in his great-grandfather's ear.

  Great-grandfather's expression changed greatly, anger suddenly appeared.

  The sky-blue old kiln tea cup in his hand slammed to the ground, splashing tea and shattered porcelain everywhere, almost wetting Chen Jing's shoes.

  "How dare you! You're being utterly presumptuous!" Grandfather thundered.

  Then he turned his gaze to Chen Jing.

  Chen Jing's heart skipped a beat.

  Who is this talking about? Is it him or his elder brother's wife?