You are currently viewing Raising the Young Grand Secretary – 025
Homemade Cooked Steamed White Rice in a Bowl

Raising the Young Grand Secretary – 025

Chapter 025

Author: Feast of Masks

Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016

Translated by Gumihou

Proofread by Pill Bug

Gumihou: Did some small refining editing to make the text easier to read. Most of the time, it was just rearranging the sentence or adding some details that should be obvious per context but may be overlooked if not careful.

 

The little table on the kang bed rolled off, hitting the floor with a loud clatter.

Fortunately, this table was made by Xue Qingsong back in the day with materials he had sourced in the mountains. The table was made of solid wood and did not break upon impact.

Still, everyone was startled by the sudden noise.

“What are you talking about? Just what are all of you talking about?! Just shut your mouth!”

Old Man Xue’s face was the colour of a pig’s liver. His lips trembled as he glared at them. He had not quite been so angry back when they were talking about separating the family, which showed just how angry he was right then.

He glared at the people around him for a moment longer before suddenly collapsing back on the kang bed. Old Man Xue waved his hand weakly at them, “Go back to your rooms, we’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”

Sun’shi hesitated, “Father, what about the deed?”

Before Old Man Xue could explode again, Xue Qinghuai grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out, “That’s enough from you. Haven’t you caused enough fuss already? If you have anything more to say, save it for tomorrow. Do you really think anyone would dare shortchange you?”

Just like that, the people dispersed.

No one had expected matters to end like that. There was an indescribable feeling in everyone’s hearts as they left. The thing they had wanted to happen had finally come to pass, yet, those who had wished for this moment could not feel happy.

Xue Tingxiang remained silent. Zhao’er glanced at him a few times but did not know what to say when he was like this. The two of them return to their room to rest. Not a single word was said between them that night.

 

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~

 

Dawn came with a faint light.

The Xue family courtyard had all woken up, but the place was eerily quiet.

No one spoke.

Various chores and tasks were taken care of as usual, but aside from the regular noise from the animals and other farm-related sounds, it was all quiet.

Those who were in charge of cooking did their thing while others fed the livestock or swept the yard. After breakfast, Old Man Xue called for another family meeting. This time, everyone who wanted to be there could attend. Old Zhao was sent to fetch the box containing the Xue family land deeds.

There were a lot of deeds in the box, most of them covering 1 or 2 mu of land. This was fortunate because it made splitting the land much easier. If the land had been under one or two deeds, they would have to go to the county office to have the land divided. Moreover, they would also need to inform the Li Zheng as well, and there was no way that fellow would help the family keep this a secret.

Old Man Xue divided the land deeds into 6 mu lots, with the second branch receiving 2 extra mu of land as agreed.

One by one, each household came forward to receive their land deeds.

When it was Xue Tingxiang’s turn, Old Man Xue suddenly said, “According to the family customs, it is the family’s duty to come up with the money for your education. However, since you said yesterday that everyone should settle their own finances, do not come and complain about the family not supporting you in the future.”

Although Old Man Xue told him not to complain about family, it looked like the old man himself had plenty he wanted to complain about. After all, this situation was the result of Xue Tingxiang suddenly cutting in and strewing his ideas about, inciting the two women into rebelling. If not for the youth stirring the hornet’s nest, the family would never have ended up in this situation.

Even so, he knew in his heart of hearts that his second grandson should not be blamed for the current situation. However, when he looked at the once harmonious and happy family being split into pieces like this, it shattered his hope of raising a beautifully united family who shared all joys and sorrows together. Therefore, it was only natural for him to feel resentful against this young grandson.

“This grandson will not complain.”

Old Man Xue looked at this thin and frail-looking grandson again, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes as he opened his mouth once, before closing it without saying anything. He did this a few times before finally reaching into the box and withdrawing an old purse.

“Don’t say that I, your grandfather, is unfair. I have promised before the Li Zheng and the village head to support your education and will keep my word. This bit of silver is something that I have saved up since long ago. I shall hand all of it to you now. It should last you for a while. As for the future…” He paused before sighing deeply, “let everyone rely on themselves, ba.”

Xue Tingxiang accepted the purse.

Everyone in the room fixed their eyes on that old purse.

Especially the couple from the main branch. They looked calm on the surface, but their eyes were like needles, as though trying to pierce through the purse to see just how many pieces of silver were inside.

Xue Tingxiang tsked slightly as he absently opened the purse. He reached in and took out a single piece of broken silver. The piece looked like it could be valued at about 2 silver taels.

He took this piece of silver and handed the purse back.

“This is…” Old Man Xue was shocked and confused by Xue Tingxiang’s action.

He was not the only one.

Zhao’er was the only person in the room who understood why her little man acted this way. All this while, she thought that her little man resented these people and blamed them for his misfortunes. It made her anxious and at the same time powerless. Now, however, it looked like she must have overthought the matter.

Of course, it was not like Zhao’er had no resentment against these people, but she was always of the opinion that it was a waste of energy to resent others, preferring to fight back in a more practical manner.

In short, she had plenty of ways to make the main branch family’s lives difficult, but she had chosen to rely on herself and focus on making money instead.

She hoped that her little man would also do the same.

Although she did not understand grand ways or lofty principles, she understood that a good man should stand tall and strong, a blood-sucking leech-like Xue Qingshan who feeds off of other people’s blood and sweat was no man.

“This grandson was fortunate enough to receive the assistance of an elder and has already found a school to enrol in. The fees for that school are very low. This much silver is enough.”

His words left everyone in the room stunned.

Old Man Xue could not help but ask, “Just what kind of school is it? How could a good school be cheap?”

The people in the room had all been misled by Xue Qingshan’s experience, believing that good schools had to be expensive. Indeed, this is usually the case. Qinghe Academy was considered the best school in Huyang Town. It was also fairly famous in Xia County. However, the definition of ‘good’ was subjective.

In his dream, he studied in this school for 3 years and knew it quite well. Those who were willing to spend money could curry favours with the teachers and get ahead. Naturally, those who were extraordinarily talented would shine as well. So long as they followed the right path, it was not difficult to achieve Tong Sheng status. Those who took the ‘difficult path’ might still get lucky and succeed.

For example, when a genuine farmer’s son like Xue Qingshan enrolled in the school, he spent 5 years studying there, contributing 5 years’ worth of various fees and gifts to the school. Additionally, the school also wanted to attract more farmers’ children to their school, so, Xue Qingshan was properly nurtured to stand out among his group of peers.

However, that was the extent of the school’s reach. When it came to county exams, real skills were required and they had nothing to rely on but themselves.

Xue Tingxiang suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart and mentioned the name of the school he intended to attend.

“It’s Qingyuan Academy.”

Xue Qingshan snorted.

Old Man Xue turned to ask him, “Eldest, is there something wrong with this school?” He had obviously heard the snort.

Xue Qingshan hurriedly adjusted his expression and said with a serious expression, “What? No, no, how can a school be bad? That school was one of the best in Huyang Town.” ‘Was’ is the keyword here.

“Then why is the tuition so low?”

It was a tricky question. After thinking for a moment, Xue Qingshan said, “Qingyuan Academy is too small and therefore not at all well-known. Even when the county magistrate and county instructors make their inspection rounds, they would not even visit the place. However, Qinghe Academy is different. It is very famous in our country. The county magistrate and instructors not only visit the school often, but also educate the students there. Father, have you forgotten what I told you about the relationship between the principal of Qinghe Academy and the county magistrate? How can the fees not be expensive?”

Old Man Xue nodded. He turned to Xue Tingxiang again and said, “Since that school is vastly inferior, it’s best to attend the Qinghe Academy. After all, your uncle studied there, so you may receive some benefits if you attend the same school.”

Xue Tingxiang felt a little conflicted.

To be honest, his grandfather still cared about him as a grandson.

Naturally, this level of care could not be compared to the favour granted to the main branch’s father and son.

In fact, Old Man Xue treated everyone within the Xue family quite well. He was usually fair and methodical in his dealings and would step in to manage things whenever Old Zhao became too unruly. He just had a tendency to become confused when the issue of fairness came into play.

Even so, rather than being ‘partial’, as the head of a large family who [1] hoped to advance his family name, he had to consider the big picture and pour more resources to back this goal. Moreover, in Old Man Xue’s eyes, the main family’s eldest son and eldest grandson were the most promising members of the family and therefore, it made sense to back them, which was why he was partial to them.

Once that person succeeded, the entire family, including the dogs and chickens, would naturally ascend to the heavens with them.

Though this logic was sound, people were not made of cold hard logic. After all, how many people in this world would willingly be someone else’s stepping stone? Who in this world is willing to be pushed around and treated like servants forever?

Especially when the years dragged on with no sight of this ‘promised ascension’ on the horizon? People’s hearts would eventually waver.

It was not wrong for people to defend their rights. However, the main issue was their impression of ‘what is right to them’.

Xue Tingxiang managed to understand this after experiencing that dream. In that dream, ‘he’ never truly grasped this idea until many years later.

“This grandson-”

However, before Xue Tingxiang could finish speaking, Xue Qingshan interrupted him.

“Father, there’s no need to worry about this. It’s not like Gou’er has ever been good at studying. Sending him to Qinghe Academy would be a waste of money. It is better for him to enter some random school first, for the experience.”

“But…”

Xue Tingxiang’s lips pursed slightly. His expression did not waver as he said, “Grandfather, I have visited the school. I feel that it is not bad and decided to study there.”

“Look, look, he was the one who says he wants to go!”

Xue Tingxiang nodded. Then, he added, “That’s right, Uncle, I believe that Eldest Brother should attend this school as well. Our family is not wealthy, there is no need to spend money on an expensive school when there are other options.”

“What do you know!” Xue Qingshan roared, contempt on his face as he made to say more, but fell silent under Old Man Xue’s warning gaze.

In fact, Xue Tingxiang had not planned to say this earlier, because he knew how the main family would react. However, Old Man Xue’s attempt to persuade him to attend the ‘better’ school made him change his mind. As expected, they had reacted as he had thought. Well, so be it. This way, his conscience would be clear.

“If you have decided, grandfather shall not say anything more. I hope you will achieve great things in the future, do not let your father’s hopes down.”

Xue Tingxiang nodded, “This grandson will definitely work hard.”

After that, Old Man Xue gave out a few more instructions about the division of the family before dismissing everyone from the room.

Once everyone had left, Old Man Xue sat alone on the kang bed, his expression a little forlorn as he smoked his tobacco, the swirling blue smoke lingered in the air, obscuring his deeply lined face and a pair of bleak eyes.

It was not difficult to sell the Xue family land. Once word got out, several families came to make enquiries.

Old Man Xue simply chose the family who offered the highest price and sold 2 mu of land for a total of 24 silver taels.

Right then, the price of land was around that much. It was not impossible to sell it for a higher price, but at most, they would only get an additional 1 or 2 silver taels per acre. The Xue family needed the money urgently and could not wait.

With the silver in hand, Xue Qingshan hurried to town with Xue Juncai.

Unlike Qingyuan Academy, Qinghe Academy had a large number of students trying to enrol each year. If one was late in enrolling, the school might not even accept them. Therefore, a lot of people would try to enrol as early as possible, for fear of missing out.

That evening, Xue Qingshan returned with his son, beaming smiles at everyone.

Xue Juncai could not hide his joy either. He had an unfamiliar book bag with him. It was embroidered with the words Qinghe Academy and was clearly filled with things.

Father and son entered the main branch family room and, after a while, came out again. Xue Juncai had changed into a brand-new outfit.

It turned out that for their exorbitant fee, in addition to providing education for the students, Qinghe Academy also issued student uniforms. This uniform was different from ordinary student uniforms. It was dark green with wide sleeves; it was trimmed with a broad strip of black material at the collar and cuffs, with a matching black belt. It was similar to a scholar’s robes, enough that it greatly enhances the wearer’s demeanour.

Xue Juncai, who was already quite handsome thanks to the Xue gene, looked especially refined and elegant in this faux scholar’s robes. He certainly looked very promising and intelligent.

“How handsome!” Yang’shi exclaimed. Her eyes curved into thin lines of joy.

Old Zhao nodded repeatedly. She had nothing but praise for the outfit, her favourite grandson and his excellent looks. Xue Qingshan stood to the side, practically radiating with pride as he continued to elicit everyone’s opinions with a smile. Even Old Man Xue, who was seated by the door, could not help but smile a little more.

On such a day, other people in the courtyard naturally had to say a few good nice words for the main family. After all, this could turn out to be a very good thing for the entire family.

With everyone taking turns praising him, Xue Juncai held his head high but tried to feign some humility in the end.

He glanced at Xue Tingxiang and asked, “Tingxiang, has the Qingyuan Academy issued their school uniforms?”

Xue Tingrang shook his head slightly, “Congratulations to Elder Brother. The school semester has yet to begin. Even so, with such a low fee, they most likely will not issue any uniforms.”

“That is true. You may not know this, but my school not only issues uniforms for their students, but books and brushes as well. Those brushes are no worse than the ones I usually use. Each brush cost several hundred coins at the shop.”

This person was blatantly showing off.

Zhao’er felt extremely annoyed. If she argues back, it would be like bickering with a child; if she didn’t, the frustration would just build up inside her.

Still, she was not one to allow herself to be looked down on without fighting back. Instead, she put on a wide smile and said, “Only you, Juncai, would think you have received a bargain after paying such a large tuition fee.”

Xue Juncai’s eyes flickered, looking at her, “Zhao’er, do you also think this school is good? If so, why not have Gou’er come to Qinghe with me? As his elder brother, I will help you take care of him.”

Who wants your help?!

Naturally, she could not say that out loud. Instead, after shooting a glare at him, she aimed low and declared, “No need we could not bear to sell our land!”

That left Xue Juncai red-faced and speechless. He wanted to retaliate but restrained himself for some reason, and just glared at Xue Tingxiang instead.

Xue Tingxiang was unsure why he was being glared at. However, before he could work it out, Zhao’er grabbed his arm and said, “Let’s go, you will be attending the private school in two days. There are a lot of things to prepare so let’s make a list. We don’t want to forget anything.”

 

[Gumihou: Well, well, well, if it isn’t the rich farmer coveting the poor neighbour’s lamb situation.]

 

[1] Added details

 

Kitchennovel.com has a Membership System!!

Please click on the table below to check it out~

Naturally, you can also choose to support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!

        

Don’t forget to leave a comment at novelupdates too!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.