Chapter 34 – Fourty Thousand; A Debt Collector’s Story

In order to help settle You Shu down, Ji Changye spent a considerable amount of time thinking. He first wiped away all traces of You Shu being the Di son of the Wang family. Even if outsiders could guess slightly, they would not find any evidence. He also contributed scholarly honor and bought a house for him. Come to think of it, based on You Shu’s intelligence and wisdom, in a few years, he would be able to win top marks in the imperial examinations and stand out among his peers. However, with his personality of not liking to talk and not liking communication, but to only eagerly eat and eat, it would be a bit difficult to mix into the officialdom, but when the time comes, he has deep foundations and can also help him find a leisurely position.

One moment he was worried about You Shu being bullied by someone and at the next moment, he worried that You Shu couldn't take care of himself. Ji Changye thought and pondered again and again, and then he took out some of his private savings to help You Shu buy a few shops. After that, he worried that You Shu wouldn’t be able to manage the store well, so he wantonly bought some farmland for him. In this way, no matter how You Shu was tossed in the Capital, it is enough for him to eat and wear warm clothes, and it is considered to be on the right track.

Thinking about it this way, Ji Changye's heart felt a little uncomfortable, especially when You Shu bought all the furniture and decorations and put it in the new house on the same day, waiting for Song shi and her people to come over to stay, and that feeling poked at his lungs. He feels flustered when the teenager is too attached to him, but he is more restless when the teenager tries to leave him. What kind of mentality is this?

Blu: The mentality of “love” *wink wink nudge nudge*

Ji Changye was very distressed. When dealing with You Shu’s issue, he just felt that it was ten times more difficult than dealing with the political affairs of the court. Getting closer won’t do and it’s worrying when he’s far away, no matter where he is placed, it is difficult to adapt.

His heart was in a mess and he couldn’t bear to see the young man's little simple-minded appearance, and under the banner of preparing for the exam, he found hundreds of books and asked him to read and understand everything thoroughly within three days.

You Shu just stepped out of the door and was going to go buy cakes when he was brought back to the study by Ah Da and Ah Er by his collar. They put him behind the table full of books and joked, "Be honest. Put one book aside after reading it, Master will come back at night to check."

"Then you guys help me buy Fu Ji's plum vegetable braised pork pastry. One box is three copper plates, buy ten boxes, oh yes, this is the silver." You Shu untied his pouch and tossed it over and reiterated, "Hurry up, the shopkeeper only makes 20 boxes a day, and you can't buy them if you’re late.”

"Kid, you can really eat. They only make twenty boxes and you pack half. How can you keep asking for seconds at the dinner table after eating so many snacks? You look at these two meats on your body. You eat so much that everything’s went to a dog’s belly! Because you’re like this, how can Master be rest assured after you are gone? No wonder after buying a residence, he also bought shops and farmland. Looking at his behaviour, he’s probably itching to buy the whole Capital for you." There was a lot of envy in Ah Da's tone.

In the end, he was raised by the Master from a young age, and his affection is not the same as them. Before leaving, he also considered this and that, almost just like his biological parents. Oh, I’ve spoken wrong. Can that father of You Shu’s even be called a biological father? He was simply worse than a beast. He even accepted a few more concubines and gave birth to a few more kids. But with that upbringing of Wang family’s, even if a hundred kids were born, they’d be born in vain. They’re all bound to be repulsive.

Ah Da and Ah Er sighed and left. They just stepped out of the main entrance when they saw the steward of the Wang family dawdling in front of the gatekeeper, only saying that he had a message that HAD to be personally delivered to the eldest young master.

"What eldest young master? Who is your eldest young master?" Ah Da sneered.

"This official sir, please be cooperative. My family’s Laoye has just passed away and the second young master has also died of a serious illness. The Lao Taiye and Lao Furen were grieving excessively and were laying down on the bed. There is no one taking charge of the family, now we can only invite the eldest young master to return and take charge of the situation. Eldest young master is the Wang family’s upright and dignified Di son and should be in charge of the family." The steward repeatedly murmured bowed with his hand held in front, his face bitter.

Ah Da and Ah Er looked at each other, and both were stunned. They snatched the death notice and quickly read it, then clapped their hands and praised, "Good! It’s good that he died. This is retribution ah!"

The Wang family’s steward had heard this sentence more than once today. Everyone knew that the Wang father and son had both died one after another within a shichen as Heaven’s punishment. It must be because the two had done all kinds of evil and naturally would not have a good end. Hearing it so much, the Wang family’s steward sighed with regret. He more or less knew of the bad deeds that Wang Xianggan and Wang Tianyou had done, and therefore, he believed in the cycle of karma more than outsiders. In the past, he acted very insolent, but now felt that he can't lift his head up, and humbly said, "Laoye has already received Heaven’s punishment and the suffering he should receive for his crimes have already been received. In the end, the eldest young master is of his flesh and blood, so he should return and take a final look and fulfill his filial piety."

Blu: I hate the word ‘filial piety’. If you were a decent parent, you will naturally receive the respect you are due. But if you’re a complete piece of crap like this Wang family over here, then your kid will naturally ditch you to die (that’s strong wording but you get the gist).

"Fuck your filial piety, get out!" Ah Da and Ah Er flew into a rage, tore up the notice, and chased him away.

Samui: welp looks like they share your view Blu hahahah

The steward had no choice but to return and report back.

In just half a day, Wang Lao Taiye was already gaunt and mournful, and his dry face seemed to be cracking. Hearing the report, he thought about it and finally decided to go in person. Seeing that the Wang family is about to be without descendants, what use is there in keeping your face.

Blu: face - one’s self-respect, pride, reputation (it a very wide meaning word uwu)

You Shu didn’t end up waiting for the plum vegetable braised pork pastry, but instead waited for two old thick-skinned faces that were as dry as tangerine peels. One was wiping tears facing him while the other was putting on a dignified expression. Outside the study, Lin shi, who was trussed up and had her mouth gagged, was kneeling under the scorching sun in "repentance".

Blu: thick-skinned - to be shameless. // The character used also means ‘old faces’. Since the old Wang couple fulfilled both meanings, I decided to throw everything in. The Wang couple need not thank me. I’m merely doing my job :) // And repentance? Don’t make me laugh.

"What is she kneeling towards me for? The person she should be sorry to the most is my mother. I will let her off first. Wait for my mother to come back and then tell her to kneel for a full forty-nine days." You Shu said slowly while reading.

He reads very differently from others. If someone else got a book, they will definitely read it carefully and seriously read it again, and then silently memorise it, and then write down the doubts and feelings on the paper one by one, and then ask their teacher for advice. He didn't read over again, he didn't recite it from memory, and he didn't take notes. He picked up a book and flipped it over a few pages then he put it down and changed it for another.

In the eyes of people in the dark, how is this reading books? It’s obviously the weather being too hot, so he used the pages as a fan! Laotaiye got angry when he saw him being sloppy like this, but he still didn’t open his mouth to reprimand him, and his old face became darker and darker.

Lao Furen couldn't control how her grandson was studying. As long as they bring him back, everything will be fine. As soon as she entered the door, she yelled "My unfortunate grandson!! My sweetheart!!", as if she loved You Shu dearly. Seeing that You Shu was indifferent, she was anxious in her heart. She hurriedly made her position known, "Yes, she was the one who originally committed sins and also that servant’s child. She is of low birth, so how could she have the qualifications to sit in the position of main wife? I have already written a divorce letter on behalf of your father. She is now a sinful woman of the Wang family, and it is up to you how to handle her."

First, she cast off his mother and now she is also casting off Lin shi, as if all the fault lies with the married women. Wang family ah, Wang family, how can you not perish? You Shu inwardly shook his head, swept a quick glance at the table, and found out that the task assigned by the Master had been completed, so he rolled out two pieces of rice paper.

Lao Taiye saw him lay down the paper, took out the ink stick and began to grind the ink, the movement was extremely slow, and he didn't say if he would go back or not, so he felt a little anxious.

"You should know, it wasn't us who abandoned you, but your wet nurse and servant girl who secretly took you away. If it was not for that, you would still be the eldest son of the Wang family today. As for your life’s fate, it was that Lin shi who bribed that Taoist priest to spread out rumours. Your father was muddled for a while, but he believed ... it was all a matter of good luck fooling with people. You could have grown up at home peacefully. How would you have suffered so much. Now it’s good that you are back, we can compensate for the lost years. Moreover, you must also think it over for your mother. She is an abandoned woman who is not qualified to enter the ancestral grave. She can only be a lonely ghost in the wild ......" Lao Taiye tried to move him using feelings, logic, benefits and pushed all the fault onto others, just like Wang Lao Furen.

Blu: life’s fate - referring to You Shu being labelled a ‘debt-collecting ghost’ when he was a baby

How can such a parent raise a child with both integrity and talent?

You Shu increasingly looked down on the Wang family. He picked up a writing brush on each hand and quickly wrote on the paper while speaking, "If Wang Tianyou and Wang Xianggan didn't die, you both would not come to acknowledge me. If I go back with you, what will I become? A joke?"

His left hand was writing an essay on current affairs and his right hand was writing a poem which were both subjects that must be taken in the imperial examinations. What is even more shocking is that the script they were written in was very different. The essay on current affairs used the exquisite zanhua lower case script and the poem was written in graceful Yan-styled running script. If this scene is seen by outsiders, they will definitely be shocked senseless.

Top: zanhua lowercase script // Bottom: yan-style running script

Lao Taiye was already shocked speechless and transfixed with amazement, even Wang Lao Furen who had little experience also forgot to cry and stared straight at the boy.

However, You Shu was relaxed and continued, "I'll analyze it for you. For feelings: I don't owe you the Wang family. I have never eaten a single grain of rice from the Wang family, worn a single clothing of the Wang family, and I even chose a name for myself. Why should I support the reputation of the Wang family? For logic: In the family tree of the Wang family, was my name ever there? Was my mother's name ever there? Although Wang Xianggan gave me half of the blood, in the eyes of the law, I have nothing to do with him. Even if you lay all these bare, it’s useless. If I don’t admit to these assertions, no one can do anything to me. And you can’t use filial piety to pressure me. As for my mother, since she cannot enter the tomb of the Wang family, nor can she enter the ancestral tomb of the Song family, she can be buried with me. I will raise our family’s social status in the future. At that time, my grave will also be the ancestral tomb of my descendants and they would not worry of not having a place to reincarnate.”

He was multitasking but the speed of writing was not slowed down at all, and he hadn’t finished speaking when he had finished half of his essay on current affairs and half of his poem. Just the striking literary talent and the elegant writing had made Wang Lao Taiye largely praise ‘exquisite’ in his heart.

If he was a little reluctant when he first arrived, when he saw such a shocking and brilliant young man, he had nothing but eagerness. If it had been known that Song shi's child was actually such a talented boy, he would never let his son abandon his wife and abandon his son. For example, among the geniuses in the world, who can simultaneously write an essay with his left hand and a poem with his right, and also refute others? Who can write such a shocking essay and write a poem with such graceful flowing script? This child’s one head is worth 17 or 18 others combined! What is Wang Tianyou compared to him!

If these two articles were taken out, it would be enough to shame the current scholars, not to mention the fact that the author is only a 15 or 16-year-old boy. What would his prospects be if he was given a few more years? Lao Taiye’s whole body was shaking with excitement and he realized that the hope of reviving the Wang family was on his grandson. If he is willing, he will definitely be able to bring honor to the family and reach the highest official position.

But seeing the other's decisive attitude, his hot-blooded excitement immediately cooled down. How regretful, he only felt how agonising it was to regret till his intestines were green now.

I picked sesame seeds and threw away the watermelon, and considered fish eyes as pearls. Lin shi and Wang Tianyou caused my Wang family such misery! After being tossed out of the Wangfu by Ah Da and Ah Er who hurried back, Wang Lao Taiye lost his self-control for a moment and fell to his knees and burst into tears in front of the entrance.

Wang Lao Furen wanted to come forward to comfort him but he whiped his walking stick and yelled, "You stupid woman! If only you hadn’t sent Lin shi into son’s room, letting her confuse him, my good grandson would never have been stolen by two slaves! You still praised Wang Tianyou all day long saying that he had terrifyingly superb talent! Do you even know how to write the words “terrifyingly superb talent"? How pitiful, my good grandson! To have your life be delayed by a stupid woman for fifteen, sixteen years! If he is willing to go home, I’m willing to have my life cut short by 10 years! God, I’m willing to have ten years cut off my life, can you hear me? "

Lao Taiye also shouted so that You Shu could hear, but did not expect a cold voice full of mocking from behind him, "It seems that You Shu is such a talented person. One may as well say that he will have neither predecessors or successors, and there will be no one who can compare to him even if 500 years pass. You‘re only willing to have 10 years of your life shaved off. It’s clear that you will only have descendants like that Wang Xianggan and Wang Tianyou."