Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 258 - 173 Mr. Yu_1

Chapter 258: Chapter 173 Mr. Yu_1

It turned out that the old man had come from the north to Xishan County in search of relatives. Failing to find them and having run out of money, he fainted from hunger as he was passing by the Qian Family House.

Qian Yeejin, moved by compassion, instructed Wan Dazhong to help the old man into the house, where they fed him, bathed him, and even let him stay the night. The next day, the old man who had regained some strength looked at the writing of Qian Yeejin and couldn’t stop shaking his head and sighing. He said that writing is the face of a person and lamented that such a beautiful child could write such poor characters. To repay Qian Yeejin for "saving his life," he pointed out the inadequacies in his calligraphy and even demonstrated by writing a few bold characters himself.

At first, Qian Yeejin was unconvinced by the elder’s criticism of his writing, believing his own to be the best in his private school, and even Mr. Zhang had praised him multiple times. But when he saw the strength and vigor in the old man’s characters, he conceded. He had never imagined that this old man, who was nearly starved to death, could write such beautiful and impressive characters.

The elder sighed, "I am ashamed to say, in my youth, I once passed the imperial examinations and always dedicated myself to teaching and cultivating others. Alas, with my wife passing away early and having no children, I came here in my old age to seek out relatives. My purse was stolen, and I could not find my kin..."

Wan Dazhong, who was listening nearby, was delighted and reminded Qian Yeejin, "Jinwa, since this elder has passed the imperial examinations, his knowledge is certainly much greater than Mr. Zhang’s. You should take him to your house; he can teach you while searching for his own relatives. This would solve his troubles and educate you at the same time—a perfect solution." He then asked the elder, "What do you think of this idea? They have plenty of room at their home for you to eat and live; you could teach him. If you find your relatives and choose to join them, that would be fine too. Or you could continue teaching him if you prefer. This child is exceedingly clever and kind-hearted. If you succeed in teaching him well, he will surely provide for your old age. Sometimes, relying on students is better than relying on relatives."

Upon hearing this, Qian Yeejin thought, indeed, although Mr. Zhang was a good teacher, his ability was limited to elementary instruction and he struggled with more advanced topics. Young Master Song had always urged him to find a new teacher, and this might just be the perfect opportunity.

After some thought, the elder also found this to be the best option available.

Thus, they came to an immediate agreement. With Wan Dazhong as witness, Qian Yeejin knelt down right there and kowtowed to Elder Mr. Yu, accepting him as his teacher.

Qian Sangui was overjoyed when his grandson brought home an individual who had passed the imperial examinations early in life to be his teacher; he immediately instructed Lady Wu to prepare a room for Mr. Yu.

Since there were no rooms left in the small courtyard, they picked out a room in the large courtyard. They provided new furniture and bedding, and had Qian Xiaoyu quickly make two sets of new clothes for Mr. Yu.

Mr. Yu was in his fifties, with thinning hair and an unremarkable appearance, dressed in a thin overcoat covering his gaunt frame. Had it not been for his demonstration—writing a few bold characters after coming to their home—Qian Yixiu would have thought him a swindler just looking for free food and drink.

Qian Yixiu took Qian Yeejin aside into the courtyard and inquired, "Aside from his excellent calligraphy, how is Mr. Yu’s scholarship?"

"Good!" Qian Yeejin replied. "The way he analyzes texts makes me feel like my mind has been enlightened."

Seeing his sister’s doubtful eyes, he said hurtfully, "Sister, you can’t doubt Mr. Yu. That’s not only disrespectful to him but also shows a lack of trust in your brother."

As it happened, Mr. Yu turned out to be quite proud. When Qian Sangui proposed that he teach an additional student, he rejected the idea without hesitation. He even boasted, "To be my student, one must prove he has the ability. I dare to say, in this place, aside from Qian Yeejin, there is no other child I am willing to teach."

Feeling embarrassed, Qian Sangui could only respond with a sheepish smile. He wanted to advocate for Qian Yishan, but seeing Mr. Yu’s attitude, he did not dare to bring it up again.

In this world, all pursuits are inferior, except for the pursuit of knowledge.

Even if the old man relied on Qian Sangui for food and drink, simply because he was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, Qian Sangui still held him in reverence.

Although Mr. Yu said he would leave once he found his relatives and did not need a stipend, Qian Sangui insisted on providing one. He knew that the usual practice for hiring a teacher was to offer two taels of silver a year, including room and board and clothing, and even a servant. He offered the same conditions, only without a dedicated servant. Instead, he arranged for Su Sanwu and Su Siwu to take turns attending to Mr. Yu and decided to let the elder rest until the tenth day of the first lunar month before beginning classes.

Mr. Yu disagreed, saying, "Life passes by in an instant, like a swift horse passing a gap. We can’t afford any more delays."

The very next day, he began teaching formal lessons, with the classroom set up in the large courtyard. Constant noise emanated from the snack room also located in the large courtyard. Fortunately, one was focused on teaching, and the other on learning, so the commotion didn’t affect them much.