Chapter 2, I Want to Read (Part 2)

What is martial virtue? Can it be eaten? Lady Zhou did not pay attention to her son's nonsense; she simply widened her almond-shaped eyes and raised her willow-like brows, sternly beginning to admonish her son

Moreover, after crossing over, the soul seems to have been strengthened, and the memory has improved significantly compared to before, which is an excellent talent for studying

Qin Dewei was speechless; did these two close relatives really think he was talking nonsense? Yet he still wanted to study, and this was not a fleeting whim, but the result of careful consideration

Why are you so inconsiderate? You didn't succeed in your studies, but have you become foolish? Do you not understand our family's situation and your uncle's situation? Don't you have any awareness of this? Your reckless and willful behavior is dragging down everyone in the family! You are no longer a child; think carefully about what you should do!

Do not mention the examination for the scholar or the provincial graduate; even the most basic county examination of the imperial examination system sees thousands of participants in a place like Nanjing, yet only a few dozen can ultimately pass.

Qin Dewei, who has been reborn, lies on the bed, staring blankly at the two people in the room. One is his biological mother, and the other is his adoptive uncle; these two are currently the closest relatives he has.

Qin Xiang sighed and said helplessly to his sister-in-law: "Wei Ge'er has been expelled from the social studies program, and it seems he is still quite unwilling to accept it. However, when it comes to education, we, as mere constables, are truly powerless, and our family can no longer afford to support his studies."

After the county examination, there are still the prefectural examination and the provincial examination. One must pass through three levels before merely becoming a xiucai, yet this is still a far cry from becoming a juren or a jinshi.

Isn't Wei Ge'er still burning, in a state of confusion?" Qin Xiang, the Qin servant, said with a puzzled expression

The young person, with their last bit of stubbornness, said: "I will earn my own money to support my studies, and I will absolutely not burden my family. This should be acceptable, right?"

Do not say that Qin Dewei appears to lack talent; even those with a modicum of talent, how many of them have spent their entire lives studying diligently yet fail to even pass the examination to become a scholar?

Continuing to argue like this is not a solution, so the two directly asked Qin Dewei: "Brother Wei, you tell us, which of these two options do you prefer?"

Qin Dewei wore a苦脸, he wanted to explain something, but his mother would absolutely not listen. He certainly could not say that he had mastered the Soul Strengthening Technique.

According to the web novel tropes he is familiar with, one should follow the path of an exceptional house servant, while the other seems to follow the path of an outstanding constable, Li You... However, deep down, he actually does not wish to choose either.

"My own son must follow my arrangements!" Madam Zhou said decisively, "Currently, the Wei family is looking to recruit servants. If we miss this opportunity, there won't be another one. I will ask my mistress to explore the connections, and there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that he will be able to get in!"

Qin Dewei sighed with a maturity beyond his years and sincerely replied, "I do not want either; I wish to study and take the imperial examination in the future"

Hearing his sister-in-law equate the yamen runners with the courtesans, Qin Xiang was extremely furious and retorted, "When one goes to the Duke's residence to be a household servant, is it then under the surname Xu or the surname Qin? Although yamen runners are lowly and toil hard, at least they are free individuals, and the neighbors on the street will still give them some respect. Isn't that better than being a servant to others?"

"You lack martial ethics and sneak attacked this young man!" Qin Dewei instinctively blurted out. This truly is a classic case of a motherly face, flipping in an instant!

Madam Zhou's family, the Xu family, is closely related to the Xu family of the Duke, which is why she mentioned that she could use her connections to send her son to the Duke's residence as a household servant

At this moment, two close relatives are engaged in a heated argument, with only one topic at hand: how to arrange the future life path of Qin Dewei

The term "respectable family" commonly refers to those whose household registration falls within the seven major categories of scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, military personnel, craftsmen, and cooks, excluding yamen runners and servants.

He turned to Qin Dewei and said: "There is no need to go to the social studies anymore. Tomorrow, come with me to the government office to relax and broaden your horizons."

Children of the poor take on responsibilities early; Qin Dewei is already twelve years old. He can no longer continue his studies and must consider how to support himself. Following that, he will need to save money to marry and have children. This is the way of life for ordinary people.

By the time Lady Zhou hurried over, Qin Dewei had already awakened, and both Qin Xiang and Lady Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. Although he still appeared somewhat dazed, at least he was not in any serious danger.

Madam Zhou is a woman of action; she decisively stepped forward, touched Qin Dewei's forehead, and said with equal perplexity: "He hasn't burned up; logically, he should have regained consciousness by now."

The Qin family does not belong to a reputable household, as the head of the family, Qin Xiang, is a constable. During the Ming Dynasty, constables had a poor reputation and held an even lower political status, being classified alongside courtesans and entertainers as lowly individuals

The Wei family is none other than the renowned Xu family of Nanjing, descendants of the founding hero Xu Da, reputed to be the foremost noble family of the Ming Dynasty not of the imperial lineage, holding hereditary titles and maintaining a permanent presence in Nanjing

Madam Zhou and the constable Qin exchanged glances, astonished that this child, having suffered such a tremendous blow, still harbored dreams of studying. Yet, having been born in a chicken coop, could one truly soar to the branches and transform into a phoenix

Last night, Qin Dewei fell into a coma due to a high fever. Qin Xiang, as the uncle, was extremely anxious and took a leave of absence today, not going to the yamen for duty. He then sent his wife, Jiang, to Commander Xu's house to inform his sister-in-law, Madam Zhou, who is also Qin Dewei's mother.

Seeing the two elders arguing more and more intensely, the person involved, Qin Dewei, looked around and let out a soft sigh. One wanted to send him to be a servant in a wealthy family, while the other wanted him to take a government position, both of which could be considered secure jobs. Indeed, they are family.

Madam Zhou suddenly raised her hand high, aimed it at her own son, and without hesitation delivered a flurry of heavy slaps. The sound of "smack, smack, smack" resonated, causing a few specks of dust to fall from the beams of the house

Madam Zhou scoffed at Qin Xiang's idea: "What is so good about being a lackey, a servant who could be punished or killed at any moment by the officials? Such a person is no different from the lowly origins of those in the brothels. How can one find stability serving as a household slave in a duke's residence? As the saying goes, 'A seventh-rank official stands at the gate of the prime minister.' If one serves well in a duke's household, they can live a life free from worries about food and clothing, without the need to toil and pay taxes. Outside, no one would dare to bully them. It is said that it is good to lean against a big tree for shade; is that not a comfortable life?"

Qin Xiang also believes he has the authority to make decisions, after all, he has no sons. His nephew can take over the family business in the future and conveniently provide for him in his old age. It could not be more perfect than this arrangement, as one cannot write two Qin characters with a single stroke.

Madam Zhou and the constable Qin argued until they were hoarse, yet they still failed to reach a conclusion

Madam Zhou still wanted to take action, but Qin Xiang, feeling sorry for his nephew, quickly stopped his sister-in-law and advised, "Enough, enough, Wei Ge'er is still young, let him have some more time to recover, we don't want him to fall ill again"

The storm came so suddenly that Qin Dewei was caught off guard, receiving seven or eight blows, feeling dizzy and seeing stars. Instinctively, he covered his head and rolled into the corner, narrowly avoiding his mother's iron palm

Qin Xiang was very dissatisfied with his sister-in-law's arrangements. "Although Wei Ge'er is your biological child, he has been raised in my family all these years, and he bears the surname Qin. Therefore, he should follow the arrangements of the Qin family. I do not have a son, and Wei Ge'er has always been regarded as my son, so he should accompany me to the county office to perform official duties and eventually take over my position."

Moreover, as a time traveler, he is well aware of the various intricacies of the imperial examination and can adapt and utilize them skillfully. As long as he is able to study, his chances of advancement are significantly higher than those of others

Now, it is not as if I have no foundation at all; in my previous life, I at least studied a discipline in the humanities and social sciences, albeit in a rather obscure direction focusing on the history of judicial systems. In this life, I at least have the basic ability to read and write.