Chapter Nine, Strict Mother

Observing the maids arranging the dishes, Xiao Han stood up and took a seat at the head of the table, gesturing with her hand to the others and saying: "Please, take a seat!"

Yes

Your mother just gave me a shout, do you want to come again, little one

"Master Cen is praising you, isn't he? He must have praised you with a stick, right?" Xiao Han said with a cold laugh, "You received a beating this morning, and it isn't even dark yet, and you've already forgotten?"

"Young lady, I have taken note of this. In the days to come, I will certainly focus on my studies and will surely pass the imperial examination next year." Xiao Cheng put down his chopsticks, stood up, and bowed earnestly as he spoke.

Xiao Cheng nodded and said, his own eldest daughter comes from a prestigious family. While he may not be able to produce good articles himself, her appreciation level is top-notch. It is simply impossible to pull the wool over her eyes. On the other hand, his father, Xiao Yu, is much lacking in this regard.

As for the Journey to the West that you mentioned to Jing'er, you said you read it from a book. I asked several teachers at home, and they all said they had never seen or heard of it, guessing that you must have made it up. They all praised Erlang for his literary talent, saying it could be directly published as a story!

Have you even seen it?

Alright, let's eat! Didn't Master Cen assign you an essay? After finishing your meal, write it out and bring it to me tomorrow for review

In other words, Sister-in-law Gao invited the cooks from her family to learn the skills.

Luo Yuting seems to be quite a decent fellow, yet he has a rather sharp tongue. He goes home to mistreat his own mother, and then that lady from the Luo family specifically comes to lodge a complaint against him. Did he offend her in some way

Every three years, only about three hundred students are selected for each subject

"It must be changed, it must be changed!" Xiao Cheng said with a forced smile.

"What are you doing with your sister-in-law? Do you think it was your sister-in-law who reported you?" Xiao Han said angrily, "Even if it was, your sister-in-law is doing it for your own good"

"Second Uncle, please finish eating quickly so you can continue telling me how that Monkey King defeated that false pilgrim?" A soft and sticky voice came from beside.

It is not that the Xiao family lacks money, but rather that both the Xiao and Gao families usually eat very lightly most of the time

Xiao Cheng was furious, raising his head to look at the Gao family across from him. Having studied in the Gao family clan school, if anyone had the most up-to-date information, it would definitely be his sister-in-law from the Gao family.

Xiao Cheng then remembered that his own eldest daughter was a devout Buddhist and a proper lay practitioner. Wasn't he essentially cursing a thief in front of a monk?

It must be said that I am not the flesh that fell from her belly. If I truly neglect myself and allow myself to live or die as I please, as long as I do not lack for food and drink, no one can say anything against her. After all, I am merely a son born out of wedlock.

Xiao Cheng harbored great hatred in his heart, isn't the lady of the Luo family at Donghua Gate the mother of Luo Gang and Luo Yuting?

Xiao Cheng raised his head and looked at the frost-faced Xiao Han, softly defending himself: "Eldest Miss, today Master Cen praised me, which indicates that I will definitely succeed in the imperial examination next year."

Having passed this hurdle today, I find myself needing to write an article overnight, and my head is beginning to throb again

Although, compared to the Xinyang Han family of her maternal side, a successful candidate in the imperial examination is indeed of little significance, as they can easily produce one after another, for the Xiao family, this is the first in three generations. For Xiao Han, the matriarch, this naturally brings her honor, allowing her to stand a little taller when visiting her family and speak with a bit more confidence.

However, these monks are certainly not the so-called enlightened masters spoken of by Xiao Han. Just look at them, chanting "Amitabha" in front of others while behind their backs they are seizing land and engaging in usury. Even to have a meal at Xiangguo Temple, one must spend a considerable amount of money, surrounded by glistening copper coins and shining silver, yet one cannot discern what kind of path they are truly following

Xiao Cheng immediately coughed out loud

The next one, Xiao Yi, glanced at everyone and said: "Second brother, today the wife of the Luo family from Donghua Gate came over."

Xiao Cheng pouted and said, "Miss, you must not be deceived by these thieving monks. They appear virtuous in public, but who knows what they do behind closed doors? They might be indulging in lavish feasts and drinks."

Like his father, Xiao Hanshi also hopes that Xiao Cheng will achieve remarkable success next year and be admitted as a Jinshi! If he succeeds, he will be the first Jinshi in the Xiao family

Xiao Han treated everyone equally and strictly disciplined me, who had lost my mother since childhood, without fearing the gossip behind her back. She truly had a sense of responsibility and genuinely cared for Xiao Cheng

Xiao Cheng lowered his head, thinking to himself, when you were enjoying the candied pork knuckle, didn't you also say it was delicious? Now you are using this to reprimand others.

However, Xiao Han still cared for himself. His last few words were a reminder to be cautious of the troubles that may arise from one's words. Each of these monks was not an ordinary person. While it might be very difficult to assist others in achieving their goals, it would be particularly easy for them to engage in malicious deeds, especially for someone like himself who was preparing to participate in the provincial examination and the imperial examination.

"What the young lady said is true; I have been frivolous and reckless," Xiao Cheng admitted with his head bowed

You, as always, are quick and sincere in admitting your mistakes in front of others, yet you continue to act as you please behind their backs. Xiao Han sighed and said, I do not know who you learned this temperament from, but if you do not change, you will suffer losses.

Who made the degree of Jinshi so valuable in this era

You spend the whole day doing nothing of substance, not studying properly or writing, but instead engaging in all sorts of trivial matters. I see that you have only put in about four or five parts of effort into your studies. If you were to devote yourself with full commitment, would you not be in a much better situation than you are now

Indeed, a sound of a clink was heard from across the table, which was the sound of Xiao Han placing down her chopsticks, and as expected, her slightly irritated voice rang in my ears

In the past, the Xiao family did not consume pork; their diet primarily consisted of mutton. Throughout the city of Tokyo, no prominent families like the Xiaos consumed pork either, as everyone regarded it as dirty and unclean. Because pigs were not castrated, the pork produced had a strong odor, making it naturally unpalatable

The young lady and the sister-in-law should also appropriately consume some meat dishes regularly, as an overly bland diet may not necessarily be beneficial for the body. Xiao Cheng stood up and served a piece of crystal pork knuckle to both Xiao Han and Gao. "The balance of yin and yang, the fusion of water and fire, must not be neglected for it to be good."

Once the Gao family had taken their seats, Xiao Cheng then sat down to the left of the Xiao Han family. Xiao Yi took a seat at the lower end, while Xiao Cheng's three-year-old nephew insisted on sitting beside him. Xiao Cheng smiled and lifted his nephew to his side, placing him on the chair properly. Immediately behind them, a maid stood up to prevent the little one from falling.

Gao, upon realizing that he had failed to extricate himself, instead found his second uncle in an even greater predicament, and he suddenly felt a sense of urgency, casting a glance at Xiao Cheng, his eyes filled with remorse.

Every person who excels in examinations can truly be regarded as a dragon among men

Who reported this black situation

Er Lang, as a scholar, you should not focus your thoughts on studying the Four Books and Five Classics, but instead expend great effort on reading these miscellaneous books and studying the ways of the kitchen. If this were to be known, it would be a source of ridicule. Fortunately, only the family knows about it, as the Gao family is not considered outsiders. If this were to spread, would you not agree that it would be a matter of disgrace

Indeed, the reprimand from the Xiao Han family soon followed

Upon hearing this, Xiao Cheng exclaimed inwardly that it was a disaster. His sister-in-law intended to help him out, but this was not the right time to say such things. Bringing this up now would only give Xiao Han the opportunity to seize upon it.

Xiao Han looked at Xiao Cheng with a smile and said, "Only you would say that. The masters at Xiangguo Temple are all vegetarians, yet each one of them is strong and robust."

Several meat dishes were placed around Xiao Cheng

Seven or eight dishes, apart from a plate of steamed fish, a meatball soup, and a crystal pork knuckle, the rest are all vegetarian dishes

The high-ranking officials and nobles of the Song Dynasty were primarily selected from these three hundred jinshi, and while it is not impossible for someone without a jinshi background to rise to a high position, such instances are exceedingly rare

A true and genuine liability team member

Seeing Xiao Cheng's expression of deep remorse and repentance, Xiao Han nodded in satisfaction. The purpose of calling him in today was to give him a thorough admonition, and it seems that the desired effect has been achieved.

Although he secretly resented Lady Luo of the Luo family, he could not bring himself to hate his aunt, Madam Xiao Han, who was scolding him. In fact, if anything, he felt more gratitude towards her.

Seeing Xiao Cheng with a dark expression, the Gao family repeatedly shook their heads, indicating that it was not them, and they themselves did not know either

However, since Xiao Cheng developed a new cooking method, pork has taken on a different charm. Now, at the Xiao family, pork is frequently served, not just the candied pork knuckle, but also seven or eight varieties of pork products, although these are limited to the Xiao family.

"Er Lang!" Xiao Han was greatly enraged, her delicate brows raised in anger. "How can one casually insult the masters of the Xiangguo Temple! Your careless words, if spread, could ruin someone's reputation and damage their standing. If it comes to the attention of the authorities, you will not be able to bear the consequences. Furthermore, these masters have extensive connections, often mingling with officials and the virtuous elite. If someone were to speak ill of you behind your back, you might find yourself suffering an unexpected loss.

Xiao Cheng苦笑着将饭粒扒拉进自己的嘴里，希望借此转移Xiao Han's注意力

It is merely a case of being disappointed that iron cannot be forged into steel

This is not a compliment

On one side, Gao was watching Xiao Han reprimanding Xiao Cheng repeatedly, feeling somewhat restless. He quickly spoke up to defend Xiao Cheng: "Madam, the sweet and sour pork knuckle that my second uncle taught our family to make is truly delicious, sticky and sweet, and melts in your mouth. Last time, the chef from my maternal family came over specifically to learn how to make it for the old lady, and she ended up eating nearly half a bowl of rice with this sweet and sour pork knuckle! In the past, who would have known that pork could be made so delicious?"

"Be quiet, young lady, where did you learn to be so sharp-tongued in making complaints!" With a glare from Xiao Han, Xiao Yi immediately lowered her head and continued to shovel food into her mouth.

Xiao Cheng let out a sigh and lowered his head