Chapter 2, What a real pitfall!

He suddenly paused and hurriedly explained: "Father, I misspoke. Aunt has said that I must not mention it to you. Please do not take it to heart!"

Er Niang pondered for quite a while before asking in confusion, "What does it mean to坑爹?"

As Wang Fulian turned around to go back into the house, Jin Bao hurriedly assisted him from the side, while the eldest sister felt an unusual headache. The scene of that middle-aged woman whispering confidentially with Wang Fulian came to her mind, intensifying her unease. Flattery without reason is either deceitful or thieving; although my younger brother did not accept any servants today, what exactly is the intention of that Young Master Cheng!

A person of integrity need not fear the shadows cast by others. Please return and convey to Young Master Cheng that I appreciate his kind intentions, but I cannot accept them. My injuries have not yet healed, and my wrist is weak, making it inconvenient for me to write a letter. I can only express my gratitude for his kindness verbally.

As she left, the second sister, who had just been firmly held back by the eldest sister, stamped her foot in frustration and said, "Brother, what on earth is going on!"

The middle-aged woman was evidently quite familiar with people, immediately leaving the young man to approach, placing her hands on her left waist and deeply bowing in greeting. After rising, she smiled warmly and whispered, "The young official has come to the city several times for examinations and has always been on good terms with Young Master Cheng. Upon learning that you were seriously harmed by two bold sedan chair bearers on your way back from the county town to Qianqiu, he felt quite guilty, thinking that it was his invitation for you to stay for a drink at noon that caused you to leave late. Therefore, upon hearing that the young official had bought a little boy from a fellow clansman to serve him, he asked me to select a good child and specially send him to the young official as an apology."

At this moment, Jin Bao felt much more relaxed as Wang Fu Lin had been listening without making any comments. Unconsciously, he began to digress: "These days, my father has been bedridden. While I was taking care of him, I overheard Aunt and Second Aunt quietly discussing that because the old gentleman is ill, Old An personally traveled a long distance to attend to him. However, my father stayed at home to prepare for the examination since this time the Dao examination is in the capital. Some people outside are spreading rumors that my father is only concerned with his own academic achievements and neglecting his duty to care for his sick father, which is a great loss of filial piety. They also claim that my father cheated during the county examination, which is why he ranked so high in the county exam but performed mediocrely in the capital exam, and ultimately fell to the bottom in the Dao examination. Therefore, they intend to report him to the Grand Master of Education to revoke his academic title..."

The middle-aged woman knew that one of the parties in the agreement, Wang Fulian, was blank, and naturally, she would have her suspicions. She couldn't help but show off a bit, thinking that the other party was merely a newly arrived young scholar who did not understand these matters. She explained further: "As long as you are willing to pay two taels of red silver, Liu, the clerk from the household department, will affix the official seal to the contract. Even if the young scholar's name is left blank, it doesn't matter; the official seal will still be stamped. Later, the young scholar can simply add his signature and fingerprint. This dead contract is recognized by the government, and no one else can question it!" She reiterated: "As long as you are willing to pay two taels of red silver, Liu, the clerk from the household department, will affix the official seal to the contract. Even if the young scholar's name is left blank, it doesn't matter; the official seal will still be stamped. Later, the young scholar can simply add his signature and fingerprint. This dead contract is recognized by the government, and no one else can question it!"

However, before he could continue to devise ways to extract more details from Jin Bao, there was a sudden loud bang, and immediately after, the main door was pushed open forcefully. It was none other than the impressively bold and spirited girl, Wang Erniang, who rushed in with great energy.

Wang Fulian still did not accept the contract, but first seized the letter in hand, tore open the seal with one hand, and quickly scanned through the contents. The letter began with a series of polite remarks, then subtly pointed out that the delivery was not only regarding his injury on the way back from the city, but also as an apology for the last banquet that had not concluded joyfully, and finally included a somewhat ambiguous statement.

Are you still asking me? Alright, I will take you to see! Jinbao, why are you still dawdling? Put shoes on your father!

Under the stern gaze of the middle-aged woman, Qiu Feng finally stepped forward, kneeling before Wang Fu Lin and bowing his head, softly saying: "Qiu Feng pays respects to father"

May the gods and Buddhas of all heavens bless him, and I hope he is not mistaken

The middle-aged woman scolded Qiu Feng sharply, but upon seeing that Wang Fu Lin's expression revealed no joy or anger, neither calling out nor taking the deed from her hand, she felt somewhat awkward. Suddenly, she slapped her forehead and took out a letter from her bosom, smilingly saying: "Look at my memory, Young Master Cheng also entrusted me with a letter to deliver to the young official."

This is a special request made by the little woman at the yamen, where she spent four qian of silver to have Liu, the official in charge of the household, personally handle the matter

My injury was due to my own momentary carelessness, having fallen victim to the treachery of thieves, and it has nothing to do with Young Master Cheng. There is no reason for me to seek his apology. If this were to spread, people would mistakenly think that I am unable to discern right from wrong

The middle-aged woman, who excelled in rap, noticed Wang Fulian's bewildered expression. With a beaming smile, she took out a contract from her bosom and presented it with both hands. She then lowered her voice and said: "Young Master Cheng specifically instructed me, so I went to find over a dozen families selling their own sons, selecting those with the finest skin and tender flesh, and of suitable height and build. As long as I teach them for a while, they will surely be obedient in every way."

Thus, in just a fleeting moment, he conjured up a rough scenario of the last so-called banquet. Upon first encountering the vast world, a novice, amidst the clinking of glasses and social exchanges, was immediately captivated by the sight of Young Master Cheng showcasing his handsome attendant! ... However, since the letter mentioned "daring not to use his attendant," it is likely ... perhaps ... it should ...! ... Absolutely nothing truly outrageous was done! But since the letter mentioned "daring not to use his attendant," it is likely ... perhaps ... it should ...! ... Absolutely nothing truly outrageous was done!

It was originally the case that Zhu Yuanzhang strictly prohibited commoners from keeping slaves. However, there were always impoverished families who, in order to make a living, sold their children or even sold themselves. Consequently, over time, they adopted the form of marriage certificates to obscurely document the buying and selling of servants as the nurturing of sons and daughters. Thus, in the common folk, servants often referred to their masters as "father" and "mother," and the master's children as "older brother" and "older sister." Of course, those from gentry and official families would not be so casual.

Seeing Wang Fulian's lack of gratitude, the middle-aged woman recalled the reward promised by Young Master Cheng when she took on this matter, and she became somewhat anxious. Taking advantage of the fact that Wang Fulian was just a country bumpkin, her voice and demeanor, though lower, were laced with sharpness: "Although the young official has just entered the academy, this injury will require half a month of recovery, and he may not be aware of the happenings outside. The rumors in the county about the young official are rampant and unfavorable. Young Master Cheng comes from a prominent family; if you establish a good relationship with him, he will surely be able to persuade his elders on your behalf. However, if you go against his goodwill, it will only add to your troubles! Young official, I urge you to think carefully. It is a fine thing for scholars to exchange good servants, and it is not a bad matter!"

For the next two days, Wang Fulian tried his best to avoid being alone with his sisters, lest he reveal any flaws. However, whether it was the eldest sister or the second sister and younger sister, despite their words, their actions showed great concern for him. In the end, he could only resent this troublesome time travel that left him without any memories. From the slightly older eldest sister, he finally understood what that contract was all about

As a seasoned matchmaker, the middle-aged woman had dealt with such matters before, yet it was her first encounter with someone refusing. She quickly forced a smile and said, "Young sir, Master Cheng has a sincere heart. If you do not accept, would it not imply that you are unwilling to forgive Master Cheng?"

The ink fragrance is a gift from my grandmother; having not received the esteemed command, I dare not serve it to others. I now send the matchmaker to seek a suitable child to take its place

"You ask me, who should I ask?" Wang Fulian raised his eyebrows with a sense of disinterest, then muttered to himself, "This is so frustrating!"

It seems those rumors are indeed quite remarkable; even a mere toothless old woman knows about them and dares to use them to threaten herself

Damn it, the previous owner of this body must have been a wayward youth! If that were the case, he would rather slit his throat and die again immediately

This is the first time Wang Fulian has heard of such underhanded methods, and he has made a mental note of it. However, what concerns him more at the moment is the possibility of losing his status as a scholar; he has no desire to be involved with this "great gift." He immediately shook his head and said, "One should not receive rewards without merit. I have accepted Young Master Cheng's letter, but you should take this contract and the person back with you."

While contemplating these relationships, Wang Fulian absentmindedly took the contract from the middle-aged woman's hand. With the previous contract for Jinbao in mind, he noticed that this document resembled the one for Jinbao; it was also a contract for selling a male servant. The only changes were the intermediary and the seller, while the space for himself, as one of the contracting parties, was left blank. He couldn't help but glance up at the middle-aged woman again.

Wang Fulian was involuntarily yanked up from the bed by Erniang, while Jin Bao, quick-witted and nimble, knelt down and swiftly helped Wang Fulian put on his shoes. By the time Wang Fulian was forcibly pulled out the door, one foot higher than the other, he noticed that both his elder sister and younger sister were in the courtyard. The younger sister was merely curious, but the elder sister's expression was quite nuanced.

The middle-aged woman scrutinized Wang Fulian with her eyes. Seeing that he remained obstinate, she finally realized that the person she was meeting this time was a naive young scholar who lacked social understanding. Having just spoken rather harshly, she feared that the matter could not be resolved, and felt a sense of regret in her heart. After reluctantly offering her greetings, she smiled at her elder sister, second sister, and younger sister, then stepped forward to grab the fallen autumn leaves and left in a huff.

In front of them stood a middle-aged woman with a thick layer of makeup on her face, and beside her was a young man who appeared to be two or three years older than Jin Bao. He had red lips and white teeth, looking refined and elegant. At that moment, he lowered his gaze, his lips pressed tightly together, and it was unclear whether his expression was one of tension or fear.

Brother, why has another one been sent from outside!

Wang Fulian was greatly shocked, but at the same time, he secretly felt fortunate that this little fellow was honest and spoke freely. It was precisely because of this that he became aware of his current situation. In this era where the imperial examination was held in high regard, even being just a xiucai (a degree holder) meant entering the scholar class, which allowed one to enjoy various privileges such as tax exemption and exemption from labor. Regardless of whether he planned to continue in the examination system in the future, this title must be preserved

Having understood this, Wang Fulin, feeling relieved regarding Jinbao, deliberately approached him. There was no other reason, but because his interactions with Jinbao had been minimal, it was not easy for him to be seen through after he had vanquished demons. Moreover, the little fellow was still quite young and easily led into conversation. However, despite his efforts to please him, Jinbao spoke whatever came to mind, but being too young, he had only a superficial understanding of many things. As a result, he knew very little about his own life in Songming Mountain Village. The only thing worth celebrating was that he could finally walk a few steps and was no longer like a useless person confined to bed. Yet, despite his attempts to win Jinbao's favor, Jinbao spoke whatever came to mind, but being too young, he had only a superficial understanding of many things. Consequently, he knew very little about his own life in Songming Mountain Village. The only thing worth celebrating was that he could finally walk a few steps and was no longer like a useless person confined to bed.

Has the young official's health improved significantly?

Although he has left behind few memories of the past, Wang Fulian now appears as a fourteen-year-old novice scholar, yet deep down he is the same Wang Fulian who has struggled and fought in the vast world for many years. Through the deliberately low whispers of that middle-aged woman, he faintly senses that the so-called Young Master Cheng sending gifts as an apology seems to be more complicated than it appears on the surface

If one is merely to send a servant, it suffices to emphasize how capable and skilled the person is; there is no need to stress the delicate skin and slender physique

Although Wang Fulian only received a few pieces of information from Jinbao, one crucial detail was that Wang Fulian had studied in Songming Mountain since childhood and only went to the county town during exam times

Wang Fulian, who was splattered with saliva by Wang Eniang, couldn't help but be taken aback: "What, another one has been sent?"

The younger sister blinked her eyes inexplicably and said seriously: "Second sister is really foolish. Isn't Jinbao calling brother 'dad'? Being taken advantage of means that dad has been taken advantage of!"

I had thought that living another life would allow me to become a leisurely small landlord with some achievements, but unexpectedly, I am faced with a crisis of reputation and the need to send away a servant who seems to be a child of dubious character, what a predicament!

Without waiting for Wang Fulian to respond, she turned her head to glance at the boy who was only eleven or twelve years old that year, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes: "Qiu Feng, are you not coming to greet your father?"

Do not forget that your dear father received twelve taels of silver for Young Master Cheng. If later the young official speaks ill of you, you should know the consequences yourself