Chapter 007: Mr. Lian

At this point, Su Jun had solved the problem and finally felt in the mood to chat with Miss Yan and Miss Jiang. She was cheerful and lively, and before long, she had blended in with everyone.

Ji Cheng did not expect Shen Cui to dislike Su Jun, who was so well-liked by everyone. At this moment, she could not speak well of Su Jun, as it would surely provoke Shen Cui's displeasure. She had come to seek an ally, but going along with Shen Cui's words felt inappropriate to Ji Cheng. After all, it was not a good thing to have a strained relationship with someone she would be interacting with for a long time in the academy.

After having dinner in the evening and sending off the last group of guests, Ji Cheng felt that the flesh on her cheeks had stiffened from smiling. Looking at Shen Yuan and Shen Qian, they too seemed to have lost a significant amount of their spirit. She thought to herself that being a young lady from a prominent family was indeed not an easy task. Just managing this wave after wave of guests, remembering their names and temperaments, and having to engage in conversation and jokes was an extremely challenging endeavor

When Mr. Lian arrived at the residence, he naturally could not miss the opportunity to meet the second young lady. However, he was too lazy to engage in verbal sparring or couplets with her, and instead posed a single question, which completely impressed the young ladies of the Shen family.

On the chessboard, the large triangle has one piece at the top that has already been flipped over, the two pieces in the middle of the bottom four have been flipped over, and one piece in the middle of the second-to-last row of three pieces has also been turned over. As a result, the remaining pieces can indeed no longer form a triangle.

Shen Cui leaned against her body and glared at Ji Cheng, "Cousin, are you foolish? Today, Su Jun clearly looks down on you, not even bothering to talk to you, yet you still want to put your warm face against her cold backside? And that so-and-so, as soon as they heard you are my mother's niece, they just sneered, and you actually managed to smile.

Shen Qian continued to chatter with Su Jun, "Mr. Lian often poses strange and unusual questions to test us. Last time, he presented a chess problem."

At this moment, Shen Yuan and Shen Cui had already approached to greet the two newly arrived young ladies, while Su Jun was still completely focused on the game of chess

"When I was in Jin, Mr. Lian taught me for two years," Ji Cheng said with a smile. Later, the Shen family sought renowned teachers everywhere, and her father recommended Mr. Lian to Ji Lan. In fact, Ji Cheng was very reluctant to part with Lian Puhui, but she also understood that Mr. Lian's presence at the Shen residence would greatly benefit her future, which is why she allowed her father to recommend Mr. Lian.

Su Jun never expected it to be such a simple question. Her instinct was, of course, "impossible." However, since it had stumped Shen He, there must be a reason for it. Could it be that it can move forward? But it clearly cannot. Su Jun thought to herself, could it be that Shen He was thinking the same way as she was, and thus said "possible," when in fact the answer was simply "impossible"?

"Sister Jun is a guest who has come from afar, and everyone naturally treats her with a bit more care; this is the way of hospitality and does not imply that she is better than you and Sister Yuan and the other sisters," Ji Cheng said.

In fact, this is not a very difficult question; it primarily tests the time taken to solve it. Su Jun solved it in a short while, which clearly demonstrates that she is a very perceptive person

Ji Cheng smiled awkwardly again. In fact, this question was also one she had used to test Mr. Lian, and it was merely a "side issue." At that time, she had set a time limit for Mr. Lian, and naturally, he lost. What Ji Cheng did not expect was that someone could solve it at a glance. When she first posed this question, it was during a moment of boredom while playing double-sided chess, and it was an interesting little puzzle she came up with. However, she herself could not solve it at a glance.

Shen Qian pouted and said: "Oh dear, I was just a bit too happy at the moment. Besides, it didn't take much time; when I took it to Second Brother, he solved it with just a glance."

Two years ago, when Mr. Lian arrived at the Shen residence, the second daughter of the Shen family, Shen He, had not yet married. She was a well-known talented woman in the capital. If the tutors invited by the family could not pass Shen He's scrutiny, they should quickly cover their faces and leave with their bundles.

This question was one of the "exam questions" that Ji Cheng had initially.

Ji Cheng smiled wryly: "My background is not something I can decide for myself"

The two young girls are the granddaughters of the late Duke of Qi's old friends, one with the surname Yan and the other with the surname Jiang

Ji Cheng smiled without speaking, while Shen Cui sat up straight and leaned closer to Ji Cheng, "I think Su Jun is just like that, her appearance is not as neat as yours. The Su family is no longer the Su family of yesteryear, and those who have never seen the world are just eager to curry favor with her, elevating her as if she were a celestial being."

The actual birthday of the elderly lady has not yet arrived, and during this period, many former students and acquaintances of the Duke of Qi's residence have come to pay their respects. On the actual day, there will be a grand banquet for the officials appointed by the court. It is said that people from the palace will also be sent to congratulate the elderly lady on her birthday. In the days following the actual birthday, the elderly lady will host a banquet for the relatives of the Shen family and close family friends, mainly for the female guests. Additionally, there will be performances by dancers and singers from the Changchun Garden for five consecutive days at the Qingle Garden.

Fortunately, there was already a green canopy carriage waiting outside. Ji Lan had to leave early due to matters at home during dinner, so at this moment, Ji Cheng was sharing a carriage with Shen Cui

So you are the disciple of Mr. Lian that Xian has mentioned before. This was the first time Shen Qian truly looked at Ji Cheng.

Shen Qian waved her hand and said, "It's not chess, just watch."

The female students of the Shen residence also hold a great fondness for Mr. Lian, as he is a very interesting person, not the type of bookworm who merely studies dead texts.

Qingyuan is indeed one of the four famous gardens of the Duke's residence in the capital city.

Shen Cui was momentarily taken aback, "Who cares about you, you fool."

"I never expected that we would have a day to meet in person." Shen Qian exclaimed in surprise

Shen Yan watched from the side, secretly nodding in approval. Truly, he is worthy of being Mr. Lian's disciple. Although his background is not prominent, he displays an air of neither servility nor arrogance in every aspect. His sense of propriety in conversation is also exceptionally well-measured. Just now, I indeed underestimated this cousin.

"Hmm, hmm." Shen Qian nodded vigorously a few times, "This is the assignment given by Mr. Lian, and I can never seem to finish it, yet I do not dare to say that I have tried my best." Shen Qian began to chatter on about Mr. Lian's amusing anecdotes.

Shen Qian smiled in admiration and said, "Sister Jun, you are amazing; you solved it in just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Let's go take a look."

If the young ladies who came today all think highly of Ji Cheng, then their feelings for Su Jun are genuine affection, as they come from the same social background and feel more at ease when conversing.

Shen Yan smiled and explained: "Mr. Lian often mentions his former female disciple in front of us, saying that she is intelligent and cunning, and that he has benefited greatly from her."

Su Jun was taken aback, "That's right, how did I not think of that? Oh dear, my mind is really dull"

Ji Cheng fell silent for a moment before saying: "Men achieve success and establish their careers, often for the sake of securing a wife and providing for their children. This is what is meant by 'the predecessors plant trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.' Our forebears have invested much blood and sweat; for instance, the Duke of the Shen family died on the battlefield. All of this is to ensure that future generations can have a better future than others. These riches and honors have been exchanged for the blood of our ancestors. They, and even you, have every right to be a little prouder than others."

Shen Yan sighed, this fourth sister just loves to challenge everyone with the questions posed by Mr. Lian, and every time she stumps them, she is overjoyed. "Sister Qian, this question is time-consuming, why are you bringing it out now to trouble your sister Jun? You should also consider the timing; look at the hour, I fear guests will be arriving soon."

I think it is impossible Su Jun spoke frankly

Shen Qian asked Ji Cheng again, "Sister Cheng, have you figured it out?"

Shen Cui smiled sarcastically, clearly still not satisfied with Ji Cheng's statement, "But you are also a guest who has come from afar, why are they not treating you with courtesy?"

Ji Cheng smiled without answering, and everyone took it as if she had not responded. Some felt a bit embarrassed and did not pursue the question further, as it would be impolite.

Only the Chessboard Mountain is visible, where Shen Qian arranged ten chess pieces into a large triangle, with one piece at the top, four pieces at the bottom, and two and three pieces in the middle respectively

But what qualifications do they have to look down on us? Shen Cui retorted, "That wealth and glory were earned by their ancestors, not because they themselves possess any abilities."

"Sister Cheng, did Mr. Lian not ask you this question back then?" Shen Qian inquired

At this point, Shen Qian immediately had a maid bring a chess set. Su Jun thought she was being asked to solve a chess problem. She was accustomed to playing Go and had rarely played chess, so she awkwardly said: "I haven't played chess much."

Su Jun became quite irritated; since others could accomplish it with just a glance, it made no sense for her to spend so much time on it. Thus, she paid close attention to observe, but after several attempts, she still could not succeed. Moreover, the spring cicadas led two young girls in to play, so Su Jun had no choice but to give up.

"Sister Jun, look, now please turn four of these ten chess pieces over to their backs, so that any three pieces facing up cannot form a triangle with all three sides equal. Give it a try," Shen Qian said excitedly.

Shen Cui chuckled, "Of course it's possible, how simple is that? When going downhill, isn't it possible to move forward?"

Shen Cui looked at Ji Cheng in surprise, not expecting her to say such a thing. However, Shen Cui was also unwilling to admit that Ji Cheng's words had some merit, and instead retorted sarcastically, "So, you mean to say that because you come from a merchant background, you should demean yourself?"

Indeed, Shen Cui's thoughts are quite reasonable; do nobles and high officials possess any inherent superiority?

Shen Yan said: "Jun, you are not at all foolish; you simply could not think of it at the moment. In fact, we sisters were all present at that time, and none of us could figure out the reason. Even Mr. Lian said that it is not that we are foolish, but rather that we have become accustomed to studying and have forgotten about practical life. Later, the principles she taught us were all useful in life. As daughters, we do not aim to be top scholars, so our understanding of those texts naturally differs from that of men. Mr. Lian has indeed opened a new path for us."

Uh. Ji Cheng's face instantly turned red; he truly did not expect someone like Mr. Lian to give such compliments.

Therefore, in the past two days, the Shen family is likely to have many guests arriving. Ji Cheng also stepped forward to greet the two young ladies. She spoke little, but her frequent smile and her keen ability to listen made most of the visiting young ladies remember her, not to mention her remarkable beauty.

It is actually not a difficult problem. Shen Qian said: "The gentleman asked: There is a cart loaded with goods, one person is pushing from the front, and another is pulling from the back. Can the cart still move forward?"

Su Jun nodded in agreement.

Shen Qian shook Su Jun and said, "Sister Jun, please speak quickly."

Ah, I knew I wasn't the dumbest. My second sister managed to solve it in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense when she returned to our family home, while I fiddled with it for an entire day, trying almost every method before finally figuring it out

Shen Yan said: "Do you think everyone is Er Ge?"

The few young ladies here had not spoken for a while when Su Jun suddenly exclaimed joyfully, "I have solved it."

Ji Cheng turned to look at Shen Cui, her eyes crescent-shaped with laughter, "Fifth sister, it turns out you care about me too"

Mr. Lian is currently a female teacher invited to the Shen residence. She is well-versed in a wide range of knowledge, with a profound understanding of both ancient and modern texts. Her personal character is also exceptionally noble and upright, earning her great respect from both the Duke and the Earl. In the Shen family, her status is quite transcendent, and she is not regarded as an ordinary teacher.

Su Jun observed that everyone began discussing Mr. Lian, and she was quite curious. With her eyes curved in a smile, she said, "From what you all are saying, this Mr. Lian seems to be quite impressive."

When they returned to the area of Tie Mao Hutong, not to mention that Ji Cheng had already lost his strength, Shen Cui had long needed to rely on the maid to stand, disregarding her image in the slightest

Ji Cheng was somewhat surprised and did not understand what was meant by "Mr. Lian's former disciple"

Ji Cheng was truly at a loss for how to respond; this question was originally meant to test Mr. Lian. Mr. Lian, who lived a solitary life in Jin, was highly knowledgeable but also had a rather strong temperament. How could he willingly become the husband of a merchant's daughter? Ji Cheng had made a bet with Lian Puhui, and only after outsmarting Mr. Lian did she come to the Ji family to take on the role of a teacher.

By chance, Mr. Lian had an old acquaintance in the capital, so he gladly went there

Su Jun was captivated and asked, "What questions did Mr. Lian ask Second Sister that made her convinced?"