Chapter 0009: The Land Sale Controversy (Part One)

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At the hour of Shen (around 4 to 5 PM), school was dismissed at the study hall, and those little rascals rushed out like a charge, shouldering their book baskets and sprinting outside, in an instant, they had all disappeared.

"Oh dear, Jin has come back from school!" Xu Youcai's wife, He, with her sharp eyes, immediately called out in a sarcastic tone upon seeing Xu Jinxing enter the courtyard

Xu Jin could not help but feel speechless, his face burning hot

Today, after Professor Guo taught Xu Jin the writing methods and techniques of the eight-legged essay, he assigned a topic for Xu Jin to write about. As a result, Xu Jin procrastinated for an entire afternoon before finally managing to complete it.

Xu Jin is a modern individual who is accustomed to writing in vernacular Chinese. Asking him to engage in tonal patterns, antithesis, rhyme, and parallelism is akin to asking an ordinary person to pilot a fighter jet, completely unaware of which button to press

Xie Xiaowan hurriedly stood in front of Xu Jin, crying, "Do not hit my husband, if you must hit someone, then hit me instead!"

He cursed with shared indignation: "Indeed, we even shared a dou of grain with his family, truly a treacherous wolf that bites the hand that feeds it. Fortunately, we caught him measuring the rice field, otherwise this little brat would have secretly sold the land, truly insidious!"

Xu Youcai sneered and said: "Tenth brother, today your wife has taken someone to measure and appraise the property. If it weren't for Xiqin happening to catch them, they might have even handed over the land deed. And this was still a spur-of-the-moment decision? Do you really think the clan leader is foolish?"

Mr. Guo took over Xu Jin's scroll and was immediately struck by its brilliance, exclaiming, "What beautiful characters!"

As the saying goes, "A favor of rice is repaid with a斗 of rice;" some people, once they take advantage of others, begin to feel entitled. Xu Youcai was such a person; he had already regarded the six acres of rice fields belonging to the Xu Jin family as his own. Upon hearing that Xu Jin actually planned to sell the rice fields, he was instantly enraged and rushed out of the house in his wooden clogs.

If Xu Jin's calligraphy is as pleasing as fine jade and exquisite nectar, then the article is as repulsive as a pile of dog feces, representing two extremes

How dare the nephew not regard the clan leader with respect? The matter of selling the land was also a sudden decision by the nephew, and even Xiao Wan was unaware, so there was no time to discuss it with you, the clan leader

Old Ten is back!

Hey, Jin Ge'er is off from school!

Something has happened! Xu Jin's heart tightened, and he immediately rushed over

Of course, whether it is a masterpiece remains uncertain; those that can pass the examination should be considered articles that meet the standard level.

Master Guo sighed softly, considering this disciple to be quite peculiar. He could answer questions about the scriptures fluently, yet when it came to writing, he produced a completely nonsensical article. It was infuriating; even if he had never written before, it should not have turned out like this. There was no structure, numerous errors, and it lacked any sense of beauty.

Xie Xiaowan was taken aback, her small mouth agape. At that moment, the tone and expression of her husband while speaking made even her start to believe it a little.

Xu Youcai glared with both eyes and said fiercely, "So what if the field belongs to his family? Dare to sell it and see? I will go find the clan leader to deal with that little brat!" After saying this, he stormed out.

Xu Jin subconsciously quickened his pace, and as a result, he soon saw that quite a few people had gathered in his yard, with villagers watching from the other side of the fence.

Xu Youcai immediately stopped in his tracks upon hearing this and cursed, "Damn woman, can't you finish your sentence in one go? You made me think they were ready to make a deal. Since Lao Shi is not here, there's no need to rush. Hmph, the little brat has grown quite bold, daring to sell the land without asking me!"

Xu Jin is a seasoned veteran who has navigated the business world for decades. He possesses exceptional interpersonal skills, effortlessly spinning lies without batting an eye, and has first clarified his relationship with Xie Xiaowan

The white-haired old man with a cane is Xu Deming, the clan leader of Xu Family Village. In feudal society, the concept of family was very strong among the people, and thus the power of the clan leader was frighteningly great. If there were internal conflicts within the family and no one reported it to the county office, the county officials would not intervene, leaving the resolution entirely to the clan leader. For instance, if a woman from a family did not adhere to the proper conduct expected of her, the clan leader could order her to be drowned in a pig cage, effectively killing her by suffocation.

Guo Deming heavily struck the ground with his cane, his face darkened as he said: "You ungrateful wretch, such a significant matter as selling the land is not even discussed with me. Do you not see me as the clan leader at all?"

In the yard, Xie Xiaowan was standing with her head down, wiping her tears, resembling a frightened little quail, while an old man with white hair, leaning on a cane, continued to scold her loudly. Meanwhile, Xu Youcai and his wife were standing nearby, coldly laughing in glee at her misfortune

Guo Baichuan waved his hand and said: "You may go home for now. Tomorrow's topic is: 'One should not be angry when others are unaware.' Think it over tonight and come back tomorrow to write an essay. If it is as nonsensical as today's piece, I will impose a severe penalty!"

Xu Jin felt frustrated as he stepped back, thinking to himself that he was a top graduate from a prestigious university, a successful businessman who had navigated the ups and downs of the commercial world for decades, yet he had fallen to the point of writing some nonsensical eight-legged essays in the Ming Dynasty

Xu Jin finished organizing the books and took a recently completed essay in the classical style to the adjacent lounge to seek the master's feedback.

Xu Jin awkwardly touched his nose, feeling a bit flushed, as he knew that his article was a complete mess

Xu Youcai was dreaming of marrying a concubine when he was suddenly jolted awake by someone. The delicate face of the concubine instantly transformed into the yellowed face of his wife, He, which made him furious, and he slapped her in anger.

Young Master! Upon seeing Xu Jin, Xie Xiaowan immediately began to cry in grievance

Xu Jin was suddenly filled with anger, and a sense of resentment surged within him. He couldn't even bring himself to scold that girl Xiao Wan, yet now he was being bullied by others to such an extent. This was absolutely unacceptable

Xu Jin could not help but feel bewildered; the matter of finding a broker had not been made public, and it was likely that a buyer had come to view the land today and was spotted by Xu Youcai's wife

However, Xu Jin was not an impulsive hothead; he took a deep breath to suppress the anger within him before stepping into the courtyard

Moreover, the eight-legged essay requires that the length of sentences, the complexity of characters, the pitch of tones, and other elements must be relatively standardized, with a limitation on the number of characters. Without specialized practice, it is fundamentally impossible to write such essays. To achieve excellence in writing, several years of diligent effort are certainly necessary

He hurriedly said: "Master, do not worry. Lao Shi has gone to the private school to study today; it is just that Lao Shi's family has brought a broker to measure and appraise the property"

At this moment, Guo Deming is reprimanding Xie Xiaowan, implying that she has not fulfilled her duties as a wife, which has led Xu Jin to engage in the rebellious and wasteful act of selling off family property

However, when Master Guo saw the content of the article, his old face immediately fell, and his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Finally, he threw the scroll aside and cursed, "Nonsense, utter nonsense!"

Xu Youcai let out a cold laugh twice as he put on his outer garment. He Shi suddenly lowered his voice and said: "Master, those six acres of rice fields ultimately belong to the old Shi family, and the land deed is in that little brat's hands. If he insists on selling, we have no way to stop him!"

Thank you for your teachings, Master! Xu Jin respectfully took the scroll and kept it safe

Due to the strenuous task of carrying manure to the fields for winter fertilization this morning, Xu Youcai was extremely exhausted. After finishing lunch, he lay down for an afternoon nap, and within moments, his snoring was as loud as thunder

The eight-legged essay typically draws its topics from the Four Books and Five Classics, and the content must be expressed in the tone of ancient scholars, with absolutely no allowance for creative interpretation. This is what is referred to as standing in for the sages to articulate their thoughts

Xu Jin, moved, pulled the little girl behind him and said gently, "Stay here obediently, your husband will take care of it!"

Hmph! Guo Deming let out a cold snort, his dissatisfaction clearly written on his face. This little brat came in and first sweet-talked his wife, not even bothering to greet him, clearly showing that he does not regard this clan leader in his eyes

Xu Deming raised his cane but did not strike down; his gaze was somewhat peculiar. The calm demeanor of this young man infuriated him, yet it also sparked a greater sense of curiosity.

Xu Jin cast a cold glance at Xu Youcai and his wife, and he could easily deduce with just a thought that today's incident was undoubtedly instigated by this pair of scoundrels

At this moment, the two examination papers that Guo Baichuan presented to Xu Jin were precisely the two essays in the eight-legged essay format that he had written during his successful county and provincial examinations, which had always been his prideful masterpieces

Xu Jin, carrying a basket of books, walked home while pondering the writing style of the eight-legged essay, and before he knew it, he had entered Xu Family Village

Although Guo Baichuan was stuck at the provincial examination and never passed to become a scholar, he successfully passed both the county and prefectural examinations, thus earning the title of Tongsheng

Xie Xiaowan trembled slightly in fear, and Xu Jin gently patted her frail shoulder, turning around to bow and say: "Nephew pays respects to the clan leader"

Xu Jin was quite fond of calligraphy in his previous life. He practiced brush writing from a young age and truly put in a great deal of effort, especially after turning forty. He gradually set aside company affairs and pursued what he loved at will, dedicating time each day to practice calligraphy. As a result, his brushwork became increasingly refined, and his regular script was comparable to that of national masters

Xu Jin felt displeased; why should I consult you about selling my own land? However, Xu Jin also understood the authority of the clan leader. If he were to confront him head-on, it would only lead to self-inflicted suffering, as he was indeed in a weak position.

Yet the most challenging aspect is that one cannot express oneself in one's own words; it is necessary to write in the tone of Confucius and Mencius, while also citing classical texts. There must be no blasphemous language regarding the sages, and one must avoid mentioning the names and temple titles of the current dynasty's emperors.

This is the essay I wrote during my participation in the county and provincial examinations in the past. Take it back and study it carefully, then write an essay in the eight-legged format every day. I will provide you with the topics!" Guo Baichuan handed two scrolls to Xu Jin

Xu Jin was both shocked and angry; selling the land was his own idea, so how could he blame Xiao Wan for it? Moreover, he was selling his own land, so it was none of anyone else's business. The clan leader was being overly meddlesome!

The Master has praised me erroneously! Xu Jin smiled humbly and said, yet he remains quite confident in his calligraphy.

Master Guo reprimanded with a cold face: "Look at what you have written, with this level of skill, it is better not to participate in the county examination, so as not to bring shame to me!"

He Shi had become accustomed to slapping her husband, and covering her face, she anxiously said: "Don't sleep yet, the old Ten's (Xie Xiaowan) people just went to measure the rice fields, they probably intend to sell the land."

Xu Jin could not help but feel a pang of sympathy. Ignoring the gazes of those around him, he gently wrapped his arm around Xie Xiaowan's shoulders and comforted her, saying, "Xiaowan, do not be afraid; everything will be taken care of by your husband."

Xu Jin had a vague sense that something was amiss, as the villagers he encountered all had strange expressions and smiles that carried a hint of mockery

Old man, I will kill you, you wicked creature! Xu Deming, furious, raised his cane and was about to strike Xu Jinyi with it

Xu Youcai took a sip of ice cream, and instantly felt wide awake. In recent years, by cultivating the six mu of rice fields belonging to the Xu Jin family, he has earned a few extra taels of silver each year, making his life much more comfortable than before