Chapter 4, Night Reading

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuliu felt a deep sense of shame, as if it were he himself who had failed to pass the provincial examination, rather than Jiang Zhou.

Yuan Dong'er’s eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and she covered her mouth while yawning incessantly. Jiang Zhuliu, unable to bear seeing her suffer any longer, made an excuse that he wanted to read for a while longer, allowing her to go to bed first. Although Yuan Dong'er was initially reluctant to sleep, upon hearing that Jiang Zhuliu wanted to read, she quickly obediently climbed into bed. No matter how reluctant she was, she could not let it affect the official's future

On the second day, Yuan Dong'er woke up and found Jiang Zhuliu asleep at the desk, his clothes having fallen to the floor. Yuan Dong'er affectionately picked up the clothes and draped them over Jiang Zhuliu, then pushed the door open and walked out.

Yuan Dong'er is merely a seventeen-year-old girl. Although the pressures of life have forced her to mature prematurely, she still lacks in her ability to express herself. When she narrates, not only is she verbose, but her words often fail to convey the intended meaning. She can spend a considerable amount of time discussing trivial details, while important matters are often glossed over in vague phrases, leaving Jiang Zhuliu to ask numerous questions before he can fully grasp the situation. Thus, as she speaks and he inquires, by the time Jiang Zhuliu has completely understood the circumstances of Jiang Village, it is nearly dawn.

This time, when the provincial examination was held in Luoyang, Jiang's mother believed it was a rare opportunity. As long as Jiang Zhou could succeed, their family would be able to rise and hold their heads high in the village. Jiang Zhou had no money or books, so Jiang's mother resolutely sold their only two acres of irrigated land to provide him with funds. However, she did not expect that not only did Jiang Zhou fail to pass the examination, but he also went missing.

After serving Jiang's mother her meal, the sky had already turned completely dark

"Alright, Dong'er, I won't look at it for now," Jiang Zhuliu said as he tossed the "Zhou Yi Zheng Yi" onto the table. "First, tell me about the situation at home and in the village. Otherwise, when I meet the villagers tomorrow, I won't know anything, and that would be quite embarrassing, wouldn't it?"

A family was having breakfast when suddenly a young boy ran in from outside. As soon as he entered, he shouted at Jiang Zhuliu: "Brother Jiang Zhou, the village chief is gathering all the young and strong men in the ancestral hall to discuss matters. My father heard that you have returned, so he sent me to call you over"

Outside, the old woman pressed her ear against the window to eavesdrop. At that moment, she heard the continuous creaking sounds from inside the house, which made her smile with delight. The old lady nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself that if the young couple continued like this, she would soon be able to hold her grandchild. The old woman trembled as she made her way back to the main room, feeling content as she went to sleep.

A small, bean-sized light flickered in the room, its glow alternating between bright and dim. Although the oil lamp cast a dim light, it was sufficient for Jiang Zhuliu to see the situation inside the room clearly

The Jiang family's main branch has the largest population and the greatest influence within the Jiang clan. The clan leader, Jiang Jinchuan, belongs to this main branch, and Jiang Dahai is the eldest grandson of Jiang Jinchuan. This time, Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu, who are going to Luoyang to participate in the provincial examination together with Jiang Zhuliu and Tu Shu, are the cousins of Jiang Dahai; their father is the second son of Jiang Jinchuan

Jiang Zhuliu suddenly let out a long sigh, his heart, which had been tense and lodged in his throat, finally settled back into his belly. It turned out that Yuan Dong'er was not waiting for him in seductive lingerie as Jiang Zhuliu had imagined beforehand. There was a wooden table by the bed, on which a vegetable oil lamp was placed. Next to the lamp, neatly arranged were writing brushes, ink, paper, and a few worn-out thread-bound books. Yuan Dong'er was dressed neatly, grinding ink at the inkstone.

It turns out that all the villagers in Jiang Village belong to the Jiang clan, and they are all related in one way or another. However, due to the long history of Jiang Village, the relationships within the Jiang clan vary in closeness, and several branches have formed based on the degree of kinship.

Ah, how strange! Jiang Zhuliu sighed inwardly, saying: "I understand the meaning of every word in this book, and I also comprehend the meaning of each sentence formed by these words, but I just cannot grasp how these sentences are put together.

"Well, any book will do." Jiang Zhuliu pulled out a chair and sat down at the desk. The old chair creaked incessantly, as if it would fall apart at any moment if Jiang Zhuliu's movements were any more forceful.

When Father Jiang was alive, the situation was somewhat better. After Father Jiang passed away, along with the *Tu* and *Shu*, Mother Jiang suffered relentless bullying. She secretly vowed that no matter how much suffering she endured, she would support her son’s education, hoping that he could secure a government position through the imperial examination in the future, so that those who looked down on her could see.

The so-called main house refers to the thatched cottage where Mother Jiang resides; the west wing refers to the thatched cottage on the west side; of course, it goes without saying that the kitchen of the Jiang family is the thatched cottage in the northeast. In total, the Jiang family has just these three rooms

The only family left is that of Jiang Zhou. Although they belong to the Jiang clan, they branched off early and are considered a collateral line, making their relationship with the main branch quite distant. Furthermore, the Jiang Zhou line has had several generations of only one male heir, resulting in a sparse population. With Jiang's father passing away early, the other villagers took the opportunity to marginalize this orphaned mother and child.

Yuan Dong'er then remembered that her husband was an amnesiac. She smiled apologetically and said, "My lord, it is Dong'er who has not thought things through. I will explain it to you right away"

The "Zhou Yi Zheng Yi" is one of the texts compiled by a group of renowned Confucian scholars led by Kong Yingda during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, as part of the "Wujing Zhengyi". In addition to the main text of the "Zhou Yi", the book also includes interpretations from various famous scholars. However, in Jiang Zhuliu's view, the text of the "Zhou Yi" is inherently obscure and difficult to understand, and the so-called interpretations by these renowned scholars are even more incomprehensible, leaving him utterly confused. Indeed, when they do not provide explanations, Jiang Zhuliu can grasp it to some extent, but once they offer their interpretations, he becomes completely bewildered.

Jiang Zhu Liu steeled himself and entered the western chamber, his face as red as a monkey's bottom

Yuan Dong'er hurriedly prepared the meal and then went into the room to wake Jiang Zhuliu, calling him to have breakfast. Of course, the so-called breakfast was merely a thin soup that could reflect a person's shadow; it was just enough to fill the stomach a little and rinse the intestines, making it utterly impossible to feel full.

As Jiang Zhuliu entered, Yuan Dong'er quickly put down her ink and approached him: "Sir, which book are we reviewing today?"

The sun was already high in the sky. Yuan Dong'er noticed that smoke was rising from the kitchen chimney. Upon entering, she found that her mother-in-law was cooking porridge. She hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Mother, I am truly sorry for being late. Not only did I wake up late, but I also made you work hard to prepare the meal. Please take a rest, and let me take over the cooking."

Jiang Zhuliu casually opened a copy of "Zhou Yi Zheng Yi" and took a glance, which immediately gave him a headache. Jiang Zhuliu had a passion for calligraphy since childhood, starting to copy ancient masters' calligraphy from the age of 8. By the time he entered university, his calligraphy skills could be described as accomplished, especially his imitation of the slender gold script of Emperor Huizong of Song, which was truly extraordinary. Although the traditional characters in "Zhou Yi Zheng Yi" posed some reading difficulties for modern Chinese people, they were not a challenge for Jiang Zhuliu, a calligraphy enthusiast. What gave him a headache was the content of "Zhou Yi Zheng Yi".

Mother Jiang smiled kindly and said, "It's alright, it's alright. You and Zhou have been apart for a long time, so of course you should share more intimate words at night! It's no problem to get up a little later."

In addition to the main branch of the Jiang family, there are several branches within the Jiang clan, with each branch consisting of more than ten households at most and as few as three or two households at least. Although these branches have a smaller population, they are united in spirit and can support one another, which generally prevents the main branch of the Jiang family from bullying them.

It seems this is a habit left by Jiang Zhou! Jiang Zhuliu's mindset, reading by lamplight at night, is a commendable habit that allows him to brazenly evade humanity's oldest form of entertainment. In truth, he also yearns for some amusement, especially when faced with a girl like Yuan Dong'er, who can be considered an unparalleled beauty in both ancient and modern times. However, he truly possesses the desire of a thief but lacks the courage, and thus must continue his existence as a man inferior to beasts. In truth, he also yearns for some amusement, especially when faced with a girl like Yuan Dong'er, who can be considered an unparalleled beauty in both ancient and modern times. However, he truly possesses the desire of a thief but lacks the courage, and thus must continue his existence as a man inferior to beasts.

In the rural areas a thousand years ago, what would people do after dark? Naturally, they would engage in humanity's oldest forms of entertainment. The Jiang family seems no exception. Jiang Zhuliu tried every means to linger in the main room, but in the end, he was still driven into the west wing by his mother— the old lady was eager to hold her grandson! In her eyes, continuing the family line was even more important than achieving academic success.

Jiang Zhuliu suddenly felt a sense of loss. Ah! What is happening? I really feel strange today! Jiang Zhuliu thought to himself. He had originally been afraid that Yuan Dong'er would be waiting for him in revealing lingerie, but now that she had not done so, he instead felt a sense of loss in his heart

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