Chapter Nine, Qingshan County

As for Feng Bingwen himself, he does not have any aversion to attending school; in fact, one could say he is quite looking forward to it, though not necessarily with great anticipation regarding studying and participating in the imperial examination to obtain a degree.

I came to the market with my father, and he said that after selling the chickens, he would buy me candied hawthorn to eat

Gone

What he truly cares about is the merit of good deeds. Six months ago, he exchanged one hundred merits for a bird that brought him a red fruit. After consuming the red fruit, his body gradually became stronger, and the benefits were intuitively and clearly felt

Now, the old gentleman is willing to arrange for him to attend the school in the county, which is undoubtedly a good thing. This expands his scope of activities by an unknown number of times, naturally providing more opportunities to do good.

Regarding Sunzi's appearance, Feng Lingjun did not take it to heart, merely considering it as a child's anticipation and curiosity towards new things

Then go early tomorrow, the earlier you go, the earlier you return

What happened? Is there any problem

However, his family shamelessly claims to be a family of scholarly lineage. Although each generation is not as distinguished as the last, they still hold a respectable position in this area, and there is no need to explain anything further

Seeing the little fellow in front of him who was a whole head shorter, Feng Bingwen was quite surprised, as was Tu Shu. This was a mischievous child from the village, nearly a year younger than him

He is aware of his own capabilities. With diligent effort, he should be able to pass the examination for the rank of Tongsheng. If he studies hard, he might be able to attain the title of Xiucai. As for the Jinshi, that can be set as a long-term goal, but he does not wish to think about it for now

Wen'er is so young, and you want him to go to school!

Ah, that is not what I meant

The child is laughing joyfully, with an expression of anticipation on their face

What nonsense are you talking about? Have you lost your sight? Just look at whose grandson he is. He is not like us, scraping for a living in the fields; he is someone who eats ink.

Feng Lingjun was surprised by his grandson's attitude; shouldn't the children in the village be amazed when they see the county town?

However, such diligence has caused concern for another elder in the household

A leisurely man squatted by the well, watching the children carrying water home, and could not help but exclaim in admiration

How should I put it? A bustling county town is quite shocking for an ordinary rural child. However, for someone who has seen grander steel jungles in their dreams, it is truly rather unremarkable

However, the grandmother, upon hearing these words, merely curled her lips in disdain

Yes

You need not concern yourself with whether or not they are suited for academic pursuits; with their physical constitution, they would undoubtedly lead a more comfortable life even as farmers.

Upon hearing this, grandmother no longer opposed it and even seemed to agree quite a bit

Are you looking for a fight, woman? What I mean is that their family has fallen, right? Each generation is worse than the last, and I don't think Xiao Wen is cut out for studying either

In fact, it is not a feeling; Feng Bingwen truly believes that this county town is not large. Even before entering the town, he followed the wide street and caught a glimpse of the city gate tower across the way. Although it appeared to be quite distant, he indeed saw the outskirts of this county town.

Next door, the Mengshan Mansion has produced a prodigy who can compose poetry at the age of seven. Wen Er only began her studies at the age of seven, which is already quite late

I will take him to the school to have a look tomorrow, and then we will visit Doctor Zhang to have a chat, allowing Doctor Zhang to take Wen'er’s pulse.

Seven years old, not small anymore

Having tasted the sweetness, one naturally thinks of coming back for a second and third time. However, the good deeds he accumulated earlier took him years of effort to gradually amass, primarily by rescuing some unfortunate toads, dragonflies, and other beneficial insects from the hands of mischievous children

At this moment, a voice filled with surprise and excitement came from behind. Feng Bingwen turned his head to look and immediately saw a figure that was quite familiar to him

prodigy

However, this is simply too slow. Feng Bingwen is not satisfied with this, but what can he do about it? There are only a dozen or so households in Fengjia Village, and his sphere of activity is quite limited. Even if he has the intention to do good, he is powerless to act on it.

Calculate your age; you are already seven years old and can go to the county to study. It is not appropriate to just hang around at home all day. Pack your things tomorrow and come with me to the county

Brother Wenzi! Brother Wenzi!

Xiaoqingshan County has nearly 30,000 households and a population of 100,000, making it one of the top five county towns in the entire Longchuan Prefecture

Feng Bingwen sat beside, pushing his food around without saying a word. The two elderly individuals seemed somewhat uneasy about the changes in his condition, as they were not the type to live their lives in a daze.

Hey, this is hard to say; fortunes change with time. His family had a scholar in the previous generation, but by the time it got to his grandfather, he was merely a licentiate. By the time it reached his father, it was even worse, and he barely managed to scrape by as a student.

The people of the countryside are merely less experienced; they are neither foolish nor simple-minded. The changes he has undergone in the past six months cannot be simply attributed to the reason of growing up.

At this rate, I estimate that when he grows up, he will be able to match a whole cow

The idle villagers gathered by the well, chatting about trivial matters. Feng Bingwen, with a bucket of water in one hand, was sharp of hearing and sight, able to catch snippets of the conversation behind him, though he paid it no mind

Feng Lingjun picked up the chopsticks and shook them

How many prodigies are there in the entire Da Qian? Is it interesting to compare your grandson to someone like this celestial being descending to the mortal realm?

This is Qingshan City

Standing in front of the slightly worn city gate, the child's tone was marked by unreserved disappointment. The gate tower, which stood majestically on the city wall, was indeed impressive, but it held no impact for him

I feel that the county town is not very large

Before mocking others, take a look at yourself. Even if Xiao Wen's father is just a child scholar, he is still dozens of times better than you. He can leverage connections to secure a position in the government office; can you?

During dinner, Feng Lingjun, who had just returned from the county school, suddenly spoke up. Feng Bingwen was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his head to pick at the rice in his bowl, offering no objections. However, the elderly woman beside him seemed somewhat displeased

Feng Bingwen responded perfunctorily, and seeing the old man who seemed to be somewhat proud, he truly could not muster any admiration.

This is incredible, this kid is only seven years old this year, and he has such strength already. If he grows up, it will be something else!

Therefore, early the next morning, without the need for the elderly in the household to call out, Feng Bingwen had already dressed himself and was sitting in the hall, waiting with an eager expression.

Beside the well, a robust-looking child stopped an elderly man with graying hair. Amidst the admiring gazes of onlookers, he lifted two wooden buckets filled with water, one in each hand, and quickly dashed away on his small legs, carrying the water towards his home

Orange! What are you doing here?

Feng Bingwen was indeed curious about the county town not far from Fengjia Village, even harboring some expectations. However, when he actually arrived at Qingshan County, which was only a little over half an hour away from Fengjia Village, his initial expectations turned into disappointment

Upon returning home with the water, Feng Bingwen took the initiative to handle the laborious tasks. He is not gluttonous, oh no, rather he is quite fond of food, but he is not lazy

Feng Lingjun glanced at his old wife and explained

Grandma, take a break!