Chapter 003: Exceptional Posture

This kind of love may not be the passionate and intense romance characterized by thunder and fire that future generations might envision, but the interactions between them gave Wang Fang a sense of gentle and enduring companionship, supporting each other through thick and thin

Wang Fang's eyes lit up

Wow, could this be Sima Guang!

He has striking features and a handsome demeanor, but more importantly, his robes are neat and white, clearly indicating that he is someone who enjoys bathing

Anyway, his father will become a high-ranking official in the future! Once he becomes a high-ranking official, who would worry about not having money? Not worried! Not afraid!

It is precisely for this reason that it is truly difficult to keep the Wu family from worrying

Upon closer inspection, Sima Guang's eyebrows and eyes, as well as his nose, do bear a resemblance to Sima Yan from his memories

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they had acquainted themselves. Wang Anshi still needed to return to educate his son, so he did not linger much longer. After bidding farewell to Sima Guang, he took Wang Fang and headed home.

Sima Guang asked him where he lived, and Wang Tang honestly replied with two words: outside

As Wu prepared to send Wang Anshi off in the early morning, she intended to fetch some food and drink. Wang Wang, appearing like a well-behaved child, obediently sat at the desk and said: "Mother, you go ahead; I will practice my calligraphy!"

Thus

As soon as Wang Anshi left the house, Wang Fang immediately became lively and energetic. The three members of their family did not invite anyone; all matters at home were decided by Wu.

Upon hearing Wang Anshi introduce himself, Sima Guang displayed a look of surprise, clearly having heard of Wang Anshi from elsewhere. He smiled and said: "Sima Guang from Shan Prefecture, you may call me Junshi, Jiefu."

Sima Guang could only say: "Do you remember which door you came in from? I will take you there; perhaps your parents have come to look for you."

Wang Fang's eyes flickered, and he instinctively felt that this was the person he had been looking for. His small face displayed just the right amount of confusion and fear as he innocently said, "I, I am lost"

The area near Guozixue has one advantage: it is close to Nanxun Gate, where many farmers directly bring their goods into the city to sell, making them both inexpensive and fresh

Sima Guang asked Wang Tang: "Is that your father?"

Wang Lang was lost in thought, when a voice as clear as spring water came from behind him: "Whose child are you? How did you end up here?"

Sima Guang spoke on behalf of Wang Fang: "It is a misunderstanding; your son merely stumbled in and did not cause any disturbance"

This is an extremely impressive and charismatic leader

When Wang Anshi saw that his son was indeed at the Imperial Academy, he felt a sense of relief, which was quickly replaced by a surge of anger

However, at the end of the year, many individuals return to Beijing for work reports, necessitating a queue. Therefore, in the preceding days, it is advisable to sit down with other officials returning from their posts, discuss local management experiences, share insights on local customs and practices, and exchange information regarding this year's assessment criteria. It would be best to subtly exchange intelligence to see if one can secure a favorable position.

Sima Guang looked at the items that Wang Lang had stuffed into his hands, and saw that they were several small animals made of paper. Although they were not particularly exquisite, they appeared quite interesting.

At noon, Mrs. Wu, tired from her embroidery work, set down her embroidery cloth and coaxed Wang Tang to bed for a rest. Wang Tang pretended to be asleep, maintaining the act until Mrs. Wu's breathing became long and steady. He then rolled over, sat up, and, using both hands and feet, climbed down from the bed. He hurried to the desk to write a note stating, "I want to go to the Imperial Academy to find some books to read. It’s just a short walk, and I will be back soon."

For a child of three or four years old, the streets outside are indeed very large. Wang Fang looked left and right, recognized the direction of the Guozijian, and then ran over with his short legs.

Thus, even just knowing that there is a "fellow townsman" in the world brings a great sense of comfort to my heart

This little gadget is quite nice for one's own daughter. Thinking of his own daughter, Sima Guang swallowed back the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue and smiled as he put those few little gadgets into his pocket

Wang Fang meticulously completed the note, placed it under the oil lamp, and quietly stepped out the door

The scholar observed the child in front of him, who was only about three or four years old. Dressed neatly and looking well-behaved, the child's face was fair and tender, and his pair of bright, shiny eyes clearly indicated that he had been well cared for.

Wu is not of a gentle and virtuous character; on the contrary, she possesses a somewhat spirited nature. However, she truly loves her husband, Wang Anshi.

The so-called "flower traffickers" refer to those who specialize in the trafficking of children.

The thought of possibly receiving news about Sima Yan immediately excited Wang Lang

Sima Guang: "... ..."

Wu smiled as she patted Wang Tang's head, and on the way home, she bought some embroidery thread to prepare for making some embroidered items to help with household expenses

Wang Fang thought of Sima Yan's beautiful face, and inevitably began to worry about her. It would be best if it were not the case!

The Guozixue and Taixue are built adjacent to each other. Taixue enrolls the children of officials ranked below the seventh grade, while Guozixue admits the children of officials ranked above the seventh grade

Wang Lang, being small in stature, quietly slipped in under the old man's watchful gaze

The scholar found the child's vigilance quite commendable, and a gentler smile appeared on his face as he patiently introduced himself to Wang Tang: "My surname is Sima, with the given name Guang. I serve as a lecturer at the Imperial Academy, and many people here have heard my lectures; I am not a charlatan."

Sima Guang asked him who was at home, and Wang Fang honestly replied: Father and mother

Wang Wang ran from classroom to classroom, stealthily leaning against the windows to look inside. In the first classroom, there was an old man; in the second classroom, there was still an old man; in the third classroom, it was yet another old man. Wang Wang's face fell in disappointment. As he moved on to the next classroom, he finally discovered that the lecturer had changed to a relatively younger middle-aged man, who had a square face and appeared quite respectable

Wang Lang was extremely excited inside, yet he pretended to be obedient and cautious on the outside, following Sima Guang closely. After leaving the "Teaching Building," Sima Guang seemingly casually began to engage Wang Lang in conversation.

Sima Guang asked him his name, and Wang Pang honestly replied with two characters: Pang Er

It is too lonely

Wang Lang is merely a bit more lively than in his previous life, and his skin is a bit thicker than before; he is not truly foolish like a child. How could he not understand that Sima Guang is trying to extract certain words from him?

Wang Lang encouraged the Wu family: "Father is about to receive his monthly salary soon"

The lunch break at the Imperial Academy has ended, and the students have returned to the classroom to listen to the teacher's lecture

This young man has been restless in Yangzhou, frequently pestering the officials to take him out for leisure. Now that he has arrived in the capital, he is even bolder, daring to run off without anyone accompanying him

Sima Guang raised his eyes to look towards the main gate, where he saw a tall and handsome scholar conversing with the gatekeeper.

In other words, the fathers of the students at the Imperial Academy are all prominent figures in the court; although some are major figures and others are minor ones, the least among them still holds the rank of a seventh-grade official

Although Mr. Wu appreciates his son's cleverness, he cannot help but worry on the way back: "At this rate of spending, the travel expenses to the official post will be completely used up"

Wang Anshi had already prepared the work report on the way, and he was not anxious, conversing leisurely with others

The greenery in the Guozixue is quite good, and the air quality is much better than that of their small public rental apartments. Wang Fang strolled around for a while, roughly familiarizing himself with the layout, and headed straight to the "Teaching Building" where the teacher was giving a lecture.

The son knows himself, and Mrs. Wu certainly does not believe he will be so well-behaved. Mrs. Wu said: "This is not Yangzhou; you can't fool the constables into taking you out for fun. Don't think about causing trouble; you will go out with your mother!"

No. Wang Fang's gaze was very resolute as he firmly refused in a childish voice, "Father said not to go off with strangers casually, or I might be abducted and sold by beggars."

Wu thought of his son beside him and concealed his worries. Although Wang Anshi received a monthly salary, it was the festive season, and he had come to the capital. To celebrate the New Year well required money, and one could not visit friends empty-handed; money was bound to be spent

That is good. Wang Anshi did not reveal his son's identity either. Seeing that Sima Guang had an extraordinary demeanor, he took the initiative to introduce himself, saying, "I am Wang Anshi from Linchuan; you may call me Jiefu. May I ask how you would like to be addressed, sir?"

Wu was Wang Anshi's cousin. Before marrying Wang Anshi, she was already aware of his various shortcomings, such as his lack of social awareness, his disinterest in personal grooming, and his tendency to focus solely on his own affairs, rarely paying attention to other matters when he became busy.

Wang Wang nodded and, with his short legs, followed Sima Guang. However, before they even reached the door, Wang Wang had already spotted a familiar figure. Not good! It was his father! Why had his father returned so early?

"Indeed, he is." Wang Fang nodded affirmatively. Having confirmed from Sima Guang's reaction that he had children at home, Wang Fang happily trotted over to Wang Anshi, calling out, "Father!"

Wang Lang turned his head and saw a remarkably handsome scholar standing behind him. The scholar was of a similar age to his father, yet his demeanor was vastly different.

A person arrives in an era that is completely different from the world they inhabited for the previous twenty years, where many words and thoughts cannot be communicated with others

This time, upon completing his term and returning to Beijing, he is to report to the higher authorities regarding his work with books: primarily discussing what he has accomplished in the local areas, any outstanding performances, and his grand plans for the future

Wang Lang looked down at his small paws with a hint of worry, sighing, "Being a silly child is comfortable, but apart from acting cute and being spoiled, I can't do anything else"

Having settled everything, Wang Anshi has important matters to attend to

Oh dear, the daughter is no longer afraid of following her father

The scholar said gently, "Come with me, I will take you to find your family."

Wang Lang wanted to say, "Doing embroidery is hard on the eyes," but the words were on the tip of his tongue and he swallowed them back.

Wang Fang hurriedly stopped, took out a few small trinkets made of scrap paper from his pocket, and said: "I saw my father! Thank you, uncle, for taking me out! Does your family have younger brothers or sisters? This is for them to play with!"

Indeed, it is Sima Guang

What a coincidence. Wang Anshi also felt surprised and exchanged smiles with Sima Guang, saying, "Just yesterday, Zigu mentioned Brother Junshi to me, and today we meet."

Regarding the issue of money, Wang Lang is also helpless. There is nothing he can do; he is only three or four years old, and even if he has ideas, he cannot realize them, so he can only obediently be a freeloader

An old man is guarding the entrance of the Guozixue, and during the midday when there are not many people coming in and out, the old man sits there dozing off

Wang Lang had no choice but to follow the Wu family out with his head hung low

Noticing that there was a stranger following Wang Lang, Wang Anshi temporarily suppressed his anger, asked Wang Lang to stand aside, and cupped his hands in salute to Sima Guang, apologizing: "I apologize, my child is unruly and has disturbed your lecture."

Wang Fang, seeing that his plan to sneak away had failed, obediently and cleverly followed behind Mrs. Wu, buying this and that. Relying on his youth and thick skin, he bargained and requested freebies all the way, managing to acquire items that Mrs. Wu had originally not intended to purchase.

If Sima Yan were to become his daughter, and the daughter takes after her father, wouldn't she also end up with a square face