Chapter 5

In the past twenty days, Xu Yang had not visited the Lin residence again. As he had said, he came to see Lin Ruhai only for the opportunity to ensure that Elder Zhang received proper medical care. Upon learning that Elder Zhang had only a few days left to live, he merely asked the old steward to thank Lin Ruhai and devoted himself entirely to making Elder Zhang comfortable. In the past, he had called Elder Zhang "Grandpa Zhang," but now he simply referred to him as "Grandpa." Every day, he attended to his needs, feeding him and helping him with personal hygiene, often chatting with him, telling him that he had great abilities and could hire the best doctors for him, ensuring he lived his best days, and that he could tell his grandson whatever he wanted to eat. When Elder Zhang felt a bit better, he would take paper and pen to write in the room, writing while telling the old man that he was well-educated and would surely pass the scholar examination, then the provincial examination, at which point Grandpa would have a grandson who was a successful candidate, walking with his back straight. He spoke with a smile, yet tears soaked the paper, wrinkling it one sheet after another.

Xu Yang packed his luggage, as he would be changing dormitories next semester. He decided to directly pack and send most of his belongings home, since he could no longer wear most of his clothes due to growth, and he planned to buy new ones for the new semester. The few remaining pieces of clothing were stuffed into a suitcase, which he intended to take home himself. Noticing that the suitcase was only half full, he decided to buy some gifts for his family in the capital to avoid the hassle of doing so when he returned home

Xu Yang is indeed very ill. He was flooded once in early autumn, which initially seemed like a minor cold. However, the conditions here are extremely poor; the blankets at night are both hard and damp, and the food consists solely of coarse grains and wild vegetables, with not a trace of meat to be found. Having been pampered all his life, Xu Yang has never endured such hardship. The minor cold lingered for a month before finally improving, but due to inadequate nutrition, he lost a significant amount of weight. Just as he thought he could catch his breath and rest for a few days, his caretaker, Grandpa Zhang, fell ill. Xu Yang was running around, and his body was already unable to cope. Fortunately, the people sent by Lin Ruhai helped with many tasks, yet regardless, the suffering he endured in these two months far exceeded that of his previous sixteen years. He managed to hold on without collapsing again, driven only by his concerns; Grandpa Zhang did not have much time left, and he needed to ensure that he could pass away peacefully. Thus, he was sustained by sheer willpower. As a result, when Grandpa Zhang fell ill, it lasted over a month, and after three months of back and forth, Xu Yang had not had a single stable meal or a good night's sleep. On top of that, with Grandpa Zhang's passing, he felt a deep sorrow. He continued to hold on without collapsing again, driven only by his concerns; Grandpa Zhang did not have much time left, and he needed to ensure that he could pass away peacefully. Thus, he was sustained by sheer willpower. When Grandpa Zhang fell ill, it lasted over a month, and after three months of back and forth, Xu Yang had not had a single stable meal or a good night's sleep. With Grandpa Zhang's death, he felt heartbroken, and in a daze, he followed the people sent by the Lin family to buy a burial plot, purchase a coffin, and dress Grandpa Zhang in the funeral clothes prepared days in advance. He felt as if he were in a dream, and then he truly collapsed, beginning to mumble incoherently in his dreams.

To be honest, he rarely dreamed in the past. People say that happy children do not like to dream, because all their dreams have already been realized in reality or can be easily achieved, so they do not need to dream. Xu Yang feels that he probably belongs to this type!

Strict mother and kind father (the mother's strictness is only relative to the father, being strict in certain minor aspects like writing), along with an aunt who has spoiled him like a child who has not been weaned for sixteen years, two aunts who treat him like a doll and occasionally pinch him, an older brother and sister-in-law who regard him as half a son, and two terrifying yet very kind cousins... It is indeed not easy for Xu Yang to grow up as a somewhat spoiled yet well-behaved child without any bad habits. He has been smart since childhood, good-looking, and excelled in his studies, facing no pressure in his academic pursuits. At the age of eleven, he entered the youth class of a local high school, and by fourteen, he was admitted to a top university in the capital with the second highest score in the city, growing up like a favored child of heaven, truly having never experienced any hardship.

Xu Yang felt that he had a very real dream

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Old Zhang lived his entire life without children or grandchildren. His elderly wife had also passed away, and he thought that if he were to die, he would merely end up as a rolled-up mat, buried by kind-hearted neighbors. Who would have thought that just as he was about to close his eyes, a clever grandson fell from the sky, caring for him and asking about his well-being? Although the boy was clumsy, he tried every possible way to serve him... He knew that many of the boy's words were lies, meant to cheer him up, but so what? He truly believed that he had picked up a grandson, and that was just as good as having a biological one. Old Zhang felt that he had lived a long life filled with suffering and had often blamed heaven for being unfair, but now, he held no grievances; he was content.

The holiday is approaching, and my cousin, who is far away in the United States, mentioned in a video call with Xu Yang that she would be returning in a few days. She excitedly showed off several antiques of questionable authenticity to the camera from thousands of miles away. Xu Yang remarked that his sister, who grew up abroad as a "banana person," playing with Chinese antiques, must really have water in her brain and money to burn! She can't even write Chinese characters properly, yet she dabbles in Chinese antiques; it wouldn't be surprising if she got swindled and helped count the money. Xu Yang thought about how his aunt's family is also somewhat foolish but wealthy, so this hobby is not a big deal. However, considering his sister's new interest, Xu Yang realized that this year, the gift for his sister would likely cost him quite a bit.

Xu Yang is the youngest child in the family, born to his parents when they were in their forties. Both of his parents are former educated youth, whose youth was delayed by that tumultuous upheaval. Fortunately, they were not people who followed the crowd, so after that catastrophe, the couple returned to Beijing and both successfully enrolled in university, quickly embarking on a completely different new life

Xu Yang is not short of money; his living expenses are ample, and he has ways to earn some extra cash. The annual red envelope money he receives is quite substantial, so the amount in his bank account could rival the total savings of a working-class family. He is not a miser; although he does not spend extravagantly on himself, he is quite generous with his family—of course, his family tends to spend lavishly on him as well. Xu Yang rushed to Yansha to buy his mother a wool shawl, a lighter for his father, a set of cosmetics from her favorite brand for his aunt, and earrings for his sister-in-law along with gloves for his brother (Xu Ge's tears: I just knew I would always get the cheapest). He also took advantage of the off-season clearance to buy himself a trench coat, sweater, and jeans. In a flash, he spent over 20,000. Thinking about his cousin who is returning home in a few days and her rather unreliable new hobby, he could only brace himself and head towards Liulichang.

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Then, is it just dreaming?

Lin Ruhai felt quite emotional upon hearing this. Xu Yang is indeed a rare child. He also looked at the thank-you note sent by the household servants, which, although not well-written, displayed a commendable hand in calligraphy. For a child in his teens, such writing is exceptional, even in a place like Yangzhou, where literary culture flourishes. What is even more admirable is his character. Arriving in a place where he does not understand the customs and cannot communicate, he faces immense difficulties. Yet, he sought out Lin Ruhai, the only person he could connect with, asking merely for help to treat Zhang Laozhang, without mentioning any assistance he might need for himself. Initially, Lin Ruhai felt somewhat awkward about Xu Yang's background, but now, hearing about his actions, he genuinely finds himself fond of this child.

Then, what happened next? ... Dragging the suitcase home, taking the train, getting off the train, my brother called to say he was in a meeting and couldn't pick him up, so he had to take a taxi back by himself ... Then, the unreliable driver drove the car into the lake ...

The death of Old Zhang was not unexpected for Lin Ruhai; Doctor Qin had already mentioned that he was merely biding his time. Being well-fed, well-cared for, and receiving good medicine only meant he would suffer a little less, at most extending his life by a month or so. Indeed, it was only twenty days after Xu Yang came to see Lin Ruhai that the old man took his last breath

Xu Yang is attending a rather prestigious university in the capital, and given the average standards of his family, this university is not particularly remarkable. However, the expectations for him are not very high, and achieving such good results at such a young age is indeed commendable. Therefore, when he was accepted, his aunt unhesitatingly gifted him a Vacheron Constantin watch in celebration of his birthday. His brother, feeling envious, exclaimed, "The watch I received back then was also a watch, a Shanghai brand! Aunt, you are so biased!" His aunt helplessly shrugged and said, "Your father had previously imposed a ban on me... so when he got accepted, I gave him a Vacheron Constantin as a reward for his birthday. Your father forbade me from giving you anything worth more than one hundred... this was also to ensure fairness, so I gave your brother a watch too." Xu's older brother, in his thirties, was left in tears, exclaiming, "How is this fair..."

Well, Xu Yang is a liberal arts student with good grades, and he has excellent handwriting. This is the second advantage I have provided him. As for the first advantage, a few of you have already guessed it, so I won't elaborate further; it will be discussed in the following text.

There is never a time when there are few people in Liulichang. Looking at the various items on the stalls, which he could not discern as genuine or fake, Xu Yang felt overwhelmed. Every little trinket seemed to be accompanied by a plethora of stories spun by the vendors, making his skin crawl. Thus, he decided to go to the store honestly. For some reason, in a moment of impulsiveness, he bought a set of what was said to be a rather rare edition of "Dream of the Red Chamber." Perhaps subconsciously, Xu Yang also wanted to mock his sister, who was interested in antiques. Could she even understand the traditional vertical Chinese text? Therefore, being petty-minded is unwise; otherwise, one might not know when they would fall victim to their own schemes. Many years later, Xu Yang still taught his children the same lesson: never be petty-minded, be generous to others, and only then can one live freely.

Lin Ruhai naturally would not feel much sentiment regarding the death of Zhang Laozhang, whom he had never even met. However, Xu Yang's performance in recent days has indeed made him see him in a new light

With a sigh, he instructed his servants to handle his affairs after his passing. Xu Yang did not ask him for anything further; he only extended a helping hand regarding the matter of Old Zhang. Unexpectedly, three days later, a servant suddenly came to report that Xu Yang had fallen ill

Old man Zhang left with a smile

***

Of course, there is one point I would like to remind everyone: although his level of understanding of ancient knowledge may be higher than that of the average person, and he is indeed a genius youth, this so-called "golden finger" merely facilitates his integration into ancient society, and nothing more. After all, he has traversed into this body and is considered half an adult here; if his intellect were merely average, starting from scratch would truly be a perilous endeavor.