Embarrassment

At night, Li Mingzhong sat at his desk writing an essay. The schoolteacher had assigned questions based on the County Exam for the students who would be taking it next year, telling them to practice writing essays. An oil lamp burned on the desk. After finishing one essay, Li Mingzhong read it over. "What kind of rubbish is this?" For no reason, he grew agitated. What had happened during the day had shaken him deeply, and even now his mind was unsettled. He did not force himself to keep writing. Instead, he rose, took a copy of The Great Learning from the bookshelf behind him, and planned to review it a few more times.

With a creak, the door opened and someone walked in. It was Li Mingzhong's father, Li Fuguang.

Seeing his son reading, Li Fuguang said with concern, "Little Zhong, take a break and have some egg soup your mother made." As he spoke, he set a bowl of egg soup on the desk, then picked at the lamp wick with his nail. The room immediately grew much brighter. He pulled over a stool and sat beside him.

Li Mingzhong put down his book, stretched, sat down, and picked up the bowl to eat. "Where's my mother?" he asked as he drank.

"Her? Well, she went out to take care of something." A trace of unease flashed across Li Fuguang's face. Everything your mother and I do is for your own good. With that thought, his faint guilt vanished without a trace. Looking at his son, the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted, and his gaze softened. Li Fuguang had two sons and a daughter. The eldest had already married and started a family, scratching out a living from the fields just like him; his whole life would likely amount to no more than that. His daughter was still young and not worth mentioning. Only his second son had a talent for studying, and what was rarer, he was willing to endure hardship and study diligently. Thus, he and his wife had placed all their hopes on their second son, praying that he would earn the title of Xiucai and change the family's fortunes from then on.

But a piece of news they had heard today had left the couple terrified, with lingering dread. Their son had actually been beaten. Thankfully, he had not suffered any real injury, but it had still scared them into a cold sweat. My boy is a fine seed for studying. Mixing around with Second Child and those village boys will only lead him astray. We absolutely cannot let them ruin my boy's future. After discussing it with his wife, Li Fuguang had reached that conclusion.

"Little Zhong, I have something to discuss with you. The exam is in February next year. Before the New Year, stay at Crouching Tiger Slope and study in peace. Don't keep running back and forth. I'll have your brother bring you meals," Li Fuguang suddenly said.

Li Mingzhong paused in the middle of drinking his soup and looked up at his father, his face full of confusion.

Li Fuguang continued, "This is what I'm thinking. First, no one will disturb you there. Second, it's close to the school, so it'll be convenient for you to ask the teacher for guidance. Third, there are many classmates there, and you can exchange what you've learned from your studies."

Li Mingzhong nodded. "All right, I'll listen to your arrangements. But I can just come home to eat. It isn't far anyway."

Li Fuguang shook his head, his tone rather firm. "Let your brother bring your food. Don't worry about anything else. Just focus on studying."

Li Mingzhong said nothing more. Lowering his head, he silently drank his soup, finishing it before long.

His goal achieved, Li Fuguang no longer disturbed his son's reading. He got up and cleared away the bowl and chopsticks. Before leaving, he added, "Little Zhong, visit your granduncle more often when you have time. Report on how your studies are going."

Li Mingzhong froze for a moment, then immediately understood his father's meaning. He nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

Meanwhile, Li Mingzhong's mother, Wang Shi, had gone to Liu Yuanzhou's home. When she reached the entrance and saw lamplight shining from the cave dwelling, she pushed the door open and went in.

When Liu Da and his wife Zhang Shi saw her, they hurriedly rose to greet her.

"You're both home. Where's your Second Child? I brought some eggs to see him." As soon as Wang Shi entered, she spoke up. After speaking, she set the basket in her hand on the ground by the door.

Liu Da and Zhang Shi looked at each other, neither knowing what medicine Wang Shi was selling from her gourd.

"Oh my, you don't know yet? Second Child, my Little Zhong, Hu Wa, Xi Zi, and the others got into a fight with someone at the market today. I heard Second Child was beaten quite badly. Didn't he tell you?" Wang Shi raised her voice, arranging her face into an expression of surprise.

Zhang Shi's face immediately darkened. "Liu Da, call Second Child over here," she said angrily. Then she turned back to Wang Shi and forced a smile. "Little Zhong's mother, come sit on the kang. The floor is cold."

Liu Da glanced at Wang Shi without saying anything, then went out.

At that moment, Liu Yuanzhou was lying on the kang reading a book he had borrowed from Third Master, titled Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People. His older brother sat on the floor, using both hands and feet to mend a basket.

Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People was an agricultural book, mainly discussing techniques and knowledge related to farming, forestry, animal husbandry, fishing, and sideline production. Liu Yuanzhou read it with great interest, gaining something from it.

Liu Da pushed open the door to the side cave. When Liu Yuanzhou and his brother looked up and saw it was their father, they paid him no further attention. Liu Da walked to the edge of the kang, hesitated for a moment, then finally asked Liu Yuanzhou, "Second Child, tell me honestly. Did you get into a fight today?"

Liu Yuanzhou's heart skipped a beat. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said, "Dad, who have you been listening to, talking such nonsense?"

"You're still lying at a time like this! Little Zhong's mother came and told us. She said you and Little Zhong got into a fight with someone, and that you were hurt badly. She even brought a basket of eggs especially to see you." Liu Da was furious.

Liu Yuanzhou silently lowered his head and said nothing more.

Liu Da added resentfully, "Where are you hurt? Let me see."

Liu Yuanbo also put down the basket in his hands, rose, and asked nervously, "Second Child, what exactly happened? Who bullied you? Where are you hurt?"

Looking at his father and brother, Liu Yuanzhou knew he could not hide it anymore. He roughly explained what had happened in the fight that day, only lightly touching upon the part where he himself had been beaten. Finally, he said, "Dad, Brother, I'm really not hurt anywhere. Do I look injured to you?"

Seeing that Liu Yuanzhou truly did not look injured, Liu Da and Liu Yuanbo nodded, half believing and half doubting.

Liu Da added, "Your mother wants you over there. Hurry up."

Liu Yuanzhou slowly climbed down from the kang and put on his shoes, inwardly complaining about Li Mingzhong. You promised not to tell our families, so why did you tell them anyway? You even had your mother come see me. Isn't this just making things awkward for me? He dawdled as he followed his father into the main cave, where he saw his mother Zhang Shi talking with Wang Shi.

When Zhang Shi saw her son enter, she hardened her face and demanded sternly, "Second Child, your wings have grown hard now? You've learned how to deceive people?"

Liu Yuanzhou merely lowered his head, staring at his toes without uttering a word.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Zhang Shi asked again.

Liu Yuanzhou's nose stung. He lifted his head, smiled, and said, "Mother, I'm fine." Then he repeated what he had said earlier.

After hearing him out, Zhang Shi immediately let out a breath of relief. She had truly feared something might happen to her son.

"Oh my, Second Child, you're all right? That's wonderful. You scared me half to death." Wang Shi patted her chest, then continued, "If you ask me, it was all Liu Dalong's boy Hu Wa stirring up trouble. And Xi Zi from Zhang the Blacksmith's family isn't some harmless lamp either. You should stay farther away from them in the future. And my Little Zhong too—he's going to take the Xiucai exam. If this keeps up, he'll be led astray as well."

As Liu Yuanzhou listened, his face burned hot. She didn't come to see me at all. She clearly came to demand an explanation. She thinks we've dragged her son down. She talks about Hu Wa and Xi Zi, but isn't she talking about me too? Liu Yuanzhou secretly looked at his parents' expressions and saw that they too wore embarrassed looks. At that moment, he truly wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. A ball of anger lodged in his chest, making him feel utterly miserable. If you don't want me disturbing your son, just tell me. Why say it in front of my parents and make them lose face too?

"Auntie, we understand. We won't disturb Zhong Ge when there's nothing important. Don't worry," Liu Yuanzhou said coldly after taking a deep breath.

"Oh my, Second Child, don't misunderstand. That isn't what Auntie meant," Wang Shi said hurriedly.

"Auntie, I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed first." With that, he turned and walked out.

Wang Shi could not quite save face. She looked at Liu Da and Zhang Shi, stamped her foot, and said, "Look at your Second Child. I didn't even say anything."

Don't you know perfectly well whether that was what you meant? Liu Da and Zhang Shi thought, but they did not know what to say.

Wang Shi was guilty after all. "Oh my, I only came to see Second Child. I never expected things to turn out like this. Liu Da, Zhang Shi, I'll head back first." With a dry laugh, Wang Shi turned and went out. Once outside, she hurried toward her home. Before she had gone far, Liu Yuanbo caught up with her and stuffed the basket into her hands. "Auntie, since Second Child isn't hurt, take these eggs back." Wang Shi tried to refuse, but Liu Yuanbo turned and ran off. Wang Shi shook her head and carried the basket briskly home.

When Liu Yuanbo returned to the cave, he saw Liu Yuanzhou lying on the bed fully dressed, staring blankly into space. He comforted him, "Second Child, don't take it too much to heart. Everyone in the village knows what kind of person Little Zhong's mother is." After thinking for a moment, he added, "You should stay farther away from Little Zhong from now on."

Liu Yuanzhou felt another wave of irritation. Impatiently, he said, "I know, Brother. I'm going to sleep first." With that, he lifted the blanket and lay down beneath it.

Liu Yuanbo sighed, tucked in the corner of Liu Yuanzhou's blanket, then picked up the basket again and continued mending it.