Embarrassment

Night, Li Mingzhong sat at his desk, writing an essay. The teacher at the school had assigned some topics based on the content of the county exam for the students participating next year, asking them to practice writing essays. An oil lamp illuminated the desk. After finishing one, Li Mingzhong read it aloud, "What is this nonsense?" He felt inexplicably irritable. What happened during the day had deeply affected him, and he was still uneasy. He didn't force himself to write anymore, got up, and took down a copy of The Great Learning from the bookshelf behind him, intending to review it a few more times.

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

Seeing his son reading, Li Fuguang said with concern, "Xiao Zhong, take a break and have some egg soup your mother made." As he spoke, he placed a bowl of egg soup on the desk, then used his fingernail to adjust the wick of the oil lamp, making the room much brighter. He then took a stool and sat down beside him.

Li Mingzhong put down the book, stretched, sat down, picked up the bowl, and began to eat, asking, "Where's Mom?"

"She, uh, went out for a while," Li Fuguang said, a hint of unnaturalness flashing across his face. Everything your parents do is for your own good, he thought, and a trace of guilt disappeared. He looked at his son, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning up, his gaze gentle. Li Fuguang had two sons and a daughter. The eldest had already started a family and was toiling in the fields like him, his life set. The daughter was still young, so he didn't count on her. Only the second son had a talent for studying and, more rare, was willing to endure hardship to study. Therefore, he and his wife placed all their hopes on the second son, hoping he would pass the Xiucai exam and change their family's fate.

But a piece of news he had heard today had made both him and his wife extremely frightened and full of lingering fear. His son had actually been beaten. Fortunately, he hadn't been seriously injured, but it had given them a cold sweat. My child is a good student, but he's been led astray by hanging out with Erwa and the others in the village. We must not let them ruin my child's future, Li Fuguang and his wife concluded after discussing it.

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

Li Mingzhong stopped drinking his soup, looked up at his father, and was puzzled.

Li Fuguang continued, "I think this way, firstly, no one will disturb you there, secondly, it's convenient to consult with the teacher since it's close to the school, and thirdly, there are many classmates, so you can exchange study experiences."

Li Mingzhong nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to your arrangements, but I'll come back for meals anyway, it's not far."

Li Fuguang shook his head, his tone quite firm, "It's better to have your brother bring the food. You don't have to worry about anything else, just focus on studying."

Li Mingzhong didn't say anything more, lowered his head, and silently drank the soup, finishing it in a short while.

Li Fuguang's goal was achieved, so he didn't disturb his son's reading anymore. He got up to clear the dishes, and before leaving, he added, "Xiao Zhong, go visit your great-grandfather more often and report on your studies."

Li Mingzhong was taken aback, but after a moment's thought, he understood his father's meaning. He nodded thoughtfully, "Understood."

Meanwhile, Li Mingzhong's mother, Wang Shi, had gone to Liu Yuanzhou's house. Reaching the entrance, she saw the light on in the cave dwelling and pushed the door open and went in.

Liu Da and his wife, Zhang Shi, seeing the visitor, hurriedly got up to greet her.

"Everyone's home, where's your Erwa? I brought some eggs to see him," Wang Shi said as soon as she entered, placing the basket she was carrying on the ground near the door.

Liu Da and Zhang Shi exchanged glances, unsure of what Wang Shi was up to.

"Oh dear, don't you know? Erwa, my Xiao Zhong, Hu Wa, Xi Zi, and a few others got into a fight with someone at the market today. I heard Erwa was badly beaten. Didn't he tell you?" Wang Shi's voice rose, a look of surprise on her face.

Zhang Shi's face immediately darkened. "Liu Da, call Erwa over," she said angrily, then turned to Wang Shi with a forced smile, "Xiao Zhong's mother, come sit on the kang, the ground is cold."

Liu Da glanced at Wang Shi, didn't say anything, and went out.

Liu Yuanzhou was lying on the kang, reading a book. The book was borrowed from Third Master, and it was called Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People. His brother sat on the ground, using his hands and feet to repair a bamboo basket.

Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People was an agricultural book, mainly about production techniques and knowledge of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, and sideline occupations. Liu Yuanzhou was reading it with great interest, gaining some insights.

Liu Da pushed the door open and entered the side cave dwelling. Liu Yuanzhou and his brother looked up and saw it was their father, so they ignored him. Liu Da walked to the edge of the kang, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked Liu Yuanzhou, "Erwa, tell the truth, did you get into a fight with someone today?"

Liu Yuanzhou's heart skipped a beat. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Dad, who are you listening to spreading rumors?"

"Still lying at this point! Xiao Zhong's mother came to tell us, saying you and Xiao Zhong got into a fight with someone, and that you were seriously injured. She specially brought a basket of eggs to see you," Liu Da said angrily.

Liu Yuanzhou silently lowered his head and said nothing.

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

Liu Yuanbo also put down the bamboo basket in his hand, stood up nervously, and said, "Erwa, what exactly happened? Who bullied you? Where are you hurt?"

Liu Yuanzhou looked at his father and his brother, thinking that he couldn't hide it anymore, so he roughly explained the fight today, only mentioning his own beating lightly, and finally said, "Dad, Brother, I really didn't get hurt anywhere, do I look like I'm injured?"

Liu Da and Liu Yuanbo nodded with some skepticism, seeing that Liu Yuanzhou didn't seem injured.

Liu Da then said, "Your mother told you to go over there, hurry up."

Liu Yuanzhou slowly got off the bed and put on his shoes, complaining inwardly about Li Mingzhong: "We agreed not to tell my family, why did you tell them again, and even have my mother come to see me? Isn't this embarrassing me?" He dawdled as he followed his father into the central cave dwelling, where he saw his mother, Zhang Shi, talking to Wang Shi.

When Zhang Shi saw her son enter, she put on a stern face and said sharply, "Erwa, you've grown up and your wings have hardened, and you've learned to lie?"

Liu Yuanzhou just lowered his head, looking at his toes, without saying a word.

"Where are you hurt?" Zhang Shi asked again.

Liu Yuanzhou's nose felt a little sore. He looked up, smiled, and said, "Mom, I'm fine." Then he repeated what he had said earlier.

Hearing this, Zhang Shi immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that something might happen to her son.

"Oh dear, Erwa, you're okay, that's good, you scared me to death." Wang Shi patted her chest at this moment, and then continued, "I think it's all because of Liu Dalong's boy, Hu Wa, causing trouble, and Xi Zi from Zhang the Blacksmith's family isn't an easy lamp to deal with either. You should stay away from them in the future, and also my Xiaozhong, he's going to take the Xiucai exam, and if this continues, he'll be led astray too."

Liu Yuanzhou felt his face burning as he listened. This isn't coming to see me, it's clearly coming to interrogate me. She's complaining that we're dragging her son down. She's talking about Hu Wa and Xi Zi, but isn't she also talking about me? Liu Yuanzhou thought, secretly looking at his parents' faces, and saw that they also looked embarrassed. At this moment, he really wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, feeling a burst of anger in his heart and extremely uncomfortable: "If you don't want me to bother your son, just tell me, why say it in front of my parents, making them lose face too?"

"Auntie, we know, we won't bother Brother Zhong if there's nothing going on, don't worry," Liu Yuanzhou took a deep breath and said coldly.

"Oh dear, Erwa, don't misunderstand, Auntie didn't mean that," Wang Shi said quickly.

"Auntie, I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep first." After saying that, he turned and went out.

Wang Shi's face was a little strained. She looked at Liu Da and his wife, stamped her foot, and said, "Look at your Erwa, I didn't even say anything."

Don't you know in your heart if that's what you meant? Liu Da and his wife thought to themselves, not knowing what to say.

Wang Shi was, after all, a little guilty, "Oh dear, I just came to see Erwa, I didn't expect it to turn out like this, Liu Da and his wife, I'll go back first." Wang Shi said with a dry laugh, turned and went out. As soon as she left the door, she hurried towards her own home. Before she had gone far, Liu Yuanbo caught up and stuffed the basket to her, saying, "Auntie, since Erwa isn't hurt, you can take these eggs back." Wang Shi was still trying to decline, but Liu Yuanbo turned and ran away. Wang Shi shook her head, carrying the basket and walking quickly towards home.

Liu Yuanbo returned to the cave dwelling and saw Liu Yuanzhou lying on the bed with his clothes on, staring blankly. He comforted him, "Erwa, don't take it too much to heart, everyone in the village knows what kind of person Xiaozhong's mother is." After thinking for a moment, he added, "You should still stay away from Xiaozhong in the future."

Liu Yuanzhou felt a burst of irritability in his heart and said impatiently, "I know, Brother, I'm going to sleep first." After saying that, he lifted the quilt and lay down.

Liu Yuanbo sighed, tucked the quilt around Liu Yuanzhou, and then picked up the basket to continue mending it.