Early the next morning, everyone in the village knew that the Meng Household's little aunt had set out farmyard manure as an offering to the moon. Whenever people saw them, they covered their mouths and snickered.
Jin Shanyao knew she had made a fool of herself, and she looked at the two little cubs apologetically. What she thought was good might not necessarily be good in other people's eyes.
She wouldn't dare act recklessly again. It was better to follow human customs.
The ox cart rocked and swayed its way to the academy. Jin Shanyao lifted Meng Anci down and tucked ten copper coins into his satchel.
"Little Aunt, there's nowhere to spend money at the academy." Meng Anci already had more than a tael in his little hoard, a huge sum for someone his age.
Jin Shanyao smiled. "If you don't need it today, save it. If you need it urgently one day, or a classmate needs help, you can lend a hand and make a connection."
Meng Anci's little head spun until it practically smoked, but he still couldn't figure out what connections a four-year-old toddler like him needed.
Meng Anci marched into the Enlightenment Academy with little measured steps. He had just sat down when he heard Shiyan jeer, "Everyone, come look! Meng Anci's wearing patched clothes again."
The academy was full of children from wealthy families who had never worn patched clothes. At Shiyan's shout, they all crowded over, lifting Meng Anci's robe to look at his legs.
"Meng Anci, why are your clothes always torn?"
"Yeah, even my family's servants don't wear torn clothes. Is your family really poor?"
Shiyan's eyes darted around. Standing among the crowd, he laughed and said, "Do you even need to ask? I heard both his parents are dead, and his little aunt has to support him now."
"Ah... isn't that pitiful?" A chubby boy looked at Meng Anci sympathetically. After a moment's thought, he rummaged through his satchel, took out an osmanthus cake, and put it on Meng Anci's desk.
"Here, have this. It's a pastry from the Top Scholar Tower. My mother queued for two hours to buy it."
Meng Anci was puzzled. Was this kind of osmanthus cake hard to buy? His little aunt had only said a word to a worker at the Top Scholar Tower, and he had brought out two packets. There were still some at home.
When Shiyan saw that Chen Zishan had actually given Meng Anci a cake, his gaze turned contemptuous. "Why give him anything to eat? Has he ever eaten anything good?" With that, he knocked the osmanthus cake to the ground.
He looked at Meng Anci with an arrogant expression. "Pick it up and eat it."
Meng Anci couldn't be bothered with them. He took out his inkstone and spread out his paper, ready for class.
His crooked handwriting had earned him plenty of ridicule from his classmates. When Shiyan saw that he was being ignored, he slammed his little hand on the desk and scolded him in his childish voice.
"Meng Anci, why are you pretending to be a good student? The master kept me after class the day before yesterday. Were you the one who told on me?"
When Meng Anci said nothing, Shiyan angrily reached for the inkstone on the desk, intending to smash the lousy thing to pieces. To his surprise, he grabbed at empty air.
His little body stumbled forward, and he plunged straight into Meng Anci's arms. The faint scent of plants left him stunned for a moment, before his expression turned as ugly as if he had eaten shit.
"Ah... you're filthy! How long has it been since you bathed? You stink!"
Hearing that, the others covered their noses and stepped back, as though they really could smell something foul. Only Chen Zishan leaned in front of Meng Anci and sniffed.
He turned to the others. "He doesn't stink. He smells nice."
"Chen Zishan, is there something wrong with your nose? You can actually smell something nice?"
Seeing that no one believed him, Chen Zishan stood there in a daze. Meng Anci really didn't stink, and he smelled very nice.
Meng Anci lifted his eyelids slightly, his soft voice tinged with provocation. "Shiyan, not only are you slow, your nose doesn't work either."
Shiyan's temper flared. "Bullshit! I'm second in the academy at riding and archery. You think I'm slow? Put down the inkstone and let's see who's faster."
Meng Anci looked him straight in the eye, a faint smile curving his lips. The smile made Shiyan's heart tremble; nothing good ever came of Meng Anci smiling like that. "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not afraid of you."
Shiyan had been pampered since childhood and lorded it over everyone at home, so he refused to acknowledge anyone as his better.
Meng Anci said, "What's the fun in snatching an inkstone? You might even dirty your hands, young master."
"At least you know what's good for you." Shiyan thought Meng Anci was backing down and was feeling pleased with himself when he heard him continue, "Why don't we play wind-and-fire wheels instead?"
"What are wind-and-fire wheels?" Shiyan had a feeling it was nothing good.
Meng Anci said, "You swing your arms around in circles in front of your chest as fast as you can, and I take the chance to slap you."
"You dare?" Shiyan kicked Meng Anci's desk, sending it scraping across the floor. "You poor wretch, you think you can slap me?"
Meng Anci didn't straighten the desk Shiyan had kicked askew. Sitting in the narrow gap, he smiled and said, "This game is just like slapping the back of someone's hand. It all comes down to who's faster. I suppose you wouldn't dare play anyway."
He took out a book and put it on the desk, continuing to himself, "Forget it, let's not play. You might tell on me if you lose."
"I wouldn't tell on you!" The last time, Shiyan hadn't even told his family when his hand was slapped swollen, making Madam Shi so angry she had nearly come to the academy to make a fuss. He hesitated.
The children around them egged him on. "Play with him! Are you scared of him or what?"
With everyone putting him on the spot, Shiyan's little face flushed red. He had played games with Meng Anci before and knew how fast he was. This wind-and-fire wheels definitely couldn't be a good game.
"Go away, all of you! I'm not stupid!" Shiyan pushed through the crowd and sat back down in his chair, fuming.
Seeing that he had quieted down, Meng Anci touched the seam on his trousers. Little Aunt had done a fine job sewing it; it wasn't ugly at all. Besides, he spent every day with the wildcat. What nice clothes could stand up to its claws?
Meng Anci attended lessons indoors in the morning and learned riding and archery at the training ground in the afternoon. Every three days, he had a lesson in etiquette.
The other children had entered the academy early and already knew most of the six arts of a gentleman. Meng Anci had arrived late and was only just beginning to learn them. Today was his first riding lesson.
He stood nervously in front of the pony, unable to bring himself to take the reins. The other children had already ridden two laps. Just as he finally worked up the courage to take them, he heard Shiyan speak in an irritating tone.
"Meng Anci, you don't know how to ride?" Shiyan wore a dark green riding outfit and sat atop a pony, looking full of spirit.
Shiyan tried to bring his pony closer to Meng Anci so he could splash him with dirt, but no matter how he kicked its belly, the pony refused to move forward.
He cursed the beast inwardly, then giggled at Meng Anci.
"Say, Meng Anci, doesn't your family have an ox? Even if you've never ridden a horse, haven't you ridden an ox? Look at you, so useless..."
Meng Anci's cheeks reddened slightly, and his ears grew hot.
Seeing him at a loss, Shiyan laughed even louder, his mood improving further. Just as he was about to continue mocking him, Master Zhao cut him off sharply.
"Shiyan, are you so skilled at riding? Would you like to race Zhao Zhiyuan for two laps?"
Shiyan curled his lip. Meng Anci was a bookworm who only knew how to study. Did the master really have to protect him like this? He rolled his eyes inwardly and rode away, gently kicking the pony's belly.
Master Zhao was irritated. The pony he was holding was the gentlest one, and new students always rode it for practice in their first lesson. He didn't know what was wrong with it today, but it absolutely refused to go near Meng Anci.
It was as if Meng Anci were a raging flood or a ferocious beast. Master Zhao angrily kicked the pony's rump. "Stand still! He hasn't even ridden you yet. Why are your legs shaking?"
The pony was terrified and wished it could drop dead on the spot. If it hadn't been held by the reins, it would have run away long ago.
There was the presence of a great demon on this child, so strong that it was as if the demon's true form were right beside it.
Meng Anci worked up his courage and reached out to touch the pony's leg. With a thud... the pony dropped straight to its knees. Meng Anci looked helplessly at Master Zhao.
He... he hadn't done anything.