Chapter 407: Lin Clan School

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When the two of them arrived home, Li Qing had already sent his aunt back to the Lin family. The marriage proposal went very smoothly. Li Qing told Zhou Jia that the Lin family had a clan school in the capital. Uncle Lin wanted them not to lock their children up at home to study and send them to the Lin clan school to study with children their age. When Zhou Jia heard this, he felt that he should also go to the Lin family with Li Qing.

Lin Zexu said to Zhou Jia, “The Lin family’s clan school costs five taels of silver a year. Students can’t bring a servant to study with them. They have to do the grinding of ink and washing of brushes themselves. The child will eat lunch in the clan school and be sent to and from morning and night. In the clan school, other than the teacher teaching the child, Ah Lan, Ah Yun, and I have to attend two classes a month. You and Ah Qing can also come to teach the children in the future. Come with me to take a look before making a decision.” Zhou Jia bowed. “Thank you, Uncle.”

“You’re our child. Why are you so polite?” Lin Zexu brought Zhou Jia and Li Qing to Heqing Alley to study with the Lin Clan.

The Lin clan school was a two-in-one courtyard with an old man guarding the door.

The old man knew Lin Zexu. After the two of them greeted each other, Lin Zexu brought Zhou Jia and Li Qing in.

Lin Zexu walked into the courtyard and pointed at the courtyard. He said to the two of them, “The front courtyard is where the children study. There are five main rooms, three east and west rooms, and two ear rooms. There are masters in the clan school for the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The courtyard at the back is smaller. The teacher lives in the backyard. The people cooking for the children is his family.”

Zhou Jia saw that there were about 20 to 30 children in the school. They were all between four and ten years old.

Some of the children sat obediently in the classroom to listen to the teacher’s lecture, while others learned painting in another classroom. It was completely different from the family studies they had seen in the past. After Zhou Jia saw it, he decided to send Yangyang to the Lin clan school to study.

When the few of them returned to the Lin family residence, Zhou Jia said to Lin Zexu, “Uncle, the Lin clan school is indeed different from the other clan schools. Uncle, thank you for your trouble.”

Lin Zexu looked at Zhou Jia and Li Qing and said sincerely, “Jiahe, Ah Qing, although we’ve only Imown each other for a few days, I’m your uncle. Don’t be so polite to me and don’t treat me as an outsider. Ah Qing, when I think about how you and Ah Yu lost your parents at such a young age, I wonder how much hardship you’ve suffered to achieve your current accomplishments. When I think of this, I really feel guilty. Can I help you do something to make up for

Zhou Jia and Li Qing looked at the elegant and easy-going Lin Zexu. The two of them could feel that he was really sorry. Li Qing felt a warm current in his heart and smiled at Lin Zexu. “Uncle, you really don’t have to feel guilty. Sister is very capable and I’ve never suffered. Later, we encountered a drought. Sister and Brother-in-law brought my aunt’s family and some villagers to Tongzhou.”

After hearing Li Qing’s words, Lin Zexu felt that it was even more exciting than a book. He sighed and said, “Ah Qing, fortunately, your sister and brother-in-law are here. Otherwise, I would be far away in the capital and you would be thousands of miles away. We would never have the chance to meet again. Now, your sister has even found out the reason why your mother was in trouble.”

Lin Zexu sighed and said, “It’s not that I didn’t suspect it back then, but I remembered that they were biological sisters. Seeing that she was also crying her heart out and punishing herself without eating or drinking, I thought about how my parents and brothers were harmed by bandits and Jinniang’s fate was unknown. In the blink of an eye, only she and I were left. I didn’t think in that direction anymore. Later, I came to Yunzhou to report to the Wang family that Jinniang had disappeared. Wang Zheng even chased after her and searched for some time. After Wang Zheng returned to Yunzhou, he got drunk and somehow ran to her room. After the two of them got married, I came to the capital and began to suspect the reason for Jinniang’s disappearance. However, only she, Jinniang, and Granny Han were there that day. Without any evidence, I could only swallow the question in my heart. How did they harm Jinniang?

Zhou Jia told him about how Madam Lin and Granny Han colluded to murder Jinniang and how Li Yu’s father saved Mother Li. When Lin Zexu heard this, he was so angry that he trembled. “How can there be such a vicious and shameless person in the world? I’m too ashamed to see Jinniang after I die.”

Seeing that he was blaming himself, the two of them comforted him and set a date for the gathering at the Lin family. Then, they said goodbye to Lin Zexu and returned home. They told Li Yu about sending Yangyang to the Lin family to study.

Li Yu nodded. “You’re experts in studying. If you think it’s beneficial for Yang’er to study in the Lin clan school, we shall arrange for it!”

Thinking that he had already done two things today, Li Qing recalled that he had yet to pay attention to the newly bought house. He looked at Zhou Jia with a headache. “Brother-in-law, the newly bought house is still short of a kitchen maid and two rough servants. Come with me to the brokerage house to take a look. ”

When Zhou Jia heard this, he looked at Li Yu. “Yu’er, let Old Madam Yun go to Ah Qing’s stove to cook for a few days. Let her come back after Ah Qing’s wife enters. What do you think?”

“Alright, there are still three cooks on the stove after Old Madam Yun left. It’s enough.” Li Yu thought for a moment and said, “I think it’s good to let Ah Qing stay here until he gets married.”

Zhou Jia smiled and said, “Of course, it’s good for Ah Qing to still be studying and living here, but he’s already working in the Hanlin Academy and is already engaged. If a colleague or relative wants to visit Ah Qing and see that he’s still staying at his sister and brother-in-law’s house, they will think that he’s still under our protection and doesn’t have the ability to take charge.”

When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Zhou Jia was right. Ah Qing was the head of the Li family, not that scrappy child anymore. He was already at the age to get married and have children. It was time for him to be independent.

“Alright! Ah Qing will do as your brother-in-law says. Go buy a servant and find an auspicious day to move over! Xiao Xi, tell Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai to settle their belongings and let their wives go home to take care of the house. The two of them will come here to work.”

Zhou Jia smiled and agreed. He brought Li Qing out. Li Yu also stood up to see what Mr. Wen was doing in the garden with Yangyang and the others.

Zhou Jia had just walked out of the outer courtyard with Li Qing and Zhao Cai when Uncle Liu came in with a few invitations and handed them to Zhou Jia. “Master, I received several invitations in less than two hours. You said not to disturb Madam, so I didn’t take them in.”

Zhou Jia nodded and said, “Uncle Liu, you did the right thing. Are you used to staying in the capital?”

Uncle Liu chuckled and bowed to Zhou Jia. “As long as I follow Master and

Madam, I’ll be fine anywhere.”

Zhou Jia looked at Uncle Liu and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring you wherever I go.”

Zhou Jia looked at the invitations in his hand and handed one to Li Qing. “Ah Qing, it’s yours. It’s an invitation to Yuehua Restaurant to drink and recite poems at midnight!”

Li Qing took a look. “Wang Kui, I don’t know him. I’m not going.”

Zhou Jia thought for a moment and did not know who Wang Kui was. He asked Zhao Cai, who said, “Master, I only know that Yuehua Restaurant is at the end of East Street. It’s a two-story restaurant. Wang Kui seems to be from Earl Jianning’s family.”

“Ah Qing, there are all kinds of people in the capital. Since he sent the invitation here, go take a look. How about this? Let Zhao Cai go with you.

Before you go, the two of you should agree on a time. Go in and socialize for a while. Zhao Cai will go in to look for you. Take the opportunity to bid farewell and come out so that you won’t offend anyone.”

‘Got it, Brother-in-law.” Li Qing thought about it and agreed..

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