Chapter 28 Du Min, kneel down

Chapter 28 Du Min, kneel down

Du's mother hurriedly ran away from Chongwen Academy, and slowly stopped after running a distance. Her face was full of joy. Her son had entered the prefectural academy? What kind of place was that? It was a place where the sons of the powerful and wealthy studied. They all relied on their ancestors and fathers. Her son didn't rely on anyone; he got in on his own merit.

Du's mother burst into laughter, completely lost in the moment.

"Where did this madwoman come from? Hurry, let's go home!" A woman carrying a vegetable basket led her daughter away.

Master Xie stood not far away and watched as Madam Du laughed so hard she could barely stand. Seeing that nothing bad seemed to happen, he shook his head, turned around, and left.

After laughing, Du's mother ran towards the village gate, but didn't see any familiar faces on the river. She then went to the rice shop, where she saw Du Laoding and the others carrying sacks of grain, waiting for the shop assistant to weigh them.

"Old man, I have some good news to tell you, but you must hold on!" Du's mother shouted.

Old Du felt ashamed and wished he could pretend he didn't know her.

"Our son got into the prefectural school! Hahaha, Amin got into the prefectural school!" Mother Du laughed exaggeratedly.

There was a momentary pause within a two-zhang radius of the Du family. Old Ding Du was also stunned. He reacted with surprise and disbelief, shouting, "What nonsense are you spouting? Is the prefectural school a place for commoners' children? Who's fooling you?"

“Yes, Mother, do you not know what the prefectural school is?” Du Ming asked.

"Master Xie said it himself, and the gatekeeper of Chongwen Academy said the same thing. If you don't believe me, come with me to the prefectural school to find him," Madam Du said excitedly.

"Then, then..." Old Du stammered excitedly, "We'll go after we sell the grain."

"We'll go, the eldest and second eldest will stay here and keep watch." Mother Du couldn't wait any longer.

“Okay, we two will stay here, you two go.” Du Ming said happily.

"Why do you need to guard it? Come on, help Du Xuezi's family carry the grain over." Yu Dongjia appeared out of nowhere, smiling as he greeted them: "Brother, your whole family should go. Our Yu Ji Rice Shop will buy your rice, and it will be five wen more than the market price, seventy wen per shi."

Father Du was delighted, "Is it true?"

"Really, come and collect the money when you return." Yu Dongjia smiled broadly, but inwardly he was filled with bitter regret. If he had known that Du Min had such great fortune, he wouldn't have cared whether Du Li was willing or not. As long as the marriage went through, he would have arranged it regardless of whether his son-in-law was a cat or a dog. Meng Dongjia was much more sensible. His daughter would marry into the family, and then he would bring his daughter and grandson back to live with him. The marriage was established, and his daughter wouldn't suffer.

It's too late to say anything now. Yu Dongjia sighed heavily as he watched the backs of the Du family of four.

On the way, Du Li heard his mother tell his father that Du Min had dropped out of Chongwen Academy more than half a month ago. His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't heard Meng Qing mention it when he last came to the Meng family, so it seemed that she didn't know either.

Damn it, their lie about delivering food to Du Min is about to be exposed.

"Second brother, you don't know?" Du Ming asked from the side.

Du Li pretended not to hear.

"Second brother, your wife brings food to your third brother every day, does she know about this but didn't tell you?" Old Ding Du sensed something was wrong.

Du Li's mind raced. He glanced at Du Ming and said with a hint of suggestion, "The Meng family got a big job from Master Chen. They're so busy that they haven't been able to bring food to Third Brother for a while."

Old Du understood that his second son's wife had gotten a big job through Du Min and was too busy to bring him food. His expression softened; it was good that his second son's wife wasn't deliberately hiding anything.

"Let's not talk about that now, let's go find Amin quickly." Du's mother didn't want to spoil the mood.

The family inquired along the way and arrived at the prefectural school at noon, just in time for the academy to close and the students to leave.

Seeing the students dressed in fine clothes, Mr. and Mrs. Du dared not approach them to speak, and could only tiptoe and peek into the doorway.

"Where did these beggars come from? What are they doing here?" Shi Zhengli looked up and saw a dark, dry face, its deep wrinkles soaked with sweat. Even from a meter away, he could almost smell the sour stench. He covered his nose and ordered, "Xiao Gao, go and chase those beggars away."

The servant boy named Xiao Gao arrogantly chased them away, saying, "Go away, go away! Is this a place for you? Get out of here and don't get in the way of the young masters."

Mr. Du was angry when he heard this. “We are here to find someone. I am looking for my son. My son’s name is Du Min. He is studying at the prefectural school.”

Upon hearing this, the servant looked at the four people in front of him, suppressing a laugh, and asked, "Is your son Du Min?"

“Yes, Du Min is my son, and I am his biological mother,” Du’s mother proudly emphasized.

Du Li noticed the strange looks the people nearby were giving them. He vaguely realized they shouldn't have come to this place so abruptly. He denied it, saying, "No, we're not here to see Du Min..."

It was late when the servant shouted in a shrill voice, "Young master, they are not beggars, but the parents of Du Min, the scholar."

Outside the academy, everyone's attention was drawn to it.

"Wait here, I'll go get someone for you." Without waiting for his master's orders, the servant ran off in a flash.

The remaining people, whether they were planning to board the ship and leave or go out for tea and a meal, all changed their minds and crowded around to watch the spectacle. Du Min, a poor, uneducated boy, had somehow managed to get into the prefectural school through the connections of Master Chen. Every day, dressed in hemp clothing, he sat in the same classroom as them, maintaining an aloof and self-righteous demeanor—a truly jarring sight. The worst part was that he couldn't be driven away; like a mange mitten on a horse, he was utterly repulsive.

What's even more ridiculous is that a commoner has entered a place where only the children of the powerful and wealthy can study. It's both laughable and terrifying. If this happens once, won't it happen again? They certainly don't want the prefectural school to become an academy where commoners and officials' children study together.

"Du Min is here." Xiao Gao pulled Du Min out. "Quick, quick, Du student, your parents are here to see you."

The crowd spontaneously parted to make way, and Du Min was staggered as he was pulled in. He saw four people in the middle of the crowd, their faces tense but their eyes filled with joy. He only glanced at them once before his gaze fell on their sweat-stained clothes and dust-covered straw sandals.

With just one glance, he felt as if he were sinking into a quagmire. The dignity and self-respect he had been trying to maintain crumbled instantly. He could already imagine how many sarcastic and contemptuous words awaited him after today.

"Amin, when did you get into the prefectural school?" Du's father didn't notice the fear and dejection on Du Min's face. He said happily, "We came to sell grain today. Your mother went to Chongwen Academy to see you and found out that you came to the prefectural school."

The people present burst into laughter. Du Min had been at the prefectural school for half a month, and his family hadn't even heard the news.

Du Min blushed with embarrassment.

"Du Min, are these your parents? I thought they were just a few beggars, and Xiao Gao almost chased them away." Shi Zhengli covered his nose, deliberately humiliating him.

Du Min was filled with shame and indignation. He glanced again at his parents, who were staring at him expectantly. The resentment in his heart was about to burst. Were they satisfied with the humiliation he had suffered?

"Du Min, do you know them?" someone asked with a grin.

Du Min's face was ashen. He ignored everyone, and with a final glance at the faces filled with sarcasm, malice, mockery, and hostility, he forcefully broke free of his restraints, turned and left. He wanted to escape this place.

Mr. and Mrs. Du finally snapped out of their euphoria. They looked at their son struggling to escape; his eyes were filled with hatred, his face contorted with rage, and his gaze was cold and unfamiliar. In that instant, they felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, their bodies chilled to the bone, unable to move.

Du Min was pushed back by a group of servants. He was pushed in front of his parents and forced to ask by Shi Zhengli, "Why are you running away? Don't you recognize your parents?"

“We don’t know him. My parents are sick and have mistaken him for someone else.” Du Li felt like he was watching a mouse being toyed with by a pack of dogs. At that moment, he realized Du Min’s status in the prefectural school. This once-proud son of Dujiawan had fallen so low that anyone could trample on him or curse him, even though he was born into the Du family. He stepped forward, grabbed Du’s parents, and apologized to Du Min: “Scholar, we’re so sorry. My parents have mistaken him for someone else and have caused you trouble.”

Du Min's eyes flickered slightly. He clenched his fists, opened his mouth as if to shout, but then lowered his head.

"Am I not your father?" Du's father refused to leave, staring at Du Min as he asked.

"Let's go." Du Li pushed him.

Du's mother burst into tears, and Du Li scolded her, "Is she having another episode? Big brother, take Mother away."

Du Ming hesitated.

"Big brother, take Mother away!" Du Li repeated.

Du Ming glared at him, then spat at Du Min before forcibly dragging Du's mother away.

Those present watched Du Min with the fascination of a good show. Seeing that he remained silent, they applauded, thinking what a wonderful drama it was.

"How unfilial!" A voice rang out from outside the crowd.

Du Min caught the sound, and he snapped out of his daze, almost fainting from fright. In his moment of confusion, a flash of inspiration struck him.

"Father—" Before he could finish speaking, he rolled his eyes and collapsed.

The onlookers scattered in a panic, and Du's parents rushed back, hugging Du Min and calling out to him repeatedly.

"Quickly take him to the clinic." Du Li didn't know if Du Min was really unconscious or faking it; he just wanted to escape this place as quickly as possible. "Big brother, carry third brother on your back, let's go to the clinic."

"Hey! You just said your parents were sick and you mistook them for someone else?" Shi Zhengli pointed at him with his fan.

"I've lost my mind and am talking nonsense, don't believe me," Du Li said through gritted teeth, changing her tune.

With the help of his parents, Du Ming carried the ingrate on his back and rushed out of the crowd, with Du Li quickly following behind.

The main characters had all run away, but the remaining people discussed it for a while, still feeling unsatisfied, before dispersing.

*

Du Ming carried Du Min for a mile, and seeing that no one was following behind, he put the person off his back while panting heavily.

Du Min's head hit the bluestone slab, forcing him to wake up. As soon as he opened his eyes, a slap came flying at him.

With a sharp "snap," Du Min froze, raising his head in disbelief.

"What are you looking at? I'm going to hit you." Du's father's hands were shaking after he hit him. He had never laid a finger on Du Min in all his life.

Du's mother was still crying. She asked coldly, "Don't you recognize us? Aren't I your mother? Aren't you my daughter?"

Du Min calmly got up and said, "Let's talk somewhere else, let's go to my second sister-in-law's house."

“Come back with me, you’re not going to study anymore.” Father Du grabbed him and tried to take him away.

Du Min couldn't believe his father was saying this. In his shock, he was so caught up in the moment that his father actually dragged him a few steps.

"I'm not going back." Du Min tried to shake him off, but as a weak scholar, he was no match for Du Laoding, a farmer who could carry water and bundles of rice. He was dragged along, and there was a tree by the roadside. He quickly grabbed the mulberry tree and refused to move any further.

The father and son were locked in a stalemate, like a tug-of-war.

"Second brother, come help me quickly!" Du Min cried out.

“Going back for a few days is fine too,” Du Li said.

Du Min dared not go back, fearing that if he did, he would never be able to leave again. He lowered his head and bit his father's hand, then, taking advantage of the pain, he broke free and ran away.

"You little brat, you've gone too far! Eldest brother, second brother, go and bring him back!" Father Du shouted angrily.

Du Li wouldn't listen, so Du Ming ran a few steps and saw that he didn't move, so he stopped too.

"Are you two going to rebel too?" Father Du was furious.

“Rebellion? If you had the throne, the third son wouldn’t disown you as his father.” Du Li stabbed him in the heart. He fanned himself with his sweat-dampened clothes and said, “If you really don’t plan to let the third son go to school, I’ll go after him right now. If you’re just threatening him, don’t make a scene here like you’re arresting a criminal. If you really make him unable to study, you can wait to collect his corpse.”

Du Laoding was intimidated and fell silent.

"Let's go, follow them." Only then did Du Li move.

Du Min followed them at a distance, neither too close nor too far. He had no place to stay in the city, so he could only lead them to Jiayufang. Among these people, only Meng Qing was his steadfast ally; she could protect him from his parents taking him away.

As the road became more and more familiar, Du Li said, "He's going to the Meng family's house."

"If we don't go to the Meng family, we'll just become a laughingstock." Even at this moment, Madam Du still had the mind to think about this.

“Go and tell the third brother,” Du Li said.

The mere mention of her third son caused Du's mother to lose all her spirits; she slumped down as if all her strength had been drained.

Meng Qing and her family encountered Du Min at the entrance of the neighborhood. He was ashen-faced, with pale lips, disheveled clothes, messy hair, and a handprint on his face. He looked like he had been robbed, which startled Meng Qing and her family.

"Third brother, what's wrong? What happened? Little brother, come quickly and help him back." Meng Qing asked anxiously.

As soon as Du Min entered the Meng family's house, the Du family members also entered.

When Mencius' parents saw that the four of them looked like they had been robbed, they were startled again.

"Father-in-law, what happened? Should we report it to the authorities?" Meng's father asked.

Old Du was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear. He even wanted to turn around and leave.

"Father, there's no need to report it to the authorities. It's just a family dispute," Du Li replied casually.

"My dear in-laws, I need to borrow your territory to handle some matters," Old Ding Du said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Alright, alright." Meng's father realized what was going on and said, "We have some things to do at the paper horse shop, so we won't keep you company."

Old Du was extremely grateful. "Alright, you can go ahead and get busy."

Mencius' father pushed his mother away. She was unwilling, but he forcibly dragged her away, saying, "You'll find out what happened sooner or later. Don't get in my way here."

"I just want to see those two old folks make a fool of themselves." Meng's mother made no attempt to hide her thoughts. She said happily, "Did you see your mother-in-law's eyes? They're so swollen she can't open them."

Mencius' father shook his head and chuckled.

"Wait a moment, let's see if Meng Chun will be kicked out." Meng's mother stopped walking.

At the Meng family home, Du Laoding stared at Meng Chun several times, but Meng Chun pretended not to notice. He took the child from Meng Qing's arms and pretended to be very busy, making "oh oh oh" noises to coax the child.

Old Du couldn't do anything about him, so he could only pretend he didn't exist.

"Kneel down," he said as he walked to Du Min's side.

Du Min knelt down readily, kneeling upright, his eyes staring blankly into the void.

"What happened? Has your father gone mad?" Meng Qing walked up to Du Li and whispered.

"Du Min dropped out of Chongwen Academy more than half a month ago and went to study at the prefectural school..."

"Why didn't you tell your family that you were admitted to the prefectural school?" Old Du questioned.

"...I told my parents that your family landed a big business deal, and you've been so busy that you haven't been able to bring him food for almost half a month." Du Li quickly relayed the information.

"Speak! Are you mute?" Old Ding shouted at the top of his lungs.

Du's mother stood silently to the side. After seeing Du Min at the prefectural school, she could no longer deceive herself that Meng Qing had kept this news from her.

"I'm busy, I don't have time to go back," Du Min replied with difficulty.

"You don't have time to go back? You didn't even bother to give your second sister-in-law a heads-up? You don't even have that much time?" Old Ding didn't believe him. He coldly questioned, "Du Min, what have your mother and I done to wrong you? You wouldn't even tell us about such an important matter as going to the prefectural academy. This is a joyous occasion. Would we stop you? No, you know that yourself. So why wouldn't you tell us?"

"I plan to go back and tell you the good news in person when I take my ten-day break," Du Min said, making up another reason.

"Do you think I'll still believe it?" Old Du said disappointedly.

Du Min remained silent, giving off an attitude of "believe it or not."

"Fine, I believe that reason. What reason do you have for disowning us outside the state university? You've really made something of yourself, disowning your poor parents, feeling ashamed of us, and thinking our family isn't good enough for a Du University student like you. Now that you can earn your own money and have grown wings, you want to kick us aside..."

"Shut up!" Du Min shouted in alarm. "If you keep talking nonsense!"

Old Du was startled. The next moment, he was furious and slapped him hard across the face. "You dare to yell at me? I've really spoiled you. You don't know your own limitations."

What a resounding slap! Meng Qing was so shocked that she took two steps back. She had really underestimated Du Laoding. He was quite ruthless. The darling she used to cherish was now showing no mercy when he hit her.

Du Min was slapped so hard he fell to the ground. His mother cried out, "My son!" She rushed over to protect Du Min, then turned on him and yelled, "You old hag, are you going to beat him to death? Don't you care about him since he's not your son?"

"You worthless wretch, no matter how hard you try to protect him, he won't recognize you." Old Du cursed her as well. "Get out of my way. If you get in my way again, don't come back with me. Go beg for food at the gate of the prefectural school and see if he'll recognize you then."

These words touched a raw nerve with Du's mother, who silently got up and walked away.

Du Min collapsed to the ground, gazing at the sky and silently shedding tears, looking utterly despondent.

Father Du kicked him again, "Study, study! What kind of bullshit sage books have you been reading? You've lost your conscience, you don't even recognize your parents anymore, you heartless wretch! Your mother and I have wasted twenty years of our love for you. When people point fingers at us and call us beggars, you don't even react? Don't you feel sorry for us?"

Du Min covered his face and cried out, "Father, just kill me."

Old Du visibly breathed a sigh of relief; he was stunned.

"Sigh!" Meng Qing saw that the drama was about to end, so she stepped forward and earnestly advised, "Father, please don't hit Third Brother anymore. He's only a few years old, not even twenty yet, and he's at an age where he cares a lot about his reputation. What kind of place is the prefectural school? It's full of children of powerful and wealthy families. They not only have servants to attend to them, but even the teachers have to respect them. Third Brother used to study at the private school and Chongwen Academy, where he was always the top student, admired by his classmates and loved by his teachers. In Dujiawan, he was a pride of the family, a golden phoenix, a star surrounded by admirers. Suddenly, he went to the prefectural school, where he has the lowest status among everyone. Even his classmates' servants can scold him. He's suffered so much injustice there, and he hasn't adjusted to the situation yet."

“Class status is oppressive. If he lacked talent, it would be one thing to bow and scrape to curry favor, but he is talented, lacking only a good background. How could he accept that? He was just lamenting his unfair birth when you arrived…”

Meng Qing sighed again. She looked helplessly at Du's father's clothes, then pointed at Du Ming and Du Li, "Look at you, your hands are covered in countless patches, you're covered in dust, and your chests, armpits, and backs are soaked with sweat. How slovenly you look. Do you feel uncomfortable standing among a group of students in fine clothes? It's understandable that your third brother feels ashamed because he's younger and less mature."

Following her hand, Mr. Du looked at his eldest and second sons. The eldest son's hair was so greasy it looked like he had been pulled out of an oil vat after drowning. The second son was wearing new clothes, but his gray clothes were soaked with sweat, with patches of gray and black.

“Even when visiting relatives, you should change into presentable clothes. How did you manage to get there dressed like this?” Meng Qing seemed puzzled.

"Yes, why did you go looking for me like this?" Du Min felt a sense of relief at Meng Qing's understanding, and asked in bewilderment, "You all care about your reputation, you know you care about your reputation, so why can't you protect mine? What are you rushing over for today? To acknowledge me? If I acknowledge you in front of my classmates and let them know that you are the parents of poor student Du Min, how much face will I save?"

“We heard from others that you dropped out of Chongwen Academy and went to study at the prefectural school. How would we know if it’s true or not? Of course we were anxious to find you,” Mr. Du explained. “How many days has it been since you went home? Your mother has been having nightmares for the past two weeks. She’s anxious and always worried that something has happened to you. How can we not be anxious? We are worried about you.”

"Can't it be delayed by one day? Will I die if it's delayed by one day?" Du Min asked.

"How dare you speak like that? Is it wrong for us to worry about you?" Old Ding Du got angry again. He pointed at Du Min and cursed, "No matter how eloquent you are, it can't cover up your shame. You don't even acknowledge your parents now. If you really become an official in the future, will you kill us to bury your origins?"

Du Min seemed not to hear. He collapsed to the ground, staring at the sky cut off by the eaves. The blinding sun made his tears flow uncontrollably. His eyes were crying, but he was laughing.

“So what if something happened to me? What can you do? What good will it do you if you find out? Fine, I’ll tell you. The spot at the prefectural academy that could bring you honor was something I snatched by any means necessary. On the day I entered the prefectural academy, I was put in a sack and beaten with sticks in an alley. My right leg was lame for three days before I could walk properly, and my right hand fingers still hurt to this day.” Du Min raised his right hand, his thumb trembling uncontrollably as he bent it down.

"What else do you want to know? I sit in the last row of the prefectural school. There are dead rats in my desk every day. My clothes that I hang out to dry are splashed with excrement. I try to curry favor with people, but they ignore me and won't let me go. From the first day I entered the prefectural school, they have wanted to kick me out."

"Alright, I've told you everything you wanted to know. What can you do for me?" Du Min asked, turning his head to the side.

Mr. Du remained silent, and the others also kept quiet.

"Look, you can't do anything." Du Min laughed bitterly. "What good does it do you to know? What good does it do to see me, just to confirm that I'm still alive?"

Du Laoding lowered his head.

"A bunch of bastards! We're poor, but we don't eat their food. What right do they have to look down on us?" Du's mother cursed, heartbroken. She came over and helped Du Min up, saying, "My son, you've suffered so much."

Du Min wasn't buying it. He pushed her away, staggered to his feet, and said, "You don't understand anything, and I don't expect you to. You can't help me, so please stop holding me back. I'm a person who has to fight for my own destiny."

After saying this, Du Min took a bamboo pole and used it as a crutch to leave.

"Stop right there! Who said you could leave?" Old Ding roared.

Du Min didn't stop walking. Without turning his head, he said, "Father, I'm unfilial, and you're not kind either. Give up. I won't obey you anymore."

"I'm not kind?" Old Du Ding doubted his ears. He couldn't believe that Du Min could say such a thing. His second son could say it, his eldest son could say it, but he couldn't. He loved his youngest son unconditionally and favored him utterly, yet now he was met with this rebuke.

“What kind of son did I raise?” Old Ding Du couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground. “I gave him everything, but he doesn’t need me anymore. He just thinks I’m a disgrace.”

“Third brother is going through a tough time right now, so his thinking is bound to be biased. Why should you, as his parents, hold it against him? Be more tolerant and understanding. He'll understand once he gets through this difficult period,” Meng Qing said, trying to take sides.

"Still tolerate him? If we tolerate him any longer, he'll become a god. Once he's successful, he'll raze our ancestral graves to the ground so we won't be a disgrace to him." Old Du said these hurtful words.

Upon hearing this, Du Min, who had not yet left the Meng family's gate, paused for a while before continuing on his way.

"Du Li, go check on Third Brother. He seems a bit off. I don't know if he's sick or has heatstroke," Meng Qing instructed.

"Ah? Okay, okay." Du Li obeyed and ran off.

Du Li chased after Du Min but didn't see him. Just as he was wondering if Du Min had jumped into the river out of despair, he heard a vomiting sound coming from behind a tree.

"Third brother?" Du Li walked over and honestly explained, "Your second sister-in-law asked me to come out and check on you. Are you feeling unwell? Have you had heatstroke?"

Du Min didn't say anything; he lay on the tree root with his eyes closed in pain.

Du Li stood aside and watched.

After a while, Du Min recovered from the worst pain and said, "Second brother, help me up and take me back to the prefectural school."

"Let me take you to the clinic first."

Du Min insisted on returning to the prefectural school.

"Wait a minute." Du Li ran back to the Meng family and said to Meng Qing, "My third brother probably has heatstroke. He can't walk and wants me to take him back to the prefectural school. I wanted to take him to the clinic, but he refused."

"Listen to him." Meng Qing knew that Du Min would have to go back and clean up the mess.

Du Li listened to her and turned to leave.

"Dad, Mom, you two stay here for a while. I'm going out to buy some groceries. You can stay here for dinner tonight and spend the night in the city. You can go back tomorrow," Meng Qing said dutifully.

Old Du waved his hand, "We're going back today, so as not to trouble your parents."

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s just a matter of cooking a few more dishes. You’ll have to make do tonight. Dad and my eldest brother will sleep on the floor in Dad’s room, Mom will sleep on the floor in my room, and Du Li will sleep with my younger brother. There’s enough room.” Meng Qing arranged things in an orderly manner. She glanced at the sky and said, “It’s probably past noon. There are almost no more boats left. You should rest a little longer and not rush to leave.”

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Du immediately prepared to leave.

“We won’t stay any longer, we’ll come back next time.” Father Du was in a hurry to catch the boat, and he said hastily, “If the second son can’t make it back in time, he can stay for a couple more days. You can have him go to Yu’s Rice Shop to get the money for the grain, and he can take it back with him when he goes back.”

Meng Qing politely suggested that they stay the night and have a meal before leaving, and escorted them all the way to the ferry. Only after watching the three members of the Du family board the boat and leave did she pat her bottom and go home.

On the way back, Meng Qing hummed a little tune happily; it had been a long time since she had felt so lively.

After today, Du Min has fallen out with his parents. Even if they reconcile, there will be a rift between them. Will Du's parents still wholeheartedly favor their son? And who will Du Min side with at home?

"Waiter, do you still have roasted goose roe? Bring me one." Meng Qing walked into the teahouse.

"Miss Meng, is there some good news? You seem so happy." The waiter asked casually when he saw her smiling.

Meng Qing smiled and said, "Yes, there is good news. My brother-in-law has gone to study at the prefectural school."

"Oh my! This is wonderful news!"

*

On the other side, Du Li helped Du Min head to the prefectural school. On the way, Du Min vomited three more times and was almost delirious. Du Li wanted to take him to the clinic, but he refused no matter what.

“Send me back to the academy; I have other plans,” Du Min insisted.

Du Li had no choice but to carry him on his back and hurry toward the prefectural school with his head down.

Upon arriving at the gate of the prefectural school, Du Min insisted on getting off and walking by himself. Du Li, worried about him, helped him inside.

"Du Min is back!" a page carrying a food box shouted.

Students who had been seeking refuge from the heat in the shade flocked out. Du Li felt like a monkey in a performance, being pointed at and unable to lift his head. He desperately wanted to run, but Du Min whispered a reminder to slow down.

"Dr. Xu is here!" someone called out.

Du Min stopped, and Du Li had to stop as well. He looked up and saw a long-bearded, pale-faced man holding a ruler walking towards him with an imposing expression.

Upon hearing what had happened at noon, Dr. Xu was about to confront Du Min, deeming such an unfilial student a disgrace to the academy. However, upon closer inspection, he saw Du Min's pale face and the faint bluish tinge on his forehead, making him appear as if he only had a few days left to live. His anger subsided, and he asked with concern, "Du Min, what happened to you?"

"This student greets Dr. Xu," Du Min said weakly.

Are you sick? Or did your father hit you?

“My dad didn’t hit him much, just slapped him twice,” Du Li explained. “He was sick, he had heatstroke.”

"The students caught a chill yesterday wearing wet clothes, and developed a fever last night. The fever was so high that I didn't recognize anyone. This morning, I forced myself to attend two classes while still groggy. When I was about to go to the clinic, my family arrived. My parents mistakenly thought I didn't recognize them and angrily dragged me for half an hour in the sun. I think I got heatstroke again," Du Min explained with a wry smile.

Du Li immediately understood why Du Min insisted on coming to the academy despite his illness. He forced himself to speak up, "I thought he would forget about us because he's successful, but it turns out he's so sick he doesn't recognize anyone. He even fainted from a fever, but my father woke him up by pinching him. My father has a bad temper and hit him before he could explain. After he explained things to us, he rushed off to the prefectural school..."

Dr. Xu looked Du Min up and down. He knew about the wet clothes he wore yesterday. Before the start of the classics class, Shi Zhengli's page had splashed half a basin of water on his hands. The teacher told him to go back and change his clothes, but he didn't go and listened to half a day of class in his wet clothes.

“Dr. Xu, he’s lying. He was perfectly sober around noon,” Xiao Gao shouted, jumping out after getting a signal from his master.

Du Min suddenly gagged, covering his mouth as he vomited until tears streamed down his face, looking quite pitiful.

The onlookers backed away in disgust.

"Third brother, third brother..." Du Li couldn't stand the ridicule from others, so he quickly turned to the side to pat Du Min's back and lowered his head.

After observing for a while, Dr. Xu, remembering that this person was recommended by Master Chen, stopped pursuing the matter: "If you are sick, go back to the back room to rest. Call a doctor to take a look and prescribe some medicine."

Du Li clearly heard Du Min sigh. He picked him up and asked, "Can I take him to the clinic first?"

“Go ahead,” Dr. Xu nodded.

This time, Du Min didn't say anything and obediently let himself be carried away.

As Du Li walked out of the prefectural school, he looked back and sighed, "You brought this on yourself. If you had told your family earlier, none of this would have happened."

“I just don’t want them to be happy. The thought of them flaunting my hard-earned achievements makes me sick.” Having received help from Du Li several times, Du Min lost his guard in front of him and poured out his heart, “Second Brother, you should understand me the most.”

Du Li didn't understand. He didn't even know why he would think that way. Had he argued with his parents?

"Second brother, I want to thank you today," Du Min said affectionately. "I also want to thank second sister-in-law. I'll go and thank her when I'm better."

Du Li didn't dare to reply. He also had his own thoughts. If Du Min couldn't continue his studies, he was worried that Meng Qing wouldn't stay with him anymore.

"Don't talk, I'll take you to see a doctor."