WBSGVS Chapter 55 V1

No one expected that in the small private school run by Luo Yuzhi, six students would pass the examination for “Tongsheng” (a title for those who pass certain preliminary tests in the imperial examination system)!

After the provincial examination, the Luo family’s private school suddenly became famous. Many people came from afar, hoping to enroll their children, while other teachers sought advice on their methods.

Although Luo Yuzhi had been friendly with them before, the gap in their capabilities had now widened significantly.

What could Luo Yuzhi say? If he claimed that it was all thanks to his daughter’s efforts, others wouldn’t believe him—some would only half-believe him.

However, it was no surprise that Wang Shanxue and others had complete faith in Qingli, and even students who had previously been reluctant to attend her classes came forward, asking to join her lessons.

But Qingli refused.

Her current goal was the September entrance examination, and teaching everyone together would be a waste of time.

Luo Yuzhi initially hesitated about letting his daughter become a teacher. Historically, women faced more hardships than men, and their reputation was very important. He couldn’t bear the thought of any scandal.

However, after witnessing his daughter’s teaching content, he fell silent once more. He realized that her proposed system of tiered instruction made complete sense.

His daughter’s breadth of knowledge, insight, and analytical skills regarding various examiners far surpassed his own. To stand in her way would only ruin others’ expectations.

Thus, Luo Yuzhi decided to open another class in the adjacent courtyard, enrolling students who had passed the provincial examination.

At his place, he would focus on teaching those who hadn’t passed the county or provincial exams.

Many students registered with Luo Yuzhi, but few came to Qingli. Only Wang Shanxue brought along two county boys who were still somewhat skeptical of her abilities.

Luo Yuzhi feared that discouraging his daughter’s confidence would be detrimental. “Don’t worry about that now; they’re short-sighted and think I’m just trying to promote you. If you really can teach one or two students to become ‘Xiucai’ (successful candidates), they’ll surely regret their doubts.”

The imperial examination had never been an easy feat, especially in such remote areas with limited information. It was already impressive for a town to produce one or two successful candidates in a year.

Qingli smiled calmly, “That’s perfect. My health isn’t great right now, and I wouldn’t have the energy to teach many students.”

“That’s true,” Luo Yuzhi chuckled, running his fingers through his daughter’s long hair. He suddenly thought of Cheng Zhaoyang, and his expression darkened. Without turning around, he looked coldly toward the Cheng family’s direction and let out a sneer.

He didn’t know what his daughter’s intentions were, but if she could teach a successful candidate, her status would naturally elevate. Even if Cheng Zhaohua became a successful candidate, he would think twice before trying to bully his daughter. A teacher who could cultivate a successful candidate would far outshine a mere clerk.

News of Luo Qingli teaching six ‘Tongsheng’ students quickly reached the Cheng family.

For the past month, the Cheng family acted as if there were no ties to the Luo family, living their lives as usual. With Pan Chun taking care of their meals and daily needs, they were quite comfortable. After dinner that evening, as they relaxed in the courtyard, they began to discuss the news and laughed dismissively.

Xiong said, “The Luo family must be trying to con us, right? How can they say such things? We didn’t notice this kind of character in the Luo family before.”

Cheng Yue’er sneered, “Exactly! Her father isn’t that impressive; how could she possibly teach so many? Maybe she stole the exam questions.”

Cheng Zhaoyang was more skeptical. He had liked Luo Qingli for a reason—she was the most intelligent person in the entire town, and her ability to compose poetry and write couplets had left a lasting impression on many.

But when it came to teaching, his first thought was that she would be spending time with other men, which didn’t sit well with him, so he chose not to engage in the conversation with his mother and sister, his brows furrowed.

“Eldest Brother?” Cheng Yue’er noticed her brother’s silence and nudged him.

Cheng Zhaoyang snapped back to reality, “What’s wrong?”

Cheng Yue’er pouted, “What are you thinking about? I’m talking to you!”

Cheng Zhaoyang pursed his lips and shook his head, unwilling to speak. It was hard to bring up being cuckolded, even in front of family.

Cheng Yue’er could see that he was thinking about Luo Qingli. As soon as she mentioned her, her brother seemed lost in thought. Upset, she said, “If you miss her, just go find her! If she can teach now, she must be well again. Why hasn’t she come back to serve her husband?”

Her words struck a chord with Cheng Zhaoyang. He sprang up, “You’re right!”

After saying that, he rushed outside, limping but determined.

Xiong’s previously cheerful expression fell as she glared at Cheng Yue’er, “Why did you have to say that? If she comes back and falls ill again, what then?”

Cheng Yue’er shrank back, regretting her impulsive comment.

Cheng Zhaoyang was indeed heading to the Luo family.

Just as Cheng Yue’er suggested, if she was well enough to teach, then why was she still at her parents’ house?

He didn’t think there was anything wrong with his previous indifference toward his wife. After all, the family had no money, and her in-laws had already treated her, right?

With that logic in mind, he knocked on the door with confidence.

Luo Yuzhi opened the door shortly after.

“Father-in-law,” Cheng Zhaoyang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. “I’ve come to pick up Qingli. I heard she’s helping you teach your students, so she must be feeling better. It’s not good for her to stay at her parents’ house for so long. Wouldn’t it be better for her to come back?”

Luo Yuzhi gritted his teeth, maintaining a calm appearance, but his face twitched slightly from the effort. His daughter had guessed his thoughts, and he coldly stepped back, saying, “Come in.”

Cheng Zhaoyang, unaware of the tension, stepped inside without hesitation.

Luo Yuzhi shut the door and immediately grabbed a broomstick, striking at him with a furious shout, “You ungrateful wretch! You show up without warning! What? Just because you heard I made some money, you think you can come begging for cash?”

“Bang! Bang!” The broomstick struck him with a dull thud.

“Ah! Father-in-law, please calm down! Ah—” Cheng Zhaoyang had not anticipated this reaction and cried out in surprise, shielding his head.

Luo Yuzhi pursued him relentlessly.

When nearby villagers heard the commotion from the Luo family, they shook their heads and rushed home to tell their families, voicing their disdain for the Cheng family’s opportunistic behavior. No one thought there was anything wrong with Luo Yuzhi hitting his son-in-law.

Such a son-in-law deserved a beating!

After all, they were family. As long as it didn’t escalate into a serious issue, there was no harm done.

Cheng Zhaoyang was at his wit’s end, regretting his decision to come. He dodged while shouting, “Qingli, help me, Qingli!”

Calling for his father-in-law was useless.

Luo Yuzhi was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Unfortunately, Qingli walked slowly and took a long time to feign urgency as she approached. The oversized clothes made her look particularly frail. When she got close, she exclaimed, “Dad, stop hitting him!”

Luo Yuzhi ignored her, saying, “Why shouldn’t I? He’s so heartless; it would be best to beat him to death!”

With that, he swung his stick again.

“Ah!” Cheng Zhaoyang screamed in pain once more.

Qingli rushed over, heart aching, and shielded him. Luo Yuzhi had no choice but to stop, panting as he glared at her. “A Li, move aside!”

Cheng Zhaoyang felt incredibly moved. His back throbbed with pain, surely bruised and swollen, but he didn’t blame Luo Qingli at all. It gave him a sense of reassurance. The Luo family was acting normally, and Qingli treated him this way; she had no idea that the bandit incident was related to him.

He hugged his wife and said, “Thank you for saving me, A Li.” Then he pretended to be concerned, adding, “You’ve lost weight!”

Qingli suddenly burst into tears in his embrace, pounding her fists against him as she cried angrily, “What does my losing weight have to do with you? You never come to see me! So why are you here now?!”

Just as Cheng Zhaoyang caught his breath, a flurry of small fists hit his chest, causing his face to pale in pain. His body trembled, and his head spun. He could only weakly say, “Stop hitting me, please…”

It hurt.

It felt as if his ribs had been broken, and his heart was starting to ache too.

Yet Qingli continued to cry and vent her frustration, her small fists moving relentlessly until her own hands began to hurt. Only then did she shove him back forcefully, leaning against Luo Mu, who was watching coldly, coughing and crying, “You get away from him!”

With a thud, Cheng Zhaoyang was pushed to the ground, and his tailbone throbbed painfully, making it hard for him to get back up.

At that moment, another figure came rushing in like a cannonball, sitting directly on his stomach.

“Ah—” Another scream echoed through the courtyard of the Luo family.

Qingli’s crying momentarily paused, surprised to see Luo Yisheng had also arrived, and she was hitting him hard. During this time, he had been home cooking, and the eight-year-old child had put on quite a bit of weight. She hurriedly shouted, “A Sheng! Come back!”

If something happened, it would be hard to handle afterward.

Luo Yisheng stood up angrily and said, “Sister, I want to hit him; he bullied you!”

Qingli couldn’t help but laugh, wiping her tears as she gently said, “A Sheng, come back; he’s your brother-in-law, don’t make a fuss.”

Although Luo Yisheng was still angry, he sneakily kicked Cheng Zhaoyang before running off.

Cheng Zhaoyang let out another groan, lying on the ground in despair.

Qingli sighed, unable to bear it anymore, and actively helped him up, saying softly, “Why did you come here? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t care about my life or death anymore?”

Cheng Zhaoyang felt touched. The entire Luo family treated him this way, but only his wife still had feelings for him, though she was harboring some resentment. He got up and said with guilt, “The reason I didn’t come before was that I felt ashamed to see you. Our family was broke; we had some leftover money, but my second brother asked for it, claiming it was needed for the academy. Yet, he used it to buy Ban Chun back, and our family had no money left, so I didn’t dare to see you.”

Qingli lowered her head, feeling aggrieved. “So why are you here now?”

Cheng Zhaoyang gently said, “You are my wife, and it’s about time you returned home after staying with your family for so long. Besides, people are saying that you are teaching students as a teacher, and those students are all sixteen or seventeen years old, which isn’t good for your reputation. Now that your health has improved considerably, you should go back.”

Qingli hesitated, saying, “But the doctor said I need to take care of my health. I’m afraid…”