9 The Top Scholar?

Ying Luo's predecessor no longer cared for her youngest son Zhao Xiaoshu after throwing him into the carpenter's shop.

Zhao Xiaoshu's mentor was a drunkard who would drink three times a day if he did not have much work. He would beat Zhao Xiaoshu if he drank too much. Zhao Xiaoshu once stopped breathing because his mentor beat him up horribly.

His mentor got scared and threw him into a messy grave and planned to tell the Zhao family that Zhao Xiaoshu had gotten lost. He even planned to pay Ying Luo's predecessor off.

Ying Luo's predecessor disliked Zhao Xiaoshu, so she did not care about him when his mentor paid her. But to everyone's surprise, Zhao Xiaoshu recovered. However, he did not return to the carpenter's shop or the Zhao family.

Zhao Xiaoshu was already a grown-up when he reappeared.

Zhao Xiaoshu's mentor once ruined a business and had to pay a considerable fine. Then his shop caught fire, and all his property got burned. The carpenter even broke his leg while walking one night and had no money to fix it. Ultimately, his wife and daughter cut ties with him as he fell into a smelly ditch and drowned.

Zhao Xiaoshiu collected the carpenter's body and threw it before Ying Luo's predecessor. The dead carpenter had a bloated purple face and a rotten leg.

Ying Luo's predecessor was horrified. After her death, God wanted to give her a chance to turn a new leaf and allow her to be reborn on the day Zhao Xiaoshu got beaten half to death by the carpenter.

However, Ying Luo's predecessor was too timid. When she opened her eyes and saw the carpenter's dead body, she died before she knew it, giving Ying Luo an advantage.

Meng Yao jolted back to reality and reincarnated the day Zhao Xiaoshu almost died. She got off the bed and ran out in a panic without even putting on her shoes. "Dahe!"

Zhao Dahe slowly walked out of the house. "Mother, why are you in such a panic?"

"You're coming with me to town." As Meng Yao said this, she turned back and took the silver from her house.

"What's the point of going to town at this time?" Zhao Dahe was very reluctant. He had just returned on an ox cart, and the cart was almost broken.

"Just come with me. What are you waiting for?" Meng Yao's face was stiff.

Zhao Dahe had no choice but to obey his mother. The scene was so terrifying that Meng Yao dared not imagine it. However, she became courageous and would no longer be afraid of the carpenter's dead body.

Nonetheless, Zhao Xiaoshu would not acknowledge his family when he grew up. If Ying Luo's predecessor were not scared to death, Zhao Xiaoshu would not be happy, and at that time, Meng Yao would suffer her youngest son's wrath.

"Dajiang, Give Xiu'er the chicken stew along with a chicken leg. Then make sure Xiu'er drinks her medicine. Do you understand?" Meng Yao instructed Zhao Dajiang.

"I'll remember that, Mother. " Zhao Dajiang agreed.

Only then did Meng Yao drag Zhao Dahe out of the house hurriedly to head to Mr. Niu's house. He was the village's delivery man.

"Mother, it's fine if you go to town, but why did you give that chicken leg to Xiu'er? There were two chicken legs; my sister and I would have one each. Are you giving Xiu'er mine or sister's?" Zhao Dahe asked.

"Do you still need to ask? Of course, you should give yours to Xiu'er." Meng Yao said. "How old are you compared to Xiaohua? As an older brother, are you not embarrassed to steal food from your younger sister? Besides, there's an entire chicken in the stew, not just the legs! Don't you eat the other parts?!"

"I love to eat chicken legs. It's not like you don't know that, Mother." Zhao Dahe was extremely unhappy.

Zhao Dahe always claimed the chicken legs. Even his little sister had to give her share to him since girls had to serve men in that era.

"Just because you like it doesn't mean I have to give it to you. Which of you gave me the chicken leg when I said I wanted it? You should respect the old and cherish the young, Dahe. Why did I even pay for your studies?"

Meng Yao was distraught that she would be unable to salvage the situation in time, and she was angry that her predecessor had left her with such a mess. She did not have time to coax Zhao Dahe. If Meng Yao had failed to salvage the situation, she wouldn't have had a good life when Zhao Xiaoshu grew up.

"Of course, I would be willing to give the chicken leg to you if you wanted it," Zhao Dahe said.

"That's your sister-in-law, so you should treat her well," Meng Yao said patiently.

Zhao Dahe scoffed.

"Dahe, you're a scholar. It's more important to gain a good reputation than anything else." Meng Yao took a deep breath and lowered her voice.

Zhao Dahe gave Meng Yao a strange look. "Mother, I'm not an official. Why would I need a good reputation?"

Meng Yao was a little dumbfounded, and she subconsciously asked, "If you're not an official, why are you studying?"

"Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?" Zhao Dahe sized Meng Yao up in confusion.

Meng Yao's face darkened. "You Rascal, who am I if I'm not your mother? What's wrong? Did you study so much that you forgot who I am? How can you not recognize your mother?!"

"Maybe you're a demon that possessed my mother!" Zhao Dahe mumbled, "It's written in the book on strange stories. The demons in the mountains eat people and then turn into the person they ate. Then..."

Meng Yao slapped the back of Zhao Dahe's head. "I've tightened my belt and told you to study, but you're reading random books? Do you want me to beat you to death?!"

Zhao Dahe clutched the back of his head and wailed, "Why did you strike me, Mother? Who else in the family will study if I'm stupid?"

"Who taught you such nonsense?!"

"Did you forget why you told me to study, Mother?" Zhao Dahe retorted indignantly. "You're the one who said it would be good if the villagers looked up to me. You also said only a few could become scholars by studying. There are many students in Zhou State, and I am your son, so you should know my worth best."

Meng Yao was speechless. 'My predecessor wanted Zhao Dahe to study so that he could become a scholar? She sure had a strange way of doing things.'

"Didn't you say you got third place in a test? But there was no reward before, right? So, you're here for the silver?" Meng Yao asked.

"Of course! I would have gotten first place if it weren't for the time constraint," Zhao Dahe said smugly.

So, what misunderstanding did Ying Luo's predecessor have about Zhao Dahe?

'Time was tight, yet he could get third place. If he studied hard, wouldn't he be the top scholar?'

"Then study hard, take the Imperial exams, get a high position, become an official. Then you can get a salary from working in a courtroom. Won't you have more silver then?" Meng Yao probed.

"Mother, it is not so easy to become an official. Besides, the book mentioned that one would face many temptations after becoming an official. You know that I can't resist temptation. Wouldn't you lose your head if you make a mistake?" Zhao Dahe pursed his lips. "Being an honest official is tiring and barely makes any money. I would be rich as a corrupt official, but it would be risky."

Unfortunately, that was the truth in any era.

"There are many benefits to being an honest official. At least, you will be the first in Shanghua Village. No one would dare to provoke us even if we don't run amuck in the village. " Meng Yao patiently guided Zhao Dahe. "You'll have many benefits if you are an honest official. No matter how little money an honest official makes, it is still more than farming! Don't you agree?