A Top Scholar From A Humble Background.

Summary

As the afternoon sun set, Shen Xi returned from school to find their new home tidied up. With the proceeds from Shen Xi's painting sales, Mrs. Zhou had acquired new bedding and quilts for Dai Er. In the courtyard, old bedding was sun-drying, creating a vibrant display. Shen Xi went to retrieve their belongings from the old residence, where he met Wang Ling Zhi, a loyal friend who helped him move things and hide them in an abandoned pig pen behind his family's ancestral hall. Later, Shen Xi introduced Wang Ling Zhi to his mother, Zhou Shi, but the latter's fierce scolding unintentionally scared the boy away. That evening, Shen Xi's family gathered for their first meal in the new home, and Hui Niang visited with her daughter Xi Er. As night fell, Zhou Shi arranged separate rooms for Shen Xi and his future daughter-in-law Lin Dai, though the latter felt dejected about not being taught literacy. Shen Xi then entertained Lin Dai with a spooky tale about a scholar encountering burial mounds on his way to the imperial exams.

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