Raising Kids C30

Chapter 30: The Heartless Scholar Who Abandoned His Wife and Child (8)

When Li Shu saw the servant rushing in so recklessly, she frowned slightly but patiently waited for Xie Hui to finish checking her pulse. Then she adjusted her sleeve before speaking.

“Why are you acting so rashly?”

Even after being reprimanded, the servant’s excitement remained undiminished.

“Madam, the county magistrate sent someone over with great news—our young master placed second in the imperial examination!”

Back when Xie Mo passed the provincial exam, their small county had already erupted in celebration. Now that he had ranked second in the national exam and stood before the emperor himself, people in their town would proudly speak of this achievement for the next decade.

Upon hearing this, Li Shu’s lips curled slightly, though she wasn’t particularly surprised. She had always been well aware of her husband’s talent.

She instructed her personal maid to bring out some silver for rewards—after all, it wouldn’t be proper to treat the messenger discourteously.

In the original storyline, Xie Mo was supposed to be the top scorer. This time, he was ranked second instead.

Xie Hui didn’t find this disappointing at all. A towering tree attracts the wind, and moving forward steadily was always the wiser choice.

Though he was technically an elder in the family, ever since he had given this house to the young couple, he had no intention of interfering in their lives.

While Li Shu went to receive the guests, Xie Hui retreated to a side room, where Xu Fenghe prepared his ink and paper. He reviewed the prescription for Li Shu’s prenatal care and made a few modifications.

From Xie Hui’s perspective, although Li Shu had traveled with Xie Mo for a year after their marriage, she was still quite young to be expecting a child.

But given the social norms of the time, if she didn’t conceive soon, people would start gossiping maliciously.

Since she was already pregnant when Xie Hui found out, all he could do was take extra care and prescribe her nourishing herbs.

Knowing how difficult pregnancy could be, he tried his best to make her as comfortable as possible.

Shortly after Li Shu bid farewell to the guests, her parents arrived to congratulate her.

Since they were family, and considering Li Shu’s pregnancy, she relaxed considerably in their presence, sitting in a chair while her mother bustled around.

After finishing the final revision of the prescription, Xie Hui let the ink dry before stepping outside—just in time to see Li Shu slouched in her chair without a trace of decorum.

Madam Li nudged her daughter’s shoulder, silently signaling her to compose herself in front of her father-in-law.

Xie Hui noticed Madam Li’s concerns. After handing the prescription to a servant, he chuckled and said,

“Dear in-law, there’s no need to worry. Shu’er is carrying a child now—she’s bound to feel hungry more often. She’s also been exhausted from entertaining guests. It’s only right for her to rest properly.”

Even after hearing this, Madam Li still shot her daughter a disapproving glare.

“Brother-in-law, I must trouble you to be patient with her.”

Seeing that it was getting late, Xie Hui decided to take Xu Fenghe and return home early. Li Shu personally escorted him to the door, only to be playfully smacked on the head by her mother when she turned around.

“You just don’t know how lucky you are!”

She had no mother-in-law to serve, and her father-in-law was an understanding man. If she wanted to visit home, it was only a short trip away.

Some had gossiped to Madam Li, saying that her daughter was burdened with managing household affairs while her father-in-law remained uninvolved, making her life incredibly difficult.

Madam Li hadn’t responded at the time but later cursed those women privately.

One of them was still suffering under her own domineering mother-in-law. Madam Li figured that if her mother-in-law ever let her handle the household, she’d probably crawl over in excitement.

Being in charge of the household, able to make decisions as she pleased—wasn’t that the most comfortable way to live?

Before, Madam Li hadn’t interfered much, but now that her daughter was pregnant, she worried about her overworking herself and occasionally came over to help.

People thought the Li family had supported the Xie family, but in reality, it was the other way around.

Madam Li knew, through private conversations with her daughter, that Xie Hui had purchased several shops and entrusted them to Li Shu’s management.

He simply kept a low profile about it. In reality, the Xie family’s wealth exceeded that of the Li family.

Back when Madam Li had worried about her daughter suffering after marriage, she never imagined she’d actually end up in a life of luxury.

On the way back to the village, Xie Hui sat in the carriage with Xu Fenghe, calculating his savings. He planned to buy a residence in the capital for his son.

In this lifetime, he only wanted to be a great physician, with disciples spread across the land. Any business ventures were merely incidental.

Children grew up fast. Xu Fenghe no longer seemed like the timid, easily bullied girl she was when she first arrived at the Xie household. She now carried herself with the poise of a senior disciple, reading a medical text even as the carriage bumped along the road.

Xie Hui had taken in many orphans, though most had only average talent in medicine. That didn’t discourage him—he taught them all the same.

After all, the world was full of ordinary people. Expecting every child he took in to be a genius was simply unrealistic.

By his estimation, the current dynasty’s system would confer official appointments after the imperial exams. Candidates were given three months to return home before assuming their posts.

So, he needed to find a craftsman to modify his carriage.

Now that Li Shu’s pregnancy had stabilized and she had experienced little discomfort, traveling with some caution shouldn’t pose much risk.

At their age, Xie Hui didn’t want to separate the couple for too long. The female tutor he had previously asked Xu Fenghe’s father to find had already arrived.

Li Shu had already built a rough framework for the girls’ school, so switching to a new tutor wouldn’t be an issue.

The newly hired female tutor had once rescued her drowning sister-in-law, but she caught a chill in the process, rendering her infertile. As a result, she was abandoned by her husband.

Although Xie Hui trusted Xu Fenghe’s father, he still personally met with the newly hired tutor upon returning home.

She was dressed in deep blue men’s attire, her hair casually tied up in a bun with a wooden hairpin. When she saw Xie Hui enter, she cupped her hands in greeting.

“Dressing as a man is simply more convenient when traveling. I hope you don’t mind.”

Xie Hui nodded slightly, took out the prepared examination paper, and handed it to her to complete.

As the tutor ground ink, she glanced at Xie Hui, who was about to leave, and spoke in surprise:

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”

Xie Hui paused, turned back, and looked at her curiously.

“What else should I ask?”

The tutor was momentarily stunned but quickly shook her head.

“Nothing.”

She had encountered too many similar situations before—wealthy families seeking a female tutor for their daughters would always hesitate upon learning she had been abandoned, ultimately dismissing her.

Now, being hired so straightforwardly, without excessive questioning, felt almost unreal.

After reviewing her completed test, Xie Hui confirmed that her knowledge was solid and finalized the arrangement.

He did not keep her in his residence but had Xu Fenghe’s mother take her to an inn in town that very night.

Not long ago, someone had tried to propose a marriage match for Xie Hui, which had given him quite a scare.

He had always assumed that at his age, no one would have such thoughts. That was until he saw an old landlord, nearly sixty, taking a young wife—only then did he realize he had been too naïve.

…

In the capital, Xie Mo was surprised by his final appointment.

Although he ranked second in the imperial exam, his position was assigned to the Imperial Court, whereas the top scorer was sent to the Hanlin Academy.

Xie Mo had once been arrogant about his talent, but after making two friends, he realized that there were many others more gifted than him.

In his small county, he was considered outstanding, but in the capital, he saw that there were always greater talents.

Especially the scholar who secured first place—Xie Mo had read his essays and found himself lacking. He fully accepted his loss.

It was from this top scholar that Xie Mo eventually learned the reason for his appointment.

The emperor himself had said that Xie Mo was still too young and immature, so he needed to hone his character first.

After the ceremonial parade through the streets, Xie Mo and the top scholar became friends. The top scholar was the legitimate grandson of the Grand Tutor of the empire, had a kind personality, and appreciated Xie Mo’s talent. The two formed a mutual admiration.

When the time came to return home, Xie Mo wished he could sprout wings and fly back. When he had left, his wife had only just been confirmed pregnant, so he was eager to return.

By the time Xie Hui received the letter, he had already helped Li Shu settle matters at the school.

After discussions with the Li family, the old tutor was unwilling to leave, as he couldn’t bear to part with his students.

So, in the end, only Xie Hui, along with his son and daughter-in-law, left.

Xie Mo had barely rested for two days at home before he was forced to set off for the capital again.

Fortunately, this time, the journey was not as slow and leisurely as before.

Xu Fenghe’s parents stayed behind to watch over the house in the village.

Xie Hui took three apprentices to the capital, treating patients along the way while patiently teaching them.

Previously, because they had only been in a small county, their reputation remained obscure.

Now, however, word spread quickly when one of his young apprentices—barely ten years old—managed to cure a patient who had suffered from chronic coughing since birth.

Xie Hui chose his disciples based solely on their character, not their innate talent. He taught them everything without holding back, and as they continued their journey, their reputation grew.

Upon arriving in the capital, they settled in an inn, where they soon heard an interesting rumor.

It was said that the Fourth Prince had brought back a brilliant young woman.

Wearing a veil, she had attended the Grand Tutor’s birthday banquet and, in front of the gathered guests, recited the poem Bring in the Wine (《将进酒》). Even the Grand Tutor himself couldn’t help but praise her.

The newly appointed top scholar had even publicly confessed his admiration for her.

—

#Footnotes:

—”Bring in the Wine” (《将进酒》) is a famous poem by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai. It is one of his most well-known works, celebrating the fleeting nature of life, the joy of drinking, and a rebellious spirit against fate. The poem expresses Li Bai’s uninhibited personality and his frustration with societal constraints.