Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 58: Must Go Out

Night was as black as ink, wrapping the Su family’s small courtyard tightly. In the main room, a dim rapeseed oil lamp cast long shadows of the household on the mottled earthen wall, flickering unsteadily.

The dishes had long since been cleared from the table, yet no one rose to leave.

The air carried an unusual hush, oppressive enough to make it hard to breathe. Mrs. Chen’s eyes were rimmed red, she kept wiping at the corners with her sleeve. Eldest Brother Su Feng and his wife Wang Chuntao kept their heads down, lost in thought. Second Brother Su Yang sat close to Su Ming, their shoulders nearly touching, like a silent wall.

Su Shan sat in the head seat, taking one drag after another of pipe tobacco. The ember in the pipe glowed and dimmed, illuminating the ravines on his face, his expression murky and unreadable. The strong scent of smoke mixed with the after-warmth of the meal, composing the entire atmosphere of the Su family’s main room at that moment.

It was Su Ming who broke the silence.

He stood, walked to the center of the room, and before his parents, solemnly and deeply bowed in a formal salute.

“Father, Mother.”

His voice was clear, but carried a faint, barely noticeable tremor.

Mrs. Chen could no longer hold back her tears; they fell in a soft stream. “Child, what are you doing…?”

Su Shan knocked his pipe against something, and finally spoke; his voice was rough as if sandpaper had been rubbed over it: “Say what you have to say, or spit it out! Stand up straight!”He paused mid-knock, his murky eyes lifting from behind the smoke to look at his youngest son.

Su Ming straightened, his gaze clear as he met his father’s eyes: “Father, Mother, Teacher Zhou at our village school is very learned, and I have learned nearly everything he can teach. I have thought this through carefully. I want to go to the County School to study, maybe even go to the prefectural city to seek schooling.”

“I want to take the imperial examinations.”

Those six words landed like a stone thrown into a still pond, instantly stirring thousands of ripples.

alarm, then realized

his head, his face full of astonishment: “Little brother, this… this is not something to joke about. From here to the prefectural city takes several days

longer sit still. She hurried to his side and grabbed his arm, tearful-eyed. “Have you been listening to

took his mother’s rough hand in his and could clearly feel

me nearly everything he can. If I stay, I’ll just be stuck, wasting time. I want to see a bigger world, visit better teachers. Only then can I possibly

the set of arguments Lin Yu had taught him, using his most sincere

phrase was both sacred and distant. Of course she wanted her son to

prefectural city? Food, lodging, brushes, ink,

muffled voice. “Our paper-making brought in some money. At least

gratefully at

looked at his father again, his eyes filled with

Su Shan’s movement froze.

few sheets of paper to study, Second Brother had to risk his life going up the mountain. For a

better. But how did it happen? Because we

a book by chance. What does that prove? It proves studying is useful! Books not only hold the sages’ teachings, they contain ways

more skills! If I can pass as a xiucai, even just a xiucai, our family will never have to bow to Village Chief Zhao again! I’ll be able to

who would dare bully the

like a hammer, resonating

their youngest son like this; the usual naive tone was gone, replaced by

anyone noticing. His murky eyes stared hard

while, he slammed the cold pipe down on the table, stood up, and wordlessly walked

Mrs. Chen called

back, leaving only