Chapter 032

Author: Feast of Masks

Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016

Translated by Pill Bug

Edited by Gumihou

 

Mao Badou did not expect his casual remark to cause such a big mess.

Although he acted like a clueless youth most of the time, he still had a clear idea of who could be provoked and who needed to be avoided.

As for the definition of ‘provoke’, this could be broadly interpreted as well. For example, people who should be respected and admired, such as Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen. These people were better than others when it came to academics, were well-liked and had no visible flaws in their moral character.

On the other hand, someone like He Ming, while academically better than him, was not a person he respected due to his narrow-minded behaviours and lack of virtue. In short, Mao Badou would not hesitate to raise his voice and openly criticise such people.

This was why a rift formed between them. This, and other old grievances.

“He Ming, don’t let your dog bark nonsense. That is not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean? Didn’t you say that this junior is far better than Brother Yu and Brother Hu and is sure to pass the Xiu Cai exam in one go? Aren’t you mocking Brother Yu and Brother Hu for not being Xiu Cai now?!” The short, chubby boy indeed deserved the nickname of ‘dog’ given by Mao Badou. Although his appearance was not noteworthy, he had an unexpectedly sharp tongue with the ability to twist words.

He had turned the argument back to them, minus some crucial words that completely reversed the meaning of what Mao Badou had said.

Mao Badou fumed with anger but had no idea how to refute this fellow. Meanwhile, students seated around Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen began to criticize him.

“What nonsense! Students from Class B are becoming more and more irregular!”

“That’s right, to think they dare to even dream of comparing themselves to Brother Yu and Brother Hu. I fear that these fellows have no idea how high the sky is or how deep the earth is.”

“As they say, ignorance breeds daring…”

This is why it was said that people with profound knowledge were different; even their insults were extraordinary. Not a single dirty word was said, yet their little quips were more harmful to those around them than mere curse words.

This was even more so since Class A students were already top-notch existences and were greatly admired by students from Class B, with the ‘lower-class’ students eager to befriend them in hopes of receiving guidance. Perhaps, if they were lucky, when one of these Class A students became successful, they would remember a particularly helpful junior and might even recommend them to a lower position! Even if such a recommendation never happened, once this classmate soared high in the sky, they could still boast about having been classmates with certain scholars in the future.

In contrast, those who were clearly at the bottom of their studies were naturally ostracized.

“This Mao Badou is really arrogant. No wonder he was almost expelled from the academy last year.”

“Rumour has it that his grandfather personally came and begged the headmaster for leniency, and that’s why the headmaster allowed him to stay.”

“That was not just a rumour; I saw it with my own eyes. You didn’t see how his grandfather begged the headmaster…”

The low buzzing of whispered discussions filled the surroundings, fully revealing the malice inherent in human nature.

In that dream, Xue Tingxiang had experienced such encounters, too. In fact, if it was him, he would rather be loudly cursed at or roll up his sleeves and start a fight rather than endure this kind of gentlemanly, snide criticism.

It left people with a belly full of grievances but nowhere to voice them. People ended up practically bubbling with anger but had nowhere to vent it.

Mao Badou trembled with anger, his chubby face so red that it looked like would start dripping blood.

On the other side, Yu Ziyou smiled calmly and said, “Enough, eat quickly. There is no need to pay attention to such trivial matters.”

“Well said, a trivial matter. Brother Yu’s wisdom is great!” Hu Lianshen clapped in praise, giving Mao Badaou’s group an indifferent glance before looking away.

“’Tis nothing but an act of arrogance and ignorance.”

One called it a trivial matter, another labelled it as arrogance and ignorance. They were basically calling Mao Badou arrogant and Xue Tingxiang shameless, and neither knew their place.

Mao Badou was a thick-skinned person who could ignore insults on his person. However, he never imagined that his casual remarks would implicate his new friend.

“Brother Yu, Brother Hu, please do not listen to others’ provocations. It was a slip of the tongue on my part and has nothing to do with Tingxiang.”

Laughter and chatter continued at the two tables situated in the eastern corner, with none of the occupants even bothering to look this way.

Xue Tingxiang sighed inwardly and pulled him back, “Enough, Badou…”

“I can vouch that Mao Badou had no intention of mocking anyone. The three of them were just joking around, and their words actually praised Brothers Yu and Hu, holding them up as examples for the rest of us. His words had been deliberately misinterpreted.”

A slightly hoarse voice suddenly spoke up.

It turned out to be Chen Jian, who had been sitting at a table just behind the three of them. Because of his low presence, Xue Tingxiang and the others hadn’t noticed him before.

“You—” Mao Badou turned his head, looking at him in surprise. He had not expected Chen Jian to actually speak up for him.

Because of Chen Jian’s words, the people at the two tables in the eastern corner looked over again.

“You can vouch? What gives you the right to vouch?” said He Ming, who was standing nearby, watching the spectacle. His voice was light and airy, yet it carried an unmistakable tone of mockery.

Everyone understood what he meant, so those nearby all laughed.

“He dares to vouch for someone? Is he vouching for his own kind?” Someone muttered in a low but clearly audible voice.

Chen Jian’s eyes darkened immediately. He lowered his head, his hands clenched tightly under the table.

Xue Tingxiang had not planned to speak up at all. Ever since that dream, his self-control had improved significantly. His way of thinking had been very strange lately. For example, although he mentally acknowledged a slight and knew that it was something that should offend him, he felt… indifferent, as though such slights were nothing more than petty children’s squabbles.

Yet, with the two people who have stood up to defend him being ridiculed like this, if he continued to play dead, it would no longer be indifference or disdain for petty quarrels. He would become a coward.

“Fellow classmates, we are all scholars here to gain knowledge. As scholars, we should know not to heed the instigation of small-minded people or blindly believe unfounded claims. Leave aside the fact that none of us here had any intention to insult anyone, but even if we do speak with such intentions, is it worth such ridicule from you?”

The chubby boy initially wanted to retort as a way to curry favour with the Class A people, but who would have thought this person would end up provoking him instead? He immediately pointed at that arrogant speaker with a laugh and said, “Fellow students, did you hear that? He claims that my words are groundless when it is clear that he was the one who was arrogant and unaware of it.”

In no time, the dining hall was abuzz with chatter, all saying that Xue Tingxiang was too arrogant.

Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen’s eyes were cold. They clearly saw this as a provocation to them.

What’s this about ‘even if we do speak with such intentions’? Someone who had yet to finish studying the Four Books actually dared to look down on them!

Xue Tingxiang stood his ground, “Heaven’s movement is vigorous; a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. If you are willing to submit to others instead of working hard, why bother rushing here to study?!”

These words were truly sharp, almost sharp enough to tear off the hypocritical mask worn by the people present.

Indeed, no one wished to be subordinate to others. No one would enjoy flattering others either. Although many here flattered Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen, very few genuinely respected them. There were even some who secretly mocked them for studying for so many years but still being stuck at Tong Sheng status. Others even mocked them for being unable to pass the Xiu Cai exam in one go.

Of course, if it were themselves, many would say they had not studied as long as those two, but they would definitely achieve the top rank. Yet, on the surface, due to various considerations, these thoughts were hidden. Who would have thought they would be so blatantly ridiculed on this day?

These words were, of course, not meant to scold that short, chubby boy, but he bore the brunt of it.

After being laughed at and mocked by others, the chubby boy flushed red but could do nothing beyond pointing at Xue Tingxiang and accusing him of sophistry and nothing else.

“Foolish yet self-important, base yet self-centred!” Xue Tingxiang tipped his face up disdainfully as he added this line.

He was about to turn and leave when suddenly, Hu Lianshen stood up.

He looked coldly at Xue Tingxiang, “Such lofty ambition! I appeared to have missed asking this fellow classmate’s name?”

Xue Tingxiang stopped, cupped his hands and replied, “This humble one is Xue Tingxiang. I dare not lay claim to any lofty ambitions. I am but a humble gentleman who practices modesty and self-restraint. A gentleman seeks unity without comparison, while a small-minded person takes pleasure in petty comparisons. In short, one should fend for oneself!”

For a moment, Hu Lianshen’s face turned blue and then white, as if a dye shop had opened on it.

These words were clearly insulting him for not being a gentleman, harbouring prejudices, forming cliques, showing favouritism and bullying others.

After throwing down those words, Xue Tingxiang turned on his heel and left.

Mao Badou and Li Datian hurriedly followed.

Seeing that Chen Jian was still standing there foolishly, Mao Badou quickly turned around and pulled him away.

“Aiya, I didn’t expect Tingxiang to be so good at insulting people! Hahah!  What a ‘foolish yet self-important, base yet self-centred’! What a ‘A gentleman seeks unity without comparison, while a small-minded person takes pleasure in petty comparisons’! Haha, such satisfying retorts! Although I talk more than you, I am not as good at throwing insults!”

“Enough now, how unsightly is your laughing face?” said Li Datian.

Chen Jian also said, “Can you let go of my hand?”

Only then did Mao Badou realise that he was still holding Chen Jian’s hand and immediately flung the hand away.

“Pei pei pei, how did I end up holding your hand!”

Seeing that Chen Jian had lowered his head and was about to leave, Mao Badou also realised how inappropriate his action was and hastily explained, “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean that. It’s just, for a man and a man to… you know…”

What was he supposed to know? He didn’t know anything.

“That’s right, I haven’t even thanked you yet. Thank you for speaking up for us earlier,” Mao Badou said, scratching his head with a little embarrassment.

“You do not need to thank me. I was not speaking up for you.”

Mao Badou was taken aback: “If you were not speaking up for me, then who were you speaking up for?” He looked at Chen Jian, then his gaze fell on Xue Tingxiang.

“When did you two get so close?”

Xue Tingxiang’s whole face was a canvas of bewilderment.

Chen Jian hesitated for a moment, “Thank you for the egg.”

Before Xue Tingxiang could respond, Mao Badou exclaimed.

“For just one egg? One egg was enough for you to offend that group of people?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Chen Jian’s face, but it quickly disappeared. He pressed his lips together tightly and replied, “Anyway, I am not well-liked in the school, so it doesn’t matter if I offend them or not.”

Mao Badou sighed understandingly and patted his shoulder, “At any rate, I have changed my opinion of you. I have decided to take back my prejudice against you. People are not saints, who is without fault? Being able to change is good. To err is human after all.”

He thought he had quoted something high-minded and encouraging, but Chen Jian looked at him with a baffled expression. “What do you mean by ‘being able to change is good’?”

“It’s just—” The words stuck in his throat, and Mao Badou gave a dry laugh. “Nothing, nothing, I was just joking.”

He was still trying to play dumb, but Xue Tingxiang exposed him.

After listening to the three of them explain what had happened and their suspicions, Chen Jian fell silent.

After a long while, he said, “I do not care whether  you believe it or not, it wasn’t me who did it.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it? Could it be Wang Qi? But he also lost his meal ticket.” Mao Badou hesitated.

Chen Jian pressed his lips together but remained silent.

At that moment, Li Datian interjected, “Didn’t I tell you back then that matters could not be so simple, but you didn’t believe me? Have you forgotten how I told you I saw Wang Qi speaking with someone?”

That ‘someone’ was Ma Xiu, the chubby youth who was greatly skilled in sophistry.

Ma Xiu had always been He Ming’s lackey, and He Ming happened to be Mao Badou’s neighbour. Both families ran small grocery shops not far from each other. They often saw each other and always had conflicts with each other. Hence, He Ming had always seen Mao Badou as a thorn in his side, and Mao Badou had no fondness for He Ming either.

“Ma Xiu once approached me. He wanted me to destroy your books, but I refused to do it,” Chen Jian said.

The books in question were, of course, the ones issued by the academy. If students damaged them without cause, the consequences ranged from having to replace them to being expelled from the school.

“He actually harmed me like this?! Last time, I almost got expelled because he somehow found out I brought storybooks into the academy and reported me to the headmaster!” As he spoke, Mao Badou understood what had happened. “Well done, Wang Qi! Well done, He Ming.”

His face turned beet red with anger, and he clearly wanted to storm out and confront He Ming right away, but Li Datian and Xue Tingxiang held him back.

“Without proof or basis, even if you confront him, he won’t admit it. If this matter blows up, the headmaster already doesn’t have a good impression of you, and it will only make things worse.”

“I have a grudge against him!”

Xue Tingxiang cleared his throat and poured cold water over Mao Badou’s enthusiasm, “Just because you have a grudge, doesn’t mean you can nudge him.”

“Then what should I do? Just accept it?!”

“If you wish to strike someone, it’s best to strike their face. The best way to strike their face is to attack the one thing they value most and smash their face to pieces.”

Xue Tingxiang knew that this was not something that could be resolved cleanly, let alone quickly. If he did not wish to spend the rest of his schooling life surrounded by mocking gazes in the future, the only way to do so was to succeed in the seasonal examinations and get into Class A. That was the only way to prove that his words were more than just empty bravado.

Still, it will be a little lonely to succeed alone, so why not pull a few more people in?

Xue Tingxiang’s prediction was correct. In less than the time it took to eat a meal, the dining hall incident had spread throughout the entire Qingyuan Academy.

The news even reached Headmaster Lin Miao.

After listening to the whole story, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing. It was not clear whether the disappointment was directed at Yu Ziyou, Hu Lianshen, or Xue Tingxiang.

Leaving this aside, Mao Badou, who had been egged on by Xue Tingxiang, was suddenly filled with fighting spirit. For several days straight, he was perfectly obedient, never going anywhere except for lectures and the canteen and staying in the dormitory helping Xue Tingxiang and Chen Jian copy and memorise books, even persuading Li Datian to join them.

One day, during a break to rest their eyes, Chen Jian curiously asked, “I always see you copying without stopping. What are you copying?”

Naturally, he was asking Xue Tingxiang, who was two bunks away from him.

Xue Tingxiang set down his brush, pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “I’m copying books.” After a pause, he continued, “First, copying helps reinforce memory. Secondly, I can earn money this way.”

“Copying books can earn you money?”

Mao Badou suddenly became interested in the conversation and crawled over to look at the stack of papers Xue Tingxiang had placed on the desk.

“Did you all really not know that copying books could earn you some extra ink and paper money?” Xue Tingxiang said with a slight smile. Well, it was not surprising for them to not know. After all, they were merely youths of about fourteen or fifteen, students who were not even done with their studies yet. How could they even think about earning money through transcribing? It was thanks to his dream that he knew about this. Even his dream self had not known about this job when he was at this age.

“Your calligraphy is good. Mine is the worst, and I’m always getting scolded by Teacher Meng.”

Mao Badou had no thoughts about making a lot of money, and he was just wondering if there was an easy and convenient way to earn a few coins for story books and other trinkets. However, as soon as he laid eyes on Xue Tingxiang’s calligraphy, he thought of his own messy writing and immediately gave up on the idea.

“Good calligraphy will earn a good price, poor handwriting gets a poor price.”

Mao Badou and Li Datian both knew their handwriting didn’t make the cut. After asking a couple of questions, they put the idea aside. However, Chen Jian took note of the information.

It wasn’t until evening when Mao Badou and Li Datian went to fetch water to wash their feet that he said to Xue Tingxiang, “Tingxiang, about making money through transcribing work. Could you take me with you and give it a try?”

He seemed a bit embarrassed about asking. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he added, “If it’s not convenient, forget about it. I was just asking.”

Xue Tingxiang sighed softly in his heart, but he smiled and said, “Why would it be inconvenient? When the time comes for me to hand my work in, I will bring you there.”

He did not say anything else for the sake of the other person’s face.

How could Chen Jian miss those little actions to preserve his dignity? The reason he stood up to speak that day was not just out of gratitude for a single egg. It was because Xue Tingxiang’s attitude was sincere and not condescending, not treating him as if he was doing him a favour. He might be accused of being overly sensitive, but it truly eased his mind and left him even more grateful.

“Allow me to thank you first.”

“It is nothing.”

In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed, and it was the day of rest.

 

[Gumihou: Aww, yay for economical assistance!]

 

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