The usually quiet and peaceful courtyard was now divided into three factions, swords drawn and bows bent.
One group was furious, with Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian standing with hands on hips at the forefront, and Wen Zhiyun crying in a corner at the rear.
Another group was at a loss, looking this way and that, wanting to open their mouths to appease but not knowing who to appease first. This was Xu Mo.
And another group was watching the lively scene, represented by Chang Yan, with innocent and pure looks on his handsome face.
"Big brother!" Jiang Sheng yelled in a broken voice, "Have you forgotten what you told us? Have you forgotten how you taught us?"
"I must have forgotten, after all it was a long time ago," Zheng Ruqian mumbled, "It's normal to forget after so many years."
Wen Zhiyun's tears grew bigger. "Big brother, how could you do this to little four?"
Xu Mo could barely stand steady.
Fortunately, the years of fighting from a commoner to a successful imperial examination candidate had tempered his mind. He also understood the temperaments of his younger brothers and sister.
After a brief panic, Xu Mo swiftly calmed down, and looked towards the most angry yet easiest to appease Jiang Sheng, "Big brother was wrong, but big brother had difficulties. Little sister is the best behaved, and will surely understand big brother, right?"
Jiang Sheng's expression froze, her big eyes rolled around, clearly torn.
Seizing this pause, Xu Mo looked to Zheng Ruqian, bowed respectfully, "Second brother, big brother was wrong to hide this from you, but big brother only hoped you could be happy making money, and not be restrained every day. Don't worry, from now on big brother will definitely not hide anything from you, and tell you everything first."
Zheng Ruqian humphed through his nose, looked up at the sky, his expression disdainful, but his mood clearly relaxed.
Xu Mo breathed a sigh of relief, and finally looked at the teary-eyed Wen Zhiyun.
Facing this delicate younger brother, the big brother also felt his scalp tingle. He could only plead, "It's all big brother's fault. Little four must not be angry with big brother. You and little five are the same in my heart, no difference whatsoever."
"Really, big brother? You're not lying to me?" Wen Zhiyun finally couldn't hold back his tears and they slowly fell, "Big brother is the person little four trusts the most. Little four believes every word big brother says."
Chang Yan gave a thumbs up from the side.
These words were truly powerful. On the surface it seemed to express belief in Xu Mo, but in reality it told Xu Mo that if you hide anything from me again, I won't believe you anymore.
Xu Mo's forehead was nearly beaded with sweat, but he still promised, "Little four don't worry, there definitely won't be a next time."
Only then did Wen Zhiyun stop crying and smile, wiping his tears dry.
The atmosphere in the courtyard gradually transitioned from swords drawn to warm and peaceful.
Jiang Sheng mumbled as if she still wanted to say something.
Chang Yan coughed and pointed to the table, "The braised pork elbows seem cold."
Braised pork elbows tasted vastly different hot versus cold.
Jiang Sheng immediately forgot what she wanted to say and flew towards the braised elbows.
Xu Mo heaved a long sigh of relief, then looked over to see Chang Yan's smiling face, seeming to invite credit: "Big brother look, I also helped you."
This clever younger brother!
He was clearly the one who provoked the incident, clearly the one who protected himself, yet in the end he came to take credit. Yet Xu Mo somehow couldn't get angry at him.
Chang Yan's goal was simple. He hoped that Xu Mo would not conceal the truth, not fight alone, and not forget this was a family of six.
Even though Fang Heng was thousands of miles away, they had never forgotten about him.
When Jiang Sheng bought clothes for her other brothers, she would always get a set for Fang Heng.
If they came across delicious pastries, she would clumsily write down a note saying they would bring Fang Heng to try them when he came back.
A family's love was not passionate, but it saturated their skin and pores, flowing through every moment in time.
Concealment was the same as harm.
Who could bear to harm their beloved family?
Xu Mo smiled helplessly and finally gave up the last shred of stubbornness, calmly explaining everything.
At the dinner table.
Jiang Sheng was tearing at the braised elbows, seemingly unable to finish tearing them. She placed the first chopsticks portion into Xu Mo's bowl, then Zheng Ruqian's, Wen Zhiyun's, Chang Yan's.
Only then did she happily take a big bite herself.
Xu Mo quietly watched his sister until she showed a face full of happiness before faintly smiling and saying, "I won't let Zhu Zhi off, but I don't know how to shake a powerful family."
Xu Mo's magistrate father taught him to be diligent in his studies, his magistrate's wife taught him to be gentle and humble, and hardship taught him to be resilient and hardworking. But no one taught him underhanded tactics, intricate scheming, or the connections of powerful families.
From Anshui Prefecture to Fengjing, he was like a carp in a stream that jumped into the ocean. Relying on his own excellence he could flutter about, but couldn't advance an inch closer.
Of this feeling, Zheng Ruqian understood best.
Back in Anshui Prefecture he could earn a household's income just by being clever, and gain others' respect just by being eloquent. In Xieyang County he even had the nickname "Zheng the clerk."
But in Fengjing, the locals were superior in every way. The high prices made one stop and think twice. Even just cooperating required beating around the bush and intricate scheming.
But back in Anshui Prefecture, all he needed was sincerity and to guarantee good quality merchandise in order to cooperate with He the shopkeeper and Bai the shopkeeper.
Sometimes Zheng Ruqian even suspected that he was too stupid, that he didn't try hard enough, which was why he couldn't gain a foothold in Fengjing, and couldn't gain the respect of the locals.
But in this moment, seeing the confusion in Xu Mo's eyes, Zheng Ruqian suddenly understood.
Even a fourteen year old genius scholar like Xu Mo was confused and helpless. It was perfectly normal that he, someone who survived by being glib, would not understand.
Perhaps it wasn't that they didn't try hard enough or weren't smart enough, but that Fengjing was unsuitable for people like them from small remote places.
But could they just leave like this?
From the perspective of self-respect, retreating now would be a humiliating escape, losing without even fighting.
Looking at the circumstances, Fang Heng would eventually return to Fengjing for revenge, and Xu Mo still needed to take the palace exams. The path forward inevitably passed through this prosperous glamorous city.
Since they couldn't avoid it, they could only prevail.
Whether it was the arrogant locals or the intricately connected powerful families, as long as they built up enough capital and were clever enough, they would definitely prevail and accomplish their goals.
"Big brother, you're not suited for deceitful things. Your identity will eventually be discovered by the Zhu family," Chang Yan reached out again and placed his hand over Xu Mo's, "Just be yourself, the upright Xu Mo the successful examination candidate. In the Imperial Academy, make many friends."
Xu Mo's long lashes fluttered. He understood what his fifth younger brother meant.
Rather than forcibly disguise himself to get close to Zhu Zhi, with the danger of being exposed, it was better to make a few high ranking and influential friends. With Xu Mo's literary talent and knowledge, making a few true friends would not be hard.
Even if they wouldn't charge into boiling water and flame for him, they would speak righteously on his behalf.
"As for Zhu Zhi, don't worry too much," Chang Yan curled his lips into a smile, "Making a mistake as a county magistrate, there must be other faults that can be picked on in Fengjing."
As his words fell, the eyes of all the boys lit up.
Only little Jiang Sheng scratched her head in puzzlement and asked, "Fifth brother, how do you know so much about these things?"
