Chapter 37 This Child Is Mediocre in Talent

Chapter 37: This Child's Talent Is Mediocre

"Since you know it's an unreasonable request, then there's no need to say more."

Xi Qianyue shut Yang Xingxian down without hesitation.

Yang Xingxian's face nearly turned black, but thinking of his situation, he had no choice but to keep a smile on his face: "What happened today was a bolt from the blue for me! My younger sister ran her mouth, and I've already set her straight. But come tomorrow, some of my classmates might come asking about what happened today, so please, just tell me how to solve that endgame."

Xi Qianyue found this hilarious: "Why should I tell you the solution?"

"Don't worry, I've got no interest in chess, and I never thought of sitting on it to make a profit. I just want to know the solution so that... when my classmates rib me, I'll have something to say back. Maybe I can say we stumbled on the solution together, by accident."

Basically, Yang Xingxian was covering his bases early—if any classmates made fun of him, he could claim the chess manual was something he and his wife stumbled on by accident, and that his mother and sister didn't know the full story, which is why they got it wrong.

He didn't want to get a reputation as a thief...

If his reputation was ruined, forget about getting to see the Great Confucian Scholar—even if he did get in, the man would take a disliking to him.

Xi Qianyue sneered: "Your mother and sisters tried to hang a bad name on me in public. Now that it's your turn, deal with it yourself. I'm not helping you with a thing."

"Why? Why the hell not?" Yang Xingxian couldn't hold it in and roared, "You took all your money. The household's split into two camps, and nobody can control you. I even made my sister kneel and apologize to you—the Marquis's Daughter, a proper official's daughter, knelt and apologized. And you're still not satisfied?"

"It's not about being satisfied. It's that this is your problem, and I don't want any part of it. That's all."

Yang Xingxian looked at her in disbelief: "You and I are husband and wife! Husband and wife! You won't stand by me, and you'd rather let everyone laugh at me, laugh at the Marquis's household? What's in it for you?"

"I don't need anything out of it. Show him out."

Xi Qianyue gave the order flatly, and the maids promptly showed Yang Xingxian out.

Achang said nervously: "Young Master, by all rights, the Young Madam should've cooled off by now. What exactly is she unhappy about?"

"I think that woman's lost her mind. She thinks that with her full-blooded little brother, she's got backing and doesn't need our Marquis's household. Ha, a three-year-old kid—does she really expect him to make something of himself and have her back?"

Yang Xingxian was just as frustrated.

In this dynasty, as long as the family had a clean record, a merchant's son could sit for the imperial exams.

But for Xi to pin her hopes on a three-year-old brother was just laughable.

Even if her brother was a genius and passed the highest exams someday, turning the family's fortunes around, and genuinely adored his sister—that's still over a decade away!

"No time to waste—let's go see the Great Scholar Yancan today."

Yang Xingxian quickly washed up and changed, looking more like a proper scholar now.

But he hit a wall right away—the gatekeeper stopped him again.

"Young Master Yang, the master's not seeing anyone. Please turn back."

Yang Xingxian pulled out the inkstone: "This is a Jinxing Luowen inkstone. I went out of my way to find it for the teacher to take a look at. Don't turn me away so fast—show it to the teacher first. Maybe he'll be interested."

The gatekeeper figured that made sense—what if this was the very inkstone the master had been looking for?

"Jinxing Luowen inkstone?" The Great Scholar Yan Can was indeed intrigued. He took it and examined it, marveling: "They say this inkstone is like a starry night sky, full of life. Seeing it today, it really lives up to the legend."

Yan Can studied it closely, hefting it in his hand, and found it warm and smooth as jade.

He felt a little torn: "It's a fine inkstone, but I don't want to go against my conscience and give someone pointers just for a trinket. This kid's talent is so-so, and he's slick..."

He looked at the inkstone once more, then put it back in the gatekeeper's hands: "Give it back to him."

When Yang Xingxian saw the gatekeeper hand the inkstone back, he was crushed.

"Is the teacher not happy with this inkstone? I had others, including a Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone, but it's not with me right now. Give me some time, and I'll definitely bring it to the teacher."

The gatekeeper politely turned him down, and Yang Xingxian had no choice but to slink off.

The gatekeeper quickly reported this to Yan Can, who was genuinely surprised: "The Jinxing Luowen inkstone is already rare enough, and he's got a Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone too?"

He was torn: "If he really can come up with that Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone, maybe I really could give him a few pointers."

"Old man, who are you planning to mentor?"

The master and servant looked up—wasn't it that old codger Meng Fu?

"I'm talking about the eldest son of the Marquis of Changping's household. He's got a Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone."

Meng Fu's eyes bulged, his beard sticking straight out: "Old man, you're just after his stuff! Why don't you find out what kind of person he is first?"

Yan Can could tell there was a story here and quickly pressed for details.

After Meng Fu told him what happened at Damiao Temple, Yan Can slapped his knee: "That was close, that was close—I almost fell for that little trinket of his. Come to think of it, wouldn't his wife have gotten a raw deal marrying him?"

"You think so too! That wife of his, Xi, is a real gem. Not only does she have that endgame manual, but she also stands up to her unreasonable mother-in-law and sisters-in-law without batting an eye. I, this old man, really admire her—not like those meek little wives who just take it."

Yan Can gave him a sideways look: "Brother Meng, how can you talk like that? No matter what, a woman's virtue still matters."

Meng Fu couldn't be bothered to argue and eagerly set out the endgame.

"This is the Seven Stars Gathering. Take a look—can you crack it?"

Yan Can quickly dove into the puzzle, and the two old men sat there mulling it over together.

Walking down the road, Yang Xingxian felt like all the strength had been sucked out of him: "Why is everything going wrong for me?"

Achang could only try to comfort him: "Maybe the Great Scholar just isn't interested in that inkstone."

"No way. The Great Scholar Yan Can is crazy about collecting inkstones—I went to a lot of trouble to dig up that intel."

Feeling down, the two of them went to a teahouse for some tea and snacks.

They'd barely sat down when they heard a sharp voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't our great scholar Yang?"

Yang Xingxian clenched his fist inside his sleeve but kept a smile on his face: "Brother Li, why are you making fun of me?"

"Young Master Yang's fame has spread far and wide—they say you can crack the 'Seven Stars Gathering'? Your sister and mother both swore up and down that you were the one who got the chess manual. Care to fill us in?"

A few young masters burst out laughing, not giving a damn about the shame and anger on Yang Xingxian's face.

"Forgive me, gentlemen—my wife and I stumbled on this by accident. Since my wife has an appointment with the master in three days, how could I give away the solution now and let the cat out of the bag?"

That sounded reasonable enough, but the pesky Young Master Li wouldn't let it go: "Then draw out the Seven Stars Gathering so we can see it!"