Lin Shi expressed disbelief when speaking about this. Wang Shi is vain, doesn’t Jiang Miao know that? Although the silk scholar’s robe is nice, wouldn’t it be cold to wear? He’s not a child anymore; one could only say that Jiang Miao’s heart is also vain.
Now, ironically, the face he wanted to save might not be there, and failing the examination has made him a bigger laughing stock.
If Wang Shi knew that the ultimate reason was the scholar’s robe she bought for Jiang Miao to show off, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause in the Jiang family? Jiang Chan was curious, but unfortunately, she couldn’t witness such a scene with her own eyes.
Lin Shi shared this news with Jiang Chan precisely because she wanted to see if there would be any significant change in Jiang Chan’s expression. Given that Jiang Chan naturally has few facial expressions, she looked just like a little old lady.
Sadly, Lin Shi didn’t see the reaction she had hoped for. After knowing the reason, Jiang Chan simply bowed her head and continued reading, which Lin Shi found quite boring. She picked up Taxue and Naihuang Bao, who were comfortably sleeping on Jiang Chan’s shoes, and placed one on each thigh.
Taxue and Naihuang Bao didn’t panic when moved; they curled up gently on Lin Shi’s thigh, their wet tongues licking her fingers, creating a soft atmosphere in the study.
Just as Jiang Chan expected, the atmosphere in the Jiang family home was extremely tense.
Jiang Miao was brought back by a few classmates, and he was still not fully recovered from his cold. Illness is torturous, and this cold had wasted him to the bone, making him look terribly thin.
Jiang Mu was not at home as he was teaching at a private school, leaving only Wang Shi and Jiang Xing at home. Seeing the frail Jiang Miao, Wang Shi immediately burst into tears as if Jiang Miao had died then and there.
The classmates briefly explained Jiang Miao’s condition, wisely omitting the fact that he failed his exams. After a few polite words, the three classmates left together.
Everyone felt unlucky on the way back; they wouldn’t have bothered if their teacher hadn’t asked. Vain and keen on appearances, and ungrateful to boot, they hadn’t heard a word of thanks from him the whole way.
Not to mention what they saw today from Wang Shi and Jiang Xing. Wang Shi was so coarse, not even bothering to offer them a seat or a cup of tea, her eyes only on her beloved son.
And that young girl, probably around twelve or thirteen, didn’t even know to avoid the gaze of men, staring openly at them. The upbringing in Jiang Miao’s family was indeed impeccable.
In public, refrain from discussing others’ strengths and weaknesses. The classmates thought it best to reduce contact with Jiang Miao in the future. With such a family, no matter how much they pretended, they couldn’t hide their selfish nature.
Even though Jiang Miao was uncomfortable, he had to muster the strength to console Wang Shi when he heard her wailing like at a funeral. Weak from illness and the strain of speaking, he soon couldn’t hold up anymore.
That evening, when Jiang Mu returned from teaching and saw the frail Jiang Miao, his heart skipped a beat. He stood three steps away from Jiang Miao’s sickbed, careful not to catch the illness.
“When did you catch this cold?”
“The second day after I went to the city,” Jiang Miao lied in bed, not bothering to think too much about why Jiang Mu didn’t approach his bedside; he was feeling guilty and didn’t dare mention that it was because of wearing the silk robe in the cold weather.
“How did the exams go?” Jiang Mu frowned, his suspicions growing.
“I was delirious with fever, and I failed,” Jiang Miao said, looking down at the old quilt covering him, his tone anxious.
His suspicions confirmed, Jiang Mu was silent for a long time before he sighed, “It’s nearly the end of the year; just stay home and recover for now. There’s another exam in March next year, prepare for that calmly.”
Jiang Miao nodded silently, “Father, what about the travel expenses?”
Jiang Mu waved his hand, “Don’t worry about the expenses; just focus on your studies.”
Their conversation was not private, and Jiang Xing, who had been eavesdropping outside, clenched her clothes tightly.
“Brother needs fifty taels of silver for each exam trip. If he goes again next year, that’s another five taels, and our family doesn’t have much left.”
Jiang Xing’s brow furrowed as she heard Jiang Miao still talking inside: “I troubled my classmates a lot this time; I even borrowed some money from them that I plan to repay once I’m better.”
Jiang Mu nodded, “It’s only right. How much did you borrow?”
Jiang Miao coughed, “Three taels in total.”
Jiang Mu nodded, “I’ll discuss the money with your mother. Just focus on getting better and preparing for the exam. Our family’s hopes are all on you; don’t let everyone down.”
Outside, Jiang Xing felt a darkness before her eyes, her face angry. Uncle had already given ten taels, and this exam trip had cost five. Now, with the borrowing for the illness, there were only two taels left.
If her brother went to the exams next year, that would be another five taels, emptying their coffers. As she dwelt on these thoughts, her expression changed constantly, and suddenly Wang Shi called out, “Xing’er, come help start a fire.”
With resentment in her heart, Jiang Xing responded, “Coming!”
She sat behind the stove, expertly starting the fire, watching Wang Shi busy herself. Jiang Xing ventured a comment, “Brother just said he borrowed three taels for his treatment.”
Wang Shi paused, her voice suddenly louder, “Three taels? That’s expensive!”
Jiang Xing added fuel to the fire, “Brother has to go for the exams again next year. He failed this time.”
With that, Wang Shi wilted; she hadn’t known until now that Jiang Miao had failed his exams. Despite the failure, Wang Shi still doted on him, straining to prepare a good dinner.
She didn’t scold Jiang Xing for eavesdropping, which was rude, but rather thought about how to gather enough money for Jiang Miao’s next exam trip.
Jiang Miao was too ill to get up for dinner, so Wang Shi specially made a digestible white porridge, while the rest of the family ate in the main room.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was gloomy. Jiang Mu glanced at Jiang Xing, “After you’ve eaten, go back to your room. Your mother and I have things to discuss.”
Jiang Xing pouted, grabbed the last steamed bun from the table, and returned to her room. With her brother’s exam failure, the family’s standard of living had declined; they used to at least eat their fill, but what was today’s meal like?
To vent her dissatisfaction, Jiang Xing deliberately slammed the door shut. Jiang Mu glanced at Jiang Xing’s door with a deep look, “This time, Miao’er suffered greatly on his way to the exam. If it weren’t for this cold, he would have definitely passed.”
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