novelraw Chapter 35: Talent!
Chapter 35: Talent!
Chapter 35: Talent!
In chaotic times, do not underestimate anyone who survives.
The scholar before him looked a bit foolish, like a bookworm as people would say. But if he were just a bookworm, how would he have survived? Therefore, County Lieutenant Zhou remained wary of him, always suspecting that his accomplices might be following him from the shadows.
Wen Gu glanced at the sky and said to County Lieutenant Zhou, "You all should rest for a while." He then turned to the scholar from the town, performed a scholar's greeting, and invited him to sit on a dry stone nearby.
Wen Gu took out a teacup, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it over. When County Lieutenant Zhou and his men had gone to scout the town earlier, Wen Gu had asked Sister Ma to boil a pot of water for everyone to rehydrate.
The scholar fiddled with the rice bag in his hands for a moment, then hesitantly stood up, performed a formal greeting, and took the teacup, saying, "Thank you!" Perhaps seeing that Wen Gu also had the demeanor of a scholar and seemed approachable, the scholar's tense expression relaxed considerably after drinking the water to moisten his throat. He also sensed that Wen Gu and his group were not malicious people; he even saw a few children.
The scholar adjusted his mindset and introduced himself. His surname was Cheng, and his given name was Zhi. He used to study at the county town's academy. The news from that academy was faster, and upon learning that the world was about to descend into chaos, he rushed home. His family still consisted of his mother and brother and sister-in-law.
Wen Gu sat down beside him, sighed, and said, "I was also traveling to study, and I heard rumors from various places mid-journey. Seeing that the world was descending into chaos, I hurried home… but it was already too late. Brother Cheng, you are luckier than I am."
Hearing Wen Gu's account, Cheng Zhi felt a surge of emotion. Compared to Wen Gu, he was indeed much luckier, at least his most important family members were by his side.
Wen Gu did not immediately inquire about the scholar's family matters. Instead, with a hint of confusion, he asked Cheng Zhi about his recitation of the "Song of Righteousness" to the evil creatures.Cheng Zhi's recently relaxed expression became awkward again. "I once read in a book that it could ward off evil, bring good luck, and gather righteousness. I wasn't very good at my studies when I was at the academy, perhaps I took it out of context…"
Wen Gu thought to himself, this is the drawback of taking in all information without filtering. It's impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood, and acting on it could lead to serious trouble. Cheng Zhi said shamefully, "Every time the academy assessed us, I was always at the bottom."
Nowadays, academies do not conduct frequent exams internally, but they do have regular assessments. In academy examinations and various literary gatherings inside and outside the academy, he was always a marginal figure. It couldn't be helped; in terms of academic talent and critical thinking ability, he was indeed at the very end, lacking that gift.
"Wasted my family's money for nothing!" Cheng Zhi's voice was filled with guilt and his eyes reddened as he spoke of his sorrow. "When I was a child, I studied with a teacher in the town, and he praised my extraordinary talent, saying I was a material worth cultivating…" With that one sentence, his family decided to support him with all their might. The teacher in town also recommended him to the county academy. The county town had great rewards for academically gifted students, but after years of study, he had never received any rewards or commendations, and his assessments were consistently at the bottom. He remembered every word in the books he read, but he didn't know how to apply them.
He Da and a few others not far away were drinking water from bamboo tubes, eavesdropping on the conversation. He Da even took a few steps and angled himself slightly, his ear towards their direction. While he was secretly listening, a follower came up to He Da and said, "Brother Da Qiu, his family's situation is a bit like yours. The whole family supports one scholar…" Before the other person could finish, He Da glared at him. He felt this was the worst slander against his family. "Bah!" He looked around, then lowered his voice, but his output was still a string of fiery words: "How is it similar? Does he even compare to my brother?!"
"My brother has always been among the top at the county academy. County Magistrate Tan even sought him out for handling affairs, and my brother was exempted from certain requirements. What's this guy's situation?" "He's twenty years old and still hasn't made a name for himself. The teachers at the academy don't think highly of him. With a brain like that, his family still tightens their belts to educate him. It's all due to the good fortune accumulated over generations!" This is a bookworm who only studies books, inflexible and stubborn, insisting on pursuing the path of fame and fortune without considering if he has the talent for it.
The follower thought for a moment, "That's true. If it were in our village, brothers in the family would have already split up." "Indeed, how can his brother and sister-in-law tolerate it?" He Da clearly remembered the scene of the other party raising glutinous rice. His first impression of Cheng Zhi was extremely poor.
Someone from the Yu family was secretly eavesdropping. Although they did not express their opinion, they agreed with He Da and the others in their hearts. Studying was expensive, and even in the county town, many well-off families were ruined by their children's studies. Stubbornly reading books, studying dead books, and insisting on taking this path without talent drained the blood and sweat of the entire family. However, Cheng Zhi and his family could survive until now, so they must have other strengths.
"I've read books related to epidemics before and know some coping methods. I knew not to drink raw water or eat raw food, and to keep a distance from others, thus avoiding the initial catastrophe. My academic talent is mediocre, but my memory is quite good," Cheng Zhi said.
Wen Gu thought, your memory isn't just good, many people's memory level is like – open the book, "A, B, C, D." Close the book, "Ah bah ah bah." However, the current dynasty valued culture and education greatly. There were countless scholars whose memories far surpassed ordinary people; some had talent, others were trained through diligent effort. Cheng Zhi only had a strong memory but lacked comprehension. He couldn't handle the various types of questions in academy assessments, hence he was always ranked at the bottom.
Dealing with such inflexible people requires direct communication, not subtle or ambiguous words, so that they can understand. Wen Gu took out his charcoal pencil and notebook and asked, "How did your family survive hiding in the town? Did you save a lot of food?"
Cheng Zhi said, "Not exactly. We initially lived in our own home. Most of the big merchants in town had fled, and there were fewer and fewer living people. We often heard monsters roaring and people screaming. We dared not go out, hiding in our home with doors and windows tightly shut. My mother used to have a statue of a deity at home and would offer incense every day. With the gods' blessings, we survived!"
Little Liu, who was eavesdropping nearby, really wanted to ask, "Which god did your family invite?" but seeing that the conversation was still ongoing, he had to restrain himself and planned to ask for details later.
Cheng Zhi had already fallen into reminiscence and slowly recounted, "It wasn't long before it got cold, and those monsters slowed down their movements. My brother and sister-in-law then went out to find some food and firewood." "Later, it snowed. Those monsters didn't come out much on snowy days. We were really out of food. I remember there was a vinegar brewery across the street. Vinegar brewing requires grains, so there might be a lot of food there." "The residents there had long fled, but they could only take limited items. We found a lot of food there. Their house was built sturdily with high walls. My family and I took this opportunity to move in there, and we've been living there ever since. Now, my mother is weak, my brother is exhausted, and my sister-in-law has to take care of them, so I've taken on the responsibility of going out to find food."
Wen Gu took notes and gently inhaled. He lowered his eyes, not letting the other man see his gaze. Vinegar brewery, a good place! The smell on Cheng Zhi was actually vinegar. Or rather, a mixture of vinegar and various smells from the brewing and fermentation process. "Huh?"
Wen Gu asked, "After you hid in the vinegar brewery, did you encounter few attacks from evil creatures?"
Cheng Zhi nodded repeatedly. "Yes! My mother also brought the deity statue over. Although the incense has burned out, she still kowtows every day!"
Wen Gu said bluntly, "Evil creatures probably dislike the smell of vinegar, or perhaps certain smells from the brewing and fermentation process… Wait, when you were chased by the evil creatures before, did it attack you proactively?"
Cheng Zhi said, "I encountered it when I was looking for glutinous rice, so I hit it with a stick."
Wen Gu: "And then?"
Cheng Zhi: "The wooden stick slipped from my hand, and I ran out holding the rice bag. It chased me all the way."
Wen Gu: "..."
Never mind, let's get back to the issue of the town's layout. "We are just passing through and want to resupply here. We won't be staying long. So, I'd like to ask, what is the approximate layout of the town? Are there likely to be supplies preserved in the inns, restaurants, and teahouses at the entrance of the town, as well as in the residential houses?"
Cheng Zhi said, "At the beginning of the chaos, most people in town left, but there were still quite a few living people who stayed. Many people have already been to places like inns, restaurants, and teahouses." However, Cheng Zhi still told Wen Gu the locations of these shops after entering the town. His narration was very fluent.
Wen Gu’s pen paused slightly. Remembering so clearly? Is it extraordinary memory, or is he making things up? This was not the rough information he got from He Da; Cheng Zhi was describing it in great detail. Even when Wen Gu deliberately gave some inverted information, Cheng Zhi quickly pointed it out.
Wen Gu remained composed. "What about residential houses?"
"Residential houses…" Cheng Zhi thought carefully. "Houses with courtyards, preferably those that used to raise livestock," Wen Gu said.
"Oh, not far from the town entrance, there lived a peddler, near the pastry shop. That peddler used to carry his goods to sell in various villages. When he stayed in town, he would also set up a stall in front of his house."
Wen Gu took note. A peddler, a traveling general store, a simplified department store. He asked, "I heard the peddler also sold medicinal herbs. Do you know if there might be any medicinal herbs left at his home?"
"He didn't sell medicinal herbs. The peddler's goods were not diverse, but they were affordable. My mother bought sewing needles and scissors from him. However, the peddler also left early. The day I returned to town from the county, he had already left town driving his mule cart."
Cheng Zhi thought that the peddler left driving a mule cart that day, so his courtyard might have had a livestock shed built. Coupled with the goods he usually displayed on his stall and carried in his cart, the space inside the courtyard must have been quite large. However, Wen Gu's focus was not on this at all.
"Why is the peddler in town so well-informed?" Wen Gu asked. Cheng Zhi received the news from the academy first, where there was no shortage of influential people. Even though Cheng Zhi was a marginal figure, it was a time of chaos, and secrets couldn't be kept for long. The latest news spread quickly among the academy students. After receiving the news, Cheng Zhi immediately returned to town. It takes time for a peddler to pack his belongings. By the time Cheng Zhi returned to town, the peddler was just leaving. Calculating it, the time difference for them to receive the news was not significant. This was not the information age.
"What kind of goods does he sell, and how many people does he know, to be so well-informed?" Wen Gu asked.
"This… Peddlers go street by street, they know many people and have broad sources of information," Cheng Zhi hesitated.
"He, who often sells goods in villages and has few types of goods, received the news almost at the same time as you," Wen Gu said. Cheng Zhi didn't know how to reply. Wen Gu smiled, "It's okay, let's talk about the pastry shop next to the peddler's house, one by one."
Restaurants, teahouses, inns, residential houses, pastry shops… He continued to ask them one by one. Cheng Zhi no longer had time to pay attention to the others around him. He was now focused on digging out answers from the corners of his memory. He himself was also thinking if he had missed anything, perhaps something that could be useful for his own family.
At the same time. The others in the team, who had been quietly eavesdropping and whispering, gradually fell silent. Even He Da, who had been full of opinions, was now staring at the two scholars as if stunned. They felt a barrage of information hitting them, and in their haste, they didn't remember much. Although there were no harsh words from their side, they felt a strange, tense atmosphere. Wen Gu's questions became faster and faster. The charcoal pencil in his hand moved swiftly, never stopping. Cheng Zhi, who continued to answer questions, felt the pressure increasing, constantly trying to recall and search for corresponding information from his memory. His brain began to feel swollen. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His eyes glazed over, gradually losing focus.
Grumble— His stomach rumbled, indicating hunger. Cheng Zhi hadn't eaten anything all day, only having drunk some hot water earlier. Coupled with the continuous mental exertion, he was on the verge of collapse.
Only then did Wen Gu stop, give an apologetic smile, and then take out a small paper packet. Inside was a powder of dry grain. "We've processed this twice, you can eat it directly." He then asked Sister Ma to bring another cup of warm water. Cheng Zhi could no longer afford to worry about anything else. He repeatedly thanked them, took the packet, and the water.
Wen Gu turned around and beckoned to Zhou Shan. "County Lieutenant Zhou!" Cheng Zhi was startled and almost choked. The person who had a knife earlier was actually… a county lieutenant! Wen Gu stood up, tore off a piece of paper from his notebook, and whispered a few words to Zhou Shan. Even though Zhou Shan was usually steady, he couldn't help but show surprise.
Wen Gu said, "It's getting late. Quickly clear out a place for us to spend the night." "Alright, I'll take care of it." Zhou Shan went to discuss the plan with his men. Wen Gu turned back, looked at Cheng Zhi, and a slight smile crept onto his lips, which he quickly suppressed. What a smart navigation talent! Such talent, if misplaced, would be a waste! Wen Gu's gaze was clear and open. He would investigate Cheng Zhi's home later. If there were no problems, then… he would recruit him as his secretary.
(End of Chapter)