Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 127

Zhang Shu walked forward and knocked on the courtyard door. Though there was no real need to knock, as the door was low and a large man like him could see inside at a glance, he did so anyway.

Naturally, he saw a young man dressed as a scholar sitting in the courtyard with a book in his hand.

Hearing the knock, the scholar gently set the book down, clearly showing care for it. He then stood up, tidied his clothes, and adjusted his slightly wrinkled scholar’s robe before opening the door with a smile on his face.

“Who are you?” The scholar opened the door and looked at the visitors. The smile that had been on his face disappeared instantly.

“Excuse me, are you Wang Shusheng?” Zhang Shu asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, I am. May I ask what you two want with me?” The scholar’s tone was indifferent, as if he didn’t want to engage with them.

Zhang Shu was puzzled. Why was he so kind to the two women earlier but barely said a word to them?

“Who are you?” a voice called out from behind them. Zhang Shu and Li Mujin turned at the same time to see a sturdy ger standing behind them, a bundle of firewood on his back. A large birthmark marred his left forehead, making him look somewhat rough.

Qianjin shrank back, a bit nervous.

The man’s expression softened when he saw the two children. Noticing their clothes, he immediately smiled, “Please come inside.”

When the scholar surnamed Wang saw him, a flash of displeasure crossed his face. As the man greeted them warmly, he snorted and retreated into the house, taking his book with him.

The ger’s eyes briefly flashed with anger, but it was quickly replaced with calm. “I apologize for the inconvenience. Please go inside and sit. I’ll be back shortly after I drop off this firewood.”

Zhang Shu and the others nodded and entered the small yard. They placed the two bags of cakes they brought on a small wooden table. There were a few rough-looking stools scattered around, likely crafted by the family. The scholar seemed unable to make such things, so it was most likely the ger who did the work. Zhang Shu couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between the brothers.

Qianjin sat on a small stool next to Zhang Shu, lying on his father’s legs, making faces at Erbao in his arms, causing the baby to giggle non-stop.

The boy returned shortly, holding a string of copper coins—more than a dozen, it seemed. He smiled at Zhang Shu and the others before going to the kitchen to pour some water. He placed two bowls in a large, coarse porcelain bowl. “Please forgive me for the lack of bowls,” he said, offering them. “We don’t have many at home, so these two are empty.”

Li Mujin shook his head, signaling that he didn’t mind.

“Are you here to see us? How may I help you?”

“We want to find a scholar to teach our children. We heard that Wang Shusheng lives here, so we came to see him. I wonder if you are…?”

“I am Wang Shusheng’s younger brother.” Wang Meng smiled a little at first, but then his expression darkened.

Wang Shusheng studied for over ten years but never passed the examination to become a scholar—he was still just a student. Yet, his heart soared with grand ambitions, believing that his misfortune was only temporary. Once his luck turned, he was certain he would become a noble or even a prime minister.

Not only that, he was generous to a fault. Anyone who came to him asking for help received it. He despised the rich, believing them to be unkind and to have bought their way into positions, while true talent like his was left buried.

When he saw Zhang Shu and the others earlier, they were dressed in new clothes, and the two children wore silver locks around their necks. It was clear they came from a good family. This reminded him of the poor, and his hatred for the wealthy grew even stronger.

Wang Meng was the opposite. He admired those who dressed well, as they would never come to his house to ask for help.

Wang Shusheng treated the poor well but was harsh with his only brother, even though it was Wang Meng who bore the family expenses after their parents passed.

Zhang Shu and the others didn’t understand all of this. Seeing that Wang Meng’s face grew gloomy, they asked if he had any difficulties. He forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing, thank you for your concern. I’ll go ask him.”

Zhang Shu nodded, though he wasn’t optimistic.

Sure enough, Wang Meng came back out immediately after entering, his face dark with anger. He suppressed it and said, “He says he wants to concentrate on his studies. Thank you for your kindness.”

Wang Shusheng walked out from the inner room, barely sparing them a glance, as though their presence somehow sullied the quiet of his place.

Zhang Shu looked at him and thought that this man didn’t seem capable of the words he just spoke. But he only asked casually, and even if the scholar agreed, it wasn’t something he himself could accept. It was clear he wouldn’t be a good fit.

It wasn’t that he needed to be the most knowledgeable, but he had to be a good person. It wouldn’t be good for the children in their village if they were taught to be arrogant. Zhang Shu’s impression of this man soured further, especially after seeing his treatment of his own brother. It gave enough reason to dislike him.

Wang Meng sighed, “I’m sorry for troubling you.”

Zhang Shu shook his head. “In that case, we won’t bother you anymore.”

Wang Meng walked over to the small wooden table, picked up the cakes, and handed them back to Zhang Shu. “My brother is stubborn, guests,” he said, “take your things back. If you don’t, he’ll throw them away. He keeps saying this is dirty, and that is smelly, but he doesn’t realize that he’s the stinkiest of all!”

Li Mujin gently held his hand. “Brother Wang, we’ve disturbed you for a long time. Since this is our first meeting, we should leave a gift. Please don’t refuse.”

“This…” Wang Meng hesitated, still unsure.

Zhang Shu spoke again, “Actually, we wanted to do business with you. The Zhang family store on the other side of the river is in need of firewood. If you’re willing, you can pick up firewood and send it over every day.”

Wang Meng’s eyes lit up. “This sounds good! But I can’t charge for the firewood from a few days ago. I need to do something after receiving your two bags of cakes for free.”

He laughed heartily. Despite his worn-out clothes, it was clear he was a tough man—someone who wouldn’t be crushed by suffering. Zhang Shu observed this and felt more at ease with the arrangement.

While they were talking at the door, someone else arrived. It was an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl, dressed in ragged clothes. Her face was ruddy, and her exposed hands were white and tender.

When the girl saw Wang Meng at the door, a hint of fear flashed across her face. “Wang… Is Wang Shusheng home?”

Wang Meng’s temper flared when he saw the bowl she was holding. “He’s out. Go back.”

“I… My grandma sent me to borrow some rice to entertain guests, and she’ll return it later.”

“There’s no rice. Go ask someone else!”

“We’re out of rice. Go ask someone else!” Wang Meng replied impatiently. This family—men, women, and children alike—came to borrow rice three or four times over the past two months. Even if they repaid it once, he still wouldn’t want to help them.

The little girl stood at the door, holding the bowl, looking pitiful as if she were about to cry. If someone who didn’t know the situation saw it, they might have thought Wang Meng was truly heartless.

“Ah’meng, what did you say?” Wang Shusheng came back and happened to witness the scene. “Xiao Lian, what’s wrong?”

“Scholar Wang, my grandma asked me to borrow some rice to entertain guests. I haven’t had white rice in so long,” the little girl said, starting to cry.

Scholar Wang’s eyes filled with sympathy. “Is that so? Why did you bring such a small bowl? Come in with me, and we’ll get it for you later.”

At his gentle words, the little girl stopped crying and smiled, following him inside happily.

As Scholar Wang passed by Wang Meng, Wang Meng grabbed his hand. “There’s not much rice at home!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I saw that you still have half a jar in your room.”

“You went into my room to look?” Wang Meng’s eyes sharpened.

“If I hadn’t, how would I know what you’re hiding?” Scholar Wang shot back. “Remember, I’m still the head of this family. Don’t forget your place.”

He glared at Wang Meng and then looked at the cakes in his hand with disdain. “You’re really someone who despises the poor and loves the rich. You’re embarrassed to see a poor family, yet you follow the rich like a dog. I don’t know how our family ended up with someone like you.”

Wang Meng clenched his fists, as if he wanted to strike him, but Wang Shusheng remained unafraid, his mocking gaze never wavering. “Think about it. Now that our parents are gone, who do you think will arrange your marriage?”

Wang Meng slumped, his hands falling to his sides. He didn’t speak, only letting Wang Shusheng take the girl inside to scoop some rice.

Marriage! Marriage! He feared his whole life might be ruined by this! Wang Shusheng always brought it up in front of others, as if trying to make it clear that Wang Meng wasn’t married yet.

If Wang Meng couldn’t marry anyone off to him and sell him off like a commodity, he’d rather live alone in the mountains. Living with his brother in this way was unbearable.

All the rice was eaten by Wang Shusheng, and Wang Meng was left with coarse grains. Since their parents died, most of their land was sold, yet Wang Meng’s life didn’t change. To make matters worse, their relatives praised his brother endlessly, as he was often the one giving out charity.

Zhang Shu and Li Mujin couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for him. After all, they only ever saw people hoarding everything for themselves, never someone who gave everything away.

Scholars often say that when you’re poor, you should take care of yourself, and when you’re rich, you should help the world. But Zhang Shu wondered what was going through Scholar Wang’s mind. Despite their family’s situation, he still sought to “help the world.”

Wang Meng forced a smile. “I’m sorry to trouble you. I won’t see you off.”

He watched as Zhang Shu and the others left, and then saw the little girl carrying a bowl of rice. “Scholar Wang, you’re so kind. We all think so!”

Scholar Wang smiled brightly. “It’s the duty of a scholar. If we don’t even support the poor villagers, how can we contribute to our country?”

“Yes, if there were more people like you, everyone would have a better life!”

Wang Meng walked past them, clenching the dozen coins and two bags of cakes in his hand. As soon as he gave them away, his life would be over.

Zhang Shu headed home, feeling even more grateful to the village chief. Since ancient times, people were willing to help in emergencies but not when it came to poverty. The scholar in the Wang family was a fool. While everyone praised him on the surface, behind his back, they laughed at him.

He treated those close to him poorly, yet was warm and gentle to outsiders, all in an effort to gain a good reputation. Such a person would be burdened by his reputation his entire life, and his family would suffer because of it.

Look at it this way: although everyone claimed that the scholar from the Wang family was a good person, who would want to marry their daughter or son to him? Everyone saw through him. People could only be friends with him from a distance. Marrying him would only harm their children.