Without delay, Ji Huai immediately headed home to fetch Lin Heyu so they could go to town together and verify whether the news was true.

A Hua followed closely behind Ji Huai, her small face tense with worry.

Just after turning the corner, still some distance from the schoolhouse, a group of children accompanied by several adults scattered rapidly upon seeing Ji Huai. Before Ji Huai could comprehend what was happening, A Hua cried out and dashed to the schoolhouse entrance.

The once tidy and clean entrance was now in complete disarray. The fence had been knocked over, wet mud was splattered across the wooden door, and the still-damp sludge slid down the door panels, leaving ugly trails in its wake.

All the flowers and plants that A Hua had tenderly cared for at the entrance had been trampled into ruin. The peaceful courtyard had been reduced to shambles in the blink of an eye.

Ji Huai approached quietly, his expression impassive as he surveyed the damage. On the door panels, knife scratches formed the crooked characters for “Shameless!”

“Who did this! Who’s responsible?!”

An angry roar sounded behind Ji Huai. Turning around, he saw an enraged Lin Heyu.

Eyes wide with fury, face contorted like a wrathful deity, Lin Heyu was screaming about confronting the villagers.

A Hua held him back, her eyes brimming with tears.

Hearing the commotion, Li Yuanyuan peeked out from behind her family’s door and said fearfully through sobs, “It… it was the village bully Li Si who brought people to wreck everything.”

Ji Huai sighed deeply. He hadn’t expected the villagers to be so extreme. Protecting a girl from a forced marriage in public and providing education for women – such acts were apparently intolerable to the local residents. Witnessing the coldness of human nature, Ji Huai finally saw the true colors of Li Village people.

Lin Heyu continued making a scene, insisting on settling scores. Ji Huai waved his hand dismissively, stepped expressionlessly over the mess, and went inside.

Lin Heyu followed closely behind, his voice tight with apology: “I went back to my old place – A Hua’s home. I’ve been taking good care of those Chinese bellflowers, watering them regularly. I never imagined that in the short time I was away, the villagers would…” At this point, Lin Heyu gritted his teeth, wishing he could drag out the vandals and beat them severely.

“Enough, it’s alright.”

Ji Huai comforted the furious Lin Heyu and the heartbroken A Hua. Though he himself was equally distressed, he knew how damaging gossip could be. A Hua was already at the center of controversy, and even Lin Heyu had become the subject of village whispers. As the only adult in their group, he needed to lead by example and calm the situation.

Ji Huai had long lost any desire to confront them. While he could argue with villagers for A Hua’s sake, he could also exercise restraint for the benefit of both A Hua and Lin Heyu.

Compared to his own temper, the safety and learning environment of A Hua and Lin Heyu were more important. If Mencius’s mother could move three times for her child’s education, then he, Ji Huai, could certainly pursue imperial examination success and relocate to a better environment for his students.

Ji Huai had no time to mourn the destruction of the beautiful courtyard the original owner had established. He returned to the backyard and began packing his clothes and valuables.

If the notice proved genuine, he would stay in town until the examination date. If there was no notice posted, he would simply treat it as taking the two children on an excursion around the town outskirts.

As he surveyed the courtyard that had been his home since his transmigration, a faint sense of reluctance stirred in his heart.

Letting go wasn’t easy – he had struggled and made efforts to change the villagers’ perspectives too.

In recent days, the schoolhouse had been desolate and quiet. While feeling disheartened, Ji Huai had been trying his best to persuade other girls in the village to attend. A Hua took the initiative to stand at the forefront of these efforts. Whenever there was a household with a daughter, A Hua would wait outside their door, chatting and building rapport by holding hands whenever she saw someone. Once familiar enough, she would start encouraging the girls to come study at the schoolhouse. Ji Huai even waived the tuition fee for girls who wanted to attend. Yet, not a single girl was as bold as A Hua. The girls, strictly controlled by their families, only dared to hide behind large trees, secretly watching the nearly empty schoolhouse with a dim longing in their eyes.

Ji Huai had seen them a few times, but each time he tried to approach, the girls would run away. Over time, Ji Huai was forced to give up on the idea of persuading girls to attend school.

Now, the entire village avoided him like the plague, refusing to let their children study at the schoolhouse. Today, some even allowed their children to join local ruffians in vandalizing the place. Only Aunt Li continued to look after him as always, and Li Yuanyuan remained steadfast in attending classes.

All of this left Ji Huai overwhelmed and emotionally numb.

Thinking of this, Ji Huai couldn’t help but sigh.

A Hua and Lin Heyu followed him into the house and silently began tidying their belongings.

Hearing the sigh, Lin Heyu looked at Ji Huai curiously and asked, “Tired?”

Ji Huai shook his head. He gazed at the wrecked courtyard in front of the hall, but his expression wasn’t particularly dejected. “If the notice about restarting the imperial exams is really posted, I will definitely pass. Then I’ll take you and A Hua away from here.A Hua and Lin Heyu followed Ji Huai with determined eyes, both responding with a simultaneous “Mm,” showing perfect tacit understanding.

Ji Huai found it amusing, and his mood lightened a little.

“Let’s go ”

The three of them tried to avoid the villagers as much as possible and managed to reach the town chatting and laughing along the way.

Lin Heyu was familiar with the town, often visiting teahouses to listen to storytelling. He held Ji Huai’s hand and skillfully navigated through the crowd. Soon, the three arrived at the government office entrance. Next to the imposing vermilion gates and majestic stone lions stood a notice board.

“It’s really true, it’s really true…”

Ji Huai stared at the black-on-white notice announcing the “Restart of Imperial Exams,” suppressing his excitement as he murmured to himself.

His eyes gleaming, Ji Huai clenched his fists, greedily reading every word on the notice.

“August 15th, August 15th… there’s still half a month left. It’s enough, it’s enough,” he whispered to himself, as if already envisioning himself confidently entering the examination hall and achieving top honors even in ancient times.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Ji Huai stepped back from the crowd and declared boldly to Lin Heyu and A Hua, “Whatever you want to eat tonight, order anything! My treat!”

A Hua and Lin Heyu cheered, unconditionally believing that Ji Huai would surely pass the exams.

With a wave of his hand, Ji Huai brushed away the gloom of the vandalized schoolhouse. visibly excited, he led the two straight to Spring Delight Pavilion.

Spring Delight Pavilion was just as he remembered from when he came to redeem Lin Heyu, though the storyteller inside had been replaced.

Ji Huai had all his travel money in his pocket. After counting it, the sum wasn’t small at least enough for the three of them to live in town for quite some time.

This was the private savings he had found hidden in the original Ji Huai’s room, and now he was taking it out to splurge.

The three of them had just stepped into Spring Delight Pavilion when an attendant warmly greeted them.

“Well now, you’re back again? This time your student hasn’t gotten into trouble, has he?”

At the mention of past embarrassments, Lin Heyu’s smile vanished as he pursed his lips in awkward silence.

Ji Huai laughed heartily. “This student of mine is perfectly well-behaved! Today we’re just here for a meal. Bring us two of those braised pork hocks from last time ” Noticing Lin Heyu’s subtle swallowing motion, Ji Huai generously amended, “Make it three!”

“Right away!”

The attendant cheerfully whisked his towel toward the kitchen while Ji Huai found a clean table to settle at.

No sooner had they sat down than commotion erupted at the entrance. Ji Huai looked up and met a pair of shifty eyes.

It was Wang Qingkun.

Ji Huai’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He never expected to encounter such foul luck just coming for a meal.

He subtly positioned himself to shield A Hua while quietly pressing down Lin Heyu’s tensed arm where veins bulged.

Wang Qingkun clearly noticed them too, pausing mid-step upon entry. His already drooping mouth sagged even further.

His lackeys, well-versed in reading moods, immediately assumed defensive stances against Ji Huai’s table.

A Hua, frightened, burrowed behind Ji Huai trembling uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the attendant arrived just then carrying the aromatic pork hocks, his cheerful chatter dispelling the tense atmosphere.

“Ah, Master Ji! I heard the imperial exams are restarting. You must be preparing to take the top spot?”

Ji Huai’s expression softened as he smiled genuinely. He always accepted others’ blessings graciously, and with the tantalizing pork hocks making his mouth water, he truly had no desire to start trouble here.

But when his gaze met Wang Qingkun’s again, Ji Huai couldn’t help but darken his expression.

“Disgusting,” Ji Huai muttered into his tea, tilting his head with clear annoyance just loud enough for Wang Qingkun’s group to hear.

A Hua gradually stopped trembling, cautiously peeking out to observe them.

Lin Heyu remained immovable throughout, glaring ferociously at Wang Qingkun.

Wang Qingkun knew these weren’t people to provoke lightly. Remembering how Ji Huai had kicked him with brutal force and pinned him to the ground for public humiliation, his teeth ground in frustration.

“Let’s go ”

Knowing when to retreat, Wang Qingkun led his crew back out in their usual pompous manner.

But not far from the restaurant, they encountered the county magistrate Wang Xinghai emerging from the government office.

“You rascal! Where have you been loafing about now?” Wang Xinghai’s face glowed red, seemingly intoxicated, as he strode boldly through the main gate. Spotting Wang Qingkun, his temper immediately flared.

As the local magistrate and Wang Qingkun’s uncle, Wang Xinghai enabled his nephew’s unchecked behavior throughout Huaiyang County.

After over a decade of getting his way, Wang Qingkun still seethed about being publicly humiliated first by having his bride snatched away, then beaten by that pedantic Cultivated Talent.

Recently he’d sent people to vandalize their schoolhouse and threaten students, but that fearsome Lin Heyu always stood guard, preventing retaliation against Ji Huai.

Now, seeing his uncle, Wang Qingkun’s eyes shifted cunningly as a wicked scheme took form.

“Uncle, let me help you home. I heard the imperial exams are coming up again?”

“Brat! You can’t even memorize policy essays properly still dreaming of the exams?”

“Oh uncle, not me! But there is someone who plans to take them…”

As autumn grew colder, a sinister wind swept past Wang Qingkun’s maliciously cold lips. In his sharp, gleaming eyes, hatred and triumph intertwined into a venomous needle, shooting straight toward the oblivious trio inside the tavern.