Chapter 6: Do I Really Have To Meddle In Everyone’s Business? Do I Look That Idle?

The ceremony for acknowledging a teacher was rather elaborate. Since the ceremonial hall couldn’t accommodate all the students at once, typically two classes would enter together. Before entering, students would first wash their hands in a basin at the front, then walk past a censer with burning incense, and finally step slowly into the hall. Every word and action had to be extremely proper and respectful. Under the watchful eyes of Dean Qiao, they would bow reverently to the three statues of the revered sages.

Jiazi Hall was led by Pei Guan, who taught literature. He had a gentle temperament, a bit childish, and usually favored Lu Shujin. Upon seeing her, he quickly waved her over. “Shujin, Shujin, come here.”

Lu Shujin had been at the very back of the line. Seeing him wave, she made her way through the crowd to stand before Pei Guan, bowed slightly, and asked, “Sir, what is it?”

“You’re already short, and you’re standing at the back. Once we’re inside, how will the Star Deity of Literature see you? You should stand at the front.” Pei Guan tugged her arm and placed her at the front of the line. Then he pulled out an oiled paper packet from his sleeve. Inside were some brightly colored dried fruits. He offered them to Lu Shujin. “Here, I bought these candied peaches on the way. Try one.”

Lu Shujin saw that the peaches were coated in syrup, likely sweet and tangy—something children and young girls would love. But she declined, saying, “Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I already had a meal on the way here and couldn’t eat another bite.”

The dried fruit wasn’t large, so it wasn’t really a matter of being too full. But Pei Guan immediately realized his mistake and quickly put the fruit away, whispering, “That was thoughtless of me. This is the ceremonial hall—we really shouldn’t be eating here. If the other teachers saw, we’d be scolded.”

Lu Shujin found his sneaky snack-hiding quite amusing and couldn’t help but smile.

Pei Guan clapped his hands and called out, “Students of Jiazi Hall, line up behind Lu Shujin. Taller ones in the back, shorter ones in front.”

Just as he finished speaking, a student even shorter than Lu Shujin tried to move to the front, but Pei Guan grabbed him and tossed him back. “You want to stand in front of the leader?”

Each class had a leader responsible for placing incense and leading the others in the ceremony. The teachers believed that the leader would be the first to receive the blessings of the Star Deity of Literature, so they usually chose their favorite or the most outstanding student.

Lu Shujin turned her head and saw, a few rows away, Xiao Jin standing at the front of Dingzi Hall, with Dean Qiao right beside him.

Even though he had skipped classes, fought classmates, refused to write essays, and had a terrible record, he was still chosen as the leader for this important ceremony at Haizhou Academy. He chatted with Dean Qiao as if they were just having a casual conversation.

Lu Shujin thought to herself, Where is the word “equality” in this world?

Her aunt had been willing to marry her off to a lame man over thirty just for a bit of silver, without caring about her wishes. And in this academy, there were plenty of people who used their family background and wealth to bully the weak at will.

Lu Shujin stared at Xiao Jin. Perhaps she had looked for a bit too long, because Xiao Jin seemed to sense it. He turned his head and caught her gaze. Across the distance, their eyes met. After a brief pause, Lu Shujin was the first to look away.

Jiazi hall students were the first to enter the ceremonial hall. Lu Shujin washed her hands, passed the incense burner, and received three sticks of incense from the teacher before entering. Holding the incense upright in front of her, she led the line of students inside at a steady, unhurried pace.

Beneath the three stone statues stood the teachers of Haizhou Academy, all with solemn expressions. Dean Qiao Bailian stood in the center, his face kind and gentle, smiling warmly at Lu Shujin.

Lu Shujin stepped forward with the incense and bowed respectfully. The students behind her followed suit. After completing the three formal bows, she rose and placed the incense into the burner at the front. Then Qiao Bailian spoke:

“The mountain of books has a path, and diligence is the way; the sea of learning has no end, and hard work is the boat. The road of learning is naturally full of thorns and hardships. Whether in success or failure, all is part of the journey. Remember this: hold fast to your original aspiration, do not fear the hardships of study, and you will reach your goal.”

“We will remember your teachings,” the students responded in unison.

After the ceremony, Lu Shujin continued to lead the group out through a side door of the hall. Once outside, the atmosphere relaxed. Students began chatting quietly as they left. Lu Shujin, however, stepped aside and stopped beside a pagoda-shaped incense burner, standing with her hands behind her back, gazing up at it intently.

She stood there for quite a while. Wu Chengyun, having circled around from the front entrance and not finding her, returned to the back and saw her still standing there motionless. He walked over and asked, “Brother Lu, what are you doing here?”

Lu Shujin had only been casually observing, but she had indeed noticed something interesting. She pointed to the top of the incense burner and said, “Look, the object on top of the burner—it wasn’t originally supposed to be that.”

The top of the pagoda-shaped incense burner was round, carved with lifelike swimming fish, all facing toward the top. At the very top sat a blooming lotus flower.

Wu Chengyun looked closely and said with some confusion, “Isn’t that lotus just the emblem of our Haizhou Academy? It seems normal to have it carved there.”

But Lu Shujin shook her head, about to explain, when a voice came from behind: “What are you looking at?”

They both turned to see Xiao Jin walking over with his arms crossed. Ji Shuoting followed a few steps behind. It was Ji who had spoken.

Behind them, the students of Dingzi Hall were also leaving through the back door, clearly having just finished their own ceremony.

As Xiao Jin approached, Lu Shujin caught a faint scent of incense—like a mix of the ceremonial incense and another fragrance. She looked him over carefully and realized that Xiao Jin had indeed taken the ceremony seriously.

He wore a mutton-fat jade crown and a gold-embroidered belt, with two snow-colored jade pendants hanging from long silver tassels. As he walked, the tassels swayed in the wind, but the jade pendants made no sound.

No wonder Qiao Bailian looked so pleased when he saw him. Although Xiao Jin usually acted irresponsibly, when it came to serious occasions, he truly looked the part of a noble young master. Standing still, he didn’t resemble a frivolous idler at all.

Wu Chengyun, timid by nature, felt intimidated just watching Xiao Jin approach. Before the two even got close, he hunched his shoulders and quickly turned away, walking off.

Xiao Jin noticed how Wu Chengyun avoided him like he’d seen a ghost. He found it amusing but didn’t take offense. He came to stand beside Lu Shujin, looked up at the lotus atop the incense burner, and said nothing.

Ji Shuoting, somehow having produced a jade-handled fan, began fanning himself again. “Do you know what used to be up there?” he asked.

Lu Shujin replied, “It should have been a gate, right?”

Ji Shuoting looked at her in surprise. “What kind of gate?”

Lu Shujin’s gaze slid over the carved fish. “Naturally, the Dragon Gate that the carp leap over.”

The image of carp leaping over the Dragon Gate symbolizes students achieving academic success and earning top honors. So no matter how she looked at it, Lu Shujin felt the fish shouldn’t be facing a lotus.

At that moment, Xiao Jin suddenly spoke. “That lotus has quite a story behind it.”

Lu Shujin had just been wondering why the carving had been replaced with a lotus. Hearing this, her curiosity was piqued. “What’s the story?”

Ji Shuoting circled around the incense burner and laughed. “Last year during the teacher acknowledgment ceremony, this incense burner was placed right in front of the main hall. Xiao Jin and I made a bet to see who could hit the Dragon Gate carving from fifty paces away.”

Lu Shujin’s eyes widened. “And the Dragon Gate…”

“Naturally, I smashed it to pieces,” Xiao Jin said, chin practically tilted to the sky, letting out a smug hum, clearly proud of himself.

Lu Shujin was speechless. She didn’t know whether to marvel at how thick-skinned Xiao Jin was to speak so seriously about the “story” behind the lotus, or to be amazed at how much of a scoundrel he was to have destroyed the incense burner on the day of the ceremony.

“Dean Qiao must have been furious,” she muttered.

“Dean Qiao nearly fainted from anger,” Ji Shuoting said with a laugh. “Later, Xiao Jin was punished with a month of copying essays in Dean Qiao’s study for half an hour after school every day to make up for it.”

Since the shattered Dragon Gate carving couldn’t be restored, Dean Qiao had no choice but to commission a craftsman to carve a lotus flower to replace it. The incense burner was then moved to the back entrance of the ceremonial hall, where it remained for a year.

“Amazing,” Lu Shujin said.

“What?” Xiao Jin tilted his head toward her.

“To be able to hit and shatter such a small carving from fifty paces away—Young Master Xiao, your aim is impressive,” Lu Shujin said. “What did you use? A bow and arrow?”

Ji Shuoting answered, “A slingshot.”

Lu Shujin’s eyes sparkled.

Xiao Jin, however, only gave a slight smirk and looked at her. “No need for flattery. Just tell me—why were you looking for me?”

Lu Shujin met his gaze but didn’t respond immediately. She was silent for a moment.

Seeing the silence, Ji Shuoting teased Xiao Jin, “Clearly you saw them talking about the incense burner and came over on your own. Why act like he was the one looking for you?”

Xiao Jin replied, “You’ve been watching me all day. Don’t tell me you didn’t have something to say?”

Lu Shujin realized that Xiao Jin wasn’t as useless as people said. At the very least, he was sharp. She had lingered by the incense burner for so long precisely because she was waiting for him.

She pressed her lips together slightly and nodded.

Ji Shuoting raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You really do have something to say?”

“If you’re hoping I’ll help you deal with that fat idiot, forget it,” Xiao Jin said, his expression cooling. “I don’t like meddling in other people’s business. I didn’t hit him for your sake—I just felt like hitting someone.”

Lu Shujin smiled. “How could I trouble you, Young Master Xiao? Though you didn’t act on my behalf that day, you did help me out of a tight spot. And earlier, at the academy gate, you gave me a silver ingot to pay for my lost buns. I was raised with strict manners—I can’t accept your kindness without repaying it. So I plan to write your essays for a month to return the favor.”

Xiao Jin clearly hadn’t expected that. He looked surprised for a moment, then said, “I heard you were one of the three underprivileged students personally selected by Dean Qiao after reviewing your essays. I could never write at your level.”

Lu Shujin had already prepared her response. “A few days ago, I took the liberty of writing the three essays that Master Tang assigned you as punishment. It seems they were effective—the teachers didn’t notice they weren’t yours.”

Xiao Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “So that’s why Master Tang suddenly praised my improvement. It was you? You’re pretty good—managed to fool them all.”

Lu Shujin watched his expression and found it odd. When Dean Qiao had mentioned the improvement under the tree the other day, Xiao Jin had glanced at her, as if he already suspected she had written them. But now, he looked genuinely surprised, as if he hadn’t known at all.

She couldn’t tell whether he was pretending not to know, or if he truly hadn’t realized.

“And how can you guarantee you’ll fool them every time?” Xiao Jin asked.

That didn’t stump her either. “I can imitate Young Master Xiao’s handwriting so well that no one will notice a flaw.”

Xiao Jin was used to flattery—people serving him tea, massaging his shoulders, or loudly following him around to boost his presence. But this was the first time someone offered to help him write essays. Even he found it a bit novel.

Besides, he usually found writing those tedious assignments annoying, and Qiao Bailian would randomly check his work every few days, which was always a hassle. Having someone else write them was obviously ideal.

He approvingly patted Lu Shujin on the shoulder and readily agreed, “Then come find me at Dingzi Hall after class this morning. I’ll give you a few of my old essays to study.”

Lu Shujin was delighted that he agreed. “Alright.”

Xiao Jin didn’t understand what she was so happy about, but he wasn’t interested in asking. He stretched lazily and walked away.

Ji Shuoting, however, seemed to think of something amusing. He chuckled while fanning himself and gave Lu Shujin a long look before leaving.

He quickened his pace to catch up with Xiao Jin and asked curiously, “Are you really not going to help him with Liu Quan’s issue?”

Xiao Jin scoffed, his voice fading as he walked away. “Do you take me for some monk handing out porridge in front of the East City Temple? Am I supposed to meddle in everyone’s business? Do I look that idle?”

Lu Shujin heard this, but her expression didn’t change. She waited a little longer after the two had left before exiting through the back gate of the ceremonial hall.

When she returned, Wu Chengyun naturally bombarded her with questions. Lu Shujin deflected skillfully and didn’t reveal a thing.

Wu Chengyun only found her more suspicious. Could it be that Lu Shujin really managed to befriend the legitimate son of the Xiao family?

But everyone knew that Young Master Xiao’s friends were all from prestigious families. He wouldn’t even glance at someone with a lesser background, let alone associate with them.

What ability did Lu Shujin have to squeeze into that circle?

Xiao Jin liked to play, and those people played along with him. Once they graduated, their families would pave the way for them. Even if they spent their lives doing nothing, they’d still live better than most. That was the privilege of being born lucky. But for people like them, born into poverty with no connections, the imperial exams were the only path to success.

Wu Chengyun sighed again, thinking Lu Shujin was being foolish.

Lu Shujin, unaware of her deskmate’s worries, was simply waiting for the school bell to ring so she could head to Dingzi Hall.

There was some distance between the two halls, and by the time she arrived, Xiao Jin was already a bit impatient.

When she entered, most of the students had already left. Xiao Jin sat at the very back, his long legs propped up on the desk in front of him, swinging idly.

His little gang was scattered around—some sitting on desks, others squatting on chairs—loudly chatting. Amid the noise, Xiao Jin was the quietest, head lowered, lost in thought.

Ji Shuoting was the first to see her and called out, “He’s here.”

Immediately, the chatter in the classroom ceased, and everyone turned to look at the doorway. Xiao Jin also lifted his head, a hint of impatience between his brows.

Lu Shujin steadied herself and quickly walked in. “Young Master Xiao, I’ve come to collect your masterpieces.”

Xiao Jin had already prepared them and placed them at the corner of the desk. He pointed with his chin.

Lu Shujin hadn’t known what Xiao Jin’s handwriting or writing style was like. She had assumed that, as a typical pampered young master who disliked studying, his handwriting wouldn’t be anything impressive—probably even sloppy—so imitating it shouldn’t be difficult.

But the moment she picked up his essays and glanced at them, she felt like her eyes had been assaulted. The ugly, chaotic scrawl stabbed her vision like a dagger, making her want to shut her eyes in pain.

She couldn’t help herself and blurted out an honest assessment: “A pile of dog crap.”

Xiao Jin’s handsome face darkened. “What did you say?”

Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Lu Shujin looked into his fierce eyes, quickly ran through her options in her mind, swallowed hard, and forced a calm expression. “I said I accidentally stepped in a pile of dog crap on the way here. Took me a while to clean it off, so I was late. Please don’t be offended, Young Master Xiao.”

Xiao Jin frowned deeply, clearly disgusted. “What a waste of such big eyes.”

Lu Shujin’s gaze fell on his long, well-proportioned hands, and she thought to herself: And what a waste of such beautiful hands, too.

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