Chapter 5 - 5 5 Sympathy in Sickness

Words : 1501 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Sympathy in Sickness Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Sympathy in Sickness The cart driver’s words plunged Huang Yu, who had just boarded the cart, into silence. Zheng Fa didn’t speak either, only the cracking sound of the old man’s whip in the wind could be heard. Traveling quietly under the rush, an hour later, the ox cart arrived within the State City of Jingzhou. Inside and outside the city seemed like two different worlds. The scenery outside the city was large expanses of farmland, open, bright but barren. The only living people occasionally visible were one or two farmers bending over working in the fields. Though Jingzhou was large, the dense flow of people on the streets made it feel cramped and crowded. The three of them were probably walking on the main thoroughfare of Jingzhou. Both sides of the road were lined with shops, attracting many leisure strollers. The majestic and mighty Dan Zhu Bull, despite travelling great distances, could only timidly squeeze through the crowd like a small cat, treading cautiously forward. Huang Yu then came back to life, sitting in the cart, clinging to the railing, and craning his neck to look at the shops on both sides. The greasy sweetness from the snack shop made him swallow his saliva. The trinkets sold in the grocery shop couldn’t take his eyes off. The prestigious daughters lingering in the silk shops made him, already mindful, stealthily size them up, only daring to look back for a few more glances after walking far. By the time he calmed down from the excitement of entering the city, he realized that Zheng Fa sat steadily beside him, also smiling while observing the bustling streets, but without his level of agitation. It seemed he felt his gaze, as Zheng Fa turned his head and curiously looked at him. Huang Yu cleared his throat and sat upright. Zheng Fa looked at him and smiled, a hint of bashfulness mixed with irritation fleeting across Huang Yu’s face. ... The ox cart moved along the main street, heading towards the west of the city. “The State City of Jingzhou has always had the adage of ‘the east is wealthy, the west is noble, the south is commercial, and the north is lowly.’ Our Zhao Family is located in the most prestigious west side,” said the cart-driving old man with undeniable pride. Indeed, as they moved westward, the number of pedestrians lessened. But the area was anything but desolate. Instead, there were continuous grand mansions, with strict entrances, where ordinary people dared not wander. Huang Yu, previously a bit excited, now also wore a cautious and uneasy expression. After another half an hour, they arrived in front of a courtyard. Calling it a courtyard was an understatement; indeed, it was a vast and grand complex of buildings. From the street corner, they couldn’t even see the end of the white walls in front. The grandiose households they had passed previously had already amazed Huang Yu, but upon seeing this one, his mouth fell open in deep admiration. At the main entrance of the courtyard stood two lions, each over two meters tall, their gazes loftily overlooking the passersby below. The plaque above the entrance bore the words “Zhao Mansion.” The ox cart did not stop at the main entrance but circled around it and a side gate, eventually halting at an inconspicuous back door. “Are they here?” A middle-aged man dressed like a servant was already waiting at the door. Seeing the cart-driver arrive, he hastily urged, “Hurry up! The steward is waiting! Just waiting for these two!” “Isn’t it because they live the farthest away?” The man waved to signal Zheng Fa and the other to follow: “In my opinion, these two are just here to make up the numbers.” The old man didn’t argue, just hmphed, “The lady ordered that everyone of this age in the household must come; dare you miss even one?” “Right, that’s what I was saying!” The two spoke without any intention of hiding it from Huang Yu. Huang Yu seemed to find these words irritating, his mouth opened as if wanting to retort. But looking up at the tall courtyard walls, a flash of embarrassment crossed his face, and he closed his mouth again. However, his expression grew more uncomfortable, his entire demeanor became more guarded as if he dared not even lift his feet while walking. He turned to look at Zheng Fa beside him but found him seemingly unperturbed by these words, leisurely observing his surroundings as if deeply curious. “Pretending what?” Huang Yu muttered under his breath, a sidelong glance catching him secretly straightening his back. Zheng Fa glanced at the changing expressions on Huang Yu’s face and guessed some of the young man’s thoughts. Jingzhou City or Zhao’s Mansion, for him, were places he had never seen before, and frankly speaking, he was excited from the bottom of his heart. But compared to when he first arrived in the modern era, this thrill was much smaller. Moreover, he had seen skyscrapers with his own eyes. This kind of large courtyard house, he had seen on TV as well. Now stepping into this mansion, his mindset was more one of curiosity than inferiority. It felt like he had come to a tourist attraction. Compared to Huang Yu, he naturally seemed more composed. ... The servant led them to a beautiful lotus pond, and at the end of the pond stood a Water Pavilion built by the pool. “This is the second study room in the mansion; you two go ahead!” He pointed towards the main door of the Water Pavilion, did not proceed further, and just spoke to the two of them. Huang Yu followed Zheng Fa from the lake’s boardwalk to the entrance of the Water Pavilion. At the door, they found dozens of teenagers their age already standing. Upon seeing the two of them, these youths first looked them up and down. Then uniformly ignored the two, almost immediately clustering in groups, showing hardly any reaction. Huang Yu secretly gritted his teeth on the sidelines. Zheng Fa realized that this group were competitors for the position of Attendant Student. At this moment, if they had greeted them with a wary or even malicious attitude, it would have been more gratifying for Huang Yu than this indifference. But carefully observing these youths, Huang Yu’s face showed a trace of dejection, as if feeling ashamed, he lowered his head. Take their clothing, for example. Zheng Fa was dressed in old, coarse clothes. Huang Yu was slightly better, wearing a new garment made by his mother from new fabric, but the material was also very coarse and stiff. Many of the youths here wore silk clothes, and if not silk, then neatly tailored scholar’s robes. This was something Huang Yu’s family could not afford. This was not enough to make him give up all hope, after all, the position of Attendant Student was not determined by family background. But the headscarves worn by three of them at the door completely discouraged him from feeling any competitiveness. Having attended elementary school for several years, he knew that only those who had achieved the scholarly rank of student could legitimately wear headscarves. The attire of these three clearly indicated that they were persons of scholarly rank... Realizing this was why Huang Yu truly felt despair and finally understood what the old man had said: What does it matter if you have attended a few years of elementary school? His elementary school teacher was just an old student himself... By now, the determination he had when he first boarded the ox cart seemed to have a hole, slowly leaking out until nothing was left. He looked at Zheng Fa, who still maintained an undisturbed demeanor. This time, however, Huang Yu found it acceptable. He even felt a faint kinship in suffering. He was already enduring so much. Zheng Fa wore worse clothes and had less education than himself. He must be... suffering even more, right? Zheng Fa, sensing the kindness in the young man’s eyes, felt a bit inexplicable: I haven’t said a word, why does he look at me so warmly? As for suffering... Frankly speaking, Zheng Fa knew nothing about the significance of wearing or not wearing a headscarf. It seemed as if they were specifically waiting for Zheng Fa and his companion; as soon as they arrived, the closed door in front of the youths opened, and a male servant came out and instructed everyone, “Form a line, one by one, enter!” Inside, dozens of desks were arranged in several rows, and on each desk were placed brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Zheng Fa took a deep breath, feeling as if he was back in a monthly exam; he was not only not frightened, but there was also a familiar sense of reassurance.

Chapter 5 - 5 5 Sympathy in Sickness

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