My Master Knows It All

876: Chapter 245_6 876: Chapter 245_6 Old Man Xu, while talking, enthusiastically helped Cao Zhen onto the horse-drawn cart and then drove the cart towards the village, saying, “This past year, the world has really become too chaotic.

Before, in Qili Country, although there were mountain bandits, they only occasionally robbed ordinary people or solitary traders.

When did they start targeting scholars?

After all, people like you, who can read, usually come from well-to-do families, while children from our poor families can’t afford to study.

When you scholars travel to take exams, you are accompanied by house servants, and besides, you all arrange it among your fellow townsmen to travel together in groups.

With many of you together, those common bandits can’t handle you.

But now, with the world in such chaos, bandits and robbers are increasing, and they’ve even started to strike at you scholars first.”

“Ah…” Cao Zhen, sitting in the cart, deliberately sighed but didn’t dare say more, having only just learned that this place was called Qili Country.

He knew nothing else about where it was situated or which city it belonged to, and thus, he couldn’t respond further.

Fortunately, Old Man Xu did not ask any more questions.

Qili Country.

He hadn’t heard of this country before, and he didn’t know where Emperor Skywind had transported his palace to.

And his current condition indeed necessitated finding a household to take shelter in.

Soon, Cao Zhen arrived at the outskirts of the village with Old Man Xu.

The village didn’t appear to be very large, and on the outside, there was even a simple stockade gate.

Behind the gate, there were even two young men holding pitchforks.

Upon seeing Old Man Xu, the two men quickly approached, opened the stockade gate, and let him in.

One of the taller youths, after giving the stranger on the cart a glance, revealed a look of surprise and said, “Uncle Xu, have you encountered another scholar who’s been robbed by bandits?”

Old Man Xu stopped to affirm, “Yes, I’ve encountered another scholar.

Ah, there’s no telling with the times.

Alright, keep an eye on the gate; I’m going to take this young man home.”

The tall young man immediately called out, “Uncle Xu, is there still room in your house?

With Dalang away in town, a room was freed up, but it’s now occupied by another scholar.

Adding one more, there won’t be any space.

Otherwise, how about this gentleman, uh, this young master stays at our place?”

No sooner had the young man finished speaking than another youth by his side, teasingly laughed, “Li Lao San, are you offering your home to this young master, or are you concerned about the other Miss Qiao?”

The tall young man instantly turned red, protesting, “Don’t talk nonsense, Miss Qiao is a lady from the city, she couldn’t possibly look at me.”

The other young man continued to tease him, “Then why do you keep running to Uncle Xu’s house for no reason?”

The tall young man still tried to defend himself, “That’s because Dalang is not home, and there’s no strong man to help, I go to help Uncle Xu with the work.”

“Really?

Dalang has been gone for a while.

You never helped before, so why did you only start helping after Miss Qiao arrived?”

“I’ve been before as well.”

Uncle Xu, watching the two quarrel, said, “Enough, stop arguing, or you’ll make a laughingstock before the young master.

Here’s what we’ll do, Li family’s third son, come with me.

I’ll discuss it with Miss Qiao and see if she could move to your place.”

He definitely wanted to keep this scholar in his home, perhaps the scholar would even teach his children something.

The main reason was, Li family’s third son clearly had an interest in Miss Qiao.

In fact, it wasn’t just Li family’s third son.

Which of the unmarried young men in the village didn’t have feelings for Miss Qiao?

Miss Qiao was the most beautiful person he had seen in his entire life, more beautiful than fairies in paintings.

And Li family’s third son truly had good character, was driven, and his family’s condition was among the best in the village.

Even their second son, Li family’s second son, held a position in the city, and Uncle Xu was willing to give Li family’s third son a hand.

However, it wasn’t certain whether Miss Qiao would take a fancy to Li family’s third son.

Before long, Cao Zhen arrived at Uncle Xu’s home in his cart.

Like many other homes, Uncle Xu’s courtyard wall was constructed from piled-up stones, and the main gate was made from woven fences, but the entrance was large enough for a cart to pass through.

Inside the yard, beside a stone table, a woman dressed in coarse cloth was using a tree branch to write and draw on the ground.

As she wrote, she also explained to two kids, who appeared to be over ten years old and squatted beside her, “Say it with me, book, the character for ‘book’ as in ‘book of books,’ the ‘book’ of studying.

Now, you two try writing it.”

As she finished speaking, the two children, seeming to hear the noise of the cart entering the courtyard, turned around and looked back, shouting excitedly, “Grandpa’s back, grandpa’s back.”

“Eh, who is this elder brother?

Who is he?”

Upon hearing the children’s voices, the woman turned around, and her eyes suddenly widened in astonishment as she stared at the pale-faced man sitting in the cart.

Cao Zhen also paused in shock; wasn’t this woman Qiao Jingyao, whom he had defeated at the Divine Weapon Martial Arts Conference?

Later, the Grand Preceptor not only sent her Divine Weapons but also Divine Skills Cultivation Techniques.

But what was she doing here?

And it was clear that she was injured.

The two looked at each other and almost simultaneously exclaimed, “It’s you!”

Next to them, Old Man Xu and Li family’s third son were completely stunned.

Old Man Xu gestured between Cao Zhen and Qiao Jingyao, then asked in shock, “You know each other?”

Remembering her excuse that she had been saved before, Qiao Jingyao quickly nodded, getting ahead of Cao Zhen and said, “Uncle Xu, this gentleman is the son of our household.”

“Ah?

The son of your household?

What a coincidence,” Old Man Xu responded, stunned for a moment, then a joyful expression spread across his face as he congratulated them, “That’s wonderful, you’ve finally found the young master of your household.

We must celebrate tonight, let’s slaughter a chicken at home.

It’s also a perfect opportunity to nourish you and your young master well.”

Cao Zhen could see that Old Man Xu was genuinely happy for Qiao Jingyao.