Chapter 222 The Burnt Past (1)

The screen changes.

In the school in the next county.

The husband was talking and shaking his head above, intoxicated in the world of poetry, books and scriptures.

Chen Yan was sitting in the last row of the school, with his back straight and his eyes always looking under the table——

On his lap was an unofficial history novel titled "Collection of Jingzi's Strange Tales". The author's satirical skills were perfected, and he could be used by officials, princes, and traffickers. The author had so many twists and turns to curse people.

Surprisingly, one thing can make him scold him to death. [Note 1]

When I read it, I didn’t feel anything. I just thought it was a normal street story. Often after reading the whole story, I suddenly understood what and who he was scolding.

This magical feeling made Chen Yan feel awesome.

While he was watching intently, a weak voice suddenly came from the table next to him.

"Little brother, what are you looking at?"

Chen Yan turned around and saw a new classmate sitting on the table next to him.

It's a girl I've never seen before.

The girl has a pretty face, wears a light blue coarse cloth, and has two pigtails with two sunflower decorative straps stuck on the pigtails - she looks like a girl from a well-to-do family.

Well... My family is not well off, and I don't have the money to study in an academy.

The only thing that was a little strange was her face - her face had a cold expression, as if she was...a little facially paralyzed.

Chen Yan lowered his voice and replied: "I am reading a novel..."

He couldn't help but ask: "Where are the three leprous men?"

San Leizi is Chen Yan's usual tablemate. His family is engaged in the fur business in the town. Although he is not rich, he still has a few stinky money, so he doesn't have to work hard to make a living.

Therefore, San Leizi dislikes studying very much. He has barely read a book since he was sent to school by his father. He does not know a few Chinese characters and likes to do some sneaky things all day long.

"He dropped out of school."

Chen Yan was stunned for a moment when he heard the news.

He hated San Leizi's feet that hadn't been washed for who knows how many years, and his unique bad breath. When it was inevitable to talk to San Leizi, Chen Yan panicked every time. That smell was extremely lethal.

The smell is really making one feel worse than death.

But...the three leprous boys no longer go to school, which is not a good thing.

Chen Yan and San Leizi are both the most truant students in school. It only took a short week for them to form a tacit understanding of protecting each other - they would testify for each other in front of their teachers and parents, and they were proficient in making

Perjury of "reasonable truancy" - that perjury is usually due to illness or busy farming.

If the three scoundrels really stop going to school, how can I still skip school in the future...

Chen Yan was very upset.

As the oldest repeater in the class, he is about to reach adulthood and there is no need to continue going to school soon. However, the original owner of this body is really not very smart. Not only does he stay in the academy until he is almost an adult, he may also

To stay until adulthood——

For a rich peasant like my father who couldn't read a word, there was no safer place than the academy, and there was no better place to make his little brain smarter.

And if Chen Yan wants to leave the academy, he can't become smart immediately - he wants to behave normally in front of everyone, so as not to attract a lot of attention because he suddenly becomes smart -

With his father's temperament, if Chen Yan suddenly gets better one day, he is afraid that he will hire a chef to prepare dozens of dishes and hold a big banquet in the village to celebrate, letting everyone know that his son has changed.

Just be smart.

Even if you suddenly become smarter, you still need to find a "reasonable reason" for becoming smarter.

Now that San Leizi no longer comes to school, he has to continue to stay in the academy for a while. He must find a reason why he "suddenly" became smart as soon as possible, so that he can leave the academy as soon as possible...

Chen Yan was feeling depressed when the girl at the table next to him spoke again.

She looked at the "Collection of Jingzi's Strange Tales" on Chen Yan's lap: "Um...can I take a look?"

Chen Yan just met her today and didn't even know her name, so naturally he wouldn't lend it to her.

"I'm sorry... I have to return this book to the renter after class today."

Chen Yan had just finished speaking, but before the girl could react, a faint voice sounded in front of him.

"What book? To whom should I give it back?"

Chen Yan's heart skipped a beat, and when he looked up, he saw Mr. Academy's horse-like face that was already brewing a storm.

He subconsciously wanted to protect the book in his hand, but his movements were more agile than his. Even though he was over sixty years old, he had been practicing the art of snatching books from students' arms for most of his life.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. The movement of the gentleman's book-drawing was not very fast, but the angle was extremely tricky. Chen Yan, a young and strong young man, only felt that his eyes were blurred, and the "Collection of Jingzi's Strange Tales" had already been

Mr. holds it in his hand.

"You idiot! Let me see what book you are reading!"

The gentleman glanced at the cover and was immediately stunned.

He was stunned for a moment at first, and then his eyes began to become complicated, showing some recollection in his expression. Then he opened his eyes hard and got out of the dazed state.

"This book...can you understand it?"

Chen Yan subconsciously replied: "Isn't it just a satirical story? There's nothing I can't understand!"

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, only complaining that he was quick to speak.

As soon as I say this, sir, don’t you know that I am not stupid!

The gentleman's eyes showed surprise: "Can you understand that this is a satirical story?"

Chen Yan was wailing in his heart. On the surface, he didn't know what to do, so he could only lower his head and say nothing.

The gentleman looked at his reaction with more complicated eyes.

He held "Collection of Jingzi's Strange Tales" in his hand, rolled it into a scroll, and wanted to pat Chen Yan on the back of the head as usual.

He stretched out his hand, but didn't strike it down.

The classmates who were laughing and wanting to have fun were so surprised when they saw the teacher's unusual behavior, and for a while most of them had no intention of watching the joke.

The girl at the table next to me asked: "Are those stories...interesting?"

Chen Yan turned to her and said, "Of course it's interesting! Being able to scold people in such a funny way is not something that ordinary writers can do!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the gentleman sigh.

"This idiot..."

Chen Yan turned his head back and saw that most of his classmates who had been quiet just now had expressions of surprise on their faces, whispering to each other and pointing at him.

Chen Yan didn't know what he had done. Didn't he just say something? As for being so surprised...

"Ah!"

The gentleman shouted, which startled him.

"Silly boy, you said the weird and grotesque stories in this book are meant to be satirical. Let me ask you, who are these stories satirizing?"

Chen Yan was a little overwhelmed by the sudden seriousness of his husband.

Didn’t my husband give up on treating me a long time ago?

He panicked for a moment, wanting to fool him, but subconsciously ignored the book in his husband's hand, and changed his mind after seeing the word "Jing Zi".

Most literati cherish words. Mr. Jie Qing once said: "If you change my word, a man steals a woman and she is a prostitute." The words cannot be changed, and the meaning of the words cannot be misinterpreted casually - I think this Mr. Jingzi, who I have never met,

He must also hate others misunderstanding the meaning of his words.

Chen Yan looked at the book in his husband's hand, then looked at his serious expression, and lowered his head.

Some things cannot be taken lightly.

What's more, these [words] represent true justice and kindness and must not be misinterpreted.

He raised his head and said:

"It's hard to be greedy and cruel, so this story naturally criticizes the corruption and hypocrisy of the world's officialdom." [Note 2]

[Note 1]: Due to some reasons, I cannot write out the title of the book, so I can only use Mr. Wu Jingzi’s name to slightly change the title. I hope Mr. Wu will know better and forgive me for changing the title...

[Note 2]: The first half of the sentence was used by Mr. Yucai to comment on Liaozhai, and there is nothing wrong with its original use here.
Chapter completed!