The onlookers were so overwhelmed by the drama unfolding before them that they felt like they had eaten too much melon.
The scene was simply too shocking.
A wealthy man dressed in fine silk and brocade was forcing his own son—or at least, what everyone assumed was his son—to kneel at the doorstep of their home, ready to be punished.
The man himself held a whip, bent over as if he couldn’t straighten up.
Was this some new play being rehearsed by the local theater troupe? Or perhaps Liang Qu was a royal prince who had been lost among the common folk and was now about to ascend the throne, with his former enemies kneeling to beg for forgiveness? That’s how the storytellers always told it.
Xue Dingyi, tears and snot streaming down his face, was about to wipe it all on Liang Qu, who quickly stepped back to avoid the mess.
Realizing he was being shunned, Xue Dingyi didn’t dare cling to Liang Qu anymore but instead began kowtowing like a madman, pounding his head on the ground.
The fishermen watching couldn’t help but feel pity for him.
“Ah Shui, what on earth did he do?” someone asked.
“Yeah, tell us! We want to know!”
The crowd didn’t dare question the wealthy man in his fine robes, but Liang Qu, whom they had watched grow up, was a different story.
They had no fear of him and eagerly pressed for answers, scratching their heads in curiosity.
Xue Chengquan, hearing the questions, turned to face the crowd and explained what had happened at the martial hall.
However, he left out some details, like how Liang Qu and his fellow villager had been beaten, and how Liang Qu had only been accepted as Yang Dongxiong’s personal disciple afterward.
He glossed over these points, making it seem as though Liang Qu had been chosen purely for his talent.
Liang Qu understood why Xue Chengquan was framing it this way.
It elevated his status, making it seem like he had been chosen for his exceptional abilities rather than through sheer luck or circumstance.
People always preferred to believe that success came from innate talent rather than hard work or good fortune, as the former was seen as more rare and prestigious.
If Xue Chengquan had told the full story, the villagers might have thought Liang Qu had simply gotten lucky, which could have caused resentment.
After all, without this incident, Liang Qu might never have been noticed by Yang Dongxiong.
Hearing this, the crowd was stunned.
Liang Qu, Liang Ah Shui, had become Yang Dongxiong’s personal disciple? Liang Guangtian’s wife pinched her husband’s arm in excitement. “Did you hear that?!”
Liang Guangtian winced and pulled his arm away. “I heard, I heard! Why are you pinching me?”
“This ‘personal disciple’ thing must pay well, right?”
“How should I know? What’s the difference between a personal disciple and a regular disciple? Don’t they both pay to learn martial arts at the hall?”
Liang Guangtian didn’t see the big deal, but others in the crowd who understood the significance laughed at his ignorance.
One of them, the same villager who had mocked Liang Guangtian for spending money on alcohol instead of helping others, sneered, “You’re like a reed swaying in the wind—top-heavy with no roots. A personal disciple is completely different from a regular disciple. Anyone can pay to be a regular disciple, but a personal disciple has to formally bow to the master and is treated like a son. And Ah Shui is studying at the Yang Clan Martial Hall! Even the county magistrate has to show respect to Master Yang!”
The county magistrate had to show respect to Master Yang? Liang Guangtian and his wife were dumbfounded.
Liang Qu, surrounded by the crowd, suddenly felt a wave of weariness.
Xue Chengquan’s grand display made it impossible for him to publicly punish Xue Dingyi further.
Even if he whipped him again, it wouldn’t mean much.
He waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s just let it go. Consider the matter closed.”
Xue Dingyi, still kneeling, was overjoyed.
He kowtowed repeatedly. “Brother Liang, you’re truly magnanimous! Thank you for sparing my life! Thank you, Brother Liang!” Liang Qu rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Xue Chengquan stepped forward, stopping Liang Qu.
Xue Dingyi’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. *Am I not your son? The person I wronged has already forgiven me.
Are you really trying to kill me?*
But things didn’t go as Xue Dingyi feared.
Xue Chengquan clasped his hands together and said, “Young Master Liang, you are truly generous, but I cannot be so shameless. My son has committed such a heinous act, and I am deeply ashamed of my failure as a father. I see that you live in humble conditions but possess a noble spirit. However, a clean and tidy home can still bring comfort. Allow me to repair and renovate your house for you.”
Xue Chengquan had originally planned to offer money as compensation and had even brought a hundred taels of silver with him.
But upon seeing Liang Qu’s modest home, he changed his mind.
Giving a hundred taels of silver would be quickly spent and forgotten, but renovating the house would ensure that Liang Qu would think of him every time he lived there.
Liang Qu was tempted.
The earthen house he lived in was far from comfortable.
The floor was made of yellow mud, and when it rained, his feet would be caked in dirt.
The house was also drafty.
But renovating it would take months, and the inconvenience outweighed the benefits.
Besides, he only needed a bed to sleep in, and if he wanted better accommodations, he could always stay at the martial hall.
After some thought, Liang Qu declined.
Xue Chengquan was disappointed but prepared to offer the hundred taels of silver instead.
Before he could do so, Liang Qu spoke up again.
“If you really want to do something, in a couple of days, our village will be holding a River God Sacrifice. Aside from the contributions from the wealthy families, each able-bodied man is expected to contribute a hundred copper coins. If you’re willing, you could cover that portion for the villagers, allowing them to save some money for the New Year. You could also set up a porridge kitchen for a few days. There have been more beggars in the village lately.”
Liang Qu had recently realized that this world followed a solar calendar for agriculture and a lunar calendar for festivals and holidays.
Apparently, this was something the Imperial Observatory had implemented for some special purpose, which was why the New Year hadn’t arrived yet.
With Xue Chengquan offering to help, Liang Qu didn’t mind being generous on his behalf.
It might even earn him a reputation as a village elder in the future.
Of course, if Liang Qu had known that Xue Chengquan had a hundred taels of silver ready to hand over, he might have had a different idea.
Xue Chengquan was delighted.
As long as he could leave a lasting impression on Liang Qu, it was worth it! Besides, a hundred copper coins per man would only amount to a few dozen taels of silver, and adding the cost of the porridge kitchen wouldn’t even reach eighty taels.
It was a bargain.
The onlookers were thrilled.
They had come to watch the drama, but now they were reaping the benefits.
A hundred copper coins! That meant more meat dishes on the New Year’s table and a bottle of wine to go with it!
A few clever children squeezed through the crowd and approached Xue Chengquan. “Master, Master, let us go spread the news!”
Xue Chengquan laughed and pulled out some copper coins, handing them to the children. “Go ahead and tell everyone that for the River God Sacrifice, aside from the contributions from the wealthy families, the rest will be covered by me—no, by Young Master Liang!”
The children, delighted with their reward, ran off to spread the news through the streets.
“Young Master Liang has become the disciple of the martial hall master!”
“Young Master Liang is paying for the River God Sacrifice for everyone!”
“Young Master Liang is setting up a porridge kitchen so no one will go hungry!”
Passersby, confused, stopped one of the children to ask, “Young Master Liang? Which Young Master Liang?”
“It’s Liang Qu, Young Master Liang Ah Shui!”
(End of Chapter)