jdhmnovel Chapter 317 Deciding to Go Together: Classmates Who Have Changed and Are No Longer the Same
Chapter 317 Deciding to Go Together: Classmates Who Have Changed and Are No Longer the Same
Li Mo led Wangchuan to serve tea and refreshments in the front hall. The newcomer was handsome and wore a lotus-colored robe, which was quite unique.
Wangchuan served tea and was about to step aside with Li Mo when he glanced at the newcomer and felt no familiarity with him.
He followed Li Mo to the front hall to serve, of course he had his own selfish reasons. He heard from the gatekeeper that the young master was his former classmate, so was it possible that he knew him too?
Or perhaps it's someone who happens to know you?
With this in mind, Wangchuan entered the hall and began mentally rehearsing how to naturally glance at the person who came in.
He saw it without any problems.
Unfortunately, I have no recollection of it.
Wangchuan sighed silently in his heart, and without any hesitation, followed Li Mo to the back of the main seat in the hall, where they stood on either side.
The visitor only waited a moment, and before he could even take a couple of sips of tea, Jiang Xiaoqi, who had changed into a light blue robe, arrived.
There's an awkward situation where your classmate remembers your name, but you don't remember theirs.
Jiang Xiaoqi had experienced this kind of awkwardness in her previous life when she was still Jiang Wenming.
It was a reunion of elementary school classmates from a previous life, a group of middle-aged people in their thirties, and I don't know who started it.
Suddenly, a class reunion was organized in the elementary school group chat. Since graduating from elementary school at the age of twelve, these people had not seen each other for more than twenty years.
Jiang Xiaoqi went to the class reunion from her past life, carrying a yellowed yearbook and a very old graduation photo.
There's no other reason than that if he can't recognize the person, he can still look at the photo to identify them, or use the graduation photo as a way to break the ice and start a conversation.
In fact, that's exactly what he did. He still vividly remembers that class reunion: more than twenty people were holding graduation photos, but no one could open their mouths to call out someone else's name.
So many images of my past life flashed through my mind, but in reality, it was only a fleeting moment.
Jiang Xiaoqi lifted his robe and sat down: "Brother, please have some tea!"
He said something that was absolutely certain he wouldn't make a mistake, but inwardly he thought to himself, "This guy is something else. He comes to my door without presenting a visiting card or even giving the doorman's name. He just says he's a former classmate."
If you can't recognize someone, it's not your fault; it's because the other person didn't give you any hints.
"Brother Jiang, it's been so many years, you probably don't remember me, do you?"
Jiang Xiaoqi could tell from the other person's tone that it was deliberate. Well, even if this person was her former classmate, he was still a sly one.
A few names flashed through my mind. Actually, they were easy to guess. Back then, I was only close to about ten people.
First, eliminate Zhao Hongxuan and Tan Hao, as both are currently in the capital. Then, eliminate Lin Xiao, since we met him in Yuanzhou last year.
Lin Xiao's appearance has changed very little compared to when he was at the clan school a few years ago, and the other party recognized him, so the two of them were not as awkward as they were today.
Several of Jiang's cousins were also excluded, as they had all been met during the ancestral worship ceremony.
The annoying Qiu Feng and the gloomy Song Jinyang didn't get along with him, so they wouldn't come looking for him.
Who else? Oh, there is one more.
"Brother Yun, may I ask what brings you here today?"
The newcomer was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, oh dear, you actually remember! I was just trying to tease you, but I miscalculated!"
That's right, the person who came was Lin Xiao's cousin, Yun Muze.
Unlike Lin Xiao, Yun Muze has undergone a complete transformation in the past six years.
If you look closely, you can still see some resemblance to her childhood features in her eyebrows and eyes, but everything else about her has completely changed from her childhood appearance.
Yun Muze finally remembered to pick up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "I came here today because I haven't seen an old friend in a long time. I heard that you have returned to Xinghe Prefecture, so I wanted to come and see you."
Secondly, I also wanted to ask if Brother Jiang would be willing to accompany me to the provincial examination next month, so we could look after each other.
Compared to Yun Muze, Jiang Xiaoqi felt she preferred Lin Xiao, even though Yun Muze looked better.
Yun Muze is the son of the county magistrate, he was six years ago, and he still is six years later. This is not a trivial statement.
The reason is that Yun County Magistrate has remained in his official position for six years without any advancement.
To be precise, County Commandant Yun has been a county commandant for more than ten years. When Yun Muze was born, Yun's father was a county commandant. Now Yun Muze is seventeen or eighteen years old and is about to take the provincial examination, while County Commandant Yun is still a county commandant.
Fortunately, the Yun family is quite lucky to have produced a studious young man like Yun Muze. The future of the Yun family will probably rest on the shoulders of this young man.
Isn't it normal for a teenager who shoulders the responsibility of the whole family to have a bit of a weary look on his face?
Let alone Yun Muze, even Jiang Xiaoqi himself has always been a child in a child's body but an adult in his heart. How can you say that he is old-fashioned?
“After the last imperial examination, I went back to my ancestral home with my elders to pay respects to our ancestors. At that time, most of my cousins were gathered together. Several of them were also going to take the provincial examination, so we made plans to go together early on.”
"Oh? That's alright. We're all former classmates who started our education at the Jiang family school. We can go together; it won't be too awkward."
Could it be that Brother Jiang finds me too clumsy and uncouth to travel with me?
Jiang Xiaoqi: Is that what I meant? You're trying to morally blackmail me right off the bat!
Jiang Xiaoqi put down her teacup, her eyes slightly narrowed, and looked at the other person with a half-smile:
"Brother Yun, if you don't mind my brothers being noisy, you may come along."
Wangchuan quietly tugged at Li Mo's sleeve and whispered, "This Young Master Yun is quite troublesome." Li Mo gently shook his head, signaling him not to say anything more.
"Hahahaha, I knew it! Mingfei isn't that heartless!"
Hehe, if you don't agree to go together, then you're a heartless person, right? Jiang Xiaoqi finally understands why she doesn't like Yun Muze as an adult.
This person has probably been misled by his elders, or has been constantly nagged and instructed, such as: You are the hope of the whole family, you must work hard to pass the imperial examinations and change the family's fortunes!
What she couldn't do herself, she placed her hopes on her son.
If you can't be an outstanding person yourself, you want your child to be a slow learner and get ahead.
Alas, some things can indeed force a child to grow, while others might ruin them. Forcing growth can lead to endless troubles.
Is it solely the child's responsibility to change the nameplate on the door?
As adults and elders, how can you expect younger generations to do what you yourself haven't done, let alone do it to the best of your ability?
Jiang Xiaoqi thought of her grandfather, father, and brother-in-law.
These three were essentially pushed to improve by him in reverse; of course, the more he pushed them to improve, the more motivated he became.
Now my grandfather has established himself in the Ministry of Revenue, and my brother-in-law is managing his jurisdiction in Linhai County very well.
Needless to say, my second and third sister's husbands are now considered close advisors to the emperor, with limitless futures ahead of them.
Even his father, who used to be a lazy bum, is now obedient and serving as a county magistrate in Tongzhou.
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't expect his family members to rise to high positions; he only hoped that no one in his family would fall behind.
Yun Muze, of course, was unaware of what Jiang Xiaoqi was thinking and still had a smile on his face.
Having achieved his goal, he took his leave. His father had said that restoring relations should be done in moderation; going too far would only make one disliked.
Yun Muze politely took his leave, and Jiang Xiaoqi had Li Mo see him off.
After everyone left, Jiang Xiaoqi felt a little dazed. Things had changed. Xinghe Prefecture was still the same Xinghe Prefecture, but her classmates who had grown up were no longer the same as before.
If it weren't for his great-uncle who held the fourth rank in the government, his grandfather who worked in the Ministry of Revenue, his father who was a county magistrate, his eldest sister's husband, and his second and third sisters' husbands who were court officials, would Yun Muze have come to invite him to go to the provincial capital together?