Chapter Forty-Two: A Grand Rebound

Today was a day off, and a grand celebration was held at the Lushan Town Academy. The news of Li Yanqing and the other three boys winning first place at the Children's Gathering had reached the town yesterday, instantly setting the entire place abuzz. This was the first time in decades that Xiaohe Township had secured the top spot in the entire county, an occasion even more thrilling than when the Second Young Master of the Li family had passed the imperial examinations years ago.

The Second Young Master’s success represented only himself, whereas the Lushan Town Academy's triumph in winning first place in Tangyin County represented the entire township. It was a shared honor for everyone, making every local feel proud and radiant.

Four prominent local gentry members immediately decided to hold a grand celebration inside the academy. Practically all the slightly influential villagers were invited. Every single long bench from the study rooms was brought out, filling the small courtyard of the academy with nearly a hundred guests.

Over a dozen senior students acted as temporary hosts, borrowing a hundred coarse porcelain bowls from the tavern. The students bustled about, boiling water and serving bowls, running to and fro in a flurry of activity.

Li Daqi had also been invited. With his son winning first place in the county, pride surged through his heart, yet he dared not show it the slightest bit. Instead, he hid among a group of Li clansmen, terrified that someone might point at Qing'er and say, "Look! That's the son of Li the Scabbard-Bearer."

He felt immensely proud of his son, yet felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for dragging his son down with his own past.

"Daqi!"

Someone called out from behind. Turning around, he saw it was none other than the clan leader, Li Wenyou. Li Daqi hurriedly stepped forward to bow. Li Wenyou smiled and said, "I heard from my friends in the county that our victory this time was mainly due to Qing'er's stellar performance, bringing great honor to our clan! Daqi, you have raised him well."

Li Daqi said with shame, "It is the spirits of our ancestors looking down from the netherworld, protecting Qing'er."

"Right! Right! That is very well said."

Li Wenyou greatly appreciated those words, deeply resonating with the sentiment himself. He glanced left and right, then lowered his voice, "Let just the two of us say this, but make sure it doesn't spread outside. It won't do Qing'er any good!"

"I understand. Please rest assured, Clan Leader."

At that moment, someone called out to Li Wenyou from a distance. Li Wenyou shook his head with a bitter smile, "Everyone comes to me for everything; I'm running my legs thin."

"A capable man bears a heavy workload. Go tend to your matters, Clan Leader! I can manage by myself."

Li Wenyou instructed another clansman to keep Li Daqi company, then hurried away.

Just as Li Daqi sat down and turned his head, he discovered to his dismay that the person sitting right beside him was none other than the Sub-district Chief, Li Wengui. His scalp tingled with numbness. He wanted to leave but felt it would be improper, so he had to bite the bullet and offer a greeting.

Li Wengui, however, wore a sullen face, acting as if he did not know Li Daqi at all. He and his older brother had almost fallen out entirely because of Li Yanqing—first over Liu Chenghong, and immediately after, his own grandson had been replaced by Li Yanqing. To top it all off, Li Yanqing had performed brilliantly, which felt precisely like a slap across Li Wengui's face.

Had he not still held the position of Sub-district Chief, he would never have had the inclination to attend any celebration banquet. Li Wengui cast a cold glance at Li Daqi, let out a huff, stood up, and went to sit somewhere else.

Li Daqi felt thoroughly awkward. Just then, the sound of firecrackers erupted from the main gate, and someone shouted, "They're here! They're here!"

Putting aside his awkwardness, Li Daqi quickly stood up and looked toward the gate. The heads of the people in front blocked his view, so he decisively stepped onto a wooden bench, stretched his neck, and finally caught sight of his son.

Li Yanqing and the other three youths were being carried through the main gate by dozens of young men, each wearing a large red silk flower on his chest. Amidst thunderous applause and cheers, they made their way to the front.

Li Daqi's tears flowed uncontrollably. As he wiped his tears and peered around, he suddenly heard someone behind him whisper in a low voice, "That man over there is Qing'er's father!"

"He certainly knows how to raise his son! To have given birth to such an ambitious and capable boy."

Li Daqi's heart pounded wildly, but he did not dare turn back, keeping his ears perked up to catch every single word spoken behind him.

"I heard he was once a provincial graduate who offended the county magistrate and was treated quite miserably. Now that his son has brought honor, I suppose it's still due to the father's strict upbringing since childhood!"

"That's right. If I had educated my son the way he did, perhaps my son could have won first place in the county too."

Li Daqi's back slowly straightened. For all these years, this was the first time he had ever heard anyone praise him behind his back instead of pointing fingers at his spine and cursing him as Li the Scabbard-Bearer. It made his heart surge with waves of emotion, leaving him profoundly moved.

...

The celebratory ceremony did not conclude until noon. As the crowd gradually dispersed, Li Daqi was once again summoned by the clan leader, who introduced him to two other prominent gentrymen of the township, Wang Wanghao and Tang Lian.

In truth, they had long been acquainted, but since past matters were difficult to bring up, everyone pretended it was their first meeting. Wang Wanghao and Tang Lian showered Li Yanqing with praises for his intelligence and commended Li Daqi for his parenting skills, warmly inviting the father and son to visit their estates whenever they had free time.

Eventually, everyone returned to their respective homes. Li Daqi saw his son waiting for him at the academy entrance, holding a donkey by the reins. A warmth welled up in his chest, and he walked over briskly.

"Father, how do you like this donkey?" Li Yanqing patted the sturdy donkey beside him with a smile.

This donkey was his prize. Not only did he get a donkey, but each boy was also rewarded with twenty strings of cash—a truly bountiful harvest.

Li Daqi patted his son's head, sized up the donkey, and smiled, "This donkey is quite fine. It's a Dezhou three-powder donkey, large and robust. At the mule and horse market, it would fetch at least fifteen strings of cash."

"This donkey will be your mount from now on, Father."

Li Daqi hurriedly waved his hands, "I don't need it. You should ride it to school!"

"It's only three li to the academy. Li Er, Li San, and I enjoy walking along the road for fun. Besides, there's no place to tie a donkey at the academy anyway. It's best if you ride it to the county seat, Father."

Seeing his son's filial piety, Li Daqi happily agreed. He took the reins and smiled, "Let's first go buy some food in town, and then we'll go home!"

"Father, how is Da Hei doing?"

"Da Hei is doing wonderfully, of course. Yesterday it caught another big-bellied weasel, and Auntie Hu was so delighted she rewarded it with a large stuffed bun."

"What about our house? It should be fully repaired by now!"

"It's all done, and there's even one more room than before. Father saved that one specially for you. You'll have your own room from now on, and we even bought new furniture..."

Chatting along the way, the father and son led the donkey toward the town.

...

Just as Li Daqi and his son reached the village entrance, the sound of firecrackers rang out once more. Sub-district Chief Li Zhen led the entire village out to welcome them, taking Li Yanqing completely by surprise and deeply moving him. He hurriedly stepped forward to express his gratitude to everyone.

Their neighbor, Uncle Hu, along with a dozen young men, hoisted him directly onto their shoulders. The entire village cheered and applauded together. Li Zhen gave Li Daqi a thumbs-up and said, "Qing'er has brought great honor to our village this time!"

Auntie Gu from next door chimed in eagerly, "Indeed! When I went to town to buy things today, the shopkeeper heard I was from Liwen Village and heaped praises on me, even selling things to me at a discount. It's all the glory Qing'er has won for us! Daqi, your elder sister-in-law was in the wrong before and said some harsh things. I apologize to you!"

Li Daqi quickly waved his hands, "Not at all! Not at all! Everyone has been very kind to me."

Seeing the sea of enthusiastic faces, Li Daqi raised his hands in a抱拳 salute and said, "Thank you, fellow villagers. Qing'er has always enjoyed everyone's care, and Daqi is endlessly grateful. If Qing'er achieves anything in the future, he will certainly repay the village. Please, everyone, come to my humble home and sit for a while!"

The villagers broke into applause and escorted Li Yanqing and his father toward their new home. The moment Li Yanqing reached the doorway, Da Hei came bounding over with a wagging tail, promptly knocking its young master to the ground and licking his face frantically in excitement. Everyone burst into laughter as they followed Li Daqi into the courtyard, packing it to the brim.

Auntie Hu brought her daughter-in-law along to help, brewing tea and serving water to the guests. Li Yanqing also opened his bundle, sharing the candies, pastries, pine nuts, and melon seeds bought in the town with everyone. Filled with genuine happiness, Li Daqi simply took out several strings of cash to distribute among the children. Laughter and chatter filled the air, and at one point, two families even vied to propose a marriage alliance with Li Daqi, sending waves of hearty laughter through the crowd.

After an hour of lively celebration, the villagers gradually dispersed. Heavy-hearted, Hu Sheng patted Li Daqi's shoulder and smiled, "To have a son like this is truly something to be proud of!"

With reddened eyes, Li Daqi wiped away a tear and said, "If Yunniang were still here, how happy she would be."

Auntie Hu clapped her hands, "Daqi, you just reminded me. Your father-in-law came by this morning, but since you weren't here, he asked you to take Qing'er to visit him at his place sometime. They miss Qing'er!"

Li Daqi's expression darkened slightly. How his father-in-law had treated them back then was a memory he still recalled vividly. Now that Qing'er had achieved a modicum of success, they suddenly remembered their grandson.

Hu Sheng persuaded him, "After all, they are a prominent family too. For them to willingly lower their pride and come over is already quite rare. Besides, Qing'er ought to sweep his mother's grave, shouldn't he? Grudges should be resolved, not perpetuated. For the sake of Qing'er's mother, let bygones be bygones."

Li Daqi nodded, "You're right. After all, they are Qing'er's grandparents. I'll send word ahead first, and after New Year's Day, I'll take Qing'er to pay them a New Year's visit."