Linxia

Chapter 67, Donkey Meat

What happened today made Dong Zugao feel emotional. He drank some more wine and talked about these things with deep emotion and his voice choked with sobs.

Fang Lin didn't say anything, he just raised his bowl and clinked it with the other person's.

He knew that at this moment, the other party did not need any comfort, just needed to listen quietly and drink with him.

"I didn't make my grandmother wait. I failed the first provincial examination! I failed the second! I failed the third! Was it because I wasn't diligent? If so, what's the point of me studying hard day and night in the pavilion? Was it because I wasn't smart? If so, why did I rank first in the private school when I was young and get the title of scholar at the fifteenth examination?"

Hearing such questioning, Fang Lin remained silent.

Dong Zugao sighed again: "I placed my parents' expectations on me. I only had to study at home and did nothing. Now, the hardships of life have made my father and mother as old as my grandmother. Their hair is gradually turning gray. They have the same expectations as my grandmother, but I don't know if I can let them wait until that day."

"I also walked out of the attic to help my parents, but even killing a chicken would make a mess. I was really powerless... A few days ago, I went to the bathhouse and my clothes were stolen. If I hadn't met you, Brother Fang, I wouldn't know what to do... Woo woo woo, a scholar is really useless!"

When the emotions reached their peak, a grown man actually burst into tears and cried like a child.

Later, Dong Zugao talked about how he passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen and how glorious it was, and was engaged to someone. However, he failed the examinations many times, and the neighbors said behind his back that the Dong family had produced a bookworm who had become stupid because of studying too much. Later, the family fell into poverty and the marriage fell through...

All of these things are ridiculous and bring back bitter tears.

Seeing Dong Zugao like this, Fang Lin grabbed his wrist and said, "Brother Dong, you will eventually ride the wind and waves, and you will be on the list of successful candidates one day!"

"That being said, how easy is that?"

Dong Zugao gulped down the wine in his bowl and sighed, "The imperial examination is difficult, very difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven. I don't know how many times I have dreamed of passing the imperial examination, riding a horse in a parade, riding a horse in high spirits, and seeing all the flowers in Chang'an in one day, but when I wake up, there is only moonlight shining through the window. People often say that after adversity comes good times, and you can ride the wind and waves and soar to the sky, but when will this scene come true? Do I have to wait until my parents pass away and my hair turns gray? If so, what's the point!"

Fang Lin fell silent. The difficulty of the imperial examination was indeed like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. Some people spoke lightly as if they could pass the exam easily and get their names on the list of successful candidates. This statement... was simply ridiculous!
History has made it clear that most people only see those Jinshi and Juren who left their names behind, but they fail to see that there are many more scholars who struggled all their lives, drove themselves crazy, but achieved nothing!

"Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Brother Fang." Dong Zugao had experienced many ups and downs after all. Today, he took advantage of the alcohol to reveal some of his inner thoughts and vent his feelings. He quickly came out of it and sorted out his emotions.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in the store. It turned out that a customer said that the donkey meat was not fresh. The waiter thought that the other party was making trouble and said it was impossible.

Seeing more and more people gathering around with doubtful looks on their faces, the shopkeeper, for the sake of his reputation, came out and invited everyone to the back kitchen to watch.

Fang Lin and Dong Zugao also followed and saw this scene.

A live donkey was tied to a rack. Except for its four legs, its body was also tied tightly. A cook was cutting the donkey's meat with a sharp knife. The donkey would cry out every time he cut it. When half of the donkey's body was cut and only the skeleton was left, the donkey was still not dead, and some of the meat was still throbbing slightly.

Next to it, there was a donkey that had not been killed. It let out a sad cry and tears were flowing from the corners of its eyes.

Others didn't think much of it, and many were still praising the donkey meat here for being so tender. Fang Lin looked at it, but he felt his stomach churning and he had the urge to vomit. "This donkey is also bitter, just like me. Shopkeeper, I'll buy this donkey..." Dong Zugao said, reaching into his sleeve, but the next moment, his voice stopped abruptly, and he closed his eyes: "Brother Fang, let's go!"

Fang Lin knew that Dong Zugao felt sympathy for his own kind and subconsciously wanted to buy the donkey. However, when the time came, he found that he was short of money and could not even save this beast.

He realized that if he couldn't save the donkey, who could save him?
This scene had a great impact on Fang Lin's heart and left a deep impression on him. While a feeling of sadness welled up in his heart, he also urged himself to keep improving himself.

They went out and had a meal. Dong Zugao paid the bill and when they were leaving, Fang Lin saw that he was a little drunk and wanted to see him off, but Dong Zugao smiled and declined, saying that he was sober now. Then the two parted ways.

Diagonally opposite the Donkey Restaurant is a gambling house called Changlefang. Fang Lin turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

"Cheng Shiliang?" He paused. "No wonder he started coming out after lunch these past two days. It turns out he came to the gambling house."

At this moment, all the doubts about Cheng Shiliang's continuous stay out all night and extravagant spending in recent days were instantly answered.

'Perhaps he went to a brothel and needed drugs, which were expensive. Cheng Shiliang was short of money, so he ended up in a gambling house. Gambling may win temporarily, but in the long run, it is a road of no return!'

Fang Lin was thinking about it, and seeing that Cheng Shiliang had already gone in, he did not follow him in. He planned to wait until he returned to Xuan Mo Zhai to talk about it with Cheng Shiliang in private.

……

When we returned to Xixiang Hutong, it was already afternoon. The sun was shining brightly and golden, warm but not hot. Under the osmanthus tree, Mr. Ou was napping in a rattan chair, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan from time to time.

At the door, Fang's mother, Geng's daughter-in-law Su Xiaoqing, and Guihua's wife were making clothes. Fang Lin took a look and didn't go back. He just stayed here and chatted with Master Ou.

He talked about how Mr. Dong went to a banquet at Yang's house and was coldly excluded because of his simple clothes.

Master Ou listened quietly and nodded slowly: "During the Taizu period, scholars, farmers and merchants, rich and poor, all wore the same clothes. People only compared with each other, no matter how much they read or how good their poetry and prose were. Now, the times are progressing, and the things people compare with have also changed. The quality of poetry and prose, and how much they read, are no longer the criteria for measuring a person. Instead, people judge people by their wealth. This shows how impetuous society is!"

His tone was filled with disgust for this phenomenon.

"Yes!" Fang Lin also discovered that with the development of the economy and the prosperity of business, businessmen have become less restrained, money is accumulated, and they indulge in pleasure. Ordinary scholars, even those with the title of scholar, are nothing in their eyes. Only those who have achieved the title of juren or above are worthy of being treated seriously.

He thought about it and was about to talk about his experience at the Donkey Restaurant.

At this time, Man Gensheng came back, strode with his head held high. When he saw Master Ou, he did not avoid him like a mouse seeing a cat as usual. Instead, he took the initiative to come towards him.

……

(End of this chapter)