Fearing that he might cause trouble outside if she didn’t make things crystal clear, Gu Huanxi broke down her words one by one, explaining for nearly half an hour. By the end, her mouth was parched as she asked, “Do you understand? Have you remembered everything?”
Xu Huaiyi’s head was spinning from listening, and he nodded out of habit. “Yeah, yeah, more or less…”
Seeing his dazed expression, she knew he had only grasped half of it. Gu Huanxi pinched his waist in frustration. “It’s fine if you don’t fully understand for now, but there are two things you must remember. First, this is ancient times, where imperial authority reigns supreme. There’s no such thing as fairness or equality here. Don’t be reckless and pick fights with anyone—if you get beaten to death, there’ll be nowhere to seek justice!”
Xu Huaiyi’s face fell. “So I have to keep my head down, kowtow and bow like a grandson in front of those with status and power? Ugh, that’s just too humiliating…”
Gu Huanxi said expressionlessly, “Don’t want to feel humiliated? Fine. ‘All occupations are base, only the scholar is exalted.’ Go take the imperial examination. As long as you pass and become a jinshi, you can elevate your family’s status and won’t have to bow and scrape everywhere.”
Xu Huaiyi widened his eyes and pointed at his own nose. “Me? Take the imperial examination? How old am I already?”
“Some people enter the examination hall with white hair, leaning on canes. You’re only nineteen. In our previous life, wouldn’t that be the perfect age to take the college entrance exam?”
Xu Huaiyi was stunned. “But… but would I even pass? Isn’t the imperial examination supposed to be extremely difficult?”
Gu Huanxi replied calmly, “It’s manageable. The difficulty is about the same as getting into Peking University in our previous life. Though it’s not easy, every city still produces eight or ten successful candidates.”
Xu Huaiyi, “…”
As someone who couldn’t even get into a third-tier university, he had never dared to dream of Peking University…
Wiping his face, he put on a bright smile and fawned, “I think… one should know their place. Who doesn’t suffer a little humiliation in this world? Haha, so what if I have to act like a grandson? It’s no big deal!”
Gu Huanxi sighed helplessly. “I’m not telling you to act like a grandson. I’m saying you should have a sense of reverence. Don’t apply the rules from our previous life here—they’re out of place and could bring disaster. And don’t feel too superior. When it comes to cunning and tactics, these people are the masters.”
This time, Xu Huaiyi took it seriously and nodded earnestly. “What else?”
Gu Huanxi continued, “Second, there’s the matter of clan relations…”
Just thinking about this gave her a headache. “I don’t need to explain clan relations in detail. Just remember that without the protection of a clan, it’s incredibly difficult to establish yourself in this world. A single tree doesn’t make a forest. Why did the ancients value having many children? Because with more people, no one dares to bully you…”
Xu Huaiyi frowned. “So, according to you, it’s best not to break away from the Xu family? But being tied to these bloodsuckers is just too frustrating. How could life be any fun like that?”
Gu Huanxi glared at him. “I didn’t say you have to stay tied to the Xu family. Breaking away from them isn’t the same as breaking away from the clan.”
Xu Huaiyi blinked, beginning to understand. The Xu clan had over a hundred members, and it wasn’t just their branch of the family. His uncle’s branch held the most authority, after all, since his uncle was the clan head.
Then there was the third branch. They owned shops in town and were involved in business, making them the wealthiest. Whenever the clan needed funds, his third uncle was quite generous, so they also carried some weight within the clan.
Their second branch of the family had originally been the most down-and-out, and it was only in recent years after Xu Huaiyu passed the child scholar exam that they gained a bit of face.
Seeing that he had understood, Gu Huanxi breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Third, there's filial piety. This principle must also be firmly kept in mind. Even if parents are in the wrong, as children, you cannot resist them. Otherwise, you would be unfilial. In ancient times, the label of unfilial, once pinned on anyone, would strip them of a layer of skin—condemned by thousands, cursed by tens of thousands. You could say that the single word 'filial' could crush children completely. No matter how capable you are, it would be useless."
After hearing this, Xu Huaiyi collapsed onto the bed in despair. "Then we're completely screwed!"
Gu Huanxi said, "I'm telling you all this not to make you surrender, but to handle things indirectly. Don't be too straightforward; be more cunning. When it's time to use tactics, don't just brute-force your way through. Pay attention to your methods and approach…"
"In short, there's nothing that can't be accomplished. If you fail, it's either because you lack the ability or because your methods are wrong!"
Xu Huaiyi responded with a dejected "Hmm," clearly still deeply affected.
Gu Huanxi didn't offer much comfort, only calmly reminded him, "Think about your daughter."
If the father couldn't stand strong, who would protect the daughter?
These words had an immediate effect. Xu Huaiyi sprang up from the bed, fully revived. Even while standing in the kitchen cooking chicken noodle soup, he couldn't stop pondering the Thirty-Six Stratagems and The Art of War.
However, reality didn't give him much time to study. Just as the couple was enjoying the fragrant chicken noodle soup, they suddenly heard loud banging on the door.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The couple exchanged glances. One was wondering who was knocking, while the other was thinking, "So you can still hear outside noises even when you're inside the RV?"
"Third Brother, open the door!"
Gu Huanxi frowned. "It's your second brother, Xu Huaili. Greedy, lazy, cunning, and slippery—a petty man through and through. What a waste of the character 'Li' in his name."
Xu Huaiyi was also annoyed. "What does he want? Both he and his wife are troublemakers who can't stand to see others at peace."
"Go and see. If it's fortune, it can't be avoided; if it's disaster, it can't be escaped either."
"Alright, don't worry. Eat well and leave everything outside to me."
Seeing him straighten his clothes and prepare to leave, Gu Huanxi couldn't help but add, "Remember not to act impulsively. Before you lose your temper, think about me and your daughter."
Xu Huaiyi gave her a reassuring smile and vanished in a flash.
Outside, Xu Huaili was impatiently banging on the door, muttering, "What are the two of them doing inside? Sneaking around, and even locking the door. Who would want to go in anyway? How unlucky…"
Just then, the door suddenly swung open from the inside. Xu Huaiyi walked out expressionlessly, not saying a word, just staring straight at Xu Huaili.
Xu Huaili was startled and blustered, "Third Brother, what were you doing hiding inside? It took you so long to open the door!"
Xu Huaiyi replied woodenly, "I was keeping a close eye on my wife, afraid she might do something rash."
Xu Huaili was momentarily speechless.
Li Qiuhua stepped forward, forcing a smile. "Third Brother-in-law, didn't you get medicine for your wife? With medicine, she can be cured. What else is there to worry about?"
Xu Huaiyi lowered his head. "I only got a few doses. Even if she takes them, it might not cure her. Even if she recovers temporarily, she'll need good medicine to recuperate afterward. Otherwise, otherwise…"
He seemed too distressed to continue, so Li Qiuhua gleefully picked up the thread. "Otherwise, wouldn't she just be lying on the kang waiting to be served? Like a living corpse, unable to work or bear children?"
Xu Huaiyi remained silent.
In the eyes of the Second Branch couple, this silence was tantamount to admission.
"Then all that silver was just wasted? If we'd known it would turn out like this, we might as well have saved it to marry a fresh young maiden. I told you you were foolish, didn’t I? No foresight at all…"
Just as Xu Huaili was getting carried away, a voice rang out from the main room. "What are you all dawdling for? Hurry up and get in here! Do you expect me, your mother, to come out and invite each of you personally?"