Chapter 592 Visiting Mr. Hong
Sun Shan and Gui Ge'er came to Huangyang County with some special products from Jinling. They had some time left after returning, but neither of them came to visit Hong Xiucai.
When we walked into the Hong family’s house, it was Uncle Hong who opened the door.
When he saw Sun Shan, he was very surprised and shouted: "Shanzi, you are here. My uncle always talks about it, asking why you didn't come to see him."
After a pause, he continued, "Then he said that you just came back and must have a lot of things to do, so come and see him when you're done."
Sun Shan helped Uncle Hong into the gate and said with a smile, "It's my fault for not coming here earlier. I just came back from a long journey and I couldn't bear it, so I stayed at home to recuperate for a while. Today I have just recovered a little bit of strength, so I came to see you, Master."
Uncle Hong nodded hurriedly and said, "Oh, it's really hard work. The journey is long and tiring. You have been weaker than ordinary people since you were a child. You have to walk such a long distance and get sick on the way. Oh, it's hard for you."
Uncle Hong then asked Sun Shan what disease he had, how he was doing now, and whether he was completely recovered.
Sun Shan answered all the questions and walked to the reception room. Uncle Hong then walked towards the school and asked Sun Shan to wait for a while.
After waiting for a while, Mr. Hong came hurriedly and looked a little excited when he saw Sun Shan.
Sun Shan looked at Mr. Hong for a while and found that there was no change. If there was any change, it was definitely a few more strands of white hair. Time is a testament to its rapid growth and time does not wait for anyone.
Hong Xiucai said happily, "You are lucky to have come back safely. Tell me what happened. Your father only gave me a rough idea, but I don't know the details. You are such an unlucky child. I thought it only happened in storybooks."
Mr. Hong stroked his half-white beard, looked at Sun Shan, and felt sorry for this student.
Sun Shan sat next to Mr. Hong, took a sip of tea, and told him the cause, process and outcome of the incident.
He sighed and said, "Teacher, I am a real black boy. When I go out, I always insist on being cautious, but sometimes being too cautious is not good. It will backfire."
Mr. Hong was terrified when he heard this, but when he saw Sun Shan return safely, he was not so scared anymore.
After taking a closer look at Sun Shan, he was dressed in brocade and did not look that good. But as the saying goes, clothes make the man, and he looked like a scholar when he dressed himself up.
He was a little thinner, darker, and more tired than before he went to Beijing for the exam, but otherwise he looked fine. It seemed that the imperial physician in Jinling had cured his illness.
He said with peace of mind: "Those who survive a great disaster will be blessed in the future. I believe that your good days will be in the future."
Sun Shan smiled and said, "Teacher, I will continue to go to Beijing to take the exam in two years."
Mr. Hong was also happy to hear that Sun Shan was still taking the exam, as Sun Shan was the only one with the best chance of passing.
Sun Shan is not only the hope of the Sun family, but also the hope of Hongjia School and even more so the hope of Huangyang County.
Everyone hopes that this rare talent from Huangyang County will be admitted to the imperial examination.
Hong Xiucai continued to ask: "What did you do during your time in Nanjing? Did your studies not fall behind?"
Being a teacher has its old problem. The first thing that matters to me is the schoolwork. Although I am also concerned about the physical condition of my students, when I see Sun Shan standing in front of me in good health, I know that there is nothing wrong with his health.
Sun Shan smiled and said, "Master, Jinling is a place of great literary talent and a great place for students to study. I found a college in Jinling and I feel that my studies have improved. Although I was forced to stay in Jinling, I learned a lot."
When Mr. Hong heard this, he was very pleased and prepared to test Sun Shan. Then he thought that he was only an old scholar from decades ago and could not compare with Sun Shan, a newly minted juren.
What's more, Sun Shan studied at Yuelu Academy and Chongzheng Academy, and his academic level was far beyond his reach. Let's not even talk about taking an exam, we can only say that he was asking for advice.
Hong Xiucai sat upright, stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Yes, you have always been very studious. No matter where you go, you will never forget to study. I am very pleased with you."
Sun Shan also introduced the cultural landscape of Jinling to Hong Xiucai.
Of course, Sun Shan spoke in a dry voice and did not know how to express it vividly.
He also talked about how he grew and sold orchids in Jinling, emphasizing that orchids were particularly easy to sell in Jinling and were more expensive than in Guangzhou.
Hong Xiucai stared at Sun Shan with wide eyes, and said happily, "Not bad, not bad. According to what you said, we made money in Nanjing, right?"
He glanced at Sun Shan, trying to see how much he had earned.
In fact, Mr. Hong is not a traditional scholar. He has always been a very practical person, otherwise he would not have allowed Hong Dalang and Hong Erlang to do business.
Although Mr. Hong did not like it, he did not prohibit it.
Moreover, when he came to become an apprentice at a young age, Mr. Hong did not first assess his talent, but instead calculated the "expense bill for the imperial examination" with Sun Boming.
This shows that Hong Xiucai, like Sun Shan, felt that "Brother Kong Fang" was indispensable.
Sun Shan waved his hands quickly and said nonsense in a serious tone, "It is impossible to say. It is impossible to say."
It is hard to say, but the relationship between Sun Shan and Hong Xiucai has surpassed the ordinary teacher-student relationship.
Sun Shan continued to tell the story of how the people of Jinling spent huge amounts of money on things they liked, and as long as the things suited their taste, they would make a fortune.
Sun Shan sighed and said: "Jinling, the Six Dynasties, the gold and powder, the splendid flowers, the bright lights and the drunkenness."
Then he changed his mind and said, "Of course, I am a decent student. The temptations of Jinling will not tempt me. I have done nothing in Jinling except recuperating and studying."
Mr. Hong looked at Sun Shan speechlessly. It was obvious that he was trying to cover up his guilt. He had never thought about what he would do, but after hearing this, he felt that he must have done something.
Hong Xiucai snorted coldly: "Don't flatter yourself. It's not that you don't want to do something, but that you are reluctant to do it. Your teacher knows your character very well."
Sun Shan said awkwardly, "Master, you really understand me."
After that, he showed Hong Xiucai the specialties he brought from Jinling one by one, especially the two rolls of silk cloth, which made Hong Xiucai really believe that he had made a lot of money.
He sighed and said, "I never thought that you went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, but you didn't pass it, but you became rich. Your luck is not so good."
Sun Shan said cheerfully: "When fortune comes, there is no way to stop it. When gold and silver are all in my mouth, I will eat them."
When Mr. Hong heard Sun Shan's teasing, he also laughed.
He nodded and said with satisfaction: "Yes, you made so much money in just one trip to Jinling. It's more than what my two sons made through hard work as merchants. Yes, yes, it seems that the golden house in the book is true. Today, I have seen it with my own eyes in you."
Sun Shan talked to Hong Xiucai about some new tax reforms in Nanjing, which made Hong Xiucai terrified.
Hong Xiucai said anxiously: "Is that old man Wang a fool? He actually dared to jump out to stop us. His family is not the most powerful. He is courting death."
He turned his head and looked at Sun Shan, saying with appreciation: "You did the right thing. It's better to run away from a place like Jinling that is full of troubles, so as not to be implicated."