I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1228: Magistrate Shen Did Not Return the Gift

Watching County Magistrate Shen leave, Sun Shan breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, I don’t have to be bothered by poetry all day long.

Oh, it's true. County Magistrate Shen is already old, but he is still like an 18-year-old, obsessed with garlic poems and sour lyrics all day long.

If it is done well, it can be forgiven, but the biggest problem is that if it is really well done, Sun Shan will not be able to appreciate it.

Steward Wang walked in and said, "Master, the New Year gift to Magistrate Shen has been delivered. Magistrate Shen was very happy to see that you gave him a Duan inkstone."

Sun Shan nodded: "As long as you like it."

If you like to recite poems and paint, you are sure to like writing. If you give an inkstone as a gift, the recipient is sure to like it.

Then he asked, "Did Magistrate Shen give me a gift in return?"

Butler Wang shook his head: "No."

He added: "I have inquired about it. Not only did Magistrate Shen not send any to the master, but even the prefect did not send any."

When Sun Shan heard this, he was speechless.

Well, it’s really hard for Prefect Liu to have such a bad magistrate.

From this we can also see that Prefect Liu is indeed broad-minded.

It's really hard for such a tough guy to endure for so long.

County Magistrate Shen was not originally on Sun Shan's gift list, but when Sun Shan insisted, the etiquette became a problem.

So many people have given gifts, so one more won’t make a difference.

Fortunately, this time the Duan Inkstone was given to me by Feizi Xiucai, so I didn't have to spend money to buy it, and I don't feel bad about giving it away.

Sun Shan thought for a moment and said, "If someone gives me a brush, ink, paper and inkstone, I'll keep them and not sell them. Maybe I can use them in the future."

Steward Wang immediately understood what Sun Shan meant and said, "Master, I understand."

Most of the master's personal connections are between officials, and they are all literati, so there will be no mistakes in giving pens, ink, paper and inkstone as gifts.

The master kept these gifts so that he could give them to his colleagues in the future without having to spend money to buy them.

Sun Shan came to Chenzhou Prefecture and gave a lot of gifts.

He was so heartbroken that he couldn't sleep well, but fortunately the Jing family gave him a gift the next day.

Sun Shan quietly looked at the pile of gifts. Rich people are rich people, and they are generous in their gifts.

I really want to fight with such a noble family, so that I can make up for all the losses and even have a surplus.

Jing Yang was the one who delivered the gift this time. When he saw Sun Shan, he said respectfully, "Sir Sun, I heard that you will be returning to Yuanlu County tomorrow, so I came to visit you specially to say farewell to you in advance."

Sun Shan smiled and said, "I have been in Chenzhou for a long time. It is time to go back."

Jing Yang nodded and said solemnly: "Last time, Lord Sun reviewed my essay and I benefited a lot from it. Thank you Lord Sun for your guidance."

Sun Shan waved his hand pretentiously: "Don't be polite. I like readers who study hard the most, and I also like to read articles to readers the most. This way, not only can others improve, but I can also improve. If you read more articles, you will see many unique viewpoints."

Sun Shan randomly picked out one or two well-written articles that he admired.

He said approvingly: "These two points are particularly refreshing. After reading them, I have a deep understanding."

I admire you so much that I never thought such a bad article of mine could have some bright spots.

His eyes twinkled as he looked at Sun Shan and said, "Sir, this is really good. Are you lying to me?"

He first grew up with praises, and then Sun Shan chopped him down with a knife, tearing him into five pieces, and he lost all confidence.

Who would have thought that after climbing over mountains and crossing rivers, there would be another way out? Today, Sun Shan gave me hope again.

This made Jingyang feel that he could still be saved.

Sun Shan was never stingy in praising his students. He would praise them if they were good or bad, and he would clearly distinguish between love and hate.

Seeing that Jing Yang has good points, he would naturally say sincerely: "Master Jing, you must have confidence in yourself. You are not stupid, and you can definitely face difficulties and then be brave. I believe that as long as you study hard, you will definitely pass the high school entrance examination in the future."

When Jing Yang heard this, he said happily, "My old lady said the same thing. The previous teacher didn't teach me well. Find a new teacher for me."

After a pause, he continued, "Master Sun, can I ask you for help with my studies again in the future?"

Yuanlu is really far from Chenzhou Prefecture, so he is not consulted very often.

Sun Shan nodded: "Okay. If you have any questions, you can ask me when you have the chance. You are always welcome."

Even if he was not welcome, Sun Shan would welcome it when he saw the pile of gifts.

Just like Father Wang and Brother Wang, who gave gifts to Sun Shan from time to time, and even though Xing Yazi was very upset, he chose to forgive him.

Seeing that Sun Shan spoke so sincerely, Jingyang thought that he really liked to have good people as his teachers.

He said happily: "Thank you, Lord Sun."

Then he took out an article, blushed, and said shyly: "Sir Sun, I rewrote this article based on your comments. Can you help me take a look at it again?"

In the past few days, my admiration for Master was shattered. I secluded myself and reflected on myself, repeatedly reading the articles reviewed by Sun Shan. The more I read, the more I felt that I had read in vain before, and I also vaguely felt that there was something wrong with the Master.

After being heartbroken for a long time, he rewrote the essay according to Sun Shan's comments, hoping to prove that he was still able to read.

This time I volunteered to give Sun Shan a gift, and also wanted to let Sun Shan see the level of my writing.

Sun Shan paused for a moment, then took the article he admired.

I hadn't asked him to rewrite it before, but I didn't expect him to be so self-conscious.

Apart from anything else, this ability to learn proactively is far superior to many other scholars.

Sun Shan was not in a hurry to read the article, but praised Jing solemnly and seriously: "Master Jing, I'm telling you the truth, I'm very pleased with your self-consciousness. What we lack most in the path of the imperial examination is "persistence" and "initiative". Master Jing, I hope you can keep this initiative, and you will definitely have a bright future."

After a pause, he pointed at Wang Jiaxing who was eavesdropping not far away and said, "Your cousin is not as self-conscious as you in studying. Keep it up. I have high hopes for you."

Jingyang was deeply moved by Sun Shan's sincere words.

He nodded seriously and said, "Thank you for your praise, sir. I will study hard and live up to your expectations."

Sun Shan didn't have much expectation for admiration, but he liked Yazi the most when he studied hard.

So I would say a few more words earnestly, hoping that Yazi would be encouraged and work harder.

Alas, Sun Shan painted so many "pancakes", especially for the kids in Sunjia Village.

But at the moment, the gains should not be much.

Oh, it gives me a headache just thinking about this problem.

Except for myself who is a flying dragon, the rest in Sunjia Village are all ground dragons. How sad.

It seems that the location of the tombs of the ancestors of the Sun family is not very good. Both Sun Banxian and Yang Suanming are mediocre Feng Shui masters without any real skills.

Sun Shan read the article he admired carefully and found that this man had a very high level of comprehension and was able to draw inferences about other situations from one instance.

Although the wording of this article is still gorgeous, it has become much more substantial.

Sun Shan was delighted: "Good, good, good, well written."

Children from aristocratic families with a rich background learn things quickly. They are influenced by it since childhood, and it is no joke.

If he could find a teacher to give him good guidance, Sun Shan was very sure that he would be better than Wang Jiaxing in the future.