Xie Qi is a young man whose noble background often goes unnoticed due to his humble demeanor.
He never shows the typical arrogance of a noble child, and sometimes even his clothes are so simple that it’s surprising.
On the first time meeting him on a boat, Shen Miao even noticed that he dressed more simply than she, who was quite poor.
Of course, Shen Miao didn’t know that Xie Qi’s preference for simple clothing was due to his experience of being robbed whenever he ventured out.
Wearing fine clothes might not seem a big deal for others, but for him, it was like being covered in honey and walking into a bee swarm.
He had once thought of ways to avoid bad luck, such as hiring a bodyguard or bringing his servants, but that only caused more harm and loss.
Eventually, Xie Qi and his family realized that Heaven was particularly targeting their ninth son.
Afterward, Xie Qi would only take his servant Yan Shu with him when going out, traveling quietly and under aliases, which seemed to work better.
Fortunately, Xie’s mother had him trained in martial arts from a young age, otherwise, with his bad luck, he wouldn’t have lived this long.
Shen Miao was unaware of these details and couldn’t help but think: Even Shen’s uncle would buy a few sets of fine silk clothes, but whenever she saw Xie Qi, he was dressed mostly in plain cotton or silk fabrics, without bold colors like bright red or purple, especially recently when he attended his grandfather’s memorial service.
He was dressed in plain hemp clothes with very few adornments, and his hairpin was changed to white jade.
“If you want to be graceful, wear filial piety…”
This phrase could actually apply not just to women.
Today, Xie Qi seemed to have no intention of going out, wearing simple daily clothes: a loose, plain white robe with wide sleeves, his movements carrying a bit of Wei Jin style.
A light blue belt was loosely tied at his waist, accentuating his slender and tall figure, like a bamboo growing in the wind on a mountain cliff.
He suddenly spoke, and Shen Miao turned in surprise.
Xie Qi had just lowered his head and entered the room, his wooden clogs soaked by the heavy rain, and his sleeves and hem slightly damp, almost transparent.
In his arm, he carried a bundle of old books, shaking off the water droplets from his sleeve.
Shen Miao then noticed a faint fragrance.
She hadn’t noticed before, but today, she could smell a light scent of cedar on his clothes, which, mixed with the fresh rain-soaked grass, made it feel like he was coming out of a cool, dew-laden forest.
Once inside, though his hands were busy, he still remembered to bow slightly and greet her warmly: “Shen Miss, the weather has been inconvenient these past days, and I appreciate you coming and going every day.”
The world was moist, the twilight dimming, and his plain clothes fluttered with the wind.
This was the person Shen Miao saw, as if washed clean by the spring rain.
Yan Shu, hopping along behind him, shook off the umbrella at the doorstep and rushed to take credit: “Miss Shen, just now, Sister Xiang told me her brother is going to take the national exam. I thought, when Ninth Brother was preparing for exams, he had many books he doesn’t need anymore, why not lend them to her brother? Isn’t this a perfect opportunity?”
Shen Miao suddenly came back to her senses.
Yan Shu quickly ran off to grab the fish-shaped red bean steamed bun, still warm, and happily took a bite.
“Good thing it’s still warm! Miss Shen’s fish-shaped red bean buns must be eaten hot for the best crispy skin and delicious taste, I haven’t had enough yet!”
He bit into it, the red bean paste slightly pulling as he chewed.
Yan Shu sat down contentedly next to Sister Xiang and continued to eat, admiring: “Sister Xiang, your sister makes the best meals. How lucky you are to have her cooking for you every day.”
At this, Sister Xiang became clever: “My sister sells food at Jinliang Bridge. If you want to eat, just come find us, it’s only a few steps!”
Shen Miao smiled quietly.
This child always thought about food, but now, he even remembered to advertise!
Seeing the two children talking happily, she turned her head slowly.
Xie Qi had already placed the books on the table and was tidying them up, speaking calmly as he did:
“Yan Shu came to borrow some books I used when I was young, but I read so many books back then I’m not sure where Shen Ge’er is at with his studies, so I brought all of them. Please call him over later, and I’ll ask him, so he doesn’t waste time reading things out of order.”
It was like a senior coming back from a prestigious university to give advice to the younger generation—a rare opportunity.
Xie Qi, who had studied at the Biyong Academy, must be familiar with the professors there,and certainly knew what kind of exam questions they favored!
“How lucky for Ji Ge’er to have Ninth Brother’s guidance!”
Shen Miao said excitedly, immediately standing up to thank him.
She lifted her skirt and rushed to find Ji Ge’er, who was still buried in his books.
When Shen Ji heard the news, he froze for a moment, still unsure of how to react, his heart racing.
He had been studying by himself recently without a teacher, so he was a bit overwhelmed, but… someone was willing to guide him?
Literary scholars often look down on each other, and studying is considered a ladder to change one’s fate.
Many people hold onto their knowledge tightly, unwilling to share it with others.
Especially for a family like the Xie family.
Shen Ji’s heart was uneasy.
He had never encountered the kind of sycophantic atmosphere at Liu’s private school.
In the same study hall, the students who came from rich backgrounds were treated better by the teacher, even getting special treatment when solving problems.
Shen Ji had always been the one ignored, the one made fun of.
It was because of this that he hesitated when Shen Miao pulled him along.
“Ji Ge’er? Why are you not moving?”
Shen Miao turned to see him, head down, and her heart softened.
“Don’t worry, trust your sister. I am not wrong about people.”
Ji Ge’er hesitated, feeling guilty at the words, thinking, if she has such good judgment, how did she end up with that Rong Dalan?
But he didn’t want to hurt his sister’s feelings, so he kept this thought to himself and reluctantly followed her forward.
Once they entered the kitchen, Ji Ge’er didn’t want to embarrass his sister, so he suppressed his unease and solemnly bowed to Xie Qi: “Greetings, Master Xie.”
“Don’t be so formal,” Xie Qi returned the bow and warmly asked what books he had already read and what he was currently studying.
After asking, he thoughtfully selected three books for him: “Biyong Academy is different from other academies. We don’t test books like Zeng Guang Xian Wen or San Zi Jing…”
But today, someone said that as long as you study diligently, there will be no problem.
His eyes became somewhat misty, and for a moment, he couldn’t say any flattering words.
So, he could only stand up solemnly, bow deeply to Xie Qi, and say aloud: “Thank you, Ninth Brother, for your guidance! I will definitely study hard and will cherish these three books, never damaging them.”
Xie Qi, as if expecting him to make such a formal bow, reached out and gently supported his arm as Shen Ji bent down: “There’s no need to cherish them so much. The purpose of books is to be read, not to be placed on the altar.”
Shen Miao couldn’t help but laugh.
Yes, she liked this perspective.
Xie Qi then handed over a basket of almost brand new ink, paper, and brushes: “These are the tools I usually use. They’re not as precious as Xue Tao’s paper or Tonghu brushes, but they’re quite handy. Take them with you for now…”
Shen Ji dared Yan Shu to not take them, but Yan Shu exclaimed, “Ah!” and grabbed them, stuffing them directly into his arms.
“If you don’t take them, Ninth Brother’s arm will get sore!”