ACFGS - Chapter 76

 After the Cannon Fodder 'Top' Turns to Farming, He Gets a Happy Ending with the Aloof Male Lead (Transmigration)

"Hey, did you hear? Apparently, that guy is into men. You should be glad he didn't show up; otherwise—heh heh..." One of the students wore a lewd expression, immediately drawing looks of disgust from those around him.

"Can you stop being so gross?"

"So what if he likes men? Liking someone is just liking someone—what's so disgusting about that?" Fei Hongyu, who happened to be walking nearby, couldn't help but snap back. "The laws of our dynasty allow marriage between two men. Are you lot ignorant of the law?"

"Hmph, the way you're talking, anyone would think *you* like men too!"

"If you're so bothered by it, you'd better watch out. What if I took a liking to you? You'd be absolutely disgusted, wouldn't you?" Fei Hongyu grinned broadly, his words causing the arrogant student's expression to change instantly.

It was as if he were genuinely afraid of being liked by him.

Fei Hongyu burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he rocked back and forth. "Brother Haocheng, I've never seen someone so full of himself. Just because someone likes men doesn't mean they'll go for any old mangy weed—he really thinks he's something special!"

They hadn't done a thing to provoke them, yet here they were acting all disdainful—completely full of themselves! As the two of them walked away, the expressions of the group left behind darkened instantly. "Zhijie, those two are truly despicable—spouting nonsense without a shred of the virtue expected of a scholar. You really shouldn't associate with them!"

That simply wouldn't do.

Yu Zhijie had transferred from Mingli Academy—which boasted superior faculty and facilities—specifically to carry out a mission.

Naturally, making life miserable for Lu Lizhi was his own goal, but it was also the underlying intent subtly conveyed by Lu Qinghong.

After all, Lu Qinghong wouldn't have pulled strings to get him into the Prefecture Academy, nor shown him such increasing friendliness—even unhesitatingly handing over ten or twenty taels of silver whenever Yu Zhijie was short on cash—if there wasn't an agenda.

So, even setting aside his personal grudge, Yu Zhijie had every reason to stir up trouble for Lu Lizhi for the sake of those benefits!

And the key to doing so lay with those two individuals.

Since enrolling, the new cohort of students had already taken two minor examinations; Song Haocheng and Fei Hongyu had consistently ranked at the top, with Song Haocheng firmly holding the number one spot—earning repeated praise from the instructors.

Yu Zhijie reasoned that if he couldn't handle Lu Lizhi on his own, perhaps he could leverage the strength of others.

Meanwhile, Ding Lihui and his friends remained a tight-knit group, though they hadn't expected that even after transferring to the Prefecture Academy, they would still run into that nuisance, Yu Zhijie. "Birds of a feather flock together; wherever he goes, he’s never surrounded by decent company," muttered Dong Yuanjiu, one of the three.

"Even though they’ve been keeping a low profile lately, we still need to be careful so we don't get outmaneuvered again."

"I have a feeling they’re cooking up something big..." the trio fretted. "Lihui, do you think Li Zhi will actually show up? Plenty of *xiucai* scholars study at home and don't bother attending classes here. If he doesn't come, we’ll be missing out on a lot of fun!"

Ding Lihui hurriedly tore his gaze away from someone sitting at a desk up ahead. "He’ll come—he definitely will. Li Zhi promised me he would!"

They had played out this conversation countless times—almost daily—so even though Ding Lihui was distracted and hadn't fully heard what they said, he knew exactly how to answer.

Just as they were dismissing the likelihood of his arrival as slim, a student dressed in the academy’s white-and-blue uniform burst through the door, his face flushed with excitement. "He’s here! He’s here!"

"Who’s here?" the others asked dismissively; the vast majority of students remained buried in their books, even during the break.

"Lu Li Zhi!"

At that, heads snapped up in unison.

Outside the classroom, light snow was drifting down, dusting the buildings with a layer of white.

Lu Li Zhi wasn't using an umbrella, even though he was holding the bamboo-ribbed oil-paper one that Jiang Baiye had reluctantly pressed into his hands when they parted ways. Yet, the instructor beside him hadn't held up an umbrella either, having hurried over from the gatehouse to fetch him.

How, then, could Lu Lizhi justify using one himself?

"My surname is Yi. Though I do not know the reason, my father has spoken of you often and praised you highly; however, having missed classes for over two months, you must face the requisite punishment." Instructor Yi, a middle-aged man, spoke with a stern face.

Lu Lizhi blinked, causing the snowflakes on his long eyelashes to flutter down. *Yi?*

He seemed to realize who this was.

By now, the corridor outside the classroom was crowded with people craning their necks to catch a glimpse of him.

"No clamor! Get back to your studies!" Instructor Yi barked. The students obediently returned to their seats—though they were secretly impatient; after all, wouldn't the newcomer be walking in any moment?

Yet, this "Top Scholar Lu" seemed different from what they had imagined.

In their minds, he was either dressed in threadbare, simple robes or looked gaunt and withered—the very picture of poverty and reclusive eccentricity.

But that fleeting glimpse had nearly made them mistake him for a wealthy young master visiting from a prominent family. Even Lu Qinghong, renowned for his gentlemanly bearing, surely didn't possess such an air of distinction.

Furthermore, Lu Lizhi’s demeanor—anxious and wary, clearly ill-at-ease in this unfamiliar environment—was vastly different from the impressions held by those who had previously encountered him or heard tales of his exploits. "That’s exactly why one strives to rank first in the exams—Lu Lizhi must have gained some benefit from it; that explains why he’s dressed so impeccably."

"It might just be a facade, though. Word has it he’s the last one left in his family—where would he get that kind of money?" While there were subsidies for becoming a *linsheng* (a government-stipended scholar), those funds covered only the bare essentials of daily living; relying on them alone to fund one's studies was hardly feasible.

Writing materials and books were all costly; the stipend could barely sustain the basics.

For those coming from the countryside, it often took the combined resources of an entire family, clan, and even the whole village just to produce a single scholar of any standing!

Many who heard this resonated deeply with the sentiment; studying was an incredibly expensive endeavor. For scholars—even those enrolled in the prefectural academy—the financial burden was immense. While their families struggled to put food on the table, often going without their next meal, the scholars themselves were occupied with their studies.

After much waiting, the signal bell rang. Not only did Lu Lizhi fail to appear, but Master Yi also sent one of his assistants—an academic proctor—to oversee their studies instead. "Huh? Where is he? Why hasn't he come over yet?"

"Surely collecting student robes and getting assigned a dormitory shouldn't take that long, right?"

Someone gloated, "He's probably getting a dressing-down!"

However, when Instructor Yi led Lu Lizhi before Professor Huang—the highest-ranking official at the prefectural academy, equivalent to a dean—the old man smiled warmly at him. "I heard you spent some time participating in the construction of the flood-diversion channel?"

At these words, Lu Lizhi realized that the professor must have conferred with Prefect Yan. The reason for the professor's amiable attitude was likely that he knew Lu Lizhi was Prefect Yan's student.

"Excellent, simply excellent!"

Instructor Yi—or rather, Academic Proctor Yi—frowned in confusion. "What is so excellent about it? That’s neglecting one's proper studies; what business does a scholar have with that sort of thing?"

"How can you say it’s none of his business? Scholars need to broaden their horizons. Only by witnessing the hardships of the common people and the myriad aspects of life firsthand can one write truly profound essays—rather than skimming the surface with hollow pieces that merely pile up flowery language and quote the classics!"

Proctor Yi remained unconvinced. He thought to himself: *You’re the one who loves essays with flowery language the most; as for being 'hollow,' no one is more hollow than you.*

*As long as the writing is beautiful, you adore it—never mind the underlying meaning or substance...*

Yet, Professor Huang heaped lavish praise upon Lu Lizhi. After just a brief exchange, Lu Lizhi had already gauged the temperaments of both himself and Master Yi; he had expected to face a hard time or a reprimand, but instead, he sailed through easily.

"It works like this: our students are divided into the Outer Hall, Inner Hall, and Upper Hall based on their length of enrollment. The higher the hall, the more advanced the coursework and the better the academic performance. Which class would you like to enter?"

Master Yi frowned again, finally realizing something was amiss. "According to the rules, class placement only happens after one has taken the annual assessment."

The annual assessment was akin to a final exam; the fact that Professor Huang had bent the rules so significantly for Lu Lizhi had caused Master Yi some dissatisfaction.

Lu Lizhi, however, did not try to take undue advantage of the situation. Although entering an advanced class would have been more beneficial for him, he thought of Ding Lihui and the others—fellow newcomers waiting for him in the introductory class—and chose to remain in the Outer Hall.

"Ah, that is a bit of a pity given your talent." *Now, how am I supposed to explain this to Prefect Yan?*

Seeing that Lu Lizhi was willing to abide by the rules, Master Yi’s expression finally softened; he had previously suspected the young man might be a relative of Professor Huang.

"There is a minor test coming up shortly. You shouldn't have any other matters to attend to, right?"

Lu Lizhi shook his head. "If you don't place in the top three, the punishment will be doubled!"

Before Lu Lizhi could even nod, Professor Huang spoke up protectively: "Instructor Yi, that is going too far!"

"If he doesn't make the top three, he’s to be punished with three months of latrine duty!"

Lu Lizhi was instantly unsettled. He was a man who prized cleanliness above all else; it was only because he had spent so much time with Jiang Baiye—who constantly accommodated his quirks—that he hadn't really displayed this particular fastidiousness.

Being made to clean the latrines would be tantamount to killing him!

Because his mind was entirely occupied by these matters, Lu Lizhi felt as though he had forgotten something very important...

Outside the towering archway of the Prefecture Academy, Jiang Baiye sat in his carriage, idly twirling his whip. He lingered there for a long time, his gaze deep and pensive.

"I wonder if he took what I said to heart..."

The class bell rang again. After finishing a comprehensive quiz, Lu Lizhi sighed inwardly; attending classes was indeed necessary.

Otherwise, he would have started to struggle. He no longer felt entirely confident about his chances in the upcoming exams, given that the other students had received over two months more instruction than he had.

When the lunch break arrived, however, he had no time to dwell on such thoughts, as a crowd of people swarmed toward him.

There were those with good intentions, those who were neutral, and those who clearly meant harm.

Suppressing the excitement and hostility roiling within him, Yu Zhijie took advantage of the time everyone was heading to lunch to hurry over to the office responsible for dormitory management. Upon learning that Lu Lizhi had not yet been assigned a dormitory, a calculating glint flashed in his eyes, and he said earnestly, "He is an old acquaintance of mine. Our dormitory happens to be short one person, so he could join us!"

The dormitory warden, having previously received favors from him and holding a favorable impression of him, had no desire to sift through the thick registry anyway; hearing this, he simply gave a casual nod of assent.

It was not uncommon for old acquaintances to room together, and granting such a convenience occasionally was no big deal.

Most importantly, the prefecture academy housed a large number of students—over a hundred scholars across various cohorts, plus many *tongsheng* (entry-level candidates), totaling several hundred in all.

Assigning dormitories was no easy task, and a poor arrangement could easily offend people.

"What? Your younger brother is studying at the prefecture academy? Why didn't you mention it sooner?" Jiang Baiye had lingered outside the academy for a long time without seeing Lu Lizhi emerge, so he had returned to the He household. He was busy preparing a meal for Dr. Pang and processing medicinal herbs when he was suddenly struck by this surprising news.

In truth, what he really wanted to ask was: *What? You have a younger brother?*

"What's wrong? My younger brother is amazing—he passed the county-level examination at just twelve years old. He’s the hope of our entire family!"

Only then did Jiang Baiye recall that, in the original story, He Lin had become close friends with Lu Lizhi precisely because he hired him to tutor his younger brother, He Min. "Your younger brother is staying at the prefectural academy at such a young age; having to manage his own daily life must have been a real hardship."

"Not really; he has a study attendant to look after his personal needs."

Jiang Baiye seemed not to hear this, sighing instead, "I’ve heard life there is tough—not enough to eat or wear. It sounds pitiful. I think I’ll go visit him sometime when I’m free. I wonder if he’d like the food I cook?"

He Lin was deeply moved. "Just having the thought is enough. As for your cooking, I’m sure he’d love it. Jiang Baiye, I never realized you were so good to our family..."

He paused abruptly mid-sentence. *Huh? Wait a minute—is something not quite right here?*

Jiang Baiye felt a sense of relief; he had found a perfectly legitimate reason to visit Lu Lizhi—one that wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

The medicinal herbs were mostly processed by now; Dr. Pang had inspected them and found no issues. All that remained was to accelerate the growth of the final seedling.

He had also obtained the title deed for the new house, so it was time to start planning the design and renovation.

However, just after he finished tending to Dr. Pang, Steward He hurried over, looking worried. "Young Master Jiang, that house belonging to the old neighbors—the one diagonally across from us that you asked me to keep an eye on—someone else has bought it!"