Zhai Zhu

My grandfather is very eccentric, performing daily rituals of offering incense to himself, standing in front of his own spirit tablet and eating candles.
Villagers are fearful of my grandfather.
I am fearful of him too.
Later, I discovered that what they were afraid of was not my grandfather, but me.
Even grandfather is afraid of me.
...
My name is Chen Shi.
The Chen of honesty, the Shi of sincerity.

Above the Great Dao

"He passed the exam and became a Scholar from Qingzhou County and later placed eleventh in the Qingzhou provincial examinations,"


Luan Disheng wiped away his tears and said, "Afterwards, I saved money for two years and planned to go to the Western Capital to take the exams. I thought I might become an Advanced Scholar. When I passed through Gongzhou, the people of Gongzhou swindled all my money and sold me to a farm, and I nearly died there. I finally escaped and begged all the way to the Western Capital, didn't pass the exams, got rejected, and then I came back."


When he spoke of the things that hurt him the most, tears fell again.


Chen Shi empathized and said, "Gongzhou is like that. I... I had a friend who also got swindled out of all his money and was sold to a farm."


Li Tianqing glanced at him and asked, "Was it the sister from the Hu family?"


Chen Shi said, "No, you don't know this friend... Don't interrupt, Luan Disheng, keep going!"


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