Chapter 155: Chapter 82 Charcoal Basin
"Big brother! Donāt you know that Little Uncle has a great talent for studying? I asked the teacher before; although child prodigies have always existed, someone like Little Uncle, who has read so many books in almost three years, is incredibly rare. Comparing yourself to Little Uncle, arenāt you just asking for trouble? Big brother, sometimes you just canāt compare."
Second son was smiling, but if you looked closely, there was no laughter in his eyes. Of course, they couldnāt compare. Some people are born to be cherished, like Little Uncle; no matter how poor the family was in previous years, he never worried about food and clothing. But as for them, what kind of life did they lead? Even the opportunity to study seemed like it was given as charity by him.
Gu Chengyu gave second son a deep look, unsure if he was trying to sow discord or undermine Da Langās confidence, hoping he would give up. Sometimes, he felt second sonās thoughts over the past two years were as deep as second brotherās; before, second son only liked small schemes, but perhaps because he read a lot, his mind became more active in these years.
Did second son think no one knew his mind? Did he think everyone in the family was a fool?
"Second son, what you said wasnāt right. Studying relies three parts on talent and seven parts on hard work. As long as you work hard, success is only a matter of time. You only know I finished reading these books, but you didnāt see my diligence. Da Lang, have faith in yourself, donāt overthink. If you want to continue studying, Iāll talk to dad." Gu Chengyu stood up and patted Da Langās shoulder in comfort.
Gu Chengyu was six years younger than Da Lang, but his height had already reached Da Langās chin. Maybe Da Lang didnāt eat well as a child, so he wasnāt tall, but he was not considered short among his peers, which was inherited from the Gu Family, as they were all tall.
Gu Chengyu said this intentionally because he knew Mr. Gu had long made up his mind to have second son continue studying, while Da Lang...
Hearing this, second sonās face turned somewhat unpleasant, clenching his fists as he thought he discreetly glared at Gu Chengyu.
Though second son tried to be covert, the attentive Gu Chengyu noticed the whole scene with his side glance.
He knew what second son meant; Mr. Gu initially said to study for only three years, but those who excelled could continue. Second son believed he studied better than Da Lang and thrid son, thus this opportunity belonged to him. But fearing accidents, he often tried to undermine Da Lang, hoping Da Lang would voluntarily give up, after all, didnāt Da Lang read worse than him?
Perhaps Da Lang did not want to study? Gu Chengyu shook his head and stopped thinking about it; regardless of whether Da Lang wanted to study or not, it was his choice, especially with so many sisters in the elder household who were probably hopeful too!
Second son recalled what dad said, to achieve success, you must seize every opportunity. Over the years, he increasingly felt dad was right.
"Little Uncle is truly modest. Big brother! If you have anything you donāt understand, just ask Little Uncle. Weāll go review our books." Second son smiled and dragged the bewildered third son back to his desk.
Go ahead and ask! Ask every day! Best if Little Uncle has no time to read, then when exams come, letās see how arrogant he can be.
Second son pressed heavily with his brush on the paper, sneering internally.
"Little Uncle! Iām going to study first; you get to reading!" Da Lang also took the book back to his seat.
Holding the book in front of him, Da Lang found he could not absorb a single word. He never told anyone, but truthfully, he didnāt like reading; he dared not say this. He feared that a hard-won opportunity would be wasted halfway through, disappointing his mother and others greatly.
So he didnāt dare slack off; already lacking in aptitude, if he didnāt work hard, there would be no hope at all. But the more he held the book, the less he could read, and he felt incredibly tired and sometimes just wanted to take a break.
Nowadays, life at home was much better than before; no need to worry about food or clothing, nor getting up early and working hard, he was satisfied. He knew the chance to study was hard-earned and cherished it.
Holding the book, Da Langās mind wouldnāt calm down. At times, he thought about studying hard to meet dad and momās expectations; at others, he pondered what he truly wanted to do if he could choose not to study.
Winter nights were particularly cold, and Mrs. Lv worried Gu Chengyu might get chilled studying in the room, so she lit a brazier inside. The coal in the brazier was ordinary wood charcoal, inevitably smoky when burned. Gu Chengyu usually didnāt light it, preferring to use his inner strength for warmth than endure the choking smoke.
So the brazier was usually placed on Da Langās side; their desks were nearer to the door where cold wind blew in, making it truly cold. With the wind, some smoke could disperse, making it less heavy to smell while providing warmth. His room was small, and closing windows might lead to intoxication.
"Xiao Bao! Why are you still reading so late tonight?" Suddenly, Mrs. Lvās voice came from outside.
Mrs. Lv arrived at the study door with a plate of plum cake, seeing Gu Chengyu hadnāt returned to his room to sleep yet. Knowing he was studying, she brought snacks to fill his belly.
Mrs. Lv pushed open the door and noticed Da Lang and the brothers hadnāt left, her face darkening. Then she saw the brazier was in the big room, meaning Xiao Baoās room had no brazier.
"Mom! Why have you come? Iām practicing calligraphy and will head inside soon. Itās cold outside; come on in." Hearing Mrs. Lvās voice, Gu Chengyu set down the brush and stepped out of his room.
"Is the brazier meant for your use? Whatās this? Hasnāt your teacher taught you to respect elders? Your Little Uncle is freezing inside while you enjoy comfort here. What kind of rules are these? Have you studied to put learning in a dogās belly?"
Mrs. Lv raised her brows, pointed at Da Lang and the two brothers, and began scolding them, feeling that her Xiao Bao was being bullied behind her back.
The sudden reprimand left Da Lang and the brothers stunned and frozen in place.
Seeing the situation was bad, Gu Chengyu hurriedly explained.
"Mom! I told them to place it here; I cough from the smell, so I gave it to Da Lang and the others."
"Cough from the smoke? I said before, this coal isnāt good; something so cheap canāt be quality coal. Your dad is just stingy." Hearing her son complain about the smoke affecting his throat, Mrs. Lv was no longer insistent on him using it. But since he didnāt need it, those little brats shouldnāt benefit either.
"Next time we wonāt buy it anymore; Iāll have your dad get you better coal." Mrs. Lv, worried her son might get too cold, planned to buy Yin Shuang charcoal next time.
Gu Chengyu didnāt say not to buy, knowing he could manage but Da Lang and the others were truly cold.
"Xiao Bao, youāve read so late; must be hungry? Have some plum cake to fill your tummy, I went to town just today to buy it." Mrs. Lv was led into his room by Gu Chengyu, seeing the piles of books on his desk, she immediately felt sorry for him, thinking such a small child had to read so many books; it was too hard.
"How come mom thinks youāve gotten thin? Tomorrow Iāll kill a chicken for you; studying tires the mind, so you need to eat well." Mrs. Lv lovingly touched Gu Chengyuās forehead, her eyes full of affection.
"Mom! Iām not thin; in fact, Iāve gotten fatter! Donāt kill the chicken; chickens should be kept for laying eggs. Iāll finish this and rest, and you should rest early; itās awfully cold today." Gu Chengyu pinched the flesh on his cheeks and reassured Mrs. Lv.