Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 98 - 23 Ma Junhui

"Hmm! Not bad. Since you can recite it, I’ll teach you to read the next part." Mr. Wen was becoming increasingly satisfied with this student. With such talent and the ability to focus, as long as he combines it with hard work, he has a great chance of succeeding in the imperial examinations in the future. Such students are favored by teachers.

"The sea is salty, the river is fresh, scales dive, feathers fly..." Mr. Wen recited the next eight lines and then let Gu Chengyu read on his own. "That’s enough teaching for today. You’re still a beginner; don’t bite off more than you can chew. As the saying goes, ’reviewing the old to know the new,’ you must review frequently after you go back. I’ll assign the coursework before the end of class."

"Yes, sir." Gu Chengyu stood up, bowed, and then sat down, spreading out paper and resuming writing while reading aloud. Mr. Wen nodded upon seeing it, the child is teachable indeed!

Gu Chengyu let out a breath only when Mr. Wen moved to another student’s desk. Actually, after carefully reading it once, he already memorized it and now wanted to spend more time practicing calligraphy.

Gu Chengyu was immersed in his calligraphy practice as time flew by, suddenly a rustling noise filled the room. It was only then Gu Chengyu realized that Mr. Wen was no longer in the room. The teacher had mentioned he would be teaching Class B at the Si hour, so it was likely already that time. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

As for what Class C would do afterward, it was up to their own arrangement because the teacher had not assigned any coursework before leaving, so the following couple of hours were for self-study, such as reviewing books or practicing writing. Compared to Classes A and B, Class C had less coursework.

After the teacher left, students began conversing softly in the room. However, shouting and running around were generally avoided, since Mr. Wen was just a wall away in Class B, and the door was open.

Gu Chengyu looked at the two sheets he just wrote, set them aside, and spread out two new sheets, preparing to write anew. Suddenly, a hard object poked him in the back. Turning around, he saw it was Fatty Wang using the end of a brush to poke his back, curiously craning his neck towards Gu Chengyu’s desk.

"Senior brother, is there something you need?" Gu Chengyu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Oh, nothing! Just amazed that on your first day learning calligraphy, you were praised by the teacher. You’re really impressive! I’ve never been praised by the teacher. It seems your writing is truly excellent." Fatty Wang looked at Gu Chengyu with envy, his expression filled with disbelief, as if he found the idea of being praised by the teacher inconceivable.

Nearby students engaged in soft conversation also turned their attention this way, wanting to see what sort of writing even the teacher praised.

"Senior brother, you’re too kind! The teacher only praised me because it’s my first day learning to write; he has to encourage me and can’t undermine my confidence, right?" Gu Chengyu still felt somewhat guilty, knowing he had prior training, so he was naturally better than a complete beginner.

"What? Fatty Wang, you, who thinks only about eating and drinking all day, envy others’ academic achievements? With your writing often missing parts of words, how could the teacher ever praise you?" Seeing Fatty Wang speak, You Siyuan from the third row, two seats away, couldn’t resist teasing. He had received teacher’s praise twice, and Fatty Wang always remained expressionless, leading You Siyuan to believe Fatty Wang didn’t care when, in truth, he did envy. You Siyuan suddenly felt quite delighted!

"You Siyuan, you’ve only been praised by the teacher twice. What’s there to be proud of? Ma Junhui has been praised far more than you, and he doesn’t broadcast it like you want the whole school to know." Fatty Wang rolled his eyes at You Siyuan.

Hearing his name mentioned, Ma Junhui felt a wave of frustration, wondering when he could finally move up to Class B. Daily squabbles were an utter waste of time; it would be better to focus that energy on study. Always engaged in petty quarrels affected others’ learning as well. He lifted his head, frowned, and looked toward Fatty Wang, noticing Gu Chengyu watching the squabble with a smile. Hmph! So he’s also impatient, showing his true colors once the teacher left. Just as he was worried Chengyu might surpass him! Talent alone isn’t enough to excel at school.

Watching the two bicker, Gu Chengyu found it quite amusing. Both had a tsundere nature; You Siyuan wasn’t bad, just sharp-tongued, likely due to some past conflict between them. Upon entering, You Siyuan mentioned Fatty Wang’s concubine mother was ill again. He recalled that in older times, a concubine referred to a minor wife, implying Fatty Wang might be of illegitimate birth. And with You Siyuan being so familiar with Fatty Wang’s family matters, the two families likely had some connections.

"Let’s not bother with ’Senior Brother’ this and that. Since we’re all in Class C, none truly deserve the title. I’ll just call you Chengyu! If you don’t mind, you can call me Fat Bro or just by my name. Remember my name? I’m Wang Qikai." Fatty Wang found the title ’Senior Brother’ a bit awkward, sensing that Gu Chengyu wasn’t one to flatter nor a snobbish type like Ma Junhui, making him seem more approachable.

"I’ll call you Qikai then!" Gu Chengyu felt calling someone ’Fat Bro’ was disrespectful, and since they were classmates, using names was more suitable.

"Don’t mind You Siyuan; his words can be infuriating. Anyway, the teacher said your writing is beautiful; I just wanted to take a look! The teacher rarely praises anyone. Besides Ma Junhui, the recently promoted Ye Zhiqiu received the most compliments. Let me tell you, Ye Zhiqiu is quite remarkable; he advanced to Class B in just over two years, and even the teacher said he will surely pass the scholar exam one day!"

It was the second time today Gu Chengyu heard Wang Qikai and others mentioning Ye Zhiqiu, indicating Ye Zhiqiu was quite talented. One mustn’t underestimate the ancients! With Ma Junhui’s presence, Gu Chengyu discerned he’d been stealthily watching him multiple times, paying close attention.

Before Gu Chengyu could respond, Wang Qikai stood up, walked around Chengyu’s body, picked up the paper on the desk in front, and closely examined it.

"Wow! Chengyu, did you really write this? It’s even better than my elder sister’s! She learned from famous teachers! No wonder the teacher praised your handwriting; it makes mine look like chicken scratch." Wang Qikai noticed the writing was lively and elegant, even more impressive than his sister’s and Ye Zhiqiu’s writing. Ye Zhiqiu’s calligraphy was already highly praised in the school. Seems like another Ye Zhiqiu has emerged in Class C. Sigh! Comparing oneself to others is truly exasperating!

You Siyuan had already gathered around at Wang Qikai’s shout, unwillingly admitting that handwriting reflects the person. He hadn’t carefully observed this junior before, but now realized this junior had an inherently graceful appearance. Indeed, the heavens can be unfairly generous to some.

Nearby, Ma Junhui had also craned his neck to look. Seeing the clear and elegant writing on the paper Wang Qikai held up, he pushed aside the inkstone with his hand, nearly tipping it over.

"You say his writing is better than your sister’s, yet you’re comparing a woman’s work to that of a junior?" Ma Junhui blurted out, not thinking much, upon hearing Wang Qikai’s remark.