Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 975: Each More Ferocious Than the Last

When Gu Jin’an and Magistrate Gu came out, that’s when they heard such humiliating words.

Around them, a group of students, each twice as tall as Brother Cheng, surrounded him, pointing and saying, "That’s right, Brother Xue is correct, you little country bumpkin don’t know anything about riddles. The riddle you made is problematic; this round doesn’t count!"

Gu Jin’an was very angry. He wouldn’t get upset when insulted by others; he would just figure out a way to crush them. But when someone pointed at Brother Cheng and insulted him, he felt so sad that he wanted to cry.

Brother Cheng, whom he raised himself, had suffered greatly since childhood. Now that life at home had improved, he didn’t want Brother Cheng to endure any more hardship.

But that’s just how people are. Ever since noble families existed, farmers have been looked down upon. Terms like mud-leg, countryman, and lowlife are all derogatory names for farmers.

These derogatory names are nailed to farmers from birth. Even if you gain an official position, you only have face among farmers or ordinary rich families and landlords. In front of real noble families and nobility, you’re still as insignificant as dirt.

What made Gu Jin’an even sadder was that he had long anticipated that Brother Cheng would be surrounded and criticized by so many people.

But Gu Jin’an couldn’t lose his temper. He had to hold back his anger and let Brother Cheng win on his own; only when he himself used his talent to defeat these people would the rumors of him being a fool be dispelled.

Yao Youqian, seeing those people trying to be unreasonable, angrily pointed at the students and said, "Don’t bully just because you have numbers. Can’t face losing? If you can’t, then don’t compete with a child."

He then pointed at Xue De and said, "You’re old enough and still bully a child, have you no shame?"

Lv Bai, having shouted all morning, had a sore and painful throat, also quietly said, "This riddle is indeed correct."

Having heard this, Xue De shoved Lv Bai and angrily said, "Get lost! What right do you have to speak here, you who ranked last?"

The Xue Family had recently been very unlucky. Although Xue De passed the student exam, he was quite annoyed. He had lost a good marriage and was detested by Lord Yu. He would no longer be able to rely on Lord Yu’s connections in the government.

"What are you doing, Xue De? Do you actually dare to make a move?" Yao Youqian stood in front of Lv Bai, pointing at Xue De and said, "You who ranked second last, what right do you have to speak to Lv Bai like that?"

Seeing Yao Youqian daring to point at his nose and curse him, Xue De was furious and began to curse Yao Youqian, "You lowlife from the dung pit, stay away from this young master, you stink."

Magistrate Gu looked at the chaotic scene before him, his face sour. What sort of help was this? If they behaved like this upon reaching Linhe Prefecture, he’d lose face completely and become a laughing stock among the Jianghuai Prefectures’ magistrates!

"Silence! Why are you making such a racket in the courtyard? Do you not have a scholar’s decorum?" Magistrate Gu sternly scolded, bringing Gu Jin’an down the steps, scanning the students present.

The students surrounding Brother Cheng earlier, upon seeing Magistrate Gu, each looked like a quail.

Yao Youqian bowed to Magistrate Gu and replied, "Greetings, Lord Magistrate. It was Xue De, Shi Fei Peng, and Xie Jin who bullied Brother Gu’s younger brother, mocking him as a fool. Dissatisfied, Brother Gu’s younger brother explained, but when they didn’t listen, he challenged them to a riddle match. When Xue De couldn’t solve it, he slandered Brother Gu’s younger brother by saying he didn’t understand riddles and made fake ones."

Xue De and the others somehow heard that Brother Gu’s younger brother was beaten foolish by the Old Gu Family, and when Brother Gu entered to receive the scholarship documents, they began mocking Brother Gu’s younger brother.

Brother Gu’s younger brother is clever. When they refused to listen to his explanation, he simply challenged them. But after losing, Xue De and his group got furious and started resorting to trickery.

After hearing this, Magistrate Gu looked at Xue De and asked, "Is what Student Yao said true?"

Initially, Magistrate Gu had no impression of Yao Youqian. But, after Yao Youqian and Lv Bai shouted all morning at the government gate, it was hard for Magistrate Gu to not recognize Yao Youqian.

Xue De didn’t want to admit defeat and continued to argue, "Sir, the riddle Gu Jincheng made had an issue; the word ’autumn’ isn’t as he described."

Yao Youqian sneered and said, "There is something in the world, different on each side. One loves turning green, the other loves turning red—one loves the rain, the other despises the wind. Isn’t this clearly ’grain’ on the left and ’fire’ on the right? Together they make the word ’autumn’. What’s wrong with such a riddle? You couldn’t solve it yourself and played tricks, putting the blame on a child. What kind of man are you?"

He then angrily pointed at Xue De, "My family deals with night soil, but even I, a night soil handler, look down on you, a hypocrite!"

Hearing this, Xue De trembled with anger and said furiously, "Yao Youqian, you lowlife! What right do you have to insult this young master?"

Gu Jin’an laughed, looking at Xue De and saying, "If Brother Yao really wanted to insult you, he wouldn’t call you a hypocrite but would mock you about your marriage. Do you really think your reputation is good? You’ve done disgraceful things yet instead of hiding at home, you come out here to make a fool of yourself. You truly are someone who admires Mr. Shi, being so brazen is remarkable."

Xue De, because of getting his cousin pregnant, had his engagement with Lord Yu’s family canceled. Storytellers talked about this event for days, making Xue De the city’s laughingstock.

Magistrate Gu fell silent, realizing that Gu Jin’an, chosen by Junior Minister Ming, indeed spoke sharply, stripping away Xue De’s dignity.

However, Gu Jin’an’s words were just the appetizer; there was more to come.

Brother Cheng squeezed out from a group of young men a dozen years older than he was, bowed, and greeted Magistrate Gu, "Good day, Lord Magistrate."

Seeing the speaker was a fair and adorable child with a playful demeanor, Magistrate Gu’s face broke into a smile. He nodded and said, "You must be Gu Jincheng, there’s no need for formalities, please rise."

He seemed quite clever, unlike the rumor that he was foolish due to a beating.

Realizing this, Magistrate Gu was startled and finally understood that the purpose of Gu Jin’an bringing Gu Jincheng here was probably because the Gu Family heard the rumors and wanted to show Gu Jincheng to people to dispel the notion of him being a fool.

Magistrate Gu felt a cold sweat coming on. This Gu Jin’an was quite cunning. He’s not even twenty yet, but in another decade or so, he’s sure to be a significant figure, stirring up waves. No wonder Junior Minister Ming wanted to pull Gu Jin’an into the Ming Family party early on.

Brother Cheng withdrew his hands and smiled, "Lord Magistrate, since Brother Xue says the previous riddle doesn’t count, I’ll make another for him, and you can be the judge, is that alright?"

"Of course," Magistrate Gu, eager to curry favor with Junior Minister Ming, was happy to do Gu Family a favor, "Go ahead and present your riddle."

Brother Cheng smiled at Magistrate Gu and said, "In the courtyard there is a person, holding Righteousness in the left hand, gripping a three-foot sword in the right, with one move breaking through four directions, fiercely killing a heart. Guess a word, and as for the time limit, please set it, Lord Magistrate."

Hearing this riddle, Magistrate Gu frowned and asked, "Who taught you this riddle?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Brother Cheng replied, "No one taught me, I just came up with it while playing riddles with my family at home."

Second Sister said, regarding riddles, they are actually quite simple. It depends on how you construct them. As long as you make them reasonable and flawless, they’re valid.