Chapter 36
Gang Gye and the others had spent quite a while visiting the private school and then going to the Zhou residence to ask questions.
By the time they returned to the Gang family's market stall, the Koukouxiang had just sold out.
The family members who had gone sightseeing around the market had also returned.
Old Madam Gang said happily,
"You came back at just the right time."
"Everything's sold out. Let's head home."
They no longer had the ox cart.
The village cart couldn't exactly wait around until they finished selling every last portion of Koukouxiang.
But Old Madam Gang and the others had already thought of a solution.
They left the wooden table at a relative's house in town and planned to pick it up again the next time they needed it.
When they came, the basin full of Koukouxiang had been carried in a large basket strapped to someone's back.
Now that all the food was gone, they only had to put the empty basin back into the basket and carry it home.
An empty basin wasn't very heavy, so it wouldn't be difficult.
The entire family returned to the village together.
Everyone was excited and noisy.
They had sold such a huge amount of Koukouxiang and earned enough copper coins to fill an entire money pouch.
Even the coins themselves were fairly heavy.
Everyone could barely wait to count them.
On the way home, however, Old Madam Gang noticed that her second and third sons didn't look very happy.
She asked,
"What happened with the private school?"
"Did you decide to have them study under Scholar Zhou?"
Gang Jo-hang sighed inwardly.
"Munsaeng should be able to study under Scholar Zhou."
"But Little Six probably won't."
"What do you mean?!"
Old Madam Gang was startled.
"Our Little Six is so clever. Scholar Zhou said he wouldn't accept him?"
Then a thought occurred to her.
"Did he say Little Six was too young?"
Once she thought of that possibility, Old Madam Gang calmed down again.
That had to be the reason.
Otherwise, why would a private school refuse Little Six?
It wasn't as though their Little Six had a bad personality...
"No."
Gang Jo-hang denied her guess.
"Little Six may end up going to White Crane Academy."
Scholar Zhou hadn't said it directly.
But after learning about Liu Yunhe's situation, Gang Jo-hang no longer believed he was an especially kindhearted man.
If Liu Yunhe wasn't the sort of person who pressured students into joining his academy, then why had Scholar Zhou suggested delaying Little Six's studies by several years?
If they were already planning to attend Scholar Zhou's school, what difference would it make whether Little Six started sooner or later?
Scholar Zhou probably knew something.
Gang Jo-hang had only taught his son for a few days, but he was already certain Gang Gye was a prodigy.
It wasn't strange for someone to take notice of a child with such a promising future.
Even if Liu Yunhe was a decent man who protected his students well, Gang Jo-hang still wouldn't want to send his son somewhere so complicated.
But Liu Yunhe arrived far sooner than any of them expected.
The moment he returned, he sent someone to investigate Gang Gye.
In truth, Liu Yunhe, who had already become almost a symbol of danger in Gang Gye's family's minds, wasn't thinking anything nearly so sinister.
He had only asked for basic information about Gang Gye's family circumstances.
He had no intention of trapping the child or using dirty methods.
He hadn't opened an academy just to make enemies with people.
Once he learned where Gang Gye lived, Liu Yunhe boarded a carriage and headed toward Nanhyang Village.
A magnificent carriage with blue silk curtains, pulled by fine horses, entered the village.
It immediately drew everyone's attention.
One glance was enough to make people assume someone important was sitting inside.
The villagers began whispering among themselves.
"Hey, look! A carriage came into the village."
"Who's inside?"
"What are they here for?"
"Who in our village knows someone important enough to ride in a carriage like that?"
The driver didn't know the way to the Gang household, so he stopped and called to someone working in a field.
"Excuse me. Could you tell me where Old Master Gang Mingde's household is?"
Gang Mingde was Old Master Gang's name.
The villager stared blankly for a moment before coming to his senses and pointing out the way.
"Just keep going straight along this road."
"You'll see a house with blue roof tiles."
"That's the Gang family's place."
The Gang family actually owned a decent amount of farmland and had saved some silver in the past.
Their sons had also earned good money, enough to build a house with blue roof tiles.
It was only after Gang Jo-hang injured his leg and the family began paying for a child's education that their finances became less comfortable.
Even now, though, owning land meant they were still better off than many villagers.
The driver thanked the man and continued onward.
As soon as the carriage disappeared down the road, the villagers began gossiping even more intensely.
Did the Gang family have some wealthy relative?
Or had they somehow caused trouble and attracted disaster?
When Liu Yunhe reached the Gang household, the family still hadn't recovered from the worry that Gang Gye might be forced to attend White Crane Academy.
And then the person at the center of all those worries appeared right before them.
Liu Yunhe elegantly knocked on the door and looked at the people standing silently in the courtyard.
"Excuse me. Is this the Gang household?"
He asked the question politely.
But his gaze had already landed precisely on Gang Gye.
He knew perfectly well he had come to the right place.
"Who are you?"
Old Master Gang stepped forward.
Liu Yunhe entered and introduced himself.
"My name is Liu Yunhe."
"I am the headmaster of White Crane Academy."
The moment he finished speaking, Liu Yunhe felt everyone look at him warily.
As though he were some kind of villain.
