I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 5: Kindred Spirits

The old driver’s remark plunged Huang Yu into silence.

Zheng Fa, too, remained wordless. The only sound that accompanied them was the crack of the driver's whip in the wind.

The journey proceeded in silence, and after an hour, the ox cart finally entered Jingzhou City.

The city and its outskirts seemed like two different worlds.

Outside the city lay vast, expansive farmland, open and serene but tinged with desolation.

The only signs of life were a few farmers, bent over their work in the fields.

Jingzhou City, although large, felt cramped and crowded due to the throng of people bustling along its streets.

The three were traveling down what seemed to be the main road of Jingzhou City.

The mighty and imposing Dan Zhu Ox, which could travel a thousand miles a day, now moved timidly through the dense crowd, reduced to a hesitant pace like that of a small cat.

Huang Yu, now revived, leaned over the cart’s railing and craned his neck to look at the shops on both sides.

The sweet scent of pastries made him swallow.

The trinkets sold at the general store held his gaze.

And the young ladies browsing the silk shop kept him watching until they were out of sight, at which point he dared to look back again.

Once the initial excitement of entering the city wore off, he noticed Zheng Fa sitting calmly beside him. Though Zheng Fa also glanced at the bustling streets with a smile, he didn’t seem nearly as animated.

Sensing Huang Yu’s gaze, Zheng Fa turned, curious.

Huang Yu cleared his throat and sat upright.

Zheng Fa gave him a small smile, to which Huang Yu’s face responded with a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

…

The cart continued down the main road, heading toward the western part of the city.

“Jingzhou City is known for its saying: ‘The wealthy live in the east, the noble in the west, merchants in the south, and the lowly in the north.’ Our Zhao estate is in the most prestigious western part,” the old driver declared with pride.

As expected, the farther west they went, the fewer people there were.

But the area was by no means desolate.

On the contrary, it was lined with grand residences, imposing and secure, places where ordinary folks wouldn’t dare to loiter.

The excitement on Huang Yu’s face gradually gave way to cautious apprehension.

After another quarter of an hour, they arrived at a courtyard.

It was less a courtyard and more an endless expanse of grand buildings.

From the street, it was impossible to see where the white-walled estate ended.

Huang Yu had already been impressed by the large houses they passed earlier, but his jaw dropped at the sight of this estate, eyes shining with awe.

At the main gate stood two stone lions, each taller than a person, their fierce eyes cast downward at passersby.

The sign above the gate read “Zhao Estate.”

The ox cart didn’t stop at the main gate but went around to a side entrance, finally halting at an inconspicuous back gate.

“Here already?”

A middle-aged man, looking like a house servant, stood waiting at the gate. As soon as the cart stopped, he urged, “Hurry up! The steward is waiting! We’re just waiting on these two!”

“They live the farthest away, after all,” the old driver retorted.

The man waved, signaling Zheng Fa and Huang Yu to follow. “If you ask me, these two are just here to make up the numbers.”

The driver didn’t argue, only grunted, “Madam said everyone of this age in the family must attend. Are you going to leave one out?”

“That explains it.”

Neither man made any effort to keep their conversation from Huang Yu or Zheng Fa.

Huang Yu, listening, seemed stung and opened his mouth as if to protest.

But when he looked up at the towering walls of the estate, his expression turned sheepish, and he fell silent.

He became even more uncomfortable, shrinking in on himself and moving with a careful, constrained air as if afraid to lift his feet.

He glanced at Zheng Fa beside him, only to find the other acting as if he hadn’t heard any of it, gazing around curiously.

“Who’s pretending now?” Huang Yu muttered under his breath, standing up a bit straighter when he noticed Zheng Fa’s sidelong glance.

Zheng Fa observed the shifting expressions on Huang Yu’s face, understanding a little of the youth’s thoughts.

Jingzhou City, the Zhao estate—these were all new to him too, and though he felt some excitement, it was mild compared to when he first arrived in the modern world.

After all, he had seen skyscrapers.

Grand estates like this, he’d seen plenty of on TV.

Walking into this estate, his feeling was more of curiosity than intimidation, almost like visiting a tourist attraction.

Compared to him, Huang Yu’s unease was apparent.

…

The servant led them to a serene lotus pond, at the end of which stood a waterside pavilion.

“This is the second study of the estate. Go on,” he pointed toward the pavilion’s main entrance before leaving them.

Huang Yu followed Zheng Fa along the boardwalk to the pavilion’s entrance.

There, they found a crowd of boys around their age already assembled.

When the group saw the two newcomers, they gave them a quick once-over before collectively dismissing them, continuing their conversations in clusters with barely any reaction.

Huang Yu gritted his teeth silently.

Zheng Fa could tell that these boys were all competing for the role of study attendant.

Had they greeted him and Huang Yu with hostility or suspicion, it would have been easier for Huang Yu to bear than this indifference.

But as he studied the group, a look of resignation came over Huang Yu, and he lowered his head, feeling a sense of inferiority.

Even their clothes spoke volumes.

Zheng Fa wore an old, rough-spun outfit.

Huang Yu’s clothes were somewhat better, made by his mother from new fabric, but still rough and stiff.

The other boys wore silks or at least neatly tailored scholar’s robes.

These were beyond what Huang Yu’s family could afford.

Still, this didn’t crush his hopes entirely—after all, a study attendant position wasn’t determined solely by wealth.

But seeing the three boys at the entrance wearing headscarves signified another thing: only those who had earned the title of “student” could wear such headscarves.

This realization brought true despair to Huang Yu, making the old driver’s earlier remark sink in:

“So what if you’ve attended elementary studies?”

Even his teacher at elementary school was only an old student without a title...

At that moment, the excitement Huang Yu felt when he got on the cart seemed to leak away until nothing remained.

He glanced at Zheng Fa. Still calm and expressionless, this demeanor no longer annoyed him.

If anything, he felt a sense of solidarity.

If he was struggling this much...

Zheng Fa, who wore worse clothes and had less schooling, must be suffering even more, right?

Zheng Fa sensed the friendly glance and was puzzled: Why did Huang Yu look so sympathetic when he hadn’t said a word?

As for suffering...

To be honest, Zheng Fa didn’t even know what the headscarves signified.

Just as the two arrived, the tightly shut door to the pavilion opened, and a servant stepped out, calling to the group, “Line up! One at a time!”

Inside, dozens of desks were arranged in rows, each equipped with brushes, ink, and paper.

Zheng Fa took a deep breath. It felt like he was about to take a monthly test. Oddly, he wasn’t afraid—instead, a familiar calm settled over him.

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