The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

If Zong Jincheng knew what Zong Wenxiu was thinking right now, he would probably run away as fast as he could, rolling and scrambling.

Although they were talking about going to the study, their steps were heading towards Auntie Hong's courtyard. The young man was full of energy, and by the time they arrived, he wasn't even out of breath. However, unexpectedly, Xu Wan was outside Auntie Hong's door, listening to the family doctor discussing her condition.

"Auntie Hong has tuberculosis. In slums like the ones in the Capital City, where the environment is dirty and chaotic, many people contract tuberculosis. To cure this disease, one needs renowned doctors and a large amount of medicine. Obviously, people in the slums don't have these resources and can only wait for death."

As the family doctor spoke, his gaze fell on Zong Wenxiu. This young man, who had been living in the slums, must have seen countless people die from tuberculosis.

Zong Wenxiu's face turned pale. He remembered it all too well, which was why he had knelt in the rain to beg Xu Wan when his mother's condition worsened.

Xu Wan was puzzled: "Why didn't you mention this when the Old Marchioness was still in the mansion?"

Given the Old Marchioness's character, she wouldn't have refused to invite imperial physicians to treat them.

Everyone turned to look at Zong Wenxiu, including Zong Jincheng, who also felt something was amiss. Could there be some hidden secret?

Zong Wenxiu closed his eyes, feeling ashamed: "Because my mother said her illness was incurable. Instead of wasting the Old Marchioness's energy, it would be better to let her feel guilty. That way, she would take me... take me into her courtyard to be raised properly."

Auntie Hong's plan was well thought out.

She was even willing to sacrifice her own life to secure a future for her son. Unfortunately, her son was extremely filial, disrupting her plans.

Zong Jincheng stood by, deep in thought.

He should have been unhappy, because if Auntie Hong's scheme had succeeded, Zong Wenxiu would have been by the Old Marchioness's side all the time, possibly stealing some of his own favor.

However, he found himself a bit envious of this kind of bond, envious that Zong Wenxiu had a mother who planned for him.

The little troublemaker became more and more frustrated, kicking stones around with his feet.

The family doctor suddenly called out: "Young Master Jincheng..."

"What?" The little troublemaker snapped.

Didn't he see that he was in a bad mood?

The family doctor timidly said: "You're kicking my foot."

Zong Jincheng: "..."

The imperial physician arrived quickly, so fast that Zong Jincheng suspected he had flown over. He didn't even question how Xu Wan had already sent someone to fetch him.

After diagnosing Auntie Hong, the imperial physician, though surprised it had been a long time since he had treated such a case, quickly regained his composure and began writing a prescription.

"Take this prescription three times a day as directed. After three months, you should see improvement, and then the family doctor can take over."

"Thank you for your efforts," Xu Wan said with a smile, signaling Cui Zhi to hand over a bag of silver as she escorted the imperial physician out of the mansion.

The maids in the courtyard busied themselves with fetching and boiling the medicine.

Xu Wan then turned to Zong Wenxiu: "Go ahead and study. I'll take care of things here, and I won't let your mother come to any harm."

Zong Wenxiu, his eyes red, thanked her: "Thank you, Madam."

A young man is most grateful for kindness. Instead of going to the study as he should have, he turned to Zong Jincheng, looking determined to teach his younger brother well.

Zong Jincheng: "..."

My cousin's gaze is terrifying. I want to escape.

The little troublemaker unconsciously took half a step back.

Xu Wan raised an eyebrow and said coolly: "Some people wouldn't be thinking of breaking their promise, would they? But then again, he's just an eight-year-old child. What does it matter if he doesn't keep his word? Even if I call him a little turtle who doesn't keep promises every day, he wouldn't feel embarrassed, right?"

The little turtle who doesn't keep promises: "???"

Zong Jincheng shouted angrily: "Who's not keeping their promise? Who's the little turtle?"

Xu Wan casually replied: "Whoever doesn't keep their promise is the little turtle, of course."

Zong Jincheng was provoked and glared at her: "Fine, fine! I'll study, I'll study! But tell me, how long do you want me to study for?"

He didn't believe Xu Wan could make him study until the end of time!

Xu Wan propped her chin with one hand and looked the little troublemaker up and down. The brat had an indignant yet extremely proud expression. Directly asking him to study for three years would probably not work.

Her gaze shifted to Zong Wenxiu, and an idea suddenly struck her.

Got it!

"You don't have to say I'm making things difficult for you. I'll set a small goal for you: pass Wenxiu. He's only been studying for a few months and grew up in the slums, so he knows much less than you. With your cleverness, Young Master Jincheng, you should be able to surpass him in no time, right?"

Xu Wan's words, both overtly and subtly, flattered Zong Jincheng, making him feel elated.

He arrogantly raised his chin, thinking that it made sense. In a few months, he would definitely surpass Zong Wenxiu.

Seeing that he was softening, Xu Wan added another strong point: "If you can keep up with Wenxiu's progress, I'll return your money and servants to you. I promise that while you're working to surpass him, I won't interfere with your affairs."

At the mention of this, Zong Jincheng perked up.

He immediately agreed: "Deal!"

The two clapped their hands together in the air, sealing a momentous agreement.

In the years that followed, Xu Wan often looked back on this moment and found it incredibly meaningful.

The place where they would study was naturally set in the large study, which had originally been used by the young marquis, Zong Zhao. Now, it seemed spacious even with both children using it.

When the Old Marquis and Old Marchioness heard that the little troublemaker was willing to study, they immediately invited the renowned scholar Baili Xi from the Capital City to teach in the mansion. This old scholar had also been Zong Zhao's private tutor.

On the first day of class, the old scholar conducted a preliminary exam.

When testing Zong Wenxiu, the old man's eyes were smiling, and he praised the boy for his hard work and rapid progress.

When testing Zong Jincheng, the old man's brow furrowed so deeply that he could have trapped ten mosquitoes. The little troublemaker answered every question wrong, not only lacking knowledge but also pretending to know everything.

After just half a day of teaching, the old scholar wanted to sigh to the heavens. Back in the day, people envied him for teaching Zong Zhao, who was a well-rounded scholar and martial artist, making him famous in the Capital City.

But now, looking at the mischievous child in front of him, he truly felt that this was karma. There really were no consecutive great fortunes in this world.

"Jincheng, your foundation is too weak. The first priority is to build a solid base. These are the introductory books I've chosen for you. Try to memorize them in the next few days."

Zong Jincheng sat in his seat, staring at the stack of books the old scholar left, as tall as a bowl. He suddenly realized something was off...

He immediately turned to ask Zong Wenxiu: "Have you memorized all these?"

Zong Wenxiu nodded: "These books may look thick, but the content is straightforward and easy to memorize. You can finish them in five days."

The little troublemaker sneered: "Do you think I'll believe that?"

"..."

Realizing something was wrong, Zong Jincheng finally asked the crucial question: "How many books have you memorized in these few months?"

Zong Wenxiu reluctantly said: "Over a hundred."

In fact, he had memorized over two hundred, but seeing his younger brother's expression grow increasingly grim, he decided not to tell the truth.

Sure enough, Zong Jincheng was stunned upon hearing this. He finally realized he had been tricked again by Xu Wan. He took a deep breath and forced a fake smile: "So, how many pages can you memorize a day now?"

"Ten... or so."

"Good." Zong Jincheng closed the book in front of him, signaling Shunzi to close the door and block it tightly, ensuring not even a fly could get in.