Chapter 154 The Wind-Observing Press

Zhao Yu looked toward the doorway. Sister-in-law Zhao was absent-mindedly picking vegetables, slacking off whenever she could, knowing that Mother Zhao and Zhou Liu'er would finish the work anyway.

Sister-in-law Zhao said impatiently to Zhao Yu, "Hurry up and open the door. What are you still sitting there for?"

Zhao Yu ignored her and limped over to open the door. Seeing his gait, Sister-in-law Zhao could not help but let out a snicker.

Zhao Yu's expression remained calm; he had actually accepted the disability in his leg by now.

At the very beginning, it was indeed hard to accept, feeling as though his life was utterly ruined and losing interest in everything.

He had fallen from an envied recipient of the scholar's title into a cripple mocked by children.

It seemed that when his leg bone broke, his scholarly integrity and pride snapped along with it.

The broken bone ached periodically, a persistent pain that wore a person down and could not be ignored. One could only force oneself to grow accustomed to those recurring throbs.

When Zhao Yu opened the door, he recognized the visitor immediately. It was an employee from the Song Family Bookstore, and the two of them were on reasonably good terms.

"Scholar Zhao, wonderful news!"

Zhao Yu could not entirely suppress the excitement rising in his heart, his eyes widening slightly.

The employee said cheerfully, "Young Master Song would like Scholar Zhao to come to the Guanhof Gazette office tomorrow at the巳 hour for an interview."

The name "Guanhof" was derived from observing popular customs and inspecting current politics, and it also encompassed the responsibility of observing human culture to transform and guide the realm.

"Since you've been asked to come in for a meeting tomorrow, there are basically no issues left," the employee said. Because he and Zhao Yu usually got along well, he decided to drop a subtle hint.

Zhao Yu quickly replied, "Thank you, thank you so much!"

He valued this job not only because it offered a generous monthly stipend, but more importantly because of the nature of the work required.

It would allow the books he had read over the years to finally be put to good use.

It would also make him feel that he was still, indeed, a scholar.

The employee shook his head repeatedly, "I am merely here to deliver the message. Being chosen by Young Master Song is entirely due to your own ability, Scholar Zhao."

These words offered Zhao Yu a sliver of comfort: it was because of his own competence, and those books had never been read in vain.

"I still must thank you for making the trip to bring me this news."

"Think nothing of it. Just remember to arrive on time tomorrow, Scholar Zhao."

Zhao Yu nodded. "I will!" He would seize this opportunity!

After the employee left, a faint smile appeared on Zhao Yu's face.

He could not remember how long it had been since he last felt such a surge of joy.

Zhao Yu closed the door and returned to the courtyard. Mother Zhao walked out at that moment and asked with a puzzled expression, "Xiao Yu, who was here just now?"

"An employee from the Song Family Bookstore."

Mother Zhao was confused. Didn't her son usually go to the bookstore himself to pick up copying work? Why would the bookstore employee track him down to their home?

"Mother, I need to go out tomorrow," Zhao Yu said to Mother Zhao.

Mother Zhao nodded slightly, assuming her son was simply going to the bookstore to deliver the copied manuscripts, and gave it no further thought.

Sister-in-law Zhao curled her lips. He only knew how to run outside, dumping all the household chores onto her and her husband.

Mother Zhao looked at Sister-in-law Zhao. "First son's wife, are you trying to carve a work of art out of those vegetables?"

"Oh, Mother, what are you saying? I'm just trying to be thorough."

"It seems to me that you just find me disagreeable. No matter how I do things, you always have something to say. Fine, I won't do it anymore, alright?"

Sister-in-law Zhao stood up and walked toward her room anyway, as she had no desire to do the work in the first place.

Mother Zhao was furious. The eldest son's wife was becoming increasingly insufferable. "Fine! If you've got the backbone, don't come out to eat!"

Back then, she had sent both of her sons to study. The eldest son had disliked studying, preferring to carry a hoe into the fields rather than step foot in a private school.

The second son, however, had shown a genuine interest in schooling, and Mother Zhao had explained the pros and cons clearly to the eldest at the time.

Now, incited by his wife, the eldest son resented her for not forcing him to study, believing she favored the second son.

Moreover, the eldest son's wife was impossible to reason with. Any attempt to talk to her resulted in crying, making a scene, and threatening self-harm, while the eldest son always shielded her, convinced that his wife was being bullied at home.

Mother Zhao was truly at her wit's end.

Before Xiao Yu's leg was injured, the household had been relatively harmonious, and the eldest son's wife had not caused so much trouble.

"Mother, let me do it," Zhao Yu said, taking over Sister-in-law Zhao's abandoned seat.

Mother Zhao sighed. "Leave it there for now. You go tend to your own matters; I'll handle it shortly."

"It's fine, I have nothing pressing today."

Mother Zhao let him be.

...

Li Su and the other two arrived at the Guanhof Gazette office right on time.

When they arrived, everyone had already assembled.

The individuals who had come were all neatly dressed, making it obvious that they had meticulously groomed their appearances before showing up.

As Li Su and his companions walked in from the outside, everyone's gaze immediately locked onto them.

Li Su nodded slightly to the group. "Please follow us inside first."

More than a dozen people followed behind them. Even though Zhao Yu tried his best to control his movements to make his walk appear more normal, his gait still drew the attention of his fellow applicants.

They could not help casting a few extra glances before quickly looking away, obediently trailing behind Li Su and the others.

Li Su and the two others took their seats and motioned for the applicants to sit as well.

"Brother Xian, Brother Song, you two go first," Yun Qin prompted.

Song Sheng looked at Li Su. "Brother Li, please begin."

Li Su nodded slightly and first introduced the names of the three of them to the dozen or so people present.

Then, Li Su said, "Let's go ahead and do self-introductions from left to right. In all likelihood, we will be working together for the gazette from now on, so take this opportunity to get acquainted with one another first."

Almost none of the people who came knew each other.

Hearing Li Su say this, the person on the far left went blank for a second: a self-introduction?

Everyone else turned their collective gazes toward him, making him inexplicably flustered.

Still, he quickly stood up, stated his name, and reeled off every strength he could think of. His tone was outwardly modest, but the content of his words served to highlight his advantages.

The ones feeling the most anxious inside were undoubtedly Yang Baoshou and Zhao Yu.

Among the people gathered, there were truly many exceptional individuals. Just listening to the introductions of the others made it clear that while they themselves were not untalented, they possessed obvious flaws.

When it was Yang Baoshou's turn, the moment he stated his name, gasps of astonishment rippled through the room.

Although none of them had met Yang Baoshou in person, all of them had heard of him.

That scandal had caused quite a massive uproar: passing the provincial imperial examination only to have his scholarly honors stripped away.

Either of those two events on its own was enough to etch a person's name into memory, let alone both happening to the same individual.

Zhao Yu also looked over at Yang Baoshou in disbelief.

Yang Baoshou clenched his hanging hands tightly to keep his voice steady.

His past was no secret; he was certain the three men sitting at the front were well aware of it. Since they had still allowed him to come, they likely did not mind it all that much.

What he needed to do was make them see his strengths and value.

Steeling his composure, Yang Baoshou slowly began to speak.

The expressions of Li Su and the other two remained unchanged as they simply listened.