Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 46: Head-to-Head Confrontation

Although Lin Ze handled things smoothly, it depended on who the other party was. He was also a strong-willed person, and being bullied was not something he could accept.

Moreover, people tended to take advantage of the weak. If you did not let others know about your strong temper, then being bullied was your own fault, and there was no room for complaint.

Lin Ze also respected his teachers and valued righteousness, as he came from a family with two scholarly parents. Despite being influenced by them since childhood, he still maintained a traditional demeanor.

However, Mr. Wei Hongjue, did not see any problem with being confrontational.

To outsiders and according to rumors, the other party was highly respected. In reality, Mr. Wei Hongjue was just a show-off with no real talent.

The reason why he had been able to get by so well was all luck. His successful students were mostly talented and hardworking on their own. Mr. Wei Hongjue's teaching level was quite ordinary and could not be compared to those who had truly contributed to the education cause.

He paid more attention to those who gave more, and he showed favoritism to those who gave good gifts. Poor students were considered worthless; if they failed, it was because they did not work hard, and if they passed, it was because of the private school's efforts.

The above was Mr. Wei Hongjue's teaching philosophy and principles.

No matter how much of an esteemed scholar he appeared to be on the surface, in reality, he was just a petty person of influence. Otherwise, Wei Hongjue would not have thought of marrying his daughter off to a Juren to become a concubine, while pretending to uphold the reputation, claiming the so-called 'friendship between the states of Qin and Jin.'

TL note
Therefore, Lin Ze felt that he did not need to be polite to this old man.

In any case, even if he (WHJ) could sense the hidden knives in his words, he could not find any handle to grab onto. At most, he might feel that the old man was too arrogant, and decide not to associate with him in the future. But in reality, he had already been isolated, so there was nothing to worry about.

When Lin Ze lightly accused him of 'not knowing his place,' Wei Hongjue's blood pressure soared. He slammed the table heavily and shouted,

"You fool, you fool! Mr. Guo, how dare you let such a disrespectful and unruly scoundrel stay here! If you don't kick him out, do you want us educators to never set foot in your mansion again!"

Wei Hongjue's words were obviously spoken in anger and without much thought.

Although the Guo family was not a prominent family, they still had status and influence in Nanyang Town. His words were a direct insult to the Guo family's dignity. While he was respected as a scholar, he had no right to dictate or command on someone else's territory.

Hearing him using the reputation of the private school to pressurize him, Mr. Guo, who was usually respected, was even more unhappy.

Today, inviting this old man was to give him face, yet Wei Hongjue acted all high and mighty, pretending to be superior.

Mr. Guo smiled politely but not sincerely. While other merchants and traders were afraid of offending Wei Hongjue, the Guo family was not.

"Master Wei, calm down. Today is a day of celebration, and it's not auspicious to spoil the mood. The past is in the past, so why hold onto grudges? I've also heard about the matter with Lin, no matter what mistakes were made in the past, he now has no hope of an official career and can only make a living as a street vendor. He has already paid a great price. Miss Wei is also happily engaged. Why bother being angry with him again?"