This old friend was not an outsider. Lu Zheng was acquainted with him.
His surname was Fang and his given name was Zhi. His courtesy name was Buqu. He was from Zhangzhou's Dongmen County. When he was young, he went to Langye County to study for several years.
"What kind of wind blew today to bring you here?"
Lu Zheng tidied up a little and went to meet the guest. As soon as he entered, he saw a familiar face.
Fang Zhi smiled and tidied his clothes. He got up and bowed to Lu Zheng. The two of them were worlds apart. Fang Zhi was a teacher who lived in seclusion in the countryside, while Lu Zheng was a counselor working for a feudal lord. He came with a mission, so he did not dare to provoke Lu Zheng.
"We've been classmates for several years. Do you have to be interrogated when you come to visit? Haha, it's been years. Shaoyin is better than before. "
Although Fang Zhi had a square face and looked righteous and awe-inspiring, Lu Zheng knew that under his decent appearance, there was a wicked heart. They had not contacted each other in recent years. One would not visit for no reason. Since Fang Zhi came to visit at this time, Lu Zheng had to be careful. Most importantly, Fang Zhi's ancestral home was Zhangzhou's Dongmen County. Zhangzhou was now in Jiang Pengji's hands.
Therefore, Fang Zhi's purpose of visit was thought-provoking.
Despite his suspicions, Lu Zheng did not expose him. Instead, he followed Fang Zhi's topic and began to reminisce about their youth.
For both Fang Zhi and Lu Zheng, the time when they were teenagers studying was always particularly beautiful. Even if Jiang Pengji was added to this beautiful time, it was still a memory of their youth. The two of them talked about their respective situations and sighed endlessly.
Not everyone who went to Langye Academy to study was talented. For example, Fang Zhi's talent was very mediocre. After he finished studying, he returned to his hometown to be a teacher and earn some money to support his students. In recent years, the outside world was in chaos. Fang Zhi's small private school was also affected. It was difficult for the people to make ends meet. How could they afford to send their children to a private school to study and learn? Therefore, Fang Zhi lost his job.
Although he lost his job, Fang Zhi was not very pessimistic.
Compared to the homeless refugees and people in troubled times who had lost their families, he at least had a small house to shelter him from the rain and he could eat his fill. In the worst-case scenario, he still had other ways out, such as relying on his classmates. Most of the students who graduated from Langye Academy had a good life. Some of them had joined the feudal vassals and were doing very well, while some of them were small officials in small places.
If Fang Zhi chose to rely on his schoolmates, he would be able to live a decent life, even if he did not have a small fortune.
The aristocratic families formed a huge network of power through their bloodlines, and the students who came from the same academy relied on their friendship.
The latter was not as obvious as the former, but it was still an invisible force that could not be underestimated.
Therefore, Fang Zhi was very calm.
However, he quickly lost his composure.
Why?
He lived in seclusion in a small rural town. His house was built with the help of nearby villagers. The quality of the house was quite good, but no matter how good the quality was, it could not withstand the ravages of mudslides. Fortunately, when the mountain collapsed and formed a landslide, Fang Zhi brought his wife and son out to purchase daily necessities.
Apart from the chickens and ducks in the kitchen, there were no other casualties in the family.
He was lucky, but the villagers nearby were not so lucky. The mud road leading to the outside world was washed away by the landslide, and the village was almost isolated from the outside world. The mountains were barren, and the weather was getting colder. The rice stored in the homes of the people was not enough for them to survive the winter, so they had to find someone to clear the road again. For this matter, Fang Zhi could only think of a way to find someone in the outside world, but he encountered a recruitment drive.
Of course, Fang Zhi was not recruited to be a soldier, but he heard that the master of Zhangzhou had been replaced by his former classmate.
Fang Zhi was speechless.
When did this happen?
Wasn't Yang Tao in power a few months ago?
News in the countryside was blocked, and Fang Zhi did not have the ability to intervene in the world's general situation. Naturally, he did not care much, and the news was not timely enough.
However, it was definitely beneficial for his former classmate to be in power, so Fang Zhi shamelessly begged to meet him and borrow someone to clear the mountain road again.
Jiang Pengji heard that he was a member of the F5 Heavenly Group, so of course she agreed.
However, Fang Zhi and Jiang Pengji were not as happy as others expected when they reunited with their former classmate.
It could not be helped, it was awkward!
Lu Zheng only heard that Jiang Pengji blew up the latrine the next day, but he was an accomplice who went out with Jiang Pengji to blow up the latrine.
The classmate who blew up the latrine back then had suddenly become the ruler of the world. How could he face it with a smile so that he would not appear awkward? It was quite urgent!
Fang Zhi was embarrassed, but Jiang Pengji was so calm that no one could tell her emotions. While they were chatting, she asked Fang Zhi how he had been in recent years.
Hearing that the private school that Fang Zhi opened had no students enrolled and was closed, she asked, "Are you willing to go to Wanzhou?"
Fang Zhi did not understand.
"You are now teaching at the Jinlin Academy in Wanzhou. You have a solid foundation, why don't you apply for a position as a teacher?" Jiang Pengji said, "You are idle here, but it is a waste of time. Ordinary farmers can't even keep themselves warm and fed, how can they have spare money to educate their children? "
The Jinlin Academy was one of the projects that Jiang Pengji valued the most. She had been investing in its expansion all these years, and there had always been a shortage of teachers with a solid foundation and a good character. Fang Zhi was indeed very mischievous when he was young, but his character was not bad. He was as upright as his name suggested.
If Fang Zhi went to teach at the Jinlin Academy, Jiang Pengji could protect him and help Master Yuanjing share some of the pressure.
Fang Zhi was silent for a while before he said, "What Master Lanting said is true … but …"
Jiang Pengji knew what he was hesitating about.
The atmosphere at the Langye Academy was good in the past, and Master Yuanjing treated everyone equally. Very few students felt that they were neglected or that they were born inferior. If not for that, Lu Zheng and a few students from humble backgrounds would not have been able to mingle so well with Jiang Pengji.
However, there was a time limit to studying. Once they left the Langye Academy, the benefits brought by the students' original families would be exposed.
It was not that Fang Zhi did not try to become an official. Firstly, he was not cut out for it, and it would be difficult for him to achieve anything as an official. Secondly, he did not have the means to become an official, so he could only go to the countryside to teach, in an attempt to let more ambitious farmers become literate and change their lives of poverty.
Fang Zhi was not famous, and the private school that he opened was also unknown.
The rich families did not fancy it, and the ordinary people could not afford it. In the end, Fang Zhi could only pay for it, and he barely had a few students.
There was a fierce war outside, and the few students were called back by their parents to farm and support their families.
"There's still some time before Zhangzhou becomes stable. It's fine for you to stay here, but will your wife and children be able to take it?"
Fang Zhi was not a pretentious person. Although he was a little chuunibyou when he was young, he became more mature when he was middle-aged.
"It's a luxury to find a place to settle down in these troubled times … Fortunately, Master Lanting did not abandon me, and I have the intention to go north …"
When classmates met, there was always a lot to talk about, especially about the people and things that happened during their school days.
As they talked, Jiang Pengji suddenly remembered that Lu Zheng still owed her a debt.
Unknowingly, Fang Zhi accepted the task of collecting the debt on her behalf.
When she asked for the reason, Fang Zhi replied, "Most people like perfection. Things remain the same, but people change. It's easy to say, but heart-wrenching to hear."
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