A Records Of An Alpha’s Life In Ancient Times - Chapter 6

In the afternoon, the cold wind was biting, and the first snow of the year fell over the capital. A charcoal brazier was lit in the corner of the schoolroom, filled with high-quality silver-thread charcoal. It gave off almost no smoke and was very warm.

After kneeling for too long, Shen Qingshu stood up to move her legs and feet, and while she was at it, warmed her somewhat frozen hands by the brazier.

Kneeling was both tiring and cold. She really did not know why Teacher Zheng favored this kind of sitting posture so much. Weren’t tables and chairs nice?

In winter, she dressed very thickly. Inner robe, middle robe, padded jacket, fox-fur cloak—she was wrapped up like a ball, with only her face showing.

That face was fair-skinned, with bright, lively brows and eyes. It had not fully grown into itself yet, and still carried a bit of childish cuteness, but its lines were distinct, and the bridge of the nose was high. Anyone who saw her would only think she was a young boy.

This was naturally all thanks to her mental power.

The warm firelight drove away the chill on Shen Qingshu’s body. She stood beside the brazier, a little lost in thought.

Before she knew it, it had almost been a year since she transmigrated here. Over the past year, not only had she gradually adapted to ancient life, she had even found herself thriving like a fish in water and felt quite comfortable.

Every day, she read and practiced calligraphy. In her free time, she played cuju and went on outings. She had family who cared for and loved her, a few classmates and playmates, and that agitated, depressive period had not come for her again.

She cherished days as comfortable as these very much.

Only occasionally would she still miss her previous life and those convenient high-tech things.

“Qingshu, Qingshu, what are you thinking about?”

Hearing Meng Bozhou call her, Shen Qingshu came back to herself and returned to her seat. “I didn’t hear you just now. What is it?”

Meng Bozhou did not mind. He turned and handed the book to her, pointing as he repeated, “It’s this mathematics problem. I can’t figure it out, so I wanted to ask you.”

Shen Qingshu took it and looked.

“Today there are two people standing in the same place. A’s walking rate is seven, B’s walking rate is three. B walks east, while A walks ten paces south, then diagonally northeast to meet B. How far have A and B each walked?”

The general meaning was: A and B set off from the same place at the same time. A’s speed is 7, and B’s speed is 3. B keeps walking east. A first walks 10 paces south, then walks diagonally northeast for some distance before meeting B. So when they meet, how far has each person walked?

This was a typical quadratic equation problem, and it also involved the Pythagorean theorem. For Meng Bozhou, who had not been studying mathematics for long, it was indeed a little difficult.

Shen Qingshu took out some scrap paper and simply sat cross-legged on the mat. “For this problem, let’s first assume… according to the Pythagorean theorem… solve for x as 3.5… so the result is…”

Why were there unknown variables and Arabic numerals?

Heh. Of course, because her predecessor had invented them.

This allowed Shen Qingshu to adapt to the answer format here very easily.

Meng Bozhou listened while nodding repeatedly, revealing an expression of sudden enlightenment. Once again, he sighed in admiration. “Qingshu, this is a problem from the juren stage. Your mathematics really is amazing.”

“Huh? Let me see.” Hearing this, Xia Boyan also leaned over from the side and asked curiously, “Where did you find this? Aren’t you just looking for suffering?”

Meng Bozhou handed him the book. “It’s a book my uncle gave me yesterday. I couldn’t help wanting to broaden my horizons and puzzle over it.”

Xia Boyan looked through it for a while, then suddenly laughed. “There are some problems I can do too!”

Zheng Heng was also somewhat tempted. “Senior Brother Meng, may I have a look?”

He was quite a bit younger than the others, and his personality was relatively shy. He rarely took the initiative on ordinary days, but everyone quite liked this little junior brother. Meng Bozhou quickly handed the book over.

“Of course.”

After the problem was explained, Meng Bozhou remembered something his uncle had casually mentioned the day before. He could not help laughing twice, then winked and made eyes at Shen Qingshu in a rather gossipy way. “Hehe, Qingshu, Lord Lin is coming back to the capital to report on his duties in the next few days. My uncle said he might stay in the capital this time.”

Lord Lin?

Who was that? What did his return to the capital have to do with her?

Shen Qingshu remained unmoved and gave a faint “oh.”

Meng Bozhou, who had been waiting to see her reaction, became anxious. He lightly knocked on her desk and emphasized, “Why don’t you have any reaction at all? I’m talking about Lord Lin. That Lin of your fiancée!”

Shen Qingshu paused. What the hell? How could she possibly have a fiancée?

Did the original owner still have some secret she did not know about?

The corner of her mouth twitched, and she said ambiguously, “Impossible. Don’t joke with me.”

Meng Bozhou promised, “Who’s joking with you? It’s true. My uncle serves in the Ministry of Personnel. Yesterday, he said Lord Lin has been diligent in office and achieved outstanding accomplishments. This time, when he returns to the capital, he’ll be promoted.”

He spoke seriously, and Shen Qingshu’s heart gave a thump. She became a little uncertain. What was going on?

Meng Bozhou was still looking at her, so Shen Qingshu forced up a smile. “That really is wonderful.”

“Why are you acting like this?” Meng Bozhou was very disappointed.

“What way am I acting?”

“How boring.” Meng Bozhou pursed his lips.

Shen Qingshu then asked, without showing anything on her face, “How do you know about my fiancée?”

“Who wouldn’t know? Everyone knows, right?” Meng Bozhou lifted his chin toward Xia Boyan.

Xia Boyan nodded. “I heard my mother mention it. Your marriage agreement is rather famous.”

“…”

So it was true. Shen Qingshu felt her head split in two. Everyone knew, so why did the person involved not know?

What had her mother been thinking, arranging a marriage for her? Even if it was to cover up her identity, this was still a terrible move. Could she get married and not share a bed?

No. She had to hurry back and ask her mother.

For a time, Shen Qingshu could not sit still. Fortunately, school soon ended. She returned to the count’s estate and went straight to her mother’s wing.

Seeing her dismiss the servants, close the door, and wear an extremely serious expression, Madam He could not help feeling uneasy. “Shu’er, what’s wrong?”

Shen Qingshu stood beside the table and brushed the snow off her body. She poured herself a cup of hot tea and drank it, then steadied herself before saying, “Mother, a classmate told me today that Lord Lin is returning to the capital.”

Madam He took a moment to react, then immediately panicked as well. “Is it that Lord Lin? This… what should we do?”

Shen Qingshu was very puzzled. “Mother, what is going on with this marriage agreement? Why did you agree to it?”

Madam He shook her head and sighed. “This was not something I could decide. Your father and Lord Lin were the closest of friends. Back then, while the two of you were still in the womb, Lord Lin jokingly said that if one child was a boy and the other a girl, our families should become in-laws.”

“Later, after your father passed away, I simply pretended there was no such thing. But Lord Lin said he had to keep his promise. I refused again and again, but Lord Lin still insisted, and for a time, word spread throughout the capital. Your grandmother also found out. She didn’t know the truth and thought it was a good marriage, so she made the decision and agreed, and the birth-date cards were exchanged.”

This truly was a bizarre twist of fate. Shen Qingshu did not know what to say.

In her previous life, the three acquired genders had dominated, so she did not feel there was anything wrong with marrying a woman.

But people in this era were still very conservative. If the two of them really married, then she would ruin that innocent Miss Lin’s entire life, and there would also be the risk of her identity being exposed.

After Madam He finished speaking, she quietly stood frozen beside the table. Her face also looked somewhat lost and weary.

Looking at her, Shen Qingshu softened a little. For all these years, her mother had practically been guarding this secret alone. The pressure must have been great too.

But the problem still had to be solved. Shen Qingshu suggested, “Mother, Lord Lin may stay in the capital for the long term. Dragging this out is not a solution. We should break off the engagement as soon as possible.”

Madam He touched her head and gave a bitter smile. “Do you think Mother hasn’t thought of that? Your grandmother won’t agree, and how can we, as the groom’s side, take the initiative to withdraw from the engagement? That would damage Miss Lin’s reputation. As for Lord Lin’s side, he absolutely will not withdraw.”

Shen Qingshu pondered this. “Then what about Miss Lin? She may not necessarily look favorably on me. If she doesn’t want to marry, perhaps she can persuade her father.”

Madam He froze for a moment. Before, Miss Lin had still been young and had been thousands of li away, so as a middle-aged woman, she really had not thought of it from that angle.

Madam He’s tone was still somewhat hesitant. “It can be tried. Lord Lin has two daughters. The one betrothed to you was born of his official wife. Perhaps Lord Lin values and loves her greatly.”

With a barely workable direction for solving the problem in place, when Shen Qingshu went to school the next day, she asked Meng Bozhou to help her find out what day Lord Lin would arrive in the capital.

Meng Bozhou gave a sly smile. “Hehe, that’s more like it. Yesterday, you actually pretended to be so composed. You almost fooled me.”

Shen Qingshu knew he had misunderstood, but she did not argue with him over it. She only reminded him, “In any case, don’t forget.”

Meng Bozhou patted her shoulder. “Leave it to me. Don’t worry.”

A few days later, around noon, a convoy of carriages from the south slowly passed through the city gate.

The convoy arrived at the official posthouse, and a man stepped out from the carriage in the middle. He was not yet forty, tall in stature, and wore a blue scholar’s long robe. His face was square, he had a short beard, and his features were well-defined. Between his brows, a trace of the elegant bearing of his youth still vaguely remained.

As he walked, every step was proper, as if measured with a ruler. When he reached the reception area, he reported his name. It was none other than Lin Beilan, Associate Prefect of Linjiang Prefecture.