The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 597

Yang Yiqing looked at his grandson and became more and more satisfied, but when he turned to look at his son Yang Zhian, he became more and more dissatisfied.

Yang Zhian, standing to the side, could only pretend to be dead. Even if he, as the father, was unwilling to admit it, he had to admit that his youngest son was now much more promising than he, the father.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shengzhai's face lit up with excitement.

"That's right. As the teacher said, the advent of the steam engine and the train was a major change not only for the Ming Dynasty but also for the entire world. The train was just the beginning. In the future, the Ming Dynasty will usher in the industrial age, and the teacher will become a figure who will be recorded in history books."

Yang Shengzhai became more and more excited as he spoke.

Although Yang Yiqing, who was standing to the side, was completely bewildered and couldn't understand what his grandson was saying, he did understand one sentence: the train was just the beginning, and the Ming Dynasty was about to undergo a major transformation.

And Yang Yiqing's grandson caught this fast train.

Thinking about this, Yang Yiqing became more and more excited. He even saw the future, that his grandson would be much more successful than himself.

Having spent his entire life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, constantly studying how to fight against others, Yang Yiqing dared not claim any significant contributions to the Ming Dynasty.

His grandson might not be as good as him as he was when he became an official, but he would achieve great things on another path and his contributions to the Ming Dynasty would probably far exceed his own.

Yang Yiqing could even foresee that in future historical records, he would benefit from his grandson's fame, and that future generations would likely refer to him as Yang Shengzhai's grandfather, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet during the early Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.

The fact that the Yang family produced two outstanding individuals will likely be passed down as a legendary tale.

"You've been studying with your teacher for so long, it's time to go and thank him, otherwise people will say that the Yang family doesn't know etiquette."

Yang Yiqing looked at Yang Shengzhai with a solemn expression.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shengzhai's impatient expression vanished, replaced by an extremely serious one.

"Grandpa is right. It was my oversight. I should have gone to thank my teacher long ago."

Yang Shengzhai nodded.

"I have already sent a letter to the Zhou family and have had my servants prepare a gift to thank you for your teaching. Once the Zhou family replies, I will bring you to their home to express my gratitude."

Yang Yiqing said with satisfaction.

"You, as the father, must come along too; you can't be impolite."

Yang Yiqing glared at Yang Zhian beside him and said.

Yang Zhian felt wronged upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "When did I ever say I wasn't going?" But he could only think about it; he would never dare to disobey his father, the Grand Secretary.

The teacher appreciation ceremony, also known as the "gift of tuition" ceremony, is a traditional etiquette for students to express their gratitude to their teachers.

The gifts for thanking teachers usually consist of six items: dried meat, celery, dried longan, lotus seeds, red dates, and red beans.

Dried meat symbolizes gratitude to teachers, expressing appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Celery represents the saying that diligence leads to mastery while idleness leads to ruin, serving as a reminder for students to strive for excellence.

Dried longan symbolizes enlightenment and wisdom, expressing the hope that teachers can inspire students and help them achieve success in the future. Lotus seeds represent dedicated teaching and gratitude for the teacher's hard work.

Red dates symbolize that he has already passed the imperial examination. Although Yang Shengzhai may not participate in the imperial examination in the future, there are fixed rules of etiquette, and they cannot be added or subtracted at will.

Red beans symbolize great ambitions and are a blessing for students to realize their aspirations in the future.

Although the gifts given to teachers are not expensive, this etiquette can truly reflect the students' gratitude to their teachers. As the Grand Secretary, Yang Yiqing would naturally not let his grandson miss out on this etiquette.

Soon, the reply from the Zhou family arrived, with the reply date set for early the next morning. Yang Yiqing had stated in the letter that his visit was to express his gratitude to his teacher, so Zhou Chu naturally had to choose another day for them to show his respect.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Yang Yiqing, Yang Zhian, and Yang Shengzhai, three generations of their family, boarded a carriage and headed to the Zhou residence. The carriage carried gifts prepared in advance to express their gratitude to their teacher.

"Your Excellency, there is no need for such formality."

Zhou Chu greeted the three members of the Yang family politely upon their arrival.

"Of course, it is essential to express gratitude to one's teacher since ancient times. I know my grandson very well. He has been unruly since childhood, and I was worried about his future. But Master Zhou has guided him onto the right path and is now involved in such an important matter. I think about this every day and can't sleep at night. I don't know how to thank Master Zhou."

Yang Yiqing's way of addressing Zhou Chu was very particular; he didn't address him as "Lord Zhou," but as "Master Zhou." This indicated that in this setting, Zhou Chu temporarily only had one identity: Yang Shengzhai's teacher.

“Shengzhai himself is extremely talented in the study of natural phenomena. I only provided some guidance and cannot claim any credit.”

Zhou Chu waved his hand and said.

From Zhou Chu's perspective, this was indeed the case. Zhou Chu was not particularly proficient in physics and mathematics; he only taught Hai Rui, Yang Shengzhai, and others some basic things. Most of the knowledge was developed through their discussions and research.

Moreover, Zhou Chu has been in Tibet for the past two years, so there's no way he could have taught Yang Shengzhai.

But Yang Yiqing didn't think so. He knew very well that talented people are common, but discerning mentors are rare. If it weren't for Zhou Chu, even if his grandson was very talented in the study of things, he wouldn't have been able to reach his current path and would have ended up just like everyone else.

Therefore, Yang Yiqing's gratitude towards Zhou Chu was genuine.

“Master, you are mistaken. As the saying goes, a fine horse is common, but a discerning eye is rare. Countless fine horses die in their stalls because no one recognizes them. It is truly pitiful and lamentable. If it weren’t for you, Master, I, this unfilial son, would never have ended up on this path.”

Although Yang Zhian was not as good as his father or his son, he was still a scholar, and his words were naturally beyond those of ordinary people.

Yang Yiqing nodded in satisfaction as he listened to his son's words. Although his son had not achieved much, he had never caused him any trouble, and he had never made a mistake in his daily interactions with others. Yang Yiqing was quite satisfied with him in this respect.

"You flatter me. Please come in. I have had a banquet prepared."

Zhou Chu smiled.