lt;pgt;Scholar from

The old blacksmith knew that education was the only way out. He tightened his belt and sent his young son, Xiao Jin Feng, to school, hoping that one day he would pass the imperial examinations and become a successful official.,The shortage of able-bodied men, coupled with heavy levies and extortion by bandits, meant many ordinary people could only afford one meal a day. They couldn't possibly bear any extra taxes.,He immediately recalled that Jin Feng had always boasted about being a scholar and, in order to appear aloof, never came to join the festivities when his family visited.。