After resting for one night in the county inn, Qin Yao and Liu Ji split into two groups early the next morning.

Qin Yao and Song Yu went to buy some daily necessities and snacks to bring back home to make the children happy.

Liu Jize took his identity documents and went to the government office to complete his household registration, added his achievements, and at the same time submitted an application for the documents needed for the college entrance examination.

Time was tight, and in order not to delay the departure time for the college entrance examination, Liu Ji only had five days.

At the latest in five days, he would have to take all the supporting documents to the provincial capital to meet up with Qi Xianguan.

According to Qin Yao, since time is so short, she can prepare the village certificates and other matters on his behalf and send them directly to the county town, allowing Liu Ji to stay alone in the county town to finish the matter first.

Unfortunately, someone stuck to her like a dog-skin plaster and insisted on going back to the village with her no matter what.

The reason is that the children haven't seen their father for a long time and they need to see him.

Besides, if there is any problem with homework, Qin Yao will not be able to handle it and he will have to do it.

"What did you say? No matter what, we cannot delay our children's education." Liu Ji said seriously.

Song Yu reminded from the side: "Madam said that no matter how poor you are, you must not neglect education, and no matter how hard it is, you must not make your children suffer."

Liu Ji nodded, "Yes, that's what I mean, so Madam, you must wait for me to come back, and we will leave the city together!"

Afraid that Qin Yao could not wait any longer, Liu Ji immediately slung his flashy bookcase over his shoulder and rushed to the county government office.

Qin Yao shrugged and asked Song Yu to set up the carriage and go out to buy things.

The family has no shortage of rice, flour, oil and grain now, and there has never been a shortage of fresh vegetables since Awang opened the vegetable garden.

As for fresh meat and seasonings, there are so many people in my family that we can never get enough.

Qin Yao got up early today and happened to see the butcher's stall selling fresh meat, so she bought half a meat and took it home.

The news that Liu Ji had passed the provincial examination should have spread to the county town. Even if they didn't want to hold the event themselves, the villagers would come to congratulate them. As the host family, they had to treat them to a good meal.

On the way, I passed a grocery store and bought a lot of dried goods such as peanuts, fungus, and mushrooms.

As for other things, just some melon seeds and candies will be enough. There are chickens, ducks, fish and meat in the village, so you can just ask someone to buy them for you when the time comes.

Qin Yao was busy until mid-morning and then returned to the inn.

Liu Ji did not return until noon, sweating profusely from the heat.

Qin Yao ordered a simple meal, and after the three of them filled their stomachs at the inn, they set off for home.

All in all, this time away from home was longer than expected. Qin Yao had originally planned to spend only seven or eight days, but she didn't expect that the delay would last her half a month.

She didn't know whether Sanlang and Si Niang would be angry with her when she returned home.

However, when she turned her head and looked at the carriage filled with preserved fruits wrapped in oil paper, Qin Yao didn't think it was a big problem.

The temperature has been very high these days, and the school is afraid that the students may get heatstroke, so it has granted them a five-day holiday to allow them to go home and escape the heat.

Today is the first day of the holiday. The carriage slowly drove along the official road and turned into the country road. Along the river bank, from time to time, you can see a group of naughty children playing in the river.

The river here is not deep, and the adults don't care much about it. However, Qin Yao and the other two passers-by were terrified.

Whenever he saw a child about to go into the water, Song Yu would immediately shout a few times.

The children were frightened and scattered away after he yelled at them.

"Even though the water is shallow, it can still drown people." Song Yu shook his head and sighed helplessly.

When the child from Liujia Village fell into the water, Liu Ji was not at home. He only found out about it later when he heard about it from Song Yu.

At this moment, looking at the children who were scared and ran away, he secretly thought that if he went back to the village and saw Dalang taking his younger brothers and sisters to the river to play in the water, he would definitely catch him and give him a good beating.

At this time, the three people who had just passed Xiahe Village did not know that the villagers had prepared a big surprise for them.

Two days ago, the list of successful candidates in the Zijing Prefecture examination was posted on the notice board outside the Kaiyang County government office.

After Liu Fei, who was in the academy, got the news, he rushed there immediately and scanned the list from beginning to end. He didn't hold out much hope, but when he saw the word "Liu Ji" at the end, he couldn't help but burst into a sharp scream!

"I got it! I got it!" He was so excited that he was spinning around in circles, as if he was the one on the list.

When the others saw this, they hurried over to ask who had won.

Liu Fei, who always called Liu Ji by his first name, pointed at the name on the list and said excitedly:

"It's my brother, my third brother is on the list!"

Others smiled and congratulated him.

Liu Fei hurriedly responded to everyone's kindness, looked at the names on the list again to make sure he was not hallucinating, and immediately ran back to the academy to pack his luggage. Without stopping for a moment, he rushed all the way back to Liujia Village and told the whole village the good news.

Old man Liu suppressed his excited heart and trembling hands, and laughed: "Ancestors bless you!"

Then he asked Liu Bo, "Do you know when Yao Niang will return home?"

Since the third brother has won the prize, he will definitely come back with Yao Niang to meet his fellow villagers!

Liu Bo calculated the days and said, "It should arrive tomorrow at the earliest and the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Old man Liu touched the confused heads of Dalang, Erlang, Sanlang and Si Niang, and waved his hand: "Do it, this must be done in a big way!"

Seeing that Liu Dafu's family has been prosperous for so many years, it is impossible not to be envious. This time, it is finally the Liu family's turn to enjoy prosperity.

Zhang was also happy, but a little hesitant, "How about waiting for Yao Niang to come back before discussing it?"

"No need!" Old Man Liu was full of confidence. "Even if Yao Niang knew, she would definitely agree to a grand ceremony. You can just go ahead and take care of it."

As he said this, for the first time ever, he told Zhang's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to just ask him for money if they needed it. He had saved some money over the years, and if he was happy this time, he could spend it all.

Old man Liu, who was happily responding to the villagers' congratulations, did not notice Zhang's murderous look.

Having slept in the same bed with him for all these years, she had no idea that the old man had hidden some private money!

Realizing that something was wrong with their mother-in-law, He and Qiu looked at each other secretly, enjoyed the envious looks of the women in the village, and slipped away.

Dad said it would be a big event, so they naturally couldn't forget to inform their own families.

Thinking that she would be the scholar's sister-in-law in the future, He couldn't help but smile.

With the help of his third uncle, won’t her parents and brothers from her natal family have to coax her?

Qiu was a naturally over-worried person. After she was happy, she started to think about the arrangements for the grand wedding, and she felt both happy and worried.

The three brothers and sisters of Dalang struggled to squeeze out from the crowded back door of the old house. They looked at the blue sky, then at the gray and yellow ground, and finally looked at each other and smiled with their big white teeth.

Si Niang clenched her fist and said happily, "Father finally showed his strength for once."

Dalang and Erlang also felt relieved for their father. They thought that their father would be beaten less in the future, and the family would become more harmonious.

Sanlang was a man of action. He called up Xiao Laifu, who was still in the old house and laughing with the other children in the village, and said, "Let's go to the village entrance and wait for my mother and father!"

A-niang said that she would bring him some delicious food when she came back. Thinking of the sweet and sour candied haws and the appetizing preserved fruits, Sanlang was drooling. (End of this chapter)