Later, he pulled him into the group of children and said earnestly, "You all study in the village school, so you must learn from your brother Shen. In the future, our Shen family village will produce a second and a third scholar!"

The children listened attentively, their eyes filled with admiration, and nodded in agreement. Shen Qinghe stood to the side, a gentle smile on his face, but he felt a little embarrassed inside.

Having finally managed to slip away from the crowd, Shen Qinghe quietly slipped into the kitchen and found Madam Gu, who was busy at work. She whispered, "Mother, I only passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Why are you hosting such a large banquet? This must have cost a lot of money."

"So what if he's a scholar? Our Shenjia Village has never produced a scholar before! Besides, it wasn't entirely Mother's idea; the village head also agreed. He said you've given our village chief too much face, and half the cost of this banquet will be paid for by the village!"

She paused, then added, "This banquet is all about large portions and plenty of food. There aren't any complicated dishes, so we didn't hire any expensive chefs. Besides, the villagers don't come empty-handed. This year everyone has more money, and the things they brought are really good—not only are there lots, but they're also very fresh. Look, these vegetables were just dug from the ground, and there are eggs that the hens just laid this morning. With such fresh vegetables, it's hard to make them taste bad!"

Shen Qinghe knew that Madam Gu was doing this for his own good, so he naturally wouldn't blame her. He looked around and suddenly asked, "Mother, why don't I see my sister-in-law?"

“There are a lot of people here today, and some of them will inevitably drink. Your sister-in-law and I can’t drink with them, so it’s all thanks to your Uncle Meng and your eldest uncle who helped take care of them. Your Uncle Meng drank too much just now, and your sister-in-law helped him into the house to rest. Perfect timing, I’ve made a bowl of hangover soup, you can take it over.” With that, he handed him the bowl of soup.

Inside the room, Meng Dashan sat in a chair, his face flushed. Xu Yunrong wiped his face with a damp towel, her tone full of complaint, "Zhaozhao, why are you bothering with him? He drank so much, and you still have to make up his bed. You might as well let him sleep on the floor!"

Meng Zhao said with a smile, "Mother, it's still chilly now. If you sleep on the floor, you'll definitely get sick tomorrow. Don't be angry now. You can scold Father when he wakes up tomorrow."

Xu Yunrong pointed her finger and tapped Meng Dashan's head hard. "You idiot, they're from the same village, so they're bullying you, but you just drink when they offer you a toast. Do you think you're some kind of wine connoisseur?"

"Wife, don't be angry... I'm just too happy today. Shen Erlang passed the Xiucai exam, and our daughter will be Xiucai's sister-in-law from now on. When he passes the Juren exam, let's see who dares to bully us!" Meng Dashan had a headache from Xu Yunrong's finger pointing at him, so he reached out and grabbed her hand and put it in his arms.

Meng Zhao chuckled inwardly. Her father would never dare to dream of anything too extravagant. Shen Qinghe was far more than just a scholar.

But she still had to make things clear: "Dad, we can't always rely on others. Only by standing on our own two feet can we avoid being bullied by others, don't you think?"

Meng Dashan sighed, looking at his daughter with hazy, drunken eyes, his tone tinged with regret, "That's true... this brother-in-law is still a bit of a chasm. Zhaozhao, if you had put the drug in back then, you would be a scholar's wife by now!"

Meng Zhao rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. She threw the half-laid quilt aside, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Dad! Why are you bringing this up again? Didn't I tell you to forget about it?"

Meng Dashan looked aggrieved. "I'm just feeling sorry for you... I spent a lot of money on that aphrodisiac, and we still have some at home. That man said that even the most vigorous man couldn't withstand it. Zhaozhao, why don't you try again? My daughter is so good, she's more than a match for a scholar like him, I doubt he'd dare say anything!"