As the three were discussing intimate matters between young women, a commotion arose, and someone shouted something.

The three of them went out one after the other to watch the excitement, and heard a yamen runner shout loudly: "Congratulations to Chen Junsheng from Yadi Village for winning first place in the county examination. He is now the top scholar."

Congratulations echoed all around, and the place was bustling with noise.

Li Xi nudged Ling'er with his shoulder: "Ling'er, congratulations! You'll soon be a scholar's wife."

Meng Zhelan smiled and said, "Ling'er, I wonder if we'll be able to attend your wedding before we leave."

Ling'er blushed and said reproachfully, "You're making fun of me again."

Surrounded by people offering congratulations, Chen Junsheng couldn't spare a moment to say a few words to Ling'er, but the two exchanged a smile across their faces.

On the other side, Qiao'er saw that the two almost tore their sleeves together and began to plot to snatch Brother Chen away.

She's the only one worthy of being a scholar's wife. Go home and ask your mother to come up with a good plan so your father can marry her off quickly.

Li Xi saw Qiao'er's sinister face not far away and understood everything.

She stared at Chen Junsheng with a lovesick look on her face. Knowing her and her mother's nature, they must have fallen for Chen Junsheng.

The title of "scholar's wife" truly made the young women of marriageable age in the village overjoyed.

Now Chen Junsheng's doorstep is probably going to be worn down by all the visitors, and Ling'er's marriage is likely to be difficult.

Scholars are everywhere in Kyoto, but they are probably the first in Yadi Village.

The village elder felt gratified, and in his heart, he was thinking about his granddaughter who was of marriageable age.

This young man should seize the opportunity; he may one day pass the imperial examinations and become a Juren, Jinshi, or even a top-ranking scholar.

If his family can establish connections, then his descendants will have a chance to rise in the future.

Therefore, the village chief was always kind and gentle to Chen Junsheng, and would lend a helping hand when he could.

Li Xi confided her worries to Meng Zhelan, who then pondered the matter deeply.

She must have realized the problem was serious, so she turned around and reminded Ling'er to get engaged to Chen Junsheng as soon as possible, lest things get complicated. Besides, he had said before that he would propose marriage after passing the imperial examination.

As the sun sets, the village's lively atmosphere gradually fades away with the aroma of food.

As night fell, the sky gradually darkened.

In the countryside, as night falls, the fields and forests become pitch black, with only distant candlelight flickering.

The chirping of insects and calls of birds became clearer, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace.

Several days passed, and Ling'er still hadn't seen Chen Junsheng looking for her, so she became restless and went out to look for him.

The Jingyuan Dynasty was relatively open-minded in terms of relationships between men and women. Women and men could still talk and communicate, and unmarried men and women could go out for spring outings together.

While Chen Junsheng was preparing to go to the academy, Ling'er waited for him at the village entrance. "Brother Chen, are you going to the academy?" Ling'er asked anxiously.

"Yes, the dean asked me to go back and introduced me to a teacher at the Fucheng Academy. He told me to go to Fucheng after the New Year and join the academy. I should be able to pass the imperial examination in three years."

"Really? That's wonderful! With your intelligence, Brother Chen, you're sure to pass the exam. Actually, I..."

Ling'er really wanted to ask about their marriage plans. She would be sixteen after the New Year, and she was also afraid that her father would do it for money...

Seemingly having made up her mind, she asked, "Brother Chen, you said before that you would come to my house to propose marriage after you passed the imperial examination. Does that still stand?"

She had no other choice, so she mustered up the courage to ask this embarrassing question.

Chen Junsheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ling'er, I've already mentioned this to my mother. Don't worry, I'll tell you more when I get back from the academy."

After saying that, he got into Uncle Liu's oxcart and left as if he were in a hurry.

Ling'er felt a little disappointed, and in that instant, she saw the evasiveness in his eyes.

With her mind preoccupied, she had no desire to go home and obey her stepmother's orders. After hesitating for a moment, she went into Meng Zhelan's house.

She told Li Xi and Meng Zhelan about their conversation.

"As the saying goes, righteous people are often from humble backgrounds, while treacherous people are often scholars. I'm not trying to discourage you, Ling'er, but I'm afraid your Brother Chen has changed his mind," Li Xi said earnestly.

The popular internet slang term for this is "The first sword strike after landing is to kill the one you love."

How similar this is! Throughout history, how many heartless men and how many heartbroken people have there been.

"Brother Chen is probably too busy to look after me right now; he just passed the imperial examination with top honors at the academy..."

Ling'er couldn't explain any further; she clearly saw the evasiveness in Brother Chen's eyes.

Growing up in that kind of family environment, she developed a sensitive and somewhat timid personality.

The only way to escape this family is to marry Brother Chen now. The three of them remained silent.

After a long silence, Li Xi said, "It's better to rely on yourself than on others. Only by relying on yourself can you be truly dependable. Marriage and having children are not the only way out. The Jingyuan Dynasty also encouraged women to engage in commerce, take the imperial examinations, and so on. Women can also live a good life by relying on themselves."

"But I don't understand anything, and I don't know many characters," Ling'er said self-consciously.

Although Yadi Village is a village, the Jingyuan Dynasty encouraged children of school age to learn to read, so each county provided subsidies to help villages set up free private schools and hire teachers, and encouraged merchants to donate.

Every family, regardless of whether their child is a boy or a girl, can learn to read. Ling'er also went to learn to read for the first few years.

“You can learn what you don’t know. Nobody is born knowing everything. If you can’t learn something in a year, you can learn it in two years. If you run away from difficulties, you’ll never learn it.” Li Xi said helplessly.

Some people easily get trapped in the comfort zone they set for themselves, afraid to try new things and afraid of failure.

"Just like when you learn to cook, you don't cook well at first, but you get better and better at it as you go. It's a very simple principle."

Li Xi had said what she needed to say. It was only because Ling'er was so kind to her and sincere that she had painstakingly advised her, not wanting her to go down a dead end from which she could not turn back.

Meng Zhelan advised, "Ling'er, you know we've been preparing to go to the capital. If you don't want to stay here, you can come with us to the capital to find a way out."

Although women may encounter various difficulties when running away from home, it can be a good solution when left with no other choice.

With proper preparation, joining a suitable caravan will greatly enhance safety.

"Only the two of you would think of me like this now. It's so good to have met you."

Ling'er went home with mixed feelings; perhaps she'll figure things out in a few days.

Li Xi and Meng Zhelan therefore planned to make other arrangements.

If Ling'er were to set off with the two of them, they would need to be more well-prepared, as some people might find them unconventional.

A few more days passed, and Chen Junsheng still hadn't discussed marriage with Ling'er.

Qiao'er, on the other hand, would dress up in her finest clothes and loiter near Chen Junsheng's house every day, always finding an excuse to strike up a conversation with him. Of course, there were many other girls in the village who admired him as well.

Ling'er had approached him several times, but each time the topic of marriage came up, he would find other things to avoid it.

Over time, Ling'er understood his meaning, and from then on she made up her mind to leave with Li Xi and the others.

Leaving home is never an easy thing, and most women wouldn't risk doing such a thing unless absolutely necessary. But what if there's really no other way?

Li Xi and the others were very happy for Ling'er's decision, and the three of them spent every day together because of it.

To avoid her family discovering her true intentions, Ling'er would finish her chores every day and then go to Meng Zhelan's house to help prepare various items.

When Qiao'er saw that Ling'er hadn't gone to find Chen Junsheng, she assumed that Chen Junsheng had rejected her sister.

She was overjoyed and became even more eager to find Chen Junsheng. Her mother also frequently inquired about him from his mother, trying to build a closer relationship.

Little did they know that Chen Junsheng's mother looked down on the girls in the village, while her son had been chosen by the hospital director to be married to his daughter.

However, she couldn't afford to be rude, lest she cause trouble for her son.

So every day she greeted those who wanted to curry favor with her with a smile, and never refused any benefits they brought.

Chen Junsheng felt much more relieved when he saw that Ling'er didn't come to see him again. He couldn't very well refuse her outright, otherwise it would be bad for his reputation.

Now the dean looks at him with new respect and even wants him to... so he has no choice but to treat her coldly and let her leave on her own. Fortunately, he didn't propose marriage to her.

Since Ling'er figured things out, she felt much more relaxed and became more lively, seemingly having endless things to talk about with Li Xi and Meng Zhelan.

Watching what the two of them did was like opening the door to a new world, a world she had never experienced before.

Of course, what Li Xi was busy with was something that didn't exist in this era.

Meng Zhelan's medical skills were also beyond the comprehension of outsiders; when her father was around, she usually didn't need to take action.

Under their influence, Ling'er has learned a lot, and perhaps she will achieve something in the future.

Even with a hellish start, you can still fight your way out.