Chapter 253 End

Zhang Zhaodi was busy in the bamboo weaving workshop until she returned home in the evening. Only then did she learn from her parents-in-law the good news that her best friend was pregnant. Overjoyed, she ate an extra bowl of rice.

This joy lasted until I went to bed.

Zhang Daikui carefully placed his sleeping youngest son into the cradle beside him, then carried his eldest son, who was sleeping in the middle, to the inside of the bed. He then lay down next to Zhang Zhaodi and hugged her tightly, saying, "Wife~"

Zhang Zhaodi knew what he was up to just by listening to his tone.

Thinking about how busy she'd been lately, how she'd come home, eat, and then just fall asleep without having a proper conversation with this man, her heart softened a bit, and she let him run wild.

After a bit of fooling around, the room quieted down, and Zhang Daikui hugged his wife with a satisfied, silly grin.

Exhausted, Zhang Zhaodi forced her eyes open and said, "Tomorrow I'll go buy some fine cotton cloth and ask my mother to make some clothes and shoes for An'an's unborn child."

The workshop was too busy for her to find the time to do such delicate work, so she had to leave it to her mother.

Zhang Daikui hurriedly said, "Of course, Mother is too old to do needlework, it strains her eyes. You bring her a few pounds of meat and a chicken, and I'll go to Uncle Tu's place to get a leg of lamb so she can have some nourishment."

Zhang Zhaodi nodded sleepily: "Let's do it your way."

Just after the Lantern Festival, Xu Cuilian and her husband called Xu Chenglin to witness the division of the family property among Zhang Daikui and his two brothers.

The couple were very fair; they divided the money in the family into four parts, with each of the three families taking one part and the couple taking one part.

In recent years, the three Zhang brothers have married one after another, and later bought the neighboring courtyard, which almost emptied the couple's savings.

Therefore, the amount of money received was not much; each family received only ten taels.

The Zhang family combined two small courtyards, making the living space for the large family quite spacious, but unable to be divided into four parts, so they temporarily lived together.

Anyone who wants to move out in the future will have to pay for their own yard.

For now, they still eat together, and the three families pay for Xu Cuilian's meals according to the number of people. None of the three daughters-in-law, including Zhang Zhaodi, have any objections.

Zhang Zhaodi had the money to buy a house, but she hadn't found a suitable one yet.

Fortunately, the family had already separated, so she had autonomy over money and could spend it on whomever she wanted and buy things for whomever she wanted. She didn't have to consider her two sisters-in-law, and no one would say that Xu Cuilian and her husband were biased.

Thinking of her pregnant best friend and the increasingly promising future, Zhang Zhaodi was overjoyed.

“Now that An’an and her cousin have children, I won’t think about giving them adopted children anymore. From now on, we’ll live our own little lives with our parents and the two children.”

Zhang Daikui's heart burned with desire as he listened, and he flipped over, pinning her beneath him again: "I'll listen to my wife, I'll listen to everything my wife says..."

Zhang Zhaodi was speechless and slapped him on the back: "Huanbao is still young, I don't want to give him a younger brother or sister so soon."

Zhang Daikui immediately wilted, gave her a heavy kiss on the lips, and then obediently lay back down in his seat, letting out a long sigh.

Zhang Zhaodi ignored him, lost in thought, and unconsciously burst out laughing.

An'an is beautiful, and her cousin is even more handsome; their child will be incredibly good-looking.

Lost in thought, Zhang Zhaodi fell asleep.

In her dream, dozens of handsome little boys and girls sat in a row. She held Sheng An's hand and picked them one by one, trying to choose the prettiest one.

Sheng An was unaware that her family had received a second letter, all expressing their joy at her pregnancy.

The heavy snow fell for two whole days, but it didn't melt, so she could only stay at home and wait silently.

During this time, Tan Qingrou came by and told her about Madam Tan's injuries. She said that she would have to help take care of household chores during this period and would not be able to come and visit Sheng An for a long time.

On the ninth day of the spring imperial examination, the weather finally cleared up, and the brilliant sunlight broke through the heavy clouds and shone brightly on the earth.

The unmelted snow, bathed in the spring sunshine, refracted a dazzling light, almost too bright to look at directly.

With the sound of a gong, the gates of the examination hall, which had been closed for nine days, were fully opened.

First to emerge were rows of makeshift stretchers, carrying candidates who had succumbed to the cold, suffering from high fevers or even fainting.

Most of these candidates with poor physical condition were repeat test-takers who had failed the imperial examinations many times; this spring examination might be their last.

Several candidates who remained conscious lost control of their emotions and cried out, their voices hoarse and filled with resentment and despair.

The candidates who followed closely behind, barely able to walk, were unusually listless, each one seemingly devoid of spirit, as if their souls had left their bodies.

His last bit of energy had been exhausted in the examination hall.

Those who haven't experienced it firsthand cannot understand how terrifying it is to spend nine days and nine nights in a cramped, dark, and cold examination shed.

This is not a place for a human to live!

As Xu Jinnian stepped out of the examination hall with the crowd, he was greeted by the bright sunlight. His vision blurred for a moment, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes, a trace of tears welling up in his eyes.

Even with Xu Jinnian's excellent physical condition, he has been suffering greatly these past few days.

At this moment, his face was somewhat pale, the dark circles under his eyes stood out against his fair face, and the stubble on his chin was very obvious. It was the first time in his life that he had been so unkempt.

Fortunately, he had a good face to back him up. This slight dishevelment not only did not damage Xu Jinnian's image, but also gave him a unique charm.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw rows of stretchers and a crowd of weeping people in the distance. He paused slightly and slowly walked forward.

Li Tian, ​​who came to pick him up, spotted Xu Jinnian in the crowd at a glance and quickly stepped forward to support him: "Young Master, how are you feeling?"

Xu Jinnian did not let him help her up, and nodded slightly, saying, "I'm fine."

Reassured, Li Tian, ​​along with two other guards, escorted him towards the place where they had been waiting to enter.

Tan Zhenlin and his two companions had not yet come out; their guards and attendants were all eagerly waiting at the entrance of the examination hall.

As Xu Huaining staggered out, he happened to see Xu Jinnian's back.

A hint of melancholy appeared in his eyes as he stared at the repulsive figure without moving.

The person behind him urged impatiently, "What are you doing blocking the gate? Did the exam ruin your brain?"

Normally, the candidates would not dare to make a loud noise in public, as they would be mindful of their status.

Having endured nine days and nine nights in the examination hall, these candidates who emerged standing were more resentful than ghosts. They had no energy left to maintain their image, and it was already a miracle that they weren't directly pushed.

Xu Huaining suddenly turned his head and stared straight at the urging candidate.

The candidate was startled by his fierce gaze and instinctively took two steps back.

After realizing what had happened, he angrily cursed, "Are you fucking crazy?!"

Xu Huaining gave him a cold look, then turned and walked away with a gloomy expression.

The examinee spat and angrily cursed, "He's really sick, insane, his brain's been damaged by the exam!"