Although Lin Yucheng had returned home after the New Year's school, Lin Yufeng and the others continued to attend classes with their teacher at the mansion until the 25th of the twelfth lunar month.

So after class in the afternoon, Lin Yufeng and Lin Yuning took Lin Yutian to Lin Yucheng's courtyard to find him.

Because Lin Yucheng has been studying at the academy for the past two years, he can no longer keep an eye on his younger brothers' studies every day as before. Although they keep in touch by letter, it is still inconvenient. So since returning home, he has been making the most of his time to test their homework.

Lin Yufeng, in particular, will be taking the provincial examination next year. Therefore, Lin Yucheng paid special attention to his studies this time, focusing on imparting some on-the-spot experience and answering strategies from previous years.

After all, no matter how much Li Shi valued them, she was still an outsider, and Chen Lianghou didn't care about their studies. So Lin Yucheng had to take on the responsibility of the eldest brother. Even though he still had the provincial examination to take after the New Year and was short on time, he still made sure to take care of his own studies while also keeping an eye on his younger brothers' homework and learning progress.

Lin Yucheng's ability to pass the provincial examinations and enter the academy was all thanks to the support and care of his uncle, Li's elder brother.

When Li returned to her parents' home, she tearfully complained about Chen Lianghou's coldness towards her, saying that he only cared about his son from his first marriage and didn't care about the children she had given birth to. However, Chen Lianghou didn't show any obvious wrongdoing, so even though her family was dissatisfied, they couldn't stand up for her.

Li Huaiqin, the elder brother of the Li family, had always had a good relationship with his sister and also felt sorry for his nephews and nieces, worrying about their future. While Lin Yucheng's diligence in his studies was due to his own efforts, Li Huaiqin also contributed greatly. In order to introduce him to a good teacher, he spent money to ask friends to act as matchmakers, introducing Lin Yucheng to Guo Hong, a highly respected Confucian scholar. In the end, Lin Yucheng even became Guo Hong's disciple.

Guo Hong greatly admired Lin Yucheng's talent and hard work. After Lin Yucheng passed the provincial examination, Guo Hong contacted a fellow student who taught at Nanlu Academy, and Lin Yucheng was able to get an internal recommendation to take the academy's exam. He then lived up to expectations and successfully entered the academy.

There were many twists and turns and hardships in between, and Chen Lianghou only inquired about it after Lin Yucheng was admitted to Nanlu Academy.

Lin Yucheng had always been holding his breath. He had come all this way through hardship and trial, and he didn't want his younger brothers to go through the same difficulties and have to rely on others at every turn. He had to be a support for his younger brothers, so he was particularly looking forward to the academy exam next year.

The academy's teacher, Guo Hong, had told him that with his talent, he was almost certain to be ranked first in the provincial examination, and his chances of passing the palace examination were also very high.

"Second brother is so handsome, he'll probably be chosen as the third-ranked scholar by the emperor next year when he passes the imperial examination! When he parades through the streets on horseback, we'll have to send a team of people to protect him from being snatched back to the mansion by those who are after their son-in-law."

After Lin Yucheng finally finished checking his homework, which he had struggled through, Lin Yuning finally breathed a sigh of relief and had the energy to tease him.

"Xiao Si, since you have so much free time, I think you should go back and copy Chapter Seven of 'The Great Learning' a few more times."

Lin Yucheng's unmoved attitude, telling Lin Yuning to focus on her studies, extinguished Lin Yuning's desire to please him. The fifth young master, Lin Yutian, covered his mouth and chuckled, but was also glared at by Lin Yucheng.

Fearing that Lin Yucheng would also give him extra homework, Lin Yutian, in the spirit of "better to die than let my fellow Daoist die," immediately tattled, "Fourth Brother was secretly reading those storybooks before."

Lin Yutian not only diverted Lin Yucheng's attention but also vented his anger over Lin Yuning's previous hoarding of the storybooks and preventing him from seeing them. Lin Yutian was deeply proud of his cleverness.

"Oh, really? Xiao Si, when you get back, memorize the last few chapters of the book. I'll ask you questions again tomorrow!"

Oh no, he doesn't want to! He had already passed the test, and then this "misfortune" suddenly struck.

Originally, Lin Yuning wanted to say a few words in her defense, but when she looked into Lin Yucheng's imposing eyes, she shivered and couldn't say the words she was about to utter. She mumbled, "I won't dare to do it again."

Turning around, Lin Yuning slapped the talkative Lin Yutian and threatened him, "Just you wait, I won't take you to see the lanterns on the fifteenth this year."

Lin Yucheng didn't let Lin Yutian off the hook either, assigning him a bunch of homework, making him recite the articles his teacher had recently taught him, and also testing his comprehension of the articles.

Seeing Lin Yutian's worried expression, Lin Yufeng, who had been quietly watching the commotion from the side, pinched his chubby cheeks and said, "Second brother is telling you that betraying your brothers will not bring you any good."

Lin Yutian, who has always had a little hobby of tattletales, blushed when his face was pinched, and said with teary eyes that he would remember it.

When Lin Yuqi returned home that evening, she heard a lively commotion coming from Lin Yucheng's courtyard next door.

Lin Yuqi asked the servant beside her, "Are the third and fourth brothers here too?"

Upon hearing the confirmation, Lin Yuqi looked at Lin Yucheng's courtyard with mixed feelings. Although he was more valued by his father and grandmother and had the best of everything in the mansion, he still felt a sense of envy for Lin Yucheng.

He envied Lin Yucheng for having a loving mother, younger siblings to keep him company, being highly regarded by his teachers at the academy, and having a group of close friends.

Only Lin Yuqi knew that Lin Yucheng at the academy was completely different from how he was at home. At the academy, nothing could obstruct his brilliance. Lin Yucheng was intelligent, gifted in his studies, and could immediately grasp everything the teacher taught, even applying it to other situations. He was also extremely popular, always surrounded by friends who respected and admired him.

Lin Yuqi, no longer enjoying the privileges of the manor, found himself surrounded by countless scions of aristocratic families and scholars. Lacking any particularly outstanding qualities, he constantly felt a suffocating sense of oppression. He dreaded comparisons and dreaded being referred to as "Lin Yucheng's brother."

When Lin Yuqi received Chen Lianghou's letter inviting him home, he breathed a sigh of relief. Only when he was home could he feel at peace. In the two years he had been studying at the academy, he had felt increasingly oppressed. Judging from the implication in Chen Lianghou's letter, it seemed he was being asked to return to arrange a marriage, as they were to get married next year.

Lin Yuqi knew that after he got married, he would be like other scions of noble families with titles, taking on official duties and then inheriting the family business. He felt both relieved and inexplicably lost.

Lin Yuqi felt that he shouldn't be like this. Since childhood, he had been highly anticipated by his father and knew that he would definitely inherit the Marquis's mansion in the future. Lin Yucheng was no match for him. But now Lin Yucheng had put so much pressure on him, and instead of suppressing him, he ran away like a coward.

Lin Yuqi read for a while in the room, but it seemed as if the sounds from next door could be heard. She couldn't calm down, so she got up and went to Chen Lianghou's study.

Chen Lianghou was setting up the tea set in the room, filling the entire room with the aroma of tea. When he saw Lin Yuqi enter, he nodded to him, gesturing for him to sit down beside him, and poured him a cup as well.

"It's Old Man Mei."

Observing the tea soup's deep color and rich aroma, Lin Yuqi swirled the cup. The tea leaves at the bottom of the cup were as fine as silver needles and covered with fine hairs, so she said with certainty.

"Yes, you have a good eye."

Smiling, Chen Lianghou patted Lin Yuqi on the shoulder. The tea in his hand was steaming, and through the rising steam, he seemed to see an old friend in Lin Yuqi's eyes.

Chen Lianghou held his teacup and slowly drifted into his memories, his gaze distant and his expression filled with an inexplicable tenderness.

Lin Yuqi knew that he must have been thinking of his deceased mother again.

Sometimes Lin Yuqi wished her mother were still alive, just like Li Shi had held Lin Yucheng in her arms all night when he was sick. She thought her own mother would be just as gentle, and then she would have a younger brother and sister to be close to. She wouldn't be lonely anymore, and she wouldn't feel threatened by her brother's existence.

"Father, my second brother will be competing next year, right?"

Lin Yuqi hesitantly brought up Lin Yucheng, not understanding why she felt so resentful towards him. Logically speaking, Lin Yucheng shouldn't inherit the title; whether he lives a good or bad life in the future, he'll have to work hard himself. It's not a bad thing that he's willing to improve himself now.

Chen Lianghou gave Lin Yuqi a deep look. Lin Yuqi felt a little flustered and unconsciously avoided his gaze.

"Yes, if Cheng wants to try, let him. He's still too young and impatient."

“Father, the provincial examination is no easier than the county examination. Candidates from all over the country compete in the same arena. Although my second brother has become famous at a young age and is proud of his talent, he is also ambitious. If he does not do well in the examination, it will dampen his enthusiasm for future advancement. I am afraid that he will become discouraged.”

Lin Yuqi felt that this was for Lin Yucheng's sake, and she didn't want his expectations to be dashed. Their father had never really cared much about his younger brothers, so as the older brother, he couldn't help but worry a little.

"So, what do you think?" Chen Lianghou put down his teacup and looked at Lin Yuqi seriously.

Lin Yuqi was a little flustered, feeling that Chen Lianghou seemed to have seen through something, but he really didn't mean anything by it, he was just concerned about his second brother.

"My second brother is still young, and this is the time for him to study hard. It would be fine if he took the exam two years later after he got married."

"Qi'er, you are the heir apparent and will inherit the title in the future, so you don't need to worry about your future. As for Cheng'er, if he becomes an official and does well, he will be a help to the Marquis's mansion and will eventually be of use to you."

Chen Lianghou saw through Lin Yuqi's unresolved feelings towards Lin Yucheng. He knew that Lin Yuqi had always been strong-willed, and now Lin Yucheng was indeed too sharp, which made people uneasy.

Chen Lianghou thought that when Lin Yucheng was older and got married, he would be more sensible and would be able to respect Lin Yuqi, his older brother, even more, and support Lin Yuqi in the future, becoming his right-hand man.

It's good to let Lin Yucheng take the exam three years later to temper his arrogance. By then, Lin Yuqi will also have taken on some responsibilities and received some training, which should be enough to win over Lin Yucheng.

It's still a bit early now.

"I know you mean well, and I will try to persuade Cheng-ge'er," Chen Lianghou assured Lin Yuqi.

Lin Yuqiao was eagerly anticipating the day she would be able to go out and see the lanterns on the fifteenth of the lunar year. She counted down the days, and finally, she was able to go out and take a look.

The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers, and blows down stars like rain.

The scene described in the poem still captivated her after a thousand years, and now she had the chance to experience it in person—it felt like a dream.

Seeing how happy Lin Yuqiao was to be able to go out and have fun, Li was a little worried and threatened her.

"Qiao'er, be good and listen to your second brother. If you dare to run around and cause trouble, wait until March when you go to Cifang Temple with the old lady to burn incense. I won't take you with me."

Lin Yuqiao automatically filtered out the previous words, understood what Li Shi meant, and then cheered inwardly, "I can still go out and play in March!"

"Why did the old lady suddenly go to burn incense?" After the initial excitement, Lin Yuqiao came to her senses. She had been here for several years, so why hadn't she seen Zhang Shi burn incense before?

“The old lady hasn’t been going out much these past two years. She used to go out often before you were here.”

Lin Yuqiao wasn't particularly satisfied with Li's explanation. She puffed out her cheeks, giving Li a look that said, "Don't lie to me." She tilted her head and glanced at Li.

Amused by Lin Yuqiao's adorable appearance, Madam Li rubbed her head and said, "You little rascal, your older brother is getting engaged. The old lady wants to take him to see the person first."

Oh, I knew it! There must be more to the story behind that sudden trip to burn incense. But this isn't so bad. It seems there's at least one good thing about this dynasty: people can get to know each other before marriage, instead of being forced into an arranged marriage.

"Can't you go and see if you like the person before arranging a marriage?" Lin Yuqiao asked, feigning curiosity.

Li couldn't help but sneer, "Only your eldest brother is favored by the old lady. If it were anyone else, do you think the old lady would worry so much!"

So it turns out not everyone can get to know a person before getting married. Lin Yuqiao was disappointed.

However, she made up her mind that, given Li's affection for her, she would definitely ask Li to find an opportunity to let her see the man before she got married.