Chapter 75 Anecdotes from the Study, at the Deer Cry Banquet

When his wife achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, Zong Suyi was overjoyed. He immediately rewarded the servants with three months' wages and ordered his maid to buy firecrackers to set off. When the neighbors heard the commotion and came to congratulate him, he even sent them a box of "Zhuangyuan Cake" as a return gift.

Once the miscellaneous tasks were settled, Zong Suyi, filled with excitement, fluttered into Zhang Ting's arms like a lively and nimble sparrow, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her eyes sparkled, as if they held a whole galaxy within them. She smiled and said, "I passed! I'm the top scholar again!!"

Zhang Ting wrapped her arms around his waist, her eyes softening, and let out two soft laughs: "So happy?"

"Of course." Zong Suyi cupped her face and pinched it again, his eyes crinkling with laughter, before leaning in for a big kiss.

For the past two years, his wife had been so engrossed in books that she could practically sleep in them. She worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, more exhausted than an ox. He felt so sorry for her. Fortunately, heaven wasn't too blind and didn't let her hard work go to waste.

Also, now that they've passed the provincial examination, can they have children?

Zong Suyi stroked his belly, his thoughts drifting away. His wife had been eating quite frequently these past few days; he wondered if she was pregnant...

Zhang Ting suddenly noticed that Zong Suyi had grown quite a bit taller. She reached out and compared his height to hers, and it was true. When he first arrived, he only reached her neck, but now he was only half a head shorter than her.

She placed one hand on the top of his head and rubbed it, thinking happily, "I'm taking good care of him."

Zong Suyi pulled her hand away in displeasure. "Stop rubbing my head, it's so childish." He, he was about to become a father!

Zhang Ting grabbed his wrist with her other hand and said leisurely, "Naive? Who was it that slipped ice into my undershirt while I was asleep last night?"

He lowered his eyelids, his eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings, and muttered under his breath, "Who told you to be so rough last night? My lower body still hurts."

"My lord, haven't you been begging your wife to work harder? What? You're refusing to admit it now that you're full?" she said, patting Zong Suyi's flat stomach and feeling the sensitive skin beneath her palm tremble.

"Don't touch me!" Zong Suyi broke free from Zhang Ting's grip, took a few steps back to get some distance away, raised her chin, tilted her head and glanced at her: "I didn't tell you to use your strength like an ox."

"Oh? How did it become the wife's fault again?"

"It's all your fault." Zong Suyi crossed her arms and found it increasingly amusing, even teasing her, "You must have been a bull in your past life."

If he's not disciplined for a day, he'll start climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles. Zhang Ting's lips curled into a half-smile, his eyes darkening as he slowly walked towards him.

Zong Suyi immediately stopped smiling and, like a mouse seeing a cat, shrugged and backed away.

The person in front of her was closing in step by step. Seeing that there was a wall behind her and nowhere to retreat, Zong Suyi's eyes flashed. She put on a gentle and pitiful look and pleaded, "My lady, I misspoke. I will never make fun of you again."

Zhang Ting seemed to accept his apology, and stopped in her tracks. "Since you know you were wrong, then I won't make things difficult for you."

Zong Suyi quickly ran around the table and headed for the door, taunting, "Zhang Manniu! You're like you haven't slept with a man in ten years!" Just as he was feeling smug, thinking he had escaped, he was grabbed and pulled into someone's arms, held tightly in their arms.

Zhang Ting whispered in his ear, "The same trick won't work after one use, my lord."

Zong Suyi felt the heat on her face and a sense of fear rose in her heart. Her body trembled violently, and she was about to beg for mercy when she heard the other party say, "Does my husband not know whether I have slept with a man or not?"

"Does he mean to question my skills? That won't do. I must properly verify them with my husband."

Zong Suyi was pulled backward by her, struggling but unable to break free. In a moment of inspiration, he said, "Wife, mistress, there is no bed in this room."

Zhang Ting let out a muffled laugh and whispered in his ear, "Have you forgotten that day in the study? All we need is a chair."

Zong Suyi choked, and in a fit of anger and embarrassment, punched her hand.

Zhang Ting plopped down in the chair behind the desk, and Zong Suyi naturally slumped onto her lap. She grabbed his chin and lifted it up, lowering her head to capture his soft, red lips, sucking, biting, and kissing them. He pushed against Zhang Ting's chest with both hands, whimpering, "No, stop messing around. It's really broken down there, and it still hurts."

She ignored him and kissed him until he was breathless before letting him go.

"Is it broken? Let me see." She reached towards his area. Zong Suyi's red lips parted slightly, he was breathing heavily, but he was completely panicked. If it happened again, wouldn't he be unable to dress for a long time? How could he face anyone!

Zong Suyi quickly grabbed Zhang Ting's hand, "Don't touch there." His face was flushed, he bit his lip and whispered, "Don't you really like my nipples? You even praised them as red as cherries." As soon as he finished speaking, his face turned as red as fire, and he buried himself in her arms in embarrassment.

How audacious! Zhang Ting laughed silently, her chest trembling.

Zong Suyi waited for a long time but no one moved. Confused, she looked up and met Zhang Ting's teasing eyes.

He pouted and shoved her hard, "Oh, you lied to me again."

Zhang Ting wasn't annoyed when she bumped into the back of the chair behind her. Instead, she grabbed his hand and tucked the stray hairs that had fallen in front of his ear. "Since you're not feeling well, how could I force you?"

Also, the Deer Cry Banquet is tomorrow, so it's really not appropriate to fool around today. *Ahem*, I won't tell Zong Suyi this reason, lest he get angry again.

Zong Suyi was pleased with Zhang Ting's thoughtfulness. He snuggled closer to her, pressing his face against hers, and smiled, "It's good that you know." He poked her back with his finger and then hugged her tightly again.

As he smiled, a hint of sadness gradually crept into his eyes. If only time could stand still at this moment.

But as the wife ascends higher and higher into the world, the noble young men from high-ranking families will surely flock to her, vying to marry her.

Zong Suyi lowered his eyes and stroked his lower abdomen in deep thought. Only if his daughter was born before his wife entered the household could his position be considered secure.

Otherwise, if he were to encounter a ruthless and righteous ruler in the future, he might never be able to have children in his life. And without children by his side, even the greatest favor would be illusory and unreal.

Oh, belly, you must live up to my expectations!

The next day, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the autumn air was crisp and refreshing.

Zong Suyi, dressed in his undergarments, helped Zhang Ting get dressed, smoothing out the wrinkles on the scholar's robe inch by inch, and took out a jade pendant with a fish carving from a box to put on her. He also had a jade pendant like that.

Zhang Ting opened her arms wide, her eyes bright and clear. "Why didn't you sleep in a little longer today?" Usually, she would get up early to practice her boxing routine before going back to wake Zong Suyi for breakfast. Today, he actually took the initiative to tidy her robes. Had the sun risen in the west?

Seeing him put the fish-carved jade pendant on his head, she wondered, "Why didn't you take the one with flowers and birds?"

Zong Suyi lowered his head and brushed the tassel on the jade pendant, saying without changing his expression, "I've worn that one too much, so today I'll try the one with the fish pattern."

Zhang Ting nodded slightly, not minding, and said, "Lord Yan has set out a banquet early, so I'll be going now. If you're hungry, just tell the kitchen to prepare a meal; if you're still sleepy, you can sleep a little longer."

"Uh-huh."

Outside, Zheng Er came to report that the carriages and horses had been prepared.

Zhang Ting squeezed her husband's hand, smiled slightly, and went straight out the door.

......

At the Deer Cry Banquet, Yan Hui led a group of scholars to their seats.

The musicians played ancient music, the sound melodious and graceful, deeply moving.

Yan Hui smiled and began by offering his greetings, saying, "You are all pillars of the nation, and I am very honored..." His gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on the student seat at the very front.

She possesses a graceful bearing and an elegant demeanor. Truly extraordinary!

He also shares her aspirations; he should be her disciple!

Yan Hui withdrew his gaze from Zhang Ting, took the wine cup handed to him by the clerk, offered wine to the founder of Confucianism, and then led the other examiners to toast the students, saying, "Now that you have all passed the imperial examination, you should uphold your virtues, study diligently, and live up to the court's cultivation."

Zhang Ting attended the meeting and led the students in returning the toast to the examiners. With a solemn expression, he said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir. We will remember it forever!"

The students repeated her words, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Your Excellency. We will remember them forever!"

Yan Hui couldn't hear the other scholars' voices; her entire focus was on Zhang Ting, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips. Everyone says her disciple, Teacher Xiao, is just like her—how similar is he to her in demeanor and bearing?

If it weren't for the presence of everyone in the hall, she would have loved to immediately help the person up and offer them comfort and praise.

The guests at the head table all said in unison, "Please, everyone, no need for formalities."

Afterwards, elegant music was played again in the center of the hall, and dancers slowly emerged to perform the Kui Xing Dance.

Yan Hui, accompanied by a minor official, approached Zhang Ting with the demeanor of a gentle elder. He hesitated, seemingly not recognizing her, and asked, "Are you Zhang Ting, the top scholar of this examination?"

Zhang Ting rose and bowed respectfully to her, "Reporting to you, sir, it is indeed your student."

Yan Hui gave a soft "Oh," her brows furrowing slightly, as if she were too busy to remember the details. After a moment's thought, she said, "I've read your policy essay; it's very well written."

She beckoned a minor official over, picked up a gold hairpin from the plate, and placed it in Zhang Ting's hair. This was a wish for Zhang Ting to achieve the third-highest rank in the imperial examination and rise through the ranks.

"The top scholar is exceptionally talented; from now on, he should always remember to cultivate himself and serve his country."

"Thank you for your guidance, sir."

Yan Hui nodded happily, then took a wine cup that was eight-tenths full and gave it to Zhang Ting. Suddenly, she noticed the jade pendant at Zhang Ting's waist. The jade pendant was extremely fine, with a clear and bright green color. Judging from its shape and shape, it should be a pair.

"You already have a wife?"

Zhang Ting was slightly surprised. "Yes, sir."

Yan Hui felt a little regretful, wondering which young master from a prominent family had such a keen eye? He had picked her so early on, but fortunately her grandson was still young, so it didn't matter.

"This student thanks Your Excellency for the wine." Zhang Ting took the wine cup, covered his face with his sleeve, and drank it all in one gulp.

What's the point of all this thank you? And thinking of the scene that night when a group of shrewish women were furious for her beauty, Yan Hui felt a sense of urgency. After a moment's thought, she said to Zhang Ting directly, "Your writing flows smoothly and is naturally perfect. I admire it very much. Would you like to study under a famous teacher?"

Zhang Ting immediately understood Yan Hui's meaning and felt a sense of unease. He bowed and politely declined, saying, "This student is unworthy; my writing and calligraphy are entirely due to my esteemed teacher's efforts."

"Master?!" Yan Hui was shocked and immediately asked, "Who is it?" Who dared to deceive her disciple first!

Zhang Ting replied, "My teacher is Zhang Shu from Huzhou Prefecture."

Yan Hui's face stiffened, her eyes filled with disbelief, and she even hesitated before asking, "Who?" After a moment, she came to her senses and her heart was filled with rage.

That old hag actually struck first! Oh my god, how outrageous!

It's like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung, a good woman marrying a clumsy husband!