Nowadays, it is said that a gentleman should not be happy with things, nor sad with himself, so even though Mu Yunchuan won the top three prizes, he acted calmly.

This year's top candidate, Song Yao, was once a praised prodigy. However, since Mu Yunchuan came, his limelight has been overshadowed. Only today has he been able to hold his head high and live up to his reputation as a prodigy.

So Song Yao tried hard to pretend to be indifferent today.

The first place student was like that, so even though Wei Shu, who got second place, was in a good mood today, he had to endure it.

Seeing the smiling faces of Shen Cui and the others, Wei Shu could finally laugh happily.

After getting on the carriage, Mu Erpang handed him tea with both hands, "Quick, County No. 2, drink some tea with me, let me smell the aroma."

The title of County No. 2 was of course made up by Mu Erpang himself. Wei Xi also had a sly smile in his eyes, "Where does our County No. 2 want to celebrate? The headmaster has spoken, and today we will follow your arrangements."

This made Wei Shu laugh so hard that he raised his hand as if to hit them. Only then did this pair of funny brothers calm down.

"If we want to celebrate, there's no need to be extravagant. We can just buy some dishes and eat them back at the academy."

Today is Wei Shu's home court, so naturally we have to listen to him.

The coachman turned around and drove the carriage to the restaurant that Wei Shu often went to.

The dishes here were expensive, so Wei Shu didn't let Chen Cui get off the car and went to order some hot dishes himself.

This also made Shen Cui feel embarrassed. She really didn't plan to save money today and specially brought all her family assets with her.

"Let him go." Wei Xi said softly, "He is a little unhappy."

The twins have their own tacit understanding. Shen Cui opened Wei Shu's data and took a look. Not to mention that his mood value was not particularly high.

She had clearly seen the results when they were announced in the morning. Wei Shu was in a very good mood at that time, so she knew he had done very well in the exam. That was why she went to see the results and then waited outside Qingzhu Academy to pick him up.

That is what happened in Qingzhu Academy.

Wei Shu didn't want to mention it, and Chen Cui didn't feel comfortable asking. Later, after buying the dishes and returning to the academy, Chen Cui kept an eye on Wei Shu's mood for a while, and seeing that his mood was getting better, she stopped worrying about him.

Wei Shu not only bought vegetables, but also bought some fruit wine, which is also drinkable by children. Mu Erpang had his first drink of wine in his life.

Good food and good wine, plus Wei Shu was able to explain the exam content in detail at this time. Mu Erpang and Wei Xi listened, and Lao Buyu gave guidance on the content of the exam. The lunch lasted from noon to dusk.

No matter how low the alcohol content of fruit wine is, it is still wine. Lao Buyu, who likes to drink a few sips every day, drinks it as water. But the three teenagers were not able to do that and finally they lay on the table and couldn't get down.

Lao Buyu didn't let Chen Cui take care of them. He carried them to the kang one by one and then took charge of looking after them.

Zhou was in charge of clearing the dishes while Shen Cui returned to the house and checked the system. The mission reward had been settled and the system showed that it was being upgraded, which could take anywhere from one month to two months. During the upgrade period, most functions can be used normally, but the main tasks will not be issued temporarily.

But just like last time, we will have to wait until the upgrade to find out what exactly has been upgraded.

The previous system was upgraded once, and a voice service was added, which provided great convenience.

Since the system upgrade can be included in the mission rewards this time, and it takes so long, it is obvious that bigger actions are needed.

[962464, what exactly is the upgrade? Can you tell me a little bit? 】Chen Cui was very curious and wanted to get some information.

Then there was no response for a long time.

Well, this update directly destroyed the voice service that she used most frequently in her daily life.

However, this also gave Shen Cui a direction. Maybe the upgraded one was 962464 itself?

Good things are still good things, but Shen Cui was not used to the fact that she suddenly lost someone she could chat with at any time.

Fortunately, her daily job now is to work as a switchboard and a tutor at the academy. Without an entertainment activity, she devotes herself to work.

After the lively celebration, the three teenagers sobered up the next day, and Wei Shu also talked to them about their next plans.

He performed well in this county examination and was feeling hot, so he prepared to take the prefectural examination in April. As for the academy examination, which came later, it was held twice in three years, and since he had just taken it the previous year, he would have to wait until next year.

This result was not unexpected to Chen Cui, and the three young men at the back whispered to each other for a while.

Their relationship gradually improved, and they had the habit of whispering to each other every day. Chen Cui usually didn't ask about the secrets between young people, so she deliberately didn't listen.

But then Mu Erpang pulled Shen Cui aside and told her the content of the conversation.

Mu Erpang said directly: "Brother Wei just asked Junior Brother when he was going to leave."

The Wei family was afraid that Wei Xi's body could not bear the pressure of the imperial examination, so they did not plan to let him go.

But the biggest lesion in his body had been removed, and without the Wei family saying anything, Wei Xi had already made his own plans for his future.

The Wei family is wealthy, but not very populous, and their business background means nothing in official circles. Only if the two brothers support each other can there be hope of reviving the family.

"What did Xiao Xi say?"

"Junior brother said that he will prepare to take the exam next year, and then take the college entrance examination with Brother Wei."

Wei Xi's talent is originally stronger than Wei Shu's. If he works hard for another year, it won't be a big problem for him to pass the examination and become a scholar.

Shen Cui nodded to show that she understood, but Mu Erpang had more to say.

He twisted his fingers and continued, "Junior brother will finish next year, and then go to the college entrance examination with Brother Wei, and then we can enter the provincial school together... From now on, I will be alone. Mother, what do you think will happen to me the year after next?"

It turns out this is what the fat son was worried about.

Yes, the system asked her to choose classmates for her fat son so that they could compete in a healthy way.

Seeing that everyone he knew was preparing for the scientific examination, Mu Erpang also felt more eager to try.

He felt a little embarrassed as he said this, scratching his head and saying, "But other people have studied for six or seven years before preparing for the examinations for Tongsheng and Xiucai, and next year I will have only studied for three years... Am I overestimating my abilities?"

In fact, there is a time gain. It is said that three years of study is roughly equivalent to six years of study. Mu Erpang didn't know this, so he was a little unsure.

"Why think so much? If you want to take the exam, it's just for practice. If you pass, that's the best. If you don't, we can just treat it as practice. Have you forgotten the motto of our academy?"

Mu Erpang thought so too. Wei Shugang had told him that this time, the candidates they would meet would not only be young men, but also young adults and even elderly people. He is young and has only been studying for a short time, so there is no need to put so much pressure on himself.

After reciting the school motto in his mind, Mu Erpang said solemnly, "Then I want to give it a try too!"

…………

Next is the time for Wei Shu to prepare for the provincial examination. During this period, those who have to take the exam later can use their free time to review their lessons without having to go to class. If they encounter any problems, they can ask the dean for advice in private.

But for some reason, every time Wei Shu sorted out his questions and went to find the headmaster, it just so happened that Song Yao was there too.

The headmaster obviously has high hopes for Song Yao, the top scorer in the county case, and hopes that Qingzhu Academy can produce another "little top three", so whenever the two meet, Wei Shu is always the one who needs to wait.

Excluding the time spent on traveling to the provincial capital, the time for preparation for the exam is actually only about a month. It is no exaggeration to say that every second counts. This happened once or twice. Although Wei Shu didn't mind waiting a little longer, it happened so many times that Song Shusheng and others, who had an increasingly good personal relationship with Wei Shu, couldn't stand it anymore.

We see each other every day in the academy, but why have I never seen Song Yao be so studious and inquisitive? I asked to the point that I wished I could occupy all of the headmaster's time.

The scholar Song who was keen on designing clothes was named Song Li. He and Song Yao were related, although they were several generations apart, but logically Song Yao should call him cousin. They were admitted together at the beginning.

A friend stood up for Wei Shu and saw that a real conflict was about to arise. As Song Yao's cousin, he wanted to settle the matter, so he went straight to Song Yao and advised: "You and Wei Shu have been classmates for many years, and you will end up together soon. There is no need to create so many problems. Isn't it better for everyone to be harmonious?"

It would have been better if he didn't say anything. If he did, Song Yao would be unhappy. He has always looked down on this cousin who was obsessed with pleasure. Now that he was in high spirits, he would be even more impolite in his words.

"It was lucky that Wei Shu got second place. If it weren't for the fact that a few people lost their minds after the hall name was given and didn't perform well, he might not even be in the top three. The headmaster is willing to guide me because he values ​​me. Why are you telling me all this, cousin? Why don't you talk to Wei Shu and let him be more self-aware and not compete with me without knowing his own limitations?"

Even though the two were relatives, Song Li was still angry after hearing this and retorted, "Asking for advice from the dean is the right of every student taking the exam. How can I compete with you? How can I overestimate my abilities? We have known each other since childhood. Don't let me guess what you are thinking. You have been suppressed by Mu Yunchuan for so many years, and now you feel proud. But no one lets you step on him to show off, so you think about the past friendship between Wei Shu and Mu Yunchuan, and take it out on him, right?"

After hearing this, Song Yao's expression suddenly became a little unnatural, and Song Li knew that he was right.

"I'm just using this as an excuse to vent, so what? Cousin, don't forget, you can't write two Song characters with one stroke, and you can't bend your elbows!"

"If you really have the ability, you should take the exam later, pass the provincial and academy exams, and then go to the provincial school to compete with the real master. How can you be called a man if you step on people who are on good terms with him?"

The two people who were talking at the beginning controlled their voices very well, but when they started arguing, one of them became louder than the other. Soon it attracted other people to watch.

How could Song Yao bear this humiliation at this moment, so he pushed Song Li.

Song Li was a tall and strong man, and he blocked the attack with his backhand without moving at all. Instead, Song Yao, who was weak as a kitten, fell down after being blocked by him.

The noise was quite loud and soon even the headmaster was alarmed.

Their cousins ​​were called over.

The news that the two had quarreled over Wei Shu spread quickly, and Wei Shu and several other students who were on good terms with him hurried to the headmaster's office to look for him.

At that time, the headmaster had already dealt with two people.

They first saw Song Yao coming out with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant. Then I saw Song Li, who was drooping in the back.

Upon asking, I found out that the dean had first said a few words to Song Yao, but only punished Song Li, saying that he was causing trouble in the academy, and suspended from classes for ten days to reflect on his mistakes, and also had to submit a self-criticism of several hundred words.

The others were even more upset. "We asked around and it was obviously Song Yao who started it. Why was you the only one punished?"

In fact, there is no need to ask, everyone knows the answer. Of course it was because Song Yao was at the peak of his popularity and was about to take the next exam.

Wei Shu still didn't say anything, but he suddenly felt a little bored and dull.