Chapter 126 [VIP]

We should have visited Old Lu's family during the Spring Festival, but they returned too late and rushed to the county town after the holiday, so we never had the chance.

Now that I'm back, I naturally have to visit him and ask about the experiences of Master Lu's disciple, Liu Changyi, in the prefectural and provincial examinations.

The day the three of them arrived happened to be a day off, and Old Lu was resting at home.

When the doorman came to report, the old man immediately stood up and said, "Quickly let them in."

Before long, the three of them entered the house carrying gifts. The items weren't particularly valuable. Old Master Lu didn't stand on ceremony and grabbed Chen Qingyan's arm, asking, "Where's your master?"

"My master went to Changting County to stay with his son for a few days. He should be back before the prefectural examination."

"Oh, I remember now, Liang Shuo is the magistrate of Changting County, right?"

"Yes."

"Come inside quickly, how did you do on the county exam this time?"

Chen Qingyan said, "As expected, all three of us passed the exam."

Chen Qingsong added, "My elder brother is also the top scholar in the county!"

"Excellent! I knew Boqing's judgment was right. Prepare well for the prefectural examination, and you can come to the prefectural school to study after the prefectural and academy examinations are over."

"That's what we were thinking too. We also wanted to visit Brother Changyi and ask him about the prefectural examination. We don't know if he's home yet."

“He’s definitely at home. This kid doesn’t like to go out even on his days off. His father was complaining to me a few days ago, saying that his son has become stupid from studying too much and doesn’t make any friends. You guys should go and see him so his father won’t worry.”

"good."

After bidding farewell to Old Lu, the three went straight to Liu's house. Liu Changyi had taken them there twice before when they came to the prefectural city, and all three remembered the way.

The Liu family lived on Zhengtong Street in the north of the city. Liu Changyi's father only held a minor seventh-rank official position in the government office, but being able to live on this street meant that they were not an ordinary family.

I've heard that his uncle is a favorite of the current emperor, holding the second-rank position of Minister of Personnel and concurrently serving as a Grand Councilor. Therefore, the Liu family has risen in status and become quite famous in Jizhou Prefecture.

However, Liu Changyi's parents were not aloof people. Uncle Liu was not good with words but had a gentle personality, while Aunt Liu had a fiery personality but was very generous and warm-hearted.

Every time they visited, it was like visiting relatives. Aunt Liu treated them like family, preparing plenty of food and even packing a basket for them to take home before they left.

On the way, Chen Qingsong swallowed hard and said, "I still remember how delicious Aunt Liu's crystal pork knuckle was."

Chen Qinghuai flicked his head, "Don't say that when you get there, or people will laugh at you."

Chen Qingsong stuck out his tongue. "How could I dare? I was just telling you guys."

Upon arriving at the Liu family's gate, Chen Qingyan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a short while, the gatekeeper opened the side gate and was taken aback when he saw the three of them. "You must be the three young masters of the Chen family?"

"Yes, they still remember us."

"I remember, I remember. Our young master always talks about you. Gentlemen, please wait a moment, I will go in and report right away."

Soon after, the sound of running footsteps came from inside the courtyard: "Brother Qingyan, Qinghuai, Qingsong!"

The door opened, and Liu Changyi ran out wearing only a thin shirt.

The group hugged each other happily. "It's been more than half a year since we last met. I hope my brothers in Changyi are doing well."

"It's fine, come inside quickly. My mom just fried some sugar balls, they're best eaten while they're hot!"

The four of them entered the house hand in hand. Just then, Madam Liu came over with a tray. She was taken aback when she saw Chen Qingyan and the others, but immediately smiled and said, "I remember you. Changyi brought you here last year."

The three bowed respectfully to greet him.

Madam Liu waved her hand and said, "No need for so much formality. Please sit down and try my fried sugar balls."

After washing their hands, the three sat down and picked up a few pieces with their chopsticks to taste.

"Be careful, the sugar inside is a bit hot, don't burn your tongue. There's also honeysuckle tea on the table, which can help cut through the richness."

Chen Qingsong loves sweets. After eating one, he praised, "Mmm, Auntie's is really delicious! The outer layer is crispy, and the inside is soft and chewy. The amount of sugar is just right. Any more would be too sweet, and any less would be tasteless."

Madam Liu beamed from ear to ear, "Eat as much as you like, there's more in the kitchen after you're done!"

After chatting for a bit, Madam Liu went to the kitchen, and everyone relaxed.

Liu Changyi asked, "When did you get back?"

"I only managed to get back on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month before the Lunar New Year."

"Then why did it take you so long to come find me after you got back!"

Chen Qinghuai explained, "Brother Changyi, please don't be offended. We came back in a hurry. After the New Year, we started packing to go back to our hometown to take the county examination. After the county examination, we went to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors. We just returned to the prefectural city two days ago."

"Oh, no wonder, you all passed the county-level examination."

The three nodded in unison.

"Let me guess who's the top scholar." Liu Changyi's gaze swept back and forth between Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai, and finally said, "It should be Brother Chen who took the top spot."

"Wow, Brother Changyi, you guessed right!" Chen Qingsong exclaimed, sucking on the candy on his finger.

"Back when we were at the prefectural school, the teacher said that Brother Qingyan's articles were more practical, while Brother Qinghuai's articles were more elegant. I heard that the policy question for this year's Jizhou county examination was on river defense strategies, so I knew that Brother Qingyan would definitely be better."

"What about me? Did Old Lu say anything about me?"

"The teacher said your handwriting is beautiful, even better than mine."

Chen Qingsong scratched his head and chuckled; he did indeed think his handwriting was beautiful.

Chen Qingyan said, "The prefectural examination is coming soon, and none of the three of us have much experience, so we came here specifically to ask you for advice."

"The prefectural examination is similar to the county examination, but you need to find a guarantor in advance. That's easy to do; just get a few people from the prefectural school to help. It's already mid-March, so you need to hurry up and register, otherwise the deadline will be at the end of the month."

Chen Qingyan said, "This year, Qinghuai and I will participate in the prefectural examination. Qingsong is still young, so it's not too late to wait."

Liu Changyi patted his chest and said, "You don't need to worry about the imperial examination. I'll find someone for you, and we can go to school together after the prefectural examination."

"Thank you, Brother Changyi."

"Oh, that's too formal. I haven't even asked where you all live now. I'll come over and study with you when I have a day off."

Chen Qingyan couldn't really say where they lived. They hadn't stayed long enough to even ask what the alley was called, so he could only leave the name of his own vegetable shop.

“Wang’s Restaurant on Zhengyang Street is run by my husband. If you go there and ask, he will tell you where our alley is.”

"Wang Family Restaurant?" Liu Changyi exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

“My mother has mentioned it several times, saying that this vegetable shop suddenly closed down and that we wouldn’t be able to buy fresh vegetables after the New Year. I thought it had closed down, but I never expected it was your family that ran it!”

“We’ve all gone back to our hometown, so we closed the shop. We should be back soon and open soon. Auntie, please feel free to pick out any dishes you like.”

"Then I'll have to tell my mother."

After discussing the county examination, they talked about Yangzhou. Liu Changyi had never traveled far from home; the farthest he had ever been was when his eldest and second eldest sisters got married, and he went to the capital to escort them. Therefore, he had a special longing for Jiangnan.

Chen Qinghuai then carefully told him about the scenery of Jiangnan and the experiences of the three of them on this trip.

Liu Changyi shook his head and sighed from time to time, "If only I could go with you!"

However, his parents would definitely not agree. It was such a long journey, and it would take more than half a year. If they encountered danger along the way, they didn't know if they would come back alive. Therefore, he admired the three Chen brothers from the bottom of his heart.

After listening to Chen Qinghuai's account, he also told the three of them about what had happened at the prefectural school in the past six months.

Do you remember that poetry gathering?

The three nodded; it was their first time attending such a large-scale poetry gathering, and the memory remained vivid.

"After the poetry gathering, your poems spread and many people rushed to read them, making you famous in the academy! In particular, your poem 'Untitled' has almost become a poem that students use to express their love."

Chen Qingyan's cheeks flushed as he listened. He hadn't even shown the poem to Wang Ying, fearing she would laugh at him after reading it.

"And Fang Wenke, after he went back, he kept telling others that he didn't believe that these poems were written by you, and that they must have been prepared in advance with guidance from Elder Liang."

Liu Changyi had argued with him privately several times about this, but the other party, out of respect for his status, outwardly agreed not to speak carelessly, but behind his back still belittled the Chen brothers. From then on, Liu Changyi rarely associated with them.

Liu Changyi was a bit introverted and rarely opened up to others. It was only through Lu Lao's connection that he became acquainted with the Chen brothers and they became good friends.

Since they left, Liu Changyi has never brought anyone to his house again. His father felt that his son was withdrawn and had no friends, so he went to Old Lu to complain.

Around noon, Madam Liu warmly invited them to lunch, and they couldn't refuse her hospitality. Coincidentally, Liu Changyi's father also returned from work, so they had lunch together.

Lord Liu was a gentle man who spoke slowly and softly, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze. After inquiring about the three men's situation and learning that they had finished the county examination and were preparing for the prefectural examination, he gave them detailed instructions like a family elder.

Before they left, Aunt Liu gave them a lot of food. Knowing that Chen Qingyan was married and had a two-year-old son, she said, "Next time you come, bring your child along to play."

"My son is too naughty, I'm afraid he'll cause you trouble if he comes."

"Kids are lovable because they're mischievous. Remember to bring them next time."

Mrs. Liu loved children, but unfortunately her son's marriage was not going well, and she had never been able to hold her grandson.

Liu Changyi and Chen Qinghuai are the same age, and he is already eighteen this year. In ancient times, men of this age were basically engaged, and those who married early had become fathers.

Liu Changyi had already arranged a marriage with the girl, who was the daughter of the former prefect of Jizhou. She was three years younger than him, and the two families planned to get engaged last autumn and get married this spring.

However, plans don't always go as expected. Due to flooding, the prefect was demoted to Liuzhou, and his entire family went there with him.

The Liu family thought that being demoted was not a big deal. Since the marriage had been arranged, there was no reason to break the agreement halfway. They planned to marry the girl after the couple had settled down.

Unexpectedly, the girl fell ill and died while traveling south.

When Madam Liu received the letter, she secretly shed tears. It was a pity that the girl had left at such a young age. If she had insisted on keeping her back then, the two of them would be married now.

Liu Changyi has two older sisters who are married and living in the capital. They rarely come back, and he can't see his grandchildren. He can only amuse himself by playing with other people's children.

After everyone left, Master Liu said, "These three children are quite pleasing to my eye. They speak and act properly, unlike those from the countryside."

Liu Changyi exclaimed, "Because their master is Liang Liufang, naturally they can't be like ordinary people!"

Mr. Liu shook his head. "Learning can be taught, but family upbringing cannot. I suppose their family has a very upright character, which is why they raised such a child. I wonder if they have a daughter. If she's around the same age, it would be a good match..."

A note from the author: