Chapter 72
After the last list was posted, the official turned and went into the government office. The soldiers no longer stopped him, and the students who were waiting to see the list swarmed forward.
Everyone is already impatient.
The black and white words on the paper were particularly eye-catching. Everyone struggled forward, while some people were squeezed in the middle and unable to move, shouting and yelling, showing none of their usual scholarly demeanor.
"Don't push me, I'll leave after I'm done watching."
"Brother Liu, Brother Liu, your name is here. Congratulations, Brother Liu."
"Mine, mine! I passed! This is my fifth time taking the exam! God bless me, Buddha bless me!"
Yingxiang stood not far away, and seeing this scene, the picture described in the book was now being presented in reality. Looking at these students, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
"I passed the exam! I passed the exam! I..."
After finally squeezing in and looking at the list, a man who looked quite old shouted a few times, and in his excitement, he fainted. He was quickly carried out by the soldiers guarding nearby.
He had anticipated this, so he wasn't too excited. He joined the crowded throng, while most people left disappointed.
The students have studied hard for many years, and their success or failure depends on this day. Wen Shi remained calm and composed, slowly approaching the list.
The exam is held every three years, and the number of places varies from place to place. There are many counties under the prefecture city, and many scholars take the exam every year, but only about a hundred people can pass.
The notice on the list clearly states the names, household registration, and other information of those who passed the exam. Among them are people with the same name, so writing down the specific household registration information is to distinguish individuals.
Before I knew it, the sound was getting closer and closer.
"Brother Wen."
A familiar voice came from the side. Wen Shi glanced to the side and found that it was his classmate from the prefectural city. The two were not from the same county, but they had a good relationship.
This man is named Tang Yu. He is handsome and a gentleman, with excellent character and talent.
"Brother Tang."
"I didn't expect to see Brother Wen here. I thought you had already gone back."
"My home is far away, so I'm thinking of waiting a bit. If it doesn't work out, I'll have to go back to continue my studies."
Tang Yu nodded. He had also been praised by his teacher and was confident in himself. In his eyes, Wen Shi was also a good person, neither arrogant nor impatient.
As the two drew closer to the list, Wen Shi could already vaguely see the names on it, and he subconsciously clenched his hands.
After arriving at the first row, Wen Shi began to look at the list. He stood in front of the notice board with a focused expression. He was tall, handsome, and had a dignified demeanor, so he was quite eye-catching.
Starting from the first row of the first picture, Wen Shi took a breath. There were only five pictures on the list. When he saw the fourth picture, he was in the middle of the list.
He saw his own name. Just in case it was someone with the same name, Wen Shi looked at the household registration address behind him. In their county and their village, he was the only one named Wen Shi, and he was a scholar.
That's him; he passed the exam.
At that moment, Wen Shi almost burst into tears of joy.
Brother Wen, did you pass the exam?
Even though he is usually calm, dignified and self-possessed, Wen Shi couldn't help but smile at this moment. Tang Yu glanced at Wen Shi.
Wen Shi nodded.
Congratulations!
The students nearby, who were looking at their own names, immediately congratulated Wen Shi upon hearing the news. They were all scholars and knew how difficult it was to pass the exam.
Thank you.
"Brother Wen, congratulations!"
Tang Yu hadn't finished looking at the list yet, and his feelings were suddenly complicated. There was only one list left, and he was most likely to have failed, while Wen Shi had passed.
We studied together for two years, so we have some friendship. We might meet again in the officialdom in the future, so we should be more respectable.
"Thank you very much, Brother Tang."
"It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now."
Tang Yu nodded and then turned to look at the last list.
Yingxiang stood with her child under the eaves of a house not far away. When she saw Wen Shi approaching, she instinctively became nervous.
Originally, I was about to walk over with the child when suddenly a chubby rich man appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed Wen Shi's sleeve and had a very bright smile on his face.
“I have a young daughter, fifteen years old. I wonder if you are willing to marry her? If you are willing to marry my daughter, I am willing to give her five shops and two hundred acres of fertile land in the suburbs.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Shi's face darkened, and he immediately pulled his sleeve back.
“I am married and have children.”
Upon hearing this, the man sighed repeatedly, saying, "What a pity, what a pity."
Yingxiang walked over at this moment.
"What's that man doing? Trying to find a son-in-law through the imperial examination?"
Yingxiang said jokingly, but she felt it was pretty much true. Seeing Wenshi's current appearance, she knew he had definitely refused.
"It's no use thinking about it, I have a wife and children."
Wen Shi picked up his son, looked at his wife with a solemn expression, then changed his expression and looked at Yingxiang with a happy expression.
"My wife, I passed the exam."
"Great, really great."
Yingxiang was also happy for her husband; this was truly a joyous occasion, and their future would only get better and better.
"Let's pack our things immediately and go to Songshan Mansion first. I want to thank the gentleman and give him a gift. After that, we need to hurry home."
The news will get back sooner or later, but it is more important to thank the teacher as soon as possible. If it weren't for the teacher's all-out teaching these days, he probably wouldn't know how many more years would have passed.
After returning home, he still needed to discipline and give his family a talking-to. After that, he also had to prepare for next year's imperial examination, which was the provincial examination.
Yingxiang nodded and followed him back to the inn.
This time, Wen Shi directly rented a carriage for convenience, even though it was a bit more expensive, because time was of the essence.
The list has been released. If the government officials set off today, they can quickly spread the news to the county, the town, and even the village.
He wasn't the first person in their county to pass the imperial examinations, but he was the only one in the town and village, which was sure to cause a sensation.
Wen Shi was prepared for high school, and naturally, he was also prepared for failure. He knew his shortcomings, but he was already very fortunate to have passed. In terms of time, he knew he wouldn't have time to go back.
However, he knew his family members fairly well; the honest ones wouldn't cause any trouble. The only one he couldn't control was his older brother, but fortunately, his parents didn't value him much right now, so overall, he wasn't too worried.
The two hurried to Songshan Prefecture and immediately went to buy all sorts of gifts. When Wen Shi asked earlier, Yingxiang took the time to gather up all the money he had left. The two did not live a luxurious and wasteful life, and they would not buy things that were not necessary.
All of these add up to quite a bit, besides the income from his land sales, it's all given to him by Old Man Wen.
She took out all the money and gave it to Wen Shi. If it wasn't enough, she could add more. But if she rashly took out all the money, she would have to think of a reason to explain it to Wen Shi, and she couldn't think of one for the time being.
When Wen Shi thought of his teacher, he prepared a thank-you gift for his teacher. In addition to the usual wine and meat, he also bought some better tea and other items, making a total of eight gifts.
"My wife, let's go together."
Yingxiang was helping to tidy up when she heard this and was taken aback. Then she looked at the children playing in the yard.
“Take him with you.”
Wen Shi insisted, so Yingxiang went inside to change her clothes. She changed into a more formal outfit. Even though it was still a bit hot, she didn't wear a traditional Chinese dress, but instead wore a red shirt and skirt, which made her look dignified and elegant.
After a simple makeover, she changed her son's clothes, and the family of three set off.
At this moment, the gentleman was unaware of the situation, but when he heard the servant at the door say that Wen Shi had brought his family to present gifts to the teacher, a smile immediately appeared on his face.
It seems they won. That's great! Judging by the time, Wen Shi must have rushed back as fast as he could and came over immediately. He's a good kid.
"Let them in and tell the lady that we have guests and that she should treat them well."
"yes."
Upon hearing this, the butler immediately went out.
This was Yingxiang's first time entering such a large mansion. Holding her child's hand, she was still a little nervous as she stepped over the threshold and walked inside.
He and Wen Shi went to the front yard and the back yard, respectively. Seeing that his parents were about to separate, the child suddenly cried out, seemingly a little unhappy.
Yingxiang immediately covered his mouth. This was not a place to cause trouble. The person leading her was a kind old woman. Right now, this place looked like a garden, with all kinds of bright flowers everywhere, butterflies fluttering around, and even artificial hills and streams in the distance. Although they were all man-made, they were really beautiful.
No one dislikes a grand and beautiful mansion. Yingxiang picked up the child and gave him a warning look.
“Mrs. Wen, come this way.”
The old woman who led her in was very kind from beginning to end and didn't say anything. After passing through a series of long corridors, Yingxiang followed her and finally arrived at the main house in the backyard.
The woman sitting in the main seat was over fifty years old. Her hair was half-gray, she was dressed simply, and she looked kind and gentle.
Yingxiang immediately noticed the white jade bracelet on her hand. She had one too, which she had received from signing in before and had been wearing ever since. It wasn't a rare treasure, but she thought it had a good meaning.
"Greetings, Madam."
Yingxiang was very polite, and it was unusual for her to bring a child, but there was no one at home to look after the child.
"Please sit down, don't be shy."
Madam Huang spoke kindly, a smile on her face. She looked at Yingxiang and noticed that Yingxiang was dressed appropriately, especially the white jade bracelet on her wrist. Then she looked at her own bracelet and her smile deepened.
"Congratulations to Madam Wen on the success of the scholar's exam."
"Thank you, Madam."
Yingxiang first exchanged polite greetings with her. She naturally knew why Wenshi had asked her to come over. In the future, she would inevitably have to socialize and interact with people, so she had to learn how to do it.
How old is this child?
The old lady's eyes fell on the chubby baby in her arms.
"Not even two years old."
While they were talking, the maidservant served Yingxiang a cup of flower tea.
"She's really good-looking, a blessed child at first glance. I always like to make some flower tea when I have nothing to do. Madam Wen, please have a taste."
Yingxiang picked up the teacup and took a small sip. The taste was very sweet. She was a little reserved and nervous, but she tried her best to calm herself down and act naturally. She just sat there, not wanting to leave anyone outside.
The person in front of her didn't seem like the kind of person who would fawn over the powerful and look down on a peasant woman like her.
Based on what I had told her before, this old lady had also suffered hardships, so she certainly wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for me.
"It tastes good."
"From now on, your lives will gradually get better. As husband and wife, you share the same fate, and you share the same fate. Wen Xuezi has studied hard for many years and now it has paid off. You have also made it through. From now on, you will have good days ahead."
When Madam Huang said this, it sounded more like an elder giving advice to a younger person. Yingxiang nodded solemnly upon hearing this.
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