Chapter 60 Breaking the Shackles
"The leader's name is Gu Mingda!"
"Where is this Gu Mingda from?"
"I know Gu Mingda! He is from Guang'an County, and he also won the first place in the first round!"
Even though the Gu family members were standing far away from the list, they could still hear the noise coming from there.
Zhang Yunniang couldn't help but ask, "Did I hear it wrongly? I seemed to hear my husband's name?"
Liu Xiaoru pricked up her ears, quietly walked forward a few steps, and then returned with a flushed face, excitedly shouting to Zhang Yunniang and Niuniu: "They really said my brother-in-law's name. My brother-in-law is the first name, really the first name! My sister is the scholar's wife! Our Niuniu is the young lady of the scholar's family!"
If someone who didn't know the situation saw her excited look, they might think that she was the one who was going to be the scholar's wife.
Zhang Yuniang turned around and looked at Gu Mingda.
She and Gu Mingda have been married for more than ten years. She has watched Gu Mingda take the imperial examinations for so many years. No one understands the difficulties and hardships along the way better than her.
"Husband, you really passed the exam!" Zhang Yunniang said, and couldn't help but shed tears.
Perhaps Gu Mingda had been disappointed too many times, and when he suddenly realized that he had finally taken a step forward, he felt a sense of unreality, as if he was seeing flowers in the fog.
At this time, a young man with disheveled hair squeezed out of the crowd. There were several holes on his clothes and one of his shoes was missing.
But his face was full of undisguised excitement, and he shouted and jumped: "I passed the exam! I am a scholar! I am a scholar!"
As the young man was shouting, he suddenly saw Gu Mingda standing not far away from the crowd with empty eyes. He quickly stopped jumping around, stood where he was, straightened his clothes, took a few steps forward, and stopped in front of Gu Mingda.
The young man who was excited to the point of madness was none other than Zheng Qi, who had guarantored Gu Mingda for the first exam. He was also the only one of the five people in the guarantor team who passed the exam to become a scholar, besides Gu Mingda.
"Brother Gu, I passed the exam and became a scholar. Although I ranked in the top 200, which is not as good as Brother Gu who was the first, I can finally go home now and give an explanation to my parents. Over the years, they have paid for my studies, which has caused a lot of dissatisfaction among my brother and sister-in-law..."
Zheng Qi recounted the hardships he had endured studying for many years and couldn't help but shed tears.
"Even if I fail to pass the imperial examination in the future, I can still open a private school to teach to supplement the family income, and my parents won't have to suffer with me."
When Zheng Qi talked about the future, his eyes were filled with longing.
Compared with the tongsheng, the scholar had a qualitative leap. This was only the lowest level of honor, but it already had the privilege of six acres of rent-free land for a year and the privilege of not having to kneel when meeting an official.
Although outsiders call him a "poor scholar", the scholar becomes poor because he continues to take exams. If he gives up taking the exams, he can find a good job anyway and ensure that his family has enough food and clothing.
Zheng Qi's appearance at this moment was almost a microcosm of all the people who passed the examination and became scholars present.
Although Gu Mingda won the first place, he was not too happy in his heart. Although years of frustration did not defeat him, they made him fall into a certain ideological dead end.
On the one hand, I was unwilling to give up the scientific examination, but on the other hand, I had a vague feeling that I would fail in the end and get nothing.
When he finally passed the examination and became a scholar, he felt as if the high wall that had been built in front of him and imprisoned him for many years suddenly collapsed. He finally broke free from the shackles and the invisible chains, and could take a step forward to face a more complicated future.
Zheng Qi might give up on continuing to take the exam, but Gu Mingda is already very determined.
He had never been as aware of his ambitions as he was at this moment. He loved his family and wanted to accompany his wife and witness the growth of his children, but he also wanted to go to the capital, to realize his ambitions and to take them to see a broader future.
Gu Mingda turned around and looked behind him.
The two little kids, Gu Zhao and Niu Niu, were shouting with excitement at this moment.
"Daddy is number one, Daddy is number one!"
Gu Mingda did not release his crazy energy, but his two children did.
"It's windy, let's go back first." Gu Mingda said softly to his wife.
Zhang Yunniang was stunned and asked, "Aren't you going to get together with them?"
My husband passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. Logically, I should get together with other candidates who also passed the imperial examination to strengthen their relationships.
Gu Mingda shook his head and said, "Rather than bragging and drinking with them, I would rather go back and accompany you. At the very least, it would be good to read a few more pages of books."
When Zheng Qi heard this, he suddenly gave up the idea of inviting everyone to drink and celebrate. The top students had to go back to school, so what reason did he, a little scholar at the bottom of the ranking, have not to work hard?
Zheng Qi immediately bowed and said goodbye, and did not accept any invitations from other scholars. He quickly returned to his residence to continue studying hard.
Some are happy while others are sad. Gu Mingda passed the exam, but Wang Yaozu failed.
Perhaps it was the divorce with Liu Xiaoru before the exam that seriously affected his mentality. Wang Yaozu, who should have been admitted last, was in a state of anxiety throughout the test. He barely made it to the second test, but was miserably eliminated. He searched for his name on the list at the gate of the yamen again and again, but could not find it.
"Impossible, impossible, I should be able to pass the exam, I should be able to pass the exam..." Wang Yaozu muttered to himself.
His distraught look attracted ridicule from a scholar sitting next to him who had also failed the exam.
"You think you should be able to pass the exam, and I also think I should be able to pass the exam! Why don't you say that the examiner is your father? You can do whatever you want!"
When Wang Yaozu heard this, he was furious and couldn't help wanting to refute. But when he looked up, he saw that the mocking scholar was surprisingly strong, nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a strong body.
He couldn't even beat Liu Xiaoru, so he probably couldn't beat the tough scholar in front of him. He could only look at him angrily and leave in shame.
When the Gu family returned to the house, the yard was empty, with hardly any people around. It was obvious that most people were still watching the fun at the list.
Even Mrs. Qian was not at home at this time. She took her little grandson and went somewhere unknown.
In this situation, any movement in the yard seems extremely noisy.
"Where did you get the silk flower on your head? Tell me, tell me! Did a wild man outside give it to you? You are such a fickle bitch!"
Zhang Guangzong cursed very dirty and loudly.
Zhang Yuniang quickly covered Niu Niu's ears, but Gu Mingda was a step slower and turned around to cover Gu Zhao's ears.
Gu Yan was already very skilled at lowering his head and covering his ears, and didn't need his parents to remind him at all.
However, Liu Xiaoru, the sixth member of the Gu family, opened her big eyes and walked towards the backyard quickly and lightly.
Niu Niu arched her little body towards the backyard, obviously wanting to follow Liu Xiaoru.
Zhang Yunniang found it funny and said, "Some of the excitement is not for children to watch."
Niuniu immediately tilted her head and asked innocently, "If children can't watch it, then can older children like the eldest and third brothers watch it?"
Second update
(End of this chapter)
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