Qiao Lian'er said to the Qiao family, "Tomorrow, when the person delivering the results arrives, that will be a truly satisfying slap in the face."
Everyone agreed.
Even if he is right now, there will still be people who raise questions. The biggest objection will probably come from the Mu family, who might even accuse Mu Xinghe of lying about his achievements in order to gain everyone's praise.
It would be better to present the evidence directly.
Moreover, it's not good to announce such things in advance. Before the list of successful candidates is in hand, things might change. It's best to keep a low profile for now; that's the prudent thing for a scholar.
Mu Xingyue held Mu Xinghe's hand, looked up at him and asked, "Brother, did you pass the exam?"
"We got it." Mu Xinghe was now very calm and pinched his sister's cheek.
"From now on, Xingyue will have a good life and won't have to worry about anything in this lifetime." She'll also be able to marry into a good family.
"Brother is so amazing!" Qiao Xingyue was overjoyed. She was only a few years old and didn't quite understand the meaning of the imperial examination, but she knew that as long as she passed, she wouldn't have to worry about life and could even become an official.
The Qiao family was filled with excitement and resentment; they had finally waited for this moment.
When Mu Xinghe brought up the marriage proposal with Qiao Xier, Qiao Lian'er mentioned the matter of finding a son-in-law after the imperial examination results were announced, which startled the Qiao family.
When someone passed the provincial examination, officials would wait under the list of successful candidates. If someone passed the metropolitan examination, what would happen?
"We need to get this done quickly, the sooner the better, so that our Xinghe doesn't become a target for others. These days, Xinghe is a hot commodity." Old Man Qiao quickly got up: "I'll go find Zhao Laosi to choose an auspicious date."
The date was quickly set, just ten days from now.
When Old Man Qiao returned home, he encountered Shen Liang.
Shen Liang was reading a book on the road when he pretended to bump into Old Man Qiao by accident.
"Grandpa Qiao, I heard Mu Xinghe is back. I wonder how he did on the exam?" Shen Liang asked.
Although he no longer had the intention to oppose the Qiao family, he did not wish Qiao Xi'er well.
He also didn't want her to marry a man who was better than him.
If Mu Xinghe had remained a mere scholar, that wouldn't have been any great thing, and he might even have been worse off than Mu Xinghe.
Old Man Qiao put on a stern face: "Shen Liang, focus on your own affairs and don't meddle in other people's business. Even if Mu Xinghe doesn't pass the exam, the Qiao family will not let the couple live poorly."
Shen Liang's expression darkened, and he fell silent.
As Old Man Qiao walked, he scoffed to himself, "Some people become docile not because they've truly become kind, but because they know they don't have the ability to be so."
Although neither of them were good people, the Shen family's choice was still much smarter than the Song family's.
The Qiao family began preparations in earnest, and when the villagers heard the news, they speculated that Mu Xinghe had probably won.
The Mu family scoffed, "That's what the Qiao family said: after the exam, regardless of whether they pass or fail, they'll arrange a marriage for them. The Qiao family must be kicking themselves."
The next day at dusk, a large group of people entered Datian Village, beating drums and gongs. Red cloth was wrapped around the horses' heads, the drums and gongs, and the clubs. The number of people was three times that of the last group that came to report Mu Xinghe's success in the imperial examination. It was quite a spectacular sight.
"There's good news in our village again!" the villagers exclaimed in surprise.
"Could it be the Milky Way?"
Mu Laosan said sarcastically, "They're going to another village, aren't they? Just wait and see."
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