Shaxian County Government Office.
"Dad." Yuanbao was sitting on the autumn bar, swinging around a bit bored. When he saw Lu Lin, he jumped off the bar.
"You're all alone?" Lu Lin was slightly surprised to see Yuanbao swinging alone on the swing. Yuanbao usually hung out with Xiaomai. The two were inseparable, their relationship was incredibly close.
"Uncle is reading." Yuanbao puffed out his cheeks, looking a little annoyed, like a chipmunk.
Looking at Yuanbao's chubby face, Lu Lin really wanted to reach out and pinch it.
Lu Lin: "..." Reading is really amazing. He originally thought that Xiaomai's enthusiasm for reading was just a passing fad, but it's been so long and her passion for reading hasn't waned at all.
"Did your uncle receive another letter?"
Yuanbao nodded and said, "Yes! Dad, how did you know?"
Lu Lin: "..." Because every time Xiaomai receives a letter, she will have a period of unprecedented enthusiasm for learning to write, but after a few days she will become lazy again. This has been repeated several times.
Yuanbao looked at Lu Lin and said sullenly, "Uncle said that there's a guy named Brother Ji who's going to take the imperial examination soon. Dad, do you know what the imperial examination is?"
Lu Lin: "...There's someone called Brother Ji? Yuanbao used to be quite close to Ji Yun'an, but he was too young. Kids forget things easily, and he forgot about him after a few years." Autumn examination is the same as the imperial examination.
"Exams? What's the use of passing them?" Yuanbao asked, biting his finger.
“If you pass the exam, you can become an official,” Lu Lin said.
Yuanbao's eyes widened. "Does passing the exam guarantee an official position? Father, you took the imperial examination back then, did you pass?"
Lu Lin gave a dry laugh. He didn't have time for exams!
"No, your father bought his official position with money."
Yuanbao tilted his head, blinked, and said, "Dad, this is considered getting something for nothing."
Lu Lin: "..." What a joke! Money doesn't need to be earned through hard work, where is there any such thing as getting something for nothing? "You don't understand, do you? If you have money, you don't need to study."
Yuanbao blinked and said, "Then I also need to work hard to earn money. Studying is such a hassle."
Lu Lin: "..." His own son is obviously a poor student. Luckily, there is no college entrance examination in this place.
Lu Lin rubbed Yuanbao's head and said, "Well, when you're a little older, you can start your own business."
Yuanbao clapped his hands and said, "I want to be like my second uncle, opening many shops so I can eat at whichever one I want, and the food won't cost me anything."
Lu Lin: "..." Does Bao want to make money or eat a big meal? "If you like eating big meals so much, be careful you don't turn into a little fat pig."
Yuanbao blushed and said, "Daddy, you're so annoying."
Yuanbao turned around and ran away with a thud. Lu Lin put his hands on his hips and watched Yuanbao leave, thinking to himself: Yuanbao seems to have grown up a bit and knows how to be vain now.
Chen Xiaomi came out, looking helpless, and said, "What kind of nonsense have you been feeding Yuanbao this time?"
Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiaomi and said, "Don't overthink it. I'll tell him my experience, which will save him a lot of trouble."
Chen Xiaomi: "..."
"I wonder if Ji Yun'an will pass the autumn imperial examination," Chen Xiaomi murmured.
Lu Lin shrugged and said, "He probably won't pass the exam. How old is he? I guess he's just going to try it out and gain some experience."
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "That makes sense."
Lu Lin smiled. Many people in this place are very persistent about taking exams, and the probability of fathers and sons taking the exam together is also very high. Many people take the exam until they are seventy or eighty years old, and they still persevere. Previously, there was a candidate who passed the imperial examination at the age of eighty-two, which caused quite a stir.
This person passed the exam and waited for a vacancy, but he died before it came. He had gone through so much trouble to finally become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), only to pass away without ever holding office. It's truly pitiful. Of course, at least this person passed. There were also those who kept taking the exam until they died of old age without ever passing. There was even a candidate who was already a great-grandfather. When his grandson and great-grandson took the exam, he also took it. His son and grandson advised him to stop and rest. However, people with obsessive-compulsive tendencies can't resist. Even at his age, he still had dreams. But, in many things, having dreams alone isn't enough. In the end, this person didn't pass the exam.
Yuanbao looked at Lu Lin and said, "Uncle said that Brother Ji will pass the exam."
Lu Lin: "...Xiaomai seems to have a lot of confidence in Ji Yun'an. What your uncle said might not be accurate." Lu Lin said sourly.
Yuanbao tilted his head and said, "But my uncle said that Brother Ji is very smart."
Lu Lin: "..." This guy Xiaomai is bewitched! He has so much confidence in Ji Yun'an.
Lu Lin rubbed his chin, thinking to himself: Ji Yun'an is going to participate in the autumn examination, and it seems that Lu Chengyu is also going to participate. I heard from Chen Xiaocai when she came back last time that Lu Chengyu seems to have been staying at the academy and studying very hard. I wonder if he can pass the exam this time. Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, several months have passed.
Chen Xiaocai's hot spring hotel, after several months of construction, is beginning to take shape.
Because the hot spring is located in a remote mountain area, the project was far more difficult than Chen Xiaolai had anticipated, and the budget had also greatly exceeded expectations. Chen Xiaolai had already spent several hundred taels of silver on this project. The unique geographical conditions of the mountainous area made construction extremely difficult.
Chen Xiaocai often went into the mountains to watch the hot spring hotel gradually take shape.
A number of wealthy young men arrived in Shaxian one after another. After their arrival, they stayed in the best restaurants in Shaxian and ate the most expensive food in Shaxian. They refused to eat anything that wasn't expensive. This allowed Chen Xiaocai to make a fortune. Several disciples of the Gao family sat in the restaurant and talked loudly.
As Gao Heng held the position of prime minister in the court, the status of the Gao family's disciples also rose accordingly.
Although Gao Heng holds an extremely high position in the court, there are many outstanding talents among the direct descendants of the Gao family. With Gao Heng's protection, these people can rise rapidly in rank as long as they pass the imperial examination.
It is not easy for the collateral descendants of the Gao family to rise to prominence.
There are too many members of the Gao family. The Prime Minister is already overwhelmed with taking care of his own direct descendants, so naturally he doesn't have much time to look after these collateral descendants. However, no matter what, being associated with the Gao family makes it easier for these people to rise to prominence than for others.
Because the Liao Kingdom was willing to negotiate peace, several collateral descendants of the Gao family came to Shaxian to investigate the situation and look for opportunities to rise in the ranks.
"This hot pot is really a wonderful thing!"
"Yes! After eating in Shaxian, the prince has been longing for the local delicacies ever since."
"It is said that the Prince's Mansion also has this, but unfortunately, the Prince cherishes it and does not bring it out. Only those who are occasionally invited to the Prince's Mansion can eat it."
The prince was very proud of hot pot, and the hot pot at his residence was famous in the capital. It is said that even the emperor once visited the residence incognito and ate there.
"I never expected that such a small place like Shaxian would have so many good things." Gao Yuan glanced at a child sitting in a high chair next to him and thought to himself: This store actually has such good things; the design is really user-friendly.
"It is said that this shop is run by the brother-in-law of the magistrate of Sha County. That magistrate is quite a capable man."
"That Lu Lin? It seems he's the one who got the handcart. It's quite useful. However, our magistrate here bought his position and doesn't seem to know many characters."
The disciples of prominent families in Kyoto mostly start studying at a young age, and they both envy and despise people like Lu Lin.
For Lu Lin, it didn't matter what impression the people from Kyoto had of him; what mattered was that these people were willing to spend money.
The prices in many shops in Shaxian County are still a bit high, and locals can't really afford them.
Recently, due to the influx of a large number of outsiders into Shaxian County, Chen Xiaocai has specially launched some "limited-edition high-end" delicacies. He can make more money from this, while these outsiders can spend more money to satisfy their vanity of spending lavishly.
What is extremely expensive in the eyes of many villagers in Shaxian is nothing more than cabbage to people from Kyoto.
When Lu Lin returned home, he found the atmosphere at home to be somewhat unusual.
Lu Lin was startled when he saw the person who suddenly appeared in his home.
Ji Yun'an smiled at Lu Lin and gave a half bow, "Lord Lu, it's been a long time."
Lu Lin asked, somewhat surprised, "What are you doing here?"
Ji Yun'an smiled and said, "I'm here to study abroad."
Lu Lin: "..." What is Ji Yun'an thinking, coming here to study abroad? A tempting aroma wafted into his nose, and Lu Lin saw a table full of various dishes.
"Wow, so many dishes!" Lu Lin couldn't help but exclaim.
Ji Yun'an nodded and said, "Yes, Xiaomai made it for me."
Lu Lin: "..." Xiaomai loves to cook, but this guy only cooks when he's in a good mood. When he's in a good mood, he'll cook a whole table of dishes. When he's in a bad mood, he won't cook anything. Right now, there are several dishes on the table, and they all seem to be Ji Yun'an's favorites. This guy is so happy.
Chen Xiaomai glanced at Lu Lin and said, "Brother Lin, would you like some?"
Lu Lin shook his head and said, "No need, I've already eaten out." Lu Lin stroked his chin, vaguely feeling that if he stayed, he would be like a giant third wheel. Under these circumstances, it would be better for him to avoid the situation for now.
Chen Xiaomi glanced at Lu Lin and said, "You saw Ji Yun'an."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes!" When he left, he was just a little kid, but now he looks like he's grown quite a bit taller.
Chen Xiaomi stroked her chin and said, "That kid seems to have grown a lot."
Lu Lin: "..." He seems much more annoying than before.
"Why did this guy suddenly come back? I heard he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar."
This autumn examination is a big deal! After Ji Yun'an passed the exam, he sent a message by carrier pigeon to Chen Xiaomai to share the good news, and Lu Lin found out as well.
Now that he has passed the imperial examination and become a Juren, he should stay in the capital and wait for a vacancy! I wonder what Ji Yun'an is up to by coming to Shaxian at this time.
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "He did pass the imperial examination and became a Juren, but his ranking wasn't very good, so he plans to take the exam again."
Lu Lin frowned, somewhat shocked, and said, "Take the test again?"
He's already passed the imperial examination and wants to take it again. Does this guy even know how difficult it is for ordinary people to pass the imperial examination?
Lu Lin suddenly thought of some news he had seen in his previous life. Every year, there were people who jumped off buildings because they did not do well in the college entrance examination. There were also some strange people who, despite being admitted to a top-tier university, would insist on marrying someone from Tsinghua or Peking University and would repeat the year after year. It was really incomprehensible.
Ji Yun'an was probably the legendary child prodigy. This prodigy had been right in front of him all along, and he hadn't even noticed. Thinking about it now, he was truly blind to his own worth. But he couldn't be entirely blamed; after all, Ji Yun'an didn't really look like a child prodigy.
A few years ago, this guy was caught climbing over a wall by Xiaomai, ruining his reputation. However, many child prodigies are people who can't take care of themselves. Compared to that, Ji Yun'an seems to be passable.
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "He said that he did poorly on the exam this time. If he enters the officialdom with this ranking, his future prospects will be limited. He wants to wait another three years. Anyway, he is not that old now, so he has plenty of time."
Upon hearing Chen Xiaomi's words, Lu Lin's impression of Ji Yun'an was completely overturned. "This brat who only knows how to eat and drink for free actually has quite a dream. I really underestimated him before."
Chen Xiaomi: "..."
"If this guy falls flat next time, he's finished," Lu Lin said, shaking his head.
Having spent a lot of time with Lu Lin, Chen Xiaomi naturally understood what "falling flat" meant. "Can't you think of things in a better light?"
Lu Lin gave a dry laugh and said, "I'm just taking precautions!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
