The spring examination finally ended in a tense atmosphere. Chen Jing of the Chen family finally passed the preliminary examination and became a student. Compared with the Xiucai (a lower-level scholar), the preliminary examination was relatively easier. As long as one was not too bad, students attending classes in the academy could generally pass the preliminary examination.
Lu Chengyu suffered another defeat.
The Xiucai exam is very difficult, and Lu Chengyu seems to have been discouraged this time, staying at home for several days without going out.
Lu Chengyu's failure in the exam cast a pall of gloom over the Lu family.
Logically speaking, it's not a big deal that Lu Chengyu didn't pass the Xiucai exam. After all, it's not easy to become a Xiucai, and there are many people who spend their whole lives trying but still only get the Tongsheng degree. Lu Chengyu is still young.
However, Mrs. Tang set her standards too high. Last year, she refused all the suitors who came to propose marriage, adopting a "better to have none than a bad one" attitude. This year, she refused them again, saying that her son was going to focus on the imperial examinations and that everything else would be discussed after the examinations were completed.
A daughter's youth is fleeting, and most of the families who came to propose marriage before have already married their daughters off.
Lu Chengyu failed the exam, and those families who had previously rejected him couldn't help but gloat.
Right now, Lu Chengyu is already considered an older single man, and Lu Tong has reached the age where she needs to pay taxes, so it's clear that they can't delay any longer.
The fact that Lu Chengyu and Lu Tong's marriages were still undecided caused many rumors to circulate in the village, with many mocking Tang Shi for being unrealistic and having high expectations.
When Lin Xiuer saw that Lu Chengyu had failed the exam, she immediately started complaining. Tang Shi could put on airs with Lin Xiuer before, but she felt a little guilty because Lu Chengyu hadn't passed the exam, and the two of them would bicker from time to time.
Although there weren't any major arguments, things weren't peaceful at all.
Lu Chengyu failed the exam, and Lin Xiuer stopped fawning over him like before. Although she didn't say it explicitly, her words implied that Lu Chengyu had spent so much of his family's money, yet he couldn't even pass the county-level exam.
Lu Chengyu was very concerned about his image, and although he didn't show it on his face when Lin Xiuer complained about him like that, he felt very gloomy.
Chen Jing was very excited to have passed the preliminary examination and become a student. He had always looked down on Lu Chengyu's behavior, and he was quite gloating when Lu Chengyu failed to become a scholar. Chen Jing felt that he could now be on equal footing with Lu Chengyu.
Although Lu Chengyu was valued by her mentor, failing the exam was still failing, and the mentor's high regard for her was of no use.
...
The Lu family.
"Xiaotong, take these clothes and wash them. You're almost at the age to get married. You can't be so lazy and good-for-nothing when you get to your husband's family." Lin Xiuer shouted loudly.
Lu Tong blushed when she heard Lin Xiuer's words.
Looking at the pile of smelly clothes, Lu Tong couldn't help but take a step back.
Lin Xiuer looked at Lu Tong's disgusted expression, pouted, and said, "Hurry up! How many girls in the village are like you, shirking everything and complaining about everything? You're not a real young lady."
Previously, Madam Tang was arrogant and only hoped that Lu Chengyu would pass the imperial examination and become a scholar so that she could marry Lu Tong into the city. Now, it seems impossible. There are many men who want to marry Lu Tong, but Madam Tang looks down on them all and has offended several matchmakers.
Lin Xiuer still remembers the incident a while ago when Lu Tong broke into their fourth room and stole Lu Songshi's food rations.
"Fourth Aunt, don't you have nothing to do either? Why do you want me to wash?" Lu Tong said sullenly.
Lin Xiuer suddenly became angry, "You brat, I still have to cook and boil water! Unlike you, who is so leisurely. We have raised you for so many years, you should learn to do something. You can't do anything. How can you go on like this? When you go to your husband's family, you will have to be filial to your mother-in-law. No one will spoil you anymore."
"What's all the noise about?" Wang came out.
Lin Xiuer glanced at Wang Shi and said, "I'm too busy to handle everything, so I'm having Xiaotong do some housework. She's getting married soon, and if she doesn't know anything, how will she be able to stand on her own two feet in her husband's family?" Lin Xiuer sighed, "It's been so long, and no decent-looking man has come to propose marriage. If this drags on any longer, we'll have to pay taxes."
Lu Tong's heart clenched upon hearing Lin Xiuer's tone.
Lu Tong has always been very self-important, so how could she feel comfortable hearing Lin Xiuer portray her as someone who couldn't get married?
Madam Wang glanced at Lu Tong with some disdain. The old lady was also very concerned about Lu Tong's marriage. Recently, the people who came to propose marriage were all peasants in the old lady's eyes. The matchmakers who came to the door also brought up Lu Tong's age, telling the Lu family not to be too picky. If they were too picky, they might end up keeping her at home as an old maid who could never get married.
Like Tang, Wang also hoped her granddaughter would marry into a wealthy family. However, the people who came to propose marriage were far from what the old lady had expected. At first, the old lady was angry about what the matchmakers said, but gradually she began to agree with them. The old lady gradually felt that Lu Tong might not be as outstanding as she thought.
"Grandma, I'm getting married soon, how can I go out and wash clothes in public?"
“Which girl in the village hasn’t washed clothes? It’s just that you haven’t washed them much, so it’s no wonder people think you’re lazy,” Lin Xiuer retorted loudly.
Wang glanced at Lu Tong with disgust and said, "There are so many things to do at home. How can you not lift a finger all day? Go and wash the clothes."
Lu Tong saw that her grandmother was on her fourth aunt's side. Although she felt a little bitter, there was nothing she could do.
Lu Tong walked away dejectedly, clutching her clothes, but in her heart she cursed Lin Xiuer fiercely.
Lu Tong also felt some resentment towards her brother, who always failed the imperial examinations, which prevented her from finding a good husband and caused her to be ridiculed by her fourth aunt at home.
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