Chapter 74 Extra: Su Yunting Passes the Imperial Examination...
Su Yunting became the top scholar in the imperial examination. However, after passing the exam, the joy he felt with Qiu Yuruo was not as intense as that with the people around him.
When the news of the high school reached Mingshun County, Yun Che and his two friends were happy because of their eldest brother's previous warning, but they also knew that their eldest brother's future path would be difficult because of their family's circumstances.
Therefore, when Yun Che and the others go out again, they can still maintain their original appearance.
Dafei, Ersheng, and Qiu Yuruo's other disciples who stayed at home had all been warned by Qiu Yuruo countless times in advance.
After learning that Su Yunting had gone to high school, they remained calmer than Yun Che and the others. Not only were they calm, but they also worked even harder on business matters.
You can't afford not to work hard. Qiu Yuruo told them before that the expenses after becoming an official are huge.
However, even if one becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination, one will initially enter the Hanlin Academy, and the highest official position one can attain is only the sixth rank.
The Hanlin Academy was a place that, to put it nicely, was prestigious and elegant, but to put it bluntly, it was a place of poverty and hardship.
If you didn't have a family fortune, you wouldn't live as comfortably as you do now if you were an official there.
Influenced by Qiu Yuruo, they believed that Su Yunting only needed to focus on his official duties and that he didn't need to worry about household expenses.
Regardless of whether Su Yunting's future official position is humble or not, he has passed the imperial examination with top honors, and Da Fei and the others have enough confidence to help Qiu Yu Ruo do a good job in business.
Overall, those around Su Yunting, after learning about his high school education, were all humble and hardworking.
On the contrary, everyone else, even those who were related to them, were almost ecstatic.
The happiest people were the people of Sujiazhuang. It could be said that, apart from Old Man Su and Second Brother Su, the entire Sujiazhuang was in a state of celebration.
In the county, at Qiu Yuruo's pastry workshop, the second apprentice, Su Chao, handed over all the affairs of the workshop to Su Dani, and was about to go to the capital with his master.
Before leaving the workshop, Su Chao asked Su Dani, "Aunt Dani, do you want to go see your two younger sisters?"
Su Dani was taken aback at first, then smiled wryly and said, "You forgot, the people in their village won't let me into the village."
Su Chao raised his head: "The past is the past. Ever since you came to work in the workshop with Master, when I delivered things to my two younger sisters, many people have been trying to find out about you!"
When I came back, I told you that as long as you went, apart from that family, no one else would interfere with whether you went back or not.
Now, our village has produced a top scholar, and you're even working for his family. If you go back to their village, even the person who divorced you won't dare to kick you out!
Su Dani knew that because she worked in Qiu Yuruo's workshop, others would look up to her, but she never thought that she could have an even higher future.
Su Dani was tempted.
Ultimately, encouraged by Su Chao and moved by Su Dani's feelings, she decided to go to her ex-husband's village to see her daughter in person.
The workshop's staff hasn't followed Qiu Yuruo yet, so even if the two of them leave the workshop at the same time, nothing will happen.
The two hired a horse-drawn carriage and went directly to Su Dani's ex-husband's village.
Once inside the village, Su Chao opened the carriage door.
Su Dani was extremely nervous, but Su Chao said, "Look, even if others see you, who would dare to say a word against it!"
With his encouragement, Su Dani slowly raised her head.
Su Chao told the carriage to slow down, and Su Dani, noticing that some people had seen her, stepped back first.
Then some people, upon seeing her, actually greeted her warmly.
Amidst these enthusiastic greetings, Su Dani finally realized that today was indeed different from the past.
When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, Su Dani didn't go inside; she just called out to her daughter from outside.
The daughters ran out and surrounded their mother, laughing and crying with excitement.
The neighbors all came out, but none of the ex-husband's family members came out.
Just as Su Chao said, no one dares to bully him anymore.
Su Dani hugged each child and then took out the food and supplies she had prepared for them from the car.
While Su Dani was talking to the children, Su Chao struck up a conversation with the neighbors, asking them to help take care of Su Dani's children. He told them that if they needed anything, they could go directly to Su Family Village to find their father, Su Huai.
After Su Yunting became the top scholar in the imperial examination, his past deeds had already spread far and wide. Su Huai, who had been helping him all along, was now more famous than the head of the Su family.
When the neighbors heard Su Huai's name, they immediately took notice. Getting in touch with Su Huai was like getting in touch with the top scholar!
Everyone said they would take good care of Su Dani's child.
Su Dani chatted with her daughters for a while, then didn't linger.
After making a promise to the children that they would be taken back to their grandmother's house next time, Su Dani and Su Chao got back into the carriage.
After saying goodbye to the last person she greeted and leaving her ex-husband's village, Su Dani softly said to Su Chao, "Today's situation reminds me of a proverb."
Su Chao: "What proverb?"
Su Dani: "When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
Su Chao: "...Although what you said isn't very pleasant, it seems like we really are just chickens and dogs that have risen to heaven along with you."
Su Dani chuckled.
After laughing, he said to Su Chao, "If we can ascend together, we must be able to stay true to ourselves."
Now it was Su Chao's turn to laugh: "Don't worry, Auntie Ni. Not to mention my master's daily teachings, my dad has reminded me countless times."
And my senior brother, if I dare to get cocky, he'll chop off my hand with a knife!
Besides, there are far more officials in the capital than anyone we've ever met in our lives. My master's official rank is so low; even if I wanted to get cocky, I couldn't!
Su Yunting was also saying these words to the clan chief and elders: "Everyone must keep the clan members in check. Passing the imperial examination may seem like a great thing to us, but to the nobles in the capital, the top scholar only comes once every three years. It is really not worth mentioning!"
After everyone repeatedly assured him that they would keep their clansmen in check, Su Yunting finally brought up the matter of acquiring sacrificial fields and establishing a clan school.
He entrusted all these matters to Su Huai.
The clan elders were all shrewd and experienced; they all understood what Su Yunting meant.
Then someone suggested that Su Huai should be the next clan leader.
The clan chief's son is of average ability. If it weren't for Su Yunting's high score, he could have used his absolute power as clan chief to let his son succeed him. But now, he can only go along with everyone's wishes and agree to let Su Huai become the young clan chief.
The clan chief comforted himself, thinking that no matter what, during his tenure, the clan produced a top scholar, and his grandson also passed the county-level examination. Perhaps his grandson could also become the top scholar!
Once their grandson passes the exam, who would want to stay in this small village as some lousy clan chief!
The clan chief found peace in his heart through self-comfort.
However, some people, no matter how much they try to comfort themselves, can never find peace in their hearts.
For example, Old Man Su, while everyone in Su Family Village was celebrating, his family could only stay indoors.
Just when Old Man Su and Second Brother Su were filled with remorse, their children kept adding to the chaos, always complaining that they had been too ruthless in their actions.
Like Old Man Su, Qiu Laoda's family was also having a hard time.
Qiu Laoda himself was unsuccessful in the imperial examinations, and his son was even worse than him. His father was bedridden and needed care, and his mother had changed her attitude towards him and started finding fault with him.
Just when Qiu Laoda felt that his life had reached its lowest point, he heard the news that Su Yunting had gone to high school.
This news was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing the old lady Zhou to explode when she once again complained that he wasn't taking good enough care of the old man.
After Su Yunting graduated from high school, he had a holiday to visit his hometown. After finishing the necessary business in Su Family Village, Qiu Yuruo took him back to her parents' home at his insistence.
By this time, Qiu Laoda's reputation for being unfilial had spread throughout the entire village.
When a person starts to disregard their reputation, it becomes less effective to restrain them with morality and shame. Therefore, when Qiu Laoda and Zhou Laotai had another conflict, he never lost the upper hand again.
After hearing this, Qiu Yuruo decided to help her good grandmother. After all, only when they were evenly matched could they live a lively life.
So, accompanied by the clan chief and her third uncle, Qiu Yuru went to see Old Man Qiu again.
In front of the clan leader and his entourage, Qiu Yuruo promised that, in addition to medical expenses, she would give the elderly couple twenty taels of silver every year for their retirement.
This money, like the previous medical expenses, was managed by Uncle Qiu.
Twenty taels of silver, while not a drop in the ocean for Qiu Yuruo at present, would have a negligible impact on her assets.
With twenty taels of silver a year for her old age, Old Lady Zhou would feel more confident. As long as Old Master Qiu still wanted to spend her money, he would lose some of his temper if the two of them argued again.
Arrogance is a two-way street; when Old Lady Qiu's arrogance weakens, Old Lady Zhou naturally regains her dominance.
Qiu Yuruo believed that her assertiveness would awaken the pain point that Qiu Laoda had been repeatedly failing the exams.
Qiu Yuruo felt comfortable knowing that they could continue their lively activities in the days to come.
...
Su Yunting's family visit was over, and his whole family, along with Qiu Yuruo's apprentices and fellow villagers, embarked on their journey to the capital.
Even at the village entrance, there were still clansmen seeing them off.
Looking at the small food stall she had built back then, Qiu Yuruo felt a rare pang of reluctance.
Their past lives, like those of their clansmen who remained in the same place, were slowly left behind by the carriage.
Su Yunting closed the car window, embraced his lover, and comforted her reluctance to part.
Qiu Yuruo leaned against him and said, "I only feel a little bit of sadness about parting. I will be reluctant to leave because this is where I once struggled, and it is also where we started. That's why it's worth staying."
Su Yunting pulled her onto his lap and gently rubbed his cheek against hers. The soft touch made his heart melt. He whispered to her, "Me too. It's because this is where we started, and that's why it's a place worth cherishing."
Qiu Yuruo smiled at him and hugged him back. Although they were on the road, she felt unusually at ease.
Su Yunting kissed his beloved's cheek: No matter whether the road ahead is smooth or not, as long as you are by my side, it is my hometown.
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