Chapter 598 A Dream of Youth 130
After the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, wisps of blue smoke rose from the incense burner, illuminating a clear blue sky.
The more he examined her, the more astonished Zhao Chengran became. He had heard of Xie Ning's achievements and knew that the child was exceptionally skilled in medicine, but he never expected that Xie Ning was in no way inferior to her brother Xie Qi.
What a pity.
If Xie Ning were a man, the Xie family's prestige would likely rise even higher.
For people like them, the only way to change their own social class and that of their families is to study and take exams.
"Ning Jie'er is indeed intelligent." Zhao Chengran picked up an article from the table and asked, "Did you write this policy essay?"
The question he just asked contained content from this article. Xie Qi's answer was so-so, but Xie Ning's answer was not much different from that in the article.
Xie Ning nodded; she had to submit a policy essay every seven days.
Zhao Chengran's fondness for it only grew stronger. In this era, literature was highly valued, and aristocratic families did not restrict their daughters from studying. On the contrary, they would specially invite tutors to explain the Analects, the Classic of Filial Piety, the Biographies of Exemplary Women, and the Admonitions for Women.
Only those ignorant families would think it's good for a woman to be uneducated, otherwise they simply don't have enough money to support their daughters' education.
He had originally prepared a Huzhou writing brush, a pair of coral beads, and several small gifts for his visit today, but now it seems that this is far from enough.
Because of his appreciation for talent, Zhao Chengran took off a jade pendant from his waist, and with a gentle snap, it broke in two. One side depicted plum blossoms, and the other bamboo, complementing each other and carved with exquisite skill.
"This is a jade pendant that my father made by hand when I was young. It was originally meant for my elder sister and me, but my elder sister, who was studious since childhood, passed away early. I have kept it as a memento, and now I am giving it to you two."
Then he said to Xie Ning, "Ning-jie likes reading, and she should get along well with my Huilan. If you have time, you can come to my Zhao family to visit her."
The two solemnly accepted the jade pendant.
Afterwards, Xie Wangzhi rubbed Xie Ning's head and said, "Your Uncle Zhao really admires your talent. His eldest sister is a famous talented woman in Quanzhou and is highly sought after. Now, his eldest daughter, Lan Jie'er, is very much like her aunt."
Xie Ning quietly put the jade pendant away. She had no interest in competing in the literary world because she was too busy.
However, there was one thing that appealed to her: besides Princess Yanxi, she did need some noble female friends of the same age.
Xie Wangzhi glanced at Xie Qi, who was completely unaware, and remained silent for a while. After Xie Ning left, he said, "Qi'er, if Bao'er goes to the Zhao residence, take her there when you have time."
Xie Qi's shoulders slumped, but he didn't want to see Uncle Zhao again. He was really nervous during the exam, and Uncle Zhao's questions were getting more and more difficult.
But he didn't dare refuse, so he could only reluctantly agree.
Back in the main room, Chen Wanniang asked Xie Wangzhi in a low voice, "How was it?"
“Chengran is naturally satisfied, and I am also willing... The jasmine flowers at Qingfeng Temple are in bloom. When the time comes, you can take Qi'er and Bao'er to pay their respects and enjoy the scenery. I will send someone to inform the Zhao family.”
It means that the two matriarchs were asked to bring their families out to meet.
As he spoke, Xie Wangzhi sighed again. He had originally thought about finding a daughter from a prominent family for Xie Qi, which would be of more help to Xie Qi. However, since his own family's foundation was not stable, even if they had some impression of the emperor, they would not be able to climb the social ladder.
So when Zhao Chengran wrote a letter to test him, he was moved.
The Zhao family was not a prominent family, but Madam Zhao came from a good background. Her father was Wen Jun, who served in the Censorate as a Vice Minister.
Xie Qi was unaware that his family was already worrying about his marriage. He simply took the medicine Xie Ning gave him and ran off to the outer city.
The courtyard wall was extremely high, and since he couldn't fly, he naturally couldn't get over it. So Xie Qi found a relatively secluded spot and had Mo Qi set up the ladder.
Mo Qi looked miserable. If the master of the house found out that he had helped the eldest son climb the wall, he would probably be punished.
Xie Qi scrambled up the wall, when suddenly a long spear shot out from the corner, almost piercing his neck.
Xie Qi swallowed hard, then slowly moved the spear away with his fingers. "I... I came to deliver medicine. If it weren't for you that day, my leg would have been crippled."
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