He couldn't help but smile and walked towards them quickly.
Hu Xu greeted his parents first, "Father, Mother." Then he said hello to Hu Jin and his brother-in-law, "Sister, brother-in-law, you're here too."
Father Hu took his bookcase and asked nervously, "How did you do on the exam?"
"It's better than the previous times." With so many scholars around, Hu Xu couldn't say too much.
"Okay, okay, that's good." Father Hu patted his shoulder with relief, and said with a bit of sadness: "All these years of hard work have finally paid off."
Mother Hu reached out and touched Hu Xu's yellow face. "Are you exhausted? There's soup simmering and dishes heating up at home. Go home and eat them quickly, then have a good rest."
In the past few years, Hu Xu has suffered such a pain every time he takes a reference. As a mother, how can she not feel distressed when seeing this?
Mother Hu touched Hu Xudu's waist again and said, "You've lost weight."
When Hu Jin heard Hu Xu say that he had done well in the exam, and saw that although he looked haggard, he had a kind of cheerful look on his face, she knew that he had done really well this time.
She urged happily, "Then don't just stand there. Your brother-in-law found you a pot of good wine and is waiting for you to come out and celebrate after you finish the exam. Let's go back quickly."
Hu Xu bowed to Brother-in-law Hu and said, "Thank you, Brother-in-law."
Brother-in-law Hu said gently, "It's my duty."
The family returned home together, and just as they reached the alley entrance, they ran into Song Qiao.
Song Qiao took the initiative to greet him, "Have you finished the exam?"
Hu Xu nodded, "I'm done with the test. I did well."
Hu Jin thought to himself: Did they ask you the second half of the question?
She flicked her eyes and called to Song Qiao, "Ah Qiao, we are going to have a welcoming party for Ah Xu, why don't you come along?"
Hu's mother agreed, "Yes, let's come together, it will be more lively with more people."
Hu's father also advised.
Hu Xu glanced at Song Qiao's family and invited them, "Come on, it's troublesome for you to start a fire alone."
After the Lantern Festival, Song's father couldn't wait to return to the mountain to take care of his flowers and plants.
Song Qiao was the only one left in the courtyard.
Unable to refuse the kind offer, Song Qiao agreed.
Hu Xu was really happy, so he inevitably drank a few more glasses at the table and talked more.
He talked about his confidence in the exam and his ideals. He was like a rising star, shining brightly and attracting everyone's attention.
The Hu family members were all happy for him and raised their glasses to congratulate him.
Finally, it was Song Qiao's turn to raise her glass. She sincerely congratulated him, "I believe in you. You will definitely make it to high school."
Hu Xu poured the wine and clinked it with hers. "Well, I believe you too."
Ouch! Hu Jin hid her face behind her husband to hide her smiling face.
At the end of the meal, Hu Xu fell asleep holding his wine glass.
Hu's father and brother-in-law carefully helped him back to his room to sleep, while Hu's mother and Hu Jin also lowered their voices and cleaned up the mess.
Song Qiao didn't want to stay any longer, so he said goodbye and went back.
Returning to his own yard, thinking of Hu Xu's confident look, Song Qiao's father's words suddenly echoed in his mind.
Hu Xu is not the same kind of person as them.
She stood alone in the yard for a while, then let out a deep breath and looked around her own yard.
Cold, deserted and empty, just like her heart at this moment.
Half a month later, Song Qiao truly felt the weight of his father's words.
Hu Xu passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer.
The whole capital was excited for the new number one scholar, with parades of decorated horses and imperial banquets at Quchi.
Their originally quiet and deserted alley became bustling overnight. Thousands and tens of thousands of people poured in like a wave, catching everyone off guard.
The threshold of the Hu family's house was almost broken down by people, and people who came to congratulate them walked from early morning to late at night.
Except for the day when the results were announced and he rode the imperial BMW back to thank his parents, Hu Xu never stayed at home and was always taken out for social events.
On the day of the results announcement, Song Qiao sent the gift he had prepared long ago, but it was quickly buried under the mountain of gifts and disappeared without a trace.
When she saw Hu Xu again later, he had become a scholar, but she was still Song Qiao, who walked around the streets with flowers on her back, but no one paid attention to her.
She delivered flowers to guests' homes, and occasionally a guest would ask, "Don't you live in the same alley as the newly crowned number one scholar? What's your relationship with their family? Could you introduce them to me, or bring a gift for me?"
She just shook her head and replied, "I'm afraid it's not very convenient. He and I are just neighbors."
The guest said with some regret, "Oh, just a neighbor."
Well, just neighbors.
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