Du Feizhang threw the embarrassing thing into the car with a sour face and took it back to the Du Mansion.
Xu Jiang and others were laughing so hard that they were out of breath.
Afterwards, Xu Jiang went back and told Lin Hongchu about this. Lin Hongchu felt that he had clearly not shown up, but had completely lost face. Afterwards, he gave away all the beans in his home so that out of sight, out of mind.
Half a month later, all the scholars gathered at the east wall of the Imperial Examination Hall.
Before Zeng Zhui and Hu Xu could squeeze in, they heard someone shouting in front of them, "The top scorer is Zeng Zhui!"
Many scholars knew Zeng Zhui well, and upon hearing this, they all craned their necks to look, then couldn't help but shout, "Zeng Zhui has hit the target!"
"It's really him! Number one!"
"Where are the people? Why can't I see them?"
Hu Xu patted the stunned Zeng Zhui and excitedly shouted in his ear, "Wen Feng, you won!"
"I won! I won!" Zeng Zhui came back to his senses from his daze and immediately fell into ecstasy, "Hahahaha, I, Zeng Zhui, finally won!"
As he spoke, he dragged Hu Xu along, squeezed through the crowd to the front of the yellow list, and looked at the name at the very first place.
He shouted frantically, "It's me! Top of the first-class list! Zeng Zhui!"
Hu Xu bent down, carried Zeng Zhui on his shoulders and lifted him up.
Everyone couldn't help but cheer, and then squeezed over, surrounding Zeng Zhui and Hu Xu.
After the scholars had made enough noise, the officials and wealthy families who were checking the list also rushed over and inserted invitations to Zeng Zhui to attend the banquet. Some even asked about his birth date, and their intentions were obvious.
Zeng Zhui refused them all and announced publicly that he had been promised to Lin Siye's family and was no longer suitable for the two girls.
Lou Jing, Yuan Zuzhi and others were waiting outside the east wall. After hearing his declaration, they couldn't help but congratulate Lin Qinnian. Although Lin Qinnian's face showed no expression, his eyes were full of smiles.
When everyone heard the name of Lin Qinnian and saw him waiting outside the venue, staring at this side with a pair of solemn eyes, they immediately moved away and rushed towards the third place, the second place, and the scholars at the top of the list.
Hu Xu released Zeng Zhui, and the two of them came before several teachers. Zeng Zhui knelt down and called out to Lin Qinnian, "Master, I have not embarrassed you. I have won the first place in the imperial examination. Thank you for your diligent teaching. Please accept my three bows."
After saying that, he kowtowed to Lin Qinnian three times, leaving red marks on his head.
Lin Qinnian was both relieved and distressed. He hurried to help the man, but then he heard him bow and call out, "Father-in-law! Now that I have passed the imperial examination, I beg you to grant me your daughter's marriage."
Lin Qinnian immediately retracted his outstretched hand, then walked away.
Zeng Zhui got up and chased after him, "Father-in-law! Wait for me..."
Lou Jing, Yuan Zuzhi and others almost laughed their beards off, so they followed to watch the fun.
The parade of colorful horses and the night banquet in the imperial garden lasted until the wedding of Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun.
After the wedding ceremony, the Ministry of Rites conducted an assessment. After the assessment, Zeng Zhuo submitted a petition requesting to be transferred to Fuzhou to serve as the magistrate of the county, and the emperor approved it.
After bidding farewell to Lin Qinnian, Zeng Zhui left a gold hairpin for Lin Hongchu as a token of love, and set off for Fuzhou with the farewell of his friends.
Two years later, Du Hui was transferred back to Beijing, and a year later, Zeng Zhui was also transferred back.
In April of the following year, peach blossoms were flying and a sedan chair was carried to the Lin Mansion.
The new Imperial Censor jumped off his horse with a flushed face, but was stopped by Lou Yunchun, Hu Xu and others. No matter how much he talked, he could not enter the Lin family's gate.
He was so anxious that he was spinning around.
Finally, it was Lin Hongchu who asked Xu Jiang to secretly pass on the message, and only then did Lou Yunchun and Hu Xu let him go and take the bride back to the newly purchased courtyard in a lively manner.
On the wedding night, Zeng Zhui was so drunk that he couldn't tell east from west. Thanks to Wu Zhi's sobering pill, he didn't miss the wedding night.
Under the red candle, he stared blankly at the pretty bride.
This was their first meeting after three years. After Du Hui returned to Beijing, he formally proposed to the Lin family on his behalf. Therefore, when he returned to Beijing after his term of office expired, he was unable to meet Lin Hongchu.
She grew up, lost her youthful innocence, and became charming and beautiful, just like a newly blossoming peach blossom.
Lin Hongchu felt embarrassed and annoyed by Zeng Zhui's gaze, and then she couldn't help but hit him with her fan, "What are you doing? Don't you recognize me?"
Zeng Zhui was knocked back to his senses and then he knocked the man to the ground.
Then he hugged her and burst into tears.
He finally has a real home.
Lin Hongchu was heartbroken by his crying and was about to comfort him when a hand touched her sleeve.
She tried to slap him, but was stopped, and then she bit her finger.
A year later in April, Lin Hongchu gave birth to a daughter, whose full name was Zeng Lezhi and whose nickname was Yaoyao.
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