Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Scholar
That day, Fan Jing woke up before dawn.
He used to be a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest noise. After he got married, he slept with Kang He all day long. At first he was not used to it, but he gradually got used to it over the years. Not only did his sleep become deeper, but sometimes he could even sleep soundly unless he woke up.
He glanced towards the window and saw that there was no light coming through, which meant it was still very early.
But the results were announced today, and I couldn't help but worry about something, so I wanted to get up early.
He moved slightly, and one arm came over to wrap around his waist. Kang He leaned over with sleepy eyes, his voice still tinged with sleep: "What time is it? You have to get up already?"
Fan Jing glanced at Kang He in front of him and saw that his eyes were still closed. He said, "You lie down for a while. I'll light the lamp first."
Kang He, however, tightened his arms, not wanting him to move. He opened his eyes and said, "I'll go get some clothes. You can get dressed. The results are out today, and I knew you were worried and woke up early."
After saying that, he stood up without any hesitation.
Fan Jing watched the man walk to the table with his bare chest to light the lamp, and he also lifted the quilt, but he still felt a little cold.
He quickly found some clothes and put them on, and then found another set with Kanghe.
After a while, the seventh brother knocked on the door, brought in hot water and then left.
Kang He wrung a handkerchief in a basin of hot water and handed it to Fan Jing. Suddenly, he saw the candlelight swaying slightly, making a popping sound.
He smiled and said, "Look, the wick is popping, which means good things are coming. What a good omen!"
Fan Jing couldn't help but turn his head to look at Zhu, and his eyebrows twitched with relaxation.
On this day, if he saw a good omen, he would inevitably feel happy. If it was a bad omen, he would definitely not believe it.
After washing up, the couple went out of the house in a good mood. When they opened the door and felt the cool breeze on their faces, they realized that the garden was wet and they didn't know when it started raining.
The rain was not heavy, just a drizzle that was barely audible in the room.
Fan Jing saw that the osmanthus flowers, which were almost out of season, had fallen and were spread all over the ground. No wonder he felt a little cold when he got out of bed.
He said to Kang He, "It might be hard to see the list later."
"It's rare that it rains when the list is released. I'll put on a cloak later and the wind won't make me feel cold."
Kang He was a little nervously excited. He put his arm around Fan Jing, stroked his arm, and said, "Let's go, call the kids for breakfast. Well, let's go and see the list!"
Fan Jing nodded, and the two went to the dining room together.
As the sky began to brighten, the family of four had breakfast in the dining room.
"I want to check out the rankings, too."
Xiaofu ate two steamed buns with sour beans and pork, stuffed a steamed dumpling into his mouth, and begged to go out together.
He hasn't been out for half a month since he fell and got hurt. He's been taking good care of himself, and his bones haven't hurt anymore. But the wound hasn't completely scabbed off yet, so it still hurts a little when it's bumped occasionally.
Kang He wiped the porridge grains stuck to the corners of his mouth and said, "I'm afraid there will be many people looking at the list today. The academy examination is no easier than the children's examination. Those who pass will become scholars and ministers who can receive imperial salaries. The scholars who passed and those who didn't pass all want to watch the excitement.
Besides, it's raining outside, and there will definitely be a lot of traffic today. I don't know how long the traffic will be. I have to go with an umbrella, but the injuries on your arms and legs haven't healed yet, so I won't be able to squeeze through and step on your feet."
Xiaofu looked at Kanghe and said, "But I want to be the first to see my brother's list."
"You're such a good talker, you make it sound like your name is already on the list."
Xiaofu said seriously, "I dreamed last night that my brother was wearing a blue shirt and a square scarf, with flowers in his hair. Everyone praised him for being handsome!"
After hearing this, Dafu smiled and pinched Xiaofu's cheek, saying, "Since you have such a sweet dream, why don't we just go and check on it? Call Awang to take a look and tell us later."
Kang He and Fan Jing couldn't help but look at Da Fu when they heard this: "Are you really not going?"
"If I win, even if I don't go to see the list, the yamen runners will come to announce the victory with gongs and drums. If I don't win, even if our whole family goes, it won't change the result."
Dafu said calmly, "It's pouring rain, I'm sorry to have mobilized so many people for this trip."
Kang He and Fan Jing looked at each other, and for a moment they were a little confused about what Da Fu was thinking.
I don’t know whether he has great confidence or he has no confidence so he simply doesn’t go to see the list, so as to avoid the unpleasant feeling of seeing others get the same answer as he did.
But since the teacher at home had spoken, Kang He agreed and nodded, saying, "That's good. It saves us from having to drive out and get stuck in traffic. If we don't drive, we still have to carry a sick child."
The parrot hanging in front of the window tilted its head to listen to the sound and mimicked: "Sick baby, sick baby!"
This made several people laugh.
Xiaofu frowned without smiling. He looked at Kang He on the left, Fan Jing on the right, and finally his brother. Seeing that the three of them were not in a hurry, he knew that they had really made up their minds not to go outside the Imperial Examination Hall to see the list.
He pursed his lips and snorted softly: "I will never be friends with you again."
"And you too!"
Xiaofu glared at the green-feathered parrot fiercely and said, "Take all your bird food and feed it to the carp."
Some of them even laughed at his angry look.
After dinner, everyone in the house was waiting for news about Awang. Although they didn't mention it and tried to remain calm on the surface, they were still a little worried.
The autumn rain is getting heavier, and the wind is blowing coldly, but my heart feels tight and hot.
"Come on, you're getting anxious. Wouldn't it be better to go out and see together than to find out at home first? It's really that you don't want to."
Xiaofu sat on the pony in the corridor. Seeing that his father and his younger brother were fidgeting, he clamped his legs around the horse's belly and dragged it over to Kang He and Fan Jing. "Get on the horse. Master Fan will carry you to see the list."
Kang He saw the little boy chattering there, and was just about to hold him in his arms and pinch his little mouth when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.
Dafu, who had been sitting quietly at one end, couldn't help but put down the book in his hand and looked towards the entrance. Fan Jing, who was leaning against the beam, also stood up straight.
"Ouch~"
A Wang ran in quickly and got his shoes wet outside. When he entered the house, he ran too fast and almost fell in front of the door railing.
"Slow down, it's like being chased by a vicious dog."
Kang He saw that the person who came back was indeed A Wang. Before he could ask what happened on the list, he saw that the person was about to fall and expressed his concern.
Ah Wang stood firm. His body was soaked by the rain. He didn't care about his own posture. He said to the eager eyes looking at him: "It's a hit! It's a hit! Our young master has won!"
Several people frowned, those who were sitting stood up, and those who were standing walked towards Awang: "Has he made the list?!"
Awang went to see the list early, but there were too many people looking at it, and it was raining. Everyone was holding an umbrella, and it was impossible to see the list unless they squeezed to the front of the red list.
This time the viewing area was exceptionally crowded. He couldn't move forward with his umbrella, so he simply folded it up and squeezed forward in the drizzle.
But before he could even see the list, he heard some people in the front row talking loudly about how this year's top scorer was from their county and who Fan Zhongyang was.
Awang's heart was suddenly tense, he was both surprised and happy, but he didn't dare to be happy too soon. He just gathered all his strength and squeezed forward. His shoes were stepped on twice before he reached the bulletin board.
Without looking for too long, he immediately spotted the conspicuous name at the top of the list.
When Ah Wang saw her husband's name appear first, she felt a surge of joy rushing to her head in an instant, and she was so happy that she almost fainted.
He calmed himself down and carefully checked the names, rankings and other information three times with trembling hands. After he was sure that everything was correct, he ran back to report the good news.
Ah Wang's cheeks flushed with excitement: "Congratulations, sir, congratulations to my husband, your name is on the list of honors!"
Before Kang and Fan Jing could ask what the ranking was, Awang confessed everything: "Our young master has won first place! I'm afraid the yamen runners delivering the victory report will soon be at our house. Master and young master, hurry up and get ready!"
It was true that before one wave of joy had passed, a greater wave of joy came like a huge wave, making people dizzy.
Kang He and Fan Jing couldn't help but feel their chests heaving, a little overwhelmed. "First place in the case? Our Dafu got first place?!"
Awang responded three times in a row. Kang He was not joking at all. He slapped his thigh angrily and said regretfully, "I should have gone and seen it myself!"
I missed such a big happy event in vain.
Fan Jing said nothing, but his breathing became a little faster. He reached out and held Dafu's hand tightly, with visible relief and approval in his eyes.
Dafu looked at Fan Jing, pursed his lips, and felt his heart swell up, extremely full. He couldn't help but feel a little proud, but it was not for fame, but because of the joy of his family.
He happily held Fan Jing's hand tightly.
"My son! He has become like this!"
Before the people in the room recovered from their joy, Chen Sanfang and Fan Dad arrived at the house. They heard Awang's loud voice at the door and almost kicked the threshold and fell into the house.
Chen Sanfang walked in blankly with his eyes wide open, his soul seemed to have drifted away: "I went outside yesterday and didn't see any green smoke coming out of the ancestral tomb. I must be dreaming!"
Father Fan's lips were trembling with joy, and he didn't utter a word for a long time.
Xiaofu jumped up, his face flushed with joy. He ran over to Chen Sanfang and Father Fan, holding their hands and complaining, "Grandma and Grandma, I told you my brother would win! Daddy and Little Daddy didn't believe me!"
Everyone in the room was happy in their own way, and they were laughing and crying at the same time.
The excitement hadn't died down yet when Shenghan, who was watching the door, ran in and said, "I heard the yamen runners delivering the victory report coming into the alley with gongs and drums!"
Hearing this, Kang He said, "Dad, Mom, calm down first. Let's just put this socializing behind us and then we can have fun together."
"Seventh Brother, Sister Xue, quickly take out the copper wedding cakes that we prepared in advance, and prepare some more outside."
He turned around and wanted to give Awang another instruction, but seeing that his clothes were wet and he looked disheveled, he called him downstairs to clean up.
After a flurry of activity, by the time the bailiff arrived with the good news, everyone had calmed down and seemed quite composed.
"Congratulations, Mr. Kang and Mr. Fan, on your great joy! You two have raised your children well, and your son has won first place in the exam. In the future, he will become a scholar and bring honor to the family, and also bring glory to our county!"
The yamen runners who came were all smiling, as festive as if it were New Year, and they spoke compliments to the Fan family.
It was nothing like the iron-like face he usually had when he was patrolling the streets and in the county government office.
Kang He bowed and said, "Thank you for your kind words, sir. My son's current honor is truly due to the teacher's careful teaching and the county magistrate's honest and upright administration and his commitment to education."
The two sides praised each other for a few words. Kang Hecai stuffed a heavy red envelope into the head of the yamen runners, and also gave wedding cakes to the yamen runners who came with him to deliver the good news.
He escorted the yamen runners out of the house.
There were already quite a few people gathered in this alley, all coming to congratulate and share in the good news. Kang Hejiao's subordinates also distributed a lot of copper coins and wedding cakes to thank everyone for their congratulations.
Dafu had already learned this. His ears were buzzing from the flattery. He turned around and saw that the door of the Wu family was open and there was someone standing in front of the door.
Wu Heguang was wearing a jade-colored cloak. He looked at him with a smile and said congratulations softly.
Da Fu couldn't really hear his voice amid the noisy crowd, but he could see his lip movements and make out his words.
He raised the corner of his mouth and nodded at him.
The autumn rain outside was chilly, and after hearing this response, he went into the mansion.
After a commotion and entertaining those who came to congratulate them, the Fan family happily entered the house.
"Dafu, come open the official box and let us see."
The bailiff who brought the good news brought two boxes tied with red silk flowers, which were specially for the scholar.
None of the Fan family had ever seen this thing before, so they were all curious about what was inside.
Dafu responded and opened the box with his family to look.
There were only a few items inside.
One is Dafu's scholar document, which records the preferential treatment of scholars, such as not having to kneel when meeting officials, exemption from corvée and taxes, etc., as well as some of the scholar's precepts.
Everyone took a closer look at the exemption of corvée and taxes, as it was, after all, an important matter that actually concerned the payment of taxes by the family.
The law stipulated that the scholar himself was exempt from all corvee labor, his four servants were exempt from increased taxes, and the tax on his family's land and shops was reduced by 10%.
It should be noted that farmers like them originally had to pay 30% of their annual land income to the court, and 40% of their shop profits.
Now they are all reduced by 10%, which can save a lot of taxes.
Kang He was overjoyed: "This tax reduction is really a great thing."
The total annual income from the family's land is estimated to be 300 strings of cash. If the previous 30% payment is used, 90 strings of cash will have to be paid for the 300 strings of cash. However, if 20% is paid in the future, 30 strings of cash can be saved.
Although thirty strings of cash may not seem like a lot, it is enough to buy two acres of good farmland.
As for the shops, they have actually made extra money in the past two years. If they did not pay business taxes and bribe officials, they could earn thousands of strings of cash a year.
But after paying 40% of the tax, he had to pay more taxes from time to time, so he only got about 500 strings of cash a year, which was half of his profit.
All the businesses calculated above were those managed by our family. Now we have three joint businesses, one with the He family, one with the Luo family, and the other with the Yao family.
Among the three businesses, the Luo family's business is the most profitable. However, the high profit is not only because the floral paper is profitable, but also because there is a scholar in the Luo family who exempted Luo Dalang from 10% of the taxes. As long as the shop is open, there are no taxes due to irregularities in the list.
It is also much easier to manage relationships with officials than with ordinary people and pure merchants.
From that time on, Kang He realized the benefits of being a scholar. However, although it was a good thing, not everyone was lucky enough to have it.
Kang He smiled. He didn't have to envy others anymore, as his family also saved a lot of taxes.
Dafu said a little shyly, "Although the scholar's salary has been reduced, it's not much after all. If we can exempt it all one day, it will make my father and my little father worry less."
Kang He patted Dafu's head and said, "My son, you have great ambition! When all the taxes are waived, then you will be a successful candidate. Although it sounds like looking at the stars..."
"But our Dafu is the top scholar, so becoming a juren is purely a dream for him."
Everyone in the room laughed in anticipation.
Look again, there are also the admission documents from the county school. Not only has Dafu passed the imperial examination to become a scholar, but with such excellent results, he will definitely be admitted to the county school.
By entering the county school, you can also obtain the qualification of county school stipend student and receive some subsidies, which can further reduce the cost of studying.
In addition, there is a deed to ten acres of wasteland on the outskirts of the city, which was allocated by the county to outstanding scholars as a reward to encourage imperial examinations and education.
Dafu looked at the title deed and smiled. This was his private property.
But to be honest, the current county magistrate was a bit stingy. He heard from Uncle Luo that when he passed the imperial examination, although his ranking was low, he still received twenty strings of cash and some miscellaneous rewards.
At that time, the top three in the county not only received rewards of money, but also received rewards of land and property. This was the traditional rule.
He is not only among the top three in the county, but also the number one in the mansion. However, he only has a piece of land and doesn't even receive any reward money. Isn't he just stingy?
In private, it was said that although the county magistrate was stingy and refused to allocate extra copper coins from the county treasury as a reward, he did not violate the law in the end and even did not give away the property.
These were all the items in this official box. Dafu carefully packed the documents and other items back, then opened another one to see that the contents of this official box were simple, with only a set of brocade clothes.
It was the round-necked blue silk dress and the square scarf on the head that Xiaofu had dreamt of. This was the scholar's uniform that he would wear in the future when attending official gatherings, receiving officials, and other important occasions.
"This looks good. Come and see it, brother."
Xiaofu lay beside the box, carefully picked up the scholar's clothes, and begged Dafu to change them.
"And see if he is as handsome as he was in my dreams."
Dafu was a little embarrassed when teaching Xiaofu to wear it, and he coaxed him to wear it after a few days. But before he could finish his words, Shenghan came to say that the second lady and Mr. Luo, and the third lady and Mr. Yao were all here.
Both parties knew the good news that Dafu had passed the exam, so they quickly packed up and came to congratulate their nephew.
Kang He smiled and said, "They are well-informed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhen'er and Qiao'er walked in happily with their brother-in-law.
"Brother, we're not the only ones well-informed here. Dafu has won the first place in the case, and I'm afraid most of the scholars in the city know about it!
Be careful with your doorstep, or someone might break it down."
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