The result of ranking first in the county examination can be said to be both unexpected and reasonable.
But coming out on top is a happy thing after all.
The Xu family was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and Xu Huaiyuan was even more proud and smiling.
"My son is truly the God of Literature. With a son like him, what more could I ask for?"
Xu Huaiyuan was naturally proud of having finally produced a promising student, and he naturally attributed all the credit to himself.
"Alas, the fact that I was able to give birth to such an outstanding son is enough to prove that I am also a scholar. What a pity, what a pity! If I had known this would happen, why would I have gone into business?"
By the Jiajing period, the customs of the Ming people had changed from their early simplicity to extravagance, with everyone pursuing enjoyment. Naturally, the status of merchants who could easily make money also greatly improved.
But no matter how much you improve, you can never compare to a scholar, especially a scholar with official titles.
"Dad, please stop praising me. I've only just finished the county exam. Next up are the prefectural and imperial exams. Only if I pass them all can I get the title of scholar."
Xu Huaiyuan, however, couldn't stop. He patted Xu Yan on the shoulder and said, "My son, please don't underestimate yourself. You are the top scorer in the county exam. How can other candidates compare to you? If you can't pass the prefectural and imperial exams, doesn't that mean that Dinghai County will be completely wiped out?"
Uh... Dad's logic seems... not to be problematic.
"My son, just focus on preparing for the exam. I'll take care of the rest. By the way, what would you like to eat tonight?"
Xu Huaiyuan was in a good mood and made a promise while patting his chest.
"Dad, I want to eat wonton noodles."
Faced with this request, Xu Huaiyuan was obviously a little surprised: "My son, whatever you want to eat, whether it's delicacies from mountains and seas, birds and beasts, I can satisfy you. But you only want a bowl of noodles?"
"Father, you may not know this, but when I was studying in Hangzhou, whenever I felt exhausted, my teacher would order someone to cook me a bowl of wonton noodles. After eating the wonton noodles, I would feel refreshed and able to continue studying for several more hours."
Seeing Xu Yan say this, Xu Huaiyuan suddenly understood: "I see, no wonder. I will give orders to make you a bowl of wonton noodles tonight."
A basin? Do you think he's a glutton?
Xu Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he didn't want to refuse his father's kindness, so he nodded and said, "Father, I'm ready to start studying."
Now, in Xu Huaiyuan's mind, his son's study is the top priority. He nodded and said, "My son, study hard. I will not disturb you."
But after Xu Huaiyuan left, Xu Yanfang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Honestly, he was feeling a lot of pressure from his family. It wasn't just his parents; it seemed everyone in the Xu family was proud of him. While being considered the village's hope was certainly satisfying, it also brought on a surge of pressure, fearing that a single mistake would bring shame to the family.
Today, County Magistrate Zhao and Xu Yan had a long conversation, and Xu Yan had gained a lot of useful information. The most important thing was that the imperial court hadn't shown any intention of sending an official to Zhejiang. Therefore, Xu Yan had to seize the opportunity to pass the academy examination in one try. Otherwise, when the old scholar Lei Li arrived next year, the difficulty of the academy examination would undoubtedly increase significantly.
In this way, you must pass the provincial and imperial examinations in one go.
Good habits cannot be lost. As usual, Xu Yan read the collected annotations of the Four Books, and then wrote an article according to the topic given to him by Mr. Qian.
Facts have proved that practice is much more important than theory. The more you write, the more proficient you will become.
Just when Xu Yan was writing excitedly, Shuangxi quietly appeared behind Xu Xiaolangjun and said with a smile: "Master, great news."
Xu Yan was startled. He turned around and rolled his eyes at the little servant boy, saying, "How many times have I told you to make noise when you walk? You almost scared me to death."
Shuangxi pursed his lips with an innocent expression.
Xu Yan shook his head and asked, "Tell me, what's the good news?"
"I just heard that the purchasers from the mansion actually bought a white turtle. They were going to make soup for the young master to nourish his body, but the master stopped them, saying it was a good omen."
White turtle?
Xu Yan was stunned when he heard this.
The Jiajing reign was marked by numerous auspicious signs, including sweet dew, auspicious snow, white deer, white rabbits, white turtles, and white magpies. Emperor Daojun greatly appreciated these auspicious signs and often rewarded his ministers for presenting them. The most famous example was Hu Zongxian's offering of auspicious signs, which greatly pleased the emperor.
But are there really white turtles in this world?
He immediately became interested and asked, "Where is this white turtle now?"
"He's being kept in the kitchen. Who would dare to kill him without the master's order?"
Xu Yan nodded, stood up and walked out. The little servant chased after him and asked, "Master, where are you going?"
"Go check out that white turtle!"
But Xu Yan came to the kitchen in a hurry, and all the servants in the Xu mansion were shocked.
It is said that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen. The master will never allow the young master to come to the kitchen. If the master sees them, they will be scolded.
Kitchen steward Xu Liu said with a bitter face: "Young Master, why did you suddenly come to the kitchen? Just send someone to tell you what you want to eat. Why do you have to come here in person..."
Xu Yan waved his hand and said, "I heard that the buyers in the mansion bought a white turtle, so I came here to take a look."
Xu Liu said with some embarrassment: "It is true, but..."
"But what? Can't this young master see it?"
Xu Yan couldn't stand being held back by a steward. After all, he used to be a playboy, so how could he not even have this little bit of intimidation?
As expected, fear flashed in Xu Liu's eyes. At this moment, he seemed to see the shadow of the former young master again. He hurriedly said, "Look at what the young master said. There is nothing in this mansion that the young master cannot see. Please come this way."
Xu Yan thought to himself that this was more like it. It was true that good people are often bullied. It was not bad to be a bad boy occasionally.
There are dozens of people in the Xu family's residence, dozens of mouths to feed, so the kitchen is naturally not small.
Xu Liu walked in front with his back bent, Xu Yan followed closely behind him, and the little servant boy followed the young master closely.
Xu Liu walked to a large wooden barrel and stopped, pointing inside and saying, "Master, please look, this is the white tortoise we bought today."
Xu Yan leaned over to look and saw a white turtle swimming slowly in the wooden barrel.
This turtle has no obvious difference in appearance from ordinary turtles, but its body is white and translucent, which is very stunning at first glance.
Xu Yan knew that the white turtle was a common albino tortoise, essentially a genetic mutation. But the people of the Ming Dynasty didn't see it that way. They considered the appearance of a white turtle a sign of great auspiciousness, surpassing anything else like Ganoderma lucidum, white sparrows, white deer, or nectar.
There is also a saying that when a white turtle appears, a sage appears.
......
......
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