Although not everyone passed, Zhao Minggeng was already overjoyed. He never expected that five people in his family would pass the preliminary examination, and that he would be one of them.
At that moment, he felt like he had been hit by a pie.
In a daze, I never imagined that with my half-baked knowledge, I could actually pass the preliminary examination. It's unbelievable.
What's even more impressive is that his eldest son also passed the test. Zhao Minggeng felt even more intoxicated than if he had drunk a bottle of wine worth a thousand gold pieces.
He ran home with his face flushed, and before he even entered the house, he shouted, "I passed! Dad, Mom, I passed!"
The people who had been waiting in the courtyard all stood up.
Seeing his son so excited, Zhao Qianci finally felt relieved.
As long as someone passes the exam, that's fine.
When they learned that five members of their family had passed the preliminary examination, everyone was quite happy. Those who did not pass were not discouraged, after all, they had only been studying for a short time.
Children, in particular, are young and inexperienced, so what they learn from their teachers is always limited.
Keep up the good work, it's not a big deal to take the exam again next year.
When Zhao Qingyang learned that he was the youngest candidate in this preliminary examination, he was so excited that he didn't forget to comfort his younger brother.
The little boy with green diapers happily shook his head.
"Brother, look, I failed the exam. Are you going to buy me something nice to eat to cheer me up?"
Qingyang: "I was too shallow. Little brother, go play somewhere else. We're definitely having a big meal at home today."
After saying that, he hurried off to find Zhao Qingyan.
The whole family was filled with laughter and joy. Since they wouldn't be eating at home today, Zhao Qingyan decided to treat everyone to dinner at Wangyue Tower in Fucheng. Everyone was to bring their own drinks and glasses.
Before leaving, Zhao Qingyan thought of Zhang Rong. After all, he had given her a 100-tael silver note.
Relationships are built through interaction. Don't underestimate someone just because they're a constable; you never know when you might need their help.
To cultivate connections, he asked Zhao Qingshan to make a trip to the prefectural government office.
Zhang Rong was delighted to learn that the Zhao family was having a banquet at Wangyue Tower that evening, and that five members of the family had passed the preliminary examinations. He also assured them that he would be there on time.
Zhang Rong had a good impression of Zhao Qingshan, but when he heard that Zhao Qingshan was going to the city gate to invite Tian Li and the others, he stopped Zhao Qingshan.
Seeing Zhao Qingshan's puzzled look, Zhang Rong smiled.
"No need to go. It's quite a coincidence. Because of your sister, this kid was exempted from military household registration after making meritorious contributions and is now working in the prefectural government."
I will inform him later.
(This is unverified and only for plot purposes; please do not criticize.)
Since partnering with the Zhao family, especially after starting to sell wine, Wangyuelou has reached a new level of success.
After the renovation, it looks more luxurious and sophisticated.
The entire restaurant has three floors and is made of wood.
The entire restaurant is decorated in a natural wood color scheme. The first floor has a bluestone floor comparable to modern floor tiles, while the second floor is entirely made of solid wood flooring. A bowl of ice is placed in each of the four corners.
In April in Lingnan Prefecture, people would be covered in sweat as soon as they stepped outside, but inside the Wangyue Tower, one could not feel the heat at all.
Upon arriving at Wangyue Tower, the group was invited to a private room on the second floor, as instructed by the owner of Wangyue Tower.
All members of the Zhao family who dine at Wangyuelou Restaurant receive a 20% discount and are guaranteed a private room.
When the Zhao family decided to have dinner at Wangyuelou tonight, they made a reservation in advance.
The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated; this is not something they automatically unlocked, such as a rotating dining table.
The Zhao family, consisting of more than a dozen people, plus Zhang Rong and Tian Li, sat at one table without feeling crowded at all.
No matter how expensive the dishes at Wangyuelou were, Zhang Rong, as a constable, had the opportunity to eat them before, so he remained calm about the twenty-odd signature dishes that the Zhao family had served.
When Huang brought out a complete set of red wine glasses and wine, Zhang Rong's hands trembled.
The wine itself is worth a fortune, but this crystal-clear glass is priceless. More importantly, it's available for purchase only.
Zhang Rong and Tian Li were both stunned by the Zhao family's extravagance.
The meal ended with a loss of taste, my mind filled with thoughts of wine and glass glasses.
During the meal, the innkeeper came in once, intending to give away two dishes as a gift in an effort to build rapport and hopefully get the Zhao family to sell some recipe to Wangyuelou.
What did he see? The Zhao family was drinking wine, and several bottles at that.
Yes, today Zhao Qingyan brought out five bottles of wine, each weighing one jin (500 grams).
That's not all. They actually used such a precious cup to drink from. He didn't dare touch it, afraid of accidentally breaking it. This family just used it so casually to drink from.
That's too extravagant, too much!
A single meal cost several thousand taels of silver; this is even more extravagant than his master's.
The wine had been drunk, so he couldn't very well ask the Zhao family to sell it to him. But since the wine glass was still there, he could still try to persuade them.
The managers of Wangyuelou are all incredibly shrewd.
Whenever I see something good, my first reaction is to buy it as soon as possible. And here I am again, tempted by it.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they saw Zhang Rongtian off. Just as Zhao Qingyan was about to pay the bill, the innkeeper arrived in person.
Without saying a word, he first smiled obsequiously.
This left the Zhao family members completely baffled.
"Shopkeeper, please feel free to speak your mind," Zhao Qianci said.
"Well, well, it's like this. The old man knows that our family runs a restaurant. No matter how good the food is, it still needs to be served on good plates, right?"
In other words, you always need to maintain appearances.
I saw this glass wine cup used in your household today; it is quite precious. I wonder if the old gentleman would be willing to part with it.
"I know this request is too abrupt, but that's just my problem—when I see something nice, I want to help my master make a purchase. What do you think?"
The shopkeeper said rather awkwardly.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qianci turned to look at Zhao Qingyan.
Zhao Qingyan nodded. She then lightly nudged Huang with her arm. Huang understood.
The bargaining was naturally handled by the old lady.
So, since they were going to negotiate the price, Huang kicked her children and grandchildren, including Zhao Qianci, out.
Zhao Qingyan was left alone with her in the private room.
What was precious to the ancients was worthless to Zhao Qingyan. But that didn't stop her from wanting to sell it for a good price.
The shopkeeper was sweating profusely.
Zhao Qingyan simply couldn't bear to watch.
"Shopkeeper, to be honest, I have another set of these glass cups at home. That set is for drinking tea. How about we sell them to Wangyue Tower as well?"
He thought he couldn't buy any more, but then the girl said she had another set of houses she could sell to him, which meant she could sell him the wine glasses on the table as well.
This was like a windfall, though of course it cost money, but it was enough to make the shopkeeper very happy.
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