After hearing a long list of names, the Zhao family was terrified, while the onlookers outside were dumbfounded.
What kind of family is this? Except for one person with a different surname, everyone else has the same surname. No one would believe they aren't family.
Upon hearing the good news from the official, the Zhao family was overjoyed. Even the youngest, Zhao Qingyi, had barely passed the imperial examination and become a scholar.
If it weren't for his young age and lack of experience, with his good memory and writing talent, he could easily have ranked in the top ten or twenty.
"Haha, thank you for your hard work, sir. Please come inside and have some tea."
Boss, red seal.
Zhao Qianci was grinning like a fool; he was even happier than if he had passed the exam himself.
Now, all the male members of the Zhao family, except for the great-grandchildren who have not yet achieved official rank, have taken their first steps into the officialdom.
One by one, the red envelopes were handed out, and the official announcing the good news squeezed them with his hand, each person overjoyed.
They politely declined the invitation to tea, as they needed to hurry back to get their next job. Today was a great start; they earned two taels of silver from the very first customer they delivered to.
But what was going on in the Zhao family's courtyard? The smell was so enticing that I couldn't move.
Zhao Qingyan handed the grilled meat skewers to Xu Dongsheng and the other officers. Each officer grabbed a handful of skewers and ate them as they walked.
"This smells amazing! Their food is so delicious!" exclaimed one of the servants.
The other waiter finished the last skewer of meat in his hand, wiped his mouth, and
"Brother, you don't know the Zhao family?"
Their family has a very close relationship with our prefect. Remember the earthquake?...
This envoy went on and on, recounting the Zhao family's past.
The person in front of him, who was about to receive a happy gift, was completely taken aback.
"The Zhao family has produced ten scholars? Good heavens, what kind of family fortune must they have to support so many scholars?"
The one who knew a little about the Zhao family's background was incredibly proud, as if the scholar had come from his family.
"This is nothing. Do you know the orphanage in the northwest corner of the city? It's run by the Zhao family. They raise countless children there."
If it weren't for the bad luck of having my child pretend to be an orphan, I would have sent my child to an orphanage. I heard that children there can not only read and write, but also learn various skills.
I can still eat meat once a month.
"How much money do you think the Zhao family has?"
The official in front of him was stunned by what he was saying.
"Brother, how do you know so much? I need to learn from you. Brother, please teach your brother..."
This time, the Zhao family has truly become famous in the prefectural city.
Legend has it that there was a family in Lychee Lane where all the men in the family were scholars.
Hearing the news, many people came to visit.
First, we need to see what the gate of a family that produced so many scholars looked like.
Another possibility is to see if we can bump into each other by chance.
If I could get to know this family, I could learn from them how to raise children or how to pass the imperial examination to become a scholar.
Even after blocking off the entire Lychee Alley, not a single member of the Zhao family was seen.
The day after receiving the good news, the Zhao family went to the yamen to obtain the official document proving their status as scholars, and then returned home.
Feng's mother was left to continue looking after the house.
She just hasn't dared to go out these days.
There are just too many people outside. As a widow, it's best not to go out.
Furthermore, the family left her a considerable amount of rice and grain before they left.
There was a whole jar of lard and five or six pieces of cured pork.
There were several hens, all alive.
The owner told her to find a corner to raise the chickens; the eggs they laid would be enough for her daily needs.
She was also allowed to cultivate a small plot of land in the yard, enough to grow some vegetables for herself.
In the days since Feng's mother left the Zhao family, she has been busy tending to that small vegetable garden.
This time, the Zhao family plans to keep a low profile when they return home, after all, their strength speaks for itself, and there's no need to flaunt it.
The family, who wanted to keep a low profile, were taken aback by the spectacle at the village entrance as soon as their carriage entered the village.
What are you doing?
"What major incident has happened in our village? Why is everyone standing around at the village entrance instead of working?"
Mr. Huang was very puzzled.
The village elders and children all put on their best clothes and each held a bunch of flowers, regardless of whether they were foxtail grass, roses, or chrysanthemums.
Anyway, it's all about flowers.
Upon seeing the Zhao family enter the village, Zhao Jinfa was the first to strike the gong with a clang.
Then the elderly and children held up the flowers in their hands.
"Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome to the scholar returning to his hometown."
Even the battle-hardened Red Sugar was so frightened by this display that it reared up and neighed.
The Zhao family members quickly got off the carriage and unloaded the candies and cakes from it, giving each person a portion, ensuring no one was shortchanged.
Receiving cakes and candies brings joy and happiness, so everyone is naturally delighted.
Despite this, everyone's enthusiasm remained high, and they actually followed the Zhao family's carriage, intending to take the whole family back home.
In the hearts of the villagers of Zhao Family Village, Qian Cijia is a legend. He didn't study for long, yet all of his students passed the imperial examinations and became scholars.
Is it far from becoming the top scorer in the exam? Not at all.
They didn't know how big the gap was between a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination and a top scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination, but that didn't stop them from pondering it.
"Humble resignation, now that everyone in your family except your baby has achieved official rank, how about we throw a banquet?"
Zhao Jinfa asked.
Zhao Qianci pushed the tea towards his cousin.
"Cousin, this is what I think: last time we passed the imperial examination, we already held a grand banquet, which was quite eye-catching."
If we hold it again this time, will it attract even more attention?
So I thought, this time I'll just invite some close friends and family for a meal.
Zhao Jinfeng glanced at his cousin a few times, took a sip of tea,
"Are you out of your mind? Even if you don't hold a banquet, it's still eye-catching, isn't it?"
Putting everything else aside, those two workshops in our village are the most eye-catching. Believe it or not, starting tomorrow, your house will be packed with customers.
People are coming to congratulate you and give you gifts, how can you not treat them to a meal?
Instead of cooking for each table one by one, it's better to just serve everyone all at once.
Your family has really brought honor to our Zhao family ancestors this time; you've done a great service.
I discussed it with the clan elders yesterday.
"The village will pay for a pig for your family's banquet this time, what do you think?"
Zhao Jinfa spoke with such arrogance, as if a pig could handle the entire banquet.
Zhao Qianci scanned his cousin from head to toe several times.
"Cousin, how come I never knew you had a hobby of throwing banquets?"
Zhao Jinfa was so angry that his beard stood on end.
"You brat, don't think that just because you've become a scholar I can't beat you up. Tell me, are you going to host this banquet or not?"
Zhao Qianci turned to Huang for help. After all, his wife made most of the decisions, big and small, at home.
Huang pondered for a moment,
"It's April now, and in a few more months we'll have to take the imperial examination to become a scholar. I think it would be better to hold a big banquet after we pass the exam."
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