Extra*previous story
Spring, the fourteenth year of the Holy Emperor.
Peach blossoms are falling on Chang'an Street, and the fallen petals on the bluestone slabs are crushed by countless pairs of black boots. In front of the palace gate and under the golden list, people are crowded like a tide.
As the gong sounded three times, the crowd suddenly became excited.
"The results are out, the results are out!"
"This year's top scorer in all six subjects is actually the same person!"
"Li Xuanjing, the disciple of the Left Prime Minister, I had long guessed that he would be the top scorer this year, but I didn't expect that he would take the top spot in six subjects!"
“Is this a result that a human can achieve?”
"Since the imperial examination was established, there has never been such a genius."
"This man has a promising future, and we must do everything we can to win him over. I heard that he is still unmarried, so quickly call out all the young ladies of the family who are of the right age..."
…
Today, the streets of Chang'an are deserted.
In the back garden of the Song Mansion, flowers are in full bloom.
Song Zhe looked at his best friend and shook his head, saying, "Six-subject champion, you are really amazing. You have stolen all the limelight from all of us..."
The announcement of the imperial examination results should have been a star-studded event.
In fact, this imperial examination was also full of brilliant stars.
Song Zhe himself was known as a "child prodigy" when he was young, and he was well-known in Chang'an; Lin Fuzhi was spotted by the Crown Prince before the imperial examination, and a position in the Eastern Palace had already been reserved for him; Wang Duo had just led the students of the academy to make a scene in the county government, and brought down the corrupt and law-breaking fifth-rank Chang'an magistrate, and his reputation rose rapidly...
Each of them has the ability to win the top spot in the imperial examinations compared to previous years.
But today, everyone has become a supporting role for the top scorers in six subjects.
Song Zhe touched Li Xuanjing's shoulder and said, "What do you think about what I told you last time? If our two families have boys, we will make them brothers. If they are both girls, we will make them sisters. If they are one boy and one girl, we will make them husband and wife..."
Li Xuanjing was embarrassed when he heard this: "This..."
Song Zhe raised his eyebrows and said, "Why, now that you have become the top scholar in six subjects, you look down on our Song family?"
Li Xuanjing shook his head and said, "No, I just want to discuss it with Wan'er."
Song Zhe smiled and said, "Qing'er has already discussed it with Miss Lin. If you have no objection, this matter is settled. I will go and draft the marriage certificate, and we will settle this matter today..."
…
Summer, the fifteenth year of the Holy Emperor.
The chirping of cicadas tore through the sultry afternoon. The banana leaves drooped with their burnt yellow edges, casting broken green shadows on the blue brick wall.
Song Zhe paced outside the delivery room, extremely anxious.
Two babies cried in the delivery room, and Song Zhe suddenly raised his head.
The midwife came out of the delivery room with a smile on her face, bowed to Song Zhe, and congratulated him, "Congratulations, Mr. Song, congratulations, Mr. Song, it's two daughters!"
After giving the midwife the wedding gift, the woman left happily.
A trace of sadness appeared between Song Zhe's brows.
It’s not that he favors boys over girls, but his close friend was recently imprisoned, and he himself was almost dragged into this scandal.
He knew that Xuan Jing didn't let him participate in order to protect him.
But they can't contend with the noble families and the powerful...
…
Autumn of the sixteenth year of the Holy Emperor.
The setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing the mocking wind beasts on the eaves of the Song Mansion into red gold. In a courtyard, the sound of porcelain breaking was heard.
"What's wrong with canceling the engagement? If he can break his promise, why can't you?"
"Are you willing to let Yiren marry a fool in the future?"
"Look at you, what kind of friends you make!"
"And your mother, I don't even want to talk about her!"
"If I had known this, I should have listened to my master!"
…
Listening to the quarrel coming from the courtyard, the maids and servants of the Song Mansion dared not make a sound.
Over the past year, the Fourth Master and the Fourth Mistress have often quarreled, causing unrest in the entire Song Mansion.
Inside the courtyard, Su Qing smashed a set of tea utensils to pieces, looked at Song Zhe with his hands on his hips, his face full of anger.
Faced with his wife's anger, Song Zhe could only shake his head and smile bitterly.
After a moment, he walked out of the yard and let out a long breath.
He had never imagined that in just one year, things would develop to this point. Mingyuan, Qingyan, Huaiqian, Wenshao..., they were all dead. The top scholar in six subjects, who had enjoyed great glory, became a traitor and a villain despised by everyone.
He slept alone in the study room all night. The next day, when he wanted to talk to his wife again, the room was empty.
A maid ran in in a panic and said, "Master, it's bad, the Madam has taken the second young lady away..."
…
Winter, the twenty-first year of the Holy Prophet.
The north wind was howling in Chang'an and heavy snow was everywhere.
The copper bells on the eaves of the official school were covered with icicles. The elderly teacher walked into the classroom, shook off the snowflakes on his shoulders, and glanced at an empty nanmu desk. A "Song" character was crookedly engraved on one corner of the desk.
He looked at everyone and asked, "Where is Song Jiaren?"
No one responded.
The old gentleman did not ask any further questions. Even if the young lady from the Song family came, she would just fall asleep in his class.
Since her first day at school, it became a rare day for her not to skip classes.
He just couldn't understand why her father, who ranked third in the imperial examination that year, would give birth to a daughter who didn't like studying?
He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and said in a deep voice: "Class..."
Behind the official school, there is a deserted garden.
In the snow-filled sky, a little girl with bright eyes and white teeth was practicing a set of boxing techniques seriously.
The wind from her fist broke through the snow curtain, and the girl's toes lightly tapped on the dead branches as she leaped, without disturbing even a single piece of remaining snow. She suddenly changed her fist into a palm, and an invisible force burst out of her body, rolling up snowflakes all over the sky. The snow on the plum tree in front fell down, revealing the red plum blossoms covered by frost and snow.
She looked at the flying snow all over the sky, and a sense of melancholy emerged in her little heart.
Is what they said true? Am I really going to marry a fool in the future?
At the same time.
Thousands of miles away.
Sanqing Sect.
Holy Maiden Peak.
Su Qing looked at the little girl in front of him and said in a deep voice: "You have to practice well. If you don't, you will have to go back to Chang'an and marry that idiot. Are you willing to marry that idiot?"
The little girl bit her lip.
Rather than being forced by her mother to practice martial arts every day here, marrying a fool was not something she could not accept...
Chang'an.
Li Mansion.
Butler Wu built a snowman, looked behind him, and said with a smile: "Master, come and see, does this snowman look like you..."
A child of five or six years old was sitting in the corridor, indifferent to what Butler Wu said.
He looked up at the snow-covered sky, with no expression on his face, as if he was waiting for something...
Seeing this, Butler Wu sighed.
When will the young master be well?
There were hurried footsteps outside the courtyard, and a figure holding a soup bowl walked in and asked Butler Wu, "Old Wu, is Xuan Jing here?"
Butler Wu said, "Your Highness, the master just went to the government office."
Prince Chun took his foot back after just entering the courtyard and waved his hand, saying, "Then I will go to the government office to find him..."
When Prince Chun reached the gate of Li's mansion and was about to get on the carriage, he stopped.
Under the eaves across the street, a used bookseller hiding from the snow saw a man in fancy clothes approaching. He stared at the used books on the bookstall and asked enthusiastically, "Customer, which book do you like? I'm about to close my stall, so I can give you a discount..."
Prince Chun picked up a book from the corner of the bookstall.
The two words "Kitchen Guide" on the worn and yellowed cover attracted all his attention.
…
I highly recommend Dan Ke’s new book “The Golden Age Starts in 1977”. Readers who like farming stories from that era can take a look.
Qian Jin, who was tanned by the scorching sun of 2027, plunged back into the wave of 1977.
Accompanying him was a material purchase and sales certificate that could connect to the space-time mall in 2027.
This certificate, which must be used in conjunction with gold, allowed him to trade old items from 1978 for items from 1927, and then trade new items from 1927.
Thus, the golden age of Qian Jin has arrived...
(End of this chapter)
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