Today is the big day for the Ning family to announce the results.

Ning Ze and his wife Wang Lan sat in the main hall early in the morning, waiting for the results of the final exams of the two younger generations in the family.

The children of the Ning family have their physiques tested since birth, once a year until they are twelve or thirteen years old.

Those who have the qualifications to practice cultivation are sent to family private schools, where they are supported by the family and study full-time until they are sixteen or seventeen years old, when they take the graduation examination.

The annual exam determines the fate of young monks.

The top thirty young men in the exam are eligible to join the Ning family's business, and their future will undoubtedly be brighter.

Wang Lan was drinking tea, but her eyes kept glancing towards the door, unable to hide her nervousness and anticipation.

Ning Ze, however, had a dazed look in his eyes and was in a very depressed mood.

He waited until dawn, but the three ghosts from the Huang family never came back to report.

“They failed!”

"I didn't expect this young man to be so fierce and vicious."

"It's okay. It's okay."

"When I contacted the three Huang family ghosts, I did not reveal my true appearance, so the young guest could not find me."

"The three Huang family ghosts are just names in name only. They have the God-suppressing Talisman and the spiritual pet Green Blade Mantis. They can defeat three against one! I really misjudged them."

"Alas, little kid...what should I do next?"

Ning Ze was forced to take a risky move, but failed miserably. He had a headache and didn't know how to explain to the young patriarch.

"Dad, Mom, I passed the exam. I'm in the top 30!" Just then, a young man ran into the room, shouting excitedly.

"Really? Ji'er, you really passed the exam?!" Wang Lan stood up immediately, her face full of surprise.

The young monk Ning Ji said in a loud voice: "Of course! Mother, you don't even believe in your own son?"

"Oh?" Ning Ze looked up and saw his son Ning Ji's unbridled and ostentatious smile.

Normally, Ning Ji's grades were around 40th, but he didn't expect that he would perform exceptionally well in this exam.

This unexpected good news slightly alleviated Ning Ze's sorrow.

Ning Ji said in a high voice: "Dad, Mom, I've made you proud this time. I've said it before, I know what's going on. Although my grades are not good on weekdays, it's just that I don't want to give it my all."

"Not like someone else!"

"Normally, my grades were very good, always ranking in the top 30. But in this big exam, I failed miserably and only got 31st place. Oh no, I failed!"

As he said this, Ning Ji turned around and looked at the young man in white who followed him in, his face full of sarcasm.

The young man in white was dressed simply, with clear eyes and a strong expression of guilt and loss.

"Uncle, aunt." The young man in white, Ning Zhuo, bowed.

Wang Lan looked at the boy and asked sharply, "What? Xiaozhuo, you failed the test this time?!"

Ning Ze's face darkened, and he reached out for it, saying, "Give me the performance report."

Ning Zhuo took out the report card and handed it to his uncle Ning Ze.

Ning Ze lowered his head and glanced at him, his face as gloomy as water.

The next moment, he shook the paper in his hand and said angrily, "Xiao Zhuo, how could your mistake be so serious this time?"

"I remember that you have made quite a few achievements in mechanical engineering."

"Before, you made a mechanical parrot, which was praised by the elders of the tribe."

"Mechanical engineering is obviously your strong point, so how come you got a low grade this time?"

"Hey, if it weren't for this inferiority, you would be in the top 30!"

My aunt looked at me sharply: "Xiaozhuo, tell me, have you been taking on some private work for the Machinery Workshop recently?"

Before Ning Zhuo could answer, his aunt sighed and said, "Alas, I have told you so many times not to be greedy for money. At your age, you should study hard."

"You put your energy into making money, but you are picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons."

"Look at you now. You're doing great! Outside the top 30!"

"I can't get into the family business!!"

Ning Zhuo finally plucked up the courage to hear this: "Aunt, I heard from my classmates that I can use connections..."

Before he could finish, his aunt interrupted him loudly: "Use connections? Do you know how many spirit stones it costs to use connections? Do you know how many people we need to find to use connections?"

"Oh, you didn't do well in the exam now, and just because of a simple sentence, your uncle and I have to run around looking for people, run around and find connections for you?"

"How dare you ask that!"

"If I had known this, why would I have done it in the first place?"

"I told you to concentrate on your cultivation and not take on private jobs to earn a few spiritual stones."

“What’s the use?!”

"If you rank within the top 30 and join the family business, you can earn much more. There will be fewer key things to do and more time, allowing you to continue your practice."

Ning Zhuo raised his head abruptly, his face flushed with humiliation. He gritted his teeth and said in a hard voice: "Uncle, aunt, I, Ning Zhuo, will do this alone and take all the responsibilities!"

"Since it's thirty-first, forget it."

"I have been grateful for your care over the years. I am so grateful. My poor grades are my own fault. I deserve it!"

"I do the work and take the responsibility alone!"

"I don't believe that I won't be able to find a way to support myself if I go out."

At this point, Ning Zhuo bowed and said, "Uncle, aunt, my classmates are waiting for me to have dinner together. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."

Uncle stared at Ning Zhuo in silence.

My aunt raised her hand and said in disgust, "Go away, you are so careless. You did so badly on the exam, and yet you are still in the mood for a dinner party!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't stay there any longer and turned around and left in anger.

Cousin Ning Ji sat down comfortably.

The eldest aunt looked at Ning Ji, her expression changed, from anger to joy: "My son is still the best!"

Ning Ji's eyes lit up and he couldn't wait to pick one up and put it in his mouth.

The taste of the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake is unique. The cake body is soft and glutinous, the golden silk is hard and crispy, and there is a liquid filling inside.

After Ning Ji swallowed three mouthfuls, he felt a stream of clear air rising from his stomach and abdomen, rushing straight to his head, which made him feel refreshed.

Ning Ji exclaimed sincerely: "Delicious, delicious!"

"Then eat more. I'll give it all to you." His mother smiled.

Ning Ji ate the remaining three and licked his lips, still unsatisfied: "As expected of a product from the Golden Kitchen, it's delicious! Why are there only four? Are there any more?"

His father snorted coldly: "Each piece of cake here is worth 20 spiritual stones. You just ate nearly a hundred spiritual stones, and you still want more?"

"Then you must work harder and not slack off! You must behave well in the family from now on and try to earn enough spiritual food for yourself with your own hands as soon as possible."

Ning Ji shouted, "Dad, I've made you proud this time! Just think about it, if I had the same grades as before, you would have to run around and give gifts to get me into the family business. I did so well in the exam, but I saved you hundreds of spirit stones. What's wrong with eating some cakes from the Golden Kitchen?"

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"Besides, I eat these to increase my spirit, so that I can practice better and work harder."

"If I had had this level of resources earlier, my grades would have been among the best."

When Ning's father saw his son talking back, he glared at him and was about to scold him.

Mother Ning said quickly: "Okay, okay, stop talking."

She glared at her husband and said, "My son did well in the exam, so he should be praised. But after just a few words, you're criticizing him again."

"Don't think my son is a little playful at ordinary times. He is reliable at critical moments."

"Unlike Ning Zhuo, whose performance usually makes people take him lightly, but in the end, he is the one who makes people worry the most!"

"Look, I just criticized him a few words and he turned and walked away. He is so stubborn! Am I wrong?"

"Humph, and he's running out to eat. He's in the mood for that!"

Ning Ji sneered: "He is too arrogant and self-righteous. He simply doesn't listen to his parents' earnest teachings."

"By the way, we are not really going to help him and waste our favors, are we?"

Father Ning snorted coldly: "This is not something you should worry about."

Ning Ji saw his father getting angry and subconsciously shrank his neck. Thinking of the results of this exam, he raised his voice and said, "Mom, Ning Zhuo can go out to eat, I also want to go out to eat spiritual food. Give me some money, you don't know how much I paid for this exam!"

"Okay, okay." Ning's mother took out a bag of spirit stones with a smile and handed it to Ning Ji.

Ning Ji took the purse, stood up and left.

He left the Ning family residence and walked onto the street, but instead of rushing to his favorite restaurant, he wandered around the street.

He wanted to see where Ning Zhuo was eating.

There is no such opportunity under normal circumstances. Now that he finally got it, Ning Ji wanted to ridicule the other party for fun.

As a result, he looked everywhere but couldn't find it.

I asked several shop waiters and confirmed that Ning Zhuo had never been there.

Ning Ji slapped his head and realized, "This kid is just pretending, how can there be a dinner party? I'm afraid he is crying in the shabby house where his mother died of illness!"

"Never mind him, I'll just have a meal first."

Spiritual food is not only delicious, but also has the magical effect of increasing one's cultivation, which makes Ning Ji very much looking forward to it.

His guess was partly correct.

Ning Zhuo has returned to his own home.

Compared with his uncle and aunt's residences, Ning Zhuo's house is simple and dilapidated.

Ning Zhuo gently closed the gate, walked through the courtyard, entered the main house, and entered the inner room.

This is his bedroom and also his study.

Although the furniture was old and simple, it was kept clean.

Ning Zhuo touched the lion stone on the desk.

A faint light flashed on the surface of the Lion Stone, indicating that no one had been there during his absence.

Ning Zhuo turned around, walked to the bed, and gently twisted the railing beside the bed. Suddenly, a creaking sound of a mechanism was heard.

Immediately, the bed moved sideways, revealing an underground passage.

He stepped onto the wooden ladder and entered the underground secret room step by step.

After his feet were on solid ground, he turned the switch on the wall and moved the bed above his head back to its original position.

There was no light from the ceiling, but runes on the walls around the basement lit up, making the small space brighter.

At this point, the expressions of loss, grief, anger, and depression on Ning Zhuo's face disappeared without a trace, replaced by a look of calmness.

He sat down in front of the workbench he was most familiar with, on which were various mechanical accessories.

Ning Zhuo opened the drawer on his right, revealing a drawer full of pastries.

Each pastry is wrapped in paper.

There is the Jinshantang logo on the paper.

He grabbed a handful of five or six pieces at random, summoned his magic power, and in the next instant burned the paper wrapping the cakes, but did not damage the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake at all.

Obviously, he had done this action so many times that he had become extremely skilled at it.

Ning Zhuo chewed the cake, his eyes slightly unfocused. He reviewed his performance today in his mind.

He has maintained this good habit for more than ten years.

"There shouldn't be any problem."

"I just didn't expect that the other people's performances in this exam were generally wrong and they didn't fully perform to their best."

"When I looked at the list before, I almost thought I failed to control my score and made it into the top 30."

(End of this chapter)