Chapter 63: Passerby A in Ancient Marriage Exchange Stories (8)
The family was still incredibly excited when they got home, but Jiang Yue was a little confused. Her father touched the peace charm in his hand and gave one to each of them. The other three touched the charm as if it were a treasure. Jiang Yue picked up the charm and looked at it. It was just an ordinary wooden charm. Why were they so happy?
It took a while for the three of them to calm down. Jiang's father explained to Jiang Yue, "We met the Imperial Advisor. This might even have been made by the Imperial Advisor himself." Seeing that Jiang Yue was still a little confused, he continued, "Shortly after your younger brother was born, there was a drought. Many people starved to death. Then the Imperial Advisor appeared, set up an altar, and performed a ritual to pray for rain. The next day, it rained heavily, which alleviated the disaster."
“If it weren’t for that rain, our family might not have survived. You were only three years old then. I remember the river had dried up and the well was about to run dry. There were disaster victims everywhere. The villagers had no choice but to flee to the capital to seek a way to survive.”
“At that time, your mother had just given birth to your younger brother and then this happened. In the end, your mother and I had no choice but to bring you and your brother to the city to beg. When we were almost in despair, someone shouted: “The Imperial Preceptor is asking for rain!” Your mother and I ran to the rain-seeking area and saw the Imperial Preceptor performing a ritual on the altar.”
"After praying for rain, the Imperial Preceptor said that it would rain the next day. We were all skeptical at the time. Then, the next morning, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. But after noon, a sudden gale arose and a torrential downpour began. It rained for three days and three nights. I don't know how many people survived because of this rain. Your grandfather still has the Imperial Preceptor's longevity tablet in his house."
Jiang Yue then understood why her father and the others were so excited. Ancient people were very superstitious, and the imperial advisors in this type of world were all quite capable. Perhaps the rain really was obtained by the imperial advisor. But Jiang Yue quickly discovered a blind spot: "Sigh, I've never met the imperial advisor. How did you know him, little brother?"
“There is a portrait of the Imperial Preceptor in our school. I recognized him by the portrait.”
Okay, Jiang Yue is the only one in the family who doesn't remember much. Although she knows who the Imperial Advisor is, she only found out what he looks like today. So the woman Jiang Yue was looking at must be the female lead, right? It's a pity that she was wrapped up so tightly that no one could see what she looked like. As for why Jiang Yue didn't dress up before going out, brother, why should a commoner like you dress up? There are plenty of women who go out in public to support their families. The saying "never leaving the inner chambers" describes ladies from noble families, not commoners like Jiang Yue.
At this moment, Madam Chen also chimed in, "Who do you think that woman was with the Imperial Advisor? I wonder what her relationship is with him." Jiang Yue couldn't help but smile at Madam Chen's gossipy expression. Jiang's father glared at Madam Chen, "Why are you so nosy? How dare you discuss the Imperial Advisor? Don't go around spreading rumors."
Chen pouted and retorted softly, "I'm just saying it at home, how dare I say it outside?"
"Don't talk nonsense at home, or you might accidentally let it slip out! But going to register Daya's household registration today was a good thing, we actually ran into the Imperial Advisor, I guess it's fate." After saying that, Father Jiang touched the peace talisman in his hand, and the others nodded in agreement.
A while later, the younger brother's stomach started growling. Chen suddenly remembered and slapped her thigh: "Oh dear! We forgot to eat what we bought. What a waste of money!"
The three men looked at each other, stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing: "You're still laughing! Honey, do you think we can still eat if we go over there now?"
"What are you thinking about? It's been so long. Don't worry about the few dollars. Compared to today's harvest, what's a few dollars? Hurry up and cook. The children must be hungry."
As Chen talked with frustration, she cooked, while Jiang Yue assisted her. Her younger brother went back to his room to study; he would be taking the academy exam soon, and whether he could pass or not was another matter, but he would consider it as gaining experience.
Father Jiang found the basket he used to carry things in, washed it, and since spring plowing was coming in a few days and his grandparents needed to borrow an ox to plow the fields, he didn't plan to rest. He intended to carry the load through the streets and alleys as before.
After breakfast, Jiang Yue took her household registration documents back to her room, studied them for a while, put them in a box and placed them in her spatial storage. After putting them away, she changed her clothes, fed the chickens, took out the eggs and put them in the house. She was busy for most of the day before she finished the chores at home.
After finishing some small tasks, she went back to her room to finish the embroidery she hadn't completed. Over the years, the price of Jiang Yue's works has risen, and the time she spends on them has also increased. This piece has been embroidered for almost a month, and Jiang Yue estimates that it will take another week to finish.
Not long after, news spread that Jiang Yue had established her own household and had no intention of getting married. This caused quite a stir in a certain area. In today's terms, she dominated the headlines for a month. She was discussed everywhere she went, with both positive and negative opinions. Before long, the news had even reached the village. Her grandfather and uncles even made a special trip over.
When she first arrived, she thought it was true, as the rumors said, that her family wouldn't let her get married and that they were keeping the child to earn money for the family. After communicating with them, she learned that it was Jiang Yue's own idea. Even so, her family didn't really agree, believing that getting married and having children was the proper thing to do. In the end, Jiang Yue didn't know how her father persuaded her grandfather. Once the head of the family made the decision, it was no use for anyone else to have any objections.
Before they knew it, the day of the provincial examination arrived. The family got up early and took Jiang Ze to the gate of the examination hall. The provincial examination was the same as the prefectural examination. All the materials used in the examination were provided by the examination hall, and the examination was strictly recorded to prevent cheating.
Nearly a hundred yamen runners were maintaining order in front of the examination hall, and some soldiers with swords stood solemnly. After the roll call was completed, Jiang Ze was led into the examination hall by the guide clerk.
After watching Jiang Ze enter, Jiang Yue and the other two went back inside, hoping everything would go smoothly. The rest was up to Jiang Ze himself.
The atmosphere was a bit somber when I got home. Although I didn't have high hopes, what if the examiner took a liking to me? Even if my skills weren't up to par, I could still rely on luck. After all, there are no standard answers now. Maybe if my handwriting is nice, or if I say something that hits the examiner's point, I'll be accepted. Such situations are not uncommon.
In the afternoon, Jiang's father went to the entrance of the examination hall to wait for Jiang Ze. Jiang Yue and Chen Shi were at home boiling water and cooking, waiting for them to come back. The main examination only lasted one day, so they could go home today. At six o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang's father picked Jiang Ze up. His mother, Chen Shi, lent him a basin of water to wash up. After eating a little something, she told Jiang Ze to go and rest. There was a re-examination tomorrow.
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