161, good news
161, good news
Early that morning, Lu Chunping, as usual, went to the city with his two nephews to deliver bean sprouts. When he arrived at the braised food stall to deliver the goods, he saw Lu Youtian, whom he had not seen for a long time. From Lu Youtian, he learned the good news that his nephew Lu Mingfei had once again won the first place in the college entrance examination.
"This is really great! I knew that Mingfei would do well in the exam this time!" The clan had a good student, and as a fellow clan member, Lu Chunping was naturally very happy.
Although there have been scholars in their clan, this is the first one who has won the first place in the imperial examination!
Even though Lu Chunping had never been to school, he knew that getting first place in the college examination was very impressive. Maybe in the future their village would really produce a Jinshi!
"When we left the city yesterday, the results had not been posted there yet. When we were going back, Fifth Master asked us how Mingfei did in the exam. I said I would have to come over today to ask you guys to find out." Lu Chunping said this to explain that they were in a hurry to return to the village yesterday and left before the results of the college entrance examination were posted, so they didn't get to hear that their nephew had passed the exam.
After hearing the good news today, Lu Chunping's first thought was to quickly take it back to the village and tell everyone. He immediately said to Lu Youtian with a smile, "After I deliver this truckload of bean sprouts, I will definitely tell this good news to Master Wu and the people in the clan. Everyone will definitely be very happy."
"I'm going back to the village with Mingfei. After you send the things over, we'll go together." Lu Youtian said.
"Okay, it would be even better if you could go back." Lu Chunping was even happier when he heard that Lu Youtian was going to bring his nephew who had passed the imperial examination back to the village.
"Then you wait here for a while, we will be back immediately after delivering the things."
"good."
Lu Youtian said a few words to Lu Chunping, and the two agreed to go back to the village together later.
Lu Chunping asked his two nephews to move the bean sprouts from the stall. When the nephews who had delivered the bean sprouts to the pancake shop came back, they drove the ox cart to deliver the bean sprouts to other houses.
Lu Mingfei didn't leave the house until daybreak. When his father told him to go back to the village later, he said "OK" and went to help his mother with the work.
This period of time in the morning is the busiest time for their stall. Now there are several more people working at the stall, but because the business is so good, everyone is very busy.
Lu Mingfei didn't wear his usual school clothes, but came to work at the stall in old, dusty clothes. He wouldn't act like a scholar and stop doing anything at home just because he passed the exam.
During that period of time, he rarely came to the stall to help because he was preparing for the exam. After the college entrance examination, he often came to the stall to help with housework.
The customers who come to their stall to eat don’t know what his test scores were. Everyone only knows that he is the eldest son of the owner of the braised food stall, and that’s all.
Therefore, his status as a scholar didn't restrict him in any way, nor did it put him on a pedestal from which he couldn't descend. After all, in the world he came from, all children started school at the age of six or seven, and university students were just ordinary people. After graduation, they were all laborers in society.
So in Lu Mingfei's own opinion, there is really nothing great about scholars.
At first, his father and mother didn't want him to come to the stall to help, as if they were afraid that the work would dirty his hands. Later, after his persuasion and persistence, his father and mother agreed to let him come to work at the stall.
However, there was one thing that bothered him when he was working at his own stall. Some old customers who often came to their stall to eat always liked to tease him and said that they wanted to introduce their daughters or nieces to him as wives.
He has always politely declined matchmaking.
The thought of marrying a teenage girl as his wife, who was only a teenager, seemed to him like a teenager, and everyone was still underage, yet they were already married and having children. In his opinion, this was no different from two children playing house together.
In his previous life, before his own death, Lu Mingfei hadn't had time to find a girlfriend or fall in love. Perhaps because his parents died so young, he felt alienated from others and didn't want to develop deep feelings with anyone. He was afraid of losing what he had, which was probably the biggest reason he didn't dare to find someone to date.
After coming to this world, although he had parents, brothers, and adoptive parents who loved him, and he felt the warmth and love of his family again, he never had any improper thoughts about any girl.
Maybe it’s because he is still young, he has not thought about liking someone or getting married.
Moreover, he did not really like the way marriages were arranged in this world, where people got married based on the words of a matchmaker without ever getting to know or get along with their partner.
When Lu Mingfei thought about marrying and starting a family with a strange girl whom he had not even met twice, he was very resistant to this idea because he always felt that it was very embarrassing for two people without feelings to get married and live together. He really couldn't sleep in the same bed with a stranger for decades.
Therefore, compared to things like getting married and having children, he still prefers studying and pursuing a career.
He had already made up his mind: if he could achieve some success in his studies and the imperial examinations, he would enter the imperial court as an official, work for the emperor for a few years, retire at forty, return home to open a small private school and teach students for a few years, and then travel. If he failed the provincial examination three years later, he would return to join his father and adoptive father in business, earn more money, and retire at forty or fifty to travel.
As for the rest, he didn't think too much about it now.
After Lu Chunping and the others returned with the bean sprouts, Lu Mingfei said something to his mother and followed his father back to the village in a donkey cart.
Around noon, they returned to the village.
***
The July sun was scorching and hot, and noon was the hottest time of the day. Even under the big tree at the entrance of the village, no one was taking shelter from the heat. I guess everyone had gone back home, so when their car entered the village, they didn't meet anyone from the village.
They did not return to the Lu family's old house, but went directly back to the patriarch's house.
Most of the people in the village don't lock their doors. If there is someone inside, the door is just closed.
Lu Chunping immediately opened the door and led the oxen pulling the cart into the yard. He said to Lu Youtian and his son, who were following behind him, "Come in. Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu should be inside. Let's lead the oxen and donkeys to the shed first and give them some water. They must be exhausted from the journey."
"You go ahead and we'll follow you." Lu Youtian asked Lu Chunping to lead the cow in first, and he followed behind, leading the donkey and bringing his eldest son in.
Old Mrs. Dou, who was in the house, heard the noise outside and came out to see that it was her nephew and Lu Youtian and his son. She came out to greet them with a smile and greeted Lu Youtian and his son with a smile.
Seeing the old lady coming out, Lu Chunping hurriedly rushed her back inside. "It's very sunny outside. Fifth Grandma, please go inside and don't go out in the sun."
"Mingfei, take the fifth grandma into the house quickly. We will go in after we pack up our things." Seeing this, Lu Youtian quickly waved his hand and asked his eldest son to take the old lady into the house quickly so as not to get her sunburned.
Hearing this, Lu Mingfei came over and helped the old lady back into the house.
As soon as Old Dou entered the house, she called out to the head of the household, "Old man, look who's here?"
"Fifth Master." Lu Mingfei came over and bowed to the old patriarch as a junior.
The old patriarch, his eyes a little blurry, took a closer look and saw that it was a young member of the clan who had returned. He immediately understood why the child had returned to the village at this time. An expression of anticipation and excitement immediately appeared on his face. He looked at the returning child and asked, "Is it Fei Ge'er who is back? Have the results of the college entrance examination been posted?"
"Yes, that's right. Mingfei lived up to everyone's expectations and won the first place in this college entrance examination." Lu Mingfei said.
"Good, good, that's great! I knew that you are an extraordinary child." The old patriarch stood up from the chair excitedly and grabbed the young man who came back to the village to tell him the good news.
Old Mrs. Dou, who was standing by, was also very happy to hear the news.
At this time, Lu Youtian and Lu Chunping came into the house with things in their hands, followed by their two nephews.
As soon as everyone came into the house and saw the old patriarch so happy, they all knew that the old patriarch had already heard the news.
Lu Youtian smiled and greeted the old patriarch and the old lady, then handed the things in his hand to the old lady, "This is what Ming Fei's mother asked us to bring back for you. They are all food."
"Oh, you are so polite. You bring us so many things every time you come back." Old Mrs. Dou said polite words, but when she took the things, the smile on her face was very happy.
Although their family was considered well-off in the village, they didn't have meat to eat every day. Every time Lu Youtian and his son returned to the village, or during the New Year or other festivals, they would have things delivered to their home. They would always receive braised food and sausages and bacon. Each time, the meat was enough for their family to eat for a full meal.
So it’s no wonder that Mrs. Dou was so happy every time she saw the father and son come back.
The old patriarch felt a little uncomfortable looking at the old lady who was laughing so hard that her gums were exposed. He waved his hand and said, "Go to the kitchen and cook a few bowls of noodles."
"Yes, yes, I'll go right away." Old Mrs. Dou went out with her things.
"I'll go and lend a hand." Seeing this, Lu Chunping also picked up his things and followed the old lady out to put them away.
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