Chapter 25 The Fake Cousin
Pei Wu was indeed very promising; he came back with first place in the exam.
Putting everything else aside, Jiang Ru's first feeling at this moment was joy.
She knew that Pei Wu was always diligent and thoughtful, and that he would study by lamplight at night. Such a person, even without considering his talent, was one in a million.
Having seen it, Jiang Ru went out from the side and left the governor's gate with Pei Wu.
Many people came to see the list. Not to mention Pei Wu, there were also quite a few people from Yulin Academy who participated in the provincial examination. Pei Wu had just glanced at it and found that, apart from himself and Zheng Qiuhong, there were three other people on the list.
Jinzhou is not a wealthy place, and this year's provincial examination only recruited fifty people. It is already excellent that Yulin Academy had five people pass the exam.
Jiang Ru considered Pei Wu's achievement a great joy. She was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling and said she would buy Pei Wu some delicious food.
However, the first thing to do, naturally, was to go to the academy to share the good news with the teacher.
On the day the results were announced, the academy gave everyone a day off. The academy was not deserted, though. Students who had seen the results gathered inside the academy. Those who failed were not discouraged and said they would try again in three years.
As Pei Wu entered the academy, he was met with a chorus of gazes, some envious, some admiring, all turning to look at him. Pei Wu was already quite famous in the academy, and now that he had taken first place, his reputation had become even more renowned.
People came to offer their congratulations from time to time, and Pei Wu thanked them one by one. They walked through the corridor, and there were several rows of houses by the pond. The front row was where the students studied, and beyond that row of houses were the residences of the teachers.
Pei Wu's teacher lived in Qianxi Hall. When Jiang Ru and the others arrived, there were already several people sitting inside, including the people on the list.
The gentleman beckoned to Pei Wu, his face beaming with undisguised satisfaction, and praised him repeatedly.
After the autumn imperial examinations, they should go to the capital to participate in the spring imperial examinations. It is already September, and the imperial court has ordered the candidates to report before November. According to the calculation, they only have two months to reach the capital.
It would take a carriage almost a month to travel from Jinzhou to Bianjing, even taking into account the weather and unforeseen circumstances, so they would have to set off no earlier than mid-September.
The imperial court dispatched official carriages, and they traveled together, which served as a form of mutual support.
I'll be busy in just half a month. Not to mention the relatives and friends who come to congratulate me, there are also quite a few who come to try and get close to me, and I'll have to deal with them.
There's also the Deer Cry Banquet tomorrow; things will be even busier after the results are announced.
The teacher first greeted them, then told them some things to pay attention to in the spring imperial examination, and even gave them some preliminary questions. Jiang Ru sat to the side, listening with a heavy heart, while Pei Wu listened attentively, nodding in response from time to time.
As the discussion was drawing to a close, someone knocked on the door, saying that the county officials were already waiting outside the academy to escort the scholars to a banquet.
They then bid farewell to their teacher and left the academy together.
The carriage was already parked outside the academy. The group got into the carriage together, shutting out the noise outside.
Last time they went to the Jinzhou government office, they could only walk. This time they were able to ride in a carriage, which was much faster than walking. In just two hours, they were taken to the Jinzhou provincial administration office.
The successful candidates arrived one after another, and the government arranged accommodations for them, with all their food and daily necessities provided—the conditions were exceptionally good.
Even Jiang Ru, who accompanied him, was arranged to have a separate room. Her room was not far from Pei Wu's, but it was still a bit of a walk away. Jiang Ru took a hot bath and lay comfortably on the bed.
The Deer Cry Banquet began at noon on the second day. Since only those who had passed the imperial examinations could attend, Jiang Ru ate her meal in her room. The dishes she ate were the same as those served at the banquet, so there was nothing different about them.
The food at the banquet was much better than what Jiang Ru and the others usually ate. Jiang Ru was so full that she went to bed early.
Pei Wu's husband said today that he will be going to the capital in a few days, so she needs to arrange things at home in the next few days. The cabbages and radishes in the yard can be picked and given away, but the millet is not ripe yet, and she doesn't know if she can harvest it before leaving.
As she pondered these thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.
The banquet was long, and it was almost nightfall before Pei Wu and the others were able to return to their rooms. By then, Jiang Ru had already fallen asleep. Pei Wu originally wanted to go find her, but when the maid told him that she was already asleep, he decided not to disturb her.
The next morning, they took the government's carriage back to the village. After several hours of bumpy travel, they finally entered the territory of Muxi Village.
From afar, a large crowd had already gathered in front of the Pei family's gate.
Some offered good meat and wine, some took the opportunity to fish in troubled waters and establish kinship, and some even offered silver to Pei Wu. This blatant bribery shocked Jiang Ru so much that she almost wanted to drag Pei Wu away.
At this moment, government officials also came to deliver the message, playing suona horns and amidst a joyous celebration, they brought Pei Wu's message.
The messenger, carrying the golden flower invitation, said some flattering words and then wanted to hang the invitation in the courtyard.
The courtyard gate was opened, but there was nowhere to put the invitation. The main hall had been converted into Pei Wu's bedroom, one of the side rooms was Jiang Ru's bedroom, and the other room had a large hole in it, so it couldn't be used to put the invitation.
The crowd gathered outside the door, and when they saw the dilapidated scene, they fell silent.
Suddenly, someone raised their hand, pushed through the crowd to the front, and shouted, "How can we let Master Pei live in such a poor house? I'll take charge and help Master Pei repair this house."
Someone else pushed the man aside, shouting with a flushed face, "What repair? How can Master Pei live in such a dilapidated house? I have a house in the countryside. If Master Pei doesn't mind, I'll take you there right away."
It was rather comical that a man in his fifties was calling Pei Wu, a mere fifteen-year-old boy, "Master Pei." Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu and saw that "Master Pei" had a cold face, and his sharp features looked as if he wanted to chop the two men down with a knife.
Jiang Ru suppressed a laugh, took a step to the left, and silently moved a little further away from Master Pei.
Master Pei was very perceptive and suddenly turned to look at her. Jiang Ru immediately acted as if it were none of her business and looked up at the sky.
But when she saw Pei Wu, this tall man, surrounded by people, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless, she still sighed and stood in front of him.
She could only block Pei Wu's view a small portion of him, but everyone's attention was drawn to her, and they all murmured, "Who is this?"
Jiang Ru smiled and said, "We don't have anything else, but it's lunchtime now. If you'd like to have a meal, please come in."
Everyone looked at each other, not daring to move for a moment.
In the silence, Pei Wu moved. He stepped forward, took the gold note from the soldier, and then looked at everyone: "Thank you all for your kindness. If you don't mind, please have a meal before you leave."
Many of these people were trying to get close to him. It was perfectly normal for someone who had passed the imperial examination to come and congratulate him, and it wouldn't be good to send them away. It would be best to offer them a meal.
The soldiers who came to deliver the message were also invited to stay for a meal.
As for the gold ingot in his hand, Pei Wu put it in the room. Since he couldn't find a place to hang it, he put it on the desk for the time being.
Since cooking was to be done, this gave everyone a chance to show off their skills. Those who brought food were busy trying to hand it over to Pei Wu, who thanked them but refused to accept it.
Pei Wu was wondering where to borrow grain since his family didn't have much stored up. A woman stepped out from the crowd and said in a low voice, "I put the grain under the stove a long time ago. You can take it."
Pei Wu went over and found the food by the stove. There was rice, flour, vegetables, and even wine.
Neither Pei Wu nor Jiang Ru had ever experienced such a scene before, so they had no idea they were supposed to host a meal. Fortunately, the woman helped them, and with the vegetables they had planted in the yard, they could manage to have enough.
To everyone's surprise, Pei Wu remained so calm at this critical moment. Before he could even say anything, he leisurely started cooking.
The group looked at each other in bewilderment and had no choice but to step forward and help with the cooking. When they ran out of pots, the neighbors also offered their own.
Many hands make light work, and before long, the meals were ready.
There weren't enough tables, so they borrowed some. Those who didn't have tables simply spread straw on the ground and sat down.
We shared a few sips of the two jars of wine, enough to keep us from getting drunk, but enough to satisfy our cravings. And so, in this lively and cheerful atmosphere, we finished our meal together.
It was just past noon, and everyone had almost finished their meal. Pei Wu stood at the door to see the guests off. No matter what their purpose was, they were all dismissed by Pei Wu with just a few words.
Jiang Ru suddenly realized that Pei Wu was a very considerate person, so how could he remain silent because of these people? It seemed that he knew from the beginning that Jiang Ru would speak up for him.
After figuring it out, Jiang Ru glared at Pei Wu without making a sound.
After glaring at Pei Wu, the woman who had delivered grain to him earlier walked towards Jiang Ru. She suppressed a smile, glanced at Jiang Ru's face, and asked, "Whose daughter are you?"
Jiang Ru noticed that this person seemed to have a fairly good relationship with Pei Wu earlier, so she assumed he was a relative of Pei Wu or something, and cautiously replied, "From the Jiang family."
The woman was taken aback, seemingly finding Jiang Ru's answer amusing: "There doesn't seem to be anyone with the surname Jiang in Muxi Village, so you must be from another village. I saw you and Wu Ge'er getting along well just now, and you even took the initiative to stop people for him."
This person seemed to know Muxi Village so well. Jiang Ru looked at her hesitantly. She hadn't been there long and didn't know everyone in Muxi Village. This person was probably a villager she didn't know. That explained why Pei Wu had accepted her grain.
Jiang Ru put on a serious expression: "I am Brother Pei's distant cousin."
"Oh," the woman said, startled, as if she didn't quite believe it. "Then how come I've never seen you before?"
Jiang Ru thought to herself, "I've never seen you before, yet you're questioning me like this." She replied, half-truthfully, "You haven't seen me before, probably because my family was separated from me before, and I was only recently reunited with them."
Not counting her previous life, she did indeed transmigrate here not long ago.
As she spoke, she pretended to wipe away her tears: "I've only been home for a short time, so of course you don't recognize me."
The woman was even more puzzled: "Your surname is Jiang?"
Jiang Ru nodded.
Perhaps feeling that Jiang Ru's experience was too tragic, the woman stopped talking and went to clear the table.
Before long, Pei Wu had seen off most of his guests and turned around to help clear the table. The woman handed something to Pei Wu, who took it and whispered, "Little sister."
Jiang Ru: ""
Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu in shock, tugged at his sleeve as if to whisper something, and when Pei Wu leaned closer, she lowered her voice: "That's your aunt."
Pei Wu nodded: "Yes."
Just then, Pei Wu's real aunt turned around and met Pei Wu's fake cousin Jiang Ru's gaze. Under her aunt's sharp stare, the fake Jiang Ru lowered her head in shame.
She looked away guiltily, but Pei Wu, not understanding why, looked down at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
The two were standing at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but judging from their expressions, they seemed very intimate. One of them lowered his head, while the other looked at him with concern, oblivious to everyone else.
Pei Wu's aunt laughed: "Brother Wu, how come I didn't know you had such a cousin?"
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Author's Note: Pre-order: "Harem Survival Game"
Xue Li transmigrated into a palace intrigue game and became a lowly palace maid.
During her first stint under Consort Zhang, she was sentenced to death for her incompetence because Consort Zhang suffered a miscarriage.
The second time she served under Consort Xia, she was beaten to death as an accomplice because Consort Xia was carrying out abortion schemes.
The third time, Xue Li volunteered to do laundry at the laundry department, but he was thrown into a well and drowned after witnessing Consort Zhang having an affair.
...
The nth time, Xue Li went to work at Prince Zhao's residence, but when she was brought into the palace, she was assassinated after overhearing the Eighth Prince's plan to force the emperor to abdicate.
Crown Prince Xue Chong was established because of his age, but he did not receive the emperor's favor.
The concubines plotted to eliminate him, poisoning him and setting traps for him, forcing him to live in constant fear.
Until he realized he had entered a loop.
Consort Zhang poisoned him, and while he was preparing how to retaliate, a palace maid failed to do her job properly, causing Consort Zhang to miscarry.
Consort Xia tripped him up, and just as he was about to retaliate, a palace maid lost her composure and exposed Consort Xia, and they were both beaten to death.
...
On the eve of the nth cycle, the Crown Prince was about to stage a coup when the Eighth Prince attempted to seize power, only to be caught in a trap and killed along with the young palace maid.
The crown prince, having reached his limit, found the young palace maid and asked, "Why are you everywhere?"
Then, his hand was tightly grasped, and the little palace maid's eyes filled with tears: "Hello, do you want to usurp the throne? I'll help you."
The crown prince shook off her hand and sneered, "You'd better survive first."
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