Chapter 103: The Masters' Good News
Guo Baiwen only mentioned it casually that day.
Of course, it was also because Chen Youtian's barbecue skills were really amazing. One day after school, they found that Chen's shop, which used to be deserted, had suddenly become crowded with long queues.
Then, smelling the aroma of roasted meat in the air, what else could be unclear?
It seems that, like them, many people in the county also think the barbecue is delicious.
As the barbecue business gradually gained a regular customer base, Chen Youtian, who was too busy to handle everything, even called over Chen Damu from the small mountain village.
Winter comes early to the small mountain villages, and most hunters stay at home to hibernate. Coming to the county town is a good way to earn some extra money.
However, his grilling skills are not as good as his older brother's.
Chen Youtian tried several times but couldn't get it right, which left him feeling helpless. Fortunately, he was able to help watch the stove, skewer the meat, and fan the flames, which was some help.
Just as Chen's barbecue business was booming, the good news of Guo and Cao's provincial examinations finally reached the county town.
Years of perseverance have finally paid off.
Even though it was a holiday at the academy, Guo Baiwen could still see long lines of congratulatory messages on the road outside his own house, and the crowds of onlookers were even larger than those at ordinary weddings.
People crowded around, layer upon layer, and many of them even held their own children in their arms as they looked at the large announcement.
Sharing in the joy and literary atmosphere, the crowd packed the two scholars' homes to the point of being completely blocked.
When Guo Baiwen went to the academy the next day, he thought that the teachers would not come today. After all, he had just received the good news yesterday and there would probably be a lot of things to take over and deal with.
But to my surprise, as soon as I entered the academy, I could still vaguely see the corner of the robe of the teacher surrounded at the very back of the crowded throng.
The crowds here are just as dense as yesterday's.
Finally, it was almost time for class. This time, without waiting for the teacher to brandish the ruler, everyone consciously and slowly dispersed.
Once the crowd had dispersed, we could finally see the teachers.
He was dressed impeccably in his new clothes, and although his eyes were dark and swollen, he looked incredibly energetic, as if he had suddenly become many years younger.
But I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I always felt that Master Cao and Master Guo's eyelids were a little swollen. However, no matter how the students asked, the two of them gave the same answer.
Everyone says it was from mosquito bites.
I don't know where these fierce mosquitoes came from, even though it's already winter.
But since the teachers had already said so, the students could only pretend they knew nothing.
But the allure of passing the imperial examination was clearly not limited to that. Even when classes officially started in the morning, some people's attention was still preoccupied with the good news.
It wasn't until the teacher randomly selected a few students to recite the text and then made them copy two more texts as a form of punishment that the restless atmosphere was finally calmed down.
I thought the matter of passing the imperial examination was over, but unexpectedly, when school was over, a lot of people suddenly came to the usually quiet academy.
The person in the lead was dressed in rich clothes and looked somewhat unfamiliar but very kind.
The teachers seemed to know him very well. After exchanging a few words, they announced to everyone behind them that the academy would be holding a congratulatory banquet that evening.
The excitement that had been suppressed all day was instantly ignited by this news, and everyone's emotions became lively.
It was amidst this cacophony of voices that Guo Baiwen learned that the wealthy gentleman in front of him was none other than Master Pan, the true headmaster of Yangzheng Academy and the registrar living in the east of the city.
Because I'm usually busy with other things, I rarely come to the academy.
This time, it was because of the important event of the scholars passing the imperial examinations that he sent people from his household to bring a lot of things to preside over today's congratulatory banquet.
In addition to the ingredients for the evening banquet, he also prepared a cartload of rice, flour, oil, meat, eggs, salt, several bolts of cloth, and two wooden boxes covered with red cloth and containing strings of copper coins.
These are intended for Master Cao and Master Guo, firstly to express congratulations, and secondly as a token of support for their long-standing friendship at the academy.
After so many years, Yangzheng Academy has finally produced two more successful candidates in the imperial examinations.
The scientific expedition had cost a lot, and these things were a small token of his appreciation.
Even the chefs who prepared the banquet today were brought from his own residence; this was the first time Guo Baiwen had ever eaten at someone else's banquet.
Mr. Pan was clearly a very particular person when it came to food. He had a particular way of putting cold dishes and hot dishes, and the most eye-catching thing was naturally the main dish placed in the middle.
Aside from whole chickens and fish, the most eye-catching dish is the "Unrivaled Leader" (turtle skirt).
Master Cao lost his composure for once at the banquet, and by the end of the meal, his eyes were already red.
After nearly twenty years of diligent study, he finally passed the imperial examination.
Even though he ranked at the bottom of the list of successful candidates, he had finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish. Sitting next to him, Master Guo did not look much better than Master Cao.
When the party was finally over, the two of them took advantage of the time when everyone was together to tell everyone present their plans for the future.
Master Guo intended to continue taking the imperial examinations. He had been on the path of the imperial examinations for so many years, and he originally thought that the older he got, the lower the chance of passing the examinations would be. This year, he just wanted to give it one last try.
Perhaps it was because of this change in mindset that he passed the imperial examination successfully.
Since he's still relatively young, he wants to give it another try. In other words, after the Lunar New Year this year, he plans to take his whole family to the prefectural city to study.
As for Master Cao, since he is five or six years younger than Master Guo, he plans to go to the prefectural city after he finishes teaching the first-class students the last round of the provincial examination next spring.
Upon hearing this, Master Pan felt relieved.
The imperial examination was the proper path, so the academy naturally wouldn't stop people from leaving.
However, Yangzheng Academy has been operating for so many years, and finding a suitable teacher is not easy. With a longer period of turnover between old and new teachers, he has more time to find new teachers to teach.
As for the students sitting below, although they were somewhat reluctant to part, they also raised their cups to toast the teacher in turn.
I am grateful to my teachers for their careful instruction during this period.
The imperial examinations were not easy, and for students like them who were still studying, being able to witness the success of the masters was the closest goal at hand.
As Guo Baiwen was reflecting on this, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.
Lin Zhongbin didn't know what he had said to the teacher, but feeling that his eyes and nose were red and he couldn't be seen by others, he took the opportunity to hide behind himself.
As a result, Guo Baiwen was seen by the teacher and was dragged away to drink two more cups.
Everyone was so moved that they unknowingly drank much more than usual.
Fortunately, Guo Baiwen's alcohol tolerance has improved, and even with his face flushed, he was able to get home on his own.
However, when he got home that evening, because he was still smelling of alcohol, he was scolded by his grandmother and Baoyue again.
*
Although it's currently the off-season for farming, there's still a lot to do.
The stone mill in the yard needs to be repaired, the chicken coop and rabbit pen need to be cleaned, and the fields that have been rented out also need to be checked out separately when the opportunity arises.
During several ten-day breaks, Guo Baiwen's classmates came to him to ask if he wanted to go on a study tour together.
After being rejected several times, the Guo family gradually quieted down.
It was called a study tour, but it was really just a matter of visiting several villages near the county town, gathering inspiration, and then writing travelogues or poems based on the different villages.
Guo Baiwen had visited several villages in the surrounding area, and according to them, the "travel" part probably outweighed the "study" part.
It would be better to stay at home and practice calligraphy, or go to an academy to study.
Guo Xiaohua has been learning embroidery from Lin Niangzi for almost two years now. When Lin Niangzi came last time, she mentioned that Xiaohua's skills are now good enough to start taking on some simple embroidery projects.
As your skills improve, she will teach you more complex needlework techniques and patterns.
Seeing that neither Xiaohua nor Wenzai needed her help, Grandma Guo simply devoted herself entirely to the shop's business.
Guo Baiwen had tried to persuade her several times, after all, Grandma Guo had worked hard for half her life, and it was rare for her to be able to rest in the county town now.
Unfortunately, he couldn't persuade her, so after several unsuccessful attempts, seeing how happy Grandma Guo was, he gave up trying to persuade her.
Chen Baoyue helped out at both shops, working at one today and another tomorrow. When things got busy, she even helped out in the morning and afternoon.
When he had free time and the weather was nice, he would go with his uncle Chen Damu to help with hunting in the small mountain village. If the weather was bad, he would occasionally help take care of the livestock raised at home.
Thanks to her, the Guo family now has no shortage of furs, and they have all kinds of styles.
Besides selling some that I bought from Chen's shop, I made the rest into mattresses and blankets for my own use, which were even warmer than the cotton quilts sold in the county town.
The family of four is all busy with their own things.
The only time they could meet each day was when they ate breakfast and dinner in the main room, and only on holidays could they stop and rest properly.
With the recent cold weather, while we don't need to clean the rabbit hutch as frequently, we should still think about what to do with it.
After all, rabbits are different from chickens and donkeys; they need to eat fresh grass, but such grass is hard to find in the wild during winter.
So in previous years, when there was really no grass left to eat, the rabbits would either be sold or eaten by the family.
Maybe after planting radishes and peas this year, the rabbits will grow a bit more.
"I picked a lot of pea shoots today. I'll set some aside when I get home, blanch them, and then we can cook them in a pot."
Grandma Guo was still holding the bamboo basket she had just picked vegetables in her arms. When she wandered over to the kitchen and saw these rabbits, she felt a bit of a headache.
"How about we keep a few for ourselves, and give the rest away or sell them if we can?"
Guo Baiwen nodded. He was holding a wrapped piece of pine soot ink and two bolts of fine cotton cloth, which he had originally planned to use to visit the Master's house.
The previous congratulatory gifts were given after everyone pooled their money, but Master Guo had secretly given him a lot of extra help, so he still felt that it was a bit meager.
"Then I'll take two with me later, along with some freshly picked pea shoots, and deliver them to the Master's house on the way."
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Author's Note: I've achieved the milestone of updating daily for a month and earned thirty little red flowers! Yay! I'm so proud of myself! Awesome, hahaha!
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