In the evening, a banquet was held in the warm room. Luo Chengzhang spoke to the three candidates who were about to take the provincial examination in turn. Finally, he went to the study to have a deep chat with Luo Huaiyuan.
Luo Shenyuan sat by the railing of the warm room to rest. There was no one around him.
Yi Ning saw him from a distance and sat down next to him. Luo Shenyuan glanced at her sideways without saying anything.
Yi Ning wanted to say something to cheer him up, but after thinking about it, he couldn't figure out what to say. So he said, "Third brother, you have to do better on the test this time."
Luo Shenyuan turned around and asked her, "How good do you think it is?"
What was there to be desired? Yi Ning immediately said, "Of course it's as good as it can be."
Luo Shenyuan smiled and said, "Okay."
Seeing the hideous scar on his hand resting on the railing, Yi Ning was reminded of the scene Mrs. Luo had described. "He was pinned to the ground trying to catch you. The scissors pierced the back of his hand, and blood flowed all over his palm. His face turned pale with pain..."
Yi Ning still felt uncomfortable. She took her third brother's hand and gently stroked the scar on his palm, but she felt him stiffen slightly. Yi Ning asked, "Third brother, is your hand really incurable?"
"It's just that I can't control the strength." Luo Shenyuan saw the little girl holding his hand and looking at it carefully, then explained lightly, "If it's not something like writing, it's actually not a big deal."
If Xiao Yining were still alive, she would definitely feel guilty and blame herself.
Luo Shenyuan suffered a slight disability because of her. Although it was not serious, it would stay with Luo Shenyuan for the rest of his life.
When Yining went home that night, she dreamed of this scene. After Xuezhi woke her up, she realized that Luo Shenyuan and the others had already left.
Yi Ning regained her spirits. She was not worried about Luo Shenyuan at all. Since her third brother had promised her, he would definitely do it.
Lin Hairu was not worried because she never thought Luo Shenyuan would pass the exam.
The most worried person in the mansion was Chen. I heard that she was so worried that she didn't sleep well last night. When she woke up early in the morning, she had blisters at the corners of her mouth.
Gains and losses only take a moment, no wonder Chen was nervous.
Yining had no idea whether Luo Huaiyuan had passed the imperial examination. Living in the inner chambers, she only heard about important figures. There were so many scholars like Luo Huaiyuan that she had never even heard of his name.
At that time, these people were just casual gossips to her, but now they existed beside her in reality.
Luo Yiyu was also worried about her brother, staying in her room, embroidering shoe uppers and handkerchiefs for Luo Huaiyuan with slogans like "Great Ambition" and "Success Immediately." Luo Yixiu was always a heartless person, spending all day in Yining, even eating and sleeping there. When Mrs. Luo asked her if she was worried about Luo Huaiyuan's provincial examination, she said a little bewilderedly, "Ah? If he doesn't pass, he can just take it again. What's there to worry about?"
Yining laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. She thought that Luo Yixiu should be captured and given to Lin Hairu as her daughter.
Ms. Gu heard that her father had passed away back home. After taking care of the funeral, she returned with mourning clothes on her sleeves. She looked even more depressed than usual. The old lady saw that she was not in good spirits and heard that she had several younger brothers and sisters at home. She rewarded her with several hundred taels of silver and told her to come back after the mourning period was over.
Then you have to observe the mourning period for a year! That means you won’t be able to see Ms. Gu for a whole year.
Luo Yixiu was overjoyed when she learned this and quickly had her maid give Ms. Gu another 40 taels of silver as stipend. She urged her to go back home, saying the longer she could stay, the better. This would free her from having to wake up early every day to attend school. When Yining learned this, she was working on her calligraphy. After a moment's thought, she said to Xuezhi, "You should also give Ms. Gu an additional 40 taels of silver." Then, remembering Ms. Gu's hometown was in Gaoyang County, a long journey away, she added, "It's not safe to take so much silver. We'll need to send a carriage to take her back."
Ms. Gu held several hundred taels of silver in her hand. She was silent for a moment with red eyes, and got on the carriage without saying anything.
This way, life will be more leisurely.
The provincial examination ended in mid-August, but the results would not be announced until September, when the sweet osmanthus flowers were blooming, hence the name "Gui Bang".
Yi Ning and Luo Yixiu were sketching patterns when Luo Shenyuan and his companions returned. Old Lady Luo, Chen, and Lin Hairu personally went to the screen wall to greet them. Luo Huaiyuan looked confident in his exams, showing no sign of fatigue. Luo Shanyuan, however, looked rather worn out. He followed the two of them, neither saying anything good nor bad.
Chen and Luo Yiyu looked at Luo Huaiyuan with red eyes. Luo Huaiyuan couldn't help but be moved when he saw that his mother looked even more haggard than himself. The two mother and son hugged each other and talked for a while.
Lin Hairu had no burdens and ate well and slept soundly all day. She glanced at Luo Shenyuan, then gestured to Yi Ning with her eyes, as if asking her a question.
——Why is your third brother like such a blockhead? I don’t know whether I should comfort him or congratulate him.
Fortunately, Old Lady Luo immediately summoned everyone back to the main hall, allowing the three of them to rest. Unlike the provincial examination, the candidates sat in cramped cells, with barely enough room to turn around. The cells contained only two wooden planks, which served as desks and chairs for writing and, when joined together, as beds. They ate, drank, defecated, and slept in them. As long as you weren't cheating, the inspectors wouldn't care what you did in there.
The next day, Chen specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare a meal, including steamed sea bass, cooked ham, pickled goose feet, roasted venison, and pickled crab. Thinking of providing nourishment for both sons without favoring one over the other, she also sent a portion for Luo Shenyuan.
Yi Ning happened to be visiting her third brother when she saw a woman carrying food. She opened the food boxes one by one. The sea bass was sprinkled with shredded ginger and scallions, drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil, and it was incredibly fragrant. The roasted venison was bright in color, and the rich, red sauce looked delicious.
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