Chapter 123 Smart Part 2

The guarantee of the candidate is also a guaranty, guaranteeing that the candidate is not impersonating someone else, not using a substitute, not using a false name, and guaranteeing that his or her family is clean. Zhou Shuren and the clan leader went to the home of the candidate in this county. Not only did they bring tea and cloth bought in Jiangnan, they also brought one or two taels of silver. The gift they gave was very generous.

Zhou Shuren came back that day and said that many people from Bingsheng's family came to ask for a guarantee.

Zhulan silently did a calculation. The candidate who ranked first in the academy examination could receive rice every month, four taels of silver a year, and twenty mu of land was tax-free, which was a considerable sum of money. If the family did not have enough land, someone would ask to be listed as a candidate, and would have to give some food every year as a reward. Not only would he not have to spend any money on food and drink for a year, but he could also get a sum of money if he signed a pledge.

Facts have proven that top students make money, whether in ancient times or now!

In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of February. Zhulan posted a countdown on the wall of her bedroom. The first thing she did every morning was to change the number. She looked at Zhou Shuren, who was walking slowly, with dissatisfaction. "You made me nervous during the exam. It was like I was back to the days of the college entrance examination. On the contrary, you were not nervous at all. The exam was about to start the day after tomorrow, but you didn't even read the book."

Zhou Shuren laughed, "I've seen everything I need to see, and I've memorized everything I need to memorize. There's nothing to be nervous about, so don't worry about it."

Zhulan put on her shoes while saying, "How can I not worry about it? This concerns our future. If it were modern times, I could support the family by myself, but not in ancient times. You and the children at home have to take the imperial examinations, which completely restricts me. Even though my expertise is very impressive and my position is not low, it is useless in ancient times. I can't do business or show up in public. The pressure is on you. I am nervous because I can't help."

To put it bluntly, the modern Zhulan has relied on herself since she was young. She has shouldered everything she can and even things she cannot, and she prefers to rely on herself. Coming to the ancient times restricted her, and she tried to trust Zhou Shuren little by little. Although she seemed to trust him on the surface, she still felt unsure in her heart and was more confident than relying on herself.

In ancient times, if a woman could take the imperial examination, she would take it herself, no matter how difficult the classical Chinese was.

Zhou Shuren held Zhulan's hand. He had long noticed Zhulan's nervousness these days that she didn't completely trust him. This was a character she had developed since childhood. Zhulan trusted herself more, and so did he. If he changed his perspective, he might not do better than Zhulan. "Trust me, I won't let you down."

Zhulan looked at the hands being held in a daze. Zhou Shuren's palms were very warm. The temperature was slowly transmitted from his palms. Zhulan's heart was at peace. She laughed at herself in her heart. She seemed strong and accepted herself well. Even if she concealed it well, she was still a little uneasy about the change of her identity. "Yeah."

Zhou Shuren curled his eyes and gently pulled Zhulan into his arms. He and Zhulan grew up in different environments. As an orphan, he was more able to read people's faces. He had been fighting for opportunities for himself since he was young. After entering the society, he had been honing himself at the bottom, and achieved modern success step by step. He had enough experience and scheming, otherwise he would not have climbed up so easily at such a young age.

Zhulan is different. She comes from a simple family and has excellent conditions. Although she is capable, she has also learned some social skills from him. What is even smarter is that in the unfamiliar ancient times, when she did not understand the ancient survival rules, she always asked for his opinions. She never acted arrogantly and was always cautious until she thoroughly understood the ancient rules.

Even though the ancient times restricted her, Zhulan never complained and always tried to adapt to the ancient times. How could he not be attracted to such a Zhulan and want to hold her tightly?

Zhu Lan was completely stunned. When she came to her senses, she gritted her teeth and said, "You are getting more and more courageous."