Chapter 115 Tiger Cub
After passing the imperial examination with top honors, Zhao Ge'er was overjoyed for a few days and then returned to his old ways. When he returned to Suzhou with his grandparents to pay respects to their ancestors, he was very humble in front of the elders, seniors, and peers of the clan, and kept saying that he had only gotten the top honors by luck.
As a son of an official, he was often asked by Xiao Jingshi, who had him and his younger brother Zhengge'er, to entertain officials during his tenure. Therefore, he remained calm and composed when facing officials from Suzhou Prefecture.
Xu Jian, who also took the provincial examination, failed again this time, but fortunately ranked on the supplementary list and is preparing to enter the Nanjing Imperial Academy to prepare for the next provincial examination. Xu Erpeng was inevitably disappointed, but he cheered up and comforted his son: "Your father only passed the county-level examination at the age of twenty-six. You are only twenty-seven years old this year, and you have already ranked on the supplementary list twice. It is already very difficult. As for Zhao Ge'er, don't be impolite."
When Xu Jian grew up, his family was already quite well-off. His sister married into the Xiao family, and he was able to study at the prestigious Chao family school. He even had servants at home, and his father later became an official. However, his good fortune lasted until he was seventeen. Ten years later, he still hadn't passed the provincial examination.
His nephew, who was ten years younger than him, became the top scholar in the provincial examination in Southern Zhili when he was only the age to pass the county-level examination. How could he feel good about this?
Xu Erpeng patted his son on the shoulder. He had experienced this feeling of failing the exam countless times. Fortunately, he never gave up in the end. His daughter was just like him. Whether she was working under Madam Tao or Madam Yang, even if she started as an apprentice, she always did a great job. Later, she even taught herself pediatrics from gynecology and often went out to make free clinics to accumulate materials, rain or shine.
At first, she didn't know how to process medicinal materials. She either bought the pharmaceutical manual or asked for help herself and did it herself. She failed several times before succeeding, but she never got discouraged.
He thought that his father and daughter were in a normal situation, and that anyone could achieve this as long as they persevered, but that was not the case.
Fortunately, Xu Jian had drunk some wine that night and slept for several days before calming down, but Lou Qiongyu couldn't calm down no matter what she did. She couldn't help but complain about Xiao Jingtang, why he didn't just study diligently as a student and wait for the court to grant him an official position, but instead went to work as a errand boy for Xiao Jingshi, making his father feel inferior and his son feel inferior as well.
"Fangyi, take the medicine to Miaoge'er," Lou Qiongyu said.
Fangyi hurriedly accepted the order and left, wondering why Young Master Miao had taken so much medicine without any effect. Soon she arrived at the west courtyard, and unexpectedly, the eldest young master was there as well. She quickly greeted him, put down the medicine, and urged Miao to drink it. Miao was obedient and drank it all in one go.
After finishing their medicine, the two brothers began to eat. Zhao Ge'er couldn't help but say, "I saw you were perfectly healthy before, why are you taking medicine now?"
Miao Ge'er pointed to his face, and Zhao Ge'er understood. He saw Miao Ge'er eating squirrel-shaped mandarin fish with great gusto, and there were several fried dishes and "heat-inducing" foods on the table: fried water chestnut slices, stir-fried prawns, and thinly sliced beef. Although he hadn't studied medicine with Miao Zhen, he still knew the basics: people with acne must eat a light diet and avoid fried or "heat-inducing" foods, otherwise medicine would be useless.
Therefore, Zhao Ge'er advised, "Since you are taking medicine, why not eat a lighter diet?"
Miao Ge'er just made a face and didn't say anything.
Fangyi went back to report that Zhao Ge'er and Miao Ge'er had eaten together. Lou Qiongyu didn't say anything bad about Zhao Ge'er, but only asked, "How did you like the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish I made?"
"When I arrived, the meal had just been set out," Fangyi said cautiously.
Lou Qiongyu laughed and said, "That Miao-ge'er will definitely like to eat it. He can finish a whole squirrel-shaped mandarin fish every time. Oh, look at my brain, I forgot to have the milk sent."
Miao Ge'er needs to drink milk to grow taller, as she has heard that milk is good for health.
Fangyi quickly went down to give instructions.
By the time the milk was delivered to Miao Ge'er, Zhao Ge'er had already finished his meal. He always ate only until he was seven or eight tenths full, and he rarely ate anything that was too oily, salty, or greasy. Upon seeing the milk, he reminded Miao Ge'er, "This is a cold food, so you should probably drink less of it."
“I’ve been drinking it since I was a child. I remember we used to drink it all the time when we were in the capital. Back then, it was Fourth Aunt who gave it to everyone,” Miao Ge’er said.
Zhao Ge'er laughed and said, "That was when I was a child. It stopped after that. Even my younger brother Zheng Ge'er drinks less milk now."
But even if he said that, Miao-ge'er wouldn't listen. Zhao-ge'er thought that some illnesses simply couldn't be cured by medicine!
It is now September, and Zhao Ge'er has received a letter from his father, urging him to go to the capital to take the imperial examination. Whether he passes or not, he should at least familiarize himself with the process.
So Zhao Ge'er couldn't attend Wei Jie'er's wedding, so he prepared her wedding gift in advance: a pair of auspicious dragon and phoenix bracelets made by an old shop in the capital. His mother had thought of this before and asked him to bring them over.
Sister Wei quickly stepped forward to express her gratitude and personally poured tea for him: "Big brother, please have some tea."
"Thank you for your trouble."
When Zhao Ge'er and Wei Jie'er talked about Miao Ge'er, Zhao Ge'er couldn't help but subtly express his thoughts. Wei Jie'er smiled bitterly and said, "How could I not know what you're saying, big brother? But you just can't change. At first, Mother would say a few words, but later when she gave you these things to eat, you started studying..."
It's like drinking poison to quench thirst.
But Zhao Ge'er had already reminded him of this point, and if he continued, Aunt Liu might think he was targeting her, so he quickly changed the subject: "I can't stay for your wedding banquet. If anything happens, just write to me."
Wei Jie'er could tell it was just polite talk, but she still thanked him with a smile. After all, wasn't the second branch of the Xiao family relying on her fourth uncle and his son? Her fourth uncle was currently a high-ranking official of the third rank, and her cousin was the top scholar in the provincial examination in Southern Zhili, with a bright future ahead of them. Moreover, they were very friendly to them and not the kind of people who were arrogant.
After seeing Zhao Ge'er off, Wei Jie'er still went to Haitangxuan and said to her mother, "Don't give those fried foods to my brother anymore."
“He asked for it himself, I didn’t give it to him. Besides, your brother is at the age where he’s growing. How can he not eat beef or drink milk and just eat bland food?” Lou Qiongyu had her own way of thinking.
Wei Jie used to think that her mother treated her and her brother the same, or at least she felt that there was no bias. Later, she felt that they were different. Even if she said a few bad things about her brother, her mother would immediately look at her with displeasure. But when her brother was not around, her mother loved her the most.
But since she was about to get married, she still reminded her mother, "Mother, you also need to take care of Grandpa and Grandma."
"What's there to worry about? They gave Sister Fu so much of their own money, and all they give you is a couple of pieces of jewelry. Do you expect me to be grateful?" It's not about scarcity, it's about inequality.
Wei Jie thought to herself, whether it was changing her father's household registration, going to prison, or even working in the Provincial Administration Office now, could her father have done it without her fourth uncle? Besides, that's because Sister Fu married into a higher social class. The Marquis of Yun Jian's family sent a lot of betrothal gifts. How much did the Prefect's family send? Yet she was asked to bring such a large dowry.
Moreover, she had seen her fourth aunt's people return to Suzhou and take several boxes, which were said to be filled with imperial goods. In fact, the fourth branch of the family had contributed tens of thousands of taels of silver, and her mother had not given her a single penny in private. It was all from public funds, and she always said that she wanted to give her the best.
But she also knew that her mother didn't give her much because the sixth branch of the family wasn't wealthy to begin with. Her father was always studying, unlike her second uncle who was in business and her fourth uncle who was an official. So she didn't have any demands on her family.
By the time Miao Ge'er passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), Zhao Ge'er had already gone to the capital.
Miao Zhen never expected her son to give her such a big surprise, actually becoming the top scholar in the provincial examination in Southern Zhili. She said to Xiao Jingshi, "Are you sending him to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination so soon? Are you trying to curb his arrogance?"
“You truly understand me, but it’s not just for that. The provincial examination is different from the provincial examination; it’s for all the talented people in the country. It’s good to let him know what it means to be a genius beyond your own level,” Xiao Jingshi said with a smile.
Miaozhen laughed and said, "That's fine. Anyway, we'll be going to the capital to report on our duties on New Year's Day, and we don't know where we'll be assigned. If we go to the capital, we'll let him study at an academy there. If we transfer him elsewhere, we'll send him back to his hometown in Suzhou."
Xiao Jingshi nodded: "But now I still need our tiger cub to do things for me."
Because of his exceptional jumping ability and outstanding martial arts skills, Zheng Ge'er accidentally became his father's little bodyguard. Miao Zhen said that he looked like a little tiger, hence the nickname "Tiger Boy".
Miaozhen playfully punched him: "My little tiger cub still needs to study!"
"Oh dear, after studying all day, you have to go out and play. Even oxen and horses need to rest." Xiao Jingshi thought that Zheng Ge'er was more useful than his uncles and aunts. He walked very fast, shot arrows with perfect accuracy, and was also very alert. Especially when he inspected the granary, those local officials were hiding and trying to hide, but it was thanks to Zheng Ge'er's ability to scale walls and roofs that he was able to see inside.
Miaozhen disagreed: "You—"
"Zhenzhen, you agree now~" Xiao Jingshi said coquettishly.
Seeing him acting coquettishly, Miaozhen was a little scared and hid away. She then went to Zhengge'er's place. As soon as she came in, she saw Zhengge'er's ears twitch. She knew exactly what was going on: "You, your father wants you to go out with him. Are you willing?"
Zheng Ge'er's eyes sparkled, and he immediately said, "Your son is willing."
"But that's very tiring?"
"The son is willing to share his father's burdens."
Since that's the case, Miaozhen stopped trying to persuade her. She could only say, "Alright, go if you want, but take good care of yourself. Understand?"
Zheng Ge'er held up three fingers: "I swear, I will take good care of myself."
Miaozhen prepared some liniments for him: "These are all made by me. I know you are a kind and helpful person, which is why I am willing to help your father. This is a good thing, and I will not stop you. But you are also my child, so you must make sure you don't get hurt."
When they were very young, Miaozhen took care of them all herself, but as they grew up, she would let go of their responsibilities appropriately, whether it was her eldest daughter or her eldest son.
Zheng Ge'er solemnly agreed.
Soon after Xiao Jingshi and his group left, Miaozhen asked her younger sister-in-law, Zhang, to come over and talk often. Zhang was still very young and sometimes missed home. Miaozhen said, "Everyone goes through this. Now that Kun-ge has a job, it's better than staying at home."
She doesn't like to spout motivational platitudes; she believes that having a job and a steady income is what gives a person confidence.
Zhang was straightforward and couldn't help but say to Miaozhen, "I understand what you're saying, sister, but could you please talk to the Second Master for me? He treats outsiders' words as gospel, but no matter how much his family does, he can't stand to hear a single good word from them."
Kun-ge'er was born to Madam Mei in her middle age, and was twelve or thirteen years younger than Miao-zhen. Because of the large age difference, her younger brother was still very young when she got married. Miao-zhen didn't really know Xu Kun very well. She was only familiar with her parents, but considering that her father was a writer all year round and her mother had to manage the household business, and that the children were sent to clan schools or academies, it was hard to say what their lives were really like.
"If I see him, I'll say a few words to him, but these are ultimately matters between you and your husband. You should use your own wisdom to resolve them. After all, you're married, so you're adults now, and I shouldn't interfere in your marital affairs." Miaozhen wanted to make things clear.
Nowadays, when couples have disagreements, they like to ask relatives to judge the matter. However, Miaozhen always felt that when outsiders interfere in matters between husband and wife, no matter how reasonable they are, they can never truly resolve the issue.
Madam Zhang felt that her aunt was not like an ordinary woman. When they were in the capital, she thought that compared with other mistresses, she was just more skilled in medicine. But now she felt that she was very independent. If it weren't for comforting herself, she would be preparing medicine in the pharmacy now, and would read a few books in her spare time. She would be too busy to manage anything.
Unlike people like them, who only think about their children.
She thought this way and said it out loud, which surprised Miaozhen: "You can't say that. Everyone has a purpose in this world. Without women, where would men come from? Don't belittle yourself."
After saying that, Miaozhen and she worked together on several kinds of needlework for an hour. Then she started preparing things for the New Year. Madam Zhang was in good spirits and was very diligent. Seeing that Miaozhen was busy, she immediately helped, which greatly reduced Miaozhen's burden.
“Sister, it’s getting cold outside. I wonder if Zhao Ge’er has arrived in the capital yet?” Madam Zhang asked.
Miaozhen looked up at the overcast sky that blocked out the sun and smiled, "We should have arrived by now. Luckily, we left a household in the capital to take care of things, otherwise I would have been worried. But we'll be heading to the capital soon."
The two sisters-in-law discussed it for a while, and then Zhao Ge'er arrived in the capital. He was accompanied by two servants, two attendants, six guards, and one maidservant and one woman who cooked and did laundry.
The two elders of the Xiao family had considered things very carefully. Although Zhao Ge'er was already eighteen years old, in their eyes he was still a child. So Zhao Ge'er was able to adapt quickly when he arrived in the capital. He even specially sent an invitation to the Marquis of Yun Jian's residence. Unexpectedly, he arrived in the afternoon, and less than an hour later, he was told that the Marquis's residence was hosting a banquet and inviting him to attend.
The person who came was Mama Luo, who was by Fu Jie'er's side. She said, "Our young master's wife was just calculating the date when she received your invitation. The young master was also there, so he instructed me to come and pick you up."
Zhao Ge'er thought that the fact that the Crown Prince could immediately send someone over when he heard that he was going to the capital showed that the Crown Prince Zhao Rui and Fu Jie'er had a very good relationship. Just like his father was a very principled person, but he was willing to recommend his maternal grandfather for his mother's sake.
When a man likes a woman, he will put himself in her shoes and think about how to give her the best.
Zhao Ge'er prepared four kinds of gifts and quickly arrived at the Yun Jian Marquis's residence with his entourage. Upon seeing his sister holding her pregnant belly, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "I'm about to have a little nephew?"
Fu Jie nodded slightly: "It's been four months already." After saying that, she congratulated Zhao Ge'er: "Congratulations on passing the provincial examination in Southern Zhili. You are the Lady Hou of our family. We are all very happy for you."
"I'm also fortunate. This time, Father also told me to try my luck. If I don't pass the exam, I can stay in the capital for now. Father will be returning to the capital next May to report on his duties. I will go to my post with them then." Zhao Ge'er was already very satisfied with passing the provincial exam. Even if he took the metropolitan exam twice more, he would still be just over twenty years old.
As the siblings were talking, someone outside announced that the young master had arrived. Zhao Ge'er quickly stood up and bowed, and Zhao Rui helped him up, saying, "Brother-in-law, there's no need for such formalities. A banquet has already been prepared in the main hall, and many members of my Zhao clan have come here specifically to admire your talent. Please."
Zhao Ge'er said to Fu Jie'er, "Sister, take good care of yourself. I'm going ahead now."
The group had seen Zhao Ge'er before when Zhao Rui was getting married. Back then, he was just a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination), but now he is a Jieyuan (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination). No matter how much a Jieyuan is just a Juren (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination), the Jieyuan title in Southern Zhili is very prestigious. Moreover, he is only eighteen years old now, making him a true dragon among men.
Because of the great changes in his family, Zhao Rui gradually returned to the emperor's sight. He thought a few steps ahead of others: "Now that the New Year is coming soon, why don't you stay at my house, brother-in-law? This way, your sister will be happy, and we will feel at ease."
Zhao Ge'er immediately declined: "I appreciate what you say, brother-in-law. Our family has made all the necessary preparations, and I will visit you more often in the future."
Civil officials and nobles generally don't interact much. If it weren't for the complicated relationship between their family and the Marquis of Yunjian's mansion, normally their sister would have married into a civil official's family like the Qi or Han families. Besides, he wouldn't be well taken advantage of in someone else's household; it would be better for him to stay home and study and socialize.
Zhao Rui replied, "Brother-in-law, you don't know, but two murders have occurred near your house, so your sister and I immediately invited you over."
"A murder case? What kind of murder case?" Zhao Ge'er's eyes lit up.
Seeing that he showed no fear and was even quite interested, Zhao Rui felt a headache coming on: "Both cases involved criminals breaking into homes and killing people. Although the Shuntian Prefecture has sent people to investigate, they still have no clue."
Zhao Ge'er sighed. Zhao Rui thought he was scared, but to his surprise, he said, "If only my father and brother were here. My mother has always been afraid of these things, so my father always sets up traps and hidden weapons wherever he goes. Any thief who comes to our door leaves riddled with holes. My brother is young, but he is very skilled in martial arts. If they were here, I wouldn't be worried. But since they're not here, I can't let a small thing ruin everything. How about my brother-in-law sends two people to guard me..."
In his youth, he stayed in his grandfather's bookstore and read many detective stories. Although he looked weak, he was not weak in spirit.
Seeing his insistence, Zhao Rui had no choice but to grant his wish. He had previously thought his mother-in-law was just a capable person, but now, after hearing this, he realized that this whole family was quite extraordinary.
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Author's note: In the next chapter, Zhenzhen Xiao Si will take Tiger Boy to the capital.
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