Sure enough, the next day at noon, the two young scholars were taken back to the village by the carriage belonging to Young Master Liu.
Wu Dalang was ordered to pick up his little nephew. He waited anxiously, and finally the person arrived!
"Uncle, I'm back!"
Wu Qingyun jumped off the carriage and called out first. He then straightened the bundle on his shoulder, and looked no different from before.
"Oh, you're back. It's good that you're back."
Wu Dalang was overjoyed, and stood up straight.
"Uncle Wu~"
Changjun jumped off the carriage and respectfully greeted him.
"Changjun, oh no, I should call him Little Scholar now."
Before Wu Dalang could respond, several women under the shade of the tree had already gathered around him with smiles, showing him great concern and enthusiasm!
"Cough cough!"
The village chief came out of his house, and upon seeing the situation, tapped the ground with his cane, coughed lightly, and then calmed the scene down.
The women had no way to deal with the village chief, so they all stepped back, but they also craned their necks to look behind the carriage, where a long line of servants carrying lavish gifts stood!
Qingyun and Changjun exchanged a glance, stood side by side, bowed respectfully, and said in a clear voice—
"Grandpa Village Chief, we have not failed you in your mission!"
The old village chief felt a lump in his throat, and with trembling hands, he gently lifted the two children's arms, saying earnestly:
"Good children, you are all good children. The future of Wu Family Village depends on how far you can go!"
The two of them are so young, yet they have achieved such good results, far surpassing his children and grandchildren!
He had a premonition that these two would definitely pass the imperial examination, and the glorious day for the new generation of Wu Family Village was just around the corner!
Wu Qingyun didn't linger and told the village chief that the gifts at the back of the carriage were prepared by Magistrate Liu. They had declined to accept them, but since it was an elder's gift, they couldn't refuse it, so they accepted it.
The village chief nodded upon hearing this. Although Qingyun and Changjun had only passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations, they were still young and their future was immeasurable.
Although Magistrate Liu is an official, his rank is not very high. If he makes good friends with the younger generation now and builds a good relationship, they may be able to serve in the same court in the future. Who knows who will take care of whom?
Wu Dalang, who was listening from the side, was somewhat taken aback, but he kept a straight face so as not to embarrass his nephew.
After a quick reminiscing, the village chief instructed the two to prepare to wash up and rest for the night before opening the ancestral hall the next day!
This year's Spring Outing Festival will be held tomorrow for ancestor worship!
Wu Qingyun nodded after hearing this and went home with his uncle first, followed by a group of servants carrying generous gifts.
Wu Changjun was the same. After saying goodbye to the village chief, he ignored the aunties who wanted to talk to him. At this moment, all he wanted was to go home, to his home, and to share his joy with his relatives!
Another group of attendants carrying generous gifts followed him without hesitation, forming a formidable and imposing procession!
Qingyun returned home, and the first thing he did upon seeing his mother was to lift a corner of his long robe, kneel down straight, and kowtow three times, saying:
"Your son has lived up to your expectations and passed the imperial examination at the county level. From now on, your son will work even harder and strive to pass the provincial examination within three years and earn the title of Lady of the First Rank within five years!"
Jiang Yue looked at the youngest brother kneeling in front of her, and was so moved that she forgot to react for a few seconds.
It was only after her daughter-in-law reminded her that she calmed down and said with a moved expression:
"Good boy, get up! A man's knees are worth more than gold."
"You kneel to heaven, you kneel to earth, you kneel to your parents, and it is only natural for a son to kneel to you!"
Qingyun quickly picked up the conversation, which eased the atmosphere slightly.
"Whether your mother becomes a titled lady or not doesn't matter. Whether you pass the imperial examination or not, or become an official, all I want is for you to be safe and sound."
These were Jiang Yue's heartfelt words at that moment. Although she had only been in this world for a little over a year, she was becoming more and more integrated into this era and increasingly taking on the role of a mother.
If possible, she hoped that the youngest child would never meet the male and female protagonists again, and could just live on in Wujia Village, with the whole family together, in harmony and happiness. That would be nice too.
"Mother, I understand your love for me, but I have my own path to walk. I promise you that no matter what happens in the future, I will stay true to myself and be an upright person!"
During the more than half a month that Wu Qingyun was away, he witnessed many people and many things.
My state of mind has changed, like a grain of sand falling into a river. Although the river won't care about this grain of sand, after witnessing its vastness and expanse, the grain of sand will no longer be content to stay in one place...
Jiang Yue then noticed that the third child was still kneeling on the ground, so she quickly bent down to help him up, and then said with a smile:
"Get up and talk! Look at you, you've gotten so thin! I'll ask Aunt Ge to catch a chicken and make you some soup to nourish you up!"
"Sister-in-law, I'm going to the old house to catch some chickens. Your chickens haven't been raised for very long, so they're not very fat yet."
Wu Dalang then interjected, saying that the room was almost entirely filled with women, and he should avoid suspicion and not stay any longer.
"Oh, thank you for your hard work, brother."
Jiang Yue agreed without hesitation.
Then he turned his head and instructed Aunt Ge:
"Aunt Ge, go to the kitchen and boil some water so my brother can scald the chicken after he catches it."
"Yes, sir!"
Aunt Ge bowed respectfully, clearly someone who had worked as a head housekeeper in a wealthy household.
"Mother, we've bought someone for the family."
With his keen eye, Wu Qingyun quickly came to a conclusion after a brief glance at the other party.
"Yes, your sister-in-law is pregnant. A school has opened in the village, and your mother sent your younger sister there. There's a lot of work to do at home, and your brothers feel sorry for your mother, so they bought servants to help with the housework."
Jiang Yue nodded. Although buying people seemed strange to her, that was the way things were, and her affectation wouldn't change anything; it would only cause her more pain.
It's better to avoid trouble.
Kill the saint first!
She should take it easy.
"That's good, this way Mom won't have to work so hard~"
Qingyun nodded, accepting the suggestion quickly.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue looked at Aunt Ge's retreating figure and sighed softly.
It is said that Aunt Ge fell into this state because the former head of the household committed a crime, and after the house was confiscated, the government also dealt with all the servants!
Because of her age, Aunt Ge was thirty-nine this year, and not as popular as the younger maids, she was sold to Peach Blossom County after several changes of ownership...
When Qingshan was selecting women, he didn't initially have any in mind. However, several maids, relying on their good looks, tried to seduce him, which greatly angered him. So, he started choosing women in their thirties.
Aunt Ge, who looked clean and tidy, was chosen. Yesterday afternoon, she and other women were sent to her home for her to choose from.
When Jiang Yue saw that her son had bought almost all women's clothes, she didn't say much, but instead showed some appreciation.
After much deliberation, she settled on Aunt Ge, who was quiet and reserved but well-mannered and perceptive.
There were two empty rooms in the north wing. After discussing it with my son, we decided to give the smallest room to the other party.
This morning, Jiang Yue finally woke up naturally. The pots and pans were very clean, and breakfast was good. Her daughter-in-law reported on the new Aunt Ge, who seems to be a diligent person.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com