Chapter 18: Junior Sister, You Are the Top Scholar
Three days passed in a flash.
At one o'clock in the evening, the gates of the Imperial Examination Hall opened wide and the examinees came out one after another.
Some hung their heads, some were happy, and some were groaning.
Life is really full of ups and downs.
As soon as Si Yao came out, Mu Tong, who was waiting outside, called out to her: "Junior Sister Yao, here——"
She waved at the crowd, looking haggard.
Si Yao raised his eyes and walked over.
Apart from some dark marks under his eyes, he looked unusually refreshed and not at all disheveled.
When she approached, Mu Tong couldn't help but grumble with jealousy, "Everyone has been in there for three days, but you're the only one looking so glamorous. It's really infuriating."
Si Yao ignored her and just walked forward.
"Let's go back to the Confucius Hall first."
"Why--"
Just leave when she says so.
Mu Tong could only catch up quickly.
Along the way, he chatted non-stop: "The results won't be out until ten days later. Staying in the Confucius Hall alone is getting too boring. Now that the exams are over, it's time to relax. We finally made it to Yunzhou, so we should take this opportunity to have a good look around."
"Junior sister, do you have any plans for the future? How about-"
"Senior Sister, please find someone else to accompany you."
Si Yao interrupted her before she could finish her words.
He replied calmly, "I have some personal matters to attend to."
After saying this, the two of them returned to the Confucius Hall.
The other three people in the room have all returned.
After seeing the two of them, he immediately came over.
"Senior Sister Changsu, Junior Sister Yuzhuo, you're back. Tomorrow, the three of us will go to Dongting Lake for a trip. Are you interested?"
Zhou Rusheng, one of the three representatives, spoke.
Zheng Minxuan, who was standing next to her, chimed in, "Dongting Lake is a famous sanctuary for scholars in Yunzhou. I heard that the great poet Wang Qing of the previous dynasty once visited here and composed a poem about it. It was engraved on the stone wall of Dongting Lake, attracting many scholars and writers to come and see it."
Wang Qing is a master of poetry and painting, and can be said to be an idol for scholars.
It is a great honor to be able to see her poems.
After hearing this, Mu Tong's eyes lit up instantly.
Without even thinking, he nodded and agreed, "Since I'm in Yunzhou, I have to go and see it."
"Where is Junior Sister Yuzhuo?"
Seeing that Si Yao didn't say anything, Kong Mengruan, who had been silent, asked.
Several pairs of eyes fell on her.
Si Yao's expression was calm as he politely declined: "I have some personal matters to attend to. Let's wait for next time."
After saying that, she walked to the bed and took the bag.
He took out his purse and walked out again.
Seeing her hurried steps, Mu Tong leaned against the door frame and asked, "Junior sister, where are you going?"
Si Yao didn't even turn around, "Write a letter."
Then, he disappeared completely.
"Why are you writing so urgently? I just finished the exam."
Mu Tong muttered softly.
Zhou Rusheng and the other two stood behind her and asked curiously, "Junior Sister Yuzhuo seems so cold and indifferent, but I didn't expect her to be so homesick. Could it be that she has someone she loves?"
“I don’t think so…”
Mu Tong was not very clear about the situation at Si Yao's home.
She has always been very tight-lipped and never reveals anything, acting mysteriously.
If I didn't understand Si Yao's temperament.
She has to wonder if she is hiding someone at home?
*
On this side, Si Yao went directly to Hu's shop after leaving Confucius Hall.
Boss Hu is a very efficient person. He bought the new shop in just a few days and is now decorating it.
As soon as Si Yao came in, the manager of Yunzhou Huji Shop came to greet him.
He smiled and said, "Boss, why are you here? The new shop hasn't been decorated yet. It will take about seven or eight days."
"How did you recognize me?"
Si Yao looked at the unfamiliar boss and asked a question.
The person in charge walked towards her and found a clean place for her to sit down.
The smile on his face grew even brighter. "The boss drew a portrait of the great master for me to see. He was afraid that I might not recognize him and offend him again."
She chuckled twice, seeming a bit honest.
After Si Yao found out the reason, he didn't say anything.
He only asked her, "Do you have any writing brush, inkstone, or paper in the shop? I want to write a letter."
“Yes, yes, yes…”
The manager nodded quickly upon hearing this.
Then he turned around and brought it to her.
After Si Yao finished writing the letter, he left the shop.
He found an inn and gave the letter to the postman, asking her to deliver it to Qinghe County as soon as possible.
After finishing the procedure, Si Yao did not return to the Confucius Institute. Instead, he went to the pawnshop.
After the autumn examination, she must stay in Yunzhou to continue her studies.
It is only a matter of time before you rent a house.
She also wanted to carefully select a good place and bring Fang Zhiyue to live with her.
There was no way she would leave him alone in Xingyu Village.
Si Yao was thinking about it in his mind and unknowingly arrived at the pawnshop.
Before I could find a house to go in, I heard the sound of a whip not far away.
Along with this, there was also a woman's vulgar roar: "You ugly thing, I will beat you to death! I didn't pick you up to let you enjoy yourself! With your ugly appearance, it's good that someone has taken a fancy to you, and you actually dared to attack me. I will beat you to death! I will beat you to death!"
Perhaps the roar was too harsh.
Si Yao frowned and glanced at him.
It was just a casual glance, but when he saw the woman lying on the ground, he paused.
The woman was dressed in rags, covered in blood, with long hair as messy as weeds. With the hideous bloodstains on her face, she looked even worse than a beggar on the street.
Si Yao didn't care about these things, but stared at the woman's wolf-like eyes.
This kind of look is not something an ordinary person can have.
As she thought this, she moved closer.
He asked the matchmaker who was still cracking her whip, "How much do you want to sell this guy?"
"Oh, sir, how come you also like her..."
Seeing her pointing at the woman on the ground, the matchmaker immediately put away the whip in her hand and put on a smile: "This is a bad girl. The last customer who liked her was just beaten away by her. Why don't you change to another one. Take a look at her——"
As she spoke, she pointed to the row of people in cages behind her. "Whether you want a servant or a maid, we have them all here. Do you see anything you like?"
"I want her."
Si Yao pointed at the woman on the ground without moving his eyes.
Seeing the woman's fierce eyes peeking out from her messy hair, she slowly squatted down and lowered her voice: "I know you are not an ordinary person. Are you willing to follow me? I am a student coming to Yunzhou to take the imperial examination, and I am in need of a guard."
Si Yao finished speaking.
The woman's eyes changed noticeably.
Not long after, she replied with a hoarse voice: "Okay..."
Si Yao stood up again after hearing the answer.
He asked the matchmaker again, "How much is she?"
"One ounce of silver."
Seeing that she insisted, the matchmaker immediately spoke.
She quickly handed the deed to Si Yao, untied the shackles that bound the woman, and pushed her towards Si Yao.
It seemed as if he was afraid that if he was slow, Si Yao would regret it.
"Maybe?"
Si Yao glanced at the woman.
The woman gritted her teeth and insisted, "Okay."
Seeing this, Si Yao didn't ask any more questions and continued walking towards the rental shop.
*
After two days of effort, Si Yao finally decided on the house.
The house is a small courtyard with two entrances, located in a quiet alley far away from the downtown area. It has a quiet environment and good public security.
After Si Yao followed the broker around and took a look, he immediately signed the contract.
The broker took over the rent for one year, and the smile on his face became brighter and brighter.
She handed the deed to Si Yao and said, "My lady, if you need anything else, you can come to me anytime. This yard only needs a little cleaning and you can move in with your luggage. All the furniture and utensils are already available."
Si Yao nodded and put the deed away.
The broker didn't stay long and soon said goodbye and left.
After everyone left, Si Yao turned around and looked at Shi Qi behind her - this was the woman she bought from the matchmaker that day.
He spoke in a calm voice, "You will stay here for the next few days to recuperate. I won't ask about your past experiences, but there is one thing you must remember: since you have followed me, you must be absolutely loyal. I will not keep anyone with ulterior motives around me."
She stared at her deeply.
Shi Qi clasped his fists and bowed his head slightly: "Master, rest assured. Since I have decided to follow you, I will never change my mind. I just want to ask for a favor. When you are in a high position, you can help me to take revenge."
She could see that Si Yao was not an ordinary person.
Although she is just a powerless scholar now, she believes that one day she will hold power.
"good…"
Si Yao agreed, "I can help you then."
It's good that she has something to ask for.
If she had no request, Si Yao would have doubted her intentions.
After settling the house matters, Shi Qi was settled down.
Si Yao returned to the Confucius Hall before dark.
When Mu Tong saw her coming back, he came up to her and asked, "Junior sister, what have you been doing these past two days? You've been up early and up late."
"Private matter."
Si Yao still said the same thing.
After saying that, he returned to his bed.
She took off her outer robe and shoes and lay on the bed, thinking about how to persuade Fang Zhiyue to come to Yunzhou.
The day of results announcement is getting closer.
Mu Tong, Zhou Rusheng and the other two no longer had the heart to go out for fun, and all stayed in the Confucius Hall.
On the day of the announcement of the results, several people got up early in the morning and rushed to the provincial capital, standing under the bulletin board waiting for the yamen runners to post the list.
Time passes by second by second.
The students gathered in front of the notice board and waited anxiously.
"Make way, make way——"
At a certain moment, the voice of the yamen runner rang out.
I took the list and posted it on the notice board.
The students crowded forward, looking expectantly for their names on the list.
After a while, several shouts of joy broke out from the crowd:
"I'm on the list! I'm on the list!"
“I got it too!”
Mu Tong pulled Si Yao and tried to move forward.
When she could see the list, she quickly searched for their names.
When he saw the name ranked first on the list, Mu Tong widened his eyes and looked at Si Yao next to him.
"Junior sister, you are the top scorer!"
She did not lower her voice, and the students surrounding the two of them heard it clearly.
Seeing how young Si Yao looked, everyone couldn't help but admire him in their hearts.
It turns out that this is the best among their class!
There was no expression on Si Yao's face. He left the crowd after knowing that he was on the list.
Mu Tong quickly withdrew, "I'm also on the list. Although not as good as my junior sister, I'm still in the top ten."
"By the way, guess who is Yayuan below you?"
She squinted her eyes and said, "It's Kong Mengruan who lives with us."
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