Old Chen's face also broke into a smile, and he kept shaking his head and waving his hands.
"No, no, it's just the two of us, you and your mother. There's no need for such a big house. Three large brick houses are enough."
To get to the point, Chen Zhancai started making empty promises again.
"Father, you're wrong to say that. Do only what you're capable of."
When my son passes the imperial examination, he will achieve great success.
Becoming an official is equivalent to having a fortune; how could an official's residence be shabby?
Four-courtyard houses are all too small; five-courtyard houses are more suitable.
When the time comes, your son will hire dozens of maids and servants for you, so you can enjoy your old age in peace.
If you want to eat something, just open your mouth and the servants will immediately prepare it for you.
That was truly the life of being waited on hand and foot.
Old Man Chen smiled broadly upon hearing this, "Good son, I am content with your filial piety. But now is not the time to talk about that. As long as you can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, that will be the best reward for your father."
"Yes, son, you must work harder and strive to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. Then, I, as your mother, will be able to walk with my head held high in Nanshan Village." Old Mrs. Chen was beaming with joy.
"Don't worry, your son will not let you down and is confident that he will pass the exam on his first try."
Chen Zhancai felt the time was right and got straight to the point.
"There are less than six months until the autumn imperial examination. My son must go to Ningjing two months in advance. The food, drink and other expenses along the way will be a considerable expense. So, your parents need to prepare in advance. If we can't raise enough money for the journey, we will have to wait for three years. The suffering during that time will be unbearable!"
Upon hearing his words, Old Mrs. Chen felt a pang of anxiety.
So engrossed in daydreaming that I completely forgot about this matter.
To pass the provincial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), one had to travel to Ningjing (Ningjing) to participate in the provincial examination.
The journey is long, and this is an unfilial expense!
A sudden inspiration struck me.
"Son, you should know our current situation. Besides a few loads of grain, we don't have anything of value left."
"Don't you and Fengjiao still have some savings? Just take it out and use it for now."
“Yes, yes, you and Fengjiao have two hundred and fifty taels of silver, why would you ask your parents for money?” Old Man Chen agreed wholeheartedly.
Chen Zhancai was taken aback and felt somewhat deflated. He had no money left; the dowry money for Chen Ruolan's marriage had long been spent by the couple.
This matter must not be known to my parents; it must be kept a secret, otherwise the two old folks will definitely explode.
He sighed, feigning difficulty.
“Mother, that silver is Ruolan’s life savings. As a scholar with status and position, how can I use it for my own purposes? How is that any different from being a thief? If word gets out, I will be ridiculed.”
"Zhancai, you're overthinking it. If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, who will know? Besides, you're just using it for now. Once you've achieved success, that little bit of money won't matter. You can just give her more."
"Oh my goodness, why can't you understand!" Chen Zhancai had no choice but to lie, "We already gave Ruolan all 250 taels of silver."
"What? They were all given to Ruolan?"
Old Mrs. Chen stomped her feet in distress.
"You guys are so stupid! How could you give her all the money? As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. Why didn't you think about your own future? Now look what's happened, you're broke! This is going to kill me!"
"Yes, Zhancai, you really did something wrong. The Fan family is one of the wealthiest families in our town. How could Ruolan not have money to spend after marrying into the family? Now that you've given all the money to Ruolan, how is she going to take the imperial examination in Ningjing?" Old Chen was so angry that he kept hitting his head.
Chen Zhancai curled his lip and snorted coldly, "What's so difficult about that? If you don't have money, you don't have to take the exam. Why are you all sighing like this?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Old Man Chen was so angry he almost fainted. "If you don't pass the imperial examination, all the hard work your mother and I have put in this life will have been for nothing."
"Yes, son, you're really hitting your mother where it hurts!" Old Mrs. Chen clapped her hands anxiously. "To support your studies, your father and I have scrimped and saved. You've studied hard for over twenty years and finally passed the county-level exam, becoming a scholar. Now you're just one step away from becoming a provincial-level scholar. If you don't pass the provincial-level exam, how can your mother enjoy a comfortable life with you?"
Seeing them pacing around in a panic, Chen Zhancai secretly rejoiced. "Let you play the poor card," he thought, "I'm sure I can handle these two old geezers."
If you're going to hand over your money, just do it quickly! Why all the nonsense?
Although he felt relieved, he still pretended to be embarrassed.
"Mother, it's not that your son doesn't want to take the exam, I just don't want to make things difficult for you!"
Grandma Chen shook her head and waved her hand, "My son, you are my hope. I have given you the best of everything so that I can live a life of luxury with you. I am not afraid of hardship or fatigue now. It's just money. I will sell everything I own to make sure you can take the autumn imperial examination."
"Thank you, Mother. I knew you wouldn't abandon me."
Chen Zhancai breathed a sigh of relief; a weight had finally been lifted from his heart.
He had long heard that Ningjing was a bustling and prosperous place, a gathering place for all kinds of delicacies from around the world.
The brothels and pleasure quarters, filled with extravagance and debauchery, were countless.
He had heard that there were also blue-eyed women from other lands in that place.
Even more outrageous are the women who are as black as charcoal; this is truly a wonder of the world.
I've long wanted to broaden my horizons and experience the customs of other places...
Old Chen looked worried and kept shaking his head.
"Old woman, you make it sound so easy. We're so poor right now, where are we going to get the money? We thought we could get more money by hosting a banquet, but in the end we neither make nor lose money. It's like we've been working for nothing."
"Yes, we thought it would be great if we could get a few dozen taels of silver, then we wouldn't have to worry anymore. But who knew those peasants were so stingy and unhelpful? We finally got a big deal, but in the end, that brat took it all back. Can you believe it?" Old Mrs. Chen was furious just thinking about it.
Chen Zhancai frowned as he listened, and said angrily, "That heartless brat, I think she's gone crazy from poverty. She gave me a few needles and smeared some cow dung on my face and charged us two taels of silver for her consultation. She's really greedy. When I get the chance, I'll make her grow up and learn her lesson."
“Son, you’re right. If we don’t avenge this, I won’t even enjoy eating meat. But now is not the time to talk about that. We need to think carefully about where to get the travel expenses for your exams.” After saying this, Old Mrs. Chen glanced at Old Mr. Chen.
"Don't look at me like that, I have nowhere to get money." Old Chen's expression tightened...
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