The party ended at midnight. We hadn't seen each other for a long time, so we were all very friendly and had a lot to talk about.
After taking care of her mother, Song returned to the room. Seeing Zhao Dashu lying there snoring with his clothes and shoes on and reeking of alcohol, she wanted to punch him twice.
Could this guy be any more despicable?
I told him not to drink so much but he just wouldn't listen. "Have you drunk the honey water, Master?"
"He drank it, then fell asleep and didn't let us touch him."
They wanted to take off his shoes, but he refused.
"Bring in a basin of warm water so I can give him a scrub."
"yes."
Inside Zhao Xiaoyu's house.
"Wife, why didn't you write to me when you were pregnant?"
Zhao Xiaoyu couldn't help laughing when she saw his aggrieved look, "If I wrote to you, would you still be interested in studying?
I had thought I'd be back soon, so it didn't matter whether I told him or not. Then my father presented a plow cart to the county magistrate, and we waited for Uncle Shunzi for two days. Then Uncle Huzi said he wanted to come play too, and Grandpa wanted to come too, so all this back and forth delayed us for a while."
"I thought grandma was sick."
Xiao Lei touched her little belly, which was still as flat as before, but there was a child inside, which was magical.
"Hasn't she been ill all along? How are you doing at the academy lately? Are you able to keep up with your classes?"
Xiao Lei didn't dare look at her out of guilt, "I haven't had much interest in studying since you left. I've really fallen behind in my studies recently."
"It's okay, we'll just catch up slowly. After this trip, we won't be returning to the village again. The earliest we can return is next year's Chinese New Year."
"You're about to show your pregnancy, where else do you want to go?"
It has been at least three months now. I seem to have heard people say that the belly will get bigger quickly after four months and my wife will be showing her pregnancy right away.
"Yes, I'm almost showing my pregnancy. I'll tell the embroiderer tomorrow and she'll make some loose clothes for pregnant women."
"Fortunately, the child was well-behaved, so you didn't suffer much."
"Yeah, do you prefer sons or daughters?"
"I like all your children. But I prefer a son as the first one. My parents have been wanting a son for many years. It would be nice to have a grandson to give them peace of mind."
Yes, she almost forgot the reason why their family was not welcomed in the past.
"Go to bed quickly, you still have to study tomorrow."
"Well, tell the teacher tomorrow. He'll be worried if you don't reply for a long time."
"Master, how confident are you in passing the imperial examination next year?"
"I don't know how difficult the Juren exam is, but your grades are indeed among the best in the school.
Our teacher said that we are still learning the basics and that we still have a lot to learn if we want to take the imperial examination. Normally, next year's exam will not be easy for the teacher, so we have to wait until the next time."
It's too late to start studying.
"So you guys are taking the exam together?"
"It's possible."
"You're lucky. You had your father with you during the first two exams, and now you have your teacher with you during this exam."
"Yes, it's true that I'm never alone. The time spent in the Imperial College for the imperial examination is quite long, and it's torture just thinking about it."
I couldn't even stretch my legs when I slept. It was such a small room, and I had to stay there for so many days.
"It will be fine after you get through this," Zhao Xiaoyu yawned. If she hadn't taken a nap in the afternoon, she would have given up.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep quickly."
"Well, you should get up later tomorrow morning and not read early."
"good!"
Why sleep? He might not be able to sleep tonight.
People say that a short separation is better than a new marriage, but he has to endure it because he doesn't dare to do so even though his wife has a child.
The next day, everyone slept until noon, except Xiao Lei who went to study.
"What's wrong with you? You're not sleeping again?"
The teacher was so shocked that the dark circles under his student's eyes almost reached his chin.
"Yeah, I was too excited to sleep."
"Excited? Your wife is back?"
"I came home yesterday afternoon." Xiao Lei couldn't hide the joy on his face.
The teacher understood that newly married young people are the most affectionate. After not seeing each other for several months, they must have had a passionate affair last night. Xiao Lei probably didn't sleep much all night.
The teacher has a toothache. Should he tell his students to take it easy? Sometimes men really can't overdo it, as it will backfire when they get older.
Sometimes I feel powerless and it’s really annoying.
"It's good to be back. Can you study in peace now?"
Xiao Lei blushed a little, "Well, I have to focus on my studies. By the way, Master, I'm going to be a father. Xiaoyu is pregnant."
"Oh, really? Congratulations!"
"Thank you!" He was excited just thinking about it, he was going to have a baby soon.
"It's hard for a woman to be pregnant. You should take better care of her."
Of course, when his wife is pregnant, he naturally has to take better care of her.
"Master, are you going to take the provincial examination next year?"
"You know we've only just entered the academy. I used to think I could just study on my own, but now I realize there's so much to learn. I'm afraid it'll be hard to get in even if I take the exam."
The Master sighed deeply. He had been too confident in himself and thought too highly of himself before.
It was only after entering the academy that I realized there were so many things to test in the provincial examination.
"Actually, it's okay to give it a try. At least you'll have an idea of what to expect, and you'll feel more confident next time you try. Maybe you'll pass, Master? Who can say for sure?"
"Don't comfort me, but there's really no harm in giving it a try. Do you want to come with me?"
"I?"
Xiao Lei felt that the teacher was joking. How could he take the exam if he had no confidence?
"Master, stop joking. How can I take the exam? Others will die of laughter if they hear me."
No one is as arrogant as him, right?
"Like you said, it's good to go and feel it out. It seems that the academy won't have classes during that period."
"Let me think about it."
"Well, there's still plenty of time to think about it. I finally understand why so many people fail the prefectural exam. The prefectural city's top academy lives up to its reputation. Before I came here, I thought what I learned was enough."
"Yeah, that's what happened to Uncle Xiaoyu. He failed the exam three times. He should have known he was a failure the first time."
"That person is too impatient to get close to others. He is not to be trusted."
The teacher looked at Xiao Lei and then at himself, feeling envious. Xiao Lei was really young and had endless possibilities in the future. Unlike himself, he would be over 40 after passing the imperial examination and would still have a few more years to work hard.
The best years of my life have passed. At best, I can be a county magistrate in this life, and I will be unrecognizable at a glance.
If Xiao Lei could keep fighting for decades, he might even be able to make it all the way to the capital.
"Master?" Xiao Lei was puzzled. The master looked very strange.
"Study."
The Zhao family's house was bustling with activity. The yard was full of children, all of whom were familiar to Lihua. She generously brought out all her toys, and when there was no room in the house, she ran to the yard to play.
Zhao Xiaoyu was awakened by their noise. After getting up, she saw the toys piled up in the yard and couldn't help shaking her head. The happiest thing this winter was the pear blossoms.
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