I hadn't seen the man for three days. He had a stubble beard, looked tired, and had dark circles under his eyes, so he probably hadn't slept well.
I don't know what these ancient people were thinking, making the examinees sleep curled up on the exam board at night.
With a height like Xiao Lei, he probably couldn't stretch his legs all night, right?
On the way, the little girl chattered on and on about what she had done in the past three days, how well she had behaved, and how she had taken care of her mother.
"Dad, you don't know, Mom eats like a kitten, and she's still not plump and fair-skinned."
Zhao Xiaoyu was speechless. This girl was treating her like a pig, feeding her meals and snacks all day long. Her mouth hadn't stopped moving.
She thought her daughter had become sensible and knew how to be filial, but it turns out that because she promised Xiao Lei, she was being treated like a pig.
"Don't say anything weird to her anymore. I haven't stopped talking to her these past few days."
"But you are indeed quite thin. It would be good if you ate more and gained some weight."
The little girl nodded, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll take good care of Mom while you're taking the exam, feeding her nine meals a day."
Xiao Lei: ...
"Zhao Qixi, that's enough. Learn from your brother. Look at how composed he is. How many words did he exchange in the car?"
"With such a boring older brother, your future sister-in-law will surely be very pitiful."
Xiao Lei hadn't heard his daughter speak for several days, and he couldn't get enough of it.
"Daughter, nine meals a day is too much. Four meals a day is enough. What if I get too full from eating too much?"
The little girl blinked and said, "I asked the master how to get fat. He said that as long as you eat, you can get fat. Just like the pigs we raise at home, they get fatter and fatter when they are full, locked in a cage, and then slaughtered and sold for money at the end of the year."
"So you're treating me like a pig, huh?"
Zhao Xiaoyu gritted her teeth. Her father really knew how to teach his child; he really knew how to dig a pit for her.
Xiao Lei was the same.
Both of them have raised their daughters astray.
"Wife, I was wrong. I promise I will never say anything carelessly again."
Zhao Xiaoyu didn't want to talk to him at all. She wished she hadn't come to pick him up. She was heartbroken!
On the way, Xiao Lei started scolding his daughter, and only stopped after he successfully explained things to her.
Was it cold in the exam room?
Seeing how he made amends, Zhao Xiaoyu decided not to hold it against him; she was magnanimous.
"It will be a bit cold at night, so you'll need to wear all your clothes and cover yourself with a cloak. I'm lucky; I heard quite a few people coughing from the cold when I came out earlier."
"It's easy to get sick on days like this, so be careful. I'll make you some brown sugar ginger tea when you get back."
"Thank you for your hard work, my dear wife."
Zhao Xiaoyu didn't ask him about the exam. There was no point in asking; she'd find out in a few days if he passed. And even if he didn't do well, asking wouldn't change anything.
Have you seen the Master? How is he?
"I saw him when I came out. He looked very energetic and was in good health."
It seems the teacher did well on the test, and Xiao Lei should have done well too.
He appeared completely different this time compared to three years ago, exuding more confidence.
When they got home, the little girl hugged Zhao Dashu and complained, saying that her own mother was naughty.
Zhao Dashu felt sorry for his granddaughter's distress and hugged her tightly, showering her with concern and care.
"She's still young, can't you spoil her a little more? Have you forgotten how your mother and I spoiled you when you were little?"
The little girl looked at her own mother accusingly, asking why her mother didn't spoil her daughter.
"Alright, Dad, don't you know what Qixi is like? She's so young, yet she has such a good temper."
"I just have a good temper."
Zhao Xiaoyu chuckled, "Yes, our Xibao has the best temper. So, can you forgive your mother and let's get along happily from now on?"
"You can't yell at me."
"Try your best!"
Not being fierce to her is really a test of one's abilities; she's unsure if she can do it.
After the imperial examination, the Zhao family began packing their belongings and preparing various foods for the journey.
Having not been back to the village for quite some time, they planned to bring back as many things as possible.
It's funny, but in recent years, not a single person from Old Sow Village has passed the imperial examination for the lowest level of education, let alone become a scholar.
My eldest cousin is still diligently studying; I heard he plans to try his luck in the prefectural city next year. The other cousin, however, has given up and is now focused on copying books.
I heard they're doing quite well.
Zhao Xiaoyu missed Uncle Shunzi, the village chief, Uncle Heizi, and others whom she hadn't seen for several years. Instead of having the servants buy the things she wanted to take back, she chose to buy them with her mother and sister.
"Mom, we know Grandma isn't feeling well. What can we bring her? We can't just bring her medicine or a doctor, can we?"
"Your grandma might actually want to bring a doctor back from our prefecture city."
Although she was not favored by her mother-in-law, Ms. Song still understood her mother-in-law very well.
"That's quite possible. Why don't we bring a doctor along, and some medicinal herbs to help us recover?"
“Don’t,” Madam Song waved her hand, “Have you forgotten why your grandmother’s health deteriorated? It was because she ate too many supplements.”
After discussing it, the two decided to bring Old Madam Sun two new sets of clothes, a doctor, and some not-too-sweet snacks and candied fruit.
After selecting her items, Old Sun began choosing gifts for the Song family.
The Song family was large, and they had a good relationship with them, so Song Shi and Zhao Xiaoyu favored them and bought them quite a lot. Of course, the families at the far end of the village also bought quite a few.
Last year, they even asked Youfu to bring them quite a few things.
"Xiaoyu, how long will we stay when we go back this time?"
Zhao Xiaoyu shrugged. "I really don't know. It depends on the baby's condition. If she's really in serious trouble, we won't be able to leave even if we want to, right?"
She doesn't know the specifics right now; her grandmother is quite prone to making a fuss over nothing.
It's definitely true that I'm not in good health, but it's hard to say how bad it is.
"Then we should bring more of our own things too."
"Take it with you, you might have to stay in the village until after the New Year."
After thinking for a moment, Ms. Song said, "Then let's buy more toys for the child, since there aren't many options in the county town."
"Alright."
Actually, the things I need to bring home are just those: fabric, snacks, and dried goods.
She also bought some jewelry. She hadn't been back for three years and didn't know how many newborn relatives they had now, and that other people would definitely come to visit them. She couldn't leave without giving them something.
His father is different now; he's a nobleman now, after all.
A box of pastries used to be enough to satisfy someone, but that doesn't seem to work anymore.
The jewelry purchase was simple: ten hairpins, twenty pairs of small bracelets, and ten gold bracelets. A considerable amount of gold and silver earrings were also bought.
Sigh, their family is really quite extravagant now; their social interactions have unknowingly improved by many levels compared to before.
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