Chapter 153 [VIP]
As soon as the others left, Qingyun eagerly grabbed Lin Sui and said, "This must be the Marquis Wuping, right? Why is he here again?"
“I didn’t know either. He came with the child right after you left this afternoon.”
Wang Ying said, "What did I tell you?"
Lin Sui lowered her head awkwardly, "Maybe Qing'er wants to play with me?"
Qingyun said, "If Qing'er wanted to see you, Your Excellency could have simply sent a maid or servant to deliver it. Why did you have to come all the way here yourself?"
Wang Ying patted the girl with a smile, "Stop talking, or Sui'er will want to crawl into a hole."
"Hahahaha..." The sisters-in-law burst into laughter.
Lin Sui chased after the two of them, puffing out her cheeks, "You're teasing me again!"
But jokes aside, this kind of thing should be treated with caution. What if the other party really doesn't have that intention? Wouldn't Lin Sui be disappointed?
Wang Ying said, "Marquis Wuping is, after all, a marquis, unlike us commoners. If he didn't mean it that way..."
“Sister-in-law, I understand what you’re saying. I never planned to remarry given my health condition. It’s just that Qing’er is pitiful and adorable. She likes to come to me, and I like her too. That’s enough.”
He lost his fertility due to his ex-husband's actions and will never be able to be a father, so he has a special fondness for children and never thought of marrying that tall and strong man.
Wang Ying sighed. Just a few days ago, she thought the two of them were a good match, but after Qingyun pointed it out, she immediately adopted the mindset of an ancient person and followed the local customs.
Feudal dregs are truly harmful!
Since that day, Marquis Wuping would bring Qing'er over from time to time. Sometimes when he was busy, he would ask his servants to bring Qing'er over to play.
Over time, they all became familiar with each other. Li Mu was indeed a good person. He was twenty-five years old this year, and he was exceptionally calm and composed in his speech and actions, possessing the demeanor of a great general as people say.
Sometimes when customers came to the shop, he would even help load and unload ice blocks, showing no airs of a marquis.
Xiao Qing'er and Lin Sui grew closer and closer. They didn't know what fate had brought them together, but after only a few days, Qing'er became very dependent on him. Sometimes, when they parted at night, she would hold Lin Sui with teary eyes and not want to let go.
Today, Li Mu came from the military camp to pick up his daughter and take her home. On the way, while carrying his daughter, he asked, "Do you like Brother Lin Sui?"
Xiao Qing'er nodded vigorously, and even gave a thumbs-up to make sure her father couldn't see her.
The next day, Li Mu sent two of his men to Longquan County to inquire about Lin Sui’s past and family situation.
It wasn't that he was paranoid; he had been deceived before, so he had to be more cautious.
After thoroughly investigating and confirming that the person is without fault, he will then consider discussing marriage. After all, marriage is a matter between two people, and if Lin Sui is unwilling, he will have no choice but to give up.
*
Time flies, and the provincial examination has reached its final day. After submitting the papers at Shenshi (3-5 PM), the provincial examination will be over.
The torment of those nine days goes without saying. In that cramped cell, one could not take a bath, speak, or wander around.
Especially since this exam is related to their future, those with weak mental resilience might go crazy from holding it in.
Chen Qingyan was in relatively good spirits, but he felt that he smelled like swill, and his hair was a mess. He hadn't brought a comb, so he had just tied it into a ball with a hair tie. At first glance, he looked like a beggar begging for food at the city gate.
Chen Qinghuai wasn't much better off. Because he was a little anxious about the exam, he loosened his clothes and started doing push-ups in his cell, shirtless.
The patrolling proctors were used to it; after all, this was considered good. There were a few other examinees around the stinky cells who had managed to endure until the last day, having become numb to the stench of excrement and urine.
He sat there blankly, and if he hadn't blinked occasionally, it would have been hard to tell whether he was awake or unconscious.
Liu Changyi was in an even worse situation. He was used to sleeping alone and couldn't stand any noise at night.
The exam room was packed with people all around me, and the snoring at night was deafening, like the mooing of cows. I couldn't sleep at all!
These past few days have left him with dark circles under his eyes, and he feels like he's about to lose his soul. He just wants the provincial examination to end so he can go home and sleep.
Of the four, only cousin Li Bingchen was in good condition. After all, he had taken the exam twice and had experience. Apart from his clothes being a little messy, his complexion didn't change much. He even had the leisure to soak some pancakes in hot water in the morning.
Chen Qingyan couldn't eat anymore. He could manage to eat one pancake a day for the first few days, but by the sixth day he could only eat half of it. By the seventh day, he couldn't even eat a corner of it. He felt like vomiting as soon as he put it in his mouth. He was only able to survive on the little bit of dried meat.
Fortunately, I prepared enough dried meat, so I should be able to last until I leave the exam hall tomorrow without any problems.
At the hour of Shen (3-5 PM), the gong sounded, and all candidates put down their pens and could no longer write. The proctors searched the examination papers and scrap paper row by row, collected the papers, bound them on the spot, and sealed them. The officials sent from the capital then reviewed them.
None of these officials were locals, so there was no question of them protecting their own children.
After the exam papers were collected, the candidates could not leave the examination hall because it was getting dark soon, and they had to wait until the next morning to be searched again before they could leave.
This night was the hardest, because everyone's spirits had been stretched to the limit in the past few days. Now that the papers were collected, the rope snapped instantly. Some people cried out in the night and were held down by the patrolling officials. Others tried to run out of the cells, but those people would have their scores canceled.
Chen Qingyan was also in pain, and at this moment he missed his family, missed Aying, wanted to hold him and sleep together, wanted to caress his body and make him beg for mercy...
I drifted off to sleep, and the next morning the examination hall started letting people out.
Just like when they came in, they walked out in a queue. They waited until the people in front of them had all gone before it was their turn. Chen Qingyan tidied his clothes and smoothed his hair with his hands. He put on his scholar's hat, picked up his basket, and went out.
Just as he stepped out of the cell, he heard someone calling him softly from behind. Chen Qingyan turned around and saw his younger brother smiling at him with a pale face and many cracks on his lips. After smiling, he gasped in pain.
Chen Qingyan chuckled and continued walking forward with the people in front of him. After checking his examination basket and body to make sure everything was alright, he handed over the number plate and was finally able to leave the examination hall!
As I approached the entrance, I was stunned by what I saw: a massive crowd of over a thousand people had gathered outside the examination hall, all there to welcome the candidates.
Chen Qinghuai followed closely behind, jogging all the way over, "We're finally out!"
"Brother Huai, are you alright?"
"It's alright, I just want to go back, take a shower, have a good meal, and then get a long sleep!"
Chen Qingyan had the same thought: "Let's go out and look for our family first; they must be getting impatient waiting outside."
The two looked around and saw Er Shun jumping up and down waving at them from behind. "Master, Second Master is over here!"
Chen Qingyan pulled her younger brother through the crowd, and Ershun quickly took their exam baskets. "Hurry up and get in the car to rest. We'll leave after we pick up Master Biao. The young master and the old lady are waiting for you outside!"
Tianyang County is located behind Longquan County. Before long, Li Bingchen also came out and was led to the carriage by Ershun. The three of them smiled with relief upon meeting.
The examination hall was like a battlefield, and all three of them returned victorious.
Wang Ying and the others didn't come over because there were too many people and they couldn't squeeze through. So they parked the carriage outside and waited for several hours before finally seeing Er Shun arrive. The whole family quickly got off the carriage to greet him.
The carriage came to a stop, and the three of them got off. Li and Fang Ling went up and took their son's arms to examine him closely.
Wang Ying asked worriedly, "Are you all alright?" Qingyan's face looked extremely pale.
Chen Qingyan nodded, "It's alright, I'm just really hungry and really sleepy."
Upon hearing this, Li said, "Then hurry home and have dinner!"
Chen Qingsong got into the second carriage with them and kept asking the three about their exams along the way. Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai were not in high spirits, and their second cousin told them a few things in a weak voice. Before long, the three of them fell asleep against the carriage and did not wake up until they got home.
Old Liang at home had been waiting anxiously. He was relieved to see the three of them make a successful entrance. Before they could speak, he pinched his nose and said, "Go take a bath. What's that smell on you?"
The three of them were both amused and exasperated, and quickly went to the bathroom to wash themselves thoroughly from head to toe.
After taking a shower and changing my clothes, I felt half alive again. When I came to the living room and saw a large table of delicious food, my eyes lit up instantly.
Everyone sat together, and Chen Qingyan ate three bowls of rice before he was fully recovered and had the strength to speak.
Liang Boqing stroked his beard and asked, "How did you feel about the exam?"
"The questions weren't difficult, but being in the examination room was truly agonizing. No wonder people say that the provincial examination is like going through a tribulation; having experienced it once, I can confirm the ancients were right!"
Chen Qinghuai nodded in agreement, "That's right, that's right. When you're all stuck at the last minute, who has the energy to look at the exam paper? You're the only one who can finish writing normally." He gave a thumbs up.
Li Bingwen said, "My cousin and I felt the same way during the first two exams. We were completely exhausted in the last two days. This time was better. Although it was still tough, I had the experience from before and was mentally prepared."
Sitting next to her, Chen Qingyun hesitated to speak, so Wang Ying asked on her behalf, "How did the Liu family's young master do? Did he pass the exam too?"
“Changyi was ahead of us in line. We didn’t see him when we came out, but I guess he should be able to make it through.”
Liu Changyi did persevere, but he fainted as soon as he stepped out of the examination hall. Two servants immediately ran over and carried him to the carriage.
Fortunately, the problem wasn't serious; he was just extremely exhausted. As a pampered young master, it was truly remarkable that he managed to hold on until the last day.
The three of them devoured the food on the table, and were so tired afterward that no one asked them about the exam. They were all told to go back to their rooms to rest.
The results of the provincial examination won't be available for another two months, so you can relax a bit during this time.
That evening, Wang Ying took Yuanbao to her mother-in-law's room and hurriedly returned to her bedroom.
The room was dark without any lights on. Just as Wang Ying was about to light a candle, Chen Qingyan hugged her from behind.
"You startled me..."
His hot breath brushed against his ear, and Chen Qingyan kissed his earlobe, his voice hoarse as he said, "Brother, I missed you so much."
The ear was the most sensitive part of Wang Ying's body. A moist, soft tongue licked it, and her body went numb, almost making her unable to stand. "Qingyan..."
Chen Qingyan lifted him onto the bed, placed his hands on his head, and showered him with kisses like a storm, leaving Wang Ying breathless.
It took them quite a while to separate, both of them panting. Wang Ying had been abstaining from sex due to exams, and she was really craving it. They quickly undressed each other and rolled around together.
That night, a sudden rain lashed the banana leaves, the raindrops falling rapidly and violently, causing the leaves to tremble incessantly.
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