Chapter 56: Examination and Qingcao

"Yes, sister-in-law. Gu Hou's Yu Ge'er, I heard he is taking the county examination in our Tokyo city in February."

"Then what about yours?"

"I heard from my husband that he has already passed the county examination, but he has been unable to pass the township examination and needs to learn more."

"He is the eldest legitimate son and will inherit the title in the future, so it doesn't matter."

Shen hour (3-5 PM)

Xu Zaiduan and his wife returned to the Xu family.

Wu Daniang's credit book added another well-known good marriage.

February,

The county examination of Tokyo Bianliang began.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the county examination and the prefecture examination were called the preliminary examinations.

Xu Zaijing calculated that it was about the county-level and prefecture-level city examinations of modern times.

In these few years, Gu Tingyu, whose body was better, picked up his books and prepared to participate in the county examination, the beginning of the imperial examination.

As a friend and future brother-in-law, Xu Zaijing and the others naturally had to come to see him off.

The weather in February was still cold; Xu Zaijing saw Gu Tingyu wearing the cloak and fur-lined knee pads sewn by his own eldest sister.

Under the gaze of Xu Zaijing and Xu Zaihang, Gu Tingyu tried to remain calm, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Also taking the examination with Gu Tingyu was the eldest son of a concubine of the Yongchang Marquis Mansion, Eldest Son Liang.

I heard that this eldest son of a concubine also practiced martial arts like Xu Zaijing, and his literary studies were also quite good.

He stood beside Gu Tingyu, his eyes flowing, and he was not a simple person either.

Although Wu Daniang was unhappy in her heart, she still came.

She was chatting with Gu Hou and Bai Shi on the side.

After the young people finished their wishes, Gu Tingyu and Liang Dalang bowed and saluted,

and the two entered one after another with the candidates.

Because it was the county examination, it was only for this one day, and they had to hand in their papers before dark.

Three days after the Bianjing county examination ended, the list was released,

Gu Tingyu was on the list, taking second place, and Liang Dalang was ranked fifth.

The next day, Bai Shi came to the Xu Fu to talk to Sun Shi.

According to the retelling of Xu Anmei's maid:

"Gu Hou drank a lot of wine last night, his eyes were red from crying, and I don't know how much paper money was burned and how many incense candles were lit in the Gu family ancestral hall."

"However, the second young master of the Gu family also took his eldest brother as an example, which is not bad."

In the Xu family, the future son-in-law passed the county examination, naturally, it was a scene of joy, and the servants and maids all received rewards.

Liang Dalang also passed, which made Wu Daniang's face look somewhat bad.

Xu Zaijing was not affected much, because there was Xu Zaihang on top.

On this day,

The Xu family members were eating with their mother in the courtyard; in a noble military family, there were not so many rules.

Moreover, Sun Shi's background could only be considered a small family in Bianjing, and she didn't have the "hobby" of making her eldest daughter-in-law stand and serve tea.

Although the second Xie young lady strongly requested it, she was rejected by Sun Shi.

When Sun Shi married over, she had suffered enough from the rules of Xu Minghua's mother.

If it weren't for her own husband being a sensible one and having her maternal family to support her, she could have been bullied to death.

When she became a mother, she was exhorted by the Sun family's Old Madam not to treat future daughters-in-law too harshly.

You cannot tear up someone else's umbrella just because you have been rained on.

Therefore, they all ate at one table.

"Dalang's wife, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yu Ge Lao family, Fan Daniang, passed away a few days ago. Dress plainly tomorrow, we are going to pay our respects."

"Yes, mother-in-law. Daughter-in-law heard that the Yu family's Fan Daniang left behind an orphan girl of six or seven years old, which is also pitiful."

"Pitiful to see, that orphan girl's maternal family is not strong either; I hope that Yu official doesn't marry a fierce stepmother, otherwise..."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law extinguished the topic.

After eating, the Xu family members dispersed.

Xu Zaijing followed behind his eldest sister; his teeth had all been replaced and were very neat.

Although Xu Zaijing had grown taller, he was still quite a bit shorter than his eldest sister, so Xu Pingmei could rest her arm on her little brother's shoulder.

"Little Five, do you still have the moisturizing gel in your room?" Pingmei asked.

"Yes, the big box the Empress gave is still mostly left."

The two sisters' eyes lit up.

"Little Five, my hands have developed calluses from the thimble while doing needlework; share some with me, okay." Pingmei hugged her little brother's neck and stretched out her fingers to "beg."

"Sister, sharing with you is naturally okay, but there is a condition." Xu Zaijing said.

"You say, you say." Pingmei hurriedly replied; her little brother had never made things difficult for her.

Xu Zaijing stopped, waved at the maids and pages following behind, and broke the distance.

"Sister, you haven't gone out these days. But before you get married, don't go out to attend those tea-tasting assemblies and fragrant clothes poetry gatherings in Bianjing anymore."

Looking at Xu Zaijing, who was full of concern in his eyes, Pingmei frowned and said: "Ah? Didn't the Lantern Festival matter pass? Do we still need to be so careful?"

Anmei on the side said.

"Sister, future brother-in-law passed the county examination and is preparing for the prefecture examination and the prefecture examination. With a noble title and being able to study, you don't know how many people are jealous of your marriage."

Xu Zaijing signaled his second sister to continue.

Anmei touched the cat in her hand and said: "I made many friends in the house, only then did I hear..."

Anmei looked around the house and saw that the maids and pages were far away before saying: "I heard that the eldest daughter of the Jinxiang Marquis Ma family was drugged, which ruined her appearance and ruined her great marriage prospects."

Pingmei widened her eyes and asked: "Ah? There is such a thing? Was it found out who did it?"

"There is no clear statement, and it wasn't reported to the officials, but some people say the Jinyang Marquis's Eldest Daughter was sent to the Shenjie Division..."

"Sister, before, our family looked down and out, without gold, silver, power, and influence; besides this title and courtyard, there was nothing to be jealous of, so there were fewer sordid things. In the future, you must be careful at every step."

Pingmei looked at her little brother, feeling a sense of comfort and warmth in her heart: "Okay, sister promises you."

"Little Five, I..." Second sister Anmei accompanied with a smile, softly and weakly saying.

"Second sister, how old are you! Your hands don't have calluses, using this is truly a waste of things.

Wait until you also have a family, and your dowry embroidery wears out calluses, hehe, I will give you a bottle."

Anmei changed her face,

"You! Stinky Little Five!"

Saying this, she threw the cat in her arms toward Xu Zaijing.

The cat in her arms twisted a few times in the air and landed in Xu Zaijing's arms.

"Sister, I was just teasing you."

The little maid followed behind the Xu family siblings, looking at them, her eyes full of longing and nostalgia.

In the evening, Xu Zaijing's little maid Qingcao held a porcelain bottle and came to Pingmei's courtyard.

At the gate of the courtyard hung the plaque "Qiongzhi Pavilion."

Qingcao heard from the maids who were there before that this was chosen by the eldest sister from a few lines of poetry written by the three brothers a few years ago.

She still remembered the poetry the maid sister said:

"When the six-petaled flying flowers enter the door, sit and watch the green bamboo turn into Qiongzhi."

Pingmei, who was sewing the last few stitches on a bellyband by candlelight in the room, heard the maid's report.

"Young lady, someone came from Jing Ge'er's courtyard."

"Ah? Please come in. It must be my things that have arrived."

Qingcao was thin and small, standing quietly in the courtyard; a little maid at the door heard the voice inside and shouted to Qingcao:

"Qingcao, come in."

Qingcao looked up and only then discovered it was Qingzhi; her face showed joy.

"Qingzhi sister, so you are in the eldest sister's room."

"Hmm, come in."

Sending the small porcelain bottle in, Pingmei pulled out the bottle stopper, sniffed it carefully, and then showed a look of satisfaction.

"Qingzhi, reward."

Qingcao squatted and saluted,

"Young lady, then this servant will take her leave."

Qingzhi sent Qingcao out of the courtyard and placed a string of twenty coins in her hand.

"Keep it well, don't spend it recklessly; once you have a string, send it home."

"Hmm, I know."

"Is it good at Jing Ge'er's place? I heard you get up early every day?"

"Good. Getting up early is also waiting in the room beside the horse racing track, not cold."

"Hmm, do your job well."

The next day, Xu Zaijing went from the school courtyard to Sun Shi's courtyard to eat.

Sun Shi and Xie Shi, these two daughters-in-law of the Xu family, returned home with a belly full of gossip.

Thank you all for your support!

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 57 =====