Chapter 634: Imperial Examination Family-Building System (43)

The matchmaker sent by the County magistrate found the Song family and claimed the magistrate promised a dowry of one thousand taels of silver and one hundred mu of fertile land. Lao Wangshi was so delighted that she immediately took the matchmaker to find Lao San, telling him to divorce his current daughter-in-law so that his second grandson could marry the magistrate's daughter.

Song Zhisheng was so angry he laughed: "Mother, don't stir up trouble for my family!"

"How is this stirring up trouble? This is such a joyous occasion! Many families couldn't even hope for such a thing..."

One thousand taels! Plus one hundred mu of fertile land! The Song family couldn't earn that in several lifetimes of hard work, and all it took was for the second grandson to marry a wife. With such a good deal, why couldn't the third branch listen to reason?

Not only did they not listen, but her second grandson actually said with a cold face: "In this life, I only recognize Xie Yang as my wife; I will not take concubines or have bed-chamber attendants! Even if she were to pass away first, I would never remarry!"

"..."

Had this boy gone mad?

No matter how persistently Wangshi tried to play matchmaker between her second grandson and the magistrate's daughter, no one in the third branch would cooperate, and she could only stare in frustration.

The Song family third branch was busy; who had time to pay attention to such a muddled person?

The Metropolitan Examination is also held once every three years, but it is the Spring Examination. The number of days for the exam is the same as the Provincial Examination, totaling three sessions, three days each, from the ninth to the seventeenth of the second lunar month, which means one must enter the examination hall on the evening of the eighth.

Traveling from Guixiang Town to Jingcheng takes a month by water, and land travel is even slower; arriving in Jingcheng in two months is considered smooth. If they set off after the New Year, even if they left on the first day of the first lunar month and chose the water route, it would still be early in the second lunar month by the time they arrived in Jingcheng, even with hurried travel.

And that is assuming everything goes smoothly; what if there are delays on the road?

Even without delays, if they arrive in Jingcheng on schedule before the exam, what if they fall ill due to the change in climate?

Even if one forces themselves into the examination hall, how could they endure nine days and nine nights of solid testing while dragging a sick body?

At that point, affecting one's performance would be the least of the worries. It might end up like some candidates during the Provincial Examination—being carried out halfway through.

"Therefore, Father and Mother, my husband and I have discussed and agreed that we will not spend the New Year at home this year. We will head to Jingcheng in advance, rent a small courtyard there, just like we did for the Provincial Examination in the Provincial Capital, to give my husband enough time to adapt to the climate and rest well before entering the examination hall."

No one opposed this proposal.

While it is important for the family to reunite for the New Year, how could it compare to the triennial Metropolitan Examination?

If they missed this year's Metropolitan Examination, they would have to wait another three years.

Not to mention wasting an opportunity for nothing, there is a saying: "One must strike while the iron is hot."

People are often like this; relying on a burst of spirit, they can soar to the skies, but once the opportunity is missed and that spirit dissipates, who knows what the situation will be in three years.

Of course, Xie Yang knew he would not fail to become a Provincial Graduate or stop advancing just because he missed this year's Metropolitan Examination; with the Sub-system's assistance, he would eventually get ahead and have a successful official career. But why wait three years for something that could be accomplished three years earlier?

Although Song Zhisheng and his wife were reluctant to part with their son and daughter-in-law, since they wouldn't be home for the New Year anyway, it was better to leave early.

"I heard from our County magistrate that winter comes early in the north, and it might snow in Jingcheng by the end of the tenth lunar month. It is already the end of the eighth month, so pack up and set off in early the ninth month. Try to arrive in Jingcheng before it snows to avoid difficult travel, and it will take time to settle into a residence!"

Xie Yang was considering the same thing.

The journey to Jingcheng is long, and the Palace Examination follows the Metropolitan Examination, with only one month between the two. After the Palace Examination, Song Yanqing would likely enter the Hanlin Academy and would at least be a junior sixth-rank official in the capital, so it is not quite the same as going to the Provincial Capital for exams—

The Provincial Capital was purely an examination site; one stayed at an inn during the exam and returned home in a month at most. But Jingcheng is not only an examination site but also his future workplace, so they would eventually need to purchase a residence. It would be better to go early and find a residence to settle down in before the peak period when candidates arrive in the capital for this year's exam, while the rental market has not yet seen a sharp price increase.

Thus, Xie Yang decided that Xiaohu's family of three would accompany them to Jingcheng.

As a study attendant, Xiaohu was going to follow them anyway.

Xiaohu's father is named Yang Mu; upon arriving in Jingcheng, he would be responsible for guarding the outer courtyard and handling travel arrangements. Xiaohu's mother is named Chun Niang; upon arriving in Jingcheng, she would be responsible for kitchen procurement and meals.

This meant two more people would need to be added to the Farm.

No! Two people might not be enough!

Following Song Yanqing's success as the top candidate in the Provincial Examination, the authorities in the Provincial Capital, Fucheng, and the County all issued him bonuses.

The Provincial Capital issued them on behalf of the imperial court—all successful Provincial Graduates received twenty taels as travel compensation, and the top candidate received an additional thirty taels as a reward. Fucheng awarded ten taels to each Provincial Graduate under its jurisdiction and gave Song Yanqing an extra twenty taels.

In comparison, the reward from Qingfeng City was the most generous—the day the County magistrate came to the Song family with the messengers bearing the good news, he presented fifty taels of silver on behalf of the County School in front of the villagers.

But thinking about it, it was indeed deserved, as Song Yanqing had written a very significant and colorful chapter in his performance record.

With all the bonuses received, it totaled one hundred and thirty taels.

The family's liquor business was now close to paying off all debts. Lin Shi wanted Xie Yang to keep this money for herself; as the saying goes, "a poor family has a rich journey," and there were many places waiting for money to be spent once they reached Jingcheng, especially since they needed to buy a residence.

Xie Yang thought for a moment and kept thirty taels, giving one hundred taels to Lin Shi to purchase high-quality Paddy Field; she had already prepared both high-yield japonica rice seeds and glutinous rice seeds.

Now that her family's land was tax-exempt, it was better to buy more land if they had silver; with grain in hand, one's heart is at ease.

After consulting with her husband, Lin Shi bought ten mu of high-quality Paddy Field in her son's name, but on the surface, it was managed together with her daughter-in-law's Farm to keep the Song family from coveting it.

This meant the workforce had to be increased accordingly.

After Xie Yang decided, she made a trip to the town that day, asked a human trafficker for recommendations, and spent some points to have the Main System conduct a background check. She rejected anyone who was lazy or deceitful, and in the end, she only brought back a pair of suffering siblings and a poor boy who had sold himself to bury his mother.

It was mainly because Guixiang Town was too small to find suitable help. However, her parents-in-law comforted her, saying that during the busy farming season, if they were truly overwhelmed, they could temporarily hire villagers to help, as the villagers were very willing to earn the money.

Xie Yang stopped worrying about the workforce.

She had Yang Mu and the others familiarize them with the farm's work processes first. Half a month later, when the three new hires could stand on their own in their respective positions, Xie Yang entrusted the farm to her parents-in-law, took Yang Mu's family, and set off with Song Yanqing to Jingcheng for the exams.

Before leaving, it happened to be the time when the lake crabs in the lotus pond were plump. Xie Yang and Chun Niang pickled seven or eight jars of Drunken Crab together, sending one jar to her maiden home and her maternal grandparents' home, leaving one for her parents-in-law, and taking the rest to eat on the road.

They would be living on the boat for at least a month, and even if they stopped at prosperous towns along the way, when away from home, one only feels at ease tasting homemade food from time to time.

In addition to Drunken Crab, there were dried Fish, drunken Fish chunks, dried Shrimp, cured meat, ham, smoked rabbit meat, stuffed sausages, salted chicken, Preserved Duck... all in all, they packed several large bags.