Chapter 139: Matchmaker

In less than half an hour, the news that Jiang's Erlang had become the Prefectural Top Scholar spread like wildfire in the village.

Prefectural Top Scholar, a sixteen-year-old Prefectural Top Scholar. One could imagine how bright his future would be!

In the fields, on the beds, by the stoves, men and women, old and young, all ran toward this side one after another.

Especially those families with children in school, each one brought their children to Jiang Zhan.

"Erlang, this is my Xiu'er, do you think he is material for reading?"

"Erlang, touch my youngest, his head is round, he's smart!"

"Erlang, my Guidan has admired you the most since he was a child. Can you give him a pair of socks you've worn, so he can also share in the good fortune of the Prefectural Top Scholar?"

Jiang Zhan: "..."

He looked at his sister-in-law for help.

Du Ruo burst out laughing.

Although Jiang Zhan was very good-looking, even good-looking people's feet had a smell. Whether there was good fortune on the socks, she didn't know, but there was definitely a stinky smell.

"Uncle Sancai, the socks are all washed and not dry yet. Why don't I give you a piece of calligraphy, written by Erlang himself?"

Guidan's father was overjoyed. "That's great, I'll hang it on Guidan's bed when I go back, and tell him to look at it day and night, look at it before sleeping and look at it after waking up. He will definitely be able to win the first place like his Erlang brother!"

Du Ruo laughed awkwardly. Win the first place, she estimated that the person would be stupid from looking at it.

She whispered to Jiang Wan, and Jiang Wan ran to the room like a swallow, soon taking out a few pieces of calligraphy that Jiang Zhan had practiced before.

Guidan's father got one, and the rest were snatched away by others.

Du Ruo let Zheng Shi and Chunhua distribute the melons and fruits to the villagers watching the fun, and she walked into the house.

Several official news-bringers were sitting at the table eating snacks.

The leader was Wei Ming, the constable guarding the gate of the County Office. Wei Ming praised while eating: "Sister-in-law, this trip was worth it, these pumpkin cakes and mung bean cakes are too delicious!"

Du Ruo smiled. "If it's delicious, eat more. I'll pack some for you when you leave later."

"Eating and taking, how embarrassing is that?"

Wei Ming giggled twice. "Sister-in-law, you don't know, Chen Er has been showing off in my ears every day, saying how delicious the food you make is, making me drool. I finally got a good opportunity to come and have a meal."

Originally, this opportunity wasn't his. He exchanged it for the price of washing stinky socks for a month.

Woo woo woo, in order to eat the food made by the sister-in-law, was it easy for him?

"That's fine, you sit for a while, I'll go prepare lunch now." Du Ruo said and planned to go to the kitchen.

Wei Ming hurriedly put down the pumpkin cake in his hand, took out a letter from his bosom, and handed it over. "Sister-in-law, this is what Jiang Tou asked me to bring to you."

Du Ruo took the letter and thanked him.

Then she turned and entered the kitchen, and only after confirming no one was around did she feel at ease enough to tear it open and look.

After reading it, Du Ruo was a bit disappointed.

She thought Du Mingzhu had finally died, but she didn't expect that woman's life to be so tough, actually being saved.

Truly a scourge for a thousand years.

But so what if she was alive? With Du Mingzhu's pride, living in this world with such a terrifying face, she was afraid it was more uncomfortable than death.

Thinking of this, Du Ruo's mood immediately became cheerful again.

Deserved it, the Dao of Heaven revolves, retribution is satisfying, let you also taste the pain the original owner experienced!

Du Ruo threw the letter into the stove to burn and started cooking.

The conditions at home were better now, and things like chicken, duck, fish, meat, and eggs were all staples. Plus Zheng Shi and Chunhua soon came in to help, so they finished several big dishes in just over an hour.

There were braised rabbit meat, steamed pork ribs with rice flour, fish head soup with tofu, and the "Heavenly Fresh Match" that had recently become famous in Wutou Xian.

Wei Ming and the others ate so much they almost swallowed their tongues. When they left, they refused to accept the red envelopes Du Ruo gave them.

"Sister-in-law, isn't that being an outsider? We are all our own people, no need for these virtual things. If you really want to thank us, just treat this meal as the hard work fee."

"That won't do, one yard is one yard."

Du Ruo insisted on stuffing the red envelope with one tael of silver into their hands. "There is no reason for the official news-bringers to return empty-handed, it's unlucky."

Hearing her say this, several people had no choice but to accept it and soon proposed to leave.

They left, and Clan Leader Jiang came with his cane.

The old man patted Jiang Zhan's shoulder, excited as if he were something. "Good, good, good, Erlang, you became a scholar at such a young age, winning glory for our Jiang clan. Our Jiang family finally has hope for revitalization!"

"Clan Leader Grandfather, it's not a scholar yet, I have to wait until I pass the Prefectural and Academy exams to be considered a scholar." Jiang Zhan explained with a smile.

Clan Leader Jiang naturally understood these rules.

However, the examination hall also had unwritten rules. Any candidate who ranked in the top ten in the county exam would definitely be selected as long as there were no major mistakes in the Prefectural and Academy exams, not to mention the Prefectural Top Scholar.

Unless they cheated or handed in a blank paper, it was a done deal.

After chatting for a while, Clan Leader Jiang left with a floating step.

The family finally recovered from the excitement and started to clean up the mess in the courtyard.

The pumpkin cakes and mung bean cakes made before were all distributed to those official news-bringers, so Du Ruo had to make another batch and sent them to the neighbor in the afternoon.

She didn't know what happened next door, but it was very lively.

Several women with bright red lips and colorful clothes were blocking the gate, pointing at each other and scolding with flying saliva. The swords were drawn, and it felt like they were going to pull hair and pick nostrils in the next second.

Du Ruo listened to a word or two, something about girls, widows, and whether they matched or not.

Seeing her carrying two bamboo baskets over, Yao Yulan ran out to take them.

"So many, are they all for Third Uncle?" She looked down and asked in surprise.

"He can't eat so much alone, it will spoil if left for too long, you guys share it."

Saying this, Du Ruo nudged her chin at the women over there and asked suspiciously: "What are they doing? Why are they running here to quarrel?"

Not asking was fine, but asking made Yao Yulan couldn't help but laugh.

She first took the two baskets back to the house, then ran out and pulled Du Ruo to the outer courtyard wall.

"Those women, they are all matchmakers, here to propose to Third Uncle!"

Propose? Du Ruo rolled her eyes, and suddenly understood.

People were indeed the species that knew best how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages in this world. Master Jiang received the yellow list in the morning, and matchmakers came to the house in the afternoon.

And they came three or four at a time, truly a fragrant bun.

"How old is Third Uncle this year, why hasn't he formed a family at such an old age?" Du Ruo was curious.

Yao Yulan calculated. "Seems like thirty-seven or thirty-eight, I can't remember exactly. As for why he didn't form a family..."

She looked around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping, then lowered her voice. "I'll only tell you, don't spread it."

Du Ruo's gossip soul was burning, and she nodded hurriedly. "Don't worry, I promise not to tell anyone else."

Yao Yulan naturally believed her promise.

"Not many people know about this, I heard it from my man when he was drunk."

Yao Yulan leaned into Du Ruo's ear and said sneakily: "When Third Uncle was young, he fell into an ice hole once in winter, and that thing was frozen and couldn't be used."

Du Ruo: "..."

No way, Master Jiang couldn't do it?

That explained it. With Master Jiang's character, knowing that his body had defects, he would definitely not harm a girl, which was why he had been single for so many years.

"Then those matchmakers..."

"Oh, them." Yao Yulan burst out laughing. "They are all here for Third Uncle's scholar title. Some introduce big girls, some introduce little widows, each one blowing their skin to the sky. Third Uncle was annoyed, so he let them fight for length outside first, and whoever wins can go in and propose to him. So, a few people started quarreling." ===== CHAPTER 140 =====