The government examination ended soon. Zhou Shuren was very calm, but Ming Qing and Shumo seemed impatient. They went to see the results without eating all morning.
Zhou Shuren walked over slowly after breakfast.
Wu Li Shi was thinking about her grandson, so when she saw Zhulan, she asked without haste, “Madam, don’t you care about Master’s grades?”
Zhulan couldn’t say that I had confidence in Zhou Shuren, so she could only say: “It’s useless to worry about his grades. You will know the result when it comes, so why not just wait with peace of mind.”
Wu Li Shi moved her mouth, she couldn’t achieve this state.
Zhou Shuren and others came back soon, and Zhulan knew it when she saw the sharp contrast between Shumo’s gloomy face and Mingqing’s happy face.
Shumo returned to the house where he lived without saying hello, and Mingqing said awkwardly: “Grandma, don’t mind, Grandpa Shumo feels uncomfortable.”
Zhulan liked Mingqing very much. He was polite and measured, but Shumo was not. She felt a lot more relieved and said, “You are at ease too. There is rice left for you in the pot. Go and eat quickly!”
Mingqing became even more embarrassed, “Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa.”
After Mingqing left, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren returned to the main place. Fang Cai asked: “How was the test?”
Zhou Shuren was very upset, thinking that he had failed to get the first place. “Second.”
Zhulan knew that Zhou Shuren was usually very confident, so it was rare to see him feeling down and frustrated. She couldn’t help but pinch his cheek gently and said, “Second place is already quite impressive. Think about it, you’re a modern person, educated in the modern way. Even if you excel in memorization and understanding, your mindset can still be somewhat out of sync with the ancients. I think you’ve done really well.”
Zhou Shuren felt a little relieved after hearing this, but he didn’t show it on his face, “Give me some love and encouragement, kiss me?”
Zhulan immediately realized that Zhou Shuren had no real concerns, and she began to suspect that he had said those words earlier just to tease her.
Zhou Shuren watched helplessly. He really didn’t mean it. He was really upset. It seemed that he still hadn’t fully integrated into the ancient times!
Zhulan’s heart softened. Zhou Shuren worked hard for her. For their family, she couldn’t help at all. She lowered her head and kissed the corner of Zhou Shuren’s mouth under Zhou Shuren’s gaze. She was a little embarrassed at first, but it was obvious that the shrewd Zhou Shuren was stupid. Well, it feels quite a sense of accomplishment.
While Zhou Shuren was stunned, she quickly turned around and went out.
Zhou Shuren hadn’t expected a kiss from her, but when it happened, he couldn’t help but touch his lips. He felt a mix of happiness and a bit of self-reproach. “What a fool I am,” he thought. “I should have kissed her cleanly and decisively earlier. I missed the chance, and now Zhulan might not admit it!”
At dinner, Wu Li Shi came happily. Zhulan also knew who was the first, and said with a smile: “This is a happy event. Let us cook more dishes today. You see, the master got the second place and Wu Ming the first. It’s a deep fate, let’s come over and have a meal together to celebrate.”
A potential stock indeed, it would be a shame not to seize the opportunity now.
Wu Li Shi knew that her Mistress was sincerely inviting her, but still, she hesitated for a moment. Then she thought that her grandson had no help, and the Zhou family was a good family, and they would be able to help him in future interactions. She quickly washed her hands, “Thank you, missus. I will just go back and call my grandson over.”
Zhulan continued: “It’s getting late, and there’s no need to cook at home. Just call them all. I had no one to talk to when I came to Pingzhou. The only one I can talk to is you and the children at home. I don’t even have any friends, so I invited them all to have a meal together and have a lot of fun.”
Wu Li Shi was used to making a living by helping with various tasks, and she had met all sorts of people. Her strength lay in understanding the intentions of others. Understanding that this family wanted to make friends because of her grandson, she was more than willing. Wu Li Shi said, “I’ll call them over, just as the lady suggests.”
Zhulan nodded with a smile, watching the back of Wu Li Shi. Things were indeed different now. Li Shi’s grandson had achieved first place in the exams, which meant that he was sure to become a Xiucai. Her way of speaking had changed, which was perfectly normal given human nature.
Today, Zhulan bought three pounds of pork ribs, three pounds of fatty pork, two grass carp, one wild rabbit, and two blocks of tofu, and luckily found some leeks. The leeks were a rare find and a bit expensive, costing twenty cents for half a pound. Zhulan had her mind set on making leek and egg dumplings, so she bought five bunches. She also bought some dried mushrooms.
Zhulan assessed the ingredients: braised pork ribs, pickled fish, braised rabbit, stir-fried pork with scallions, tofu and cabbage soup, leek and egg stir-fry—six dishes in total.
As for whether Shumo felt comfortable in his heart, Zhulan didn’t care. They can’t stop celebrating just because you feel uncomfortable!
Wu Li Shi and her children returned quickly. The Wu family had four children: three boys and one girl. The youngest girl was the same age as Xuehan. Wu Ming, the oldest, was fifteen years old, followed by twelve-year-old Wu Yong, ten-year-old Wu Ting, and eight-year-old Wu Ning.
In the Wu family, all the grandchildren had names with a “口” (kou) character in them.
Zhulan saw the children, and the three boys had regular, unremarkable appearances. They looked quite ordinary. The young girl, on the other hand, was rather good-looking. She smiled shyly, and though she was slender, her smile was charming. She seemed like a sweet girl. Wu Ning stayed in the backyard, while the three boys went to the front yard.
The youngest boy was ten years old and can be considered a little adult.
For the boys’ greeting gifts, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren had discussed it in advance. They decided that writing materials, such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, would be most suitable. They had bought these specifically for gift-giving in Pingzhou. The best-set cost ten taels, and they bought two of those. They also purchased five sets of the five-tael set and five sets of the two-tael set, spending a total of thirty taels.
The gifts for the Wu family’s children were all two-tael sets, which were already quite valuable.
Zhulan gave Wu Ning a purse with twenty wens in it. She said, “Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t know what you like, so I brought this purse for you to play with.”
Wu Ning didn’t dare to reach for it and looked sideways at her grandma. Wu Li Shi knew that there would be a greeting gift for bringing the child, so she nodded, and Wu Ning took it with both hands, “Thank you, Grandma Zhou.”
Zhulan smiled and said, “Well, my little daughter is the same age as you. You two can play together. You’re only a month older than Xuehan. Xuehan, take your big sister to the side room to play.”
Xuehan followed her mother’s instructions and took Wu Ning’s hand. “I heard that you know how to read. Let’s go do some coloring together.”
Yu Shuang and Mingteng also quickly followed.
The government examination ended soon. Zhou Shuren was very calm, but Ming Qing and Shumo seemed impatient. They went to see the results without eating all morning.
Zhou Shuren walked over slowly after breakfast.
Wu Li Shi was thinking about her grandson, so when she saw Zhulan, she asked without haste, “Madam, don’t you care about Master’s grades?”
Zhulan couldn’t say that I had confidence in Zhou Shuren, so she could only say: “It’s useless to worry about his grades. You will know the result when it comes, so why not just wait with peace of mind.”
Wu Li Shi moved her mouth, she couldn’t achieve this state.
Zhou Shuren and others came back soon, and Zhulan knew it when she saw the sharp contrast between Shumo’s gloomy face and Mingqing’s happy face.
Shumo returned to the house where he lived without saying hello, and Mingqing said awkwardly: “Grandma, don’t mind, Grandpa Shumo feels uncomfortable.”
Zhulan liked Mingqing very much. He was polite and measured, but Shumo was not. She felt a lot more relieved and said, “You are at ease too. There is rice left for you in the pot. Go and eat quickly!”
Mingqing became even more embarrassed, “Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa.”
After Mingqing left, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren returned to the main place. Fang Cai asked: “How was the test?”
Zhou Shuren was very upset, thinking that he had failed to get the first place. “Second.”
Zhulan knew that Zhou Shuren was usually very confident, so it was rare to see him feeling down and frustrated. She couldn’t help but pinch his cheek gently and said, “Second place is already quite impressive. Think about it, you’re a modern person, educated in the modern way. Even if you excel in memorization and understanding, your mindset can still be somewhat out of sync with the ancients. I think you’ve done really well.”
Zhou Shuren felt a little relieved after hearing this, but he didn’t show it on his face, “Give me some love and encouragement, kiss me?”
Zhulan immediately realized that Zhou Shuren had no real concerns, and she began to suspect that he had said those words earlier just to tease her.
Zhou Shuren watched helplessly. He really didn’t mean it. He was really upset. It seemed that he still hadn’t fully integrated into the ancient times!
Zhulan’s heart softened. Zhou Shuren worked hard for her. For their family, she couldn’t help at all. She lowered her head and kissed the corner of Zhou Shuren’s mouth under Zhou Shuren’s gaze. She was a little embarrassed at first, but it was obvious that the shrewd Zhou Shuren was stupid. Well, it feels quite a sense of accomplishment.
While Zhou Shuren was stunned, she quickly turned around and went out.
Zhou Shuren hadn’t expected a kiss from her, but when it happened, he couldn’t help but touch his lips. He felt a mix of happiness and a bit of self-reproach. “What a fool I am,” he thought. “I should have kissed her cleanly and decisively earlier. I missed the chance, and now Zhulan might not admit it!”
At dinner, Wu Li Shi came happily. Zhulan also knew who was the first, and said with a smile: “This is a happy event. Let us cook more dishes today. You see, the master got the second place and Wu Ming the first. It’s a deep fate, let’s come over and have a meal together to celebrate.”
A potential stock indeed, it would be a shame not to seize the opportunity now.
Wu Li Shi knew that her Mistress was sincerely inviting her, but still, she hesitated for a moment. Then she thought that her grandson had no help, and the Zhou family was a good family, and they would be able to help him in future interactions. She quickly washed her hands, “Thank you, missus. I will just go back and call my grandson over.”
Zhulan continued: “It’s getting late, and there’s no need to cook at home. Just call them all. I had no one to talk to when I came to Pingzhou. The only one I can talk to is you and the children at home. I don’t even have any friends, so I invited them all to have a meal together and have a lot of fun.”
Wu Li Shi was used to making a living by helping with various tasks, and she had met all sorts of people. Her strength lay in understanding the intentions of others. Understanding that this family wanted to make friends because of her grandson, she was more than willing. Wu Li Shi said, “I’ll call them over, just as the lady suggests.”
Zhulan nodded with a smile, watching the back of Wu Li Shi. Things were indeed different now. Li Shi’s grandson had achieved first place in the exams, which meant that he was sure to become a Xiucai. Her way of speaking had changed, which was perfectly normal given human nature.
Today, Zhulan bought three pounds of pork ribs, three pounds of fatty pork, two grass carp, one wild rabbit, and two blocks of tofu, and luckily found some leeks. The leeks were a rare find and a bit expensive, costing twenty cents for half a pound. Zhulan had her mind set on making leek and egg dumplings, so she bought five bunches. She also bought some dried mushrooms.
Zhulan assessed the ingredients: braised pork ribs, pickled fish, braised rabbit, stir-fried pork with scallions, tofu and cabbage soup, leek and egg stir-fry—six dishes in total.
As for whether Shumo felt comfortable in his heart, Zhulan didn’t care. They can’t stop celebrating just because you feel uncomfortable!
Wu Li Shi and her children returned quickly. The Wu family had four children: three boys and one girl. The youngest girl was the same age as Xuehan. Wu Ming, the oldest, was fifteen years old, followed by twelve-year-old Wu Yong, ten-year-old Wu Ting, and eight-year-old Wu Ning.
In the Wu family, all the grandchildren had names with a “口” (kou) character in them.
Zhulan saw the children, and the three boys had regular, unremarkable appearances. They looked quite ordinary. The young girl, on the other hand, was rather good-looking. She smiled shyly, and though she was slender, her smile was charming. She seemed like a sweet girl. Wu Ning stayed in the backyard, while the three boys went to the front yard.
The youngest boy was ten years old and can be considered a little adult.
For the boys’ greeting gifts, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren had discussed it in advance. They decided that writing materials, such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, would be most suitable. They had bought these specifically for gift-giving in Pingzhou. The best-set cost ten taels, and they bought two of those. They also purchased five sets of the five-tael set and five sets of the two-tael set, spending a total of thirty taels.
The gifts for the Wu family’s children were all two-tael sets, which were already quite valuable.
Zhulan gave Wu Ning a purse with twenty wens in it. She said, “Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t know what you like, so I brought this purse for you to play with.”
Wu Ning didn’t dare to reach for it and looked sideways at her grandma. Wu Li Shi knew that there would be a greeting gift for bringing the child, so she nodded, and Wu Ning took it with both hands, “Thank you, Grandma Zhou.”
Zhulan smiled and said, “Well, my little daughter is the same age as you. You two can play together. You’re only a month older than Xuehan. Xuehan, take your big sister to the side room to play.”
Xuehan followed her mother’s instructions and took Wu Ning’s hand. “I heard that you know how to read. Let’s go do some coloring together.”
Yu Shuang and Mingteng also quickly followed.
