Zhou Shuren held out three fingers, “The person who got first place in the county examination, Mingqing and I, the three of us passed. I am also a Linsheng, and I can receive food every month, and four taels of silver a year!”
Zhulan smiled and said, “You’re talented.”
Zhou Shuren liked to hear Zhulan praise him, and then sighed, “It will be difficult to get the first place in the future. It is not only a matter of grades, but also luck and the prestige of the examiner.”
Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Shuren’s face, “In that case, you are giving up the fight to become the zhuàngyuánláng1. You have no chance to become the Tanhua2 because the position of Tanhua is basically responsible for appearance. This is forcing you to continue taking the exams for the second place!”
Zhou Shuren was depressed, “I asked around, the top picks in the last two years were also good-looking.”
Zhulan chuckled, finding it amusing. She knew that achieving the top scholar status wasn’t just about writing excellent essays; it largely depended on the Emperor’s preference. If Zhou Shuren were ten years younger, he might have had more confidence in competing for the top spot. However, she was pleased about it.
“I’ve heard of cases where the woman chooses her husband from among the top scholars,” she said. “Your situation is quite good in that regard.”
Zhou Shuren’s paws that were about to move had already grasped Zhulan’s hand, and he wanted to take advantage of it!
In the evening, the whole family went to the Wu family, brimming with joy and excitement. Their faces wore big smiles. This time, they had passed the examination in one go. In the previous provincial exams, Mingqing had failed to pass. Now that he had become a xiucai, the pressure was off, and the family even benefited from not having to pay taxes on their land. Mingqing remained in a state of excitement.
The Wu family also invited Zhao Bo, who arrived first.
Zhulan took the children into the house. The women’s table was a Kang table, and the food was already set. The Wu family not only celebrated but also wanted to express their gratitude. They cooked ten dishes, all of which were Wu Li Shi’s specialty.
Wu Li Shi cooked for Zhulan’s family and knew the preferences of Zhulan and her children. There were two fish dishes. Zhulan also saw mutton and was surprised, “Is there mutton for sale in this market?”
Wu Li Shi said, “These are sheep from a relative’s family that were sold to a restaurant. He knew that Wu Ming was admitted as a xiucai, so he sent some specially.”
Zhulan understood that the Wu family had no land, but Wu Ming had twenty acres of land that he did not have to pay taxes on. “Aunt, you won’t have to spend money on buying grains in the future.”
Wu Li Shi had a cheerful expression. Although it was regrettable that her grandson didn’t come first, they still benefited. Wu Li Shi said, “Today, we met many relatives, and we’ve divided the twenty acres of land. We’ll be able to save money on grain and vegetable expenses this year. How about your family?”
Zhulan replied, “My family has exactly twenty acres of land, and there’s no extra.”
Wu Li Shi nodded and said, “That will mean earning quite a bit of money this year.”
Zhulan nodded and said, “Yes, that’s right. The price of grain has never really gone down these past few years.”
In ancient times, grain output was already low, and the weather was bad, and it was the common people who suffered. Whether in prosperous times or troubled times, life was always difficult for the common people.
It was dark before Zhulan’s family went back. In the evening, Zhou Shuren was obedient and didn’t drink too much. Instead, Mingqing was happy and drank too much. Zhulan vaguely heard Mingqing crying in the house.
The child was under great pressure. After passing the threshold, he finally cried out of pressure.
After washing up in the evening, Zhulan said, “When are we going back?”
Zhou Shuren reached out and embraced Zhulan, saying, “We’ll have to wait a bit longer. I’ve met many people in Pingzhou, and now that I’m a xiucai, I have a stepping stone. It won’t be easy to leave immediately, but our expenses might increase.”
Zhulan understood the necessity of socializing, and money wasn’t a concern right now. Zhou Shuren came from a humble background with no connections, so it was essential to selectively network for future prospects. However, they needed to be cautious about how they approached this. Fortunately, Zhou Shuren had only become a xiucai, so it didn’t involve the level of seeking patronage.
She asked, “Do I need to accompany you to these social gatherings?”
Zhou Shuren couldn’t bear to let Zhulan suffer with him, “No need for now, wait until we come to Pingzhou next year.”
Zhou Shuren replied, “At least until I’ve settled into this new social circle and filtered out those who might cause you any discomfort.”
Zhulan acknowledged with a sound of agreement. When she noticed Zhou Shuren’s gaze drifting upward, she couldn’t help but internally scoff. She thought he had become bolder lately, even neglecting to lay out his bedding. People like him seemed to get carried away with just a little attention.
Zhou Shuren held out three fingers, “The person who got first place in the county examination, Mingqing and I, the three of us passed. I am also a Linsheng, and I can receive food every month, and four taels of silver a year!”
Zhulan smiled and said, “You’re talented.”
Zhou Shuren liked to hear Zhulan praise him, and then sighed, “It will be difficult to get the first place in the future. It is not only a matter of grades, but also luck and the prestige of the examiner.”
Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Shuren’s face, “In that case, you are giving up the fight to become the zhuàngyuánláng1. You have no chance to become the Tanhua2 because the position of Tanhua is basically responsible for appearance. This is forcing you to continue taking the exams for the second place!”
Zhou Shuren was depressed, “I asked around, the top picks in the last two years were also good-looking.”
Zhulan chuckled, finding it amusing. She knew that achieving the top scholar status wasn’t just about writing excellent essays; it largely depended on the Emperor’s preference. If Zhou Shuren were ten years younger, he might have had more confidence in competing for the top spot. However, she was pleased about it.
“I’ve heard of cases where the woman chooses her husband from among the top scholars,” she said. “Your situation is quite good in that regard.”
Zhou Shuren’s paws that were about to move had already grasped Zhulan’s hand, and he wanted to take advantage of it!
In the evening, the whole family went to the Wu family, brimming with joy and excitement. Their faces wore big smiles. This time, they had passed the examination in one go. In the previous provincial exams, Mingqing had failed to pass. Now that he had become a xiucai, the pressure was off, and the family even benefited from not having to pay taxes on their land. Mingqing remained in a state of excitement.
The Wu family also invited Zhao Bo, who arrived first.
Zhulan took the children into the house. The women’s table was a Kang table, and the food was already set. The Wu family not only celebrated but also wanted to express their gratitude. They cooked ten dishes, all of which were Wu Li Shi’s specialty.
Wu Li Shi cooked for Zhulan’s family and knew the preferences of Zhulan and her children. There were two fish dishes. Zhulan also saw mutton and was surprised, “Is there mutton for sale in this market?”
Wu Li Shi said, “These are sheep from a relative’s family that were sold to a restaurant. He knew that Wu Ming was admitted as a xiucai, so he sent some specially.”
Zhulan understood that the Wu family had no land, but Wu Ming had twenty acres of land that he did not have to pay taxes on. “Aunt, you won’t have to spend money on buying grains in the future.”
Wu Li Shi had a cheerful expression. Although it was regrettable that her grandson didn’t come first, they still benefited. Wu Li Shi said, “Today, we met many relatives, and we’ve divided the twenty acres of land. We’ll be able to save money on grain and vegetable expenses this year. How about your family?”
Zhulan replied, “My family has exactly twenty acres of land, and there’s no extra.”
Wu Li Shi nodded and said, “That will mean earning quite a bit of money this year.”
Zhulan nodded and said, “Yes, that’s right. The price of grain has never really gone down these past few years.”
In ancient times, grain output was already low, and the weather was bad, and it was the common people who suffered. Whether in prosperous times or troubled times, life was always difficult for the common people.
It was dark before Zhulan’s family went back. In the evening, Zhou Shuren was obedient and didn’t drink too much. Instead, Mingqing was happy and drank too much. Zhulan vaguely heard Mingqing crying in the house.
The child was under great pressure. After passing the threshold, he finally cried out of pressure.
After washing up in the evening, Zhulan said, “When are we going back?”
Zhou Shuren reached out and embraced Zhulan, saying, “We’ll have to wait a bit longer. I’ve met many people in Pingzhou, and now that I’m a xiucai, I have a stepping stone. It won’t be easy to leave immediately, but our expenses might increase.”
Zhulan understood the necessity of socializing, and money wasn’t a concern right now. Zhou Shuren came from a humble background with no connections, so it was essential to selectively network for future prospects. However, they needed to be cautious about how they approached this. Fortunately, Zhou Shuren had only become a xiucai, so it didn’t involve the level of seeking patronage.
She asked, “Do I need to accompany you to these social gatherings?”
Zhou Shuren couldn’t bear to let Zhulan suffer with him, “No need for now, wait until we come to Pingzhou next year.”
Zhou Shuren replied, “At least until I’ve settled into this new social circle and filtered out those who might cause you any discomfort.”
Zhulan acknowledged with a sound of agreement. When she noticed Zhou Shuren’s gaze drifting upward, she couldn’t help but internally scoff. She thought he had become bolder lately, even neglecting to lay out his bedding. People like him seemed to get carried away with just a little attention.
