Chapter 223: Juren Scholar
Zhong Chushan disgustedly pushed away Chen Buyu’s clingy movements.
“So many people are watching, you don’t care about face but I do. Do you know what others say about us two second-generation rich? They say we have a quirk for splitting peaches.” Zhong Chushan said irritably, “Even if you’re happy, don’t pounce on me, otherwise if others see it, it will really confirm those dirty names.”
“Who cares what others say, as long as our conscience is clear.” Chen Buyu was happy now and didn’t bother with those who spread dirty words.
Chen Buyu looked at his own ranking, then at Zhong Chushan’s ranking, and said somewhat unwillingly: “I’m not that much worse than you, how come there are eighty people between us?”
“Are you saying the examiner has poor judgment?”
“Anyway, I don’t think I’m worse than you. At most my handwriting is a bit worse than yours.” Chen Buyu had an unconvinced look.
“Brother Zhang is really impressive, actually getting eighteenth place.” Zhong Chushan said, “Now that you’re on the list, are you preparing to go to the capital city for the imperial examination?”
Student Zhang was about to say something, but after seeing the names of the last few scholars appear, he pointed to the first place and said: “Brother Wangshu, you’re too amazing, aren’t you?”
Zhou Wangshu’s gaze stopped on third place.
Xiao Ci.
Xiao Ci’s ranking was actually so high up.
In that dream, Xiao Ci became the top scholar, and after that, Su Yaoguang began to fall into the abyss unable to get back up, eventually heading toward destruction.
This time, the top scholar position was his, and he wouldn’t give Xiao Ci any opportunity to get back up.
No, he wanted to make sure he had no opportunity to leave the provincial capital alive.
“Brother Wangshu, Brother Wangshu, what are you thinking?” Student Zhang waved his hand in front of him.
Su Yaoguang grabbed Zhou Wangshu’s arm and pulled him out of the crowd.
Those household servants holding ropes had already started to take action on the scholars. Since the list had been seen, better to leave this place of trouble!
“Zhong Chushan, Brother Wangshu, Sister Yaoguang, save me quick…” Chen Buyu’s voice came from the crowd.
Everyone heard his voice and turned to look, only to see Chen Buyu being tied up with red ropes by several household servants, then slipping out of the crowd at extreme speed.
Zhong Chushan stopped fanning, his eyes full of shocked expression: “He’s nearly one hundredth place and still got snatched, don’t these people have too poor judgment? I’m eighty-first, Brother Zhang is eighteenth, our Brother Wangshu is even first place, no one snatches us like this, but that guy Chen Buyu looks both stupid and clumsy, yet someone still snatched him.”
“Don’t say sarcasm first, hurry and save him! This kind of blind marriage isn’t a good thing.” Su Yaoguang said, stopping some local people watching the lively scene nearby, taking out a piece of silver ingot, and asking the most gossipy-looking woman in the crowd who seemed to love talking about others’ affairs, inquiring which household those household servants belonged to.
“Those just now were from Steward Tong’s family! Steward Tong has only one beloved daughter, beautiful as a flower, just a bit timid and a bit afraid of men. That young lady is already eighteen, if she doesn’t marry soon, she’ll become an old maid. So, taking advantage of this local imperial examination, with many scholars passing nearby, their family snatched one back.”
“Where is Steward Tong’s home, trouble Auntie to take us there.” Su Yaoguang took out silver ingot, “As long as you take us to find them, this piece of silver ingot is yours.”
Auntie was originally just there to watch the lively scene, but unexpectedly found an opportunity to get rich. That woman said nothing more and directly led them to the doorway of Steward Tong’s home.
Steward Tong’s home was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and it was quite lively inside.
“Invitation?” The servant guarding the door stopped them.
“We’re here to discuss business with Steward Tong.” Su Yaoguang said, “Is your mansion holding some happy event today?”
“Our master is marrying off his daughter today, seeing only guests, no outsiders. If you want to discuss business with master today, better forget it, master is only concerned with Miss’s marriage today.”
“Since cooperation is about to happen right away, of course we count as guests. If we didn’t know, fine, but since we know Steward Tong is marrying off his daughter, there’s no reason not to show something.” Su Yaoguang said, taking out silver ingot and stuffing it into that servant’s hand.
“Since you’re showing something, where’s your congratulatory gift?” the servant asked.
Su Yaoguang, Zhou Wangshu, Zhong Chushan, and that Student Zhang with the surname Zhang looked at each other.
Could it be that to save that silly boy Chen Buyu, they had to bleed heavily and give a wedding congratulatory gift to that Steward Tong who forcibly snatched a common man?
Su Yaoguang was a businesswoman and didn’t want to take this loss.
“How about we forget it, anyway he’s going to marry sooner or later, early or late is the same, might as well take this opportunity to settle his lifelong matter. The Tong Family is quite rich, and that Miss Tong is an only daughter, even if Brother Chen stays as a son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family, it’s not bad.” Zhong Chushan said with a smile.
“You surnamed Zhong, I knew you weren’t up to any good.” Chen Buyu, dressed in groom’s clothes, ran out from inside, with several shop assistants chasing behind him.
Seeing him run out, Zhong Chushan hurriedly stopped the several household servants nearby.
“Grab him.” Steward Tong pointed in Chen Buyu’s direction and shouted.
The subordinates gathered toward Chen Buyu’s direction. Just as they were about to grab Chen Buyu, he slipped away like an eel, dodging them and directly escaping to the doorway.
At the doorway were Zhou Wangshu and the others. Chen Buyu ran quickly and finally joined the others.
“Hurry and go.” Zhong Chushan said, “This Steward Tong is really mad. If he can’t catch Chen Buyu, he’s very likely to grab us right there on the spot and make us marry his daughter in Chen Buyu’s place.”
Everyone also knew that what Steward Tong needed wasn’t a son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family, but one who could obtain an official position as a backer.
This person couldn’t be too smart, or like Zhou Wangshu, the entire Tong Family would eventually fall into the son-in-law’s hands. For his family business, for his daughter, he had the shop assistants squat there early in the morning, just waiting to find someone young, decent-looking, but ranking not too high up, best in the middle, so he could continue advancing studies without being too cunning for them to control.
Zhong Chushan had just been wondering why not him, why not Brother Zhang, why not Zhou Wangshu, this was the answer.
Businessmen were inherently low-status, even if Steward Tong had amassed a fortune, his daughter was just from a lowly merchant family. The higher the ranking of the scholar, the better the future prospects, how could merchants like them dare provoke such people?
They just wanted a middling son-in-law to ally with, he was willing to spend money to support the other, and when the other succeeded, he couldn’t abandon his original wife.
Everyone ran for a long time, those shop assistants kept chasing behind. Later they split up to run, and those shop assistants all chased after Chen Buyu.
