Chapter 183: Celebrate
At this moment, the Zhong family and the Chen family were thinking the same thing.
After the List came out, the officers still had to go door-to-door to notify, so that the relatives and friends of these successful scholars would all know this good news.
The Zhong family and the Chen family were both wealthy families, so the officers all rushed to these two families to report the good news. Therefore, both families quickly received the news that their precious son had passed as a Xiucai scholar.
The Zhong family Master was playing cards at the gambling table with someone. When the officer came to report the good news, he was just about to bet the gambling house, but as soon as this good news came out, the bet was directly called off, and he even drove out the person he was gambling with. He happily closed the gambling house, ran back home, gathered everyone up and down the Zhong family, and held a banquet to celebrate for his treasured son.
The situation at the Chen family was similar. Originally still indulging in revelry, as soon as this news appeared, the dance hall was also closed, and invitations were directly written to summon relatives and friends to come over for drinks.
Zhaodi’s side was also joyful. The whole family of women crowded into the kitchen, using all their skills, just to make the most heartfelt meal to celebrate Wangshu passing as a Xiucai scholar.
“Wangshu is truly amazing. I want to see who still says our Wangshu is an incompetent person. If our Wangshu is an incompetent person, then that Mr. Xiao isn’t even as good as one,” Zhaodi said. “Zhong Lanhua’s expression just now was truly hilarious. She always boasts about how impressive her son-in-law is, saying he’ll definitely be the Top Scholar. Now he can’t even pass the Xiucai scholar exam without being last place—talk about a slap in the face, haha…”
“Mom, Xiao Ci still has some strength. This time, if he hadn’t had diarrhea, he wouldn’t have only gotten this ranking,” Yaoguang said from the side.
Wangshu looked at Yaoguang, his gaze deep and his smile not reaching his eyes: “Yaoguang quite admires him.”
“Pah, if you can’t speak properly, don’t speak. What I mean is don’t underestimate this person. He’s petty—if you offend him badly, be careful he takes revenge on us later.”
“I didn’t do anything to him, so why would he take revenge on me?”
“You mocked him, and to him that’s humiliation—enough for him to take revenge on you,” Yaoguang said. “I told you, this person’s heart is smaller than the eye of a needle. Best to stay far away from him.”
“Alright, I get it.”
Anyway, the ones she wanted to anger were Zhong Lanhua and Yihuan; she didn’t care at all what happened to that Mr. Xiao.
Bang bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang!
Zhong Lanhua kicked over all the tables and chairs in the room.
She vented fiercely for a while, so angry she could hardly breathe.
Yihuan stood carefully by the side, tears flickering in her eyes.
Xiao Yanci held her hand, looking at her with heartache.
From earlier until now, Zhong Lanhua had been cursing nonstop. After cursing enough, she started smashing things. She knew the expensive ones couldn’t be smashed, so she specifically targeted tables and chairs, creating such a commotion that it scared Yihuan into not daring to move, like a frightened little rabbit—truly heartbreaking.
“No matter what, at least I’m already a Xiucai scholar now. Only after becoming a Xiucai scholar can I take the Juren exam next time,” Xiao Yanci said. “This time was because I was unwell. Next time, after I recuperate, it absolutely won’t happen again.”
“Next time? Easy to say. I think you only know how to boast. If it really comes down to it, who knows what embarrassing thing you’ll cause. I say, Mr. Xiao, are you sent by the opposite side to mess with our mother and daughter? Otherwise, why do you always help that pair of mother and daughter anger us? You’re practically their weapon against us—one move and you make me furious enough to die.”
“Mom, I’ve said it, I will definitely let you and Huan’er live good days. Nothing else, but at least I’m a Xiucai scholar now,” Xiao Yanci said.
Zhong Lanhua pursed her lips, looking sullen.
Better not mention this Xiucai scholar—any more mention and she couldn’t even hold her head up.
Now the whole city knew that during those days of the Imperial Examination, he had been defecating filth in the exam room, and others mockingly called him the Shit Xiucai scholar.
If she tried to show off to other sisters-in-law, they would mock her: “I know, your son-in-law is impressive—because he shat during the Imperial Examination, everyone calls him the Shit Xiucai scholar!”
Wangshu sat on the rooftop, listening to the laughter and clinking of wine cups coming from the room.
Today was his great day, and several Zhang sisters said he was still young and not allowed to drink, while they themselves drank happily with joyful faces.
Yaoguang climbed up the ladder to the rooftop.
“Be careful,” Wangshu stood up, reached out his hand, and pulled her over. “What are you coming up for?”
“I saw you always like sitting here looking at the sky, so I thought the view here must be great, that’s why you never get tired of it. Since there’s good scenery, of course it should be shared with me,” Yaoguang sat down beside him and handed him a wine pot. “Here, fruit wine—not very strong. I secretly took some for you; absolutely don’t tell Mom.”
“Didn’t you say I wasn’t allowed to drink?”
“Today is a special day. You can drink a little if you want, but not too much,” Yaoguang said, clinking her wine cup with his. “All of us are really surprised that you passed as a Xiucai scholar.”
“You all never thought I could pass as a Xiucai scholar before, right?” Wangshu said. “The headmaster and teachers didn’t expect it either. What they even less expected was that Brother Zhong and Brother Chen also passed.”
“Besides those two, two more among the few who played polo with you last time also passed, right?” Yaoguang said. “You’ve been busy reviewing schoolwork lately, not even coming home, eating and sleeping poorly—truly hard work. Before, I thought you were just pretending, but now I know you really studied hard.”
“I passed as a Xiucai scholar—no gift?” Wangshu held out his palm.
Yaoguang said irritably: “Who rushes to ask for gifts from people?”
“I don’t care—you have to give me a gift. If not prepared today, then tomorrow,” Wangshu said proudly.
Yaoguang took out a box from her sleeve: “How dare I neglect you, Young Master Zhou? You’re now the family’s precious darling, held in the palm of their hands and pampered.”
Wangshu took it and touched the box’s exterior.
“Open it and see!” Yaoguang said. “I picked for a long time; not sure if you’ll like it. If not, I can take it back and exchange for something else.”
Wangshu opened the box and saw a jade thumb ring inside.
A blood-red jade thumb ring, red like dripping blood, exceptionally vivid and flamboyant.
Men often wore jade thumb rings, but he’d never seen one with red jade. Elderly men liked ink jade, young men liked white jade—red jade wasn’t easy to pull off.
Wangshu put it on his finger.
“Sure enough, this jade thumb ring suits you perfectly. When I saw it, I thought it would look great on your hand,” Yaoguang praised.
Wangshu rubbed it, murmuring: “I like it very much, thank you.”
