Chapter 179: Entering The Exam
Su Yaoguang took out the food and drink from the basket while saying, “Elder Brother Zhong said you’ve been studying very hard lately. Did you not sleep well last night?”
“If someone with a dumb brain doesn’t work extra hard, how can they get a good score on the exam?” Zhou Wangshu lowered his head and sniffed. “This is Mother’s handiwork, isn’t it? I haven’t had a taste like this in a long time.”
When it came to the best cooking skills, it was definitely Zhang Pandi and her daughter. Even Jia Chunni’s skills were better than Zhang Zhaodi’s, but Zhou Wangshu just liked Zhang Zhaodi and the things she made with her own hands the most.
Su Yaoguang understood that what Zhou Wangshu was eating wasn’t the flavor, but that affection. He never used words to describe emotions, but his actions told them that saving this man was worth it.
Zhong Chushan dragged Chen Buyu away.
Su Yaoguang gathered up his dirty clothes while Zhou Wangshu was eating.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking them back to wash.”
“I can wash them myself.” Zhou Wangshu snatched the dirty clothes back. “I’m a man at least. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“You? A man?” Su Yaoguang looked Zhou Wangshu up and down, her disgusted expression very obvious.
“How am I not…” Zhou Wangshu was about to argue when he saw the thing in Su Yaoguang’s hand. He anxiously put down his chopsticks and reached out to grab it, but failed.
He had experienced how strong Su Yaoguang was. At this moment, seeing how nervous Zhou Wangshu was, she who originally wasn’t very curious immediately grabbed the booklet and ran to the corner to open it. The result…
Just one glance, and she quickly closed the booklet.
“You you you, you said you were seriously studying, and this is the kind of book you read?”
Su Yaoguang stuffed the booklet into his arms and ran off hugging his dirty clothes.
Zhou Wangshu chased after her explaining, “It’s not mine, that’s not mine…”
Chen Buyu always brought back all sorts of messy books. He knew what it was but had never looked at it. Now the deed wasn’t done, but he was taking the blame.
Zhou Wangshu angrily bit into the chicken leg, cheeks puffed out as he ate. Su Yaoguang, who had originally left, ran back again. Looking at him, she awkwardly said, “You’re still young. Take care of your health.”
“I said it’s not mine.”
“Let me finish.” Su Yaoguang’s cheeks were red, and she said shyly, “I heard about it, just heard, okay? You’re too young at this age, it’s easy to harm your body and deplete your essence. Don’t ruin yourself.”
After saying that, she really ran off this time.
Zhou Wangshu: “…”
Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu returned after half a shichen. Seeing the table cleared clean and the dirty clothes tidied up, with only some scraps of cloth on the bed, they didn’t know what they were.
“Why did you throw scraps of cloth on my bed?” Chen Buyu complained unhappily while picking up the fragments. When he saw the pattern on them, his eyes widened big, and his expression became agitated. “I say, Mr. Zhou, do you know how expensive this booklet is? Do you know how hard it is to buy? This is the most popular fire-avoidance diagram from the capital city side, and you ruined it for me!”
“Oh, I saw it thrown on my bed and thought it was unwanted, so I cut it up.” Zhou Wangshu said coolly.
“Wangshu, Yaoguang young lady probably saw it and misunderstood something, right?” Zhong Chushan saw Zhou Wangshu’s expression and pretty much guessed what happened.
Zhou Wangshu’s face was sullen: “What do you think?”
Zhong Chushan patted Chen Buyu’s shoulder and said, “Your thing was ruined without any injustice.”
Chen Buyu didn’t dare speak anymore.
Sounds of arguing came from opposite, vaguely two women’s voices.
Zhong Chushan liked watching the drama. He stood at the window and watched, providing live commentary for the other two.
“Yo, Mr. Xiao’s new daughter-in-law came to deliver things at this time and happened to catch Wen Dasao sitting on Xiao Ci’s lap. Then Jiang Yihuan slapped Wen Dasao, and Xiao Ci is playing peacemaker.”
“To say Mr. Xiao does have some talent, but with the imperial examination coming up soon, isn’t he afraid of getting distracted by these peach blossom incidents at a time like this?”
“Instead of worrying about him, you should worry about yourself.” Chen Buyu said, “Your family master wants you to take the imperial examination. Does he have some misunderstanding about you and me?”
Chen Buyu and Zhong Chushan looked at Zhou Wangshu.
Originally, the masters of their two families had accepted the fact that their heirs were useless. Until recently, when they met Zhou Wangshu alone, they started demanding they take the imperial examination.
What Zhong Chushan had said to Su Yaoguang before was really not exaggerated. Zhou Wangshu was indeed reviewing lessons, and even forcing them to review and memorize together. Lately, even his dreams were filled with the Four Books and Five Classics.
Zhang Zhaodi saw Su Yaoguang return carrying a bundle, her cheeks flushed red, and her expression a bit strange.
“Did you quarrel with Wangshu?”
“No.”
“Then why is your face so red?”
“I ran all the way back, it’s hot.” Su Yaoguang took the bundle to the backyard.
“Daughter, the imperial examination is about to start soon. Don’t push Wangshu too hard or give him too much pressure.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “We let him study back then to make him sensible, not to make him the top scholar.”
“Mother, are you my mother or Wangshu’s mother? You always think of him. Am I the kind of unreasonable person?” Su Yaoguang said, “Don’t worry.”
Business was booming at Peach Blossom Workshop, while it was dismal at Fenghua Pavilion.
Soon it was the day of the official imperial examination.
Zhang Zhaodi and the others dressed up carefully and sent Zhou Wangshu into the examination hall.
Zhang Zhaodi instructed Zhou Wangshu to eat well, drink well, sleep well; do what he could, hand in a blank paper if he couldn’t; in short, just do whatever made him happy.
The families of other examinees who were nearby instructing their own children to answer seriously: “…”
Jiang Yihuan handed the freshly made sesame seed cakes and nourishing soup to Xiao Yanci, speaking words of deep affection and utmost care.
Xiao Yanci gently reassured her not to worry about him.
Before all examinees entered the examination hall, the things they brought had to be inspected. Su Yaoguang watched Zhou Wangshu enter smoothly and was preparing to leave when she heard Xiao Yanci’s angry voice.
“This is a sesame seed cake. Why make it like this?”
“We have to check if there’s any cheat sheet hidden inside the sesame seed cake.” The bailiff in charge of inspecting things said fiercely, “Everyone is treated the same. It’s not targeting just you. Why are you so nervous? Could it be you really hid something inside?”
“I didn’t.” Xiao Yanci said angrily.
All the sesame seed cakes were pinched into crumbs. Never mind how to eat them like this; just the fact that they were pinched by the bailiff’s hands made him feel so disgusted he wanted to vomit and had no appetite at all.
Besides the sesame seed cakes, even the nourishing soup had to be strained to fish out all the dregs, leaving only soups and liquids to go in.
The things Su Yaoguang prepared for Zhou Wangshu could pass with just a casual glance, without any such trouble. Seeing Xiao Yanci with sesame seed cakes and oily soup, she felt a bit of schadenfreude.
