Chapter 181: Unveiling The List
Zhang Zhaodi was still looking around at the doorway, with no intention of leaving.
Zhou Wangshu asked: “Mom, what are you still looking for?”
“I’m waiting for the other godsons!” Zhang Zhaodi said, “Since they’ve all entered the examination hall, of course we have to celebrate together. Here they come, here they come, quickly call them over.”
Su Yaoguang shrugged, looking helpless.
The other scholars, upon hearing Zhang Zhaodi’s words, first sought their family members’ opinions, and after getting their agreement, said they would go eat and drink with Zhang Zhaodi. When Zhang Zhaodi saw those scholars’ family members, without saying a word she brought them all along. Originally only needing to arrange two tables of banquet, now she directly arranged four tables, and they had a lively banquet.
Zhang Zhaodi’s bold generosity was truly like the female knight-errant written in storybooks. Who could have imagined that just over a year ago she was still quarreling with people in the village over a few green onions?
Zhou Wangshu’s side was extremely lively, while Fenghua Pavilion was in a complete mess.
When Jiang Yihuan brought Xiao Yanci back, Zhong Lanhua was still boasting to several women about how capable her son-in-law was, saying that a mere xiucai scholar was no big deal.
Just as the words here fell, Jiang Yihuan had two burly men carry Xiao Yanci back. Before they even got close, the women smelled that disgusting odor.
“What are you doing? What are you carrying? It stinks to death! Where did this stinky beggar come from?” Zhong Lanhua didn’t recognize Xiao Yanci at first, after all, carried like this his face couldn’t be seen clearly.
“Mom…” Jiang Yihuan walked over with a dark face. “Don’t stop them, let them carry him inside first.”
“Who is this… oh dear, Little Ci, how did you end up like this?” Zhong Lanhua’s expression twisted when she recognized Xiao Yanci.
Xiao Yanci had been making one blunder after another lately, causing them to lose all face. Originally she still wanted to wait for him to perform well and redeem their honor, but now he had ended up in this state.
“Don’t say anymore, let him go in first.” Jiang Yihuan said, leading the two burly men carrying Xiao Yanci inside.
Those few women, seeing this scene, exchanged meaningful glances one by one, looking like they were watching a joke.
“Oh dear, I say shop owner, your son-in-law’s body is a bit weak. Even a xiucai exam has left him this drained; you really need to nourish him well.”
“I think he’s been nourished too much. They just got married, it’s the time when passion is high, every day going at that business with full vigor, wearing himself out!”
“Shop owner, you need to tell your daughter and son-in-law to take it easy. He’s a scholar, body weak, can’t withstand such torment.”
“Get out, get out, no need for you to gossip here.” Zhong Lanhua, having lost face, showed no good expression to those women. “I think you’re just jealous that I have a scholarly son-in-law.”
“Yes, we’re jealous of you, jealous that you have a son-in-law who shits on himself during the exam. Did you smell it just now? So stinky!”
“We smelled it. Such a weird smell, my nose isn’t broken, how could I not smell it?”
Zhong Lanhua drove those few women out and closed the shop door.
Business in the shop had been poor lately, and there were no customers today either. Better to close the door than let others watch the joke.
Jiang Yihuan knocked on Yang Quan’s room door.
Yang Quan opened the door and looked at Jiang Yihuan: “Owner.”
“My husband is feeling unwell and needs someone to help him bathe and change clothes. I really have no strength left; could you trouble yourself to help?”
“If the owner has instructions, just say the word.”
“Thank you.” Jiang Yihuan looked at him gratefully, “You truly have a kind heart.”
Yang Quan felt warmth in his heart, his gaze toward Jiang Yihuan full of deep affection.
After the banquet on Su Yaoguang’s side ended, everyone went home to rest.
Zhou Wangshu looked at the newly changed quilt, touched the patterns on it, and found that the quilt was still warm, probably just having been sunned.
Su Yaoguang came in holding the newly made clothes: “These are handmade by your maternal aunt; try them on to see if they fit. Your maternal aunt said if they don’t fit, she’ll alter them.”
Zhou Wangshu took them, stroked the new clothes, and said: “Maternal aunt’s eyes are like a ruler; they definitely fit.”
“That’s what I said too.” Su Yaoguang said, “Hot water is ready; take a bath, change into the clothes, and rest well.”
Zhou Wangshu looked at Su Yaoguang: “Aren’t you going to ask how I did on the exam?”
“Look at you, even if I ask, can it change the result? Didn’t we agree from the start? If you can’t do the questions, no matter; just eat well and sleep well, that’s enough.”
Zhou Wangshu grinned: “Then I’m definitely the one who ate and slept the best in the entire examination hall.”
“That’s the spirit!” Su Yaoguang patted his shoulder, “Then this trip wasn’t a loss.”
“Xiao Yanci started having diarrhea from the second day.” Zhou Wangshu said, “I just didn’t expect that to avoid that mark for relieving himself, he’d rather endure such torment. If this guy rises to prominence, he’ll probably be a ruthless character.”
“The soup Jiang Yihuan sent him had so much oil; in this weather it’s easy to spoil, and once spoiled it causes diarrhea. Him ending up like this, Jiang Yihuan this virtuous wife deserves half the credit.” Su Yaoguang said, “I knew before he wasn’t any good, but what he did this time was truly beyond even my imagination.”
She thought she understood him well enough, but after this incident, she realized what she knew before was only the surface; this person was probably even more terrifying than she had imagined.
“Don’t think about these things; go take a bath first and rest well.” Su Yaoguang said, “What do you want to eat tonight? Tell me after you’ve rested.”
The Fenghua Pavilion opposite was closed to customers for several consecutive days. It was said their business was already poor, and now more people were coming to watch the joke, with few caring for business. Zhong Lanhua quarreled with people every few days, creating endless jokes. Jiang Yihuan took charge and directly had the shop suspend operations, announcing outwardly that they needed time to prepare new products and would reopen once ready.
A few days later, the county office posted the list.
Zhang Zhaodi went early to line up, wanting a good spot.
She worried she might misread, so she also dragged along Jiang Jing and Zhang Yingdi, who knew the most characters.
“Why are you squeezing? Don’t squeeze.” Zhang Zhaodi bumped into someone; looking back, it really was enemies meeting on a narrow road—this person was none other than Zhong Lanhua.
Zhong Lanhua knew few characters, but Jiang Yihuan had learned some from Xiao Yanci.
She did all this not to have common topics with Xiao Yanci, but purely to be able to read the account book and prevent anyone from embezzling the silver she had worked hard to earn.
Zhong Lanhua dragged Jiang Yihuan here to line up, just waiting to see Xiao Yanci’s name on the list, so they could regain their former glory.
After Jiang Yihuan married Xiao Yanci, all those previous fish had spit out the hooks she had cast; now there were hardly any fish left in the entire pond.
She couldn’t stand this psychological drop, so she wanted Xiao Yanci to strive for her, to let her be envied by others like before, to have others praise her good judgment in marrying a good man.
