78. The Farmer Who Became the Top Scholar

The number of county examinations is determined by the county magistrate. According to the rules, Tongjiang County, where Yan Chu is located, holds four county examinations in February every year, one each day. The results are announced the next day. Those who fail the previous examination cannot participate in the next examination. Usually, the number of people who pass the county examination is about twice the number of scholars.

The first examination is the main examination, which is also the most lenient among all the examinations. Those who write fluently can be admitted, and the pass rate is extremely high. The first examination tests the Four Books and the five-character six-rhyme test poems. Yan Chu took the questions and browsed them before starting to write.

In the past, it was difficult for accidents to happen in the first examination of the county examination, but today was different. When Yan Chu was answering the questions, he heard a commotion in the examination room on the right. Many students who were concentrating on the examination were attracted by the commotion.

He turned his head, and there were many overlapping figures, and he couldn't see which unlucky person it was. He was not the kind of person who liked to join in the fun, so he quickly retracted his gaze and concentrated on his own article.

The county magistrate, who was sitting at the top, could basically scan the whole room. As an official who had supervised the county examination for many years, he was more accustomed to the unexpected events that could happen at any time in the examination room than the examinees. After seeing several examiners and yamen officials passing by, he no longer paid attention to the movement in that area. Instead, he began to observe the reactions of the examinees present.

In the county examination, it was rare to see older examinees. Most of them were teenagers in their teens and twenties. Children of this age were immature and inevitably affected by the commotion in the examination room. Before the examinee who suddenly fell ill was carried out, there were only a few examinees who were concentrating on their papers in the examination room.

The county magistrate touched his beard and lingered for a while on the examinees who were calm and focused on answering the questions. Among them, Yan Chu was the youngest and had a fair and handsome appearance. The county magistrate stayed on him the longest.

After the examination, the examinees were released in batches. When Yan Chu walked out of the examination room, he only saw his father standing outside with a warm kettle and a good cake, looking forward to it, but he did not see his uncle Yan Changxue.

"Hurry up and drink some hot water. Dad just put it in his arms and it's still warm."

The county exam was held in February. It was freezing cold. Even if there was a charcoal stove in the exam room, it was useless in such a large place. Yan Changxi listened to Yan Changde, who passed the exam, and went to his younger sister's house to get a pot of boiling water when the exam was about to end. He put it in his cotton-padded clothes to keep it warm. I guess if you lift up his innermost clothes now, you can still see a large piece of red skin.

"Where are my uncle and second cousin?"

Yan Chu drank a sip of warm water and put his hands outside the leather kettle. His fingers, which were originally numb from the cold, felt a little warm at this time. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked his father.

He vaguely remembered that Yan Chu was assigned a position, which should be near the dragon gate. It is estimated that he came out earlier than him. Did my uncle and Yan Chu go back first?

"Hey, your second cousin fell ill not long after entering the examination room and was sent out. Now he is at your aunt's house, and the doctor is looking after him."

Yan Changxi sighed. Fortunately, it was nothing serious. The doctor said that he might have eaten something raw and cold, and had a stomachache. When he vomited everything in his stomach, drank a bowl of medicine, slept and sweated, he would be fine.

Originally, Yan Changxi should have been worried about his eldest brother when such an accident happened, but for some reason, Yan Changxi actually felt a little happy this time.

He knew that one of his son and his eldest brother's son would definitely not be able to go to school. If his parents had not given him this hope, perhaps Yan Changxi would have endured it like before, but now it was different. His son was studying, and perhaps he would become a scholar or a juren in the future.

It didn't matter if he worked in the fields all his life, but Yan Changxi didn't want his son to be like him. Why could the son of his eldest brother's family wear new clothes comfortably, eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks, but his little treasure couldn't do that.

This time, Yan Lu was carried out of the county exam because of a sudden illness, which meant that the other party could not continue this time. At that time, as long as Xiaobao passed the county exam and the prefectural exam, it would be clear who would continue to study.

Yan Changxi didn't know if his idea was right, but his eldest brother's family already had a son, and this time the opportunity to go to school was left to their second room, one from each family, which was the fairest.

Facing his son, Yan Changxi didn't tell his thoughts. Seeing his son drink half a pot of water and eat two cakes, he quickly took a thick coat and put it on his son.

In the examination room, you can't wear interlayer clothes. In the winter, even if you put on more than a dozen single clothes, it's not cold. Fortunately, the county exam is short. If it's longer, people will be frozen.

After listening to his father's words, Yan Chu realized that there was a commotion in the examination room at that time, and the candidate who was carried out was his cousin from the next room. But in the memory of the original body, has such a thing happened?

Yan Chu pondered for a moment, and followed his father to Yan Xiaogu's husband's house. During the days of the imperial examination, they would live in Yan Xiaogu's husband's house.

Yan Mudan's husband's family was surnamed Jiang, and they were distant relatives of Yan Jiang. Yan Mudan's father-in-law was a distant relative of Yan Jiang within three mournings. When she was looking for a marriage for her daughter, the old lady had spent a lot of time on it. The old couple of the Jiang family had good tempers, and the two families were related, so she didn't worry that the other party would bully her daughter. In addition, Yan Mudan's man Jiang Datong was also a smart and ambitious person. Both parties were very satisfied with this marriage.

Now Jiang Datong has really become prosperous as the old lady expected. Yan Mudan has no worries about food and drink, and there are little maids to serve her. It's just that the two concubines at home are a bit annoying, but there is no good thing in this world that everything goes smoothly.

Perhaps because of Yan Yi's incident, when Yan Changxi and Yan Chu came back, no one was walking around in the courtyard outside. Yan Changxi did not take his son directly back to his room, but took him directly to Yan Chu's room.

At this time, Yan Yin had already taken medicine and fell asleep, and Yan Changxue, Yan Mudan and others were also coming out of his room.

"Xiaobao, how's it going? You did pretty well in the exam this time. It's a pity that your second cousin. Originally, I said that he should be a sure winner in this boy's exam."

Yan Changxue looked regretful, as if he was joking: "It's just that this time your second cousin has no reference, so I can't tell the difference between you two children."

My son was taken out not long after the exam started, and he definitely had no results. If Yan Chu failed to pass the boy exam, there might not be any room for improvement. But if Yan Chu passed the boy exam, the nine-year-old boy and his The eldest son is on the same level. I am afraid that not only the parents, but also the younger sister will be moved. Part of the bet originally placed on the eldest son will be placed on the children of the second brother's family. How could Yan Changxue allow this?

"How did you do in the exam? You have to ask the county magistrate and ask Xiaobao where it counts." Yan Changxi understood his elder brother's words but pretended that he didn't understand.

"How is Erbao?" He glanced into Yan Ping's room and asked the little girl beside him.

"The doctor said it's nothing serious. Just drink some medicine and go to sleep."

Yan Mudan originally favored her eldest brother, but now because Yan Chu is vaguely interested in getting married with her second brother, she doesn't have much preference on the surface. The specific details will wait until the county examination is over and the results are out for her to decide. Make plans.

As Yan Changxue thought, if Yan Chu could pass the county examination this time, her attitude towards her second brother would definitely change 180 degrees.

Yan Pei has been taking the scholar exam for many years and has failed in many exams. Yan Mudan has been disappointed again and again with her eldest nephew, who she originally had high hopes for. Now, Yan Mudan no longer has much hope that the nephew can make a difference and support her. After all, It is so difficult to get a scholar. When the other party passes the exam, she can drink her grandson's wife's tea. Now her focus is on Yan Yu and Yan Chu, hoping that one of these two little ones can compete with each other.

Yan Chu still had to prepare for the next few exams, so a group of people didn't stay outside Yan Yu's room for long before they went back to their respective rooms.

Dinner is eaten separately. The Jiang family are old and their favorite food is soft and sweet, which is not in line with the taste of the younger generation. Jiang Datong is busy with his own business, and sometimes he even lives in the shop. If you don’t come back, you won’t come back for dinner.

Taking into account that both nephews came to take the county examination this time, in order not to disturb their study, Yan Mudan ordered the servants in the kitchen to bring every meal to the two nephews when it was time. In this way, all the troublesome customs of eating together as a family are left.

Yan Mudan was very polite this time and asked the aunt in the kitchen to cook two meat dishes, two vegetarian dishes, one soup and five dishes for her nephew. Yan Changxi ate them with his son. When the aunt in the kitchen brought the dishes, there was an extra bowl on top. Roast duck and a pot of chicken braised in oil were obviously not among the dishes Yan Mudan prepared for his nephew.

The Jiang family is now rich, but Jiang Datong is afraid that his daughter-in-law will stick to her parents' family, so they are still very tight on money. All the family's expenses must be billed to Jiang Datong once.

Her mother-in-law's nephew came to the house to prepare for the county exam. It didn't matter if she had some meat and vegetables, but it was a whole chicken and a whole duck all at once. Before Yan Chu's county exam results came out, she would not be so generous and use herself. private housing money subsidy.

"My uncle-in-law asked me to send this to you."

The uncle-in-law mentioned by the lady who delivered the meal was Yan Changxue.

"It was originally prepared for the second cousin, but now he can't eat it, so my uncle asked me to bring it to the third cousin." The woman in the kitchen left after delivering the dishes. She will come over in half an hour. Take away these dishes.

"Your uncle still cares about you."

Yan Changxi looked at the two pots of chickens and ducks and was a little moved. He thought that he was relieved that his second nephew was sick and couldn't take the exam. Wasn't it too inappropriate?

"Eat chicken drumsticks. Eat more. Then you will have enough energy to take the exam tomorrow." He filled a bowl of rice for his son and put a big chicken drumstick in between, asking him to eat more while the food was hot.

Now the family is providing education for two or three children, and the expenses are much tighter. Yan Ying and Yan Yu are okay, they live in the town most of the time, because the eldest brother's job is not short of money, and they live with their elders for almost two or three months. They couldn't even see meat and fish in the house. They could stew eggs at home that day, which was enough for them. This time, they suddenly saw several pots full of meat and vegetables. Yan Changxi naturally followed his son, thinking that the weather was cold now. Do you want to take the uneaten food home and give it to your three daughters?

"I haven't had any fat or water in my stomach for two or three months. If I eat too much of this kind of meat and fat at once, I'll get upset easily."

Yan Chu put the chicken legs that his father gave him into his bowl, and then ate a bowl of dry rice with crispy and delicious side dishes.

Yan Changxue didn't have the guts to directly give him laxatives or something to harm him. He gave these big chickens and ducks because he probably thought that they and his son had never eaten anything good, and they might eat hard at once. The child has a weak spleen and stomach, so it is very likely If he eats too much, he will be like Yan Yi.

This kind of thinking is a little less impressive than Liu Fuchun, but if he was really a child now, he would probably fall for it.

Yan Changxi was stunned after hearing his son's words. Looking at the chicken leg lying in his bowl with oil on it, he suddenly felt bad.

His elder brother, this shouldn't be what he meant.

*****

"How is it, has the case been reported?"

In the next few days of the exam, Yan Chu went smoothly, and he passed all the tests and survived to the end. Today is the day when the final results of the county exam are announced. Yan Mudan, the aunt, looks more anxious than Yan Changxi, the biological father.

"After all, Xiaobao is still young. It's already amazing to be able to get to this point. Little sister and second brother, don't put so much pressure on Xiaobao. Even if he doesn't pass this time, he can take the exam with Xi'er next time."

Yan Changxue smiled. Although Yan Lu was unable to continue the exam due to an accident, they did not choose to go back, but stayed in the county town waiting for the county exam results. Yan Lu has been hiding in his room these days and has not come out. It is estimated that in addition to his poor health, he also did not want to see people because of the failure of the exam.

Now, these two father and son probably least want Yan Chu to pass the county exam.

"Here, here."

The place where the results are announced is crowded with people. Yan Mudan and his brothers sit at a nearby herbal tea stall and ask their servants to watch. Just as they are talking, the yamen official comes out with a round case group, posts it on the notice board, and fires cannons, which means the case is announced.

The crowd immediately became agitated, and everyone began to squeeze in.

If Yan Mudan hadn't stopped him, Yan Changxi would have rushed in.

"I passed, I passed!"

"Hey, my name is not on the list again."

There were happy and sad voices. After a long while, the Jiang family servant who had lost one shoe was seen coming out of the crowd.

"First place, the third cousin is the first place, the county's first place."

The servant was happy. That was the first place. How much money should the lady give him for the wedding?

"What!"

Yan Mudan and Yan Changxue couldn't sit still and stood up. Yan Changxi's eyes widened and he rushed into the crowd, wanting to see it for himself.

"Are you sure that the third cousin is the first in the case?" Yan Changxue didn't believe it. When his eldest son passed the county exam, his ranking was already outside the top 20. Yan Chu usually didn't show his talent in the clan school. How could he get such a result as the first in the case?

"It's true. I've read it several times."

The servant said confidently. At this time, Yan Changxi had also finished reading the list. He grinned like a fool and rushed over to hold his son and wanted to throw him to the sky.

"Second brother, be gentle, don't hurt our little treasure."

Yan Mudan changed her face so quickly. At this moment, Yan Chu was her most beloved nephew, no one else.

Others might not understand that even if he was the first in the case, it was just a county exam, and he hadn't passed the prefectural exam. Is it worth her being so happy? Here we have to talk about the value of the first in the county exam.

The first place in the county examination is the first place. There is no need to participate in the prefectural examination, and you can go directly to the imperial examination. If there is no accident, you will definitely be a scholar.

After all, the first place in the county examination represents the highest level of the same batch of students in a county, and it is personally judged by the county magistrate. If such a person does not rank in the imperial examination, it does not mean that the county magistrate is blind, but also means that the local education level is backward.

Therefore, it is almost an unspoken rule of the imperial examination that the first place in the county and prefectural examination can obtain the title of scholar. After all, absolute fairness does not exist in any dynasty.

Yan Mudan's joy comes from this. The nine-year-old prospective scholar, their old Yan family's ancestral graves are smoking. Even her man, for this promising nephew from her mother's side, has to look up to her and see if those little demons dare to compete with her in the future.

Yan Chu was a man who had been painting for many years, so he was not surprised that he could achieve such a result. He even felt a little unfair. However, seeing his uncle's face, which was livid but he had to force a smile, he suddenly felt a little refreshed.

This news was quickly passed back to the Jiang Mansion. When the Yan family returned happily, Jiang Datong, who had not been seen for so many days, had been waiting in the mansion. Old Master Jiang and Old Lady Jiang were also sitting in the main hall, looking at Yan Chu with an extremely affectionate expression.

"I have long said that these children of my in-laws have great prospects. Dalang became a student at the age of nine, and Sanlang is even more powerful. He is the first in the case and a potential scholar."

Jiang Datong is a businessman, and he speaks a lot of nice words.

"Your uncle has no other ability, but he can make some money. This is a little gift from your uncle. I will pay for your study and examination fees. Just study peacefully."

His vision is still quite sharp. The eldest nephew from his wife's family was so proud of himself when he passed the examination. He didn't even know who his parents were after being praised. How far can such a person go?

The little nephew in front of him is different. He is still so calm after becoming the first in the case. He can calm down at a young age. His future is limitless. Jiang Datong is willing to bet on this nephew. He doesn't ask him to pass the imperial examination. As long as he can pass the imperial examination, it will be enough to protect the Jiang family in Tongjiang County.

Looking at her husband praising her nephew, Yan Mudan is proud of it.

The first in the county can be exempted from the prefectural examination, but the first in the county, prefectural and academy examinations are called the little three yuan. Most of the first in the county examination will still take the prefectural examination.

Yan Chu felt that he was too young now, and being too popular was not a good thing. Besides, Yan Lu's existence always made him feel a little strange. His temperament...

*****

"Congratulations, third cousin."

Sitting on the oxcart back to the village, Yan Lu, who had not come out of his room for many days, looked into Yan Chu's eyes and congratulated him.

"I remember when we were young, we went to the river to dig reed roots and went up the mountain to pick red fruits. In the blink of an eye, you are a potential scholar." Yan Lu's eyes never left Yan Chu.

Yan Changxi was driving the oxcart in front, and Yan Changxue was still immersed in the shock of his second cousin's nephew getting the first place in the exam. No one noticed the conversation between the two children.

"When my second cousin was a child, he lived in the town with my uncle. When did he go to dig reed roots with me?" Yan Chu thought about it carefully, but he really couldn't think of it, so he asked him with some doubts.

"Maybe I remembered it wrong. My third brother has been fond of eating fish eyes since he was a child. I think it's true that the elders say that eating fish eyes can improve eyesight and refresh the brain. This time I go back, I have to eat more."

Yan Lu did not let go of his doubts and spoke again.

"Actually, I don't like eating fish eyes, but everyone says that it's good. If my second cousin doesn't mind the taste, you can try it." Yan Chu smiled and said it in a very intimate way.

"Yan Chu" breathed a sigh of relief. The person in front of him was his childhood self. Everyone in the family thought that he just loved eating fish eyes. Only he knew that he didn't like the taste, but he forced himself to eat it because he heard people say that eating fish eyes was good.

This person in front of him was really his young self, so where did the soul of his cousin who was possessed at this moment go?

That's right, the one who stayed in Yan Lu's body at this time was no longer himself. "Yan Chu" himself didn't understand why he would come back more than 20 years ago when he was on the way to exile, and he also possessed his cousin from the next room.

At this time, he looked at his young self at that time, and wanted to tell himself what would happen to him in the future.

For him, that was also himself, the self who hadn't made any mistakes yet.

At this time, Zhen Zhen should have come to the Yan family, and as his child bride.

"Yan Chu" was a little confused. If he had to do it again, how should he correct this mistake?

When he lowered his head, a trace of thoughtfulness flashed in Yan Chu's eyes.