A huge thank you to WANGXIANNURRSE for the kofis. Enjoy the bonus chapters!

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The crowd grew lively again. “Shen Linchuan actually passed too!” 

“What? Shen Linchuan passed as well?”

“Then why hasn’t anyone come to announce the good news yet?”

“Is it true or not? Has our Dayangshu Village suddenly produced two Xiucai?”

The crowd buzzed with speculation. If their Dayangshu Village produced another Xiucai, that would make two! And one of them was even the top-ranked Xiucai. Once the surrounding villages heard about it, everyone would surely say that Dayangshu Village was a land of outstanding people and a blessed place!

That would make Dayangshu Village the envy of the region when it came to future marriages. Since this was a matter of personal interest, many people crowded around to ask for details.

“Young man, is that really true?”

The messenger gave a sheepish chuckle and scratched his head. “All I remember is that this year’s top scholar from Kaiping County is named Shen Linchuan. If there’s no one else, it must be you, Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen, has your family sent for the messenger yet?”

“We have, but we haven’t met him yet.”

When the man had just mentioned that this year’s top scholar was named “Shen Linchuan,” Shen Linchuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. But since this wasn’t the messenger his family had hired, and if there were another person named Shen Linchuan, he couldn’t be sure it was him. Shen Linchuan’s mind soon calmed down again.

Zhang Xiaoyi didn’t care about any of that. Convinced that Shen Linchuan had surely passed the Xiucai examination, he was as overjoyed as if he’d passed it himself. “It must be your family’s messenger right behind us. He’ll probably be here any minute!”

Zhou Youcheng’s face twisted in disbelief. “Impossible!”

Zhou Youcheng knew the truth: he’d only passed the Xiucai exam this year because he’d eavesdropped on Shen Linchuan’s exam predictions—otherwise, he’d have barely scraped by. If he’d passed, then Shen Linchuan must surely…

Zhou Youcheng clenched his fists and cursed silently. Shen Linchuan must have failed; it couldn’t possibly be him! It could just as easily be someone else with the same name.

When Zhou Ning heard the messenger announce that Shen Linchuan had taken first place, his heart leapt with joy. But seeing Shen Linchuan standing beside him with an expression as calm as ever, Zhou Ning suppressed the joy welling up inside him. The messenger his family had sent for hadn’t arrived yet, so he could only take this man’s words with a grain of salt.

“Shen Linchuan, let’s go.”

Shen Linchuan nodded. “Let’s go. It’s time to head back and make lunch.”

Granny Diao was the first to step forward. “What’s there to cook for lunch? You’ve just passed the exam as the top Xiucai—why aren’t you hurrying to call your father home to celebrate?”

“Ning-ger, let’s head home first.” 

“Alright.”

The two were surrounded by villagers who had come to gawk. Their eyes fixed on Shen Linchuan with particular intensity. If Dayangshu Village really had produced the top-ranked Xiucai in the entire Kaiping County, then Dayangshu Village would truly be in the spotlight!

Shen Linchuan took Zhou Ning’s hand and walked toward home. As he touched his Fulang’s hand, he felt sweat on the palm. A smile tugged at Shen Linchuan’s lips—he’d thought his Fulang wasn’t nervous at all.

Seeing Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning start to walk away, the people blocking their path quickly made way, though their eyes remained fixed on the passing couple.

Zhang Xiaoyi hurried after them as well. Good heavens, please let Shen Linchuan pass the exam! Otherwise, Zhou Youcheng would be getting way too cocky!

Once the two had left, the crowd that had originally come to Zhou Er’s house to offer congratulations also followed in droves. If Shen Linchuan really was the top-ranked Xiucai, they certainly had to get a good look at him.

As soon as Shen Linchuan left, the onlookers followed suit. Zhou Er’s house, which had just been as bustling as a marketplace, instantly grew quiet. Zhou Youcheng’s face turned ashen with rage. “How dare he! How dare he!”

Even on the glorious day of his own success as a Xiucai, this Shen Linchuan had to come and steal his thunder. Zhou Youcheng was so furious that his eyes turned red.

Hu Caiyun, meanwhile, let loose with a tirade: “What kind of scum is he? My son is a Xiucai! That Shen Linchuan hasn’t even come close to that yet, and he’s already clinging to us like a leech. He’s not welcome coming over to suck up to my family!”

“Mother! Stop it!”

Zhou Youcheng clenched his fists and went back into the house. Zhou Er was furious too, but he composed himself and said, “Wife, go spread the good news. Let’s invite all our relatives over to celebrate. Zhou Youcheng’s passing the Xiucai exam is a matter of bringing honor to our family.”

“Right! My son has worked so hard all these years—we simply must celebrate properly. What’s that Shen Linchuan anyway? We don’t even know if he passed or not!”

Hu Caiyun was so furious that she was grinding her teeth. This was supposed to be her son’s moment of glory, yet Shen Linchuan had stolen the spotlight. And he hadn’t even passed the exam yet—if he hadn’t, it would be a massive laughingstock.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning returned home only to find a crowd gathered at their gate. Not wanting to shoo them away outright, Shen Linchuan raised his hand in a bow. “Uncles, aunts, elders—it’s nearly noon. You should head home to cook.”

Granny Wang smiled and tugged at Old Lady Shi, “Come on, come on, let’s go home and cook.” Old Lady Shi didn’t quite want to leave. “Hey, hey, let me take one more look.”

The crowd craned their necks to peer into the Zhou family’s courtyard. Shen Linchuan smiled warmly, and the onlookers, feeling a bit awkward about lingering, whispered a few more comments before preparing to head home.

The young man who had come to deliver the good news looked a bit embarrassed. “It’s all my fault for being so rash. I just got carried away in the heat of the moment.”

If the news hadn’t been for the right family, wouldn’t they have been left with false hope? And even if it had been true, it wasn’t his place to speak up—the family surely would have sent someone to deliver the news themselves. It was all his fault for letting his temper get the better of him without thinking things through, driven only by the desire to give that stingy Zhou Youcheng’s family a taste of their own medicine.

“It’s all right. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, young man. It’s nearly noon—why not stay for a simple meal before you go?”

The man hadn’t expected them to invite him to stay for a meal. He immediately fished some copper coins from his waistband. “Thank you very much. I was in such a rush to get here that I’ve only had a dry biscuit all morning.”

The man held out the copper coins toward Shen Linchuan, but Shen Linchuan refused them. “It’s just a simple meal. Don’t be so formal, young man.”

Zhou Ning added, “Exactly. I’m going to cook now.”

The man sheepishly pocketed the coins. He’d taken on seven or eight jobs delivering good news, but only Zhou Youcheng’s had paid off—he’d received two hundred and fifty wen for that one. This trip had been a total waste of time.

Zhang Xiaoyi followed Zhou Ning. Even before the news was confirmed, he started shouting. If Shen Linchuan hadn’t passed the exam, wouldn’t that have made the villagers laugh at them? Zhang Xiaoyi tugged at Zhou Ning’s sleeve. “Ning-ger, I’m heading home first. I’ll come back after I’ve eaten.”

“Alright, go home quickly. If you don’t go back now, Uncle Zhang is bound to come looking for you in a bit.”

The moment Zhang Xiaoyi heard his father’s name, he took off running. “I’m heading home now!”

Everyone in the village had heard Zhou Youcheng deliberately humiliate him by making him a concubine. It was likely already reached his father’s ears by now, and a scene was bound to ensue!

Shen Linchuan was entertaining a guest in the courtyard. He poured some tea and brought out some pastries. The weather had already turned warm; standing in the midday sun could make you break out in a sweat.

The man was very grateful for Shen Linchuan’s hospitality. He introduced himself as Wang, the fifth son of his family, who usually worked odd jobs in the county seat to make ends meet. Though he wasn’t rich or noble, he valued his freedom. He’d ridden here at full speed from the county seat to deliver the good news, and hadn’t even had a chance to drink a cup of tea yet, and was now quite hungry.

Wang Xiaowu didn’t stand on ceremony. After thanking Shen Linchuan, he grabbed some pastries from the table and began eating, all the while complaining to Shen Linchuan about Zhou Youcheng’s family’s bad manners. “Tell me, Mr. Shen, who gives a lucky gift of two hundred and fifty? That’s just an insult. It feels like I made the trip for nothing.”

Shen Linchuan smiled but said nothing, pouring Wang Xiaowu some more tea. Wang Xiaowu grinned, revealing a row of teeth. “Thank you so much, Mr. Shen. I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Even if it weren’t my home, any local would be happy to put up a stranger who just drops by.” 

“Still, thank you, Mr. Shen. I haven’t had a hot meal since I set out on this journey.”

Zhou Ning scooped out a bowl of rice. For lunch, he simply steamed some rice and stir-fried a couple of dishes. They had plenty of meat at home, so he could easily cut off a piece. He’d bought a block of tofu earlier that morning, and after plucking a handful of scallions from the vegetable patch, he whipped up a refreshing scallion-and-tofu stir-fry.

Zhou Ning stoked the fire in the kitchen to cook, while Shen Linchuan kept the guest company outside. Dahuang lay lazily in the sun, rolling onto his back, and the hens in the coop clucked as they laid their eggs.

Shen Linchuan was just chatting idly with Wang Xiaowu when he heard the sound of hooves in the distance. A horse burst into his courtyard. “Congratulations, Master Shen! Congratulations on winning first place in the imperial examinations!”

Shen Linchuan recalled that the messenger his family had hired was a young man with a dark complexion; now, having ridden under the blazing sun, he was drenched in sweat.

Wang Xiaowu had mentioned it earlier—though he wasn’t certain it was him—so Shen Linchuan already had a hunch. When the messenger arrived to deliver the news, he wasn’t as overwhelmed with excitement; he simply confirmed his suspicions.

Zhou Ning heard the commotion and poked his head out of the kitchen. He saw another horse in the courtyard. The messenger’s voice was loud and clear; Zhou Ning heard it distinctly. He froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up—Shen Linchuan had really passed!

No sooner had the messenger dismounted and finished his announcement than a throng of people followed him into the courtyard. “Oh my, he really did win!” Even Granny Wang, who had just left, came running back. “Ning-ger, hurry and call your father back! This is a tremendous piece of good news!”

The messenger had come to the village entrance and asked around. Everyone had just left Zhou Er’s house, but hadn’t dispersed; they were still gathered together discussing the Zhou family’s affairs. One after another, they chimed in—some saying that since Zhou Youcheng had passed the Xiucai exam, he’d surely be living in the limelight from now on; others wondering if Shen Linchuan had passed or not, and that it would be a disgrace if he hadn’t.

Just as the crowd was making a racket at the village entrance, they spotted a stranger riding up on horseback. When the messenger asked if he was looking for the Shen family, everyone was initially confused. “What Shen family? You must have the wrong place.”

The messenger grew impatient. “Shen Linchuan from Dayangshu Village—how could I have gotten the wrong place?”

Only then did the crowd realize, “Oh my! But Shen Linchuan passed the exam—and he even came in first place!” The messenger was taken aback and asked, “How do you know that?”

The villagers began chattering excitedly, and the messenger finally understood what had happened. It turned out that Dayangshu Village had produced another Xiucai. Although the messenger hadn’t been entirely sure, he had mentioned it, and he hurried off on his horse to deliver the news.

Seeing this, the villagers all broke into a jog to catch up. “This is incredible—Shen Linchuan really did come in first!” Zhou Ning’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled. Shen Linchuan had truly passed the examination to become a Xiucai—and as the top scorer, no less!

The courtyard was filled with voices of congratulations, and Zhou Ning found himself surrounded by the crowd. He wiped the water droplets from his hands and hurried inside, retrieving some silver from his bedside.

Shen Linchuan was surrounded by the messengers, who were offering auspicious blessings. Zhou Ning smiled and slipped two taels of silver into their hands. “Thank you.”

The messenger was astonished to see two taels of silver! His joy grew instantly. It wasn’t easy for a rural family to support a scholar; he had thought one tael would be more than enough, but never expected to receive two!

Zhou Ning also handed a small pile of loose silver to the man surnamed Wang. Although he wasn’t the official messenger sent by his family, he had effectively brought them the good news as well. Seeing that there was a share for him too, Wang Xiaowu hesitated for a moment before accepting it. He was quick with his words and kept offering a stream of auspicious blessings.

In an instant, the courtyard was packed with people; even the wall of Granny Wang’s house was filled with spectators. Some curious onlookers had managed to dig out a string of bright red firecrackers from somewhere and lit them, adding to the lively atmosphere with their crackling sounds.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning sprang into action, bringing out tea and snacks from the house to hand out. The children gathered around the adults’ legs were the happiest of all; with a peanut candy in hand, they grinned as they nibbled away. The little ones didn’t understand—they only knew that Uncle Zhou, the butcher, now had a high-ranking official in his family!

Zhou Ning was overjoyed; the congratulatory voices ringing in his ears made him feel a bit light-headed. “Shen Linchuan, I’m going to call Father back.”

As he spoke, he lifted his foot to leave, but Shen Linchuan held him back. “We have guests here. Just send a young man to help fetch him.”

Wang Xiaowu volunteered, “You’re going to find Old Man Zhou, right? I have a horse—I’ll go get him.”

Shen Linchuan told him where his father was, and Wang Xiaowu swung himself onto his horse and rode off. Although he hadn’t been the one to deliver the good news to the Shen family, he’d still received a tael of silver—otherwise, he would’ve made the trip for nothing.

Zhou Da’s courtyard was so packed you couldn’t even stand. Even Granny Wang was helping serve tea and water. It was quite something—Zhou Da really had an eye for talent, finding a Xiucai for his son!

Zhou Ning felt that today was even livelier than the day he and Shen Linchuan got married. The crowd just kept growing—it seemed like the entire village had turned out. To say he wasn’t happy would be a lie. After all, Shen Linchuan had studied day and night; while passing the Xiucai examination as the top scholar was a surprise, it was also to be expected.

The courtyard was a cacophony of voices, with everyone chattering so loudly he could barely make out a word. Zhou Ning smiled. With two messengers of good news in the house now, he knew he’d have to prepare a special feast for this joyous occasion—certainly more than just a few dishes.

The courtyard was simply too noisy. Zhou Ning leaned over and whispered in Shen Linchuan’s ear, “Shen Linchuan, we haven’t told my older brother and sister-in-law yet. They must be thinking of us, too. Why don’t we invite them over to join us for dinner?”

“Alright.”

As soon as word got out that they were heading to Xinghua Village to share the good news, Old Lady Shi’s youngest son—who lived nearby and had just overheard—jumped at the chance. This was great news! Not only would he get to soak up some of the good fortune, but he might even score a little something. “Mr. Shen, let me go help call them over. I’m quick on my feet.”

“Thank you, Young Shi.”

The youngest son of the Shi family took off running toward Xinghua Village. The two villages weren’t very far apart, so he’d be there in no time.

The Zhou household was bustling with excitement, and so was Zhou Er’s home. Before Zhang Xiaoyi had even made it back, a quick-tongued neighbor had already dashed over to the Zhangs to tell Doctor Zhang the news. Before Zhang Xiaoyi could even reach his own home, he bumped right into his father, Doctor Zhang.

Doctor Zhang was furious. He came out clutching a door bolt and called a few young men from the Zhang clan to join him.

Doctor Zhang had a reputation for kindness in the village. For the poor families who simply couldn’t afford his fees, he would treat them for free, using only inexpensive yet effective herbs—he’d simply ask them to gather some common medicinal plants from the back mountain to pay him back.

Doctor Zhang was respected throughout the surrounding villages, and since Zhang Xiaoyi was his only son, he had never allowed his ger to suffer the slightest injustice. To think that he had been humiliated by Zhou Er’s family and forced into a concubine’s role—it made Doctor Zhang’s face turn ashen with rage.

Zhang Xiaoyi ran into his father, and from the look on his face, he knew immediately that his father was in the know.

His father was usually good-natured; in all his years, this was the first time he’d ever seen him so furious. Even he was startled. He called out “Father,” only to be shoved aside by Doctor Zhang. “Yi-ger, go home. This matter won’t be so easily swept under the rug!”

“Father, I’m not going home. I’m coming with you. That Zhou Youcheng is bullying me!”