Chapter 127

Chapter 127

The sky was still not yet bright, but the Zhao family’s house was already lit up.

Lu Yao was checking the contents of the examination basket. Although he had checked it the previous night, he still felt uneasy.

There were three high-quality wolf-hair brushes, all newly purchased from Baomo Studio and pre-moistened. He had brought two ink sticks—one was the renowned Huimo ink, and the other was the local soil ink that Zhao Beidou was accustomed to using.

There was an inkstone and a water pouch. Since water could be requested at the examination venue, there was no need to bring too much water.

For eating, there was a wooden bowl and chopsticks. Lu Yao feared that bringing porcelain bowls might lead to accidents if they broke, so wood was more convenient.

Inside a sack sewn with fine hemp, there was a bag full of instant noodle cakes, enough for six or seven days. There was also a porcelain jar containing a whole jar of mushroom meat sauce fried with oil and sauce.

In addition to these, there was a square towel for wiping sweat, a small box of refreshing oil, and a box of insect repellent powder. The examination rules forbade any paper items in the basket.

At the second quarter of the hour (3:00-5:00), the rooster crowed outside, and a hint of daylight appeared on the horizon.

Zhao Beichuan knocked on the door of the west wing room. Before long, Zhao Beidou emerged, looking energetic.

Today, he wore a blue Confucian robe, with only a white undergarment underneath. The weather this season wasn’t too cold, so wearing less was not a problem.

In the courtyard, Lu Yao, Xiaonian, and Xiaochun were already waiting.

“Hurry and get on the carriage. We need to go early to queue for entering the examination venue. We mustn’t miss the timing.”

“Yes.” The family boarded the carriage, and Zhao Beichuan drove towards the examination venue.

They thought they had arrived early, but when they got there, quite a few people had already queued up. Zhao Beidou quickly picked up his examination basket and prepared to join the line.

Lu Yao grabbed his arm and advised, “Be careful in the queue. Keep the basket in front of you to avoid anyone slipping something inside!”

“Yes, I understand.”

Having watched many television dramas in his previous life, Lu Yao knew that some people, unable to perform well themselves, would resort to dirty tricks to frame those more capable. While one should not harbor malicious intent, it was still best to be cautious.

As soon as Zhao Beidou joined the line, the Lin family’s carriage also arrived. Lin Zijian, carrying his examination basket, hurriedly jumped down and ran towards Zhao Beidou.

“Beidou!”

“Zijian, come over quickly.”

Madam Lin also stepped down from the carriage and walked over to the Zhao family.

“Madam Lin.” Lu Yao greeted her with a smile.

“Sigh, I wonder if he will perform well this time.”

“Madam, no need to worry. Zijian’s knowledge is solid. Since he won the top position in the prefectural exam, as long as he performs normally, there should be no issues in the provincial exam.”

By the hour (5:00-7:00), the examination venue gates opened, and over three hundred soldiers specially dispatched from the military arrived to maintain order.

There were too many scholars participating in the provincial exam this year, conservatively estimated to be around seventeen or eighteen hundred. This included newly qualified scholars this year, those who hadn’t participated in previous provincial exams, and those who had failed in previous years.

With so many people, only a handful would succeed. It was said that only sixteen people from Ping Prefecture passed the last session, making the competition astonishingly fierce.

The crowd buzzed with excitement as people speculated about the possible examination questions.

“Silence!” someone shouted from the front, and the soldiers behind echoed, “Silence!”

The crowd immediately quieted down, and the open space became silent.

“Qingyuan County, Yu Chen’an!”

“Present.” A lean middle-aged man stepped forward. Four examination officials responsible for the search checked his basket, undid his hair, and stripped his outer clothing and shoes, all of which were inspected. Once cleared, they gave him a bamboo slip with his examination number.

The inspection was thorough, so the process was slow. The officials then called in four more examiners, splitting them into two teams to speed up the process slightly.

“Pingyang County, Zhao Beidou!”

“Present!”

Finally, Zhao Beidou was called. Lu Yao gripped his husband’s hand tightly, and everyone watched closely as Zhao passed the inspection, received his bamboo slip, and walked inside. Only then did their worried hearts settle.

“Alright, let’s head back.”

The exam would last five days, so they couldn’t stay and wait. They left a servant boy at the examination venue to inform them if needed.

Lu Yao invited Madam Lin to the restaurant for a sit-down, but she hesitated and declined, “After the exam, we will return to the capital. We need a few days to pack our things.”

“Of course, Madam. If you need anything, feel free to send someone to find me at the restaurant.”

Back at the restaurant, an unexpected visitor arrived.

“Madam Zhang, what brings you here?” It was Zhang Yu, the wife of Liang Zhong.

“Is your fourth son taking the provincial exam today?”

“That’s right. We just returned from the examination venue. There were so many people; it was packed and hard to move.”

Zhao Beichuan greeted her and went to the kitchen, while Xiaochun and Xiaonian also busied themselves.

Lu Yao led her to a private room upstairs and asked, “May I ask what brings you here today, Madam Zhang?”

Zhang Yu took a sip of her tea and said, “It’s not a formal matter. I’m here for a personal issue.”

Lu Yao was surprised, wondering what personal issue she referred to.

“Has your Xiaochun been betrothed yet?”

"Not yet."

"I have a nephew who is twenty years old this year. Although his age might be a bit on the older side, he is exceptionally good-looking and is a top-notch young gentleman. His family is also in business, and he has been managing shops with my cousin since childhood, excelling in trade."

Lu Yao said happily upon hearing this, "That's truly wonderful. Let's find an opportunity to arrange a meeting between the two young ones, though we don't know if the other party will take a liking to our Xiao Chun."

Zhang Yu said, "There's something I need to tell you first. After hearing it, you can decide whether you're willing."

"My nephew, Zhang Qiulan, was previously betrothed. The original plan was to marry after her coming-of-age ceremony. However, the young man she was betrothed to turned out to be a libertine. He kept a concubine before marriage and frequented brothels, acquiring a bad reputation."

"Qiulan has a fiery personality and would rather die than marry such a man, so my cousin had to call off the engagement. Unlike men, once a young gentleman's engagement is broken, his reputation suffers, so these past few years have been delayed. Just recently, when he visited my home, I thought of your Xiao Chun. What do you think?"

Zhang Yu finished and cautiously watched Lu Yao. If she saw even a hint of hesitation on his face, she would call off the match. Her family's children must not be wronged, even if it meant not marrying.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yao blinked and smiled, "I thought it was something major. Let's arrange a meal for the two young ones. If they are suitable, we can settle the marriage early."

"Then it's settled!" Zhang Yu said happily and left.

After going downstairs, Lu Yao found his second brother in the backyard peeling garlic, with Xiao Lan'er also sitting nearby peeling garlic. Seeing Lu Yao, she sweetly called, "Brother."

Lu Yao pinched her little face, "Good girl."

When Ma Kuan was not around, Xiao Lan'er lived with several adults in the backyard. She had been independent since childhood and could wash her face, dress, and comb her hair by herself at the age of five, like a little adult.

"Sister-in-law."

"I want to discuss something with you." Lu Yao picked up a garlic clove and sat next to Xiao Chun.

"Has your elder brother talked to you about marriage these past few days?"

Xiao Chun blushed and nodded, "The day before yesterday, my elder brother asked me if there was any girl or young gentleman I liked."

"Is there someone you fancy?"

Xiao Chun shook his head, "No, I'll leave it to you and my elder brother to decide."

"Do you prefer young gentlemen more or girls?"

Xiao Chun's face turned almost blood red, "Either... either is fine, but I prefer young gentlemen a bit more."

Lu Yao clapped his hands and said, "That's perfect! I have a good match in mind. Do you remember Ms. Zhang?"

Xiao Chun nodded; they had tea at her family's teahouse during the prefectural examination.

"She has a nephew who is a young gentleman, three years older than you, and has been learning business with his parents since childhood. I think you two should meet. If it's suitable, we can settle the marriage. In the future, you can manage the front, and he can manage the household, which would be perfect for running the restaurant."

"I'll leave it to you, Sister-in-law."

Lu Yao also thought it would be better to find a slightly older and capable husband for Xiao Chun.

Xiao Chun was introverted, much like Zhao Beichuan, not good with words. He could handle the kitchen well but would be at a loss when dealing with guests.

Having a capable husband by his side would allow Lu Yao to confidently entrust the restaurant business to him.

Moreover, Xiao Chun had suffered psychological trauma from being abused by his family in his early years, lacking a sense of security. Finding a younger partner might make it hard for them to get along.

The Zhang family soon responded, arranging a meeting for the two young ones the day after tomorrow at the Lu family's restaurant.

Lu Yao told Xiao Chun to dress nicely. He usually wore old clothes while working in the kitchen, and there were many new clothes at home that had not been worn. He needed to make a good impression on the young gentleman during their first meeting.

Xiao Chun was actually quite handsome, with gentle eyes, well-proportioned features, and a healthy wheat-colored complexion. Unfortunately, he wasn't very tall, possibly due to being mistreated in his early years, standing at only about 1.7 meters, but that was sufficient in this era. Most men were around this height, and those who grew above 1.8 meters were very few.

Today, he wore a sapphire-blue outfit with silver edges on the collar and cuffs, his hair tied up with a silver crown, looking clean and refreshing like a handsome young man.

When he arrived at the restaurant, several staff members were astonished, "Oh my, the second young master has changed into new clothes today!"

Xiao Chun's face turned red with embarrassment and hurried to the kitchen.

Seeing this, Zhao Beichuan laughed heartily and pulled him back to the front, "The kitchen is full of smoke. Don't get your new clothes dirty. Wait here; your sister-in-law will be here soon."

Xiao Chun, nervous, clenched his hands tightly. Apart from his sister-in-law and little sister Xiaonian, he had barely interacted with other people of the opposite sex. The thought of meeting a stranger for a matchmaking session made him feel like he needed to urinate.

After half an hour, Lu Yao finally arrived, accompanied by Zhang Yu and her nephew, Zhang Qiulan.

This young gentleman was tall and slender, appearing even taller than Xiao Chun. He wore a crimson-red long gown, his hair simply tied with a jade hairpin, his phoenix eyes slightly upturned, with a small red mole at the corner of his eye, giving off a faint sense of aloofness.

Lu Yao couldn't help but marvel at first sight. Zhang Yu hadn't lied; this young man had an extraordinary appearance. Among all the people Lu Yao had met, this was the first time he had seen someone so striking.

Zhao Fengchun was also stunned, and only managed to nervously greet him after they came closer.

Lu Yao patted his shoulder and said, "Let's go upstairs."

The four of them went upstairs to the Chun Pavilion, which had been prepared in advance.

Xiao Chun remained too nervous to speak, his head lowered, not knowing what he was thinking. Beside him, Zhang Qiulan, with his chin resting on his hand, examined Xiao Chun with interest.

Before coming, Zhang Qiulan had been quite resistant to the idea of marriage. Previous experiences had left him disillusioned with marriage. He believed he could manage the business himself and didn't need an unrelated person to restrict him.

Zhang Yu understood his thoughts and had to patiently persuade him, "If you don't marry, you'll remain a daughter of the Zhang family. While your father is still around to protect you, once he grows old and passes away, what can you, a young gentleman, do to protect the family business? Your unworthy brothers will surely try to swallow you whole."

In the Wu dynasty, young gentlemen and women had no inheritance rights. If Zhang's father passed away, all the Zhang family's business would be divided among his sons.

Zhang Qiulan remained silent. His family situation was somewhat unique. His mother had passed away from illness when he was three, and his father had remarried, having several more children with his stepmother.

They weren't close, and his aunt was right. Without his father, his half-brothers from the same father would never allow him to continue doing business, and the money he earned would likely end up in their pockets.

Thinking of this, Zhang Qiulan felt a deep resentment, wishing he had been born male.

Zhang Yu saw that he was listening attentively and continued, "Also, that person is actually Master Lu's husband's younger brother. Although they are not blood-related, he has been raised with them. Haven't you always wanted to meet Master Lu? If this meeting goes well, you might become family."

Zhang Qiulan's eyes lit up. Lu Yao, a figure known by everyone in Ping Prefecture!

A man who, in just a few short years, not only established himself in Ping Prefecture but also became one of the top merchants—who wouldn't look up to him?

"Alright, I'll go!" Even just for the chance to meet Master Lu, this trip was worth it.

It was nearing noon, so Lu Yao arranged a meal, and they talked as they ate.

In the Wu Dynasty, social customs were open, without strict gender segregation, and these kinds of matchmaking meetings were common.

Both parties introduced themselves. Zhang Qiulan said, "I don't have many requirements, but after marriage, I insist that there be no concubines and no fooling around. If you can't agree to this, then it's a no-go."

"I can agree, I can do that."

"Do you have any requirements?"

Xiaochun shook his head.

Lu Yao said, "Xiaochun is a bit introverted, don't hold it against him, Nephew Zhang."

Zhang Qiulan said, "That's fine. I don't like smooth-talkers either."

Xiaochun looked up, seeing Zhang Qiulan sizing him up, and couldn't help but blush again.

Zhang Qiulan found it amusing—was the boy always this honest?

Xiaochun's background was known to Liang Zhong, and Lady Zhang naturally knew as well, so Lu Yao didn't avoid the topic. He directly said, "Xiaochun cut ties with his parents long ago and will have no further contact with them. If the marriage is settled, I will buy him a separate house on Changrong Street, where the two of you can live without any restrictions."

"I heard that you are good at business?"

"I know a thing or two." Compared to Lu Yao, his skills felt like child's play and he didn't dare show off.

"After you're married, you can still manage your shops outside. Our family isn't that traditional."

The more Zhang Qiulan listened, the more satisfied he became, and he even started to look more favorably on Zhao Fengchun.

After the meal, both families felt this was a good match. After seeing off the Zhang family, Lu Yao quietly asked his brother, "What do you think of the Zhang family's young master? Did you take a liking to him?"

Xiaochun nodded nervously. He didn't dare tell his brother-in-law that, before leaving, Zhang Qiulan had secretly given him a pouch. Opening it, he found a high-quality jade gourd inside.

That gesture... it was as if he was treating a child...