Chapter 92: Jieyuan

Chapter 92: Jieyuan

Jin San drove the carriage smoothly all the way home, and the noisy voices outside the carriage did not disturb Du Yunse's sleep.

When the carriage arrived at the door, the family was waiting by the entrance. Jin San lifted the curtain, and Qiu Huanian raised his index finger to signal for silence.

Seeing the sleeping Du Yunse, everyone tacitly remained quiet.

Old lady Jin asked in a very low voice, "As the Township Lord instructed before leaving, the hot pot is ready. Should we keep it warm?"

"The soup has been simmering on low heat in the pot for a long time, enhancing its flavor. The other ingredients are covered and will be brought out when it's time to eat."

Jin San parked the carriage by the roadside, and Qiu Huanian did not get off, sitting quietly with Du Yunse.

After Du Yunse fell asleep, his expression was quite innocent. It was the first time Qiu Huanian had observed his sleeping face so closely during the day.

The young man's perfectly sculpted face was serene, his eyes closed, and his long, feathery eyelashes slightly curled. Beneath his high nose bridge, his thin lips remained closed.

Qiu Huanian suddenly remembered that Du Yunse was only in his early twenties.

At this age, he was already well-read, renowned, and capable of stepping into the struggle for the crown prince's position to strategize meticulously.

It wasn't until the sky gradually darkened and candles lit up the streets that Du Yunse slowly woke up.

When he opened his eyes, he was momentarily dazed, as if he didn't know where he was.

Qiu Huanian's voice came from above.

"Finally awake, Du the genius? If you hadn't woken up, I would have been starving."

Du Yunse sat up, and Qiu Huanian rubbed his somewhat stiff shoulders.

"Brother Hua?"

"You fell asleep right after leaving the examination hall. I didn't let anyone disturb you and stayed in the carriage with you."

Du Yunse lowered his gaze and reached out to massage Qiu Huanian's shoulders.

"Brother Hua should have woken me up earlier. Sitting in the carriage for so long must have been uncomfortable for you."

Qiu Huanian kissed his cheek.

"I enjoy pampering you, what's wrong with that?"

Du Yunse chuckled, his large, well-defined hand couldn't help but move from his shoulder down, feeling Qiu Huanian's slender back, beautiful waistline, and the round, firm curve of his buttocks through the clothes.

"We're still outside," Qiu Huanian whispered, his face slightly red.

"I know," Du Yunse said hoarsely.

The provincial examination was over, and some matters needed to be addressed.

If he kept holding back like this, he would truly become a saint. And judging by Brother Hua's demeanor, his little husband was also struggling...

Du Yunse had long noticed that although Brother Hua was shy and easily embarrassed, his desire was quite strong, and he wasn't timid.

Fortunately, the object of his desire could only be Du Yunse himself.

Du Yunse gently bit Qiu Huanian's lower lip.

"Let's go down to eat."

Qiu Huanian's health was not good, and sitting in the carriage for a long time had caused poor blood circulation, leaving his limbs somewhat numb.

Du Yunse picked him up horizontally and walked straight into the main house.

The neighbors knew that the person living here was a hot candidate for this year's Jieyuan in the provincial examination, and they all craned their necks to look.

Seeing Du Yunse carrying Qiu Huanian into the house, many people instinctively averted their eyes, thinking that the rumors of Du Yunse's deep affection for his husband were indeed true.

Some people thought about it and then dismissed it, while others, who had other plans, were not so pleased.

After Du Yunse carried Qiu Huanian inside, old lady Jin immediately busied herself with Coral to prepare dinner.

Qiu Huanian had instructed old lady Jin in advance to use beef bones, lamb bones, and fish to make a large pot of delicious clear soup, ready for hot pot.

In Qiu Huanian's mind, celebrating at home should always involve eating hot pot.

Several pounds of beef, lamb, and tender chicken were prepared, and in addition, Qiu Huanian had specially bought fresh shrimp, scallops, squid, and other seafood, which were transported all the way from the sea to Xiangping Prefecture with ice, making the shipping cost more expensive than the ingredients themselves.

Only now, with a bit more financial leeway, could they afford such a "luxurious" meal.

The dipping sauces prepared included soy sauce, aged vinegar, sugar, chili oil, oyster sauce, sesame paste, red fermented tofu, sesame oil, and leek flower sauce.

All were served in small bowls, lined up in a row, so everyone could add whatever they wanted.

Chun Sheng, not knowing the proper way, thought everything looked delicious and added a spoonful of each, but after tasting it, he immediately put it aside.

Jiu Jiu tapped his head, "Who eats like you, like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit? Get a new bowl, and I'll mix it for you."

Qiu Huanian smiled, "Jiu Jiu is really starting to look like an older sister."

Jiu Jiu also smiled, "That's because Chun Sheng is too silly."

Chun Sheng pouted, mumbling that he would tell Yuan Ruo to judge the matter.

The whole family chatted and laughed while eating hot pot in the flower hall, continuing until the moon was high in the sky.

Meng Yuanling patted his little belly contentedly, "So full, I wish every day could be this happy."

Yun Cheng silently reached out to rub his belly.

With no outsiders at home, Meng Yuanling simply hung onto Yun Cheng.

He blinked and brought up a topic.

"Brother Hua, your birthday this year coincided with the provincial examination, and you only had a bowl of longevity noodles. Now that Brother Yunse has finished the exam, why don't we make up for it by throwing a few banquet tables?"

Qiu Huanian didn't see anything wrong with it, "It's already passed, no need to make up for it."

Just as he refused, Yun Cheng also started to persuade him.

"Sister-in-law has attended many birthday banquets, and hosting one herself could bring in a lot of gifts."

"..."

Yun Cheng's words were simple and straightforward but hit the mark.

Qiu Huanian remembered constantly attending friends' engagement parties, weddings, full-month celebrations, and first-year birthday parties in modern times...

Gifts of hundreds of taels were given out, but he could never host the same events himself.

Isn't one of life's great annoyances not being able to recoup the money spent on gifts?

Qiu Huanian was shamelessly tempted.

In a place he couldn't see, Meng Yuanling gave Yun Cheng a thumbs up.

Du Yunse spoke up at just the right moment.

"If I pass the provincial examination this time, we should also host a celebration banquet. Why not combine the two and make it a grand event?"

Qiu Huanian thought it made sense. Since they were going to host a banquet anyway, adding another reason to make it bigger could also mean receiving more gifts.

"Then let's choose a date after the results are announced?"

Meng Yuanling immediately raised his hand, "I've never hosted a birthday banquet for myself before. Let me arrange this banquet."

Jiu Jiu also nodded repeatedly, "I'll help as an assistant."

They quickly divided the tasks, and Qiu Huanian had no choice but to agree.

"Take whatever money you need from the household, just keep an account. Don't be too frugal, but don't be too extravagant either."

Meng Yuanling smiled mysteriously.

"Brother Hua, rest well for a few days, and then just wait for the surprise."

...

After the provincial examination, it would take several days for the examiners to review the papers. During this time, Du Yunse did not return to the academy but stayed at home to rest and play with Qiu Huanian.

For the past half year, Du Yunse could only return home every five days. Now that he finally had plenty of free time, the two were inseparable every day, and their relationship deepened even further.

It was the harvest season, and Qiu Huanian often went to the estate with Du Yunse.

The last batch of autumn peaches had been harvested, and the tenant farmers were pulling out the dead branches from the fields to take back for firewood in the winter.

They were pickling vegetables, making winter clothes, repairing houses, and storing firewood and food in preparation for the winter.

This year's cotton harvest was good, and Qiu Huanian was not stingy. He gave each person on the estate three catties of cotton. If they wanted to buy more, they could purchase it at a low price of one hundred wen per catty, with a limit of two catties per person to prevent resale.

After the news spread, everyone on the estate was overjoyed. With so much new cotton, they could have several warm and comfortable years.

The thirty acres of land yielded about nine thousand catties of clean cotton. After paying taxes, there were still over eight thousand catties left.

If sold at market price, it could fetch over a thousand taels of silver. After giving the tenant farmers twenty percent, they would have about a thousand taels.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse walked through the now empty fields, enjoying the crisp autumn air and golden sunlight.

"At this time last year, we were still in the village preparing for winter. I remember I bought a whole cart of cabbage and asked Aunt Taohong to help pickle it."

"Let's pickle some cabbage this year too. It's been a while since I've had it, and I'm craving it. Pickled cabbage with vermicelli and ribs is especially delicious."

Qiu Huanian spoke, and Du Yunse listened quietly.

Several children ran towards them, holding kites of different shapes.

"Hello, Qiu Xiangjun, hello, Du Gongzi." Because they often visited, the children were no longer shy.

"Were these kites also made by Wei Li?"

"They were made by Brother Bing Qi, but Brother Wei Li helped with the painting."

Qiu Huanian smiled and let them continue playing.

Bing Qi and Wei Li haven't made much progress so far. Wei Li was deeply hurt by past experiences, making it difficult for him to muster the courage to start a new relationship, while Bing Qi seems to prefer a subtle and gradual approach.

Qiu Huanian held Du Yunse's hand and told him about recent events.

"A while ago, the Commander of Liaozhou sent me an invitation. I didn't tell you at the time because you were busy preparing for the exams."

Du Yunse asked, "For the cotton?"

"Yes, Liaozhou doesn't produce cotton. Every autumn and winter, they have to spend manpower and resources to purchase cotton from the south. With the losses from long-distance transportation and the corruption of local officials, they couldn't even buy three thousand pounds of cotton for a thousand taels of silver."

"The Commander wants to buy all the cotton I have."

"Is he also trying to lower the price?"

Qiu Huanian chuckled, "How did you know?"

"Most military men are straightforward and don't beat around the bush, and the Commander is especially so."

In other words, this gentleman has always been "shameless."

Qiu Huanian stretched slightly, "The current market price for bulk cotton purchases is around one hundred and fifty wen, but the Commander wants to buy it at one hundred and twenty wen."

"Actually, I can understand. Even though he's lowering the price, the money isn't going into his own pocket. He just wants to ensure that the soldiers at the border have more cotton to wear."

"Have you decided, Brother Hua?"

"Yes, we are protected by the border soldiers, so it's only right that we do our part."

"Besides, Wu Shen and Uncle Bao Yi are both at the border. If the soldiers are warm, their combat effectiveness will improve, which is good for everyone."

Du Yunse looked at Qiu Huanian, his gaze filled with deep affection and tenderness, along with many other emotions.

"Everyone will remember your kindness."

Qiu Huanian smiled, "I just hope everyone can return home safely and reunite with their families."

...

On the eve of the release of the provincial exam results, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian visited Old Physician Gu again.

Old Physician Gu was wearing a woolen hat and playing a string game with his granddaughter. Whoever lost had to recite a medicinal soup song.

Seeing them enter, the old man cleared his throat and sat up straight.

After Qiu Huanian introduced the concept of wool to the Yu Dynasty, through the research and development of the working people, woolen products had become quite mature.

However, the style of the woolen hat on Old Physician Gu's head was quite different from modern ones, more in line with ancient aesthetics.

"Last time, you said the new prescription could be taken until autumn. Now that the harvest is over, could you please check if we need to change the prescription?"

Old Physician Gu took Qiu Huanian's pulse.

He nodded slightly, "Township Lord's health has improved since last time. If you continue to take care of yourself like this, in three to five years, you won't have to worry about this anymore."

Du Yunse's brows and eyes relaxed.

"Please, Old Physician Gu, grant us the prescription again."

"Of course," Old Physician Gu cheerfully wrote it down in one go, instructing his family to fetch the medicine from the front pharmacy.

After paying, as they were about to leave, Old Physician Gu suddenly spoke with deep meaning.

"You are both young now, there are things you can start doing."

Qiu Huanian was momentarily stunned, then, upon understanding, his face flushed red.

Old Physician Gu had already turned back to continue playing string games with his granddaughter.

Qiu Huanian grabbed Du Yunse's hand and fled the main house as if escaping.

...

The next day was the day of the provincial examination results. Qiu Huanian had initially planned to go see them in person, but upon hearing that the area in front of the examination hall was always packed with people during the announcement, often leading to injuries from the crowd.

Qiu Huanian assessed his own slight frame and regretfully decided against it.

Thinking of the rumors about catching a son-in-law under the list, he also kept Du Yunse at home.

Du Yunse wasn't in a hurry to see the results; after all, the outcome was already decided, it was just a matter of knowing sooner or later.

In the end, they only sent Jin San to check the list, to note the top rankings and report back.

Qiu Huanian hadn't slept well the night before and felt somewhat sticky, so he had old lady Jin heat water for a bath.

After a comfortable bath, Qiu Huanian came out in his undergarments, draped in clothes, and had someone move the reclining chair under the osmanthus tree to enjoy the cool breeze and the scent of flowers.

Du Yunse came over with a dry towel, meticulously drying his hair.

A warm and leisurely atmosphere lingered in the small courtyard.

After a while, Jin San hadn't returned yet, and Qiu Huanian faintly heard the sound of gongs and drums outside.

"Is that the official messengers bringing good news?"

"Perhaps," Du Yunse was still focused on drying the hair.

Even Jiu Jiu couldn't hold back, "Brothers are really carefree."

Meng Yuanling stood up, "Never mind, I'll go take a look outside the gate."

Meng Yuanling went out for a short while, and the sound of gongs and drums grew louder, soon entering the first courtyard.

Meng Yuanling's delighted voice passed through the hanging flower gate, reaching everyone's ears.

"They're here! They really came to bring us good news!"

All those who passed the provincial examination would have official messengers personally come to announce the good news.

Du Yunse lowered his eyes and kissed the smooth, ink-like black hair in his hands, then turned around with a wave of his sleeve.

He walked to the hanging flower gate just as the official messengers entered.

A small team, some holding gongs, some drums, and others suonas, continued to play loudly.

After the music stopped, the leader stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Congratulations, Juren Du! You are the Jieyuan of the Liaozhou Provincial Examination in the 22nd year of Yuanhua, topping the golden list and ranking first!"

"Tomorrow, the Deer Cry Banquet will be held at the Mingfeng Terrace. You must attend, Juren, so that everyone can witness the elegance of the Jieyuan!"

As the messenger finished speaking, a joyful atmosphere filled the courtyard.

Although they all secretly believed that Du Yunse would surely pass the examination with flying colors, hearing it confirmed felt entirely different.

Qiu Huanian stood up from the reclining chair and smiled as he instructed old lady Jin.

"Bring out the prepared red envelopes and invite the messengers to have some tea."