Chapter 32: Painting

Chapter 32: The Painting

When Yin Hongxue followed Gu Muan back home, the town's yamen runner still hadn't left.

Technically, students were supposed to check their results themselves.

But the messenger knew he'd been slow getting the news out, so when he got to Dukou Town, he asked the town's yamen runner to help deliver the notices.

The yamen runner had delivered xiucai exam results before and knew that in these situations, the happy family would usually give a tip.

So after getting to town, he didn't waste any time—the yamen runner came on his own.

In Xiaohe Village, besides Gu Chaoning, Gu Rong had also passed.

The two yamen runners split up, one going to Gu Chaoning's place and the other to Gu Rong's.

A bunch of villagers had gathered around the house, and when they saw Yin Hongxue and Gu Muan coming back, they quickly cleared a path.

"Oh my, on this happy day, our Xue Geer still went out to cut grass."

"Hurry, hurry, get over there—your brother passed! The official came to bring the good news!"

"What rank did the official say Chaoning Boy got?"

"First place! He got first place! This is the first time I've seen an official come to announce good news for the tongsheng exam—is it because Chaoning Boy got first place?"

"What a huge blessing!"

Some people, overhearing the chatter, stared hard at Gu Chaoning.

Gu Chaoning was only twelve, but he already stood tall and straight, with a dignified, polite air.

Standing in front of the yamen runner, he didn't look scared or weak—he seemed even more relaxed than Gu Wen.

Now that he'd gotten first place in the tongsheng exam, he was sure to get at least a xiucai title.

Some people with sons or daughters at home started getting ideas.

But before they could think more, a small figure suddenly darted through the crowd and ran straight up to Gu Chaoning.

It was Yin Hongxue.

Yin Hongxue ran over in such a rush that even Gu Muan couldn't keep up.

His heart was pounding with excitement, and he couldn't control his body.

He wanted to run to Gu Chaoning and look at him, but he also wanted to sprint in circles and stand there laughing at the sky.

But when he finally reached Gu Chaoning, he just stared at him without blinking, his eyes like stars in the night sky.

"Chaoning Ge."

The yamen runner took the pouch Chen Youyan brought, felt the copper coins inside, beamed, said a few more congratulations, and turned to leave.

A hundred wen.

Indeed, the announcing business was a good gig.

Both families in Xiaohe Village who had passed were wealthy households—he wondered how much the other runner had gotten.

If it was also a hundred wen, together they could go have a few drinks.

With that in mind, the yamen runner hurried off.

After the yamen runner left, the onlookers got even more excited and crowded around.

Everyone was praising Gu Chaoning.

But Gu Chaoning only looked at Yin Hongxue.

He watched Yin Hongxue's excited, almost worshipful expression and raised an eyebrow.

In his past life, he'd gotten the top scholar title, only for Yin Hongxue to call him a "Useless Top Scholar." In this life, it was just a little tongsheng exam, yet Yin Hongxue was looking at him like that.

Yin Hongxue was so excited he could barely say anything else: "Chaoning Ge, you're really amazing."

Gu Chaoning felt a little proud: "Oh, really?"

Yin Hongxue nodded really hard: "Yes! Chaoning Ge got first place!"

People with kids close to Gu Chaoning's age who'd been getting ideas suddenly snapped back to reality when they saw Yin Hongxue.

Gu Chaoning already had a child bridegroom—Yin Hongxue.

Some gave up the idea, but then others remembered what Chen Youyan had told Gu Chaoning yesterday.

Treat Yin Hongxue like a younger brother—if the two kids fell for each other, they'd get married; if not, Chen Youyan would save up a dowry to marry the boy off.

But before those thoughts could settle, they saw Gu Chaoning staring at Yin Hongxue without blinking.

Well, that killed off eighty percent of their hopes right there.

The other twenty percent still wouldn't give up, just thinking about ways for their kids to spend more time with Gu Chaoning.

Chen Youyan, Gu Wen, and the other elders talked until their lips were dry and went through three pots of tea before the curious villagers finally got their fill and left to do their own thing.

Once the doors were shut, Chen Youyan, Gu Wen, and the other elders happily showered him with more praise.

Since Yin Hongxue had been so excited, Gu Muan, who'd been left behind, now pouted and squeezed into Yin Hongxue's arms.

Gu Muan: "Xue Age, you owe me! You ran so fast I couldn't catch up—and I even went out of my way to find you!"

Gu Muan knew Yin Hongxue was just too excited; he was only messing with him.

Sure enough, Yin Hongxue's eyes crinkled into a smile.

He bent down a little and hugged Gu Muan: "Thanks, An Geer, for going out of your way to tell Xue Age. I'll embroider a pretty handkerchief for our An Geer."

Gu Muan had already started learning some simple embroidery with Chen Youyan and Wang Xiuxiu.

But embroidery wasn't easy.

And Gu Muan, being spoiled, started slacking off after pricking his fingers a few times.

But Chen Youyan, wanting him to learn on his own, only let him embroider his own handkerchiefs.

Hearing that, Gu Muan immediately beamed.

He squealed: "Thanks, Xue Age!"

Chen Youyan couldn't help but poke Gu Muan's head: "You little scamp! Always looking for excuses to goof off!"

Gu Muan giggled a couple of times after getting poked, then quickly hid behind Yin Hongxue.

Laughter echoed from the Gu family courtyard. Everyone was in high spirits.

With such good news, Chen Youyan and Wang Xiuxiu talked about cooking up a feast.

Hearing this, Gu Muan started hopping around excitedly.

Gu Wen unpacked the bag he'd half-packed and put the clothes back in the wardrobe.

Gu Daniu was equally delighted, preparing to use better firewood for cooking, and grabbed his axe to go chop some wood.

Yin Hongxue was still too excited to sit still. He stood there in a daze for a moment, then returned to his room, grinding ink to paint the scene.

As for Gu Chaoning, he stared off toward the county town, waiting for Gu Rong's arrival.

Before long, sure enough, Gu Rong came running over, grinning from ear to ear.

Gu Chaoning looked away and smiled back at Gu Rong.

"Chaoning!"

Gu Rong had already learned of Gu Chaoning's results from other villagers. Seeing how calm and unhurried he looked, Gu Rong admired him even more.

But he was too excited to contain himself. Gu Rong didn't stop, walking over to high-five Gu Chaoning.

But while Gu Rong knew Gu Chaoning's score, Gu Chaoning didn't know his yet.

Gu Rong tilted his head up a bit, looking mighty pleased with himself: "Tenth place."

That was a solid score, all things considered.

It wasn't as good as Gu Chaoning's first place, but Gu Rong had long known how far behind Gu Chaoning he was, so he took it in stride and was just happy to place tenth.

After all, they were both from the same county town.

Even though Gu Chaoning was younger, his maturity and knowledge were seriously impressive.

Sometimes Gu Rong felt like he was talking to a wise old scholar.

Especially when Gu Chaoning was by himself, he carried himself so well you'd swear he was a young lord from a noble family.

The two chatted briefly about the upcoming prefectural and academy examinations, and then Gu Rong got ready to head out.

As he was leaving, he suddenly thought of something: "The messenger came at just the right time—good thing we hadn't left yet."

Gu Chaoning smiled and agreed: "Something must've held them up in town."

By "messenger," he meant the county's yamen runners.

With the inspector in town, who knows what he'd found—the runners were run ragged and had no time to deliver messages.

Gu Rong felt great, practically skipping as he left.

Gu Chaoning went back to his room and picked up his book again.

Learning is like rowing upstream—if you don't push forward, you drift back. He couldn't afford to slack off in his studies just because he had memories from a past life.

Once Gu Chaoning got lost in his reading, he lost all track of time. He only snapped out of it when a delicious smell drifted under his nose.

Chen Youyan and Wang Xiuxiu had cooked up a feast. In Gu Muan's words, it was so good that An Geer would eat until he flopped over like a little turtle and couldn't get back up.

Hearing the little guy's loud voice outside, Gu Chaoning chuckled to himself.

Chen Youyan poked his head out of the kitchen, spotted Gu Chaoning, and called to Gu Muan: "Go tell your Xue Age dinner's ready."

Gu Muan was squatting on the doorstep like a little puppy, sniffing the air.

He couldn't get into the kitchen when he was little, and now at four, he still couldn't.

Gu Muan didn't want to budge, but then he turned and saw Gu Chaoning.

The little boy gave Gu Chaoning a pleading grin and said, "Brother, can you go get Xue Age for me?"

Gu Chaoning gave his nose a pinch, then got up and headed to Yin Hongxue's room.

What was that kid so absorbed in?

Gu Chaoning pushed the door open and saw Yin Hongxue hunched over the desk, brush in hand, looking dead serious as he made careful strokes.

Huh?

Gu Chaoning raised an eyebrow.

The kid who usually loved to goof off was actually studying on his own today?

Gu Chaoning wondered—could seeing him take first in the county exam have sparked that old studious streak from Yin Hongxue's past life?

He quietly walked up behind the kid and peeked over his shoulder. Yin Hongxue's brush was sweeping lightly, and a scene of villagers celebrating was taking shape on the paper.

This...

The kid's brushwork was still a bit rough—where there should've been sharp angles, he'd drawn them soft and round instead.

But it didn't look wrong—it actually gave the piece a childlike charm and innocence.

Every stroke was full of life.

Gu Chaoning's eyes widened slightly. He was amazed at Yin Hongxue's talent, but then he shot him a few complicated looks.

In his past life, Gu Chaoning had once received a painting warning him that the eldest prince wasn't a worthy ruler.

In the painting, the eldest prince was in a dragon robe, looking down at him where he knelt below.

He was in a bright red official robe, the red so vivid it looked like blood, soaking through the paper and dripping down to the bottom of the painting.

Back then, the eldest prince hadn't taken the throne yet, but in the painting, he was already wearing a dragon robe.

Gu Chaoning was terrified when he got it and burned it on the spot.

The ink was still wet when Gu Chaoning held it over the candle. The flames licked up and devoured it, leaving only that blood-red color behind.

Now, looking at this...

The brushstrokes in that painting were eerily similar to the ones Yin Hongxue was making right now.