Chapter 70: Announcing the Good News

Chapter 70: The Happy News

Wen Shishan had just returned from town with a jug of wine, limping along the village road toward home.

His leg had never healed properly since Wang the butcher injured it last year, and he could never put much weight on it when walking.

Fate really had it out for him. He had been doing well for himself, building houses for people and with the betrothal gifts from the Yan family, life had been comfortable. But in just a year or two, the family's money had been swindled away by a widow from outside the village, Li Qiaozhen had vanished without a trace, and even his good leg had been broken by someone.

Once a respected figure in the village, he was now treated like a pariah, unwelcome wherever he went.

With his family falling apart, his body failing, and his spirit broken, though only in his early forties, his back was more hunched than those in their seventies or eighties.

Suddenly, urgent gong sounds rang out behind him, making his heart leap. He turned around in a panic, and before he could see what was happening, three tall horses came charging straight at him.

He instinctively tried to move to the side of the road, but the more flustered he became, the clumsier his movements, and with his bad leg, he tripped over something and pitched forward, face-planting in the dirt. The wine jug flew from his hand and shattered against a stone by the roadside with a loud crash.

Seeing the three great horses bearing down on him, Wen Shishan was terrified out of his wits. He instinctively shrank his neck and shut his eyes, certain he was about to die under those hooves, when the riders suddenly reined in their horses, stopping hard just inches from him.

Wen Shishan, sprawled on the ground, had scraped his knees and grazed his palms. Once his heart, which had nearly jumped out of his throat, settled back into place, he finally found his voice and cursed: "What the hell, are you blind..."

Before he could finish, the lead messenger looked down at him from his horse and casually tossed a few copper coins in front of him. "That covers your wine. Move aside, don't block the way."

With that, the two riders beside him struck their gongs again, the sharp, piercing clang exploding down the village road like thunder.

The lead rider raised the red banner in his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Joyous news! Master Yan of Daoxiang Village, Lin'an County, named Fengan, has passed the provincial examination, ranking eighteenth!"

"Joyous news! Master Yan of Daoxiang Village, Lin'an County, named Fengan, has passed the provincial examination, ranking eighteenth!"

...

The messengers called out several times. Wen Shishan's mouth still hung open, the curses stuck in his throat, but his expression shifted again and again. Once he confirmed he wasn't hearing things, it was like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him—all his anger vanished.

He hastily picked up the copper coins from the ground, not bothering to stand fully, and dragged his bad leg to shuffle out of the way.

When the three horses had galloped off, kicking up dust toward the Yan family's home, he slowly pushed himself up from the muddy ground.

Looking at the dirt-stained coins in his hand, then at his own tattered clothes, and smelling the sharp reek of wine and earth in the air, Wen Shishan thought to himself—so he was the one who'd been blind all along.

The clanging of gongs continued, stirring up the whole village of Daoxiang. Every household opened their doors and poked their heads out. When they heard what the messengers were shouting, everyone's eyes went wide, jaws dropped, and faces filled with disbelief.

"What? Yan Sanlang actually passed?!"

"Did you hear that! Eighteenth place! Eighteenth in the entire prefecture!"

"Good heavens! Our village finally has a juren!"

The moment they heard the news, people dropped their work, left their doors unlocked, and followed the messengers like a tide, young and old alike, flooding toward the Yan house.

A group of children ran at the front, shouting in their bright, high-pitched voices: "Third Uncle Yan passed the exam! Third Uncle Yan passed the exam!"

In the Yan family's courtyard, Yan Fengan and Wen Xi had just placed the freshly picked osmanthus flowers into a wooden basin, rinsing the dust off with clean water and picking out the tiny stems and leaves.

Yan Fengan deliberately wiped his wet fingers on Wen Xi's face. Wen Xi laughed and ducked his head, then used his own wet hands to cool the back of Yan Fengan's neck. The two of them ended up with water splashed all over their clothes.

The others nearby, who were mending clothes and watching the children, noticed and exchanged knowing smiles.

Seeing the young couple so sweet together warmed Chen Lanfang's motherly heart. Just then, a faint sound of gongs drifted from the distance. He Jin perked up his ears and listened. "Huh? Where's that gong coming from? Is somebody in the village having a celebration?"

Li Wan shook her head. "I haven't heard about any wedding."

Yan Fengan, who was rinsing the osmanthus, suddenly paused, his heart thumping hard.

Only when the gong sounds grew closer did he take Wen Xi's hand and stand up, drying both their hands with a nearby cloth. He also tucked Wen Xi's stray hair behind his ear.

Wen Xi stood there in a daze, letting him fuss, and said, "We're not done washing them yet."

No sooner had he spoken than urgent hoofbeats and thunderous gongs rang out at the Yan family's gate. Chen Lanfang, who'd been through this when Yan Fengan passed the county exam, suddenly realized what was happening and hurried to open the door.

The door swung open to reveal a big red silk banner flapping in the wind, its gold-stitched characters catching everyone's eye. The lead messenger stood outside, holding the banner open with both hands, and boomed out: "Joyous news! Your honored son, Master Yan, named Fengan, has passed the provincial examination, ranking eighteenth!"

For a moment, Chen Lanfang stood frozen stiff. Her lips parted, but no words came out—only tears streamed down her face.

He Jin clapped a hand over his mouth in shock, then, laughing and crying at the same time, shoved Li Wan beside him. "Did you hear that? Third Brother passed the exam!"

Li Wan stood there holding the child, stunned. When it sank in, tears started falling from her eyes too.

Hearing the announcement, the villagers stood on tiptoe, peering into the Yan courtyard. "Oh my, he really passed!"

"Yan Sanlang is really something! Our village has never had a juren before."

"What 'Yan Sanlang'? That's not what you should call him. From now on, you've got to call him Juren, got it?"

"Yes, yes, Juren."

"Sister Lanfang, your son is truly something! He's brought such honor to our village."

Shunzi Furlang was hopping and bouncing excitedly in the crowd, shaking her husband's arm like crazy. "Did you hear that! Scholar Yan passed the exam!"

Shunzi was being shaken so hard he could barely stand, but he was grinning from ear to ear too. "I heard, I heard! Our village has a juren! The first one ever!"

After reading the announcement, the messenger solemnly pulled a red card from his pocket and respectfully handed it to Chen Lanfang. "Congratulations, madam. Your son has passed the provincial examination."

Chen Lanfang took the red card, so overjoyed she didn't know what to say. Her lips trembling, tears flowing, she called out: "Sanlang, my boy, come here, come quick..."

Yan Fengan's heart swelled, and he felt like the ground beneath his feet had gone soft. He whispered a few words to Wen Xi, then walked over with a smile.

The crowd packed at the gate erupted in even louder cheers the moment he came out. Someone started clapping and shouted: "Congratulations, Juren Yan! You've brought our village honor!"

Yan Fengan stood at the gate, looking at the familiar faces—whether they were genuinely happy for him or had been talking smack behind his back before, they all crowded forward now, smiling and shouting their congratulations.

Yan Fengan nodded to everyone, took the red card from Chen Lanfang's hands, and unfolded it. Seeing his name, his hometown, and his rank on the exam, along with the official prefecture seal, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

After looking at it for a moment, he folded the card back up and clasped his hands toward the messengers. "Thanks for coming all this way. Please, come in and have some hot tea."

After the messengers had their tea, Yan Fengan handed the lead messenger the five two-tael silver ingots Wen Xi had prepared.

The messenger had assumed a rural family wouldn't offer much of a reward, but this new juren was surprisingly generous. He offered a few more words of congratulations and left cheerfully.

No sooner had the messengers left than the village headman, Zhao Gengnian, arrived with his wife. Each carried a hen and a basket of eggs, bowing and smiling as they squeezed up to Yan Fengan. "Juren, you've brought great honor to our village! A humble gift, not worthy of your notice, but please don't refuse it."

The onlookers secretly kicked themselves—they'd been so busy watching the excitement that they hadn't thought to bring anything. Several wives and husbands exchanged glances, then nudged their own men, urging in low voices: "Go home and get something, quick!"

Chen Lanfang accepted Zhao Gengnian's gifts and said with a smile: "We're all from the same village, no need to be so formal."

"Of course, of course." Zhao Gengnian craned his neck to look around. "Where's Brother Yan? With such great news, why isn't he here?"

In the past, Zhao Gengnian had always called Yan Shichang and Chen Lanfang "brother" and "sister-in-law," but now he didn't dare presume such familiarity.

Wen Xi answered from the side: "They went to a neighboring village to do some work. Li Shen's son has already gone to fetch them—they should be back soon."

The family all thought Yan Fengan had failed this time. They had spent so much silver, so Yan Shichang and the others naturally had to work harder and take on more jobs to earn the money back, didn't they?

When Li Shen's son brought the news to Yan Shichang and the others, the three of them were stunned. After confirming it was true, they threw down their tools and sprinted home.

Running too fast on the way, Yan Fuqiu lost his shoes twice.

By the time they reached the front gate, the second wave of messengers had just arrived. Three fast horses stopped outside the Yan family courtyard, the messengers dismounted and read the announcement of success once again.

Seeing Yan Shichang, Chen Lanfang could no longer hold back. She rushed over and hugged him, weeping tears of joy: "Shichang, our Sanlang passed!"

Yan Shichang, a tough, rugged man, felt his eyes redden at the words. A thousand words gathered at his lips, but he didn't know what to say. Finally, he raised his hand and patted Chen Lanfang's back, nodding with a mix of tears and laughter, repeating "good" three times.

Yan Wangchun and Yan Fuqiu stood behind, their trouser legs covered in mud, sweat from running plastering their hair to their faces—looking utterly disheveled. But both had wide grins on their faces, brighter than the sun overhead.

The messengers came in three batches. The first batch got the biggest reward, but considering that the second and third batches had also traveled such a long distance, Yan Fengan still gave them several taels of silver.

The messengers left, but the Yan household's excitement was far from over. Villagers came with gifts in a steady stream—those better off brought meat and eggs, while those less fortunate brought vegetables and green onions.

People came both to congratulate and to share in the good fortune, and the Yan family couldn't very well refuse.

The neighbors who rarely spoke to them now all wore smiles, calling out "Congratulations, Juren Yan" and "Congratulations, Old Master Yan, Old Madam Yan" over and over again, the words making them feel warm inside.

Yan Shichang had been called a carpenter his whole life, and suddenly being addressed as "master" like the wealthy households in town—he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

He wasn't used to it, but he was pleased deep down. Everyone wants to be respected, and with his son's success, his own standing naturally went up too. He could certainly accept being called Old Master.

Since she hadn't expected her son to actually pass and had no time to prepare, Chen Lanfang gathered the daughters-in-law and their husbands. Everyone pooled their copper coins in a basket, then went to the courtyard and tossed handfuls of coins into the air: "Thank you all, neighbors, for your kindness. Let everyone share in the good fortune."

The adults and children in the courtyard happily scrambled to pick up the coins, the scene was even livelier than Yan Fengan's wedding.

After everyone had gathered up the coins, Yan Shichang added: "No time today, but in two days we'll throw a three-day open feast! The whole village is welcome—plenty of wine and meat, and nobody gets left out!"

A cheer erupted in the courtyard, with someone shouting "Old Master Yan's a generous man!"

Leaving the Yan family courtyard, people continued chatting as they walked. Someone sighed in admiration: "I told you Yan Sanlang would pass, but you didn't believe me. See, he really did it."

"That child was clever from a young age, and he was better-looking than the average farm boy. I could tell early on he was no ordinary person—probably some literary star reborn in our village."

"Let's check again tomorrow. They'll definitely need help with the feast—we can lend a hand with the tables and chairs."

"If you ask me, that Wen lad is lucky. Married less than two years and his husband becomes a juren. He'll be somebody important now too."

"Who says otherwise? You should see how lovey-dovey those two are with each other. This morning while I was working in the fields, I saw him from afar riding on Yan Sanlang's shoulders to pick osmanthus flowers. Tsk tsk, how many men in our village spoil their husbands like that?"

Talking and laughing, the crowd slowly drifted apart.

Today the news had only spread within the village, but in a couple of days, folks from other villages, the town, and even the county would likely come by. The Yan family would have their hands full in the days ahead.

Once the courtyard quieted down, Yan Shichang picked up the announcement again to look at it. Yan Fuqiu rubbed his face, sore from grinning so much, and said to Yan Fengan: "Didn't Third Brother say he failed?"

Yan Fengan raised an eyebrow: "I never said that."

Chen Lanfang laughed and gave him a light punch: "I can tell you knew the whole time. Why didn't you give us any hint beforehand? Hitting us with such big news out of nowhere—what if your father and I couldn't take it?"

He Jin laughed from the side: "Mother, Third Brother's a juren now—you can't just go around hitting him."

"So what if he's a juren? He's still my son. I'll hit him whenever I feel like it." Chen Lanfang smiled, then sniffled. "Eleven years. A full eleven years, and my son's finally made something of himself."

Outsiders talked about how hard the family worked to pay for Yan Fengan's schooling, but they didn't know how hard studying could be.

Yan Fengan had been sent to the county academy at age ten. While other kids were still running around at their parents' side, their Sanlang sat in the academy studying diligently, with no time off except on holidays.

Rain or shine, he never missed a single day of class. Except for those few years when he was a bit playful, he'd never given them any worry.

After all those years of hard study, this day had finally come.

Thinking of this, her nose tingled. She turned her face away, wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, then turned back with a smile.

Yan Wangchun asked again: "What are Third Brother's plans from here? Will you continue taking the exams?"

Yan Fengan already had his own ideas, and with family there was nothing to hide. He spoke from the heart: "I've thought about this too. Honestly, continuing up the ladder would only be to secure some official position. But you all know my temperament—soft-hearted and unwilling to be constrained. The official world clearly isn't for me." He paused, lowering his voice slightly. "These years, I've truly had enough. If I keep pushing, I'm afraid I won't hold up. Now that I have the juren title, our family's life will be comfortable no matter what. From now on, I want to stay home, look after Father and Mother, find some proper work, and live a stable, peaceful life."

Before passing the exam, Yan Fengan had been holding his breath. Now that he'd passed, that breath had been released.

From the moment that wandering ghost had taken over his body, and after he'd returned, he had been tense the whole time trying to get his life back on track. Now it was time to relax that string.

Yan Shichang said: "Passing the juren exam means you've done right by your ancestors. Whether to continue or not—that's your own decision."

Chen Lanfang nodded: "Right, if you don't want to take more exams, that's fine too. It doesn't matter. We all support you either way."

Having his parents' understanding, Yan Fengan felt a weight lift from his heart.

Later, more people came to the house one after another, and it didn't quiet down until evening.

After the courtyard gate was closed, Wen Xi rubbed his cheeks, which were stiff from smiling, and let out a long breath.

Yan Fengan, knowing how tiring it was to sort through all the gifts, reached over and rubbed his shoulders. Wen Xi turned around, took his hand, and said: "I originally thought it didn't matter whether you passed or not. Our life wasn't too bad anyway—even if you hadn't passed, we wouldn't have gone hungry."

Yan Fengan was in high spirits today, his eyes sparkling as he asked: "And now?"

"Now, of course, I think it's good that you passed." Wen Xi's face flushed with a hint of shyness, but his eyes were smiling.

He didn't know how to describe the feeling in that moment—it was as if, starting today, he would draw a clear line between the past and the future. He was still the same person, but from now on, when he walked out, no one would look at him the way they used to.

He leaned closer to Yan Fengan, lowering his voice with barely concealed excitement: "The village head was so generous today! Besides the chicken and eggs, he even gave a string of cash!"

"That's what you call generous?" Yan Fengan tapped his nose and laughed. "Just wait—there will be even more generous people to come."