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Chapter 105
"Wan Wan, even my aunt doesn't know, so I should do something for your second cousin. Do you have an idea?"
In the noodle shop, when Chen Nianguan borrowed the braised kiln from the back kitchen, the second aunt chatted worriedly.
After the candidates enter the examination shed of the Gongyuan, it is said that the examination room will provide each candidate with a cauldron and a firewood stove, and there will be soldiers to help the candidates carry water and heat the fire, but the candidates have to bring food for three days. The second aunt sees if it will be cold.God, I really don't know what to prepare.
"Auntie just thought about making some steamed buns or pancakes for him. Do you think it will work? What do you plan to make for Zhang Erlang?"
Chen Nianguan glanced at the second aunt and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I am going to make three copies, one for Zhang Erlang, one for the third brother, and one for the second cousin. Second aunt, can you help me?""
"Of course it's good!" The second aunt said happily.
As we all know, Wan Wan's cooking skills are the best among the group of people. With her in charge, how can Second Aunt be worried?
Chen Nianguan first prepared coconut flour for the three candidates.
Coconut flour is good. With coconut flour, when you are in the examination room, you only need to boil water and rinse, and you will have a cup of sweet and fragrant coconut juice. Isn’t it convenient to drink?
It can not only quench your thirst, but also instantly supplement the candidates' nutrition. By the way, it will boost your spirits and improve your happiness. It must be more handy for the exam.
Coconut flour is made from the coconut meat of King Coconut, which is taken out of the coconut shell, cut into small pieces, and then taken to the stone mill to grind into a paste.
Filter the paste with a clean cotton cloth to get the coconut slag, take out the coconut slag, drain the water, put it into a special metal tray, send it to the kiln, and dry it.
During the drying period, pay attention to take it out, turn it over and then put it in, so that after the water is dried, it will be finely divided coconut flour.
Do not hesitate to mix sugar granules into these coconut flour, and then wrap it in three portions with oiled paper. When drinking, just add an appropriate amount to the drinking water according to your own taste. It is not enough, so Chen Nianguan simply made a few more packets.
After finishing the coconut flour, it's time to make the staple food. Chen Nianguan thought of high-calorie, easy-to-satisfy food, of course, meat!
So, Chen Nianguan bought a piece of pork and a piece of beef to make ready-to-eat jerky.
Originally, she wanted to make thick jerky, but she heard that any food with a certain thickness would be torn apart by the officials when entering the examination room, so she hurriedly changed it to thin slices of jerky.
At that time, no matter how sharp-eyed the little official who searches the body is, he won't be suspicious of hiding the cheat sheet in the thin jerky, right?
The pork and beef have already been cleaned and refrigerated in the ice cellar. When they are brought to the back kitchen of the Pho restaurant, both pieces of meat have been slightly thawed.
Chen Nianguan tries to maintain the size of the meat, cutting the meat into large slices, but not too thin.
Because it is too thin, it is easy to burn when it is dried. As for cutting large pieces, it is also because the dried meat will shrink to a certain extent, and the size of large pieces will be reduced. If it is too big after baking, cut it into small pieces.Can.
Considering that it is for candidates to bring into the examination room, so no sauce is added, because too much marinade can easily cause dry mouth and tongue, so it is easy to want to drink water, firstly, the water is not easy to burn, and secondly, drinking too muchIt is not good for candidates, so it is enough to keep the original taste and the original sweetness of the meat.
After all the meat slices are cut, they are placed in a special metal tray that has just been roasted with coconut flour, and then sent to a braised kiln, where the fire is slowly roasted. Control the firepower at the tuyere and observe the degree of roasting. After roasting until fragrant,All can be taken out.
The remaining beef slices and pork slices were treated in this way, so a batch of jerky was obtained.
Divide the jerky into three portions and wrap them in oiled paper.
There are drinks and meat, and the second aunt is really worried, so she baked a few thin and large pancakes, and prepared some flour and crushed spice ingredients for them to cook in it.enough!
Soon, it will be the eighth day of the lunar new year.
Before sending Zhang Erlang and Liu Qing to the Gongyuan, the second aunt and Chen Nianguan checked the items in their test baskets over and over again, for fear of missing anything.
After arriving at the Gongyuan, counted it one last time, so can rest assured.
In addition to food for three days and a few diabolo tubes for water, there are also pens, ink, paper and inkstones, backups, a change of clothes, candles, candlesticks, etc. that will be used at night, as well as oiled paper cloth and some that may be used.The tools that arrived were filled with test baskets for two people layer by layer.
Not only the second aunt and Chen Nianguan, but also the relatives of other candidates who sent for the exam.
It was still dark, but with the lights at the front gate of the tribute courtyard, and the torches and lanterns held by many people, it was vaguely seen that there were a lot of candidates and their relatives, all of them with big bags and small bags.The things that need to be used in the examination room in these three days.
After waiting for a while, the gate of the Gongyuan opened. The servants who came out this time were still in normal appearance, but the guards were all wearing iron armor. Obviously, they were of a different level from the previous three times. The Gongyuan where the township examination was held was even stricter.
When the yamen servant held up the number plate and asked the candidates to line up according to the test number, the family members who sent the test separated from the candidates one after another. The family members retreated, and the candidates stepped forward.Chen Nianguan couldn't help but get nervous when he lined up in a regular manner and was ready for battle.
When the sound of the horn stopped, more than a dozen examiners who presided over the rural examination came out of the Gongyuan.
The chief examiner was appointed directly from Capital City. Master Luo Jingluo, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, inspected the examinees, and instructed the examinees not to allow the candidates to enter the venue with cheat sheets, and to prohibit cheating and impersonation. Then he stepped aside., ordered the yamen servants to start calling their names according to the report, and let the candidates come forward to search each other, and only after checking all their belongings and finding nothing suspicious, did they let them into the venue.
In this way, Chen Nianguan and others waited outside for a long time, the sky gradually turned white, full light, the sun came up, and there were still many people outside the Gongyuan.
Seeing that Zhang Erlang and Liu Qing had both entered the Gongyuan, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back consciously, and then saw Master Zeng who sent Zeng Si to take the exam.
"It's good for people to go in, it's good for them to go in!"
Once in, it means that you can go all out for the next three days without distracting thoughts.
While talking with Master Zeng, many people looked at them with strange expressions. Chen Nianguan didn't find it strange at first, but when someone couldn't help but ask, "I said, what are you doing?"What are you doing here at the gate of the Gongyuan?"
All the people looked at each other, Chen Nianguan and the second aunt were naturally holding a sugarcane in their hands, and Master Zeng was also holding a sugar cane, and even used it as a walking stick.
They looked at each other in dismay, and suddenly Aunt Chen also came over, she was with Shen Fan and Chen Feng to send Chen Nianjian off, and when she saw Chen Nianguan, she came to say hello to them, also holding a sugar cane in her hand.
So good guy, the three sugar canes sent by Chen Nianguan are reunited again.
It's a little strange that the four sugar canes appeared together.
Chen Nianguan was not embarrassed, and said mysteriously to the parents who were looking at the exams: "You don't understand, this is a talisman that protects you from passing every exam! With this, our candidates can pass the high school exam smoothly..”
The parents who sent the exam snorted.
No strength, want to rely on the talisman to pass the exam?What nonsense!
So the other test-sending parents unanimously decided to despise them!
Chen Nianguan, who was specially wearing a dress that opened the door, returned a contemptuous look.
You know, when she was admitted to a first-class university, it was her mother who sent her to the exam, and at the same time held such a straight sugarcane, which is called weighing a cane (straighter than a sugarcane, which means everything goes well and success is achieved), it's a pityI didn't find plantains and powdered bananas, but was missing you bananas (towards) for a day!
People in this dynasty are ignorant, don't blame them!
Chen Nianguan didn't know at this time that a sugarcane buying craze caused by today would sweep across the Prefecture City in the future, and he didn't know that the second aunt said goodbye to her, and when she returned to the pho shop, she casually put the sugarcane in the back kitchen.
Liu Feng, who came back from the purchase, happened to see it, hey, isn't this the sugar cane saw at the Tangshui shop?
My cousin also taught him how to eat sugar cane!
This thing is very sweet!
So Liu Feng came out with a knife, peeled the whole sugar cane with a couple of swipes, and began to eat happily. While eating and spitting out the dregs, Liu Chi came in.
Well, to be a good younger brother who shares the blessings with his older brother, break the sugar cane into two pieces and teach Liu Chi how to eat it.
So the two brothers killed a piece of sugarcane like this, aftertaste, "That's right, go to my cousin's tomorrow and drag some back to eat!"
Of course, the two brothers Liu Feng and Liu Chi didn't know about it at this time, because of this matter, they would be beaten up by their aunt later!
Besides, Zhang Erlang entered the Gongyuan, took his number plate and followed the Yamen servants to find his examination room. Fortunately, he was not a stinky number, he was relieved, and then started to clean up.
Each test room for candidates is a small compartment, equipped with a desk and chairs. The desk is specially made. It is a bit like a foldable cart. Take off half of it as a table, and half of it is a bedding.
On the side of the desk are the small pots and stoves that are rumored to be allocated to candidates.
After cleaning the examination room, Zhang Erlang took out the items in the examination basket one by one, placed them in a good place, and then asked Hao Jun to help fetch water and firewood, and asked him to make two more trips to store some firewood first, and then burned aAfter drinking the water from the copper tripod, he sat back in the exam dormitory, closed his eyes and rested his mind, waiting for the exam tomorrow.
Due to the large number of candidates, today is generally just admission, let the candidates come in to familiarize themselves with the environment, and the exam will start tomorrow.
The next day, still before dawn, the yamen servants woke up the examinees, and everyone got up to wash up.
After Zhang Erlang simply cleaned up, he took the time to boil the water, and then the horn sounded, and the exam officially started from this moment, and the yamen servants began to distribute the exam papers in order.
Zhang Erlang took the exam paper and went back to the exam room.
I was not in a hurry to do the questions, but found coconut flour wrapped in oil paper from the test basket, poured it into a diabolo tube, and then used another bamboo tube to scoop half of the hot water from the copper tripod, poured it into the bamboo tube with coconut powder, and then stretched it in with chopsticks and stirred it. The transparent hot water suddenly turned milky white, and then there was a strong aroma of coconut floating out. It tastes delicious just by smelling it.
This operation was taught by Wan Wan before the scientific examination.
Zhang Erlang smiled slightly.
Yesterday, had already eaten the thinly spread pancakes. Zhang Erlang found out the dried meat, took a slice, and slowly chewed it with the brewed coconut milk. It was delicious.
After eating, was refreshed, so cleaned up, took the test paper, and concentrated on doing the questions.
This was the case for the next two days.
On the third day, when Zhang Erlang handed in the paper, he was actually the first batch to leave the examination room.
I saw the other examinees who were handing in papers outside the Gong Yuan. Seeing that they had sallow complexions and dark circles under their eyes after the first round, they looked like they hadn't eaten or slept well, and they felt that they were winning.
It was only the first round that they were able to endure such hard work. I am afraid that in the next two rounds, these competitors will have to face even more difficult exams.
In the consecutive examinations of the township examinations, the first examination of the Four Books and Five Classics, the second examination of policy questions and laws, and the third examination of poetry, poetry and Fu.
Rao Zhang Erlang felt that he was full of energy and physical strength. By the time of the last round, he had been exhausted from torment, and lost the composure he had in the first round.
Tomorrow is the last day of the provincial examination. He is confident in the first two rounds, and his answers are fluent, and he will not make mistakes in the last round.
Zhang Erlang rubbed his browbones, gave up thinking for the time being, called the army, burned wood and boiled water, then took out the last remaining coconut powder, and made a cup of fragrant coconut milk.
Zhang Erlang smelled the strong aroma, remembered Chen Nianguan's instructions before leaving, and his ardent expectations for himself, and he couldn't help but feel refreshed. While sipping coconut milk, he slowly started drafting in his mind, and his thoughts graduallyclear up.
When Zhang Erlang unfolded the paper and buried himself in drafting, the other examinees outside could not help swallowing their saliva when they smelled the strong coconut fragrance wafting out.
The scientific examination has been going on until now, and most of the candidates can't stand it anymore.
Weak and weak scholars Weak and weak scholars, scholars or most people lack physical exercise, so they generally have low physical strength, and they can usually be full of economics to add to their temperament. Now they stay in the narrow exam dormitory for many days in a row.I can't sleep well, eat well, and have to deal with exam questions. It's a double torment of physical strength and energy.
So at this time, most of the candidates were exhausted, and now smelling the fragrant and strong smell, they couldn't help but look for the food they brought in.
But the food that most people bring is dry, and there is no such smell when eating bland cold boiled water?
Just by smelling the smell, one already knows who is eating warmly and freshly. When the examinees were jealous, the gluttons in their stomachs broke out and they could not stop swallowing.
If it was just this one person, it would be fine, but unexpectedly, there would be scents wafting out from other test rooms one after another. This is good, many candidates are permeated in a scent, but they can't smell it. It tempts them like claws scratching their hearts., Itchy, and extremely hated.
Which examinees are so hateful that they can bring in such delicious food?
It is simply destroying their will!
torture!
On the last day, Zhang Erlang copied the poems early, handed in the papers and left.
Those who left the examination room in the same batch as him, apart from those who completed the test papers like him, there were also candidates who couldn't bear the torment and hurriedly handed in the papers.
Although he was in better condition than ordinary candidates, Zhang Erlang was exhausted both physically and mentally, with a haggard complexion.
Chen Nianguan and his second aunt were waiting outside.
These days they were taking the exam in the Gongyuan, and she and her second aunt were also worried outside. After taking the exam for many days, they became restless. Seeing that Zhang Erlang finally passed the exam, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing his tired face, he also had a faint smell of rot—well, the weather is still hot, and he stayed in the test house without taking a bath for three days, the smell is really sour.
So Chen Nianguan first took Zhang Erlang back to Liuhua Lane by car.
They cooked chicken soup early, and waited for the two scholar men to come back from the exam to replenish their bodies.
After Zhang Erlang washed up, regardless of his appearance, he ate a whole meal, and then went back to the East Chamber to lie down and rest. He slept so dimly that he didn't even know when Liu Qing would come back.
Liu Qing came back in the afternoon.
Probably someone who is used to farm work, his body is better than the average person, and he is not like other fragile candidates who are crumbling after coming out, but the ugly face is his face.
The second aunt is a mother. Seeing her son's appearance, she guessed there was something wrong, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She took care of the eldest son, washed his face, drank chicken soup, and sent him to the room.Also blindfolded.
It seems that the three consecutive exams in a few days have exhausted the two scholars.
With the help of his second aunt, Chen Nianguan went back to Five Willow Lane.
Zhang Erlang and Liu Qing ate and slept like this, and it took two full days.
There are quite a few candidates like them, who only started to walk around after recuperating, and the Prefecture City became lively in an instant. After several years of studying hard in the cold window, and a few days of torture in the big exam, these scholars are now trying their best to relax.
No matter how good or bad the test is, you have to wait at least ten days to half a month before the rankings are revealed. Whether you are crying or happy, before that, you are all Schrödinger's cats. Why don't you seize the opportunity to enjoy the good times?
Needless to say, gatherings of poetry and poetry, there are also brothels, wine shops, gambling houses, restaurants and teahouses, and scholars are everywhere.
Not to mention the booming business of rice noodle shops, but even the sugar water shops are seeing students with good money come to try it out one after another.
As for the feeling after the tasting, was very satisfied, and then called friends and friends. In addition to the good business in the store, the takeaway department also broke its legs.
The boating boats on the water come more often than usual. Following the trend of Prefecture City, they naturally want to try all kinds of coconut products in the sugar shop. See you on a sunny day, coconut milk, coconut green sorbet, shredded coconut cake, etc.All of them have broken through the sales volume of the past, and have generated continuous income.
I chose to open a store in Prefecture City at the beginning, and it was absolutely right!
I chose to buy shops in Prefecture City at the beginning, and was right!
When chose to open an ice shop, opened a sugar shop together, which is even more right!
She came to Prefecture City to flex her muscles. The timing was really right!
Chen Nianguan keeps accounts every night, with a smile on his face!
When she tidied up, hid the smugness on her face, and calmly returned to the Tangshui Shop to be Master Chen, she saw Zhang Erlang, Liu Qing, Chen Nianjian and Zeng Si all came to the Tangshui Shop, and they were sitting together with excited expressionsTalking about something, Chen Nianguan walked over and heard that it was Zeng Si who was talking about betting.
It is a grand event every three years, and the inns and gambling houses will naturally not miss this good opportunity.
More than 1,000 people in the township examination took the exam, but in the end, only more than half a hundred candidates were selected. There were also many candidates who were used to bet. There were more than 200 candidates on the betting list.His name hangs all over the wall.
And there are more than 20 candidates for the first case of the township examination.
These twenty people are naturally candidates with outstanding talents and learning in the past few years, and they are basically ranked first.
Among them, the top ten became the big bets for many people.
Zhang Erlang, Liu Qing, and Zeng Si were naturally not included in the list of more than twenty, and neither was Chen Nianjian.
Since the failure of the college entrance examination, many people bet a lot on Chen Nianjian to win the small three yuan before the examination, but after being surprised, they missed the big loss and scolded Chen Nianjian terribly.
This time, Chen Nianjian's name fell out of the top betting ranks again, but it was still in the small bet on whether he could win or not.
Life has been so ups and downs several times, Chen Nianjian said that his iron heart was made in this way.
What Zeng Si was nagging about was that he went to several inns before he found an inn whose name was listed on the small note board.
How come so many people don't think highly of him?
However, he also said that it is much better than Zhang Erlang and Liu Qing. Both of them are not on the betting list, but they are not even qualified to bet on silver, which means that no one is optimistic about their success, which is worse than him.too much.
Zhang Erlang didn't care about Zeng Si's nagging, but Liu Qing smiled wryly.
Zhang Erlang looked at Liu Qing, Liu Qing shook his head.
In fact, after the last exam, Liu Qing felt intuitively that she probably failed the exam this time.
More than a thousand scholars competed on the same stage, and hundreds of them were the best. How long did it take me to pick up the school again after I had interrupted my studies for many years? I am lucky to be able to pass the exam.
After confirming her scientific examination results in advance, Liu Qing rested for two consecutive days to sort out her mood. After all, even if she admits that she is not talented enough, but the opportunity of the rural examination is rare, she just accepts that this time, if she wants to challenge again, she has to spend more time.three years.
Three years is enough to improve their studies, but in three years, how many talented juniors will emerge?By then, will he still be able to compete with it?
Liu Qing deeply felt that the future was unpredictable and the pressure was heavy, but as the eldest son of the family, such worries were not shown, but hidden in her heart.
And Liu Qing's worries were exactly the same as those of other candidates who lacked confidence.
There are talents from all generations, the rear waves of the Yangtze River drive on those before.
This is also the reason why, after some people are able to pass the examination of scholar, they can no longer move forward. From the high-spirited to the gray-haired examination, they still fail to pass the examination of Juren.
After all, there are too few places in the Juren examination, but there are so many talents emerging in endlessly.
"Everyone, come to our Tangshui shop to show your respect, it really makes the shop flourish!" Chen Nianwan greeted Zhang Erlang with a smile, and stood beside Zhang Erlang.
"Master Chen!"
"Four sisters!"
"cousin!"
Zhang Erlang looked at Chen Nianguan with a smile on his face: "Guanniang!"
"How is it? Do you like the sugar water in our store?"
"like!"
"Is it yummy?"
"tasty!"
Zeng Si added, "It's just too expensive!"
"Good things are naturally expensive!" Chen Nianguan looked at Zeng Si, "Master Zeng Si knows the market of the gambling house very well, has he won someone again, and how much money has he bet?"
I have money to bet on, but don't like the high price of delicious food in Tangshui shop.
Zeng Sin coughed, turned around, grabbed the drink and drank it, not looking at Chen Nianguan.
Zhang Erlang smiled and looked back at Chen Nianguan, "Busy?"
"Busy is busy, but I still have time to see you." Chen Nianguan responded, but at the same time he was thinking in his heart, busy, does being busy mean money!
Then he looked at Chen Nianjian: "Third brother, do you have confidence in Zhongju this time?"
Chen Nianjian hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I have done everything I can. As for whether I can win the exam, it can only depend on God's will."
Uh-huh, after so many exams, the third brother has also become more tactful.
"But I am optimistic about the third brother!" Chen Nianguan said with a smile, and was fair to the other three scholars: "I also wish you all success in one fell swoop this time!"
At the beginning of September, the results of the township examination were released.
Chen Nianguan specially wore a bright red satin skirt, and together with his second aunt, followed Zhang Erlang, Liu Qing went to the Gongyuan early to watch the announcement.
By the time they passed, the entire square inch outside the tribute courtyard was already full of candidates and their family members who came to see the announcement of the results, it was almost overcrowded.
As a last resort, can only book a private room in the nearest teahouse can find, and sit in the first room to wait for the news, and let Xiao You go outside to answer the news at any time.
They were not the only ones in the teahouse, there were also other scholars sitting in the teahouse waiting for the announcement, it was very lively.
It's all here, so Chen Nianguan just ordered tea, served refreshments, and waited while eating.
When the sun is high, even the bottom of the teahouse is crowded with people. Looking down from the window of the private room, it is dark and full of human heads.
The township examination held every three years, the result has touched the hearts of many people.
And in front, where Chen Nianguan and others couldn't see, the gate of the Gongyuan opened. When the exam started that day, the yamen servants and armored guards who came out first came out first.
The difference is that they didn't raise their signs to call out their names. Instead, they moved away from the nearest crowd in front of the door first, and then quickly started posting the list papers.
After the list is posted, the yamen servants will start to beat the gongs and drums, indicating that the manual report has officially started.
Everyone who heard the sound of gongs and drums was shocked, and the teahouse also ????? fell silent.
Sitting next to Zhang Erlang, Chen Nianguan's legs almost trembled with excitement, and when he looked at Liu Qing and his second aunt, his face also flushed slightly.
Soon, they heard the yamen servant shout loudly: "Good news!" Then there was a sound of gongs and drums!
The noisy voices disappeared, and everyone was listening with their ears pricked up, for fear of missing their own names!
"Master Di Andi from Yulin County, Zhong Shunhong ranked 76th in the Chuzhou Township Examination in the 28th year!"
Chen Nianguan heard Youlang shout excitedly, and then there was a commotion in the crowd!
It must have been the joy of the newly promoted Master Juren, as well as the congratulations and envy of the surrounding crowd!
The announcement starts from the last candidate who passed the exam, and goes up in turn, the higher the ranking, the later the call time, Chen Nianguan listened, it was basically a sound of gongs and drums, and then the yamen servant reported a name, and then looked forFor the master of the Zhongju, after the commotion, the sound of gongs and drums will be played again, and this cycle will be repeated.
Soon, the number of rankings was reported to be 60, and more than 50 entered!
"Good news!"
"Master Zhang Yulang Zhang from Funing County, Zhong Shunhong ranked 52nd in the Chuzhou Township Examination in the 28th year!"
Chen Nianguan opened his eyes wide, then subconsciously stood up, and Xiao You from outside also ran in excitedly: "Boss, Mr. Zhang, you won!"
Zhang Erlang also stood up, exchanged a glance with Chen Nianguan, tried to keep calm and smiled, but ended up laughing all the time, "Miss Guan, I've won!"
"Where is Mr. Zhang Yulang, Funing County?" Under the teahouse, there was a yamen servant running to announce the good news.
"Here, here!" Chen Nianguan and the second aunt shouted down the window sill.
That Xiao You followed Zhang Yulang and quickly squeezed out of the teahouse, and said to the servant of the Annunciation Office who turned around and found this way: "I am Zhang Yulang from Funing County!"
"Congratulations, congratulations to Mr. Zhang for his high school promotion!" The yamen servant smiled and said a series of festive words, Zhang Erlang took out the purse he had prepared and handed it to him, then looked up at the private seat of the teahouse.
Chen Nianguan and a group of people were bending over to look down, smiling brightly.
Zhang Erlang finally couldn't restrain himself, he laughed out loud looking at Chen Nianwan.
Finally, it's Juren!
General, is he worthy of Wan Wan?
Everyone next to him was envious for a while, and then saw the master juren making eye contact with the beautiful lady upstairs, and his heart was about to burst into flames!
He was hit, and it's still a matter of whether he got hit!
Just stop embarrassing our hearts, let's go!
Chen Nianguan saw Zhang Erlang coming all the way back. On the way, someone came to congratulate him and greeted him. It took a while to come back to the private room. Before he stepped in, she couldn't help shouting: "Master Zhang!"
Zhang Erlang's phoenix eyes were full, and he clenched his fist and coughed lightly at the corner of his mouth, before he managed to control his excited expression.
"Congratulations Mr. Zhang!"
"Brother Zhang, congratulations!"
The second aunt and Liu Qing also congratulated Zhang Erlang, Zhang Erlang cupped his hands and sat down: "Brother Liu, be safe and don't worry, we will be here soon!"
Liu Qing also cupped her hands, still smiling, but a trace of bitterness flashed across her face.
The names were called out one by one, and more than 30 people had arrived, but Liu Qing's name hadn't been heard yet.
The second aunt became uneasy, and Chen Nianguan gradually calmed down from the excitement at the beginning. He glanced at Liu Qing and saw that he was still calm.
When she heard that the last name called was the nineteenth, Liu Qing stood up suddenly: "Mother, let's go back!"
"How can you go back? Your name hasn't been called yet?" The second aunt was puzzled.
"Aniang, I know my own ability. With my talent and learning, I'm afraid I won't be able to enter the top 20." Because she accepted today's result early, Liu Qing did not lose her composure, "Aniang, let's go, let's go!"Even if you wait any longer, you won’t be able to hear your son’s name.”
The second aunt's face turned ugly, her lips trembled, she looked at her son, then at Zhang Erlang, she wanted to say something, but she didn't say anything in the end.
"Let's go back with you!"
Chen Nianguan also got up.
When they came here, the result they had to wait for was whether Zhang Erlang and Liu Qing could go to high school. Now that Zhang Erlang knew the result, since Liu Qing said that there was no hope of passing the exam, it should be true.
Knowing the result earlier, there is no need to die after hearing the final good news, otherwise it will be even more sad at that time.
So Chen Nianguan and his party left the teahouse early.
But in front of the Gong Yuan, the good news is still being reported one after another.
Zeng Si got 16th in the fourth grade, and Chen Nianjian ranked fifth, becoming the last of the Jingkui. Jiang Yu himself didn't come, so he called Wang Guanshi to come over to pick up the ranking, and it turned out to be Yayuan.Wen's candidate won.
The second aunt sent Liu Qing back to Liuhua Lane, while Chen Nianguan and Zhang Erlang went to the noodle shop first.
"How about it?"
As soon as he entered the store, Liu Feng, who was too busy to look at the list, yelled, and Liu Chi also quickly ran out of the back kitchen.
"Zhang Erlang is the master of juren!"
Liu Qing was not there, Chen Nianguan had no scruples, so he smiled directly.
"Congratulations!" The waiters and diners in the store were surprised, they all looked at Zhang Erlang, then got up and came over to greet the new imperial examination master.
"Okay, cousin-in-law, you're a candidate, can you become an official?" Liu Feng rushed up, seeing that his mother and elder brother were not behind them, he turned around and asked, "Where is my elder brother?"
Chen Nianguan's smile faded, and he shook his head towards Liu Feng.
Everyone then understood, oh, the big brother of the Liu family didn't win, and the congratulators were all in a mixed mood, half happy and half sad.
To avoid everyone's embarrassment, Chen Nianguan left the pho shop after sharing the good news with Zhang Erlang.
Zhang Erlang was going back to Liuhua Lane to prepare for the Luming Banquet specially held by the state capital tomorrow for new recruits, while Chen Nianguan went back to Tangshui Shop, smiling all the way.
After returning to the Tangshui shop, he said to Liu Yang: "Put a sign in the shop and tell the diners that Master Chen's future husband is the Lord Juren! Today's expenses are all free!"
"Really, really? Mr. Zhang is the master of Juren, so Master Chen, after you, will be the wife of Juren?"
The business at the ice shop was coming to an end, so Liu Yang was transferred from the sugar shop to work. Hearing that Zhang Erlang had won the job, he couldn't speak well.
"Really, hurry up and tell them, today I am the wife of Juren, and in the future, next year, I might be the wife of the first scholar." Chen Nianguan laughed proudly, "By the way, three days from tomorrow, ten bowlsGuiling jelly is free of charge, 20 bowls of Shuangpi Nai are free of charge, 30 servings of shredded coconut cake are free of charge, and 50 servings of drink are also free of charge. Each person is limited to one, first come first served."
"Okay, boss, I'm going to post the posters right now!" Liu Yang happily went to work.
Chen Nianguan expressed satisfaction.
This way, it is the first time that he can borrow the power of the golden thighs cultivated by himself!
Now she is a shop opened by Mrs. Juren, so don't think too highly of herself!
The news of Zhang Erlang's Zhongju also reached Mrs. Lin.
"Zhang Yulang really passed the exam?" Mrs. Lin was surprised, and it took a while before she came to her senses, "I thought that Zhang Yulang was an ordinary person, so I was wrong!"
"Then, ma'am?"
"It's okay, I'll write a letter of recommendation to the Elder Master, and when Master Chen and the others arrive in Capital City, I'll ask the Elder Master for it." Madam Lin smiled, "As long as they can meet the Elder Master!"
The next day, Zhang Erlang went to attend the Luming Banquet hosted by Mr. Cao in the Chuzhou Prefecture, where all the examiners and new recruits were invited.
Liu Qing failed the ranking this time, but the saddest thing was the second aunt.
You know, the scene of Liu Qing's passing the examination as a scholar is still vivid in my memory. How happy I was then, how disappointed I am today.
As a failed candidate, Liu Qing had to turn around to comfort her mother.
The second aunt just thought about it, and went to the pho shop.
That Liu Feng and Liu Chi also tried their best to enlighten their mother: "Mother, even if you don't win the exam this year, you will be a good man in three years, let's take the exam again!"
"That's right, didn't it take several years for eldest brother to pass the examination as a scholar?"
"Why did it take several years? It's obviously because your elder brother had to take care of you two cubs that delayed your studies. Otherwise, your elder brother would have been a scholar long ago." The second aunt retorted.
"Yes, yes, what A Niang said is right." Liu Feng and Liu Chi hastily admitted.
My mother-in-law was in a bad mood, she was right in everything she said, just go with it.
The original second aunt's depression gradually dissipated, but unexpectedly overheard the guests who came to the pho shop talking about something.
"Our Prefecture City's new imperial examination masters have become the best husband-in-law choices for the girls of the Prefecture City family. Then when someone studied these imperial examination masters, they discovered a mystery."
"What mystery?"
"Master Chen, the economic leader of Funing County, and two other talented scholars who were also from Funing County also won the exam. Yes, Master Zhang and Master Zeng? During the township examination, their family members all won the exam.The pole, said to be a talisman that must pass every exam?"
"What pole? That's obviously sugar cane!" Someone else explained, "It's really weird! Someone recognized the person who said that, it's Master Chen from Tangshui Shop?"
"It's also the owner of this pho shop!"
"That's right, Master Chen said, the sugar cane is a talisman, yes, can you pass every exam?"
"That's right, three sugar canes, three Juren masters, it can't be a coincidence, right?"
After listening to the gossip, the second aunt turned around stiffly.
Obviously there are four sugar canes, so there should be four Juren lords.
She remembered that at that time, she went directly back to the rice noodles shop from Gongyuan and put the sugar cane in the back kitchen.
"You guys, who saw the sugar cane I brought back that day?"
"Ah, sugarcane?" Liu Feng scratched his head, "Hey, I ate it!"
The second aunt looked straight at Liu Feng, and it took a while to come back to her senses, she picked up a handful of chopsticks and whipped him: "You crazy bastard, your elder brother's master Juren, it turned out that you ate him!"
"Mother, mother, I didn't, you wronged me!" Liu Feng yelled, "What's the matter, mother? But I just ate a piece of sugarcane. If you want it, I'll go find my cousin????? Sister, how many more?"I will pay you at all!"
"That's Master Juren, can you afford it?"
"Then, then you can't just slap me! The second brother ate too, so slap him! Smash him!"
If you are blessed and share hardships, you should also share them. Liu Feng simply sold out his second brother, so Liu Chi was also chased out of the back kitchen by his mother.
Liu Feng and Liu Chi were beaten up by their mother, and they didn't understand the reason for their beating until the end.
When the two brothers squatted in the corner and hid their heads to hide from their mother, their eyes widened and their eyes narrowed. No way, the elder brother didn't win the exam. Is it because he was eaten by them?
I don’t know if ate or not, anyway, the news that the three scholars who sent the exam with three sugar canes all passed the exam spread like wildfire in Prefecture City, and the rumors that blessed scholars must pass every exam also spread, and since then, every township examination, there are a group of people looking for sugarcane as a talisman to send for the examination, convinced that they will pass the cane by weighing it!
Turn around and talk about the Luming Banquet.
Zhang Erlang's ranking was not obvious, and the few candidates after the fight were all sitting in the back row of the banquet, just quietly following and acting according to the regulations.
After the relevant officials and all the newly promoted candidates arrived, Lord Luo, the chief examiner, and Zhifu Cao led the congregation to offer sacrifices to the saints, and they took turns to talk about the scene, and it was considered as the opening of the meeting.
On behalf of the candidates, Gao Jieyuan toasted the examiners according to the rules, and then settled down to drink the banquet.
When enough preparations were made, the formal atmosphere gradually eased. Some went to toast the examiners alone, and some talked to fellow subjects to promote their relationship. After all, these fellow subjects will come to Beijing to catch the exam in the future.I don't know about the great fortune, but it would be good to know a few more people.
All the officials present understood this truth.
The candidates here may be his colleagues who will be officials in the court in the future. They come to toast, they are not formal, and they sell some thin noodles. There is even a slick examiner, to express their cordial greetings, one by one.Zhan returned the salute, and when he invited Zhang Erlang to drink with him, his hands shook, and he was silent for a while looking at Zhang Erlang's face.
"You are?"
"Student Zhang Yulang from Funing County." Zhang Erlang didn't know why, and saluted slightly.
"Zhang Yulang?"
"Student is."
"You..." The examiner named Pang Juanhe seemed unbelievable, and still looked at Zhang Erlang steadfastly, "I don't know where Zhang Yulang's family is in Funing County? Who else is in the family?"
Zhang Erlang was surprised, but he answered truthfully.
Pang Juanhe nodded slightly, before he was about to ask more questions, Master Na Luo also came here at some time, and was startled when he saw Zhang Erlang.
This time, Zhang Erlang realized that it was unusual.
If an adult sees him with a surprised look, and then a second adult is also surprised at him, there is a problem.
Zhang Erlang remembered the memory he had lost.
Could it be that they know themselves?
However, these two adults are officials in the court, and he is just a villager in Haijiao Village, how can he get to know each other?
Luo Jing did not question like Pang Juanhe, and his expression was as usual. After the Luming banquet was over, Luo Jing asked someone to find a copy of Zhang Yulang's household registration. Seeing that the place of birth was Haijiao Village, Funing County, his faceThere was only a slight wavering on the face.
He naturally knew why Pang Juanhe was so shocked at the Lu Ming Banquet.
This new imperial examiner, Zhang Yulang, looks exactly like the son of Yongchang Marquis Residence in Beijing.
There were thousands of people in this provincial examination. As the chief examiner, he couldn't possibly know every student. It was also the first time he saw Zhang Yulang at the banquet, and he was surprised to see his true face.
He had personally seen the son of the Marquis of Yongchang, and Zhang Yulang's face was like a rebirth of the son.
However, Yongchang Hou Shizi is already dead. Last year, he was ordered to help arrest the bandits along the east coast of the south of the Yangtze River. After a big victory in suppressing the bandits, he was assassinated and died on the way back to Beijing.
Moreover, when participating in the township examination, these scholars should have already proved their integrity and proved that this person does have a government official household registration stamp to confirm that he is from Haijiao Village.Printed, together with household registration information, sent to the Ministry of Rites for milling.
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to impersonate someone.
Luo Jing knew that in this world, people would be similar.
After pondering for a long time, he called a personal attendant and asked him to go to Funing County to investigate Zhang Yulang's details in detail.