Chapter 447: Chapter 436: The Peasant Top Scorer
Throughout the journey, Ye Qiu was constantly on edge. Unfortunately, even though the Dalun Dynasty was prosperous, the security in some areas was not very good. There were remnants of the former regime or lazy opportunists who would block roads and rob; although such incidents were rare, hadn’t both the previous Ye Qiu and his father been killed by bandits?
Fortunately, the trip was safe and smooth, and by the evening of the second day, they had reached Dingshui State. Because Wang Zhaoxing had been informed earlier, he had already booked an inn in advance, sparing Ye Qiu the trouble.
"Brother Qiu, how is it? Are you confident?" Wang Zhaoxing asked Ye Qiu, his eyes blazing with intensity.
"I showed my essay to the teacher, and he said it was good."
The teacher is a very steady person; since he said it was good, it surely couldn’t be wrong. Wang Zhaoxing immediately beamed with happiness.
"What about you? Are you ready for the Imperial Examination?" Ye Qiu asked in return.
"I’ve revised everything that needs to be revised; whether I can pass depends on fate now." Although Wang Zhaoxing said this, his confident expression told Ye Qiu that there wouldn’t be any major issues. Ye Qiu was only worried about the weather, which was getting colder. He wondered if Zhaoxing could endure the five days in the examination hall. Deciding to boost his endurance, Ye Qiu planned to give him more Space Spirit Spring Water to drink in the coming days, as it couldn’t hurt.
After catching up with Ye Qiu, Wang Zhaoxing sneakily glanced at Xiuya. Despite being a girl, Xiuya was not shy at all, yet here was this grown man blushing and averting his gaze, his face red. Ye Qiu could hardly stand to see Zhaoxing looking so foolish.
If Xiuya didn’t also like him, Ye Qiu really would have considered replacing this fool.
Dingshui State was bustling. Fearful that Ye Qiu and the others were unfamiliar with the place, this fool even offered to take a leave to accompany them, only to be sent away by Ye Qiu in the end.
The bustle here was incomparable to Yi’an County; although Yi’an County was one of the larger counties around, it only had three or four streets. In contrast, a main street in Dingshui State could accommodate four carriages driving side by side, circled by eight well-developed side streets. The square was divided into East Market and West Market, with crowds bustling and occasionally, a few foreigners could be seen wandering around.
Considering the prosperity in Dingshui State, one could imagine how bustling Jing City must be.
The flip side of this prosperity was the steep property prices. Over the past two days, Ye Qiu had visited no fewer than three brokers. No matter which broker he consulted, the lowest price for a small courtyard with three or four rooms was over a thousand taels of silver. But the Ye family consisted of Ye Qiu, his three sisters, three maids, two mother-in-laws, and an Attendant Student; certainly, a small courtyard would not suffice for them. Moreover, Ye Xiutong still needed to continue with her gardening, and although they couldn’t afford a villa, a larger courtyard was definitely necessary.
By the fifth day, Ye Qiu finally found an appealing courtyard. The courtyard was spacious and even had a small pond, with plenty of rooms which were enough to accommodate the four of them and six servants, with room for a few more servants if needed. The only issue was the high price.
After purchasing the courtyard, the money Xiuya and Xiutong had earned over the past few years was nearly depleted.
"Well, our family is poor again. If Wang Zhaoxing rushes to get married, I can’t even afford Xiuya’s dowry," Ye Qiu joked.
Xiuya stomped her foot, her face flushed red as she glared at him: "Brother, you always joke about me, I won’t talk to you anymore."
Xiutong and Xiuying quietly giggled on the side. Seeing their eldest sister glowering at them, Xiutong quickly assured her, "Sister, don’t worry, I will take good care of the flowers and try to earn more money for your dowry."
Xiuya’s cheeks reddened even more, puffing her cheeks and placing her hands on her waist: "Well, now even you, this little maid, dare to joke about me, see how I will punish you. And you, little maid, don’t think I didn’t see you snickering."
The three sisters caused a commotion, Ye Qiu smiled relievedly, who could have imagined the scene three years ago when they couldn’t even get enough to eat?
Fortunately, he came, and everything was developing in a good direction.
After buying the house came the renovation, in order to create more space for Xiutong to grow flowers, all unnecessary decorations and floors were removed. That small pond, under Ye Qiu’s suggestion, Xiutong decided to create a garden dedicated to roses.
She now cultivates more than twenty varieties of roses, including vine roses, shrub roses, and miniature roses. Proper arrangement will definitely create an unexpected effect.
Once the renovation plans were set, it was the day for Wang Zhaoxing’s Imperial Examination. On this day, Wang Po and Wang Yang couple came to Dingshui State, and together with Ye Family members, they sent Wang Zhaoxing to the exam.
The Imperial Examination lasted for five days, and the weather was quite cold, which was indeed worrying. Wang Zhaoxing, amid his family’s concerns, entered the examination hall with a clear mind and good spirits. Over the years, under Ye Qiu’s supervision, he had not forgotten to exercise; though he appeared frail, he was all muscle, and these days he had drunk a lot of Spiritual Spring Water and was well-clothed. As long as he didn’t make any crucial mistakes, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
During these days, Wang Family stayed in the newly bought courtyard of Ye Qiu. Looking at the large courtyard, Wang family couple felt a twinge in their hearts, according to the agreement between the two families, once Zhaoxing finished his exams, it would be time to settle the engagement. Ye Family had bought a courtyard in State Mansion, they couldn’t possibly go back for the wedding, could they? But could they afford such a large courtyard?
"Really confused." At night, Wang Po quietly scolded her son and daughter-in-law.
"Ye Family values Zhaoxing as a person, not the silver. Doesn’t our daughter-in-law Qiu have a clue about our family’s assets?"
"So, are we buying this courtyard or not?"
"It’s fine to buy, and it’s also fine not to buy. If bought, it’s better for the two children to get married here. But once Qiu takes the Imperial Examination next year, they are definitely going to the capital for the exams. If we buy a courtyard here in State Mansion, we won’t be able to afford one in the capital. I suggest we wait until after they go to Shangjing for the exams; let’s not buy the courtyard for now."
"But if we don’t buy it, we’ll have to go back to Ye Village for the wedding. Wouldn’t Ye Baomin see our families getting married and cause trouble?"
Listening to her mother-in-law’s analysis, Wang Xiangshi was stunned. Being straightforward, she impulsively asked, "Should we ask the two kids?"
These two children naturally referred to Ye Qiu and Wang Zhaoxing, Wang Po nodded: "Let’s talk about it after Zhaoxing’s Imperial Examination is over."
During Wang Zhaoxing’s exam days, it was Ye Qiu who entertained the Wang family. The two families had already become very familiar and got along very harmoniously. The more they interacted, the more Wang Xiangshi liked Xiuya as her future daughter-in-law. Well-educated and composed, if her son became an official in the future, Xiuya would definitely be a great helpmate.
Apart from Xiuya, she also liked Xiutong and Xiuying. She had no daughters of her own and these days she practically treated them as her daughters. The five days passed quickly, filled with Ye Qiu’s intentional guidance and outings, and the mood of the Wang Family was no longer as anxious as in the beginning.
On the day the examination hall opened, both families arrived early outside, with plenty of hot tea and food prepared. Ye Qiu, always attentive, had even arranged for a doctor to be on standby, for which the Wang Family was incredibly grateful.