Starting from a thatched cottage, the farmer embarked on the road to wealth through imperial examina

The villagers watched the fun, ate some dried fruits and cakes, and then dispersed in groups of three or four.

The head of the village and several villagers with some reputation stayed until the end, and everyone had a smile on their face.

"Xiaozheng, you are so lucky. Your son Sanlang has passed the imperial examination and has become a scholar. This has brought honor to the entire Shanglin Village!"

The village head spoke to Ye Xiaozheng and kept casting admiring glances at Ye Changyan, and several other villagers followed suit.

"Thanks to everyone, thank you all for taking care of my Sanlang over the years. My Sanlang will definitely not forget your kindness."

After hearing what his father said, Ye Changyan bowed to these people.

"No, no, Sanlang's status is different now. When a scholar sees the county magistrate, he has the privilege of not having to kneel down."

The village head hurried forward and held Ye Changyan's arm, smiling and speaking. Several other villagers also smiled and refused to accept the greeting.

Seeing this, the Ye family also laughed happily.

"Xiaozheng, we won't delay you any longer. If you need any help, just give us a call and we'll be there at your beck and call."

The head of the village and the remaining villagers were talking as they prepared to leave, and Lian hurried forward to keep them there.

"Hold me, it's time for dinner, you uncles should stay and have dinner before leaving."

"Sister-in-law, you don't have to be so polite. Sanlang is in high school now, so he must have a lot of things to do. I won't bother you today! Just let me know if you need anything."

After saying this, the village head and his men left.

The people in the Ye family's yard looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.

At the Ye family's old house, the news that Ye Changyan had passed the imperial examination was heard, and the whole family was in an uproar.

"Who did you listen to?"

Ye Xiaowen, the eldest son of the Ye family, who had slept until noon and had not yet gotten up, looked at his wife in disbelief.

"Sleep, sleep, sleep! All you do is sleep. The news has spread all over the village!"

Ye family's eldest daughter-in-law, Xu, glared at her husband with a look of disappointment on her face.

"Quick, quick, gather Dalang and Laoer and the others. We have to discuss this. This is a big deal."

As he said this, he turned over, got up from the bed, and walked outside.

"After the second son's wife and Silang heard the news, they went to look for someone. I also asked Da Niu to look for Dalang, and Ping'er asked the old lady to go too."

As she spoke, Xu followed her husband out.

As soon as I walked into the yard, I saw the maid Ping'er supporting the old lady and walking out of the room.

"Mom! Please slow down."

When Ye Xiaowen saw his old mother, he hurried forward to support her and walked towards the front hall.

"What on earth is going on?"

The old lady was hurriedly called by the maid. She didn't know what had happened. When she saw her eldest son, she started asking.

"Mom, wait until my second brother and the others come back, and then we can talk about it together."

Soon everyone in the old house rushed back. It was Ye Xiaowu, the second son of the Ye family, and his wife Liu who caught him in Qingshan Town. At that time, Ye Xiaowu was cheating someone for money.

"Okay, everyone is here, tell me what's going on. Why is it so urgent?"

Old Madam Guo looked around at all her children and grandchildren, and finally her gaze fell on the second son's wife, Liu, because she knew that Liu loved to visit people and knew all the gossip about the neighbors.

"Mom, what a great joy! Sanlang passed the exam and became a scholar husband!"

When Liu saw the old lady's eyes set on her, she did not hesitate and dropped a bombshell in one sentence.

"hiss…"

Everyone in the Ye family who didn't know the situation took a deep breath in unison; this news was so unexpected.

"What did you say?"

The old lady couldn't believe her ears and asked back reflexively.

"Your grandson, Sanlang, passed the exam. Earlier, an official from the county government came to announce the good news. The village head personally led people to the village, beating gongs and drums, and setting off firecrackers. All the men, women, and children in the village ran to watch."

While Liu was talking, she kept gesturing with her hands.

"Did you see it?"

The old lady still couldn't believe it and asked again.

"When I ran over, I saw three officials coming out of the village. There were so many people gathered at the scene, so I ran back quickly and ran into my sister-in-law. She asked us to call everyone back."

"How did it happen?"

The old lady seemed not to have heard what Liu said and said this to herself.

"It's good to pass the exam. Passing the exam to become a scholar means you have achieved fame. I heard that a scholar can not only receive a certain amount of money and food from the government every month, but more importantly, he can also be exempted from corvée and land tax. Then my family can save a lot every year..."

After hearing what his wife said, Ye Xiaowu's face suddenly showed joy, and he spoke incessantly with a heartless look.

"Shut up!"

The old lady Guo's stern words startled everyone in the Ye family present.

"Who told me that among so many scholars, how many could pass the exam to become a scholar? It is not certain that these five students could pass the exam to become a scholar. It is said that only three to five people in our county can pass the exam to become a scholar. Who told me this?"

Ye Xiaowu remembered that he had said these words when he had persuaded his old mother to separate the third room. When he heard the old lady ask this, he was so scared that he quickly shrank back.

"Mom, it's useless to worry about these things anymore. The important thing is what should we do now?"

Ye Xiaowen, the eldest son of the Ye family, saw the old lady's dark face and spoke cautiously.

The old lady didn't say anything, as if she was in silence. Seeing this, everyone remained silent.

The old lady's mind was working fast at this time. In her eyes, the third son was just a sickly person who could not be helped. The third son's wife was from a peasant family and was short-sighted and had little knowledge. Although the second girl had a strong personality, she was just an unmarried girl. Although the fifth son studied with the third son, he was just a child who was not even ten years old.

I was wrong about this. I didn't expect Sanlang to be able to pass the exam and become a scholar. This child has been studying since he was young. When he was at home, his grandfather kept a strict watch on him and he didn't have much contact with family members. I really underestimated this child.

When I saw him being pulled back by bandits on an ox cart, I didn't know how long he would lie in bed. I even wondered if he would become like his sickly father even if he woke up. No matter how much I planned, I never expected that he would pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.

The old lady thought for a while and came up with a general plan. The most important thing right now was to repair the relationship with the third house, especially with Sanlang. In the eyes of the old lady, except Sanlang, she could easily control everyone else in the third house. It would be even better if she could get back the documents of the division of the family.

"Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu, you two take Da Lang, Er Lang, and Si Lang with you, take some silver and some snacks and fruits, go to the farm to congratulate San Lang, and pick them up at the same time."

After hearing what the old lady said, everyone was a little confused, but no one spoke.

When the group was about to leave, the old lady quietly told the eldest brother, Ye Xiaowen, a few words. Because she knew that the eldest brother was more mature and steady among these people, she felt more at ease when she told the eldest brother about the matter.