Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

Ji Nuan actually didn't know much about Mr. Fu's academic level, but she often heard Ji Chuan and Qiu Shishen praise him for his extensive knowledge, so she thought he must be quite knowledgeable.

She smiled and said, "Yes. If there is good news, it will probably reach our home soon."

Meng Ran's success in the imperial examination was not only an honor for the Meng family, but also a source of pride for the entire Taohua Village.

In Dongchu, scholars were highly respected, and the imperial court granted them certain privileges. Passing the imperial examination meant one foot in the officialdom. If a low-ranking official position became vacant in a local government office, a scholar with the rank of Juren could often fill the position through the recommendation of the chief official.

With a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, Taohua Village naturally received some benefits from the government. For example, when collecting taxes, officials would not dare to collect more without reason; when building roads and rivers, they would be more likely to be assigned easier tasks.

Therefore, as soon as the sound of firecrackers announcing the good news was heard, almost everyone who could move came to the village chief's house, except for those who were lying in bed and unable to get up.

When Ji Nuan and Aunt Zhou arrived here, they saw red firecracker paper scattered all over the ground outside the yard. The yard was crowded with villagers who came to congratulate them.

"Village Chief, Meng Ran, congratulations! Your family is the first scholar to emerge from our village. This truly brings honor to our family!"

"The village chief's son has been smart and knowledgeable since he was young. Now, before he's even 20, he's already achieved the title of Juren. His future is limitless!"

"Congratulations! We watched Meng Ran grow up, and now he has become a successful scholar. It's really gratifying!"

"Village Chief, Meng Ran passed the imperial examination. Shouldn't you treat the whole village to a feast? Hehehe, let's all share in the joy!"

……

Compliments and congratulations were heard everywhere, and the whole yard was noisy and lively.

Ji Nuan originally wanted to just look at the crowd from behind and go through the motions, but Aunt Zhou was like a slippery loach, pulling her to the front in a few seconds.

"Meng Ran, you are really amazing! From now on, I will have to respectfully call you Master Juren!" Aunt Zhou had just come out of the crowd and blurted out words of praise.

Meng Ran politely responded with a bow, "Aunt, please stop teasing me. It's more intimate to call me Meng Ran."

Ji Nuan was pulled out by her, and before she could stand firmly, a handful of malt sugar and melon seeds were stuffed into her hands.

"Nuannuan, come and share in the joy!" The village chief's aunt smiled proudly.

Ji Nuan: "Thank you! Congratulations, Auntie! Brother Meng Ran is one step closer to becoming an official!"

The village head's aunt was so pleased to hear this that her face almost broke with laughter. "Of course, my Meng Ran has never let me and his father down. In the future, I also want to rely on my son to become a royal consort!"

Meng Ran didn't like his mother's condescending attitude in front of Ji Nuan. He glanced at Ji Nuan a little embarrassedly, then stopped the village head's aunt from continuing her fantasy: "Mom, what are you talking about? You should just hand out the wedding candy to everyone."

The village head's aunt happily grabbed malt sugar and melon seeds from a bamboo basket and distributed them to the villagers, but she couldn't help but say, "What's there to be ashamed of? Aren't all scholars aiming to become high-ranking officials and bring prosperity to their families? You're my son, and I can't help but feel proud of your achievements!"

An aunt took the wedding candy and hurriedly complimented him, "Oh my, Meng Ran is so promising, it's only a matter of time before you become a royal consort!"

There was a lot of noise all around. Ji Nuan took advantage of the fact that people around her were busy rushing forward to receive the wedding candies and quietly moved back.

"Huh..." She finally managed to get out of the crowd and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Meng Ran's voice suddenly rang out from behind her: "Nuannuan, I passed the imperial examination."