The daily life of a peasant girl taking the imperial examination

Zhuge Yunshu hurried to the entrance of the town school and immediately saw Zhuge Laifu and his wife standing outside.

After greeting the guards, she ran straight toward them.

"Father, Mother, why are you here? Is something wrong at home?" Zhuge Yunshu asked with concern.

It's already 6 PM. If it were her uncle coming, she wouldn't be surprised at all, but since it's her parents, she can't help but worry.

"Look at you, what's the rush? Running so fast. Everything's alright at home, don't worry!" After saying that, Madam Lin quickly stepped forward to help her daughter catch her breath.

Seeing the undisguised joy on his parents' faces, Zhuge Yunshu finally felt relieved.

"Dahua, we have a courtyard house in town now. It's a two-courtyard house with shops facing the street. I heard it's very valuable." Zhuge Laifu said happily, looking at his daughter who had calmed down.

“Your father and I have been staying in town for several days now, but we’ve been too busy to tell you,” Lin added.

Zhuge Yunshu was somewhat bewildered at this moment, wondering how his family had suddenly bought a house in town.

Could it be…? Zhuge Yunshu slapped his forehead and looked at Zhuge Laifu with surprise, “Father, you are too capable! You have earned so much money in less than a month.”

“Dahua, you think too highly of your dad. Although he has earned some money recently, it is not enough to buy a yard in town.”

"This courtyard was a reward from the clan, who said that our family should manage it well so that it would be suitable for your future imperial examinations," Lin explained.

“Yes, yes, your second grandfather in the capital even sent a letter saying that you are talented and must be nurtured well. He also warned us not to hold you back.” Zhuge Laifu said with a proud look on his face.

Of all the families, only his family had the honor of having the person in the capital personally write a letter of admonition.

In his opinion, his second uncle, who was an official in the capital, was worrying unnecessarily. Da Hua was promising; how could they possibly hold her back?

Zhuge Yunshu couldn't believe it; she had only come in first place in the clan's literary competition, yet she was being treated with such importance by the clan.

The paternal uncle from the capital even rewarded their family with a large courtyard in the town. That's quite a generous gift!

"Father and Mother, did the clan chief or the village chief write a letter to that clan elder in the capital? Otherwise, how would he know about me?" Zhuge Yunshu asked doubtfully.

"Father doesn't know either, but your clan chief grandfather said that he only wrote the letter three days ago, and the letter from that great-grandfather in the capital arrived. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have been this fast." Zhuge Laifu was also unsure.

It's not surprising that the Zhuge family members didn't know this; everything was due to a series of coincidences.

Didn't Zhuge Yunshu initially sell a batch of handwritten early childhood education books to the bookstore owner, Manager Shen?

Manager Shen was a shrewd businessman. He added solutions to two mathematical problems, "The Chicken and Rabbit Problem" and "The Cup on the River," to the first page of each primer, and then sent them to bookstores in the county town to promote them extensively before selling them at high prices.

It happened to be bought by a student from the capital who came to the county school for study, and he told his classmates about it as an interesting story.

As luck would have it, Zhuge Yun Chu, who happened to be passing by, overheard the conversation. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the woman was actually a cousin from the main family in Yunshui Town, Pingchuan County. That very night, he shared the good news with his grandfather.

After all, who wouldn't want their clan to have a few more exceptionally talented individuals?

That's why we have this situation today.

"Alright, Da Hua, who cares how he knew? Your father and I have another matter to discuss today." Madam Lin looked at Zhuge Laifu, gesturing for him to elaborate.

"Well, that courtyard has shops facing the street, right? Your mother and I were discussing what kind of business to start. So these past few days, we've been building good relationships with the neighbors while wandering around the streets and alleys, and we actually discovered a business opportunity."

“Many families with children can’t find suitable wives or sons-in-law when they reach marriageable age, so your mother and I are planning to open a matchmaking shop to help these people find partners,” Zhuge Laifu said.

"Father and Mother, aren't you matchmakers?" Zhuge Yunshu asked, puzzled. In her opinion, matchmakers had to run around to both sides, which was a thankless task. She wondered if her parents could endure such hardship.

"How could it be a matchmaker? Those people are worried because they think matchmakers are unreliable."

"Our matchmaking agency requires absolute accuracy in all information about every eligible man and woman. We can't make money by going against our conscience."

"Your mother and I have discussed it. She will be in charge of information on all unmarried women in town, and I will be in charge of information on all unmarried men in town. Once we have collected all of this information, we can start operating," Zhuge Laifu said excitedly.

"Wait, Father and Mother, what information are you planning to gather about them?" Zhuge Yunshu asked curiously.

"Name, age, appearance, character, bad habits, family situation, health condition, what kind of betrothal partner they are interested in, etc., the more details the better. It was a bit tiring at the beginning, but it got much easier later on. Your mother and I love chatting with people the most. In fact, we've talked to everyone on the street these past few days," Zhuge Laifu explained.

Zhuge Yunshu was shocked by his parents' outrageous actions; they were simply unbelievable!

And her father's idea seems somewhat similar to a modern marriage agency.

"With so many people in the town, can the two of you handle it?" Although Zhuge Yunshu thought the idea was good, it would still be quite difficult to implement.

"Well, your mother and I had already planned this. We were going to look for beggars on the streets. If we're talking about familiarity, who in the whole town knows more than these people? They walk around the town all day long, so they know a little about the situation of each family."

"One copper coin for each piece of information, of course duplicates don't count... An extra copper coin for more than five pieces of information, but it must be kept secret initially... Those who get a lot of real information will have the chance to become shop assistants in our shop. Don't underestimate these beggars, their ability to get along with everyone is only comparable to your father's..."

When Zhuge Yunshu heard her father's thoughts, she couldn't help but sigh. He was truly a genius businessman whose talents were wasted on farm work. She should have realized it sooner. Just by looking at how clever her father was when he was slacking off every day, he had the talent of a shrewd businessman—no, I mean, he had the talent for business.

However, given his advanced business acumen, she is increasingly suspecting that her father might be a time traveler who hasn't awakened his memories of his past life.

"Father, do you like the five-star red flag?" Zhuge Yunshu asked tentatively.

Maybe it can awaken his father's memories?

"What is this? Why should I like it?" Zhuge Laifu was completely confused.

"Host, don't overthink it. Your father isn't like that; he just has a high talent for business."

"Besides, many current business models are based on the ancients, so don't underestimate anyone."

"In particular, don't underestimate lazy people; they will rack their brains to find ways to be lazy."

Zhuge Yunshu: "..."