The sickly son died young? After the marriage exchange, I will bring prosperity to his entire clan f

Not only has Ling's fourth son returned, but he has also passed the imperial examination. This is a very important event, and the villagers have been talking about it for the past few days. The clan chief walks with a brisk pace every day.

They even set a date to hold a ceremony in the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, and the family genealogy was divided into a separate page for Ling's father's lineage.

This time, Du Mingxian didn't manage anything. Chief Ling took care of everything, using money from the village's clan land. Ling's father also contributed a lot of things and money.

When you open the ancestral hall here, the offering table is filled with whole pigs, whole sheep, chickens, ducks, geese and so on.

The whole village was filled with joy and was even more lively than during the Chinese New Year.

Du Mingxian was also in the crowd. She stood at the front with Ling's mother as always, which was the status and confidence that Ling Silang gave them.

After the ceremony, preparations for the banquet began. This time, both the women and men in the village were very proactive in finding things to do, so there was no need to assign them any work; they could find tasks on their own.

Du Mingxian didn't manage or do anything; instead, she stayed by Grandma Xu's side and chatted with her.

"This is wonderful, this is the true essence of everyday life." Old Mrs. Xu grew up in a wealthy family and had never seen such a scene before. She had lived in the city ever since.

When you visit the village now, you see such a lively scene, without any backstabbing or infighting. Everyone's face is filled with happy smiles, and children are running around.

Looking at this, Old Mrs. Xu murmured, "If this were to be included in a painting, it would be absolutely wonderful."

Du Mingxian asked, "Then I'll go prepare it for Grandma."

"no, I'm fine."

Grandma Xu tried to stop her, but she didn't explain. Du Mingxian didn't ask any more questions either, and just watched everyone busy at work.

There were quite a few people this time, including villagers, relatives and friends, and some local gentry. The gifts Ling Silang received alone were so numerous that they filled an entire room.

After welcoming and seeing off guests, it wasn't until dark that Du Mingxian finally managed to tidy up. She was so exhausted that she could barely straighten her back.

She had just pushed open her bedroom door when she saw Old Mrs. Xu already asleep, and she froze.

She was so busy that she forgot her grandmother had come and was staying in her room, while she could only share a room with Ling Silang. She quietly closed the door and went to Ling Silang's room.

Ling Silang had not yet returned. After Du Mingxian entered the house, she closed the door and went straight into her spatial dimension to sleep.

This has been the case lately. Outsiders see that the two of them are now living in the same room, but actually... every night Ling Silang sleeps in his own bed, while she goes directly into her space to sleep, so they don't bother each other.

The next day, the Ling family ate together, and afterwards they all sat together, clearly having something to discuss.

Ling's mother spoke up, "Si Lang, what are your plans after passing the imperial examination this time?"

Ling Silang, with a weak face, said, "I still want to continue taking the exam."

"Continue taking the exam? With your health... are you even fit to go to the capital?"

"So I was thinking of going as soon as possible. It will get cold in a few days, so I can go and stay there for a while. I can take the exam when it gets warmer in the spring. If I go after the New Year, it will probably be too cold on the way," Ling Silang explained.

Ling's father looked at it and said, "Then let your third brother go with you. Your eldest and second brothers are both busy, only your third brother is free. Let him go with you."

Ling Silang didn't want anyone else to come with him; he just wanted to go with his wife. It would be more convenient on the way, and they could eat and drink their way to the capital. With someone by his side, it would be inconvenient to do anything.

"Alright, it's up to Third Brother." He wasn't too happy about it, but he still agreed, because it was his family's way of showing concern for him.

Ling Sanlang hesitated for a moment and glanced at Liu Shi. “Mother, after I leave, let my wife move in with you. She… just found out she’s pregnant, and I’m worried about her living alone.”

This is a joyous occasion for the Ling family.

Ling's mother has been so preoccupied with Ling Silang's affairs lately that she hadn't noticed, "Sanlang's wife, you're pregnant?"

Liu nodded, blushing.

Ling Sanlang explained, "There have been a lot of things going on at home lately, so we didn't tell them about what we found out. We were originally planning to tell everyone in the next couple of days."

Ling Silang quickly spoke up, "Third sister-in-law is pregnant. My trip will take a long time. If Third Brother wants to take me there, he must stay until I finish the exam. After the exam, we still don't know the results. If I pass, I will have to stay in the capital or be appointed as an official in another region. Third Brother will be delayed again."

"Third sister-in-law's pregnancy is a big event for our family. Father, Mother, and I are still in poor health, but it's not a big problem. Besides, I want to go with Mingxian. With Mingxian taking care of me, we can travel a little slower and it should be fine."

Ling's mother hadn't thought of Du Mingxian going before. This was the custom in the village; usually, it was the men who went out, and it was rare for women to go with them.

Ling's father also had a rigid mindset.

"Why don't we buy two servants to take care of them?" Wang suggested.

Ling's mother also said, "Yes, we'll feel at ease if we buy someone to take care of him."

Seeing that his parents were genuinely worried about him, Ling Silang didn't refuse to die. "There's still time. We can discuss it further. Second brother, aren't you going to the county to deliver goods today? Mingxian has something to do and is waiting for you to go with her."

"Yes, yes, I need to go to the county."

Seeing that Ling Silang was unwilling to talk, Ling's father simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, everyone go back to your work. We'll discuss this matter later."

The matter remained unresolved, and everyone went about their business. Ling's father was about to leave when Ling Silang called out to him, "Father, Mother, your son has something to say."

Ling's mother's house, where her parents and Ling Silang lived.

He finally spoke, "Father, Mother, I'm actually fully recovered."

Ling's mother frowned. "Don't try to comfort your father and me. Look at your face, it's so pale, even your lips are white."

Ling Silang chuckled, "Please wait a moment."

Ling Silang went to fetch water and, in front of the two of them, washed his face repeatedly with facial cleanser, finally revealing his true appearance, which stunned Ling's mother.

"Si Lang, you..."

After wiping his face with a handkerchief, Ling Silang sat down to explain, "My body has always been weak, and I was almost dead. I suddenly came back to life and passed the imperial examination. I was afraid that people would talk about me behind my back, so Mingxian came up with a way to make this for me. When I apply it, my face is very white and you can't even tell."

Seeing Ling Silang's current state, Ling's father and mother were somewhat convinced.

Ling Silang, fearing they still wouldn't believe him, simply walked to the cabinet next to him, picked it up with both hands, and lifted it up with ease, giving the two of them quite a fright.

"This...this is real." Even Ling's mother couldn't believe it.

Ling's father nodded blankly.

Ling Silang sat back down. "It's true, Father, Mother, I'm really alright."

Ling's mother wanted to ask how he suddenly recovered, since the doctor had previously said he wouldn't live past twenty. However, seeing that Ling Silang hadn't said anything, she didn't press the matter.

Ling's father did ask, "Did you have a fortuitous encounter?"

"Yes."

Seeing his son's expression, Ling's father knew he had a plan in mind. "What are you thinking? Just the two of you going to the capital?"

"Yes."

"The journey is long, and I'm afraid of encountering ill-intentioned people along the way."

"Don't worry, Father, we will be careful."