Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

Song Yun quickly alighted from the carriage, staring at his tightly closed gate. With no response for a long time, a sense of unease began to creep into his heart. His parents had always doted on him; upon hearing of his return, they should have come out to greet him. Unable to find a solution, he stepped forward, intending to raise his hand to knock.

Lin Shu was about to lift the carriage curtain to get out when an older woman in the crowd recognized Song Yun, so Lin Shu lowered her hand from the curtain.

"Oh my! Isn't this Song Ling's son? Tsk tsk tsk, I almost didn't recognize him after a year! I'm your third aunt, do you remember me?" Song Ling is the name of Song Yun's mother.

Upon hearing this, Song Yun seemed to remember the person and quickly asked, "Third Aunt, aren't my mother and father home?" Why had no one answered when she had been calling out for so long?

"Oh dear! Xiaoyun, your mother and father no longer live here." Aunt Song looked at Song Yun's attire, then at the carriage and the servant, and thought, "Song Ling's son is really promising."

"Huh? Where did they move to?" Song Yun wondered. This house was only recently built, so why would they move elsewhere?

“In the wooden house at the end of the village.” Aunt Song looked at Song Yun, her expression somewhat indescribable.

"How could they live there? That place is so dilapidated, how can anyone live there?" Song Yun was extremely anxious. The wooden house was located at the foot of the mountain and was the former residence of an old hunter from Songjia Village. After the old hunter left, it was left vacant, and the wooden house fell into disrepair. Not to mention living there, even raising livestock would feel drafty.

"It's all because your mother's old illness relapsed, and I heard that all the money went to your dowry. Sigh! In the end, we had no choice but to sell the land and the house."

Only then did Song Yun realize why his third aunt had been looking at him strangely—it was because he had taken away his parents' savings accumulated over many years. As their only son, he had never returned home to visit them, and was even unaware of his mother's illness; he was truly unfilial!

Song Yun was about to run towards the end of the village, completely forgetting about the carriage and Lin Shu.

Lin Shu sighed and said softly, "Get in the car!"

Song Yun then remembered that the carriage was faster than a person, so he scrambled back onto the carriage.

The carriage sped along, kicking up clouds of dust, leaving the villagers of Songjia Village standing still, their mouths full of dust.

"This is incredible! This kid from the Song family has really soared to great heights."

"Who says otherwise! That carriage must have cost at least several dozen taels of silver!"

"My God! Dozens of taels of silver! I'd have to save for decades!"

"Pshaw! This is nothing. Look at that silk outfit. My husband's sister's husband's cousin once went to Li's Cloth Shop and saw that a bolt of cloth cost over a hundred taels of silver."

"Hiss...isn't this like wearing silver on your body?!"

"If you ask me, his wife is much more attractive. You didn't see her just now. She's absolutely stunning, like no other woman before or since. If I were a man, I would want to cling to her."

"Didn't they say he married a hoodlum?"

"Tch! Who knows? Maybe it's just a rumor!"

"Let's follow them and see for ourselves, let's go..."

"Walk……"

"..."

On the carriage.

Song Yun nervously tugged at Lin Shu's sleeve, afraid that something might have happened to her mother if she had returned too late.

"Waaah... My lady, my mother is sick. I live so close by, yet I haven't come back to see them. I'm so unfilial!"

Lin Shu grasped his hand in return. This matter was, in a way, the original owner's fault. Peach Blossom Village and Song Family Village were adjacent, yet Song Yun, after marrying into the village, didn't allow anyone to return to their parents' home. Thinking of this, she offered words of comfort:

"Ayun, don't overthink it. Before we came here, I discussed it with my father. If Ayun's parents are willing, they can come with us to the prefectural city to take care of them in their old age and see them off in their final days."

With tears welling up in her eyes, Song Yun stared blankly at Lin Shu: "Really? But that's against the rules, and the mistress might be criticized..."

"It's alright. Rules are made by people." Lin Shu interrupted.

"Waaah... My wife, how can you be so good to me?" Song Yun suddenly threw herself into Lin Shu's arms, carefully wiping her tears on Lin Shu's clothes, and occasionally stealing glances at her, as if a child was testing the adult's tolerance with mischief.

Lin Shu witnessed his childish behavior but did not get angry. She simply patted his back gently.

"Master, Consort, we've arrived," the servant announced.

Lin Shu wiped away Song Yun's tears, took his hand, and said gently, "Let's go!"

The two alighted from the carriage together. Looking at the dilapidated house before her and the coughing coming from the courtyard, Song Yun was filled with anxiety. She immediately released Lin Shu's hand and hurried inside. Lin Shu looked at her empty palm and shook her head helplessly.

Upon hearing the noise, Song Yun's father, Madam Yun, quickly helped Song Ling out. They saw a man dressed in yellow silk, with fair skin and a charming appearance, walking towards them, followed by a magnificent carriage and a woman with outstanding temperament. They were momentarily stunned.

"What brings you here, distinguished guests...?" Song Ling asked. She looked uneasy, after all, her family was just an ordinary farming household, and they had never seen such a grand occasion before.

At this moment, Aunt Song, who had rushed over as fast as she could, didn't even have time to catch her breath before she quickly said, "Oh my! Sister Song Ling, your son Song Yun is back. Look at him, I told you you definitely wouldn't recognize him."

Song's father, Yun, stared at Song Yun for a long time before he could recognize him as his mischievous and naughty son.

Song Ling was frail from childhood, so she only married him. They had only one son, Song Yun. So, although they lived in a farming family, Song Yun was pampered by his wife and husband from a young age.

“Xiao Yun…” Madam Yun looked at her fair-skinned son and raised her withered hand, intending to gently stroke his face. However, as if afraid that the calluses on her hand would hurt her son, she quietly withdrew her hand. Only the trembling corners of Madam Yun’s mouth could reveal her excitement.

"Father! I miss you so much!" In just one year, her parents had aged considerably. Song Yun rushed into Yun Shi's arms, like a newborn cub yearning for her father's comfort.

Song Ling stepped forward, suppressing her cough, and pulled the two into her arms, embracing them and weeping. Her son hadn't returned home yet, and she and her husband had wanted to visit him, but her old illness had flared up. They had already sold their land and house, hoping not to be a burden on him. They had heard that his wife had tried to sell him months ago, but they were powerless to stop it…

The atmosphere was just getting right when Aunt Song spoke again, interrupting them:

"Sister Song Ling, don't cry yet. This is your daughter-in-law, who is also the wife of young master Yun. Don't neglect her later."

Song Ling and Yun Shi then realized that they had almost forgotten about the person.

"Father, this is my wife, Lin Shu." Song Yunyi ran to Lin Shu's side with a joyful expression and introduced her, taking her hand.

"Daughter-in-law greets mother-in-law and father-in-law." Lin Shu bowed slightly and paid her respects to the two elders.

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