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

Lin Shu looked up at the sound and saw a tall, composed middle-aged man staring at Su Jing with displeasure. This man bore a resemblance to Amu in his features, so he was likely Amu's father.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man quickly shifted his gaze to Su Mu, who had his back to him, and his tone softened, as if he wanted to step forward but dared not: "Mu'er?"

Su Mu had already frozen in place upon hearing his father's first words. Now, hearing that familiar "Mu'er," he could no longer control his emotions. He turned and threw himself into his father's arms, uttering with difficulty the word he hadn't spoken for years: "Father!"

"Waaah... Father's Mu'er is back!" Father Su was also in tears, holding Su Mu and weeping bitterly.

The servant who had served Su's father for many years hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him, "My lord, please bring the eldest son into the manor first. The eldest son is pregnant and should not be overworked."

"Ah! Yes, yes! Look, it's all my fault, Father. He almost exhausted my Mu'er. Let's go inside quickly." Father Su wiped away his tears and was about to pull Su Mu into the mansion when he saw Su Mu's hesitant expression. He sighed inwardly and turned to Lin Shu, saying, "You come in too!"

"Yes, Father-in-law," Lin Shu replied, then instructed the servant she had brought to unload the items from the carriage, and said to the two guards at the gate, "Please take these to Father-in-law's courtyard."

At this time, all the items that a married daughter brings back to her parents' home belong to her father, who then selects some to distribute to others.

All that could be seen were exquisite items being unloaded from the carriage, taking up most of the open space.

Upon seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Su's father's eyes. Didn't that brat Su Jing say that Mu'er was having a hard time when he came back last time? But at this moment, he was unusually kind to Lin Shu.

After Lin Shu and the others entered the mansion, Su Jing's eyes flashed with jealousy as she looked at the things at the entrance. Then, glancing at Gu Qing, who had been distracted ever since hearing about Su Mu's pregnancy, her expression darkened even further.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he pulled Gu Qing along, quickly catching up with the group ahead. Wasn't that woman also going to participate in the imperial examination? He simply couldn't believe that woman could compare to Gu Qing.

Turn right upon entering the Su residence and you'll find a long corridor. Beneath the corridor, a pond is filled with water lilies the size of bowls, adding an elegant touch to the entire courtyard.

Walking along the long corridor to the end, you can see a huge stone wall engraved with "plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum". Going around the stone wall, the Su family's reception room comes into view.

Father Su, arm in arm with Su Mu and leading Lin Shu behind him, was about to step onto the stairs and enter the house when they suddenly heard a man's high-pitched voice coming from inside:

"My lady, wouldn't it be inappropriate to not let them in?"

The woman referred to as the wife was Su Mu's mother, and she spoke in a cold tone:

"What's wrong with that? Qing'er and Jing'er are coming today, so we mustn't cause any trouble... My studies are not progressing well these days, and our Yi'er still needs more guidance from her in-laws!"

Su's father stopped at the door, his body trembling with anger. He then heard the man with the strained voice say pretentiously, "However, when I came over just now, I heard that my elder brother had already gone out to greet us... What if my elder brother..."

"I am the wife, and the husband should revere his wife. If he dares to cause trouble, see how I punish him..."

Before Su's mother could finish speaking, a cold and angry male voice rang out:

"Oh? How does my wife intend to punish me? Are you perhaps going to threaten me with a letter of divorce again?"

The two people inside heard the sound and looked up. Because the door was only half open, they did not notice anyone at the door at first.

Su's father was seen standing at the door with a man whose belly was slightly protruding. There seemed to be several other people following behind them, but because of the backlighting, it was difficult to see their faces clearly.

After Su's father entered the house, he first found a soft cushion and placed it on a chair to settle Su Mu in. Then he walked to the main seat and said in a deep voice to the man sitting there, "Move aside!"

The man was Su Jing's biological father and Su's mother's second husband. Upon hearing this, he turned around and looked at Su's mother with a face full of grievance, but Su's mother did not look at him at all. Helpless, he had no choice but to get up and sit down at the lower end.

He secretly wondered to himself: His Yi'er is now the only daughter of the Su family, and normally no one would dare to argue with him, so why is she like this today...?

Little did he know, Su's father usually regarded him as a clown and disdained to bother with him!

……

"Mother-in-law/Mother, Second Uncle..."

Although Lin Shu also had some dissatisfaction with Su's mother, she still couldn't be lacking in proper etiquette, and Su Mu, who was standing to the side, also stood up and bowed to each of them.

Although it wasn't the first time Su's mother had seen Lin Shu, she was still shocked by her appearance, and she didn't seem as scoundrel as before. However, what good is being born beautiful? She's just a hoodlum, and no one knows what benefits she's trying to gain from this visit.

Thinking of this, she nodded indifferently, then casually said with a hint of sarcasm, "Hmm. It's rare for you to come. Please have a seat."

After saying that, he ignored them and turned to look at Su Jing and Gu Qing. This differential treatment made Su's father's face extremely ugly.

Gu Qing was still staring at Lin Shu's face in surprise. She had been so focused on Mu'er outside the door that she hadn't noticed this person. She knew this person; Lin Shu was the champion of this Ink Fragrance Poetry Gathering and the top scholar in the provincial examination who had achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examination. She was actually Mu'er's wife?

Su Jing tugged at Gu Qing's sleeve several times before she snapped out of her daze, quickly stepped forward, and bowed in greeting:

"Mother, Father!"

"Mother-in-law, father-in-law".

With a smile, Su's mother gestured for the two to rise, about to ask Gu Qing how her studies were going. Just then, Su's father slammed his teacup on the table with a "bang," scoffed, and looked at Su Jing, saying:

"Su Jing, is this how your father always taught you? Does he not respect me as his elder?"

Su Jing was taken aback, only then realizing that she had subconsciously ignored her father when she greeted him, and looked at her father with some unease.

Upon receiving his gaze, Su Erfulang quickly stood up and said solemnly, "Jing'er was just confused for a moment. Besides, we've been doing this for so many years. Why should you hold it against him now, elder brother?"

Upon hearing this, Su's father looked at him expressionlessly, as if to say: You know that I've been lenient all these years?

Su Erfulang was momentarily embarrassed and turned his gaze to Su's mother, his face full of grievance: "My lady..."

Su's mother was also annoyed by Su's father's interruption, so she slammed her hand on the table with a serious expression: "Enough! There are so many people here, can't you just shut up?"

"How can you stop this? When you came in just now, you asked your wife what she wanted to do with me, whether to divorce me or what? Has anything been decided yet?" Su's father looked at his second husband's smug expression and retorted to Su's mother without any mercy.

"You think I wouldn't dare?" Su's mother, having been humiliated in front of so many younger people, blushed deeply. She then turned to the people inside and said, "All of you, get out."

"Ha!" Father Su let out a cold laugh from his throat, then said to Su Mu and his two husbands:

"Mu'er, take your wife to your old room to rest."

After everyone left, Su's mother still had a gloomy expression: "Xuanlang, after all these years, haven't you made enough trouble yet?"

Upon hearing this long-unheard form of address, Su's father's expression shifted, followed by a bitter smile:

"Yes! It's been so many years..."

-

[The complicated relationship between Su's parents will be covered in a side story~ But Su's mother is definitely not a good wife!]