After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Gu Lin was pestered by the diners in the lobby, who asked him how he managed to raise a scholar. Seeing that Gu Lin was busy, Zheng Hao went behind the counter to greet the customers coming and going.

Gu Lin felt somewhat embarrassed by the questions raised by the diners and didn't know how to answer them.

Although he paid attention to Zheng Hao's studies, he did not interfere excessively. In addition, Zheng Hao had strong self-control, so Gu Lin stopped interfering with him.

He told the diners the truth, but they didn't believe Gu Lin and felt that the young man in front of them was hiding something from them.

But when they saw Gu Lin's sincere expression and the young man who, despite his current fame and achievements, still stood behind the counter, greeting customers with neither arrogance nor servility, the diners began to believe him.

If it were any other young man, he would have been complacent and arrogant after achieving such results. How could he be as calm and composed as Zheng Hao, continuing to help with the family chores as if nothing had happened?

Just this state of mind made the diners shake their heads. Not to mention that their children were not as good as him, even they, at Zheng Hao's age, could not do what he did.

evening.

Even after Xingfu Restaurant closed, the lively atmosphere of the daytime still lingered inside.

Before leaving Xingfu Restaurant, Gu Lin said to the waiters and cooks, "Everyone, have a good hot pot dinner tonight. Don't be stingy with the ingredients, eat your fill. Also, everyone's monthly allowance will be increased by 500 coins this month."

As soon as Gu Lin finished speaking, the waiters and cooks in the hall exclaimed in surprise. They obviously did not expect that, in addition to the diners, they could also share in the owner's good fortune. They immediately started spouting flattering words without restraint.

After saying that, Gu Lin did not linger and disturb the waiter and the others' celebration.

When Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned home, Zhao's wife and the others had already arrived.

The county town is so small that the sounds of the yamen runners making a lot of noise as they walked from the yamen to the Happiness Building had already spread throughout the entire county.

Therefore, Zhao's wife and others learned from the passing diners that Zheng Hao had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar.

As soon as Gu Lin and Zheng Hao entered the door, Sister Zhao greeted them with joy and said to Zheng Hao, "Young Zheng, you're really something! Others have been trying to pass the imperial examination for over ten years, but you actually passed! I even heard that you became a 'Little Triple Crown' winner!"

“I do know what ‘Little Three Scholars’ means. I overheard the scholars at Xingfu Residence discussing it during the day, and it seems like it’s quite impressive.”

In response to Zhao's question, Zheng Hao explained: "The imperial examinations in this dynasty are divided into county examinations, prefectural examinations, provincial examinations, township examinations, metropolitan examinations, and palace examinations. If someone gets first place in the first three examinations, it is called 'Minor Triple Crown,' and if someone gets first place in the last three examinations, it is called 'Triple Crown.'"

After hearing Zheng Hao's explanation, Zhao's sister-in-law's eyes lit up. "So, you're the only one of your kind?"

Zheng Hao said, "According to the county annals, there has never been a 'Little Three Scholars' in our county from the past to the present."

"Unbelievable, truly incredible!" Muttering to herself, Sister Zhao turned to Gu Lin and said, "Brother Lin, could Zheng really be a reincarnation of the God of Literature? The first person in the county to achieve the 'Triple Crown'! My heart is pounding like crazy. How about we find an auspicious day to go to the temple and pray?"

Before coming to the county town, Zhao's sister-in-law was confined to her small world in Xiahe Village. Although she knew that studying was difficult, she did not know exactly why.

Is the difficulty in tuition fees, or in other aspects?

Perhaps for most people, it's the former.

The tuition fees charged by private schools were equivalent to the annual food rations for seven or eight people in an ordinary family. For ordinary people, sending their children to private schools for one or two years would already consume most of their family's wealth.

Not to mention supporting their imperial examinations, it would probably empty their family coffers.

In the past, Sister Zhao always thought that the difficulty in studying was due to a lack of money.

But after arriving in the county town, Zhao's sister-in-law came into contact with more scholars every day. She gradually realized that the poverty many people encountered in their studies was not the real difficulty; the real difficulty lay in the Four Books and Five Classics, which they regarded as classics.

Many people have studied it for over a decade or even decades, yet still do not understand its meaning, and at most can only achieve the academic success of a junior scholar.

Zheng Hao had only been studying for three years, spending far less time in the academy than others, yet he won all three county and prefectural examinations, achieving first place each time.

Zhao's sister-in-law was a believer in gods at heart. She felt that there were gods protecting Zheng Hao in the dark, making his journey smooth and easy.

Seeing that Sister Zhao's words were getting more and more outrageous, even involving gods.

Gu quickly stepped forward and patted her arm, saying, "Sister-in-law, calm down. Xiao Hao is just a bit smarter. You've watched him grow up. Don't you know if he's a reincarnation of the God of Literature?"

Gu Lin: "Moreover, apart from worshipping our ancestors, we hardly ever worship any gods throughout the year. If we are so insincere, how could the God of Literature be born into our family?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Zhao spat several times, saying, "Please don't be offended, please don't be offended. My child is ignorant and doesn't know any better."

As she muttered to herself, Zhao turned and glared at Gu Lin, saying, "Hurry up and do it with me. You're young and don't know any better. After you apologize to the deity, he definitely won't blame you."

Gu Lin initially wanted to persuade her further, but when she saw the threatening look in Zhao's eyes, she immediately gave in and followed her actions, spitting out a few times and muttering something.

However, even after doing so, Gu Lin could not escape the lectures from Sister-in-law Zhao.

Looking at Zhao's wife, who was lecturing him endlessly, Gu Lin felt a pang of pain in his eyes. He regretted not speaking so casually in front of her.

Seeing Uncle Gu's increasingly despondent expression, Zheng Hao stepped forward and rescued him from Zhao's hands.

Zheng Hao said to Zhao's wife, "Auntie, although Uncle Gu's words were inappropriate, they were not wrong. Compared to the idea of ​​divine protection or the reincarnation of the God of Literature, I believe that without Uncle Gu's upbringing and guidance, even if I were very intelligent, I would not have had the opportunity to enter the imperial examinations."

"All my achievements today are thanks to Uncle Gu's kindness, and have nothing to do with anything else."

Pulled to Zheng Hao's side, Gu Lin listened to what the other person said and immediately raised his hand to pat the back of the other person's hand placed at his side.

Zheng Hao tilted his head slightly, and Gu Lin gave him a light glare.

Zheng Hao calmly reassured Gu Lin, indicating that everything was alright.

How could nothing have happened?

Seeing that he couldn't persuade her, Gu Lin had no choice but to figure out how to coax Zhao's wife when she got angry later.

Before Zheng Hao could finish speaking, a thoughtful look crossed Zhao's face.

Then she said to Zheng Hao, "What you said makes sense. The Wenquxing is just a fictional character created in the play. You have gotten to where you are today because of your own efforts and Lin Ge'er's support."

As Gu Lin watched as Zhao's anger turned into tenderness, his eyes widened slightly and his lips parted slightly.

He looked at Zheng Hao beside him and saw that the other man's expression was indifferent. If he hadn't been standing next to him the whole time, Gu Lin would have suspected that Zheng Hao had given Zhao's wife a sleeping potion.

Otherwise, how could Sister Zhao have changed so much?

Gu Lin complained to Zhao's wife, "Sister-in-law, you criticized me when I said those things, but you didn't scold Xiao Hao when he said them."

Seeing the aggrieved look on his face, Sister Zhao scolded, "I wasn't born to swear. What Zheng said makes sense, so of course I listened to him."

Gu Lin felt he was being treated unfairly: "Sister-in-law, you're being too biased."

"You little ingrate, ask everyone in this family, who do I favor the most?"

"Every time I cook something delicious, who gets to eat it first? When it rains, I'm asleep at night, but I still worry about who might be cold, so I get up to make them some brown sugar ginger water. And every morning at breakfast, everyone eats everything, but who wants to eat wontons one minute and noodles the next..."

"Alright, alright, sister-in-law, stop talking, I was wrong."

Seeing his secrets exposed by Sister Zhao without any mercy, Gu Lin's cheeks burned.

Under the teasing gazes of Yu Ge'er and the others, Gu Lin quickly stepped forward, grabbed Zhao's arm, and led her towards the kitchen: "Sister-in-law, what delicious food did you make tonight? I smelled the aroma as soon as I got home."

Standing there, Zheng Hao could still hear the young man and Zhao's wife whining as they walked away into the distance.

Zhao's sister-in-law teased Gu Lin relentlessly, and Gu Lin always managed to make her laugh.

Xiahe Village.

"Uncle, Uncle, something terrible has happened to Lin-ge'er!"

A man ran into Xiahe Village, ignoring the large group of wives and children gathered at the village entrance, and ran towards the village chief's house.

His voice was excited and high-pitched, even startling the birds in the trees.

"What happened? Isn't that Zhang Erniu? I just saw him delivering vegetables to the county town. Why is he back like this?" The old woman eating lunch in front of her house said curiously to the young woman next door.

The young wife leaned closer and said, "I don't know if I misheard, but I think I heard Zhang Erniu say that Lin Ge'er had an accident in the county town."

Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had already been curious, immediately exclaimed and began discussing it incessantly.

After a while, seeing that everyone's guesses were getting more and more outrageous, someone suggested, "Let's go, let's stop guessing and go to the village chief's house to take a look."

After saying that, everyone picked up their bowls and chopsticks and headed towards the village chief's house.

The village chief's gate was wide open, and Zhang Erniu ran straight in, shouting as he went, "Uncle, something terrible has happened to Brother Lin!"

At this moment, the village chief and his family were having dinner around the table. When they saw Zhang Erniu rushing in, the village chief's face darkened and he said, "You're such a grown man, why are you still so reckless?"

Seeing that his uncle was about to scold him again, Zhang Erniu quickly said, "Uncle, don't worry about that. Lin-ge has some great news. I guarantee that your reaction will be no better than mine after you hear it."

Zhang Erniu was always loud and boisterous, exaggerating even the smallest things. The village chief glanced at him, not taking his words to heart, and said, "Stop beating around the bush, what happened?"

Seeing that his uncle did not respond to his challenge, Zhang Erniu was not discouraged.

He excitedly told his uncle's family sitting in front of him, "Young Zheng has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar!"

"what?!"

The village chief, who had been calm, immediately stood up, and his face, wrinkled like tree bark, was filled with shock.

But the village chief quickly realized what was going on.

He frowned and looked at Zhang Erniu, saying, "Erniu, you must have misheard, right? That boy Zheng has only been in school for a few years, and he probably hasn't even understood the books. How could he possibly pass the imperial examination?"

Seeing that his uncle didn't believe him, Zhang Erniu wasn't angry, because when he first heard the news, he had the same reaction as his uncle.

Zhang Erniu said confidently, "Uncle, believe me, Zheng boy has definitely passed the imperial examination. This morning when I went to deliver the vegetables, I heard from the diners at Xingfu Restaurant that yesterday, the yamen runners personally came to Xingfu Restaurant to inform Zheng boy of the news and also brought the county magistrate's congratulatory gift. Gu Lin even gave away free food to the diners to celebrate Zheng boy's success in passing the imperial examination. It was quite a lively scene."

Upon hearing this, the village chief's wrinkles deepened, and he paced back and forth.

Finally, the village chief turned to Zhang Erniu and said, "Erniu, go drive the car and come with me to the county town right away."

"Uncle?"

The village chief's wife said to the village chief, "I'll give you some money later. When you go to the county town, buy some decent gifts for Zheng boy."

The village chief waved his hand and said sternly, "None of these are important."

"Do you know what it means for Xiahe Village after Zheng lad passed the imperial examination and became a scholar?" the village chief asked.

Faced with the questioning looks from his family, the village chief said, "Our Xiahe Village is a place where people fled from other places. Compared with the other villages, we have a shallow foundation and are even less capable of competing with them in terms of scholars."

He said to Zhang Erniu and his wife, “Although the nearby villages don’t have any scholars, they do have some who have passed the imperial examinations. Every year when we pay the autumn tax, you can see that the officials treat Xiahe Village differently from the other villages. You think we are outsiders and that they are ostracizing us, but the truth is that Xiahe Village doesn’t have any scholars.”

"If Zheng lad really does pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, then it will not only be a happy event for him alone, but also for our Xiahe Village."

The village chief's wife and Zhang Erniu looked at each other in bewilderment.

However, after the village chief finished speaking, he sighed.

The village chief's wife asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say it was a good thing that Zheng passed the imperial examination? Why are you sighing again?"

The village chief glanced at her and said, "In the past, Lin Ge'er was reluctant to break ties because of the large number of people in the village. Now that Zheng Hao has achieved fame and success, do you think the other side will still tolerate us?"

"It can't be that bad, Brother Lin isn't that kind of person," said the village chief's wife.

The village chief said gravely, “Nothing is impossible. There’s also a scholar in the neighboring village. I’ve seen yamen runners deliver letters to their house, but I’ve never heard of the county magistrate sending him a congratulatory gift!”

"What does this show? It shows that the county magistrate values ​​young Zheng. Young Zheng has only studied for a few years. Look at the grandson of the Chen family. He has studied for more than ten years, but he has not even passed the prefectural examination. You can imagine what young Zheng's future prospects are in the imperial examinations."

“There are fifteen-year-old scholars, but there has never been one who entered school at the age of eleven and passed the imperial examination after only three years of study.”

The village chief, with sharp eyes, said to Zhang Erniu, "Erniu, there's no time to lose, let's go to the county town now."

The villagers who were gathered in front of the village chief's house saw that not long after Zhang Erniu went in, the village chief and the other party came out.

They looked over and noticed that the village chief didn't look well, so some people guessed that something might have really happened to Lin Ge'er.

Tian Dahua was overjoyed that Gu Lin had explicitly stated he wouldn't buy their melons and vegetables, and exclaimed, "I knew that little hussy was no good! Look, even the heavens couldn't stand it anymore, she got what's coming to her!"

As Zhang Erniu passed by her, he narrowed his eyes after hearing her words. Unable to stand her behavior any longer, Zhang Erniu dropped a bombshell: "Young Zheng has passed the imperial examination! My uncle and I are going to congratulate Lin-ge and the others."

After saying that, Zhang Erniu ignored the reactions of Tian Dahua and the other villagers, walked a few steps to the oxcart, and after seeing the village chief sit down, drove the oxcart to the county town.

Zhang Erniu's voice was loud enough that not only Tian Dahua heard it, but everyone around him did too, and they all started discussing it excitedly.

"Did you hear what Erniu just said?!"

"I heard it. Erniu said that Zheng, the boy from Lin's family, passed the imperial examination and became a scholar."

The villagers were incredulous. At that moment, the village chief's wife and daughter-in-law came out, and the villagers immediately stepped forward to verify.

The village chief's wife said, "The news that Erniu brought back from the county town has spread all over the county town, so it must be true."

The village chief's wife was usually cautious and careful in her actions, and the villagers trusted her completely, even if she wasn't entirely sure of what she said.

The color drained from Tian Dahua's face, who had been smug and gloating.

She kept muttering, "How could this be? My Zixiang didn't pass, how could that bastard child pass? It's absolutely impossible!"

After saying that, Tian Dahua turned around in a panic and stumbled all the way back to the Chen family.