Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 70 A Glimmer of Hope

Before the oxcart even reached the village entrance, a dark group of people could be seen in the distance.

On an afternoon when everyone should have been busy working in the fields, half the able-bodied men of the village had put down their hoes and were standing on tiptoe, peering into the distance.

"They're here, they're back, there's a big red ribbon hanging on the front of their car."

Seventh Uncle was panting heavily as he ran, and before the wheels of the car had even come to a steady stop, he grabbed Lu Shouye's arm.

"Shouye! Tell me quickly! How did Chuan'er do on the exam?"

Uncle Qi had a loud voice, and when he asked the question, the dozen or so people who had followed him all held their breath, showing the same tension.

"Yes, Uncle Liu, tell us quickly, did Chuan'er get it?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense, you're driving me crazy!"

Lu Shouye wanted to be more subtle, but seeing how anxious his seventh uncle was, almost passing out, he was about to speak when his sixth uncle spoke first.

Uncle Liu wiped the sweat from his face, stood up from the cart, and casually tucked the whip behind him.

"He passed! Not only did he pass, but our Chuan'er also came in first place! He's a true county top scholar!"

These few words seemed to carry immense weight, instantly plunging the once bustling village entrance into a deathly silence.

"Top of the list? First place?"

Uncle Qi stood there, still clutching Lu Shouye's sleeve tightly, his lips trembling. His old eyes were first blank, then turned into two lines of hot tears that rolled down his cheeks.

"Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes!" Uncle Qi suddenly released his grip and knelt down with a thud in the direction of the county town. His voice trembled and became incoherent. "Our Lu Family Village has never produced a top scholar since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty. This is a great joy!"

The men around were stunned at first, then they went crazy and threw their straw hats into the air.

"Lu Chuan, well done!"

"Lord Anshou, from now on we are also your relatives."

Lu Dehuang took out a package from his pocket.

"This is ten taels of official silver personally given to me by the county magistrate."

"Chuan'er, is the magistrate just going to give you this money like that?"

Lu Chuan nodded.

"The county magistrate said that this silver is for his son's travel expenses and writing materials. He said that the prefectural examination is held in the state capital, and the journey to and from the capital is long. Food, clothing and other necessities are all expenses. Moreover, the price of Xuan paper and ink in the state capital is far more expensive than in the county capital."

The excitement in the village hadn't died down yet; a few young men were even clamoring to go to town to buy two jars of strong liquor, determined to drink all night long.

As Uncle Liu listened, he shouted, "Alright! All of you, shut up!"

"Chuan'er just rushed back from the county town. He endured wind and rain and slept outdoors all the way. Even a tough man like him couldn't withstand such hardship."

"Are you all making a scene here to make Chuan'er study hard tonight, or to make him hang out with you, bragging and drinking?"

"Sixth Uncle, we're just happy," a young man muttered quietly.

"Keep your happiness to yourself, don't let it get on your nerves." Uncle Liu glared at him. "Everyone, disperse. Those who need to go home, go home. Those who need to go to the fields, go to the fields. From now on, if anyone dares to sneak into this courtyard without any serious business and disturb Chuan'er's peace of mind, I will personally go and ask for family discipline."

Seeing that Uncle Liu had lost his temper, everyone realized that they had indeed been somewhat rash.

"Alright, let's do as Uncle Liu says, let's call it a day."

"Chuan'er, you should rest well. If you need anything, just let us know!"

The villagers dispersed in twos and threes, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Lu Chuan was about to bend down to pick up the packages from the car when suddenly, his younger sister popped out from some corner.

"Brother! I'll get it!"

A crisp and pleasant sound rang out.

The little girl had been hiding somewhere, her nose still damp with sweat, and her big eyes were filled with admiration.

Without a word, she snatched the package from Lu Chuan's hand. The package contained the silver bestowed by the county magistrate. Although it was only ten taels, it was quite heavy for the young girl, especially with the thick books inside.

He swayed slightly, but gritted his teeth and clung tightly to the cloth bag, giving off a very capable look.

"Brother, you're a scholar now. Uncle Qi once said that a scholar's hands are for writing, not for doing such rough work."

As she spoke, the little girl struggled to tighten the package around her chest, her face turning red, but she refused to let go.

He reached out and ruffled his little sister's hair, chuckling softly, "You just ran out like that? Didn't Mother look for you inside?"

"Mother is killing a chicken in the kitchen, saying she's going to nourish you." The younger sister leaned closer and whispered mysteriously in Lu Chuan's ear, "Brother, I heard everything. There's silver in there, right? Don't worry, I'll hide it well for you, no one will be able to find it."

Lu Chuan chuckled and took the heavy things she couldn't carry, leaving her with only a light book bag.

"Let's go inside."

The brother and sister arrived at the house one after the other.

Upon entering the house, a fragrant aroma wafted towards me.

Lu's mother was busy at the cutting board when she heard the noise, and the kitchen knife in her hand clattered to the cutting board.

She turned around abruptly, wiping her hands haphazardly on her apron. She wanted to call out "Chuan'er," but before she could finish, her eyes welled up with tears.

"Chuan'er...you're back?"

Lu's mother hurried forward, wanting to reach out and touch her son's face, but then hesitated, afraid of soiling Lu Chuan's blue robe, and stopped abruptly in mid-air.

The son before me seemed to have become a completely different person.

"Mother." Seeing this, Lu Chuan took a step forward and took his mother's hand. "Your son is back. I have lived up to your expectations."

"Yes! Yes! Good! It's good that you're back." Mother Lu responded several times, her voice trembling.

She looked Lu Chuan up and down and saw that her son hadn't lost weight; in fact, he seemed more energetic. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pressed him down at the table.

"Sit down quickly. You must have been exhausted from the big exam in the county. The clan chief gave you a chicken, which is stewing right now. Drink a couple more bowls later."

The younger sister had already carefully placed the book bag down, then leaned closer to the stove, swallowed hard, and said boastfully, "Mom, not only is my brother back, but he's also the top student in the entire county!"

"My sixth and seventh uncles were so excited just now. The county magistrate even gave my brother ten taels of silver, saying it was a reward for his travel expenses."

Upon hearing this, Lu's mother swayed slightly, feeling somewhat dizzy from the overwhelming good news.

She didn't understand what it meant to be the top scholar, nor did she understand what the provincial or prefectural examinations meant, but she heard about the first place and the county physician.

To her, the county magistrate was like a celestial being descended to earth, and to receive his favor was an incredible stroke of luck.

"Ten...ten taels?" Madam Lu gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She quickly lowered her voice and glanced nervously at the door. "So much silver, Chuan'er, is this really for you?"