Chapter 43 Ranked Tenth

Wan Baocai was going home. To accommodate Wan Baocai’s schedule, the Shen family had their dinner early today, and all four families gathered together to eat.

The weather was beautiful today, the sun was shining and it wasn’t dark yet. The Shen family moved their dining table outside to the courtyard to enjoy the delicious food.

They had roast duck for lunch, and roast duck for dinner. Two big meals a day, the Shen family was so happy.

They were very grateful to Wan Baocai.

The roast duck made by Zhao Uncle not only smelled good, but it tasted even better. It was several times better than the roast duck from the Wan family restaurant. The duck skin was crispy and oily but not greasy, the meat inside was tender and soft, with an endless aftertaste. When it was sliced and served with Zhao Uncle’s special scallion pancake sweet sauce, it tasted even better!

The four guards couldn’t deny it anymore, they had to admit that Zhao Uncle was very skilled.

“Zhao Uncle, we were blind to your talent. You are really amazing!”

“We won’t dare to look down on you anymore!”

“Next time, if you want to make roast duck again, just tell us, we’ll prepare the ingredients, we just want to have a few more bites.”

Zhao Uncle ignored them, he tore off a large duck leg and gave it to Shen Nian: “Nian Nian, eat.”

Shen Nian smiled sweetly: “Thank you, Zhao Uncle.”

Shen Cai sat next to Zhao Uncle: “Zhao Uncle, will you take me as your apprentice? I’ve learned so many dishes from you, I’ll feel embarrassed if you don’t take me as your apprentice. I won’t be able to keep learning from you! But you can’t stop me from learning, I’ll suffocate.”

Zhao Uncle looked at Shen Nian: “What is an apprentice?”

Shen Nian said: “It means someone who learns from a master. If you take my Fourth Brother as your apprentice, you’ll be his master, and he’ll be like your son. You have to teach him your skills, and he’ll take care of you when you’re old.”

She continued: “Zhao Uncle, you never avoided Fourth Brother when you cooked. He helped you and learned a lot. It’s only right that he takes care of you when you’re old. Just take him as your apprentice!”

“If you remember everything later and think that my Fourth Brother is not qualified as an apprentice, you can kick him out of your school.”

Shen Cai immediately looked at Shen Nian: “Sister, even if Zhao Uncle kicks me out of his school, I will still respect him and take care of him when he’s old.”

He said as he looked at Zhao Uncle expectantly, waiting for him to make a decision.

Everyone present also looked at Zhao Uncle.

Zhao Uncle didn’t like being looked at by so many people. He patted Shen Cai on the shoulder: “Okay, I’ll take you as my apprentice and teach you how to cook.”

Shen Cai was overjoyed. He stood up and knelt down in front of Zhao Uncle, kowtowing: “Disciple Shen Cai greets his master!”

Shen Nan was also very excited: “Brother Zhao Uncle, thank you for taking my son. I’ll toast you!”

Shen Nian reminded him: “Zhao Uncle’s head wound has just healed, he can’t drink alcohol. This is what Grandpa Doctor Liu said.”

She still had to treat Zhao Uncle further, drinking alcohol would affect the treatment.

Shen Nan said “oh” twice: “Then let’s drink tea instead.”

Shen Nan asked Shen Cai to pour Zhao Uncle a cup of tea. He clinked his wine glass against Zhao Uncle’s teacup, and then they both drank it down.

Grandpa Shen laughed and said: “Today is a good day, becoming an apprentice is a big deal, we can’t be so casual. We have to have a ceremony. As for how to do it, I’ll tell you when I’ve chosen a good day.”

Wan Baocai said excitedly: “Tell me when you’ve chosen a good day, I’ll come too.”

Grandpa Shen smiled and nodded: “Okay, you’re most welcome.”

After the apprenticeship ceremony, everyone continued to eat.

After dinner, Wan Baocai and the four guards left Lanhua Village reluctantly.

Shen Dong and Shen Nan took advantage of the early hour to go and deal with the ingredients they needed for tomorrow.

When they learned that the eldest and second families had made money again, the third family, who had already finished most of their farm work, was moved. They couldn’t hold back and went to find Shen Dong.

After some discussion, they decided that the third family would also sell pancakes.

But after several days of selling, the flow of people in town had basically stabilized. If three families sold pancakes together in town, they wouldn’t make much money.

Thinking that the results of the exam were about to be announced, Shen Dong decided to go to the county to sell pancakes on the day the results were announced. He would check the results and try to see if scallion pancakes would sell well in the county.

The third family could sell pancakes at the entrance of the market where they used to set up their stall. If they didn’t want to sell pancakes in town, they could go to the county together.

Anyway, the county was very big, they could set up their stall anywhere, it didn’t matter if there were more families.

The third family didn’t want to go to the county. They thought the county was too far and inconvenient, so they decided to try selling in town first.

The next day, the third family went to town to buy ingredients and tools.

That day, Wan Baocai didn’t come. Her brothers went to school. Shen Nian took Zhao Uncle to reclaim the wasteland, and she told the adults that she had chosen a small piece of soft and fertile land to plant watermelons.

There were no watermelons in Huayue Kingdom. If she could grow watermelons, they would sell as well as strawberries.

It was late March now, and the watermelons would be ripe in June.

Shen Nian was a little impatient. She hadn’t eaten watermelon for many years, she missed it so much!

She still had many seeds in her space, but she couldn’t rush. She could only plant them one by one. If she was too hasty, she wouldn’t be able to grow them, and it would be a waste of seeds.

The day of the exam results, six days later, arrived quickly. The third family was ready and went to town to sell pancakes early in the morning with the second family. Shen Dong took Shen Bo, Shen Xue, and Shen Duo to the county.

Everyone on the oxcart was curious about what Shen Dong and the others were going to sell, but it was something they were going to use to make money, so they didn’t ask too many questions.

It was dusk when Shen Dong and the others returned home.

The second and third families had already returned and had finished dinner. They were preparing for tomorrow’s business. When they learned that Shen Dong and the others had returned, they quickly went to the eldest family’s house.

“How did it go? Did you pass?” Shen Nan asked Shen Bo eagerly as soon as he entered the house.

Shen Duo, who was standing beside him, was unhappy: “Father, why didn’t you ask me? I’m your son.”

Shen Nan chuckled: “How much ability you have, I know. You definitely didn’t pass.”

Shen Duo chuckled: “Father, I disappointed you. I’m sorry, I… really didn’t pass. I don’t have to go to school anymore, I can go to sell pancakes with you every day. Are you surprised? Are you surprised?”

Shen Nan kicked him: “It was expected. Your mind is all on making money, it’s a miracle you even took the exam! Get out of here, don’t get in my way!”

Shen Duo actually rolled on the ground, getting as far away from him as possible.

Everyone present was amused and burst into laughter.

Shen Nan couldn’t help but laugh bitterly: “You’re such a big guy, you have no manners at all!”

Grandpa Shen waved his hand: “Alright, stop it, be quiet.”

He asked Shen Bo: “How did you do?”

Shen Xue said with a long face: “I failed. I’m destined to be a carpenter!”

Grandma Shen slapped him: “Shut up! I didn’t ask you!”

Shen Xue sat down in the corner, drawing circles in the dust, looking dejected.

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, Shen Bo opened his mouth, about to speak, but Shen Dong couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke first, laughing loudly: “He passed! My Bo’er passed!”

Shen Bo looked at him: “Father, we agreed that I would have the chance to share the good news with everyone myself.”

Shen Dong said “oh” twice: “Okay, you tell them your ranking.”

Shen Bo opened his mouth and said: “I passed, my ranking…”

Shen Dong clapped his hands and laughed loudly: “My son ranked tenth, one of the top ten! He has a chance to pass the prefectural exam!”

Shen Bo: “…”

Shen Nian excitedly rushed over and hugged Shen Bo’s leg: “My brother is tenth, so amazing! Brother, you’re so great! I admire you! I’m going to make a big meal to celebrate for you today!”

She waved her little fist: “After eating the celebratory meal I made, Brother will work harder, be smarter, pass the county exam this time, pass the prefectural exam next time, then the provincial exam. After becoming a scholar, our family won’t have to pay taxes anymore!”

Shen Bo felt a lot of pressure. He should be grateful to heaven and earth if he could pass the prefectural exam. The provincial exam?

He picked up Shen Nian and tapped her little head: “For my Nian Nian’s grand dream, Big Brother will do his best.”

Little sister wants to farm, then go ahead and farm, happily farm, he will protect her.