Chapter 83: Envious to Death

Two days passed, and the results from the Xihe Academy were out.

They only admitted twenty students.

Dean Lin arranged for people to deliver the ‘Four Treasures of the Study’^[1]文房四寶(wén fáng sì bǎo) = ‘Four Treasures of the Study’, traditionally refers to the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone used in Chinese calligraphy and painting. It’s a symbolic gift for … Continue reading and admission letters to the admitted students.

This was a big event for the Gu family, and the whole family took a day off at home.

Mother Gu got up early in the morning, boiled water with pomelo leaves, and sprinkled it all over the few broken rooms inside and out to ward off bad luck, then went to the village entrance to wait for news.

A whole afternoon passed, but no one came to report the good news.

Gu Jingyun sat on the threshold of the courtyard, his round eyes staring at the narrow path leading to the village entrance, his little face sank: “I’m sure I didn’t pass.”

He suddenly stood up, ran to the village entrance, and called Mother Gu back for dinner.

Aunt Wang saw Gu Jingyun running forward with a sullen head, kicking a stone and almost tripping: “Jingyun, where are you running? Slow down, be careful not to fall.”

“Gu Jingyun went to Xihe Academy to take the entrance exam two days ago. Today, the academy will send people to deliver the admission posts. Where else can he run? Just see if the academy has admitted him. His mother has been waiting at the village entrance since early morning.”

“Gu Huaizhi is a scholar, did Liu Guixiang think that everyone who crawled out of her belly is a reincarnation of the god of literature?

What kind of place is Xihe Academy? It’s a gathering place for top-notch people from all over. How old is Gu Jingyun? He hasn’t even grown his hair yet, and he expects him to turn into a dragon and ascend to heaven?”

“There’s a guy in the next village who ranked in the teens, and Xihe Academy has already sent the post. In the past, they were all sent before noon, unless the journey to Xihe Town was far away, it would be delayed for a while.”

At this moment, it was just noon, and a group of women who had returned from the fields were chattering.

In a word, Gu Jingyun had no chance.

In the past, Gu Jingyun would have retorted fiercely.

Today, he was hit hard, and the whole person was listless, and he felt that he had bragged in front of Su Wan, not to mention the first place, he didn’t even make it to the top twenty, and he lost face.

Village Chief Song Manfu’s younger brother Song Mangen responded with ‘heh’, showed a mouthful of yellow big teeth, and put on an elder’s posture to preach: “Jingyun, you are young, and you have many opportunities. Isn’t it just not passing the exam? This is just an entrance exam, and you will have to take the exams for student, scholar, and official in the future. If you can’t withstand this setback, you might as well not take the imperial examination.”

“Your family is in difficult conditions, and you haven’t spent much money on studying now, it’s better to cut your losses in time.”

After hearing this, everyone else chimed in, and said: “Exactly, if you can’t read this book, there’s no point in reading it.”

Gu Jingyun’s little hand clenched into a fist, and his eyes filled with two bubbles of tears.

“What are you doing? A bunch of gossipy women sitting here chattering.” Mother Gu walked over quickly, sweating profusely, with her eyes full of fierce light as she glared at the onlookers: “Each one of you could be grandparents, and you have the face to laugh at a child. If you are so capable, can you recognize all the characters? You’re not even as good as a child, I’m embarrassed for you!”

“Your son can recognize all the characters, but Xihe Academy doesn’t want him!”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Gu Jingyun’s little heart shattered.

Mother Gu rolled up her sleeves and was about to beat someone.

“Hey, look, who’s coming?” Aunt Wang, who had been silent all along, saw a carriage driving towards the village entrance, “Do you think it could be the academy sending Jingyun’s admission post?”

Someone laughed out loud: “Aunt Wang, you’re too funny, the people arranged by the academy to send the admission posts are all outstanding students from the academy, does everyone have a carriage? This scene is even comparable to the dean.”

As soon as this person finished speaking, the carriage stopped, the coachman jumped down from the carriage, brought a wooden ladder, and lifted the curtain.

A middle-aged man in a white robe came out of the carriage, and stood on the shaft. His robe fluttered in the breeze, with quite a bit of an immortal demeanor.

Everyone was stunned, guessing the identity of the newcomer.

Someone recognized him and said incredulously: “This is the dean of Xihe Academy!”

The dean?

What is he here for?

“Gu Jingyun.” Dean Lin stepped down from the carriage and walked up to him, “You once said that you wanted to personally test into Xihe Academy, and then let the academy beg you, only then would you consider going to Xihe Academy for further study.”

He reached out to the scholar behind him.

The scholar placed the admission post in Dean Lin’s palm.

“I came personally to invite you, are you willing to go to Xihe Academy?” Dean Lin handed the admission post to Gu Jingyun.

Gu Jingyun felt that he must have been a crybaby in his previous life, otherwise why would he feel like crying every time Dean Lin said something?

He puffed up his cheeks and raised his little chin: “What rank did I get?”

Dean Lin saw that he had been very aggrieved before, but now he was quite proud.

If he knew his rank, would he still be able to stand it?

“Average.” As soon as Dean Lin said this, Gu Jingyun’s eyebrows drooped, his face wrinkled, looking like a 囧 character, he couldn’t help but laugh: “Just the first place.”

First place?!

Like a stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Everyone was stunned by this explosive news!

Gu Jingyun?? First place??

Those who mocked Gu Jingyun, their faces hurt terribly.

No one doubted the dean’s words.

On the contrary, it was Gu Jingyun, who was puzzled: “Did I really get first place? Everyone says I’m not a good seedling for studying, Dean, did you make a mistake?”

“If you’re not a scholar, who dares to say they are?” Dean Lin affirmed: “Scholarship depends on talent, not age. Your first place is well-deserved. The article has been posted on the wall of champions, anyone who is not convinced can go and appreciate it.”

“You are the first place, you don’t need to pay tuition to go to Xihe Academy, and you will be given a money subsidy every month.”

Dean Lin took out a money bag from his sleeve and put it in Gu Jingyun’s hand: “The first place has a reward of ten taels of silver, you are the youngest, so you get an extra reward of ten taels of silver, to encourage other students to be diligent and studious.”

Two… twenty taels?

Oh my god!

Gu Jingyun’s eyes were straight.

He could buy new clothes for his mother, silver hairpins for his sister-in-law, and beautiful little skirts for his sister. His little brain was like a barrage, arranging these twenty taels of silver clearly.

Mother Gu’s fingers were trembling with excitement, she said cautiously: “Dean, would you like to come in for a cup of tea?”

Dean Lin signaled her to lead the way.

Mother Gu felt like she was stepping on cotton, her legs were fluttering.

The villagers were so jealous that their eyes turned red.

You don’t have to pay to study, and you can even make money!!

Gu Jingyun held his head high and chest out, looking proud and spirited, returning home amidst the envious gazes of everyone.

“Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!” Gu Jingyun ran home with his legs spread out, with his eyebrows almost flying up: “I got first place! I didn’t let you down!”

Su Wan just finished cooking and put the dishes on the table, and praised: “Our second brother is the best!”

“That’s right! I’m even better than big brother!” Gu Jingyun lifted his chin, looking very proud: “And I got a reward of twenty taels of silver!”

He gave the money bag to Su Wan.

Su Wan held the money bag in her hand: “I have to save it well. When second brother grows up, it will be used to marry a wife.”

Gu Jingyun’s little face turned red with embarrassment.

Gu Baozhu leaned her little head over.

Gu Jingyun tugged at Gu Baozhu’s pigtails, after a long time, he blurted out a sentence: “I don’t want to marry a wife, Gu Baozhu is such a troublemaker.”

Gu Baozhu let out a ‘ouch’ sound, covered her scalp, and chased after Gu Jingyun, to hit him: “You’re so annoying! You’re not even as tall as me, no girl would marry a shorty.”

The two of them chased and playfully fought all the way into the courtyard.

“The two children at home are too wild, and making a fuss all day.” Mother Gu poured a bowl of tea for Dean Lin, rubbing her hands and saying: “We only have simple meals at home.”

Dean Lin smiled and said: “Simplicity is good, it has the taste of home.”

He picked up a bowl of tea, took a light sip, and said to Su Wan: “In the past few days, someone has been making moves to remove Gu Jingyun’s ranking. I checked, and the person behind this is your step-sister.”