Chapter 137

Jiang Xiaoxing’s response was clear and simple—she was willing.

Seeing Jiang Xiaoxing’s satisfaction with Zhu Yongwu, Jiang Youfu and Yang Shi ceased their objections and proceeded with the matchmaker’s arrangements.

As the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month approached, Zhu Guangtai arrived at their home, carrying a bamboo basket and calling out crisply, “Aunt Yang.”

“Guangtai is here.” Yang Shi, busy cleaning pots and pans, wiped her hands on her apron and welcomed him, “Why have you come at this hour? Your cheeks are all red from the cold. Come inside and warm up.”

“I can’t stay long. I’m just here to deliver something and then I’ll leave.” Zhu Guangtai handed the small bamboo basket to Yang Shi, “It’s walnut date cake, Aunt Xiaoxing’s favorite.”

Since the engagement of Jiang Xiaoxing and Zhu Yongwu was confirmed, gifts had been trickling in regularly—either for Jiang Xiaoxing or for the elderly couple. Each gift was unique, with almost no repetitions.

Without saying much, the thoughtfulness behind this gesture was truly precious.

Yang Shi smiled, “Did your father ask you to bring this?”

Zhu Guangtai scratched his head bashfully, “I bought this with my pocket money. Since Aunt Xia goes to the town every day, I asked her to buy it for me.”

Yang Shi was slightly taken aback, feeling a warmth in her heart. She reached out and ruffled Zhu Guangtai’s hair, “You used your hard-earned pocket money to offer this to Aunt Xiaoxing?”

“Of course. Aunt Xiaoxing will be my mother in the future, and I will be her son. It’s only natural to show respect.” Zhu Guangtai straightened his posture, exuding a sense of responsibility, “If they have children in the future, I will be their elder brother. As an elder brother, it’s my duty to set a good example and teach them to respect their parents.”

Though young, his mature words were touching and heartwarming.

This thoughtful gesture was truly heartwarming.

Yang Shi, with age showing in her eyes, wiped away a few tears that had welled up.

“Why are you crying, Aunt Yang?” Zhu Guangtai asked, puzzled.

“I’m not crying. It’s just the wind in this cold winter day, making my eyes water.”

Yang Shi wiped her eyes with her sleeve, “Since Aunt Xiaoxing is out with your uncle in the county town today, I’ll hold onto this walnut date cake for her and let her know when she returns.”

“Alright then,” Zhu Guangtai grinned widely, “Aunt Yang, you carry on with your tasks. I need to head back quickly; Uncle Sun Ergou and the others are waiting for me.”

After the Laba Festival, Sun Ergou didn’t have much work to do and spent his days idling around the workshop. To pass the time, they had arranged to play cuju together these days.

“Off you go,” Yang Shi bid farewell to Zhu Guangtai at the door.

Watching Zhu Guangtai dash off like the wind, Yang Shi sighed deeply.

Zhu Yongwu had raised Zhu Guangtai well.

With such a father-son duo, she believed that if Xiaoxing were to marry into their family, things should go smoothly.

That’s what Yang Shi thought.

The school’s holiday break was set to begin on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month.

As the holidays approached, the teacher assigned tasks for the Lunar New Year period based on each student’s usual study habits. For Song Jingyun, aside from handing over several copied books for detailed reading, the teacher also instructed him to write a specific number of poems during the festival.

In addition, Master Meng handed Song Jingyun a stack of papers.

The pages were densely filled with text, containing excerpts and explanations from the Four Books and Five Classics, along with some simple classical poems.

It was evident that these were examination papers.

During the strict imperial examination system of the dynasty, any examination papers, even those that had been taken, were never to be leaked to the public. However, among the examinees, there were always some with exceptional memory who could recall and transcribe portions of their exam papers after the test.

Particularly those who excelled in the exams and came from impoverished backgrounds would transcribe their exam papers post-examination and sell them to private academies or schools in exchange for money to continue their education.

The varying handwriting on these papers indicated their diverse origins.

Observing the examination papers brought back by Song Jingyun, Jiang Mixia raised an eyebrow, “Is the teacher preparing you to participate in the county examination after the New Year?”

“Yes, the teacher mentioned that I could give it a try,” Song Jingyun replied. “He mentioned that the examination is likely to take place around February, and about a month before the exam, the county office will post announcements. At that time, I will need to pay attention and register promptly at the county office’s registration hall.”

Jiang Mixia fell silent for a moment.

The county examination, being the first test in the imperial examination system, was relatively basic and straightforward compared to the entire system.

Despite Song Jingyun’s impressive memory and ability to articulate things convincingly, having only studied for a few months raised doubts about his readiness for the exam.

While he appeared knowledgeable in everyday discussions, it was uncertain how he would fare in the formal examination setting.

Observing Song Jingyun’s enthusiasm, Jiang Mixia refrained from expressing her concerns and instead encouraged him, “Since the teacher has expressed confidence in you, let’s give it a try.”

“Alright!” Song Jingyun, bolstered by his wife’s support, nodded eagerly. “I will study diligently during this time.”

Determined not to disappoint their teacher and his wife’s expectations, Song Jingyun embarked on a period of dedicated study during the Lunar New Year festivities, extending his usual study time from a quarter of an hour after school to a full hour.

In the morning, he devoted half an hour to studying, and in the afternoon, another half hour.

The remaining time was spent assisting Jiang Mixia and Liu Shi with Lunar New Year preparations or joining Jiang Chunyu, Sun Ergou, and Zhu Guangtai to play cuju in the streets.

However, due to their involvement in cuju, both Jiang Chunyu and Zhu Guangtai ended up complaining to Song Jingyun.

The reason for their complaint was that whenever Song Jingyun played cuju, others had no chance to participate, only to watch, leading to a decrease in the overall enjoyment of the game.

Jiang Mixia had to intervene, advising Song Jingyun to go easy on the children during the cuju games.

Before they knew it, it was New Year’s Eve.

From noon onward on New Year’s Eve, the village echoed with the crackling sounds of firecrackers.

The air was filled with the thick smell of gunpowder mingled with the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers, creating a vibrant atmosphere of the approaching new year.

As the sun began to set, those starting their New Year’s Eve dinner early already had their pots of dumplings simmering on the stove.

Jiang Mixia’s family had finished wrapping the final plate of dumplings and were discussing the timing for their meal.

While Jiang Mixia went to fetch wheat straw from the stack to use for kindling the stove later, she glanced through the courtyard gate and noticed some activity in the bamboo weaving workshop across the way.

Intrigued, she went over to investigate and found Sun Ergou wandering around the courtyard of the bamboo weaving workshop.