On the day when the results were released, Jiang Miao and Shen Yan went out early in the morning. Mrs. Zhang originally wanted to follow them, but Jiang Miao was afraid that there would be too many people on the street and would bump into her, so she and the others were asked to wait at home without worries.
Sure enough, when we arrived at the place where the announcement was made, it was already crowded with people. Jiang Miao was a small person. When she stood up on tiptoes and looked in, she could only see the top of the hair of the person in front of her.
"Stand still and be careful not to fall."
Shen Yanqing held her shoulders to prevent her from jumping anymore.
"I want to see my results as soon as possible!" Jiang Miao puffed up her face and stretched her neck forward.
"I hit the mark, I'm the fiftieth!"
A plump student squeezed out, his face flushed with excitement, and everyone around him congratulated him. Although he was last in the ranking, he was now a master of the exam.
People looking at the list came out one after another, some were happy and some were sad. Jiang Miao was anxious waiting, so she pulled Shen Yanqing and squeezed in. The space around them became free, and they quickly squeezed under the list.
The red list paper was posted on the wall, with the candidates' names and place of origin written on it. Jiang Miao looked up with her heart in her heart. The words "Shen Yanqing" who came first made her jump with excitement.
"Ms. sir, you won the prize and you are still at the top of the list!"
"Um."
Shen Yanqingrao was calm about the ranking, but he was still a little excited when he saw the top spot.
The two of them were good-looking and handsome, and they were already eye-catching. When they heard that Shen Yanqing had won the first place at a young age, many people wanted to come over and make friends. Some bold young ladies even picked off the silk flowers on their heads and threw them at them. , hitting Shen Yanqing right on the forehead.
Jiang Miao stuck out her tongue. Knowing that she was in trouble, she quickly pulled the person away.
The two of them rushed home. The Shen family was already waiting impatiently. Mrs. Zhang rushed over with broken steps and grabbed Jiang Miao's hand.
"Miaoya, how's it going? Did the third child win?"
"Mom, my husband won the prize, and he is still at the top of the list!"
"Oh, God bless you!" Mrs. Zhang clasped her hands together and bowed again and again towards the south.
Father Shen patted his shoulder with his big hand. Tears flashed in this honest man's eyes. He knew that the third child would live up to his family's expectations.
Being elected was equivalent to stepping into the officialdom. Shen Yanqing had more social activities. The wealthy businessmen in Furong Town all wanted to come forward to curry favor, but Shen Yanqing excused himself.
Dean Qiu sent someone to congratulate him, and the gentlemen were all honored to have a top student in their academy. Mr. Wei also asked his servants to send congratulatory gifts, and he also urged Shen Yanqing to prepare for the apprenticeship banquet.
Shen Yanqing agreed one by one. In addition to Mr. Wei and Dean Qiu, the brothers and sisters Xu Ziwen and Xu Zilan also came to the apprenticeship banquet.
Xu Ziwen thoroughly studied Shen Yanqing's notes before taking the exam, and he actually got sixth place in the provincial exam. This made his father so happy that he called his ancestors smoke.
Several students who bought Shen Yanqing's notebooks from the bookstore were on the list. For a time, the bookstore's business was unprecedentedly hot, and Shen Yanqing's winning the first place also attracted students to share their joy.
This is the top one, and it only comes out in three years.
Xu Zilan came here because of Jiang Miao. She only knew that Jiang Miao could make fragrant beads and jade cream. She didn't expect that the dishes were also delicious. So when she heard that her brother was coming to the Shen family, she rushed to follow him.
"Lady Ginger!"
Jiang Miao was preparing food in the kitchen. The Shen family's shop had been renovated and not yet opened. This time, people were placed in the shop for the apprenticeship banquet. Jiang Miao cooked the dishes, while Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Zhang helped her.
Xu Zilan was wearing a smoky gauze dress with fluttering fairy mantle. She didn't mind the fumes in the kitchen, so she opened the door and came in.
"Why is Madam Xu here?"
Jiang Miao put down the chopping knife and came forward. She escaped from Sun's house thanks to Xu Zilan. She had been ill these past few days and had not had time to come to thank her. When he suddenly saw her at Shen's house, Jiang Miao was surprised.
"My brother said your cooking is delicious, so I'm here to bother you."
Mrs. Zhang and Ms. Wang both knew that Xu Zilan was Jiang Miao's savior. Without her, Miao Ya would be in a worse situation.
"Mrs. Xu, there is a lot of smoke in the kitchen. Please go sit outside for a while. The meal will be ready soon."
Jiang Miaozuo should have been allowed to accompany her, but the guests at the apprenticeship banquet were all here for her cooking skills, so Xu Zilan could only be asked to wait outside.
Moreover, a noble young lady suddenly came into the kitchen, making Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Wang feel a little uncomfortable.
"No problem, I'll help Mrs. Jiang choose the vegetables."
She was impatient to listen to the men outside dropping their school bags, so she might as well stay with Mrs. Jiang.
Seeing that she insisted on staying, Mrs. Zhang had no choice but to give up the place of choosing vegetables and help Miaoya light the fire.
Jiang Miao prepared ten hot dishes and two cold dishes, braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass, braised pork trotters with soybeans, bacon with green bamboo shoots, fish-flavored shredded pork, braised eggplant, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, three delicacies soup, saliva chicken,
Husband and wife's lung slices, etc.
The portions she cooked were so generous that the men ate without raising their heads, fearing that if they said a few words more the dishes would be taken away by others.
"It's delicious. Madam Jiang's cooking skills are better than those of the royal chefs in the palace. Especially this fish-flavored shredded pork, which is obviously made from bamboo shoots, but it tastes like fish. It's amazing!"
Mr. Wei was full of praise, saying that Shen Yanqing's apprenticeship was not in vain. With his status as a master, he could come here more often.
Shen Yanqing was also a little shocked. Although Jiang Miao usually cooked delicious food, home cooking was different from banquets. It was the first time for him to eat so many exquisite dishes.
This made Shen Yanqing even more suspicious of Jiang Miao's identity.
Xu Zilan has a sweet tooth, and she likes this sweet and sour pork ribs the most. She bites into the sweet and sour sauce and wraps the delicious meaty short ribs. She eats so hard that her eyes squint. The usually cold little lady is like a gluttonous kitten. Jiang
Miao has a smile on her lips.
"Ms. Xu, if you like it, eat more."
"Yeah." Xu Zilan nodded while biting the bone. She was so full from eating.
Hey, if only she were a man, she could marry Jiang Miao home. Shen Yanqing, who was drinking, didn't know that he almost had a love rival.
"What are Ziyan's plans for the future?"
Mr. Wei took a sip of tea and asked Shen Yanqing next to him.
Although on the surface he was resigning and returning home, he was actually looking for talented students to train talented people for the new emperor.
The new emperor has been on the throne for five years, but he has been restrained by his old ministers, especially Prime Minister Liu's group, who are trying to vacate the throne. Thinking of Prime Minister Liu's arrogance and domineering behavior, Mr. Wei's troubled face became cold and solemn.
If you want to suppress them, you must quickly cultivate a lonely minister who has no foundation and is only used by the emperor.
"The students plan to go to Beijing to prepare for the exam after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
On top of the provincial examination, there are also the general examination and the palace examination. Although he won the first place in the provincial examination, he still cannot take it lightly. His opponents after that will be the best from all over the country.
"Yeah," Mr. Wei nodded while stroking his beard. Shen Yanqing was not only outstanding in talent and learning, but also a sober person. He was most afraid of people who would be proud and complacent after just a few achievements.
"When the time comes, I will recommend you to go to Shengjing Academy. The teachers there are quite knowledgeable."
"Thank you, sir." Shen Yanqing stood up and thanked him.
"Mr. Wei...for the sake of Brother Shen, please let me go!"
Xu Ziwen's face was full of excitement. That was Shengjing Academy. It was a place where the royal family and nobles studied. Which gentleman could be named as one of the best in the Yan Dynasty? If he could study there for a year and a half, his knowledge would definitely be improved to a higher level.
