Seeing that there were still five or six days before the government examination, the innkeeper who came to the inn was sending his waiters outside to watch every day, waiting for Mr. Shen, who had obtained the head of the case last time, to arrive.
Who doesn't know that the head of a case is rare, that is to say, he kept the news tightly, otherwise he would have been worried that Mr. Shen would be intercepted by another inn on his way here!
So when Zhuang Er led the mule cart and slowly appeared at the other end of the street, the waiter who had come to the inn had already jumped into the store and secretly looked for the shopkeeper.
"Then why don't you hurry up and greet me!"
When the shopkeeper heard the news, his eyes lit up and he felt happy. He hurriedly patted the clerk who ran away, "Hey! Don't make any big show, just do it quietly, do you understand?"
"Shopkeeper, don't worry!"
The waiter was also smart. After hearing the words, he ran out and met him from a distance.
"May I ask if there are Miss Zhuang and Mr. Shen in the car?"
Zhuang Er's cart was well held, and he was looking left and right at the fresh news in the county. Unexpectedly, someone appeared out of nowhere, glanced at the young man and woman sitting on the mule cart behind, and smiled with a flattering look on his face.
"Ah, ah?"
The man hesitated and couldn't turn his head.
Who is this person? How does he know about the girl and son-in-law?
As soon as the boy looked at his honest look, he knew that the other person was not a man of trouble, and was probably just a hard-working coachman, so he no longer waited for his answer, but directly rushed to Shen Ling in the car and said.
"Young boy from Tonglai Inn, do you still remember Mr. Shen?"
Shen Ling was sitting on the mule cart, looking down from a high position. He was obviously wearing an ordinary plain cotton scholar's robe, but when he looked down, the waiter trembled for no reason.
"Don't remember."
He said lightly and turned his eyes to the girl aside.
Zhuang Keqing chuckled, "Aling, this is indeed the same guy who came to the inn."
As she said that, she turned her head, her almond-shaped eyes slightly curved, "I remember, your name is Ashang, right?"
The man never expected that this girl could still remember his name. He was immediately surprised and moved, and his words became even more enthusiastic.
"Thank you, little lady, for still remembering me. It's a great honor. The manager of our shop is already waiting for you. Please come with me quickly."
As he spoke, the man stepped forward and took Dahei's reins, pushing Zhuang Er aside, "Uncle, let me do this little thing."
Shoji was still stunned.
What do you mean, the inn has sent a waiter to welcome the niece and son-in-law?
Look at this energy, could it be that these two little ones are famous in the county?
"Even Shen De, who was admitted to the Juren Examination in the village, didn't get the first pass!"
Zhuang Er suddenly thought of what the village chief said when he came to the door that day, and his mother's suppressed red and purple face.
But he couldn't allow him to think about it further. The boy had already led the mule and walked forward for a while. Zhuang Er shook his head and hurried to catch up. For a while, he couldn't find a chance to ask again.
When we arrived at the inn, the innkeeper had already been waiting at the door. When he saw the familiar mule cart stopping, he came up to it and kept saying polite words.
Tonglai Inn is also one of the best in Nanzi County, and the innkeeper is also very respectable, probably because he receives many scholars, and his personal style of conversation is different from that of ordinary businessmen.
When he deliberately praises others, he will never give people the impression that he is deliberately flattering. Instead, they will only feel that what he says is from the bottom of his heart.
Zhuang Er watched from the side as the shopkeeper had a lotus tongue and praised his niece and son-in-law as if they were like stars descending from the sky. However, his niece actually accepted the offer calmly, showing no signs of cowardice or restraint.
He knew that his niece was capable, but he never imagined that his son-in-law, who usually kept quiet in Erli Village and was looked down upon by many villagers before, would be treated like hot cakes here and be praised so highly. .
The village chief didn't lie. This case is really rare!
"Ms. Zhuang, Mr. Shen, our hotel will keep the guest room from last time. No one has stayed in it this month. It has been cleaned now. You can go in and rest at any time."
The shopkeeper's tone sounded like he was asking for credit. He glanced over and saw Zhuang Er standing at a loss next to the mule cart. He smiled and said, "Here... why don't I book a room for you?"
He thought that Shoji was just an ordinary coachman and planned to arrange an ordinary guest room.
"Thank you, shopkeeper. This is my second uncle. Please arrange a room for us to stay in. The payment will be settled together when we leave."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm old and blind. It's Mrs. Zhuang who is the elder. I'll make arrangements right now."
After saying that, the shopkeeper raised his hand, and several waiters swarmed forward. Those who carried the luggage carried the luggage, and those who led the mules led the mules. They didn't give Zhuang Er a chance to take action.
Because he was busy adjusting his schedule to prepare for the exam, Zhuang Keqing asked the shopkeeper in advance not to reveal the news that they had come to take the exam, so as to avoid wasting time when scholars and students came to ask for advice.
And Zhuang Er only stayed in his room every day. He only went to the vegetable market with his niece in the morning to buy food and then returned to the inn. He never took a good trip to the county.
"Second uncle, I'm sorry for you these days. After Aling finishes his exam, we can go shopping for two days and then go back."
"My eldest niece and uncle are fine. My niece and son-in-law just need to study hard."
Zhuang Keqing was very grateful to Zhuang Er in her heart, because with him around, she and Aling had suffered a lot less on the way. This simple man who usually drove cars and ran errands had taken over the work, without them having to do anything.
Time passed quickly. The closer to the government examination, the quieter the atmosphere in the inn became. The students who were talking loudly and complimenting each other downstairs a few days ago were silent, and there was a sense of depression that a storm was coming.
The prefecture examination is no different from the county examination. The examiner is the prefect of the prefecture, that is, the prefect.
Candidates were not allowed to bring in anything except food. Even pens, ink, paper and inkstones were distributed on the spot. The third test took two days, and even quilts were prepared by the government.
"Aling, when you go in, remember to check the things prepared in the examination room first. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in time."
Before dawn, the examination hall was crowded with people taking exams.
Zhuang Er had never seen such a formation before, so he could only stand to one side, stretched out his arms, and used his taller body to help the two younger ones block the crowded flow of people.
Zhuang Keqing warned carefully and pushed the test basket into Shen Ling's hand.
Did she remember the gossip she heard outside the examination room last time, about a certain candidate who was rejected by the examiner because the pen provided in the examination room was not suitable for use, but he did not mention it due to face reasons.
Of course she believed that Arling was not such a pedantic scholar, but she still couldn't help but say a few words.
"Yeah, Ke'er, I understand."
Shen Ling took the test basket and wanted to pinch the tender white cheeks of the worried girl in front of him.
But Shouji was aside, so he could only hold back his emotions, suppress his flicking fingertips, and gently stroke the soft top of the other person's hair with his hand.
"I'll be out soon."
After saying that, he walked into the examination room.
Why?
Huh? No!
Aling, I asked you to take the exam well, but how could I ask you to come out quickly?
Shen Ling entered the examination room and naturally went through another inspection. This time the officials were even stricter than last time. Even the candidates' hair buns were torn apart to see if there were any cheat sheets inside.
The first session is still about scriptures, but compared with the first county examination, the content covered is obviously wider, and even the contents of "Zuo Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan" appear.
"Zuo Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan" both belong to the "Spring and Autumn Classic". Although they belong to the same content of the Four Books and Five Classics, they are considered required reading for most students. However, when it comes to memorizing it, not many can do it. .
The exam rooms are so densely packed that candidates can see the candidates directly opposite and diagonally opposite them.
And when Shen Ling polished the ink and started writing, several people across from him looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.
Is there anyone who can silently write "Zuo Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan"?
I'm afraid it might be a bit chaotic!
Everyone had different thoughts, some admired and some disdained, but they were all shocked after Shen Ling confidently handed in the paper in advance.
I lowered my head and looked at the blank space on the two big questions on my test paper. My eyes were dull and I was beating my chest and regretting that I didn't study hard enough on weekdays.
Shen Ling was the first to leave the examination room, and the yamen officer at the door gave him a surprised look.
How did this man come out so fast?
He just accidentally overheard the two adults chatting inside, saying that they had chosen a special topic this year just to test whether these students studied hard on weekdays.
It’s a side question. Doesn’t that mean it’s difficult to say?
But this person...
The officer wanted to take another look at Shen Ling's appearance, but when he raised his head again, he could only see his free and easy back retreating away.
