diskusbooks Chapter 111 4 people on the list
Chapter 111 4 people on the list
Sure enough, the people who brought the good news walked straight towards Tongfu Inn. Leading the way was a young man with a mole at the corner of his mouth. After entering the door, he smiled and bowed and asked, "Excuse me, who are you, Zhang Ping'an, a student from Wushan County? I am here to announce the good news."
Zhang Pingan stepped forward and bowed in return, saying, "It is I, thank you all for your hard work."
Zhang Laoer hurried forward to give money to everyone and was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling.
Those who could get the job of announcing good news all had some connections in the yamen. After all, announcing good news was a good job. Although the leading hanger-on had long known that this newly minted student was not very old, he was still surprised when he actually saw him. Seeing that the boy had a full forehead and clear and bright eyes, he knew at a glance that he was smart and had a bright future. He was estimated to be at least a scholar, and he couldn't help but become more enthusiastic.
"Hey, what's so hard about this? It's our duty as officials. We've studied hard for ten years just for this day, right? Brothers, hit the gong a little louder to make it more lively!" the leading hanger-on called out.
The three or four people who followed behind knocked even harder after hearing this. For a moment, the Tongfu Inn seemed full of joy. Even the owner came forward to congratulate him and asked him to leave a calligraphy work, which could be used to offset half of the room fee.
Zhang Laoer and Liu Sanlang were so delighted when they heard this good news that they smiled brightly. Zhang Laoer, who used to be quite eloquent, was now speechless with excitement. Adding to the constant compliments from the people who brought the good news, he couldn't help but stuff another piece of silver into the lead person's pocket and said, "Congratulations!"
The excitement lasted for a quarter of an hour, and the person who brought the good news took the wedding money and left satisfied.
Zhang Ping'an felt proud and satisfied when he saw his father and brother-in-law were happy. He had studied hard for so many years just to give himself and his family a good life.
Other familiar students also came forward to congratulate them. Li Mingxuan and Liu Shengyuan were extremely anxious, and Liu's father was even paler. Zhang Laoer wanted to share his inner joy, but he finally sobered up a little and did not go forward to cause trouble.
Zhang Pingan pulled the two of them to sit down and said, "Wait and see. If there's no good news in two quarters of an hour, we'll go straight to the list."
The two nodded silently, their eyes fixed on the door.
Fortunately, a few moments later, another voice announcing the good news arrived: "Congratulations to Wushan County student Li Mingxuan for placing 18th in the provincial examination." Li Mingxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he stood up, his body was still trembling slightly, and he muttered, "I passed? I passed!"
"Yes, congratulations, you won. The person who will bring the good news will be here soon. Have you prepared any money for the celebration?" Zhang Ping'an asked with a smile. After the test, he saw that Li Mingxuan looked quite relaxed, so he guessed that he should have no problem with the provincial examination. After all, he had passed the strict selection examination of Bailu Academy.
"Yes, I'm prepared," Li Mingxuan nodded, took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, trying to regain his usual composure.
Liu Shengyuan also stepped forward to congratulate: "Congratulations!"
By the time the person who brought the good news entered the inn, Li Mingxuan had calmed down. He took out a bag of copper coins to send the person who brought the good news away. The leader weighed it and felt that it was a bit too little, but since this matter was all about luck, he didn't mind it. After a while of fun, he left.
After a while, no one came to announce the good news. Liu Shengyuan laughed at himself and said, "I didn't feel good after the first exam. I failed the provincial exam this time."
Neither Zhang Pingan nor Li Mingxuan said anything to comfort him. Liu Shengyuan could only process this matter on his own first, and then slowly comfort him after he calmed down.
Father Liu was also very disappointed. His shoulders slumped and he went upstairs slowly without saying anything.
The other students on the first floor were also very depressed. Seeing that the only two people in the inn were not even twenty years old, compared with their own years of hard study, they couldn't help but wonder if they really didn't have enough talent.
A student sighed, "I was born the same as everyone else, with few talents and nothing left! Never mind, maybe I just don't have the talent for studying. I'd better pack up and go back to my hometown to find a job!" After saying that, he turned around and was about to go upstairs.
Zhang Ping'an saw that although the student's clothes were clean, they were obviously worn for many years and had turned white. There were even traces of mending on the cuffs. He had no accessories on his body. It was obvious that he came from an ordinary family. But fortunately, he had a gentle expression and did not show any resentment even after such a blow. Such a person should have a good temperament.
"Hey, Shitou, don't go, wait a moment," someone shouted.
The student turned his back to everyone, waved his hand and went upstairs.
At this time, a voice of good news suddenly came from a distance: "Congratulations to Xiaochuan County student Du Lei for ranking 34th in the provincial examination" and "Congratulations to Wushan County student Liu Shengyuan for ranking 35th in the provincial examination."
"What? It's already this late, and there's still good news coming?" The students on the first floor were immediately in an uproar. Many of them saw hope again and simply ran to the government office to see the list.
The farmer who had just called out to Shitou suddenly jumped up excitedly and shouted upstairs, "Shitou, Shitou, come down quickly! You won! You won!"
Zhang Laoer and Zhang Pingan also hurried upstairs to call Liu's father to come down. Liu Shengyuan was still dizzy. He was so happy and sad that he could not sit still and slid down from the chair.
This kind of scene is common every year for those who come to announce good news. A little embarrassed, he said, "I'm sorry, you two. I just ran to the east of the city. It's a bit far to come here."
The farmer waved his hands and replied incoherently, "Not far, not far, I'm glad you've come." After that, he stuffed money into the person who brought the good news and emptied his entire purse.
"Brother, that's enough," a student named Du Lei said as he just came down and saw his elder brother pouring out all the money, so he hurriedly stopped him.
"Hey hey," the farmer patted his head and said happily, "Shi Tou, you got it!"
Du Lei nodded and smiled, "Yes, God still favors me." He then bowed to the people who brought the good news and said, "Thank you all for your hard work!"
Liu's father also hurried forward to help his son return the gift and give him some wedding money.
The people who had brought the good news took the money and left. Father Liu then sat down to drink some tea and said, "What a close call! Sun Shan is not bad either. He finally made the list."
Now, four people in the inn were on the list. The innkeeper said that he was lucky this year. After all, most of the people living here were poor students, and in previous years, only one or two people were on the list.
"Congratulations to the four of you. Let us share in the good fortune. As long as you leave your calligraphy, your room rate will be reduced by half. I'll have the kitchen prepare a table for you at noon. Please don't refuse," the shopkeeper said cheerfully.
"Thank you, boss!" Several people bowed to express their gratitude. This is also an unwritten rule in the inn in the city. Every year, the inn will reduce the room rate and treat the students who pass the exam to a table.