strictlysupreme Chapter 182 Today's assessment, will it fail?
Chapter 182 Today's assessment, will it fail?
Song Mingfang knowingly smoothed her hair: "Madam Shen's suggestion is exactly what I was thinking."
"I was just about to get a good luck charm for the old lady, so let the children do the flower picking."
"Ziheng, why don't you take your sister and go with Miss Xie to pick flowers?" Shen Jinzhu looked at her son, who was pretending to be calm but was actually extremely nervous.
"Yes. I'll go right away." Yu Ziheng quickly agreed.
So, the oversized "third wheel" Yu Ningyao ended up sandwiched between the two of them and went to the back mountain together.
Upon reaching the back of the mountain, she consciously pulled her maid away a little, leaving the two of them some space to be alone.
Yu Ziheng tensed up instantly.
This is his first time meeting a girl he likes. What should he say?
He, who is usually full of knowledge, suddenly couldn't find a topic to talk about.
After a long pause, he finally managed to say, "Miss Xie, your clothes look beautiful today, they suit you very well."
After saying that, he felt a little annoyed.
What kind of decent person would stare at a girl's skirt?
Does that make him seem too frivolous?
"Thank you for your praise, Young Master Yu." Xie Yuntan smiled, pursing her lips.
"You're welcome." Yu Ziheng was extremely anxious.
He's so sharp-tongued! Think of something else to say to make a better impression on others.
Otherwise, what if they reject the marriage proposal?
My mother is really something! Why didn't she tell him that the person he was meeting today was the eldest daughter of the Xie family?!
He couldn't help but roar inwardly.
Seeing that he was staring intently at the peach branch in front of him, not daring to look at her, Xie Yuntan chuckled and asked, "Is this flower really that beautiful?"
"It's beautiful. But it's not even half as good as Miss Xie's." Yu Ziheng blurted out.
He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.
Although he was speaking from the heart, he sounded like a smooth-talking playboy.
His flustered appearance made Xie Yuntan smile.
She stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, "I heard that Young Master Yu and my younger brother were classmates?"
Yu Ziheng nodded hastily: "That's right. Brother Linchuan is exceptionally intelligent. Even the Chancellor praised his policy proposal last month..."
"The chief priest said he was talking nonsense, didn't he?" Xie Yuntan suddenly laughed, the jade bracelet on her wrist clinking. "Last Mid-Autumn Festival, he even recited the Book of Rites backwards, which made my father so angry that he smashed three teacups."
Yu Ziheng: ...
I wanted to praise Rinchuan to find a topic to talk about, but I feel like I messed it up again.
He looked completely dejected.
Looking at the situation today, I hope it won't end in failure.
Xie Yuntan pointed to the peach blossom that he had previously praised as beautiful.
"This flower is in full bloom, why don't I pick this one? Please, Young Master Yu, help me pluck it."
“No problem.” Yu Ziheng nodded in agreement.
He stood up on tiptoe and reached out to pluck the peach blossom, but almost tripped over the branch because he was nervous.
"Young Master Yu, be careful." Xie Yuntan reached out to help him.
After Yu Ziheng steadied himself, his ears turned bright red. He mustered his courage and thrust the peach blossom in front of her, the trembling bud brushing against the floral decoration between her eyebrows.
"Thank you, Miss. These flowers are for you."
"Brother Linchuan once said that his sister is the best girl in the world, and seeing her today, it is indeed as he said."
Xie Yuntan reached out and took the flower branch, her fingertips brushing lightly against his burning palm.
Yu Ziheng's heart raced.
Xie Yuntan lowered her eyes and stroked the lotus pattern on her clothes, saying, "These flowers are blooming beautifully. Please, young master, put them on for me."
Yu Ziheng looked at her in disbelief, and finally obediently put the peach blossom hairpin on her head.
Xie Yuntan finally smiled faintly: "These peach blossoms are so beautiful, we should pick more to offer to the Buddha."
Even after picking the flowers and returning home, Yu Ziheng's head was still spinning.
Miss Xie must have feelings for him, right?
She understood his feelings, didn't she?
Otherwise, why would she have asked him to put the flower in her hair?
After the two families parted ways, Yu Ziheng grabbed Yu Ningyao, who was about to get into the carriage.
"You're a young lady too, so you can give me some advice. Do you think Miss Xie understands my feelings for her?"
Yu Ningyao rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky: "Big brother, how many times have you asked this in half an incense stick's time?"
Yu Ziheng was still struggling with the question: "You said she asked me to put flowers in her hair, is that an implication for me...?"
“This implies you should see a doctor!” Yu Ningyao shook off his hand and jumped into the carriage.
"Mother," Yu Ziheng leaned halfway into the carriage, "Mother, what did Madam Song and the others say?"
"What do you mean?" Shen Jinzhu slowly fiddled with her teacup.
Yu Ziheng was not as open with his mother as he was with his sister, and said somewhat shyly, "Well, it's about whether people are satisfied with me or not."
Shen Jinzhu: "Does it matter whether they are satisfied with you or not? Anyway, you already have a girl you like. Before you left, your mother agreed that this was just a formality, and you would reject the Xie family's marriage proposal later."
Yu Ziheng immediately became anxious.
"Of course it's important. The woman I admire is the eldest daughter of the Xie family, you can't refuse her."
"puff"
Shen Jinzhu and Yu Ningyao could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.
Yu Ziheng suddenly realized.
"Did you already know? The Miss Xie I'm talking about is the very girl we're meeting today."
"Hahaha, we knew it when you mentioned Xie Linchuan this morning~" Yu Ningyao nestled in her mother's arms, bursting into laughter.
Yu Ziheng's face turned red again.
……
Since Yu Ziheng had already developed feelings for Miss Xie, Shen Jinzhu naturally wouldn't do something like breaking up a loving couple.
So after returning home, she replied to the invitation to refuse the marriage proposal from the Li family and then inquired about the Xie family.
The next day, after receiving a positive reply from the Xie family, they invited the official matchmaker to select an auspicious day for the betrothal ceremony.
The results were announced before the betrothal ceremony.
On this day, both the Xie and Yu families sent people to check the list.
"Master! Madam!" The gatekeeper's servant, Afu, rushed into the courtyard like a whirlwind.
Yu Kangjing's teacup trembled slightly: "Has the person who checked the results returned?"
"The people looking at the list are still crowding around Jinshui Bridge!" Afu jumped up and down anxiously. "A bunch of officials are coming to our house with gongs and drums."
Before the words were even finished, the sound of the gong was so loud it made everyone's ears ring.
"Great news! Your son, Yu Ziheng, has achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination, becoming a 'Tanhua' (third-place scholar)!"
A single announcement of good news sent the entire Yu family into a frenzy.
"That's wonderful, it's truly a blessing from Buddha!" Shen Jinzhu smiled, her eyes crinkling.
"Not bad, not bad, my son is indeed promising! He's quite capable!" Yu Kangjing laughed along.
Shen Jinzhu hurriedly had someone move out a basket of celebratory money that had been prepared in advance.
Twenty officials blocked the courtyard and called out names, causing a shower of copper coins to fall from the Yu family's gate.
Shen Jinzhu, carrying her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), personally took charge, grabbing a handful of copper coins mixed with silver scraps and stuffing them into the official's hat: "Thank you all for your hard work, may you share in the good fortune!"
Four servants followed behind, carrying baskets and scattering money as they ran, the coins clattering against the roof tiles of the neighborhood.
Yu Ziheng was still somewhat incredulous as he rode on his horse.
He was actually the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination?