Special Agent Rebirth: The Omnipotent Goddess of Quick Transmigration
Chapter 365: Special Agent 358 has turned into a commoner (6) at the first update

Chapter 365: Special Agent 358 has turned into a commoner (6) at the first update

Aunt Mei was originally disheartened by the words of Ye Jin.

Seeing Ye Qingweng’s affability towards her, she did not feel exceptionally favored or shocked.

But when Ye Qingweng’s comment was made, she still felt a bit startled in her heart.

She looked at Ye Qingweng with some hesitation.

Shaohua’s nature was well known to her; she disliked studying from a young age, and though she later went to the villa and her nature was revealed, and even hired a teaching scholar,

Aunt Mei also knew that Shaohua was still playful at heart, having read only a handful of books in the past three years.

The scholar hired for teaching was merely kept in the house as a decoration.

Ye Shaoming, the young master, had always shown a natural talent for reading, and with Master Top Scholar as a mentor, Aunt Mei knew of Shaoming’s dedication while he was still with the Ye Family.

Now that Ye Shaoming had placed in the top nine, and the Ye Family was putting on such a grand celebration...

Could it be that Shaohua relied on a top position as Master Top Candidate Scholar?!

When Aunt Mei heard about it, her first reaction was that it seemed too unreal.

Would Shaohua, who was always running around outside, perhaps playing with dogs...

Could she have topped the list?

Could it be that the Imperial Examination was so easy now?

"Mother, this is indeed a grand and joyous occasion for the Ye Residence! And this is just the Rural Examination. Minister Li has praised Shaohua highly," Ye Qingweng, who hadn’t encountered such happiness in several years, couldn’t stop smiling, "He praised my son for his astonishing talent, suggesting that ranking in the top three in the Imperial Examination is well within reach."

The old Lady, upon hearing that the young master of the residence had become Master Top Candidate Scholar, thought for a while.

Only then did she recall Ye Shaohua’s name.

"Are you talking about the fourth young master?" the old Lady was startled for a moment.

Ye Qingweng nodded, "Yes, it seems that the eminent monk from the Protection of the Nation Temple had a misunderstanding about Shaohua’s destiny. If he really were ill-fated, how could he top the list? The courtyard where Aunt Mei lives has been uninhabited for a long time, and the recently renovated Pear Garden would be quite nice."

The emergence of a Master Top Candidate Scholar from the Ye Residence was indeed a joyous occasion.

Seeing a step-grandson achieve such success naturally filled the old Lady’s heart with joy.

It seemed as if the suggestion to send Aunt Mei and Shaohua to Jiangnan wasn’t quite as she had proposed.

Ye Family’s Lady, still smiling, sat in her place, but her hand, holding a rouge box, was tightly clenched in her palm; as she listened to the arrangements between the old Lady and Minister Ye, her eyes became increasingly dark.

Meanwhile, Ye Jin, standing to the side, appeared somewhat stunned.

She looked at Aunt Mei with a touch of sorrow, but Aunt Mei hadn’t looked at her from the beginning to the end.

**

Because Shaohua had placed first, Ye Qingweng specially organized a family banquet to celebrate both young masters of the house passing as candidates in the examination.

Several branches of the extended family attended.

Two tables were set up in the house.

"Sister, this is the Four Treasures of the Study I had someone bring from the south this year," Ye Family’s Lady’s sharpness had vanished, replaced with a very cordial gesture as she handed Aunt Mei a set of the Four Treasures, "I hope that next year during the Imperial Examination, Huage will soar to new heights."

Aunt Mei received the Four Treasures of the Study, glanced at them, and then let Liuliu put them away.

"Thank you, Madam, for the generous gift."

Indeed, a fine set of the Four Treasures of the Study was a rarity nowadays, and the water routes from the south were always difficult to navigate.

That Ye Family’s Lady could have someone bring these back was because she had an uncle who did business, which also made her household’s life a bit more luxurious compared to others in the residence.

This was one of the reasons why Ye Jin was determined to ingratiate herself with the old Lady and Ye Family’s Lady.

Ye Jin, seated at some distance from the two, saw Aunt Mei respond with a simple frown and a light sentence, prompting her to speak up, "Aunt, Mother specially asked a merchant to bring these from the south; normally, only the royal family and nobility would have access to such things."

"Were these items so precious?" Aunt Mei was surprised.

This year, she had seen some of Shaohua’s friends bringing over similar items every other day, claiming they had come from the south. However, Shaohua seldom used them.

So, Aunt Mei did not take it seriously.

Now, hearing Ye Jin mention it, she was somewhat surprised. Were the items she had casually piled up in the warehouse so valuable?

Ye Family’s Lady, seeing Aunt Mei’s unsophisticated reaction, couldn’t help but sneer.

Ye Qingweng didn’t concern himself with the women’s roundabout tactics and just asked Aunt Mei, "Why hasn’t Shaohua come back yet? Is she still studying at home? Shaoming has already come out to eat; should I send someone to find her?"

Thinking that Shaohua might be out drinking at the moment, Aunt Mei hemmed and hawed without saying it outright.

It was then that a servant from outside came back in.

"Master, the fourth young master has returned." The young servant’s face showed hesitation.

Ye Qingweng and the others didn’t notice.

Until a striking young man in a pale blue long robe entered.

It was now getting dark, and several lanterns were lit inside.

Under the play of light and shadow, the youth’s beauty was unrivaled, his slightly narrowed eyes exuding a careless flirtation.

His presence instantly made the room seem more vibrant.

In his hand, he held a birdcage containing a bright-colored bird.

This appearance made him seem like a carefree, noble playboy, rather than a base-born son who had been sent to a rural estate.

The young servant sneaked a glance at his smooth profile. The third young lady of the Ye Residence had always been famous for her beauty and talent, causing many noble young men to admire her, but to be honest... she wasn’t even half as handsome as this fourth young master.

The old Lady and Ye Qingweng, who had been all smiles, frowned slightly upon seeing Ye Shaohua with a birdcage.

"Aunt, a friend of mine just got this parrot, said to be very understanding of human emotions. I specially asked for it to amuse you," Ye Shaohua handed the birdcage to Aunt Mei, "Tomorrow I’ll go out again to see if there’s anything else interesting."

"Wait," Ye Qingweng sensed something amiss, "Is all you do every day go out for play?"

Ye Shaohua sat down beside Aunt Mei and side-glanced, "Yes, Father, is there a problem with that?"

Ye Qingweng kept a stern face and didn’t speak, but Ye Family’s Lady, hiding her emotions behind a smile, chimed in, "Huage, don’t think that just because you’ve become Master Top Candidate Scholar you can relax. The Imperial Examination is in February next year, and then the final round; that’s where one’s lifelong learning is truly tested. Look at your eldest brother; he’s been diligently studying in the study room until now, and if he isn’t doing that, he’s meeting scholars and literati or accompanying the Third Prince."