Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 151 The Face of the Group_1

Chapter 151: Chapter 151 The Face of the Group_1

Zhou Shuren held up three fingers, "First place in the county exam, I, Ming Qing, and the other passed, and I’m still a government granary student, which means I get food every month, and four silver taels a year!"

Zhulan smiled, "You’re amazing."

Zhou Shuren enjoyed hearing Zhulan praise him, but then he sighed, "In the future, it’ll be hard to aim for first place, it’s not just about the scores, but also luck and catching the examiner’s eye."

Zhulan looked at Zhou Shuren’s face, "So, you’re set on competing for the title of Top scorer, huh? You don’t even stand a chance at Tanhua—Tanhua is basically reserved for the good-looking ones. They won’t even give you a shot at third place! They’re practically telling you to keep aiming for second!"

Zhou Shuren was frustrated, "I’ve asked around; the last two Top scorers were also quite handsome."

Zhulan couldn’t help but chuckle. There was nothing that could be done; it wasn’t a matter of article-writing effort but rather the Emperor’s preference. If Zhou Shuren were ten years younger, he might have been more confident about competing for first place. However, she wasn’t pleased, "I’ve heard stories about wives being snatched up right under the examination hall’s wall. The way you are, it’s pretty good."

Being older, safer.

Zhou Shuren’s eager hand had already grabbed Zhulan’s, his mind fixated on taking advantage!

That evening, the whole family went to the Wu household. Ming Qing was beaming with joy and couldn’t stop grinning; he had passed on his first try after several unsuccessful attempts at the prefectural exam. Now that he was a Scholar, the pressure was off, and his family’s land was tax-exempt. Ming Qing stayed in a state of excitement.

The Wu family had also invited Zhao Bo, who arrived first.

Zhulan, bringing several children along, entered the room. The table for the women was a kang table, and the dishes were already served. The Wu’s celebration was also a thank you, featuring ten dishes, all specialties made by Lady Li herself.

Lady Li, cooking for Zhulan’s family, knew Zhulan and the children’s preferences; there were two dishes with fish, and Zhulan even noticed lamb, expressing surprise, "Is lamb for sale at the market today?"

Lady Li wiped her hands, "This is from the Qie family’s sheep, which they sold to the restaurant. They sent us some knowing Wu Ming had become a Scholar."

Zhulan understood that although the Wu family didn’t own land, Wu Ming now had twenty mu that were tax-exempt, "Your family won’t have to spend silver on food anymore."

Lady Li’s face lit up with joy. Even though she regretted that her grandson wasn’t a government granary student, the tangible benefits were substantial, "Met quite a few relatives today, and we’ve allocated the twenty mu. This year we’ll save on both food and groceries. What about your family?"

Zhulan said, "My family just has twenty mu and nothing to spare."

"Then you’ll earn quite a bit more silver a year."

Zhulan nodded, "Yes, the price of food hasn’t dropped in years."

In ancient times, food production was already low. Bad weather meant trouble for the common people. In truth, whether in a prosperous or troubled era, the lives of common folks were hard.

It was dark by the time Zhulan’s family headed home. Zhou Shuren behaved that evening, not drinking too much. Instead, an elated Ming Qing drank excessively, and Zhulan vaguely heard him crying in their room.

The child was under tremendous pressure; having overcome a hurdle, he finally cried out the stress.

After washing up for the night, Zhulan said, "When do we go back?"

Zhou Shuren wrapped his arm around Zhulan, "We’ll have to wait a bit. I’ve met quite a few people here in Pingzhou, and now that I’m a Scholar, I’ve got a foot in the door. We can’t leave so soon, but expenses will go up."

Zhulan was well aware of the necessity of social obligations. Now wasn’t the time to worry about money. Zhou Shuren, having come from a scholarly farmer background, had no powerful connections. For future considerations, selectively making the right connections was essential, and networking had to be done with finesse. Fortunately, Zhou Shuren was just a Scholar, not yet at the level where allegiance mattered, "Do I need to take part in the networking too?"

Zhou Shuren couldn’t bear to have Zhulan endure the discomfort with him, "Not for now, at least until next year’s visit to Pingzhou."

At least until he’d sorted things out and screened out anyone who might upset Zhulan.

Zhulan murmured an ’Mhm’ in acknowledgment. Seeing Zhou Shuren’s gaze drifting upward, she scoffed inwardly. She had noticed Zhou Shuren growing bolder that day; he didn’t even bother to lay out his own bedclothes. Give a man some confidence, and he sure knows how to push his luck.