TTTQF Chapter 136

Provincial Examination

By the time Jiang Yu and Li Ping's marriage arrangement is settled, it is already December. On the fifth day of December, Li Ping comes to the Jiang family with a silly grin on his face to finalize the engagement. Jiang Yu sits inside the house, her eyes full of girlish shyness, and she smiles very sweetly.

The elders from both families agree to hold the wedding banquet after the Lantern Festival the following year. During this time, Jiang Yu embroiders the wedding garments for herself and the groom, while her dowry and other wedding necessities are prepared by Second Uncle and Aunt Jiang.

The betrothal gifts sent by the groom’s family are all returned without taking a penny. The silver Jiang Yu earns from her work, which she hands over to Second Aunt Jiang, is also left untouched and placed in her dowry chest. In addition, the land that her eldest uncle leaves behind is converted into silver by her second uncle and added to her dowry. They personally take care of all the items to be included in her dowry and do not shortchange her just because she is a niece. After raising her for so many years, she is already considered family.

(Translator’s Notes: I don’t think I’ve clarified it before; Jiang Yu is the daughter of the Eldest Jiang Brother who has passed away and is taken care of by Second Uncle Jiang. Jiang Miao and Xiao Shitou are the children of the Third Jiang Brother, who has also passed away.)

With these items, along with the additional wedding gifts from the Jiang family's relatives, her dowry consists of twelve carriages, which is quite impressive in the countryside. Naturally, as her cousin, Jiang Miao also contributes. The most eye-catching item in Jiang Yu's dowry is a shiny silver headpiece, which is a gift from Jiang Miao.

With such an impressive dowry, the Jiang family relatives who see it naturally offer some praise upon their return. Once these words spread, everyone is inevitably a bit surprised, and at the same time, it also attracts the envy and jealousy of some people, leading to widespread talk about the matter in Jiangjiawan for a while.

There are some who, with ulterior motives, even go out of their way to spread word through relatives living near Li Ping's family, hoping to let them know that Jiang Yu is mute and has once been rejected in a previous engagement.

Unfortunately for them, their scheme doesn’t work. Li Ping already knows about this long before the marriage talks. When Jiang Miao brings Jiang Yu to the shop, he vaguely mentions it. At the time, Li Ping only felt that the young woman before him was quite unfortunate. However, the more he interacts with her, the more he realizes how wonderful she is, and thus, naturally, he develops feelings for her.

After the Chinese New Year, it is the Lantern Festival. After eating soft, sweet glutinous rice balls, it is time for the agreed-upon day for the Jiang and Li families' wedding. Amid the sound of firecrackers and well-wishes, Jiang Yu steps onto the ox cart sent by the Li family to welcome her, embarking on a new chapter of her life.

After the banquet, Jiang Miao returns to the city and hires a few craftsmen to combine two rooms in the backyard of the Jiang family's small shop into a large chamber for the newlyweds to live in. Once the shop reopens, the couple will still need to return to work.

However, although Li Ping is now a relative, Jiang Miao still decides to let Zhou Lin be the shopkeeper of this shop. Since everyone has different strengths, forcing someone into a role they aren't suited for would not only waste their talents but also risk ruining everything.

Before the shop closes for the year, Jiang Miao gives everyone their wages and a generous bonus. He also brings out new work contracts, extending everyone’s employment for another year. No one has any objections.

From the shopkeeper Zhou Lin to Aunt Wen, who handles odd jobs, everyone is full of confidence in the small shop. Business has never been slow. Whenever their head chef comes up with a new dish or pastry, it quickly wins over customers, making them wish they could have all three meals at the Jiang family's small shop.

Recently, Jiang Miao hasn’t had much energy to create new dishes. After asking Zhou Lin to remember to open the shop and purchase supplies on time, he hurries back to the Imperial Academy.

Although the Children’s Hall hasn't started classes yet, the tutors at Pei Che’s place have already arrived. The Imperial Academy has set up a special class for students who have passed the provincial exam and will be taking the imperial examination in March, offering them intensive training before the exam.

The imperial examination is different from the provincial exam. Although more people are accepted, the competition is no longer just from the capital but from outstanding students across the entire country. If one doesn’t focus on studying, it's common to fail the exam.

Since last December, Pei Che has been diligently studying, rising at the crack of dawn each day and only stopping when it gets dark. In fact, during the first two days, he studies late into the night, but Jiang Miao can’t bear to watch and, after giving him a lengthy lecture on the harms of staying up late, finally convinces him to remove that period from his schedule.

"Brother, you're back!" 

Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu, who are outside practicing with wooden swords, rush over to Jiang Miao as soon as they see him return. 

Over the past year, they have both grown taller, and their youthful, innocent looks gradually give way to the appearance of young boys.

"Here, this is what you asked for." Jiang Miao hands them the candied fruits and pastries he has brought back from the foot of the mountain.

The two little ones are delighted and, after taking the treats, run off to find their friends. Jiang Miao doesn’t stop them. The children living on the back mountain are all from the families of Imperial Academy officials, so even if they have conflicts, it will just be a few arguments at most.

He goes to the kitchen and is first surprised, then feels deeply moved. The children have grown up and are now helping on their own. They have already sorted through the vegetables that need to be prepared, and the rest have been washed and set aside.

With time saved, Jiang Miao naturally works even faster. In less than half an hour, five dishes are prepared and served. After the two children return, Pei Che, looking weary, also comes back for the meal. With the exams approaching, both the teachers at the Imperial Academy and the students take it especially seriously, not daring to relax for even a moment.

As a family member, Jiang Miao also feels the pressure. Since he can’t help much with studies, he focuses on taking care of Pei Che’s daily needs, ensuring he is in the best condition to take the Imperial examination.

Pei Che is well aware of Jiang Miao’s thoughtful care and doesn’t take it for granted. He is already planning to surprise Jiang Miao with a gift after the exams.

Time passes quickly, and soon it is time for the Imperial examination. The exam is scheduled for the 9th, 12th, and 15th of March, with each session lasting three days, much like the rules for the provincial exam.

Having the experience of preparing exam supplies for the provincial exam, Jiang Miao is well-practiced when it comes to getting everything ready for the Imperial examination. He packs many useful items into a small basket. To ensure the items won’t be messed up during inspections, Jiang Miao puts in a lot of effort to arrange them neatly, making everything easy to see at a glance, so there is no need for anyone to dig through it.

On the 9th of March, just like last time, Jiang Miao escorts Pei Che to the designated area and then returns home. Pei Che watches him leave, takes a deep breath, and turns to walk into the exam venue.

The days fly by, and when the bell rings to signal the end of the last session, it marks the moment to determine whether Pei Che and the other students have truly put in the effort over the past several years. A

After submitting his paper, Pei Che walks out of the exam hall with a steady stride.

Outside, Jiang Miao stands in the closest spot to the entrance, eagerly waiting for him.

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