Chapter 522: Unexpected Double Blessings

gold nuggets while others can barely feed themselvesBut some people also said, "They must not understand the market and have suffered losses. Next year, they will continue to sell at a high price and.../>

The examination hall was stiflingly hot and stuffy. For the past three days, what occupied their minds most wasn't the exam papers, but this iced beverage.

If just one cup of this could help them beat the heat, they'd be able to think more clearly and do better on their exams!

Soon, the Li family returned to Baihuayuan, and Dr. Zhou also led his students back to Lu'an.

Jia Ren and Li Ge struggled to recite the exam questions along the way, then entered Baihuayuan Garden. They gulped down a bowl of millet porridge and, without even glancing at the colorful flowers in the courtyard, fell asleep with their heads resting on the table.

They slept until the next morning.

It's not because I'm well-rested, it's just that I'm so hungry I can't stand it anymore.

The breakfast table was just set, and the two boys, after washing up, sat down and started eating without ceremony.

Tao Hongying brought Shuilin and Shuoyun, got up early to cook a big pot of rice porridge, steamed two large baskets of bean sprouts pork buns, in the blink of an eye they were eaten half by the two boys.

Everyone clutched a single steamed bun in their hand, hesitant to take a bite for fear that the two boys wouldn't have enough...

Jia Ren and Li Ge'er, having eaten their fill, looked at the faces of their family members and blushed.

They were so hungry that they didn't care about any manners.

The past three days at the Gongyuan have been the most miserable of their lives.

Especially Jiaren, who was assigned to the room next to the smelly one.

A stinking stall is the cubicle at the end of each row, right next to the toilet.

Jia Ren's position is a little better than that smelly one, but the improvement is quite limited.

In winter, the weather is cold and everything can freeze. It's not too bad though.

In such a summer, dozens of laborers gathered together. The petty official refused to regularly provide water, and then the sun shone...

Jia Ren thought about it, and felt that he had eaten too many buns, and was starting to feel bloated...

On the second day of the exam, the student who had been making a stink fell ill and was carried out.

Jiarren really had no other choice. He tore his clothes into strips and used them to cover his mouth and nose, stubbornly enduring until the very end.

Fortunately, Li Ge'er was in a better position, being placed at the very inside, away from the " stink bomb"!

Hearing the two brothers recounting what happened at the exam hall, the family members were both surprised and annoyed.

Tao Hongying said: “With so many people taking the exam, how can the Imperial Examination Institute not be properly cleaned up So many people have studied hard for years, just for this day, and it's treated like this”

Old Lady Li also chimed in, “Yes, they don’t need to provide any fancy meals or delicacies. At least, give them a good environment so that the students can focus their studies!”

Li Zhensheng chuckled wryly: “Mother, they’re not doing too badly. It’s just a bit stuffy and dirty. When I took the exam that year, it poured with rain. Some students had finished their papers, but then the rain soaked them through, ruining everything.”

"Is that so" Li Lao exclaimed in surprise, and the crowd followed suit with sighs of dismay.

Li Laoer yearned for studying and taking the imperial examinations. He never expected that exams would be so life-or-death for students. He felt sorry for his son, but he didn't want to crush his ambition.

Then he said, "Don't worry about the results, you all did your best. Enjoy yourselves these next few days. After the rankings are released, we'll get together with Jia An, Jia Xi, and Mao Ge'er and return to Suijintan for another two days."

"Okay, Father," Jia Ren replied with a smile. "We only took a quick look yesterday and then went to sleep. Now there are so many flowers in the courtyard! Let's go take a look!"

Li Laer has been diligently learning about flower cultivation from Lao Cao these past few days, to the point where he can name all sorts of flowers.

At this moment, he took his son and nephew out to show off.

At noon, Tao Hongying cooked several dishes very well. Jia Ren and Li Ge'er ate their fill and took a nap in the afternoon. When they woke up in the evening, they were completely recovered.

They are so young and fit.

But the whole family was getting ready for bed, they became wide awake instead.

Jia Yin immediately conscripted her two older brothers to do labor. She meticulously cataloged all the flowers in Baihua Garden, listing their quantities and numbering each flower pot for convenient record-keeping when selling them.

Although Li Laotai felt sorry for her grandson, she saw them chatting and laughing with their younger sister, a rare moment of joy. She didn't stop them anymore.

Three days passed in a flash, and the list of successful examinees was finally posted outside the Gongyuan.

The alley outside the Gongyuan was packed, so crowded that it was impossible to move. Neither Li Laotai nor Jia Yin dared to look. Today was another day for making private dishes, so Li Zhensheng and Tao Hongying went to the restaurant.

Only Li Laoer brought along Jiaren and Ligero, protected by Zheng He, Zheng Feng, and Yè Shan, to the outside of the貢院.

The top of the charts was crowded with people.

As the crowd pressed in, Zheng He, Zheng Feng, and Ye Shan unleashed their ultimate move.

Zheng He and Zheng Feng struggled to push their way to the center of the crowd. Ye Shan climbed onto the wall, then stepped on Zheng Feng and Zheng He's shoulders to get a boost, and jumped directly ahead.

The last three people squeezed their clothes open, threw away their shoes, and finally saw the message.

Jia Ren ranked 51st on the big list, while Li Ge'er ranked 108th, which was the last place, barely clinging to the tail of a scholar.

This would drive everyone crazy!

After all, Jia Ren's exam number position was too bad, hindering his performance. Besides, Li Ge was still young, having only studied for three years, both inside and outside the academy.

To everyone's surprise, both brothers actually won!

Especially Li Ge'er, originally they decided not to let him take the exam. But he insisted on accompanying his elder brother, and the family thought of letting him gain some experience, so they agreed.

To my surprise, he turned out to be so impressive!

To know, how many old students' heads turned white, yet still trapped before becoming a scholar.

And Li Ge'er, as if making a joke, actually became a scholar.

Ye Shan dashed back home to report the news, while Zheng He went to Xianke Lai to relay the information.

Li Lao'er then brought two young boys to pay respects and express gratitude to Dean Zhou, after all, without the cultivation of the academy, they wouldn't have their present status.

As the head of the Zhou clan and his men, they naturally couldn't mingle with the crowd. They had reserved a private room at a teahouse nearby.

It is said that both Jiarren and Lig'er passed the exam, becoming official scholars. The headmaster and the teachers were naturally delighted and gave them encouraging words.

At this time, the attendant sent by the academy also returned.

This time, the college had a total of eight people on the list!

With 35 candidates taking the exam, and only 8 passing, this result is truly a delightful surprise.

Of course, the most surprising thing was the Li family, because they alone accounted for one-fourth of the total number of new scholars from the academy!

Every midday, the busiest time of Xian Kele Lai is.

Especially these days, Xian Kelei has launched a new beverage, honey passion fruit drink. It's not only sweet and fragrant, but also comes with ice cubes.

On such a hot day, one sip will make you feel so refreshed that even a god would envy it.

Thus, many guests came for this fruit drink and were willing to stay a while.

After all, no matter where you eat, it's about eating. If there are refreshing drinks available, of course that's even better!

When Zheng He arrived at Xianke Lai, he saw Li Zhensheng and excitedly shouted, "Master Li, we won! We won! Both the young master and the Master of Rites passed the imperial examination!"

"What" Even Li Zhensheng, known for his composure, was surprised this time and couldn't help but feel like jumping for joy. "Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

The back kitchen heard the news, Jia Huan and Tao Hongying also rushed out, both excitedly waving their cooking spatulas.

Having familiar guests from before, they quickly smiled and said congratulations.

Li Zhensheng, with a wave of his hand, to celebrate his nephew and son passing the imperial examinations as *xiucai* scholars, today prepared a table full of dishes for everyone, plus one cup of fruit drink per person!

This caused the guests to express their thanks and congratulations even more loudly.

Similarly, the Hundred Flowers Garden also became a sea of joy at this time.

Especially Li Ge'er, he didn't react for a long time.

He didn't go all out for the exam because he was there to accompany his brother. He just wrote whatever came to mind, and how did he pass!

Jiarong had red eyes, he hugged his younger brother tightly and patted his shoulder.

Actually, my younger brother is the youngest and has only been in school for a few years. He doesn't have to study so hard at all, but during this period, he has always accompanied me through late nights and early mornings without ever complaining once.

Today, when such results occur, onlookers would say it's luck. Only he knows, luck accounts for a third, and his brother's talent and hard work absolutely make up for the other seven!

That evening, the whole family had a good meal together to celebrate.

After waiting for the second day, Li Laosan sent his family members, Jia An and Jia Xi, along with their cat to his home. Then he returned to Suijin Beach.

As a result, the next morning, the three boys arrived, as did Dr. Zhou and Mr. Peng.

The Li family was puzzled, but still welcomed Dr. Zhou and Mr. Peng courteously into their home...

Here are three more chapters~te kitchen banquet is worth collecting a hundred taels of silver from the first table!"Having said that, he took out two silver notes of a hundred taels and slapped them directly onto the counter.“Thi...