Chapter 457: Chapter 446: The Top Scorer from a Farming Family
The Imperial Examination results would be out in half a month, and Ye Qiu only sent the Attendant Student to check at the announcement place, not allowing his three sisters to go out, as ultimately, he was confident enough to expect a government officer to visit and bring the good news.
The three sisters were anxiously pacing around the house, but they also knew that even if they went out at this time, they wouldn’t be able to squeeze into the place where the results were announced, so all they could do was fret.
"Xiuya, you should believe in Brother Qiu’s ability," Wang Zhaoxing said calmly after sipping his tea, recalling how right after it was written, Brother Qiu had gone to consult with a teacher at the academy. The teacher, not daring to overstate, only mentioned if all goes well, a top ten placement was possible. If the teacher believed a top ten was assured, it must be in the top three; last year when the teacher reviewed the written piece, he had said there were no major issues, and the result was ranking eighth in Dingshui State.
If he had to say, perhaps their future Brother-in-law might even return as the top scorer of the Imperial Examination!
"They’re here, they’re here!" As the gong sounded closer, the butler hurriedly reported the joyous news.
"Which one of you is Mr. Ye Qiu?" the beaming government officer asked.
"It’s me," Ye Qiu greeted with a bowing gesture, and the officer repeatedly said there was no need for such gestures.
"Congratulations, Sir, you’ve achieved top scorer." The government officer handed over a letter, which was indeed listing Ye Qiu’s rank. Tomorrow, the Prefect at the Prefectural Government is hosting a banquet for scholars, and hoped Mr. Qiu would not be late.
"Certainly." Ye Qiu thanked him, while the butler, seizing the opportunity, offered a sizeable purse; the officer hesitated initially, but eventually, unable to resist the butler’s earnestness, he accepted. This was a custom in Dingshui State; higher-ups wouldn’t blame him, nor demand it turned over, allowing both sides to celebrate happily.
"Here, there’s something for everyone; you must come enjoy a celebratory drink another day." The butler handed over the money purse and also pulled out a bunch of red envelopes from his chest pocket, a task Xiuya had assigned earlier.
The occasion of delivering the good news was not only attended by the government officer but also those who came to watch the excitement; they, the Ye Family, couldn’t afford to lose dignity, right?
"Congratulations, big brother, now you’re a Scholar!" Xiuya and her sisters finally relaxed and then performed a genteel curtsy.
Ye Qiu chuckled lightly, then returned a gentleman’s salute: "Congratulations to the three sisters as well; you’re now the Scholar’s sisters."
The four siblings exchanged smiles, which even spread to the nearby Wang Zhaoxing and the servants.
Not to mention the masters, with Ye Qiu passing the examination, these servants’ life prospects were on the rise; if Ye Qiu were to become an official in the future, they would be even happier.
Hearing the news that Ye Qiu passed the examination, Wang Po specially cooked red eggs, a tradition in Ye Village indicating a celebratory event. She was genuinely happy; now, their men would have each other’s support in the official circles, and she also started discussing the marriage details between Wang Zhaoxing and Xiuya with Ye Qiu.
Speaking of which, the two were seventeen and fifteen this year, and since they had been engaged for a year, it was time to get married. Ye Qiu patted Xiuya’s head, feeling deeply moved inside, and suddenly realizing that his sister was of marriageable age, yet he couldn’t bear it – his own carefully raised ’cabbage’ was going to be handed over to Wang Zhaoxing, this ’pig’, which made him feel quite distressed.
Yet, with all the marriage arrangements already made, and the Wang family urging them, it wasn’t appropriate to delay it further, so discussions about the marriage had to continue.
Ye Qiu was concerned that Xiuya was too young and might face difficulties in childbirth later, so after much persuasion, he set the wedding date for next spring, after Xiuya’s sixteenth birthday.
Once Wang Zhaoxing and Xiuya were married, both families could start preparing for moving to Shangjing. The Imperial Examination was held once every three years, with the next one scheduled for March in two years. Both families, unfamiliar with the place, needed to move to Shangjing early. Since the Ye family planned on settling in Shangjing, dealing with buying a property and settling servants was a hassle better addressed sooner rather than later, so they could acclimatize before the Imperial Examination.
Ye Qiu persuaded everyone with emotion and reason, and the Wang Family nodded continuously in agreement, and thus the matter was settled.
Once the wedding date was fixed, time seemed to suddenly become busy; the Wang family had to prepare gifts, the Ye family had to prepare the dowry, and Wang Po was discussing the division of the family property with her son and daughter-in-law.
If Wang Zhaoxing travels to Shangjing in the future, the family’s funds won’t be enough for everyone to go, and allocating all money to Wang Zhaoxing would definitely be unfair to Wang Zhao Yang and his wife. It’s better to separate households immediately after Wang Zhaoxing and Xiuya marry. Wang Zhao Yang could then lend money to his younger brother Wang Zhaoxing, but never unconditionally, to avoid familial disputes, after all, the results of competing in Imperial Examination in Dalun Dynasty’s Shangjing can’t be predicted, the Wang family can’t let Wang Zhao Yang and his wife endlessly give without limits!
They also believe that Wang Zhaoxing is not a person who forgets favors and betrays morals; when he achieves success in the future, he will surely not forget the brother and his family who helped him.
"No, big brother, you have given too much," Xiuya panicked as she looked at the dowry list that Ye Qiu had drafted.
"Not at all," Xiutong took over the list and added an item to it—it turned out to be a share in the future flower shop she would open, and then Xiuying took it and wrote down the share of the tavern she would open in the future.
Although the flower shop and the tavern hadn’t been established yet, Xiuya knew this was not just wishful thinking. With their talents, she could imagine how much her two younger sisters were giving her! The kindness was enormous!
"Sister, we will still rely on you to help us solve problems in the future, so please don’t refuse, okay?" Xiutong said with a laugh, "If you ask me, it’s not just not too much, it’s actually too little. It’s just that our family started too late to give our eldest sister more."
"Are you silly? Giving me so much, what will you do when you don’t have a dowry in the future?" Xiuya said, both crying and laughing.
"We’ll just earn more money, isn’t it easy?" Xiuying said cheerfully.
"Alright, that’s settled then. Xiuya, don’t say anymore," Ye Qiu decided definitively, and the three sisters did not discuss further, with only Xiuya being deeply moved.
Since the day for Xiuya’s wedding was set, the Ye Family felt like time was particularly fleeting.
This New Year in the Ye Family was celebrated with unusual grandeur. Although it was a day for family reunion, the atmosphere in the Ye family was somewhat somber, as Xiuya would not be with them to celebrate the next year.
Once Xiuya got married, it would soon be Xiutong’s turn, followed by Xiuying, and in the end, only big brother would be left.
Ye Qiu had never imagined that on the day of the New Year’s Eve, he would still be pressured by his three sisters to get married, and today he couldn’t escape it...
He could only respond with silence.
"Wow, so much! Ye Qiu is really generous!"
"Is that silk from Su and Hang? The embroidery on it is truly exquisite, there must be over twenty lengths!"
"And that there, that is a whole case of real gold and silver."
"Even a carriage is prepared, how much money must have been spent on this dowry!"
"I heard that because Wang Zhaoxing is going to Shangjing for the Imperial Examination, the Ye Family did not include beddings in the dowry; otherwise, it would have been even more."
"Who wouldn’t be envious seeing all these riches!" On seeing so much wealth, some started to feel sour.
"If you were rich, would you give away so much as a dowry for your sister?" someone teased him, and the person fell silent instantly. He would be foolish to give away so much for his sister. It seems that even if Ye Qiu passes the examination, he is still a fool.
Meanwhile, the Wang family, upon seeing the lavish dowry, also fell silent. Although they had prepared a substantial bride price, it paled in comparison to Xiuya’s dowry, which also showed how much Ye Qiu valued his sister Xiuya; they could only be glad about it.