Chapter 317: Chapter 128: Prefectural Top Scorer (3)
De’an pouted. "Dad, you’re such a buzzkill."
Chen Song then turned to Zhao Jing. "And you, Jing? How did you do?"
"It went well. I passed, too."
"Of course I know that. You’re much sharper than De’an. If even that rascal managed to scrape by and pass, there’s no question you would. What I wanted to ask was..."
"You don’t have to ask. I’ll say it for you," De’an said with a pout. "Jing took first place in the prefecture. Are you satisfied now, Dad?"
Chen Song burst out laughing. "Satisfied? I’m more than satisfied! Come, Jing, you worked so hard for this. Let me toast you."
The other two constables—Qi Lan and Mr. Wang, the one who had searched the boys during their county exam—also raised their teacups to join in the fun, wanting to toast Zhao Jing and soak up some of his good fortune.
Of course, Zhao Jing couldn’t accept such a toast. He rose to his feet humbly and, in a show of great respect, toasted them instead.
Needless to say, Chen Song’s heart swelled with pride at being shown such respect by his son-in-law. When Qi Lan and Mr. Wang saw this heartwarming scene between the two, how could they not be envious?
The two men once again sighed to themselves, ’Chen Song sure is a lucky man.’
Never mind that he’d won the County Magistrate’s favor, rising from a common street peddler to a constable in the government office. And never mind that he’d married a wife who could rake in money. The crucial thing was that his son, daughter, and son-in-law were all such a credit to him.
His daughter was clever and knew how to make incense. Her Moonlight Fragrance wasn’t just a massive hit in Qingshui County; it was also being sold in the Prefecture and the other counties under Xingxing Prefecture’s jurisdiction. Business was so brisk that she couldn’t make the incense fast enough to meet demand.
His son was also a credit to him, having passed the prefectural exam and secured a promising future.
And don’t even get them started on his son-in-law. At such a young age, he had already secured two of the three victories needed for the prestigious "Lesser Triple Crown."
If he also took first place in the upcoming academy exam, he would earn the title in full. In all of Qingshui County, a man like that could do no wrong.
As the two men drank their tea, their hearts filled with longing. ’Why couldn’t our families have such incredible luck?’
When they got home, they’d have to go check on their ancestral graves. Maybe a tree or a rock was in the wrong place, blocking their own families’ paths to prosperity.
After the meal, Chen Song, Qi Lan, and Mr. Wang prepared to head to the inn to discuss matters with Mr. Cheng.
Before leaving, Chen Song looked at his daughter. "Are you staying with me at the inn tonight, or at the little courtyard with Jing and the others?"
Before Chen Wanqing could even open her mouth, she felt a gentle squeeze on the palm of her hand.
Jing may have appeared poised and elegant, conversing respectfully with his elders during the meal, but his hand under the table was anything but proper.
He had been holding her hand tightly without letting go, as if they were glued together with tree sap. Hearing her father’s question, he was now rushing to give her a hint. Even a fool could guess what he wanted.
Chen Wanqing thought for a moment before replying, "Dad, the inn is full of dignitaries. It wouldn’t be convenient for me to go there. I’ll just stay at Jing’s for the night."
She said "for the night" because the exam results were posted today, meaning the academy exam would officially begin tomorrow.
The academy exam was held over three days and two nights, split into two sessions. Jing and De’an would certainly be gone for the duration, leaving her alone in the little courtyard, which would be much more comfortable.
As for the inn, it was currently crowded with the county magistrates from all over Xinghuai Prefecture and their entourages. With so many people and so many prying eyes, it would be improper for her to be there.
Chen Song had evidently come to the same conclusion, as he nodded in agreement.
Before he left, he carefully instructed Zhao Jing and De’an to take good care of Chen Wanqing. Once he had their assurances, he hurried downstairs without another moment’s delay to find Mr. Cheng.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jing and Chen De’an quickly led Chen Wanqing back to their rented courtyard.
On the way back, Chen Wanqing was genuinely worried that Jing might do something rash out on the street, so she tried to distract him by talking more.
She talked about everything from Wanyue’s marriage to the discovery of a second body at Wo Laicai’s home, from the rising cost of ingredients for Moonlight Fragrance to the hardships of traveling five hundred *li* in just three days.
She then took the initiative to ask the two of them how things had been since their arrival in the Prefecture.
Their letters had only reported good news, never the bad. But from the simple fact that De’an had placed seventh in the prefectural exam, Chen Wanqing could tell there was more to the story.
Otherwise, based on his past performance, even with steady improvement, his rank would have only fluctuated by a position or two. He would never have leaped from thirteenth all the way to seventh.
As soon as De’an heard her question, his sleepiness vanished. He immediately began chattering away, telling Chen Wanqing everything.
He told her of the malicious plot, of how they had nearly met with disaster, of how they were saved by their own foresight, and finally, of his own blessing in disguise.
De’an had a natural gift for storytelling. He recounted the events with so many dramatic ups and downs that Chen Wanqing nearly forgot to breathe several times.
After hearing about this "blessing in disguise," Chen Wanqing didn’t feel a sense of relief. All she felt was a lingering fear.
’It was a good thing Jing had that previous experience of nearly being harmed,’ she thought. ’It made him take extra precautions. If things had gone differently, they certainly wouldn’t be in a position to celebrate now.’
