Zhu Ping'an had just returned to his seat when the fat man Xue Chi grinned at him like a bulldog, apparently noticing that Zhu Ping'an had just gone to pay the bill. Dear, search for "Eye&Quick" on Baidu, and you can read a lot of novels for free.
“Brother Xue, you really are…” Zhu Pingan shook his head slightly.
"Brothers, everything lies in the wine. Come on." The fat man grinned and held out the wine glass.
Zhu Ping'an couldn't refuse the invitation, so he raised his glass and clinked it with his own. The wine went down his throat, and it was spicy and choking, but the aftertaste was soft and sweet. The wine was good, but don't drink too much.
Zhu Ping'an can still control himself, but his uncle Zhu Shouren and several other villagers, as well as the fat man Xue Chi, are not self-controllable. They are the kind of people who will vomit all over the floor after drinking half a pound of wine.
"The deer are calling, eating wild herbs. I have guests, playing the harp and the zither. The harp and the zither are harmonious and profound. I have fine wine to entertain the guests..." When they were drunk, uncle Zhu Shouren and the fat man sang this "Xiaoya. Deer Singing" while tapping the wine glasses with bamboo chips. They were very happy.
The cups and plates were in a mess, Zhu Ping'an was slightly tipsy, and Uncle Fatty and the others were so drunk that they were all unconscious and leaned against the wall because no one was willing to give in.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
Outside, the night watchman struck the gong for the second watch, repeatedly. At three o'clock in the morning, the evening drum was struck, and night curfew was called. Now it was the second watch. If you were caught walking on the street by government officials, no matter if you were a scholar or not, you would be beaten with forty boards.
Zhu Ping'an looked at the people at the table talking and speaking in disarray, his face speechless.
However, Zhuangyuanlou, which runs a restaurant business, often encounters this situation, and there is a solution, that is, the restaurant is connected to its own inn. Zhu Pingan called the waiter to ask for a large bunk bed, paid the money, and asked the waiter to help stuff the uncle, Fatty and others onto the bunk bed.
The night was a mess. The people lying on the bunk beds would occasionally perform their unique skill of spitting out fountains from their mouths... ...which made Zhu Ping'an pay the restaurant another hundred coins.
When they woke up the next day, the uncle and his companions went to the other side of the Qinhuai River to meet the friend who had seen off his mentor yesterday. After the uncle and his companions left, the fat man said to Zhu Ping'an, "Brother Zhu, you need to be more careful about your uncle in the future."
"Why?" Zhu Ping'an asked casually.
"It's just a feeling. Better safe than sorry." The fat man shook his hungover head and spoke vaguely.
This fat guy looked carefree, but unexpectedly he was a man like Zhang Fei who was rough but delicate. He could detect his uncle's true nature after drinking once. Reminding himself without making people think he was trying to sow discord was a bit surprising to Zhu Pingan, who had originally thought that this guy was a heartless person.
"Yeah." Zhu Ping'an responded without comment.
Returning from the restaurant to the inn, we passed by the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall. In front of the Imperial Examination Hall, soldiers with swords and yamen runners set up a barrier at the door. They also warned every passerby not to make noise. The second batch of candidates from other prefectures who participated in the Imperial Examination also started their journey to the Imperial Examination. I just don't know which unlucky ones will have their rooms next to the dung room.
The fat man passed by the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall and retched a few times. It was purely a conditioned reflex.
Because the results would be announced in a few days, Zhu Ping'an did not rush home, but waited until the results were announced before going home. Therefore, he practiced calligraphy and read books during the day. The mosquito repellent medicine he got from the pharmacy was very effective. He put it in his purse and read books in the woods without being bothered by mosquitoes. Time passed slowly.
The exciting moment has finally arrived.
Ten days after the second batch of candidates finished the college examination, the time for the college examination results to be announced was approaching. The college examination results were different from the county examination and the prefectural examination. The college examination was divided into fourteen lists, with each prefecture having a separate list. The successful candidates from each prefecture were on the same list. Each prefecture also had a top scorer, who was also the real top scorer in the boy's examination.
On this day, Zhu Pingan had just returned from studying and practicing calligraphy. Before he even reached the inn, he saw a row of familiar people standing at the door of the inn, including his uncle Zhu Shouren and other villagers, as well as the fat man who was chatting and laughing with a few people.
Seeing Zhu Pingan, several people swarmed over, pulling his arms, holding his hands, and pushing him from behind. Before Zhu Pingan could react, he was pushed towards the Confucius Temple.
"Hurry up, I'm waiting for you. The college entrance examination results are announced."
"Hurry up, the results will be announced at Confucius Temple this year. If you go too late, there will be no good places."
Everyone started jogging, pulling Zhu Ping'an together. Everyone was full of confidence. On the way, they imagined the scene of the flower-pinning banquet after passing the exam and discussed it from time to time.
Zhu Ping'an listened with a pained look on his face as he listened to the scenes of the hairpin banquet they had imagined, silently counting down to their final carnival.
It’s hard to imagine what they would feel when they see the list.
There was a huge crowd in front of the Confucius Temple. In addition to the candidates, many parents also came from far away. The fourteen list lists were all surrounded by people.
"Brother Zhu, brothers, I'm going to look at the list first. We'll meet here later." As soon as the fat man arrived in front of the Confucius Temple, he couldn't wait to say goodbye and go to see the list of their mansion.
"Well, you... don't be too excited..." Zhu Ping'an hesitated for a moment but still didn't say it.
"How can I not be excited? My father has failed the exam for so many years. When I throw the list in front of him, he will be so happy." The fat man was very excited. Thinking of his father who scolded him every day, the gold lock on his neck rattled with excitement. After saying that, the fat man could not wait to squeeze to the front of the list of their Fengyang Prefecture, as quiet as a fat man and as fast as a fat rabbit.
Watching the fat man squeezing left and right in the crowd, Zhu Ping'an could only hope that the fat man had a strong mental endurance.
Uncle Zhu Shouren and others couldn't wait to pull Zhu Ping'an to the front of the list of Anqing Prefecture. Zhu Ping'an was involuntarily led by his uncle and others into the crowd. Those who didn't know the inside story thought that Zhu Ping'an was rushing in excitedly.
Yes, that's what it looks like from the outside.
Just like Xia Luoming of Tongcheng, Feng Shanshui of Susong, and Brother Guo and Brother Liu, who were surrounded by the crowd at this moment, in their eyes, Zhu Ping'an was the kind of person who was as excited as a cat that smelled fish, squeezing in without any image at all, a vulgar person.
In their eyes, Zhu Ping'an was so ridiculous. He wrote a poem about chrysanthemums and even dreamed of getting on the imperial examination list.
"How ridiculous..." Brother Guo, who had been lying in front of the window of the private room and writing poems for Zhu Ping'an, laughed at Zhu Ping'an who was rushing in, "It doesn't matter if you are in a hurry or slow. The list is there and it won't change. Why make yourself look so humiliated? A real man wouldn't do that."
"That's right, Brother Guo, what you said is absolutely right, he is a gentleman." Feng Shanshui waved his folding fan and echoed.
"That's right, Zhu Ping'an is so ridiculous, his poem is off topic, and he hasn't found any clues for more than ten days, and now he's still dreaming that he can be on the list, haha..." Several people in the crowd laughed and echoed.
These people walked towards the list slowly and leisurely, laughing at Zhu Ping'an, whose clothes were messed up due to being squeezed in the crowd.
Under the list, people are either crying or laughing, all kinds of human emotions are present. (To be continued.)xh118