Zhu Ping'an became the top scholar, and his aunt Xiao Si was pregnant again. This was a double happiness, and Zhu Ping'an's family was filled with joy.
It took the third time for the messenger to announce the good news to awaken the Zhu family members who were immersed in joy. Chen could no longer suppress the pride on her face and distributed the prepared red envelopes to the people who came to announce the good news one by one.
"Here, we have all..."
Country people don't have so many requirements. Because there were too many people coming to announce the good news, Zhu's father and his third and fourth uncles were too busy to handle it. Chen also stepped forward to give red envelopes to those who announced the good news. When the red envelope was given to a man who was wearing fine clothes, that man refused to take it. So Chen said something and put the money in his hand without allowing him to refuse. She watched him accept it and then continued to give out red envelopes.
At this time, the uncle Zhu Shouren standing in the corner was so frightened that his face turned pale. The second brother's family, that's the master of the mansion! What kind of reward money are you giving him? How can he be short of your few coins
After distributing the reward money one by one, Chen caught a glimpse of her uncle Zhu Shouren, who was huddled in the corner, and rolled her eyes! Just now he was eager to visit the county magistrate and so on, and now even the third and fourth sons in the family came out to help distribute the red envelopes, but he was the only one who was huddled in the corner like a quail! He has no guts!
The person who brought the good news handed the good news to Zhu's father, but before Zhu's father could take a closer look, Chen snatched it away.
The good news was made of fine cloth, with clear official script, and three official seals on the top center. The background of the good news was a carp leaping over the dragon gate, with a golden carp swimming upstream in the magnificent sea below and a soaring dragon looming in the sky above, symbolizing that winning the top spot in the imperial examination was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, with a bright future ahead.
Chen looked at the wedding announcement in her hand and was overjoyed. The top scholar was different. The material of this wedding announcement was hundreds of times better than before, and the painting looked festive. The previous wedding announcements didn't even have a painting, so this one looked better.
After receiving the good news, Chen called Li Dahai, a carpenter from the village who was watching the excitement in the yard, and asked him to quickly make a nice watch frame and send it over.
Why make a table frame
In fact, the reason is very simple. Chen wanted to frame the good news of Zhu Ping'an's winning the first place in the imperial examination and hang it in the most conspicuous place in the house. On the one hand, this is a great thing to bring honor to the family, and on the other hand, it allows everyone who comes to the Zhu family to see the good news of Zhu Ping'an's winning the first place in the imperial examination at a glance.
That's it...
"Everyone, don't leave. Please help set up the stove. Everyone, stay and have a simple meal and some wine." After handing out red envelopes and wedding money, Zhu's father invited the onlookers in and outside the yard.
There was free food and wine, so people naturally would not refuse and cheered, which increased the festive atmosphere several times.
Uncle Zhu Shouren, who had reached the corner of the wall at some point, looked at his father who was arranging things in front of people. He wanted to take a step forward to show his face to the county magistrate and the government magistrate several times, but when he saw the huge crowds of people watching in the yard and the densely packed people on the trees and rooftops outside the yard, he did not take a step forward. After all, his purpose was not to be seen in public.
Zhu Ping'an won the top spot in the imperial examination. The whole Xiahe Village was excited. This was the top spot in the imperial examination, the Star of Literature.
Shanghe Village, which is close to Xiahe Village, naturally heard the news. Old Master Sun made a cup of tea and sat in the yard, squinting his eyes and listening to the crackling sound of firecrackers from Xiahe Village without stopping. His heart was as sweet as eating honey.
The master's wife, who was mending clothes opposite, looked at Master Sun's old face that was like a chrysanthemum and rolled her eyes several times. Of course, there was a smile in the corner of her eyes.
In the Li family compound, not far from Master Sun's house, there were also constant sounds of firecrackers. The servants in the mansion listened to the crackling firecrackers of their own home and chattered happily about the good news that their son-in-law had won the top spot in the imperial examination.
The bedroom door of Mr. Li was closed. Outside, two guards with serious faces stood with their hands on their waists, looking around vigilantly.
Inside the bedroom, the fat Mr. Li sat at the table, tapping the table lightly with his fingers wearing a big gold ring, squinting his eyes and looking far away in the direction of Xiahe Village, with a surprised expression on his round face.
I didn't expect that boy to win the first place in the imperial examination. It was worth it that Shu'er cried, made a scene and even hanged herself to marry him!
"Sir, the seabird hunting has failed. Captain Lu Shenming of the Great Jin Guards of Funing Guards cannot escape the blame! I have received news from the ants that during the hunting period, sea merchants entered and left Captain Lu's residence. They entered late at night and left through a secret passage at dawn the next day."
Kneeling at the feet of the wealthy Li was a thin man with a scar on his face, and a cold aura emanating from his body, like a poisonous dagger hidden in its sheath.
At this moment, the man was kneeling on one knee on the ground, and with both hands he presented a secret letter with a bloody flying fish symbol printed on it to Mr. Li. He lowered his head and dared not look directly at Mr. Li. A strand of black hair hung down, covering half of his face.
"Who said it failed?"
Mr. Li, the rich man, withdrew his gaze from the direction of Xiahe Village and turned it to the man kneeling on the ground. He smiled slightly on his fat face, like a fat version of a fox.
Didn’t fail? The kneeling man was puzzled and stunned. He didn’t quite understand. He had clearly failed.
"This is the seabird. Although it is a little thin... But I believe this is just the beginning. With this bird, there will be more birds." Mr. Li smiled like a businessman who saw a business opportunity. He took the secret folder from the man's hand, rubbed a certain part of the secret folder with the ring on his finger before opening it.
"Your Excellency is wise."
Hearing this, the kneeling man looked at the rich man Li with even more awe. He didn't expect that everything was a trap set by the adults. He didn't expect that this was the real plan, which was so interconnected and meticulous. It turned out that everything was just a deception.
"Now that the bird is in the net, let's take it."
After reading the secret memorial, Mr. Li, the wealthy man, casually threw out a bloody flying fish waist card and said softly.
The man kneeling on the ground didn't even raise his head, but stretched out his hands to catch the bloody badge thrown by the rich man Li without any error.
This is a metal waist badge, and I don't know what material was added to it to make it blood red, as if it was stained with blood. The waist badge is about one-third the size of a palm, in the shape of a flying fish, with three black characters "Jinyiwei" on it, and in the lower corner there is an easily overlooked red character "An", as if it was watered with blood.
"Sir, do you want to notify the Southern Pacification Office?" The thin man kneeling on the ground took the Flying Fish card and asked with some hesitation on his scarred face.
"What do you think?" Mr. Li, the rich man, touched his fat face, lowered his head and asked with a smile.
"I deserve to die! Please forgive me, sir." The thin man shuddered all over, apologized, and lowered his head, not daring to look at the rich man Li, as if he had encountered something terrible. (To be continued.)