The sun was about to set, and there were still crowds of people outside the Qinghe County Martial Arts Museum. Countless people were waiting outside the museum.
Among those waiting were the parents, brothers, grandfathers, uncles of the candidates taking the national martial arts examination, as well as servants, stewards, and friends of the same age at home.
For the people of Qinghe County, the annual National Martial Arts Examination is as important as a holiday. It is a major event in the county. On weekdays, as long as there are men in the family and they are of the right age, the most common question they ask when they meet is: Are your children preparing to take the Chinese Martial Arts Examination this year, what are their usual scores, or whether they have been admitted to the Pingxi County Martial Arts Academy.
This situation is just like the college entrance examination in Yan Liqiang's previous life. Every college entrance examination affects the hearts of thousands of families.
Among the bustling men waiting outside the Chinese Martial Arts Hall, there are a few women, who are particularly eye-catching like a dot of red among the green bushes. They are several county residents who are already old but still dressed in bright clothes. The matchmakers here, these matchmakers have smart eyes and can talk well. They are gathered here today, not only exchanging information in their hands, but also staring at the results of the big exam in the Chinese Martial Arts Hall, preparing to identify some young talents.
You know, every year after the national martial arts exam, these matchmakers are busiest and their business is at its best.
In addition to these matchmakers, there are also several horses holding gongs on their horses. They are wearing red fast feet and stand watching from a distance of the crowd. These fast feet usually pick up some to deliver messages to people or to do things. For the job of delivering letters, these quickies gathered here today, and they also came here to make quick money. If they are fast enough and lucky enough to rush to announce the top three news today, the money they get from reporting the news may be worth their hard work for a week. If they meet a wealthy family and get a lot of rewards, say Maybe it can be worth a month.
At some point, there was a sudden commotion among the people gathered at the gate of the martial arts hall.
"Come here, come here, the results of this year's national martial arts exam are out..."
someone shouted.
Hearing this shout, countless people rushed towards the gate of the Guoshu Hall consciously or unconsciously like a tide.
A group of experienced officials from the martial arts hall who came out of the gate formed a circle to block the crowds coming towards them. They protected the two people who were holding tools and preparing to post gold medals in the middle of them. While walking towards the notice wall next to the list, he was still shouting, "Everyone, give way, give way, don't crowd, don't crowd, the more you squeeze, the slower it will be. We will post the list so that everyone can see it." The result of this national martial arts competition!”
"Don't crowd, don't crowd..."
The people at the front of the crowd also shouted, and the crowd that was surging forward slowly calmed down.
After sweating all over, several officials from the martial arts hall finally came to the notice wall. Several officials and the crowd gathered in front of them spontaneously protected the place and told everyone not to crowd. The remaining two officials quickly came Climbing up the stairs that had been erected here for a long time, he unfolded a big red notice more than two meters above the ground and quickly posted it on the wall.
The notice had just been put up, but before the stairs could be evacuated, the people around him could not restrain themselves and swarmed up. A group of museum officials quickly backed away, leaving the open space in front of the notice to the crowd waiting outside.
Everyone's eyes fell on the top of the list in a flash.
"The Ranking List of Guoshu County Examination in Qinghe County, Pingxi County, Ganzhou"
The first place in the top three in the National Martial Arts Examination: Yan Liqiang from Liuhe Town.
Second place in the top three in the National Martial Arts Examination: Shen Teng from Qinghe County.
The third place in the top three in the National Martial Arts Examination: Shi Dafeng of Langu Town.
…
On the list, the names of the three people at the top are the largest and most conspicuous. After Shi Dafeng, there are the names of the other seven people who entered the top ten. The names of the following seven people are stronger than Yan Li's. A slightly smaller size, and there is no ranking. It is just arranged from least to most by the number of strokes in the name.
Behind the top ten names are the names and places of origin of the other forty candidates.
Seeing this list, some people were happy, some were disappointed, some cheered with joy, some sighed and shook their heads, but invariably, almost everyone had the same thought. A question - Yan Liqiang, who is Yan Liqiang? When did such a powerful young man appear in Liuhe Town
The crowd of people watching made a lot of noise, especially the matchmakers. After seeing the names of the first three people on the list, they started asking people around them for information about Yan Liqiang, Shen Teng, and Shi Dafeng.
"Hey, I think I've heard of this Yan Liqiang..." A middle-aged man in the crowd looked at Yan Liqiang's name and seemed to think of something. After hearing what he said, many people around him gathered around him. The young people all pricked up their ears, "I wonder if you have heard about the method of saving drowning people that came from Huanglong County?"
"What you are talking about is the method of moxibustion on the navel. Of course I have heard of it. Four children drowned in our village a few days ago. In the end, this method was used to save the children who had been drowning for several hours and were already hopeless. Someone saved two of them!" Someone next to him suddenly said in realization.
"Yes, this is the method. I went to Huanglong County to do some shopping a few days ago, and I heard someone talking about the method of moxibustion on the navel to treat drowning people in a restaurant in Huanglong County. It seemed that it was a method called moxibustion on the navel to treat drowning people. The young man named Yan Liqiang passed it on. I heard that the young man named Yan Liqiang was taught by a god in a dream, so he knew such a magical method. These two Yan Liqiang cannot be the same person... "
"Ah, there is such a thing..."
"There are not many people with the surname Yan, and there are not many people with the surname Yan in Qinghe County. If there are still people with the same name, it would be a coincidence..."
"Yes, yes, yes, it should be the same person..."
Someone else chimed in, "I remember that the son of Blacksmith Yan in Liuhe Town seems to be named Yan Liqiang..."
The crowd of onlookers suddenly burst into an uproar.
And those quick-footed people, after seeing the top three names on the list, quickly got on their horses, and at the fastest speed, they chased each other towards Liuhe Town, Langu Town, and Rushed towards the other side of the county.
The man who rode the fastest on horseback took a small road and shortcut halfway, and was the first to rush to Liuhe Town. As soon as he entered the streets of Liuhe Town, the man picked up the gong hanging on the horse and said, Riding on the horse and galloping, he beat the gong to attract the attention of the people around him. At the same time, he shouted with a high and loud voice along the way, "It's good news, it's good news. Young Master Yan Liqiang of Liuhe Town is taking the National Martial Arts County Exam today." Named on the gold medal list, ranked first among the top three in high school..."
"Good news, good news, Young Master Yan Liqiang of Liuhe Town won the gold medal in today's national martial arts county examination, and ranked first among the top three in high school..."
The sound of the good news blew through the streets like a gust of wind. Those who were doing business on the street and those walking on the street heard the news. For a moment, many people could not believe their ears. .
Naturally, everyone knows about Yan Tiejiang's son, but no one could have imagined that Yan Tiejiang's son could actually be ranked among the top three in high school in today's national martial arts exam. In the entire Liuhe Town, there are many people who have not passed the national martial arts exam for who knows how many years. Top three.
"Brother, do you know how to get to Mr. Yan's house? I'm about to go to Mr. Yan's house to announce the good news. This Liuhe Town finally has a top three person this year..." I saw a butcher selling meat on the street. In a daze, the quick-footed announcer stopped his horse in front of the meat stall and asked the butcher a question in a friendly manner.
The stunned Butcher Liu suddenly trembled, and then pointed to the Liuhe River in the distance with a smile on his face, "That Yan... Mr. Yan's home is by the river. His family has a blacksmith workshop, and there is a blacksmith shop by the river. That's the family with the tallest chimney..." At this point, Butcher Liu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, raised his face, and asked cautiously, "By the way... this... you said that Yan Liqiang was named on the Gold List, you are not wrong, are you? …”
"Haha, the first place on the gold list posted outside the Guoshu Museum is Mr. Yan's name and the place Liuhe Town. How many people have seen it, and everyone is talking about it. What's wrong? What if I get this all wrong? Well, I might as well just dig out these tricks, what else can I do with my quick feet..." The quick feet that announced the good news said without wasting any time, pinched the horse's belly again, and the horse rushed towards Yan Liqiang's home. go.
"Good news, good news, Young Master Yan Liqiang of Liuhe Town won the gold medal in today's national martial arts county examination, and ranked first among the top three in high school..." The man who brought the good news beat the gong, shouted loudly, and disappeared in the blink of an eye from Butcher Liu. In front of me, only the sound of gongs and shouts could still be heard faintly.
Although the sun was about to set and the temperature was slowly dropping, butcher Liu felt as if he had lost his soul as he listened to the increasingly distant sound of the good news. His face turned pale and his eyes were lifeless. In the blink of an eye, There was a thin layer of sweat on his shiny forehead. Thinking of what he had done to the Yan family and his son, Butcher Liu's meat-cutting hands started to tremble.
"Dad... who was knocking and screaming outside just now..." Butcher Liu's son walked out of the house behind the meat stall, holding a cooked pig's foot in his hand, his face greasy.
When he saw his son again at this time, Butcher Liu suddenly became so angry that he suddenly slapped his son on the face and cursed, "Eat, eat, eat, you know how to eat, I have taught you to practice martial arts since you were a child." , you moan incessantly as soon as you squat on the horse, and you can't hold on for a cup of tea. How can I have a son like you..."
Butcher Liu's son was stunned by his father. It took him a few seconds to react, and he burst into tears.
…
In the Yan family, Zhou Hongda and his wife had already prepared meals and chicken soup, and were waiting for Yan Liqiang to come back.
Yan Dechang and Manager Lu were also in the courtyard, chatting and waiting.
But what they were waiting for was not Yan Liqiang, but the quick feet to announce the good news.
"Bang...Bang...Bang...Good news, good news, Mr. Yan Liqiang from Liuhe Town won the gold medal in today's national martial arts county examination, and ranked first among the top three in high school..."
When the two people just heard the sound, they looked at each other and thought they had heard it wrong. But in the blink of an eye, the sound went from far to near, and it suddenly became clear.
"Bang...Bang...Bang...Good news, good news, Mr. Yan Liqiang from Liuhe Town won the gold medal in today's national martial arts county examination, and ranked first among the top three in high school..."
Yan Dechang still couldn't believe it, but Manager Lu stood up with excitement on his face.
"Bang...Bang...Bang...Good news, good news, Mr. Yan Liqiang from Liuhe Town won the gold medal in today's national martial arts county examination, and ranked first among the top three in high school..."
The sound had already reached outside the house, and then there was the sound of banging on the door. Before Manager Lu could give instructions, Zhou Tiezhu rushed over and opened the door.
A smiling man, Kuai Fei, holding a gong, was already standing outside the door, and a bunch of neighbors around Yan's house also gathered around to watch the fun.
"Young Master Yan, I'm here to tell you the good news. Mr. Yan won the gold medal in the national martial arts county examination today and ranked first among the top three in high school. Mr. Yan will surely prosper and prosper in the future!"
Seeing Yan Dechang excitedly giving the reward of two taels of silver to the happy Kuaijiao, Manager Lu immediately called over a guard of the Lu family and asked the guard to ride a rhinoceros horse to Huanglong County to report the news to the Lu family...
(End of chapter)