Zhou Shuren clenched his brush, speechless about his nervousness, "Did you see that hairpin? Do you like it?"
Zhulan thanked him, "I like it very much. Thank you for going out and bringing me gifts."
Zhou Shuren, "... As long as you like it, I thought you wouldn't wear the good fabrics in the village, so I bought some jewelry. You said you liked ancient-style hairpins, so I bought them for you."
Zhulan was surprised. She and Zhou Shuren would chat every night. Sometimes they talked about modern things, sometimes they talked about hobbies. Because they talked so much, she didn't even know what they talked about. She didn't expect Zhou Shuren to remember. Zhulan smiled until the bottom of her eyes. It was great to have someone care about her in such a strange time. "You are thoughtful."
Zhou Shuren's mouth twitched. Even though Zhulan cared about him, she was still very nervous and felt very upset. After all, they became husband and wife and not only saw each other every day, but also slept together at night. Except that they were not a real couple, they were the most familiar people. Normal tests were useless to Zhulan!
Zhulan waited for a while but there was no reply from Zhou Shuren. She saw Zhou Shuren lowering his head to write, with a smile on his face as he continued to make clothes. The two of them did not disturb each other in the bedroom, and there was really a feeling of peace and tranquility.
At dinner that night, Zhou Shuren and Zhulan called the eldest couple over. Zhou Shuren said directly, "Your mother told me about the new sausage recipe. I mean to save the recipe for three years."
Now their family has to keep a low profile. It is not appropriate to sell to the Shi family or other merchants, and they do not want to provoke Wang Ru. Although it is a bit aggrieved, it is very important for the Zhou family to have a smooth imperial examination without any trouble.
Li's unwillingness was written all over her face. She didn't dare to talk to her father-in-law, so she could only say to her mother, "How about giving the spicy cabbage recipe to my parents? Or should I go to Jiangnan again to sell the recipe?"
She really tasted the sweetness. She got 20% of the silver, and her grandmother decided to give her thirty taels. When had she ever seen so much silver? It was all silver, hers!
Zhulan had a cold face. Li really couldn't have money in her hands. Now she was not only arrogant, but also dared to refute her father-in-law's words. She glared at Li fiercely, "Your father and I are doing this for the good of our family. We are a farming and reading family. The most important thing for us now is the imperial examination. When you have the ability, you can do whatever you want with the prescription, but not in the next few years. Li, if you dare to secretly obey Yang Wei, don't blame me for dividing your whole family."
Zhulan knew very well that Li was sure that explanations were useless and that threats would be more direct and effective. She and Zhou Shuren did not want to cause trouble before the imperial examination. They knew too well how to harm people, especially in ancient times. It would be a waste of time to delay the imperial examination.
Li finally got scared. She remembered what her father told her that her father-in-law earned more money. The thirty taels in her hand were nothing to her father-in-law. She trembled with fear. Their family property could not be divided. The eldest son and grandson had to support their mother, so their mother got most of the property. And if the property was divided, what would happen to her son's education
The two sons have to rely on their father-in-law for their education. The couple knows nothing. Money is nothing compared to their sons' future. She is still waiting for her sons to earn an imperial decree for her!
Li immediately shrank her neck and said, "I will listen to my parents."
Zhulan slapped him, and naturally had to explain, "Next year your father will take part in the imperial examination to become a scholar, you should have known this, and next spring, Mingyun should go to school."
Zhou Lao Da has always been calm about his mother's education of his daughter-in-law. He also agrees with his mother's education of his daughter-in-law so that she won't forget her last name when she has a little money. But now he is not calm anymore, "Dad wants to take the exam to become a scholar?"
Zhou Shuren was not easy to talk to when his daughter-in-law started talking, so his son was not polite, "Do you have any objections?"
Zhou Laoda swallowed his saliva. His father was unhappy. He was afraid of his father to begin with, and he was even more afraid after his father changed. "No, no problem. I'm just worried about my father."
Zhou Shuren knew what his eldest brother was worried about, which was nothing more than worrying about not passing the exam. He snorted, "If your father hadn't had bad luck, he might have already been a juren. I know the benefits of having a good reputation this time. I don't know how many years it will take to rely on your two younger brothers. It's better for me to take the exam first. I haven't let go of the books in my hands over the years, so I'm sure I'll pass the exam."
What Zhou Shuren said was the truth. The original person never put down the book in his hand. He integrated his memory and studied again according to his own thinking, so there was no problem for him to take the exam for the scholar.
Zhou Lao Da understood why his father suddenly took the exam to become a scholar. His father said that he could pass, and he believed it. He also thought that his father had achieved fame, which was better than his younger brother's. Since his father had achieved fame, he, the eldest son, would benefit the most. After all, there was a distance between him and his younger brother, and the distance between them would be even greater after his younger brother got married. He felt at ease living with his father as the head of the family, while his younger brother would have to live under someone else's roof.
Boss Zhou was very excited. His father had really passed the exam. The most economical thing was that the family didn't have to pay taxes on the 20 acres of land. "Dad, your son believes in you."
Zhou Shuren continued, "In the spring of next year, Mingyun will enter the clan school."
Boss Zhou was stunned, suspecting that he didn't hear clearly, "Dad, what did you say?"