Since Han Ze went to the imperial examination, Old lady Han couldn’t eat well or sleep well. She was worried all day and all night. There was no extra expression on her face except worry. As the exam was approaching, she sighed repeatedly and blisters appeared on the corners of her mouth. She was afraid that Han Ze would faint in the exam room again. After worrying, she scolded Han Daya, saying that she was really a bad thing. She wanted to harm her own brother. After scolding Han Daya, she blamed herself again. She must have done something bad in her previous life to give birth to such a harmful beast in this life.
In fact, the Han family, young and old, was not only upset by Old Lady Han, but also Zheng Shi and Wu Shi, who usually looked down on Han Ze, couldn’t help but say in private that the eldest brother should not faint again this time. Even if the eldest brother failed to pass the exam and they separated in the future, they still hoped that the eldest brother would be in good health, otherwise the eldest brother would have to rely on his brothers for help.
The whole family was worried. Wang Caiwei, Han Ze’s wife, was also worried, but she kept her worries to herself.
Old Lady Han ate her coarse flour buns without any appetite, sighed softly, looked at Wang Caiwei and couldn’t help asking, “How long have eldest son and the others been gone?”
Wang Caiwei pondered for a moment: “My husband said that he would enter the examination hall on April 12, and the exam would take three days. Now the exam is over. If my husband can hold on, the results should be announced in two days.”
Old lady Han was shocked. She didn’t expect time to pass so quickly. She murmured, “The exam is over. I don’t know if Han Ze can hold on, or if he can pass.”
Wang Caiwei pursed her lips, comforting her mother-in-law and herself: “I’m only worried about my husband’s health. If he is fine, it doesn’t matter whether he passes the exam or not.”
Nothing is more important than her husband’s health.
Old Lady Han glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law with satisfaction. This daughter-in-law saw things more clearly than she did. It was hard for her to live for decades longer, but she didn’t see things as clearly as she did. She praised, “What the eldest daughter-in-law said is right. As long as the eldest son is in good health, we don’t need to care so much whether he passes the exam or not.”
What she didn’t say was that over the years, the eldest son’s health had been ruined by that evildoer. She no longer expected him to be successful and bring honor to the family. She just hoped that he would be healthy and well, so that she could worry less.
Wang Caiwei grinned. She was telling the truth. Compared to her husband passing the exam, she hoped that he would be in good health.
Zheng Shi rarely did not curl her lips after hearing what her mother-in-law said. It was not only the eldest sister-in-law who had this idea. If it were her, she would not want her man to hurt his body for fame and fortune. Those worldly things would be good, but she would not force them if they were not available. The man is the pillar of the family. He will spend his whole life with her, so nothing can happen to him.
Han Jinxiu sat beside them and listened to their words, with anger flashing in her eyes. If it weren’t for her aunt giving her father drugs, why would her father be in such a bad condition, why would he faint in the examination room every time he took an exam, and why would they owe so much money to treat her father? But her grandparents didn’t know why her aunt harmed her father and didn’t punish her.
In her opinion, everything their family suffered was because of her aunt. She didn’t make a mistake, but a crime, and she should be severely punished. Her grandparents just planned to disown her and let her go. It was too easy for her. She felt it was unfair for her father, after all, he suffered so much.
After dinner, she helped Wang Caiwei wash the dishes and said, “Mom, I’m going to my master’s house to learn embroidery.”
Wang Caiwei said gently, “Go, learn well. Come back for lunch at noon. Don’t bother your master.”
Han Jinxiu said crisply, “I know, mom.”
Han Jinxiu walked out of the house and walked quickly to Granny Lu’s house.
Halfway through the journey, she met Fang Xiaohe from the same village. Fang Xiaohe was the same age as Han Jinxiu. When Granny Lu recruited apprentices, she also went, but in the end, she took Han Jinxiu. Fang Xiaohe didn’t feel anything before. If she didn’t accept her as an apprentice, then she didn’t accept her. She didn’t want to learn embroidery. It was so tiring to embroider with her head bent every day.
But her mother pulled her ears and scolded her for being stupid and not having a good mind. If she followed Granny Lu to learn embroidery, she would have endless clothes to wear and endless head flowers to wear when she grew up. Only then did she realize the benefits of learning embroidery.
Thinking of how Han Jinxiu had snatched her master away, causing her to have no more clothes to wear and no more hair ornaments to wear when she grew up, she felt unhappy when she saw Han Jinxiu again. Thinking of the gossip she heard in the village, she stared and said, “Han Jinxiu, your father will definitely faint in the examination room again during the exam.”
Han Jinxiu’s father fainted in the examination room every time he went to take the scholar examination. Although she didn’t understand what the scholar examination was and why he fainted, she knew that this was not a good thing to say.
When Han Jinxiu heard this, her face tensed up and she said loudly, “My father has recovered a long time ago, don’t talk nonsense.”
Fang Xiaohe made a face at her and said fearlessly, “I didn’t say that. People in the village are saying that your father must have done something immoral in his previous life, so he is cursed in this life. Otherwise, how could he faint every time he took an exam? He will faint again this time.”
Although Han Jinxiu was smart since she was a child, she was still young. When she heard others slandering her father, her dark eyes were filled with anger, and she couldn’t help but argue, “They are talking nonsense. My father was not cursed. He was drugged by my aunt. It was all my aunt’s fault. Without my aunt’s drugging, my father would never faint. He would definitely pass the exam to become a scholar.”
Wait until her father passes the exam to become a scholar, and see who dares to talk nonsense. In her heart, there is no saying that her father will not pass the exam to become a scholar. She trusts her father’s talent very much.
Fang Xiaohe seemed to have heard something incredible, and her mouth opened in shock. Han Jinxiu’s father fainted because Han Jinxiu’s aunt drugged him?
After the shock, she forgot about her hatred for Han Jinxiu and asked curiously, “What kind of medicine did your aunt give your father? Rat poison?”
Han Jinxiu came to her senses and realized that she had told everyone about her aunt drugging her father. She secretly said that it was not good. Her grandparents had told her not to tell anyone about this. Thinking of this, she glanced at Fang Xiaohe and ran away.
Fang Xiaohe didn’t get an answer, so she chased after her, asking as she ran: “Han Jinxiu, you haven’t told me yet, did your aunt give your father rat poison?”
Han Jinxiu stopped and glared at her fiercely: “Don’t follow me.”
Fang Xiaohe bared her teeth, not afraid of her. Han Jinxiu was annoyed. Seeing that she was about to reach her master’s house, she quickened her pace, ran to the master’s house in a few steps, and closed the door.
Fang Xiaohe looked at the closed door and returned home unwillingly. When she got home, her little face was full of excitement: “Grandma, Dad, Mom, I just heard Han Jinxiu say that her father would noy faint. He was not cursed, but drugged by her aunt.”
Fang Xiaohe’s grandma was also shocked. After waking up, Grandma Fang shouted: “Don’t talk nonsense, kid.”
Fang Xiaohe pouted: “I’m not talking nonsense, it was Han Jinxiu who said that.”
Fang Xiaohe’s mother looked at her mother-in-law, then at her daughter: “Are you telling the truth?”
Fang Xiaohe nodded aggrievedly, “Han Jinxiu said that, not me.”
Fang Xiaohe’s mother looked at her mother-in-law. Her daughter never lied, she asked in disbelief: “Could it be true?”
Grandma Fang said with enlightenment: “Two days ago, I heard the old woman next door say that she went to Doctor Wang’s house to get medicine, and said that Han Daya had a gloomy face and looked at her. She also said that she would rather go to the town to get medicine next time than go to Doctor Wang to get medicine, so as not to have to look at people’s eyes. Could it be that because Han Daya drugged Han Ze and her family knew about it, she acted like this?”
Fang Xiaohe’s mother was in a daze. She couldn’t believe such a horrifying thing. She exclaimed: “No, why did she do this?”
Why did she harm her own brother? She is married. Only when her brothers in her natal family are well, she can be well. Everyone should understand this truth. Doesn’t Han Daya understand?
Grandma Fang shook her head. A married woman drugged her own brothers in her natal family. She had lived for most of her life and had never heard of such a strange and vicious thing.
Fang Xiaohe’s father sighed: “Women are the most vicious, it’s true.”
Grandma Fang and Fang Xiaohe’s mother glared at him, and Fang Xiaohe’s father immediately shut up.
The Han family hadn’t waited for Han Ze to come back, but they heard that everyone in the village was talking about Han Daya drugging Han Ze. Han Youtian came back from the field, glanced at his family, and asked angrily:
“How did the news of Daya drugging Han Ze spread?” Old lady Han’s sharp eyes swept over the three daughters-in-law.
Zheng Shi and Wu Shi shrank their heads and dared not say a word. It was not them who spread it, but since Dad was so angry, they were right to play dumb.
Wang Caiwei frowned. Her elder sister-in-law hurt her husband so badly, but her parents-in-law just broke off relations with her and let her go. Although she was unwilling, she was not a gossipy person. Family disgrace should not be made public. She did not say anything in front of outsiders, and didn’t understand why this matter was spread so widely.
Han Jinxiu stood up and said stubbornly, “I said it.”
She did not admit defeat. She felt that as Han Ze’s daughter, she should be brave enough to take responsibility.
Thinking that it was the child who said it, she didn’t know what to say for a moment.
Old Lady Han said angrily: “Why did you say that outside?”
Han Jinxiu looked at her and said seriously: “Grandma and grandpa, I didn’t say anything. Didn’t Daddy faint every time he entered the examination room because he was drugged by aunt?”
Her younger siblings are young and don’t feel it deeply, but in her only memory, Daddy was sick most of the time, and Mom was worried about Daddy’s health. If Daddy’s health was really not good, it would be fine. But when it was all caused by the aunt, how much she loved her aunt before, is how much she hates her now.
Old Lady Han choked, the child was telling the truth.
Wang Caiwei shouted, “Jinxiu, how do you talk to your grandma like that?”
Han Jinxiu glanced at her, her little face full of stubbornness, “I’m not wrong. Dad fainted because my eldest aunt drugged him. People in the village are saying that Dad did something immoral in his previous life and was cursed, that’s why he fainted in the examination room every time he took an exam. It was obviously my eldest aunt who did something immoral, why should Dad take the blame?”
Old woman Han was shocked and said angrily, “Who said that? I’ll go settle the score with them.”
Her son was going to take the exam to be a scholar, how could he be wronged like this?
Han Jinxiu said angrily: “My father is a scholar. He is going to take the exam to become a scholar. He cares most about his reputation. If he is wrongly accused of doing many immoral things in his previous life, how will people look at my father? I can only tell the truth. My father has suffered so much because of the evil done by my aunt. Do my grandparents want my father to take the blame for his murderer? How wronged must my father be then?”
Everyone in the room was shocked, especially the old couple. They didn’t even know that because of their various concerns, their eldest son had suffered so much grievances. Han Youtian looked at his eldest granddaughter with complicated eyes, and there was shame on his face. He was so old and confused that he was not even as good as a child.
Old lady Han sighed, “Jinxiu is right. This is your aunt’s fault. It doesn’t make sense that your father has suffered such a great injustice, but he still has to swallow his anger and be wrongly accused of doing evil in his previous life, so he will be cursed and faint in the examination room every time. That evildoer should bear the consequences of her wrongdoings.”
Wang Caiwei glared at her daughter. She was very narrow-minded.
Han Jinxiu pouted and retreated behind her mother. Since grandparents said that aunt should bear the consequences she deserved, they agreed with her words and they would not punish her again. She didn’t actually want to tell this to others, but Fang Xiaohe’s words were so infuriating at the time that she couldn’t help but tell the truth. After she finished speaking, she thought about the consequences and how to deal with grandparents’ rage.
In just one day, everyone in Xiaohan Village, except for the ignorant children, knew that Han Daya was a vicious woman. She was so cruel that she poisoned her brothers from her mother’s family, causing Han Ze to faint every time he entered the examination room. She was simply a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Han Daya thought that it was no big deal to be exposed by her family that she drugged Han Ze. She just cut off contact with her family. She was not worried. Her parents did not want to recognize her, and she did not want to pretend to be a filial daughter in front of them. But when the rumor spread, she still collapsed in the face of the gossip and strange looks of the villagers.
What made her even more upset was that Wang Chunxue ran back from outside, crying and fell into Han Daya’s arms: “Mom, they don’t want to play with me, saying that I will harm them and drug them.”
Han Daya hugged her daughter tightly, gritted her teeth, and said: “It’s okay, if they don’t want to play with you, you can go and play with Brother Yan Hong.”
A group of farm children dared to despise Chunxue. Her Chunxue was rare. As long as Chunxue could marry Yan Hong and become the wife of the top scholar in the future, who would care about her? There were many people who fawned on her.
Wang Chunxue sobbed and said, “Aunt Yan said that if I stayed at their house, I would interfere with Brother Yan Hong’s studies, so she didn’t want me to disturb him.”
Han Daya panicked and frowned and said, “Your Aunt Yan is gentle to others. As long as you are nice, she will like you.”
Wang Chunxue cried sadly, “I don’t want to go. Aunt Yan doesn’t like me at all.”
Children are sensitive and can easily tell what adults like and dislike. Aunt Yan didn’t want her to go to her house to play, so why did her mother insist that she go to Brother Yan Hong to play?
Han Daya clenched her fists and her eyes were red. She should have thought of the seriousness of the matter earlier. Aunt Yan hated evil and had a straightforward personality. She must have heard the rumors in the village, so she refused to let Chunxue to go to her house to play.
She secretly hated herself. It was she who delayed her daughter. No, it was not her who delayed her daughter. It was all Han Ze’s fault…
Doctor Wang returned home with the medicine box on his back. His old body looked even more hunched. In the past two days, when someone in the village was sick, they would rather spend two cents more on the fare to go to the town to see a doctor than to ask him to diagnose the pulse and prescribe medicine.
Today, the old woman of the Zheng family was sick and asked him to see a doctor. He was very happy at first because there were still people in the village who believed in him. But after diagnosing the pulse, the son of the Zheng family stammered and told him that he wanted to go to the town to get medicine. As soon as he heard this, he understood. He smiled bitterly, did not collect the consultation fee, and returned with the medicine box.
He knew very well why others did not want to take his medicine. Han Daya could be so cruel as to give medicine to her brothers from her natal family. Who knew if she would give medicine to the villagers? He had heard the gossip in the village. Since he had heard it, it was understandable that others did not believe him. He could only bear it with frustration. If he wanted to hate someone, he should hate himself for being blind and marrying a poisonous woman to his son.
Han Daya saw Doctor Wang coming back, and hurriedly let go of Chunxue and said, “Dad, you are back, I will go to cook.”
Doctor Wang glanced at her indifferently and said, “I dare not let you cook, I am afraid of being poisoned.”
After saying that, he turned and went into the house without looking at her.
Han Daya’s face turned pale, and she stood there stiffly. At this time, brother-in-law Wang came back from the field and walked past her as if she didn’t exist. Han Daya pursed her lips and shouted, “husband…”
Brother-in-law Wang pretended not to hear and went back to the house. Now he didn’t know how to face his wife. His father asked him to divorce his wife, but he couldn’t bear it because of the children. But he couldn’t live with her in harmony as before, pretending that nothing had happened. He could only choose to ignore her.
Han Daya’s face turned pale again. It would be fine if her family didn’t recognize her, but what should she do if even her husband’s family didn’t recognize her? Even if she lived her whole life again, she would just be a woman.
Thinking of Han Ze who was taking the exam in the examination hall, she secretly hated him. Even if he didn’t drink her tonic soup this time, his body had been sicklied for so many years, not to mention that it was not so easy to pass the exam to become a scholar.
Just as the rumors that Han Daya was a poisonous woman were spreading all over the village, the good news that Han Ze passed the exam to become a scholar arrived.
Because of Han Daya’s matter, whenever she went out, Old lady Han was asked about the truth, which made Old lady Han feel very unhappy. She lay sick in bed, sighing that she had a miserable life and gave birth to a disaster that harmed the whole family.
Several daughters-in-law were worried about her health and ran to care for her one by one, but they were all driven out by her. She was not sick, but vomited, and no one could say anything.
Zheng Shi said bitterly: “Why did we have such a vicious sister-in-law? It’s really a sin.”
Wu Shi sighed and glanced at Wang Caiwei. Sister-in-law had a bad reputation, and it would be difficult for the daughters of their Han family to marry. Unless, unless eldest brother passed the examination to become a scholar.
Wang Caiwei met the eyes of her sister-in-law and thought of the key to the matter. Eldest sister-in-law has a bad reputation. Will others suspect that all the girls in the Han family are bad? Her parents-in-law didn’t want to tell others about the eldest sister-in-law, they probably also had this consideration.
She frowned slightly. The children are still young and everything can be turned around. What she is worried about now is her husband. She didn’t know how he was doing?
Suddenly there was a noisy sound outside. She suspected that she had heard it wrong, so she turned around and asked Wu Shi, “What’s the noise outside?”
Wu Shi frowned, listened carefully, and said, “The sound of gongs and drums?”
Zheng Shi was stunned: “Who’s getting married today? I haven’t heard about it.”
Wang Caiwei was about to speak when Han Jinxiu ran in, shouting as she ran, “Mom, he passed the exam, Dad passed the exam.”
Before Wang Caiwei could react, Zheng Shi next to her asked loudly, “What did he pass?”
Han Jinxiu shouted excitedly, “My dad passed the exam and became a scholar, my dad passed the exam and became a scholar.”
Wang Caiwei was stunned. Just as she was about to go up and ask her, a figure ran out of the room like a gust of wind, and grabbed Han Jinxiu’s arm and asked anxiously, “Jinxiu, did your dad pass the exam?”
Han Jinxiu’s arm was hurt by her grab, but she still said, “Grandma, my dad passed the exam, he passed the exam.”
Old lady Han let go of her arm and laughed loudly. Her voice was loud and full of energy, and she didn’t look sick at all.
“My son passed the exam, my son passed the exam.”
Zheng Shi and Wu Shi came back to their senses from their daze, looking at their mother-in-law in bewilderment. Is their mother-in-law’s illness cured?
Han Youtian came in hurriedly from outside, carrying a hoe, and said with a red face, “Old woman, hurry up and take the copper coins, the official with good news is here.”
Old lady Han still smiled, sighed twice, and hurried into the house. She came out with a string of copper coins, and the official who brought the good news arrived at the door.
“Han Ze, a candidate from Xiaohan Village, Tongyang County, ranked third in the exam and became a first-class student on government stipend.”
Old lady Han didn’t know what a student on government stipend was, but she still understood that her son ranked third. However, she didn’t care so much, as long as she knew that her son passed the exam and became a scholar. When she thought of her son passing the exam and becoming a scholar, she couldn’t close her mouth. She was so happy that she grabbed the copper coins and stuffed them into the official’s hand.
Zheng Shi’s eyelids jumped when she saw it from the side. Those were copper coins. The mother-in-law grabbed more than a dozen of them, but she was really willing to give them away, and she didn’t seem to feel sorry at all.
Old lady Han’s eyes were very good. Even if she saw her eyes at this moment, she didn’t take it seriously. Her son passed the exam and became a scholar. She was very happy and didn’t bother to argue with her.
The official may have often faced this kind of situation. He took the copper coin without changing his expression.
After sending the official who brought the good news away, the gate of the Han family was full of people, all looking at the old couple Han Youtian with envy. “Brother Han, Han Ze has been extraordinary since he was young. He has really made a difference.”
“Yes, he has looked like a man of great ability since he was young.”
“Other children climb high and low, go to the river to catch fish, only he is gentle and polite, he doesn’t look like a farm child at first glance.”
“How can Han Ze be an ordinary farm child? He is the incarnation of Wen Quxing. Otherwise, how could he pass the examination to become a scholar?”
“Yes, yes, Han Ze must be the incarnation of Wen Quxing.”
Old lady Han curled her lips in disdain. When Han Ze didn’t pass the examination to become a scholar, they all laughed at her family. Now that Han Ze passed the examination to become a scholar, he came to curry favor with them again. They really say whatever they wanted.
But today she was happy and didn’t care about them.
Han Daya hid at home and heard the gongs and drums. Doctor Wang inquired about the news from outside and learned that Han Ze passed the exam. He sighed and felt less guilty. Passing the exam meant that he was fine.
When he returned home and saw Han Daya, he snorted coldly, “Your eldest brother from your mother’s family passed the exam. Shouldn’t you go back and see him?”
Han Daya’s heart seemed to be strangled by someone. She took two steps back and muttered, “Impossible, he can’t pass the exam, he can’t pass the exam…”
Doctor Wang looked at her coldly, cursed her, and went into the house, thinking that his grandsons must not be corrupted by the vicious woman. It seems that he should keep his grandsons away from the vicious woman.
…
Han Erlang followed Han Ze, his arms full of things. As he walked, he said distressedly: “Brother, how much silver will all these things cost?”
Han Ze turned his head and looked at him, “It’s just some cotton cloth. There are more than a dozen people in our family, and everyone should have a set of clothes.”
Han Erlang glanced at the clothes on his body. Because they were going to the capital, his mother not only made clothes for his brother, but also made two new clothes for him. He said: “Brother, I don’t need them. I just made clothes.”
Han Ze paused and said: “Whether you need to make clothes or not, let’s talk about it when we get home.”
Fang Ziwen’s servant also had a bunch of things in his arms. Fang Ziwen smiled and said: “Scholars can not only be exempted from corvée and taxes on 60 acres of land, but Brother Han has won the third place in this exam, which is the first class among scholars. He has obtained the title of a student, and can get four taels of silver every year and six dou of rice every month.”
Han Erlang exclaimed. He knew that passing the examination for a scholar would exempt him from corvée and taxes, but he didn’t know that the court would also issue grain and silver. Holding the things, he looked at Han Ze blankly. Is it such a good thing?
Han Ze smiled and nodded. The imperial examination system of this dynasty was indeed like this. If you become a student of the imperial academy, you can get six dou of rice and four taels of silver. In other words, after more than 20 years of hard work, he finally no longer relies on his family for support and can get a “salary”.
Han Erlang stretched out a hand and touched his forehead, “If this is the case, it’s time to buy something.”
After all, the eldest brother has silver to receive.
Han Ze: “…”
The next day, they followed Zhao Zhengxiu’s caravan as usual. There were only three of them in the school to take the exam. Except for Zhao Zhengxiu, who ranked slightly behind, they all passed the examination for a scholar. It is worth mentioning that Han Ze, who always fainted in the examination room, actually ranked third this time, which was completely beyond expectations.
After several days of long journey, the caravan arrived at the town. The three agreed on a date to go to the county school, and visited the teacher in the school before riding the ox cart to go home.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152