Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 931 - 476: Initial Victory in the First Battle
The first update, asking for support.
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Upon hearing that Wu Lang had returned, the ladies of the household all broke into smiles, quickly put on their shoes, and hurried outside. As they walked out of the central hall, they saw Wu Lang carrying a luggage bundle, stepping through the main gate. Behind him, Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhao each carried a bundle as well.
Clearly, Wu Lang had just gotten off the cart.
Everyone quickly welcomed Wu Lang into the front hall and invited Mr. Loo as well. Before anyone had settled down, Lady Zhang already had Wu Lang pulled close at her side, asking him about his well-being with great concern.
"Mother, look, I’m perfectly fine." Wu Lang responded to Lady Zhang’s inquiries patiently, finally breaking into a smile as he reassured her.
Having spent more than ten days in the county town, Wu Lang appeared unchanged from when he left—if anything, he seemed even more refreshed.
Hearing Wu Lang’s response, Lady Zhang closely examined him head to toe one last time before finally putting her mind at ease.
Only then did everyone start asking Wu Lang about the situation with the county examination.
"I passed, ranked sixty-ninth." Wu Lang informed them, "The questions were not difficult; they were topics Mr. Loo had taught... Though at first I wasn’t very comfortable in the examination hall, I adjusted quickly."
The county examination was presided over by the Magistrate of Jinyang County and consisted of five rounds. The first round was the main session; the second was called "Zhao Fu," or initial review; the third was "Zai Fu," or secondary review; the fourth and fifth were both referred to as "Lian Fu." Whether one could proceed to the next round depended on their performance in the prior round.
The rules at Jinyang County’s examination hall were exceptionally strict, but the exam questions themselves were relatively straightforward. This time, the topics included essay writing based on the "Four Books" and "Filial Piety," writing exam poem stanzas, and the dictation of about a hundred characters excerpted from the "Imperial Edict Instruction."
The county examination lasted from dawn till dusk, requiring the examinees to spend the entire day inside. Eating, drinking, and relieving oneself all had to be done within the hall, demanding both great adaptability and the ability to sit still and focus.
Though Wu Lang was still young, his mental resilience was remarkably strong. Despite it being his first time participating, he adapted quickly and completed all five rounds, securing a rank of sixty-ninth.
According to Wu Lang, this year’s county examination in Jinyang resulted in the selection of a total of 115 candidates, placing his score around the middle. The names of the successful candidates had already been recorded and submitted to the Confucian Academy and Liaodong Prefecture for approval, a process referred to as "reporting upwards."
Only students whose names appeared on this list were qualified to participate in the Prefecture Examination hosted by Liaodong Prefecture.
The Prefecture Examination was scheduled for April. Passing the Prefecture Examination would earn one the status of "Tongsheng" (elementary scholar), allowing them to proceed to the Academy Examination. Upon passing the Academy Examination, they could achieve the status of "Shengyuan" (government student) and gain access to official schooling, thereby becoming eligible for the Provincial Examination.
Achieving the status of Shengyuan—commonly referred to as "Scholar"—marked the first major step into the gentry class and earned one the honorific title of "Sir."
While Wu Lang’s successful county examination performance was indeed cause for celebration, it was merely the first step on a long journey toward greater achievements.
Even so, this initial victory was sufficient to fill the family with joy and excitement.
"Which position did Brother Youheng achieve?" Lian Manman asked Wu Lang.
"Brother Youheng performed better than me," Wu Lang replied. "He ranked seventh."
"Brother, didn’t Brother Youheng return with you?" Lian Manman asked again.
"No, he’s staying in the county town for a couple of days before coming back," replied Wu Lang.
"Did you pay visits to Imperial Doctor Wang’s family and Old Madam Song’s household?" Lian Shouxin inquired of Wu Lang.
"Yes, I’ve visited both," Wu Lang responded. He explained that both families treated him exceptionally well and even presented him with gifts in return, with the Song Family’s gift being more generous than that of the Wang Family.
Taking out the return gifts from both families and showing them to Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang also shared details of his visit to the Magistrate after passing the exam and the connections he had made with other young scholars, bringing bright smiles to Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang’s faces.
After chatting for a while, Mr. Loo and Wu Lang headed for the study, with Xiao Qi tagging along. They were planning to review and critique Wu Lang’s examination essays and poems.
"We should host a dinner tonight to celebrate my brother passing the county examination," Lian Manman suggested.
"That’s absolutely appropriate," Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang agreed. "And also, invite your Third Aunt’s family to join us tonight."
Lian Shouxin went out to catch a chicken for dinner, intending to prepare a stew for Wu Lang. Lady Zhang, along with Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman, got busy preparing the meal, while Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye stayed behind to help.
"We should call Jiaxing and his family over too." Just as Lady Zhang was planning to send someone to deliver the message to the town, news had already reached the Wu Family. Wu Jiaxing promptly sent over meat and wine, followed shortly by Lady Wang, who came with Wu Jiayu to lend a hand in the kitchen.
