Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1123: Hypocritical Virtue

The porter was the first to rush over with the good news, but he hadn’t gotten far when he heard someone exclaim, "The top student is Gu Jin’an from He’an Prefecture! Gu Jin’an from He’an Prefecture! He topped the county, prefecture, and academy exams, achieving the small three yuan. Our Jianghuai is finally famous!"

The speaker was Elder Bai, who was also a scholar in his youth, but despite trying until he was thirty, he never succeeded in his exams. Eventually, due to his loud voice, he became a storyteller. Now old, he passed on the storyteller trade to his second son, allowing him time to wander around.

Due to his enthusiasm for the imperial exams, he never missed the chance to check the results.

Seeing someone achieve the small three yuan this time left him extremely excited. Drawing from his storytelling skills, he summoned his energy from his diaphragm and shouted three times, making many people hear Elder Bai’s words.

Tong San, the Young Master, after hearing this, grabbed the porter in a rush and asked anxiously, "Are you saying it’s true? Gu Jin’an from He’an Prefecture really became the top student, achieving the small three yuan?!"

Tong San’s questions came fast and furiously, his face barely holding its composure. His strong grip even caused the porter, who was used to running errands, to wince in pain.

The porter was stunned, noticing Tong San’s displeasure towards Gu Jin’an, and quickly said, "Perhaps I heard wrong. That Gu Jin’an came from the Northwest seeking refuge; it’s said he never attended a private school in his childhood, so even if he’s talented, it’s impossible for him to become the top student."

He carefully added, "Shall I go and find out for you?"

He needed to find an excuse to leave swiftly; otherwise, if Tong San got angry, he, as just a small porter, wouldn’t have a place in Linhe Prefecture.

Tong San quickly realized and urgently restrained his icy demeanor, smiling warmly at the porter, "So Brother Gu really achieved the small three yuan, a truly joyful and congratulatory matter. Besides the Old Master Yan from back in the day, he’s only the second from Jianghuai to achieve the small three yuan."

He then looked towards his servant responsible for distributing joy money and said, "Dafu, why are you standing there? This gentleman brought us such good news; he deserves a generous reward. Quickly send Brother Gu a hundred taels of joy money."

Upon hearing this, Dafu hurriedly took out a silver note and handed it to the porter, "Brother, this is the joy money our Third Young Master of the Tong Family gives on behalf of First Place Gu. Thank you for informing us of First Place Gu’s achievement of the small three yuan. Please take it."

The porter was dumbfounded, looking at Tong San, then at Dafu, and finally at the silver note worth a hundred taels, not daring to accept it... Had Tong San gone mad? He clearly hated Gu Jin’an to death and didn’t want to see him achieve the small three yuan. How did it switch so quickly to wishing Gu Jin’an had achieved it and even giving joy money on his behalf?

His expression changed too quickly; he was a typical hypocrite, and the porter was fearful.

Seeing this, Tong San felt quite displeased but continued to feign a warm demeanor, "Brother, go ahead and take it. It’s what you deserve."

He then turned to the others in the private room and said, "Brothers, Brother Gu achieved the small three yuan, becoming the second in Jianghuai. This is an occasion worth recording in the Jianghuai Prefecture Records. We must celebrate properly."

The other young masters were bewildered but quickly raised their cups, responding, "Brother Tong is right, come, come, let’s toast to Brother Gu."

Toast for what? They hadn’t even met Gu Jin’an, yet here they were celebrating him? The more they thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Dafu again handed the silver note to the porter, "Take it."

Seeing this, the porter finally accepted it, saluted, and said, "Thank you, Third Young Master, for the reward. Third Young Master has such..."

"Appreciation for talent," Dafu prompted the illiterate porter.

The porter immediately said, "Yes, I will definitely tell everyone about Third Young Master’s appreciation for talent towards First Place Gu."

Tong San didn’t say anything but appeared quite satisfied, waving his hand to dismiss the porter.

Feeling absolved, the porter quickly ran off. Just as he exited the private room, he raised the silver note, saying, "Third Young Master Tong truly appreciates and cherishes talent. Although he didn’t become the top student, he was overjoyed upon hearing Gu Jin’an achieved it, generously giving one hundred taels of joy money, saying it’s on behalf of the Gu Family."

The people in the Golden List Tower were all shocked; they were not astonished by the money but by Tong San’s magnanimity.

A guest remarked, "Third Young Master Tong truly is broad-minded. Despite missing out on the top student position himself, he harbors no jealousy towards others. Upon learning Gu Jin’an became the top student, he even gave joy money on his behalf. He’s truly a gentleman who appreciates and cherishes talent."

The Golden List Tower is a property of the Tong Family, and who knows how many people are set here by the Tong Family. After this statement, someone added, "Those who said Third Young Master Tong was jealous of Fifth Young Master Yan and schemed to make him sick, preventing him from achieving the top of the county, aren’t they ashamed?"

Another person chimed in, "Exactly! Those who badmouth Third Young Master Tong and speculate he harbors ill intent are too much. They’re simply trying to ruin his reputation. Third Young Master’s a great person; he’s helped many over the years, saved Old Qian’s entire family, assisted Wang He’s family when their business failed. If not for Third Young Master, Wang He’s family would’ve ended up selling themselves into slavery..."

The entire Golden List Tower was filled with praise for Third Young Master Tong until someone finally said, "Whatever one does, character is key. When it comes to character, with Third Young Master Tong’s, he’s the top student in my heart, no different from the one in He’an Prefecture."

Someone quietly remarked, "I’ve heard that the whole family from He’an Prefecture is unfilial. They even filed complaints against their own grandfather and grandmother. It’s not too much to say their whole family is evil!"

Xiao Sui chuckled coldly. Indeed, this group was just propping up Third Young Master Tong. They had no shame!

In the private room of the Golden List Tower, a young boy stepped out and shouted to those in the main hall, "You all are shameless, inverting right and wrong just to flatter the Tong Family. The evil deeds of the Old Gu Family were judged by the court. How can you blame it on Gu Jin’an’s family? Gu Jin’an’s family never accused Elder Gu; they’re accusing Granny Gu of murdering Mrs. Fei. That Granny Gu is a monstrous woman, responsible for the deaths of Mrs. Fei, Yuan Jiaman, and even scheming against Lord Lai’s original wife. With such a criminal misfit, what’s wrong with Gu Jin’an’s family accusing her?"

"As for Elder Gu, he was harmed by Granny Gu, and that poisonous Blood Vine was personally given by Elder Gu to Mrs. Fei. Everyone knows whether Elder Gu murdered Mrs. Fei. Gu Jin’an’s family respects filial piety; that’s why they didn’t dispute with Elder Gu, simply choosing not to bring him home to care for him."

"And both families have severed ties. Elder Gu still has a son, Gu Youfu, to live with. The Gu Family even gave Elder Gu a thousand taels of silver notes so he can enjoy his later years peacefully. Why don’t you mention these good deeds? Why only slander Gu Jin’an’s family?!"

This young boy’s eloquence left the people in the Golden List Tower stunned.

Someone who recognized the boy pointed at him and cursed, "Qiu Hao, so it’s you! Why aren’t you at the Fugui Building and came to the Golden List Tower? Are you here to cause trouble because the business is better here than at Fugui Building?"