The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 287 - 283: Hit by a Rock

Jia Shijie, leading his two sons, and Zhang Xiaoli, cradling her daughter who had just turned one month old not long ago, returned to the Zhang family’s grocery store only to discover that it was closed for the day.

The notice pasted on the door read: "The family has a happy occasion, closed for one day."

Jia Shijie had come to show off, but was met with a closed door, which displeased him. He said with a sneer, "What happy occasion does your family have today? How come they didn’t inform you, their daughter who married out?"

Jia Shijie’s tone was extremely unpleasant and even sarcastic. Zhang Xiaoli used to be unable to bear such words, but things had changed. Her husband had become an Advanced Scholar, and was set to be a government official, a bit of officialdom seemed only natural. She didn’t feel there was anything amiss and smiled, "They probably knew that you, my husband, passed the examination, and went to our home to congratulate us. Look, it even says ’the family has a happy occasion!’"

Jia Shijie’s expression then improved slightly.

It seemed like the Zhang family had the decency after all!

"In that case, let’s head back!"

The couple, with their children, hurried back, yet they did not encounter anyone.

Thinking that their relatives from her maternal home came and found no one, they then hurried back to the grocery store with the children.

Although everyone lived within the city, the city was quite vast. Initially, Granny Zhang, afraid that Zhang Xiaoli might bring bad luck to her own grandson, had bought a relatively distant courtyard for her.

One was in the east of the city, and the other in the west.

The couple, reluctant to rent a horse-drawn carriage, had walked back and forth three times with their children, nearly exhausting themselves, only to find the grocery store still closed when they returned.

Jia Shijie, with a displeased expression, asked Zhang Xiaoli to inquire with the neighboring shopkeeper.

The neighboring shopkeeper did know, laughing as he said, "Princess Xuanbao’s father and second uncle have both passed as Advanced Scholars. The Zhang family went to offer their congratulations early this morning with generous gifts! Oh right, your husband also took part in the county examination this year, didn’t he? Did he pass as an Advanced Scholar?"

Upon hearing this, both Zhang Xiaoli and Jia Shijie’s faces darkened!

Her own family had gone early in the morning to congratulate someone else’s success? Knowing that others had become Advanced Scholars, could it be they didn’t know that their own son-in-law had passed?

Jia Shijie, having lived with the Zhang family for many years, was already sensitive and felt that the Zhang family looked down on him.

He sneered at Zhang Xiaoli, "Your whole family is just a bunch of sycophants who despise the poor and suck up to the rich. In the future, let them not come begging to me for help, for I won’t lend a hand! Let’s see if the Ruo family will always be there for them! Let’s see which is more important to them, their own son-in-law or some relatives by marriage. ’The family has a happy occasion’—I fail to see what business it is of theirs!"

After dropping these words, he flung his sleeves and strode away without a second thought for his children. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Zhang Xiaoli too felt that her elder brother and mother had gone too far!

Carrying her daughter on her back and taking her two sons by hand, she hurriedly followed.

~

The Zhang family had indeed gone to the Ruo family to celebrate.

Granny Zhang, having learned that Ruo Shui and Ruo Jiang had become Advanced Scholars, with one becoming the Jieyuan and the other the Second Top Scholar, was overjoyed. Anyway, she believed it was certainly thanks to the blessings brought by Xuanbao!

Just consider how miserable the Ruo family had been before? Ever since Xuanbao began to speak, it was as if the Ruo family had been favored by the deities, experiencing a turn for the better!

There is a saying that influential people are slow to speak, and sure enough, there’s truth in it!

Xuanbao was a perfect example.

Having the rare opportunity for her grandsons to interact more with Xuanbao, she decided to close the shop for a day. The family brought a carriage full of gifts to the Ruo family to share in the celebration and catch some of the joyous aura.

The Ruo family home was very lively today, as it was quite a remarkable feat for a village to produce even one Advanced Scholar, let alone two from the same family.

Thus, people from nearby villages, whether acquainted or not, came over to bask in the happiness.

Especially the children, who upon getting hints that there would be money and sweets to collect, came over early.

Almost all families of those who passed as Advanced Scholars or Scholars, if not too poor, would distribute lucky money. Even those of modest means would scatter peanuts, allowing everyone to share in the good fortune and to earn a good reputation.

After all, what is the purpose of participating in the imperial examination? The main goal is to enter officialdom and climb the career ladder; reputation is most important.

Therefore, families with educated members tend to be more concerned about their reputation.

Granny Lei also prepared the congratulatory money and sweets this time, and even arranged for four more baskets of sweets than last time, scattering them among the crowd for all to share in the joy.

Madam Zhang also sent over two large baskets of sweets, making it even more bountiful.

The congratulatory money and sweets, mixed with peanuts and such, amounted to a full ten baskets, with Madam Liu and Madam Jiang scattering them high into the air, handful by handful.

All around were children shrieking as they picked up the sweets and congratulatory money, and while the adults didn’t shout loudly, their quick eyes and hands meant they picked up even more than the children.

Yang Qixiang failed in the examination and had a big argument with Hen Lan when he got home, accusing her of having a husband-cursing face and not being the luck-bringing wife that Madam Liu was, which he claimed was why he didn’t pass the exam.

Hen Lan’s face was disfigured; once the wound on her forehead healed, it left a scar, and she lost one of her front teeth. She didn’t dare to speak and became extremely ugly. Already in a poor mood, she was enraged to hear this and ran away from home. She had intended to wander around the city but somehow ended up in Xishui Village.

Standing among the crowd, she watched Madam Liu, dressed in a bright red garment, joyfully scattering the congratulatory money and couldn’t help thinking that if she hadn’t broken off her engagement back then, she would be the one scattering the congratulatory money now.

Unfortunately, there are no "ifs" in life. How could she have let go of her engagement with Ruo Shui back then?

She had been so fond of him, fully aware of his towering intelligence.

Such a talented person was never meant to be trapped in a mediocre life.

How could she have been so blind before to allow Madam Liu to seize the opportunity?

Thinking of Madam Liu, Hen Lan felt even more resentful. If Madam Liu hadn’t been there during the provincial examination, would she have argued with her husband? Would he have failed the exam? Would her face have been ruined? It was all Madam Liu’s fault!

Looking at Madam Liu’s radiant, celestial beauty, and comparing it to her own scarred ugliness, she couldn’t help but bend down, pick up a small stone from the ground, and hurl it!

Just as Madam Liu happened to bend down to grab some sweets, the stone missed her and instead headed straight toward Ruo Xuan.

Ruo Xuan instinctively wanted to use her Spiritual Power to stop the stone flying toward her.

Xuanyuan Que’s eyes grew sharp, and he directly caught the stone with his hand.

After throwing the stone, Hen Lan herself was startled by her own action and quickly bent down, pretending to pick up sweets.

Ruo Xuan, with a stern face, snatched the stone and threw it back forcefully!

Hen Lan felt a sharp pain at the back of her head; reaching back, her hand came away covered in blood!

Panicked, she let out a shrill scream, "Ah? Help! Murder! Someone from the Ruo Family is trying to kill with a stone!"

With so many people around, she didn’t believe anyone had seen her throw the stone.

It must have been Madam Liu who saw her throw it back. Today, she was determined to ruin the Ruo Family’s reputation, making Ruo Shui’s Jieyuan title useless!

Suddenly, a small stone came flying and almost scared to death the older Madam Xuanyuan and the ancient Shopkeeper standing nearby as it narrowly missed two children.

Hearing her play the thief crying "stop the thief," they grew even angrier!

"Catch her," commanded the matriarch of the Xuanyuan Family, a woman who had developed the skill to observe and listen in all directions on the battlefield. Despite the crowd, she was able to pinpoint that it was Hen Lan who had thrown the stone.

Well done, Princess Xuanbao!

The hidden guards immediately revealed themselves and seized her.

The crowd had just been picking up sweets and hadn’t expected someone to pick up a stone to hit others, which gave her the opportunity to take action.

Old Master Xuanyuan said, "For attempting to harm the young master and the Commandery Princess, take her to County Magistrate Zhang."

Hen Lan thought that since she hadn’t hurt anyone, she wouldn’t be in trouble going to the County Magistrate, and it was the people from the Ruo Family who would have issues.

However, she never expected that once at County Magistrate Zhang’s office, she would be accused of plotting against the Prince and directly fainted from shock.