Jingzhe was helped by Xiao Feng into the house to rest. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Pandie went to the kitchen to prepare food for Jingzhe, with meat porridge and egg custard already warmed in the pot, both easy to digest, suitable for someone weakened by intense study after exams.

"Ruinian, hurry up and get off the cart, I need to feed the horses." Chengmin shouted impatiently.

If it weren’t for Chengmin’s shout, Hua Qiong would have forgotten that there was a cheap nephew, Ruinian, in the cart.

"Ruinian, Ruinian, how did you do in the exam?" Clan Leader’s grandson Da Hu asked eagerly when he saw Ruinian poke his head out.

Gu Ruinian got off the cart without a word.

Hua Qiong looked over to Ruinian, noticing his rather distinctive attire.

He wore a hooded hat, with a long veil covering his face, making it impossible to discern his expression.

This hood wasn’t a fashion item from the provincial city; it was obvious Ruinian wore it to cover his face. As for why he would cover his face, it must be due to an injury or disfigurement.

Ruinian must have encountered something in the provincial city.

Everyone looked at Ruinian with surprise, puzzled why he covered his face. Da Hu reached to pull Ruinian’s hat but retreated at Ruinian’s angry shout.

"Ruinian, Ruinian, you’re back."

"Ruinian, how did you do?"

You Tian and Mrs. Jia brought Feng Nian back from town with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, planning to nourish Ruinian. Upon hearing Jingzhe and Ruinian were back, they rushed to the cart with the food.

The couple from the second branch saw Ruinian wearing a hat and veil, their joy replaced by puzzlement.

"Ruinian, what’s happened to you?"

Mrs. Jia was about to lift the veil on her son’s hat.

She had heard the provincial exams lasted three days, with everything done inside, and many suffered diarrhea. Worried sick for the past few days, seeing her son covering his face, she thought he might look unwell.

After all, her son always cared about his appearance.

"I’m fine."

Ruinian evaded Mrs. Jia’s hand and strode towards home.

"Exam took so long, he’s lost weight, my Ruinian surely doesn’t want mom and dad to worry." Mrs. Jia told the villagers, but felt uneasy inside.

You Tian felt nothing unusual about his son.

He was waiting for results, eager to boast when the county announces good news.

After You Tian and Mrs. Jia left, the villagers started a new round of discussions.

"Gu family’s ancestral grave must have sent out smoke, suddenly having two Scholars."

"You’re speaking too soon, results aren’t out. Do you think Jingzhe or Ruinian did better?"

"Ruinian is said to have a better talent for studying, but I feel he didn’t do well this time. If he did well, he would’ve been bragging already."

"It’s hard to say, the exam lasted days, who has the strength to even speak. But I still feel Jingzhe might have done better, he’s usually more composed."

"But Ruinian started late yet took the child student and Scholar exams at the same time as Jingzhe, Ruinian must have done better than Jingzhe."

"I’m betting on Jingzhe."

"I’m betting on Ruinian."

Villagers first discussed who did better between Jingzhe and Ruinian, then started betting on who actually did well.

Some even took out money to bet.

The village chief Liu Tieshan angrily shouted, there’s no gambling allowed in Qinghe Bay Village.

Nevertheless, despite the chief’s emphasis, villagers eagerly awaited results to see whose guess was correct.

No matter whether Ruinian or Jingzhe won, Mr. Gu was considered the biggest winner.

Since both were his grandsons, it’s like saying Gu family’s ancestral grave emitted two smokes.

Jingzhe slept at home for a day and night before getting up.

Though still thin, his mental state was good, after drinking a big bowl of chicken soup and eating a drumstick, he went to help Pandie feed the pigs.

"How do you feel about the exam?" Hua Qiong warned herself not to ask about Jingzhe’s results, but ended up asking.

Jingzhe said, "I think I did alright."

Since Jingzhe said so, it must be alright.

Hua Qiong arranged for Mrs. Hong and Chen Sufen to prepare red envelopes filled with small change.

Jingzhe asked what they were preparing those for.

Hua Qiong said, "In a few days, when the list is revealed, and the county brings the good news of you being first place, I ought to prepare some money for congratulations."

Jingzhe sighed, "Mother, keep it low-key. The exam was taken by students from the whole provincial city, I can’t guarantee being first."

"By the way, what’s up with Ruinian?" Hua Qiong asked, "Why is he veiling his face?"

She sensed something was wrong with Ruinian when he got off the cart, curious about what happened in the city.

Jingzhe sighed, his face showing complexity.

"He got beaten up in the city..." Jingzhe said.

From Jingzhe’s mouth, Hua Qiong learned Ruinian went wild in the city, imitating wealthy sons wandering brothels.

And surprisingly, although Ruinian came from the countryside with little money, he relied on stolen poems from Li Bai, Wang Wei, Su Shi, Yan Shu, etc., to become the top talent in this exam among scholars.

The poem ’Spring River Flower Moon Night’ by Wang Ruoxu he stole was even praised by Wanliu Academy students.

Under the fame of being a great talent, he successfully entered the top brothel Tianxiang Building, becoming the intimate guest of the lead Miss Su.

This led to a dispute with the third son of the wealthy Xie family.

The third son’s aunt favored in the palace, a fearless rascal in the city, losing to Ruinian couldn’t swallow the insult.

His romance with Miss Su was fake, wanting to deceive silver was real.

In the end, Miss Su’s sworn sister, Miss Xian Xian discovered the deception, scolding and chasing Ruinian out of Tianxiang Building.

Miss Su, growing angrier, cried to the Xie family’s third son, who blocked the exam hall door, beating Ruinian.

His face was beaten into a pig’s head.

This made Ruinian’s fame grow even bigger.

The examiner arranged for a doctor to treat Ruinian’s wounds, he struggled into the exam hall for three days, leaving with a swollen face.

After the exam, the Xie’s third son blocked Ruinian again for a beating.

Moreover, he threatened to beat Ruinian every time they met.

When Dashu picked Jingzhe, he saw Ruinian beaten, and couldn’t watch his cousin beaten to death, so he saved Ruinian.

Dashu, proficient with connections, within half a year in the city knew various people, could greet the Xie’s third son when encountered.

After much persuasion, the Xie’s third son temporarily spared Ruinian.

Hua Qiong tongue-clicked, Ruinian was brainwashed by harem novel plots? Thinking stealing some ancient poet’s works, he could conquer the world, even trying to charm brothel girls.

Hua Qiong suspected he learned from the story of ’Du Shiniang Sinks the Treasure Box’, wanting to emulate Imperial Student Li Jia’s trick, having the girl willingly provide silver.

But it backfired.

Miss Su was tougher than Du Shiniang, her fists aimed at Ruinian.

Justly served.

Ruinian thought too lightly of people from this era.

Deserved to be beaten into a pig’s head.

Unexpectedly for Hua Qiong, the matter involved Tianxiang Building’s Xian Xian.

She wanted to say, "Well done, Miss Xian Xian."

Ruinian wreaked havoc in the city, how could he do well in exams?