GBP Chapter 332 The Provincial Examination Ends, Turbulence Begins (Part 2)
Chapter 332 The Provincial Examination Ends, Turbulence Begins (Part 2)
"Oh dear, isn't that right? Didn't they even check each other's backgrounds before getting married? I heard it was their elders who helped... Like father, like son!"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We should be grateful that we were able to finish the exam and get out safely."
"Yes, yes, yes, that's terrifying! This is someone's entire future! Ruining someone's future is like killing their parents!"
Several candidates whispered among themselves, clearly still shaken.
The young servant of the Jiang family was sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, so he naturally heard everything thoroughly and then quietly passed it on to the worried old steward.
"Oh? I understand. We must not mention this to anyone else. When the young master and the others come out, do not ask any questions. Just do what we should do."
Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Since Landlord Jiang couldn't come himself, he sent his old steward, who had been with him for decades. With Steward Wen as this "treasure," the servants of the Jiang family had a backbone.
Despite the commotion and chaos outside the examination hall, the servants and guards of the Jiang family remained unmoved, standing tall and waiting beside their young master's carriage.
Before long, more candidates filed out of the gate, their expressions varied.
"It's our young master, and Young Master Wang!"
Butler Wen darted out with lightning speed, taking the exam basket from his young master's hands: "Young master, thank you for your hard work."
The servant, with great perceptiveness, handed over warm tea and towels, including one for Old Wang as well.
"Phew~" Old Wang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had finally come back to life. Although they weren't the worst candidates, being cooped up in the small examination shed made them feel like they had fermented.
The sour smell, the sweat smell, and the stench of someone's feet—it all assaulted my senses in waves. Even someone without obsessive-compulsive disorder would find it unbearable.
I've finally gotten used to it, but I still have to deal with all sorts of things at night, like teeth grinding, farting, smacking my lips, coughing, talking in my sleep, and kicking my legs.
Although there is a wall separating the examination rooms, the soundproofing is really poor. Your head might be right above someone else's feet, and if the person next to you kicks their foot in the middle of the night, you might be shaken off your bed.
"Have the three of them come out yet?"
Old Wang was weak and listless, wishing he could lie down in the carriage right now.
"It's a mess outside, let's wait in the car." Jiang Xiaoqi could tell that the other person was physically and mentally exhausted.
"And you? You're not tired at all? Hey? You look alright too~ Indeed, people still need to practice martial arts to stay healthy."
"Brother Wang, if there's nothing else, come back to the Jiang family with me. We've finally finished the provincial examination, let's celebrate a bit."
Jiang Xiaoqi saw that although the guy in front of him looked normal, the dark circles under his eyes were really frightening. He thought of sharing some of the "dishwater" with him to help him recover.
One health-enhancing pill was melted and divided among five people; its color did indeed resemble dishwater.
"Sure, I'll be alone when I get back anyway. But I'm really tired right now, so you'll have to arrange a room for me. I'm going to take a nap first."
“It’s nothing. All of us brothers live in the same courtyard, which makes it convenient for us to exchange ideas. We’ve always prepared a room for you, but you insisted on living in your own courtyard.”
"I didn't want to cause you any trouble, but you've already taken advantage of me by preparing bamboo tubes, oilcloth bags, and so much fragrant rice porridge."
Jiang Xiaoqi shook his head. He had seen long ago that this Old Wang was someone worth befriending. He didn't like to take advantage of others and seemed carefree and unconcerned about details, but in reality, he was a man of principle.
It's much easier to associate with people like that than with those who are full of hidden scheming.
"Oh, they're out! They're finally out!"
Jiang Lin was followed by Jiang Yan and Jiang Hao, and the three of them looked slightly better than Lao Wang.
Seeing that the three were safe, Jiang Xiaoqi told everyone to get in the car. There had just been a commotion at the examination hall, so it would be best for them to stay at home and not go out for the next few days.
This is the second reason why we invited Lao Wang to stay at our home: something went wrong in the examination room today.
After they handed in their papers, they underwent another thorough body search.
They were even more meticulous than when they entered the venue, and the constables practically wanted to use a magnifying glass to find any mistakes or oversights made by the people in the venue.
The group got into the carriage and remained silent the whole way.
Back at the Jiang residence, everyone washed up, changed into clean clothes, and once again became fragrant young gentlemen.
Jiang Xiaoqi dissolved the health-enhancing pills in a large pot of water, boiled it, and served several bowls to the four people.
The three Jiang brothers were already used to it; this wasn't the first time they'd drunk their cousin's secret tonic soup.
Old Wang held the large bowl, looking a little unsure.
This... it looks like dishwater, and it smells... well, even more like it!
"Brother Wang, drink it while it's hot, it won't taste as good when it's cold!" Jiang Hao thoughtfully reminded him.
Well... it can't taste that good even when it's hot, right?
That's what I thought, but I couldn't show it. After all, I was a guest in someone else's home, and I couldn't be impolite.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the three brothers gulp down a large bowl of "dishwashing water" without hesitation. Old Wang closed his eyes, pinched his nose, and drank it down as well.
Huh? It doesn't taste as bad as I thought, huh?
"Alright, now that you've finished drinking, go back to your rooms and rest. Someone will wake you up for dinner. Take care of yourselves and we can talk again tonight."
After Jiang Xiaoqi finished speaking, she went straight into her room, giving them no time to react.
Once the effects of the health-enhancing pills kick in, he fears these people won't want to sleep anymore and might want to go out for a stroll or rush to discuss what just happened.
As the last rays of sunset faded, there was a knock on their door.
"What time is it?"
"Reporting to young master, it's already past Shenshi (3-5 PM)." The servant bowed his head and was very polite.
"It's so late, is dinner ready?" Old Wang rubbed his eyes through his sleeve.
"Yes, young master invites the young master to dinner."
"Okay, I'm coming right now. Oh no, you need to wait outside first, I have to go!"
After saying this, he rushed into the inner room.
It's really not easy to hold back until you wake up from that huge bowl of nourishing soup!
In the front yard dining room, the table is filled with nutritionally balanced and exquisite dishes.
"Eat first, and talk after you're full."
Well, the saying "one should not speak while eating or sleeping" is not wrong.
A quarter of an hour later, everyone put down their chopsticks and unanimously focused their attention on Jiang Xiaoqi.
"Mingfei, you knew all along, didn't you?"
Jiang Lin spoke first, and the others listened intently.
"What does it matter if we know first or later? This turmoil is inevitable. All I can do is keep our Jiang family away from the turmoil and potential dangers."
"So you really knew, then why didn't you...?"
"Sigh...yes, it's too late. From the moment they had that thought, it was already too late."
"Like I said, I'm not anyone's father. But this time, who knows, maybe it really is the father who screwed over the son..."