Chapter 866: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 866: The Announcement of the Civil Examination Results (4)
"..."
Even Mo Qingze, with his strong temperament, felt uncomfortable with all the flattery. He could only force a smile and say, "There is always someone better in some areas, and others not as good in others. I still have many shortcomings, and I should strive to improve together with you all."
The six young men, who had passed the provincial examination and were confident about their prospects in the imperial exams, were no fools. They quickly realized that Mo Qingze was not fond of flattery, so their attitude became more natural, and the conversation flowed more easily.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Mo Qingze had a clearer understanding of their intentions. Though he wasn’t completely comfortable, he didn’t feel any strong aversion either. He was confident that his name would be on the list. Regardless of the outcome of the palace exam, he was certain to become an official. If he couldn’t even handle these minor encounters now, how could he navigate the complexities of the political world in the future?
Watching her father handle the situation with ease, Mo Yan felt a complex mixture of emotions. She knew that her father didn’t like, nor was he good at, socializing with strangers. But given the position they were in now, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had no choice but to adapt.
This change was something she had hoped for, but she also didn’t want her father to feel burdened. For a moment, her heart was torn.
The situation at the Mo family's table had already attracted the attention of many. The six young men were perceptive and understood that the Mo family didn’t want to attract too much attention, so they politely excused themselves.
Mo Qingze didn’t insist on keeping them there and smiled as he watched them return to their seats.
"Dad, I didn’t expect you to be so popular. If you hadn’t lowered your voice, the whole tea house would probably have come over to take a look," Mo Yan said, trying to lighten the mood as she sat back down, suppressing her conflicted feelings with a smile.
Although these men had their own agendas, she could see genuine admiration in their eyes. If this were the previous life, these people would have been considered her father's fans—the type who admire him for his talent, not his appearance.
"You! All you do is tease your father!" Mo Qingze sighed helplessly, tapping his eldest daughter’s forehead.
"Dad, this is just the truth! I didn’t mean anything bad about you!" Xin’er, for the first time realizing how highly respected her father was, blushed with excitement. The respect they showed wasn’t like the simple admiration the villagers had for scholars.
"Yes, my foster father is the best!" Sheng’er said with wide eyes, her face full of admiration. She didn’t quite understand the difference between how scholars and commoners respected her foster father, but she was purely happy that he was being respected.
Seeing the joy on his daughters' faces, Mo Qingze couldn't help but smile. The feeling of being admired didn’t seem so bad after all.
The family of four continued to enjoy their tea and chat happily. Not long after, they heard someone outside shout, "The results are out!" At that moment, the people in the hall immediately rushed out, and within moments, half the crowd had disappeared, no longer as composed as before.
The results wouldn’t list everyone’s score; only the names of the top 100 successful candidates would be announced. If one’s name wasn’t on the list, it meant they had failed and would have to wait another three years for the next exam.
Mo Yan and her two younger sisters lost interest in their conversation and anxiously stared at the door, hoping the people looking at the list would disperse soon. However, to their surprise, the crowd didn’t thin out, but instead, they saw faces filled with disappointment, frustration, and even despair. Among them were some elderly scholars who had failed, a blow that was hard to recover from. Some might not live to see the next examination.
In just fifteen minutes, more than one or two people were seen walking away crying, or fainting from the emotional strain, being carried out by others. Witnessing such scenes, the three sisters gradually quieted down, feeling a knot in their hearts. They couldn’t help but feel bad for those who had failed.
"Yes! Yes! I did it! I passed! Finally, I passed! Haha—" A scholar, looking almost mad with excitement, rushed into the tea house, shouting at the top of his lungs to the first person he saw.
Those around him understood his joy, and while they weren’t overly concerned, those with manners would say a few words of congratulations. However, it only heightened the tension and unease in Mo Yan and the others.
As more people with hopeful expressions returned in disappointment, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavier. Finally, when the crowd outside had thinned, the Mo family, along with the remaining scholars, walked toward the notice board.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, Mo Yan immediately spotted the large red notice on the high wall. With her sharp eyesight and the bold, clear characters on the board, she quickly saw the name at the top of the list, and her eyes immediately lit up.
It was clear to see the five bold characters: "Zhuangyuan —Mo Qingze!"
(End of Chapter)
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