Chapter 73: Chapter 73
After a chaotic flurry of activity, Master Lin regained consciousness nearly two hours later. The first thing the old man did upon waking was tightly grab the arm of Eldest Miss Lin who was feeding him medicine.
Knowing exactly what her father was thinking, Lin Wan hastily spoke up: "Father, you heard correctly earlier! Our Ah Jing passed with flying colors - third overall in the top tier, a genuine Tanhua (Placard) scholar!"
Seeing her father about to faint again, Eldest Miss Lin quickly pressed hard on his acupressure points as her sister-in-law had taught her, while muttering: "Father, you absolutely mustn't have any health issues now! Think about it - if something happens to you, Ah Jing won't be able to take office for at least a year!"
Truly, only a biological daughter could be so effective!
Her words struck directly at the old man's heart. The previously dizzy Master Lin suddenly seemed to receive a hundred-thousand-volt boost, springing upright from the bed with remarkable agility. "Quickly quickly! Where are the firecrackers? The celebratory money! And the official who brought the good news - wait, did the county magistrate come earlier?"
Mentioning the county magistrate made Eldest Miss Lin's mouth twitch: "Don't worry Father, the magistrate is still next door!" Though his face had turned so pale - her father had frightened the poor man half to death. What kind of grudge was this?
Indeed, only after repeatedly confirming that Master Lin was merely overcome with excitement and not actually ill did the county magistrate finally wipe imaginary sweat from his brow and stagger out of the Lin residence supported by his attendants. He silently vowed to leave such "happy duties" to younger subordinates in the future - his old bones couldn't take this excitement!
Good news traveled fast these days. Before Master Lin could finish his tearful prayers at the ancestral hall, well-wishers bearing gifts came pouring in from all directions. Fortunately, at this moment, everyone was eager to flatter the Lin family rather than expect any hospitality. Most visitors exchanged only brief pleasantries before hastily leaving their gifts.
The only exceptions were the Xie family and Master Lin's two half-brothers who had rushed over with their children. Watching his beaming in-laws, Grandfather Xie felt both genuine happiness and a twinge of sourness.
Smart people couldn't be fooled. And coldly intelligent people, even blood relatives, absolutely couldn't be manipulated. With this thought, Grandfather Xie abandoned the idea, though the success of his great-grandson still left him somewhat resentful. A seventeen-year-old Tanhua - wasn't that just like the reincarnation of the Literary Star from operas?
But watching Sanwa chatting happily with his sister nearby, Grandfather Xie's bitterness eased somewhat. With such an accomplished nephew and Sanwa himself being a provincial graduate, official positions might not be out of reach in the future. This thought restored the enthusiasm to the old man's face.
Master Lin, wise with age, had perfectly understood his in-law's earlier discomfort. While secretly smug, he couldn't care less about such trifles. How could ordinary farmers hope to retain a daughter-in-law of such caliber?
Moreover, Xiuyuan's wife casually used tea sets worth hundreds of taels, played with chess pieces carved from premium white jade, and occasionally indulged in rare incense that cost shocking sums. Even her clothing fabrics were exclusively the finest rain-patterned brocade. What farming family could sustain such tastes? Just one of her unremarkable winter warmers cost more than a villager's lifetime earnings.
And that refined temperament of hers clearly wasn't suited for hardship. Dreaming of keeping such a woman as a free village teacher? Ridiculous!
The two old men harbored their respective thoughts while merrily toasting each other as "dear relatives," Master Lin especially jubilant today.
Equally thrilled was Little Chen who had come with them. Clutching her daughter's hands, her joy overflowed: "So...now that Ah Jing is Tanhua and will become an official, does that make you one of those...what do they call them in operas...imperial-commissioned noble ladies?"
Squeezing her mother's hands, An Ning smiled and nodded. The top three examination candidates were different - they could directly enter the Hanlin Academy as seventh-rank compilers. While a seventh-rank Ruren wasn't technically a full noble title, it was still an official rank. At least she wouldn't have to kneel and kowtow to every official while calling herself a "lowly commoner" anymore.
Though one thing puzzled An Ning - given her son's dual first-place rankings in provincial and metropolitan exams, shouldn't the palace examination have granted him the top Zhuangyuan title for appearances' sake? Unless the other two top candidates had particularly...unfortunate faces?
"How wonderful!" Little Chen trembled with excitement, oblivious to such details. Remembering her early worries that her daughter might never do manual labor, she now saw this was truly a life of blessed fortune!
Stroking her daughter's flawless, labor-free hands, Little Chen sighed emotionally. As the saying goes, returning home in silks without showing off is like walking at night. Successful candidates were granted special leave to visit their hometowns.
By mid-April when Lin Xiuyuan's family returned, their seventeen-year-old Tanhua's promising future was evident. During the celebration banquet, not just neighboring counties but even prefectural families sent lavish gifts. After the lively festivities, Master Lin publicly announced the family's decision to relocate to the capital.
"What? Move to the capital?" Jiang shi nearly dropped her chopsticks in shock. "But the capital is...our family..."
Before she could continue, Lin Wan swiftly intervened: "Father's right! Ah Jing will definitely be a capital official - we'll be living in luxury there! Mother, surely you wouldn't abandon your dear grandson to loneliness?"
"But...but..." Jiang shi still hesitated until her precious grandson gave her a heartbreakingly beautiful pout. Before she realized it, her head was nodding. "We...we really should go to the capital!"