Quick Transmigration: Pangu is Actually My Brother

Chapter 429 The Flower of Barrenness (4)

It doesn't matter whether Tian Zhuang is willing or not, as long as his father is willing.

So, Tian Laosan made a special trip to Tian Zhuang's house, and Tian Zhuang was brought there by the couple, where he was forced to endure a miserable life of not only studying but also exercising.

"Dad, I want to go to town tomorrow too."

"Okay." Tian Laosan knew that his daughter wanted to go out for a walk. As for Tian Ye and Tian Zhuang, who wanted to go with her, they were ignored. Wangyou assigned them homework.

The imperial examination was not just a simple matter. Every time Wangyou went to town, she would stay in the bookstore for a while and find suitable books for the imperial examination. She would memorize some of them and recite them from memory, and buy others to teach Tianye and Tianzhuang.

In the blink of an eye, four years have passed.

"Father, Uncle Tian, ​​Aye and Tian Zhuang can try out this year."

"What? This means I can take the exam?"

"Their level is now high enough to pass the county-level imperial examination, but they first need to pass the county-level imperial examination."

"Then I'll go back and prepare."

The matter of guarantor can be left to Tian Zhuang's father; it only requires spending some money.

The night before the exam, Wangyou called Tianzhuang and Tianye into the study.

"Aye, Tianzhuang, I'm not worried about you two in this exam. Aye, remember to hold back during the exam and don't get too high a ranking. As for Tianzhuang, just do your best."

"Understood." Tian Zhuang had no objection, and neither of them asked why, because it was common for those who participated in the imperial examinations to have problems among the top few.

Although Tianye was not as intelligent as Wangyou, he was better than average. Tianzhuang's academic aptitude was indeed much worse, but Wangyou balanced the situation well by teaching according to individual aptitude, which is why the two of them were able to take the exam together.

Tianye and Tianzhuang made their way to the examination hall after passing through the inspection. When the exam papers were handed out, they were both surprised, followed by relief and admiration.

After the exam, both of them answered with great fluency. However, Tian Ye kept in mind Wang You's advice and slightly held back his skills, while Tian Zhuang did not have this concern and wrote much faster than usual.

After the exam, the two looked relieved. Compared to the other candidates who had to be carried out, they felt fortunate that Wangyou (the older sister) had always encouraged them to stay healthy.

"Sister, you're amazing! Your predictions were so accurate!" The two of them excitedly chattered as they arrived home and met Wangyou.

"As long as you did well on the exam, I'll give you a day off to rest tomorrow. As for anything else, let's not talk about it." Wangyou had expected this and said with a slight smile.

"Don't worry, I will never tell anyone." Tian Zhuang nodded emphatically. Although he didn't understand why he was not allowed to tell anyone, Tian Zhuang never asked, but he would do as he was told.

To prevent the two from revealing her secrets when they were drunk, Wangyou made sure to test their drinking capacity every now and then, which was truly unique.

The fact that Tian Zhuang and Tian Ye from the village went to take the exam was like a bombshell in the village. Tian Zhuang and the others were not surprised, but Tian Ye was different. The third Tian family had produced a scholar.

In recent years, the Tian family has been trying to stir up trouble, but Tian Laosan has forcefully suppressed them all, and they eventually gave up. Therefore, when they heard that Tian Ye had gone to participate in the preliminary examination, they all cursed him quite rudely.

Seven days later, the list was released, and Tian Ye and Tian Zhuang were prominently featured, with Tian Zhuang ranking thirty-seventh and Tian Ye ranking twelfth.

This ranking is neither high nor low, and it won't attract much attention; at most, people will be surprised by their age.

However, the news that Tian Zhuang and Tian Ye had passed the imperial examination still caused a stir in the entire Xinghua Village. Tian Ye was seven years old and Tian Zhuang was only eleven. You should know that the eldest son of the Tian family was already twenty when he passed the imperial examination.

The Tian family suddenly became lively. Today, this old lady was pulling Song Shi aside and talking about how old her daughter was this year. Then, a relative suddenly appeared and said that they had some kind of relationship with them.

With so many people, Wangyou became particularly irritable. So, on the third day of the festivities, Tian Laosan's family closed their doors to guests, as their daughter was unwell and the crowds would disturb her.

Early fame often leads to arrogance.

"You two should start studying hard from today. You'll have to take the Xiucai exam later. The Xiucai degree is the starting point for the imperial examination system. Moreover, the most direct benefit of having the Xiucai degree is that your family won't have to serve in the military." Wangyou gave the two a gentle reminder.

Looking at Wangyou's increasingly delicate face, the two of them, who had been flattered by everyone, finally felt their pride return. There were people even more capable than them right here; what right did they have to be so arrogant?

Then, the two of them consciously began to review their lessons and prepare for the prefectural examination, while Wangyou gave them some more important notes.

The two didn't stay at home for long. Seven days later, they set off for the prefectural city. Tian Laosan and Tian Zhuang's father went with them to keep each other company, since there were quite a few beggars on the road.

"This prefecture is really different, Father. After we finish the exam, let's find a doctor in the prefecture and see if they can cure my sister's illness." The first thing Tianye thought of when he saw the prefecture was Wangyou.

"Father knows. Let's find an inn first!"

However, with the exam approaching, the inn was fully booked, even the lowest-class woodshed was full, and it cost one or two taels of silver a day.

The two children still needed to study, so in the end, their parents decided to rent a courtyard. Luckily, they met a child and rented a room at his house for five taels of silver a month. This place was only two streets away from the examination site.

After settling in, Tian Zhuang and Tian Ye didn't dare to slack off at all, while Tian Laosan inquired around on the street for a long time and found out that the owner of a bookstore was of good character. He then took the newly made purple bamboo pen to the bookstore.

The shopkeeper was indeed kind, accepting the purple bamboo pen for fifteen taels of silver. As usual, Tian Laosan took out the book catalog his daughter had written.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any of the books listed on this paper?"

"Beautiful calligraphy! Who wrote this?" The shopkeeper exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the elegant characters on the paper.

"It was written by the youngest child in the family."

"Your son's calligraphy is quite remarkable. But are you sending your child here for the exam? These books are only used by those who participate in the imperial examinations."

"Yes, that's why I'm out earning some money for the family while the child is studying, and I'll buy him the books he wants," Tian Laosan said with a smile, pretending not to hear the shopkeeper's misunderstanding.

"I wonder if your son has any plans to copy books? Such fine calligraphy could double the price of a book if he were to copy it."

"Let him decide about copying the book after his exams are over."

The shopkeeper chatted with Tian Laosan while finding books for him, and Tian Laosan flipped through each book to make sure it was correct.

The shopkeeper discovered that this farmer, though seemingly honest, was actually quite slippery and couldn't get any information out of him.

If Tian Laosan knew what the shopkeeper was thinking, he would think, "How could he not be cunning? Wangyou has broken down the pros and cons for them in detail. How can one not be careful when traveling?"

This matter concerns forgetting worries, so we cannot be careless in the slightest.