Panic

Wen Yuan said: "It's rare to see my sister so lively. Brother Xu, do you think she's good-looking?"

Xu Wenwu watched Wen Die, who was carrying her dress like a butterfly flitting through the orchard, and replied: "Miss Wen has a natural grace about her."

Wen Yuan smiled: "Yes, Brother Xu has good taste."

The group filled a basket with all kinds of fruits. There were enough people at home to eat them all.

Wen Die's hands were covered in mud, but she didn't mind, actually enjoying this feeling.

"Uncle Wen, up ahead is our family's crayfish pond," Xiaowu said: "Next to it is the fish pond."

Wen Yuan was puzzled: "What's a crayfish?"

Xiaowu answered proudly: "It's a small freshwater lobster. When cooked spicy and numbing, it's really delicious!"

"I'd like to try that." Wen Yuan said.

"No problem. We'll make some for lunch. You can have a taste then."

"Brother Xu, why is that white house so strange?" Wen Yuan asked curiously, pointing at the greenhouse.

"Hahaha! It's a greenhouse. But you're not wrong to call it a house—it's just a house for vegetables."

They encountered many villagers along the way. When they saw Xu Wenwu, they'd laugh and call out: "Congratulations, sir!"

Even though Xu Wenwu always kept his cool, being called "Congratulations, sir" so many times made him blush a little.

Wen Die let out a giggle as she'd never seen Big Brother Xu act like this before. It was kinda cute!

Hearing Wen Die's laughter, the rest of the guys couldn't help but burst out laughing too, leaving Xu Wenwu to shake his head at their antics.

When they got back to the Xu household, they found things were a bit strange. There was one more person there that they hadn't expected to see.

"Big Brother Su, you're back?"

Su Chenyu said: "Yeah, I didn't expect my quick trip up the mountain would lead to such excitement at home. Xu Wenwu, congratulations! I'm rooting for you!"

"Thanks, Big Brother Su!"

Right then, Madam Wen looked a bit nervous.

Wen Yuan noticed and asked: "Father, are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine." Magistrate Wen replied. Can he tell me the identity of the master next to him? Su Chenyu looked at him with a hint of warning, obviously not wanting him to reveal his identity.

"Look, Mom! Qibao and the others picked these fruits for us." Wen Die said with a smile: "I've never seen anything like this before!"

Madam Wen looked at the basket of fruits and said, clearly surprised: "It's not just you. I've never seen such beautiful fruits either!"

Mrs. Wang didn't waste time and said: "Chunlan, go wash those fruits and bring them over."

"Yes, Madam." Chunlan replied.

"What do you plan to do next, Wenwu?" asked Magistrate Wen.

"Uncle Wen, Wenwu plans to wait until March next year to go to Beijing on time to take part in the palace examination!" Xu Wenwu replied.

The headmaster sighed and said: "Wenwu, the academy can no longer teach you anything, and you don't have to go to the academy every day. Just prepare well at home."

Xu Wenwu said: "I understand."

"Civil and military, this examination is extremely important. Only those who rank high can participate in the palace examination. The palace examination is held directly in the imperial palace. All your answers must be reviewed by the emperor himself, and the emperor will personally decide the top three candidates."

"Does that mean we can meet the Emperor?" the old man asked.

"Each of the top three scorers will be granted an audience with the Emperor." Magistrate Wen explained: "The Emperor will then assign them official duties. If you catch the Emperor's eye, you might even get to stay in the capital."

The old man said: "So that's how it is."

Su Chenyu spoke up: "Wenwu, when you go to the capital next year, use that token I gave you to find me. I'll make sure you have everything sorted out."

Xu Wenwu said: "Thank you, Brother Su."

"Nah, don't mention it! We're brothers! Look at how handsome you are - you might catch the eye of some young lady at the exam. Who knows? You could get lucky in love, too!" Su Chenyu jokingly teased.

Crash!

A sudden, sharp sound echoed through the room.

Everyone turned to see Wen Die, her face flushed with panic as she bent down to pick up the shattered remains of a teacup: "I'm sorry, Granny Xu." she stammered: "I didn't mean to do it."

Mrs. Wang quickly pulled Madam Wen to her feet: "Be careful, you could cut yourself." She said: "It's just a broken cup. No big deal. I'll have someone clean it up."

Wen Die nodded, wondering why she was so impatient and clumsy, but when she thought that Brother Xu's future wife would be another woman, her heart ached.

Seeing Wen Die standing there uncomfortably, like a child waiting to be scolded for doing something wrong, Xu Wenwu said without thinking: "It's okay, don't blame yourself, as long as you're not hurt."

Hearing Xu Wenwu's comfort, Wen Die felt a little excited and said: "Thank you for your concern, Brother Xu!"

Some people noticed something in this scene.

Mrs. Wang spoke up, her voice full of meaning: "Madam Wen, I see your daughter is at the age when it's time to start thinking about marriage. Have you had any proposals?"

Madam Wen replied: "Not yet. She'll come of age this year."

Mrs. Wang nodded understandingly: "Miss Wen is a good girl. We should find a good marriage for her."

Madam Wen smiled and half-jokingly said: "I think Wenwu and my Die'er are a good match. I'm quite satisfied!"

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "I see Die'er likes it too, I'm just afraid my Wenwu isn't good enough for Die'er!"

Wen Die's face flushed. With so many people listening here, she glanced at Xu Wenwu secretly, then lowered her head with a flushed face.

At lunchtime, since they had guests, the men and women ate separately.

"Big Brother Wen, this is a crayfish! Have a try!" Xiaowu enthusiastically picked up a bright red crayfish and placed it in Wen Yuan's bowl.

Wen Yuan gingerly took hold of the crayfish and bit into it.

Crack!

"Why is this shell so hard?"

"Haha! That's not how you eat a crayfish, Big Brother Wen. Here, let me show you!" Xiaowu took the crayfish and began to peel it.

"There! This is the meat!" Xiaowu popped the peeled crayfish meat into his mouth and began to enjoy it.

Wen Yuan was dumbfounded: "You have to peel it by hand?"

"Of course you do! It's a bit greasy and messy, but it's just too delicious to pass up!"

Wen Yuan rolled up his sleeves and started peeling. Once he tasted the meat, he nodded and grinned: "It's delicious! These crayfish are filled with tender meat!"

Although the prefect Wen, the county magistrate Wu, and the dean were all scholars, they were not at all fussy about details. Seeing Wen Yuan eating with relish, they immediately picked up a lobster and started eating.

"Hmm! You're right, these are really delicious!"

The dishes on the table were unlike anything you'd find outside this home, and everyone tried them for the first time, praising their flavor.

"Old man, you are right! There are so many delicious foods in your house. I don't want to leave!" said Magistrate Wen with a smile.

The old man laughed heartily: "Not leaving is even better! Here, you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want!"

"Ah! I'd love to stay, too!" Magistrate Wen replied: "But I still have that black gauze hat on my head—you know, the one that means I have a job to keep."

They continued to enjoy their meal, the table lively with conversation and laughter.

Today was a big deal for the Xu family, and it quickly became the hottest topic in town. Now that Xu Wenwu had passed the provincial exam, families with daughters were even more eager to make a match with him.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching everyone in Huamen town, and was quickly making its way outward as well. After all, becoming one of the top three scholars was no small feat.

Even further away, in Qingyun City, people were discussing this, as some had witnessed Xu Wenwu's talent during the competition.

Many also asked about Xu Wenwu's address, hoping to meet him and maybe make a connection.