Ever since Song Si went to the capital to take his exams, the whole Song family was eagerly awaiting his arrival. The village chief, in particular, made several trips to the Song family’s house a day to ask if there was any news of Song Si’s exams.
When they heard this from Grandma Song, all the people working in the fields came running towards the Song family’s fields.
Master Song was overjoyed, and judging from his grandmother’s performance, Song Si must have made the grade.
He threw down his hoe and greeted him, “The magistrates have come to report the good news?”
“What good news? It’s that Si’er has met a girl in the capital and has sent a letter back, asking us to go to the capital to betroth him.”
Grandma Song’s voice was loud and she couldn’t suppress her joy. The crowd of people running towards this side all paused, and only the village headman was the only one who ran this way while asking at the top of his voice, “How was the result of the meeting exam?”
“It says that they won the Huiyuan.”
The village headman stumbled and almost fell over, hurriedly helping a villager beside him, “You, say that again!”
“It says it’s won the Huiyuan.”
The village chief heard it clearly, his legs went weak and he fell to the ground, “Huiyuan, hahahahaha, Huiyuan, good, good, good.”
“You didn’t hear wrong?”
Old Master Song was in disbelief, although his grandson was a good scholar, they had never even thought of winning the Huiyuan.
“You old man, I’m not deaf, how could I have misheard? It was the Gu family’s boy who personally came back to report the news ……”
The two of you should come back with me, we need to discuss the matter of going to the capital.”
“The matter of Song Si’s betrothal can be put off for a while ……”
The village chief got up from the ground and came over with big steps, “After the session exam is the temple exam, if Song Si performs well in the temple exam, maybe ……”
He did not say the words “will marry the princess” out loud. The villagers were all around, and if word got out, it would cause a lot of trouble.
“Anyway, listen to me, let Song Si put off the betrothal for a while.”
Marrying the princess would be a step to heaven, and he would be able to bring his whole family to the capital, so that they could eat and drink with him, and no longer have to come to the ground every day to grind food.
“That won’t do ……”
In Grandma Song’s heart, nothing is more important than her grandson having a girl of his choice, “Since Si’er had someone send a letter back, it proves that he values that girl, we have to hurry.”
“Aiya, you ……”
The village headman was in a hurry, but he couldn’t say it explicitly in front of these people, so he pulled Elder Song to the side and told him his thoughts.
Once he heard that Song Si might be able to marry the princess, Old Master Song was frightened, “Village Chief, you don’t scare me.”
“What am I scaring you for? I’m just saying that there is such a possibility, it’s just a matter of waiting a few more days or so, you should first ask the Gu family boy to write back, just say that the land is busy and we’ll wait for some days.”
“No, no ……”
Elder Song’s head shook like a rattle, marrying the princess was good, but if Si’er was unhappy, they would be doing the child a disservice.
“You guys are simply ……”
The village headman hated his iron.
When the three of them returned home, Xu read Song Si’s letter to them word for word.
Grandma Song was overjoyed, “Boss, drive the carriage to the county and call Lao Er and the others to come back, tell them to send whatever is left, come back and get ready, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow.”
Song Lin happily went and set up the carriage and hurried off to the market.
It was noon and there were many people eating spicy hotpot at the stall, Song San Xiao was busy clearing the table, when he looked up and saw Song Lin coming with the carriage, he thought something had happened to the family and hurriedly threw away the rag and ran up, “Big brother, what happened?”
“He has asked the Gu family’s boy to send a letter for our family to go to the capital. Call your second brother and sister-in-law to come home, Mother said to give away whatever is left.”
Song Si has a girl he likes ……
The moment these words entered his ears, Song San Xiao unconsciously grinned, turned and ran back to the stall, said Song Lin’s words, put all the remaining spicy skewers into the pot and greeted the people in front of the stall, “Everyone, you’ve caught a good time today, eat with an open belly, no money.”
There was a chorus of congratulations in front of the stall.
Song Shu and Liu Cui Lan froze in place as Song San Xiao urged them on, “Second brother, second sister-in-law, you guys go back in the carriage first, I’ll stay and pack my things.”
Without even taking off their aprons, the two trotted over to get on the carriage, still in some disbelief.
When they had gone, Song Sanxiao took a basin and put part of the cooked spicy hotpot in it, “I just remembered that a customer had given a deposit, sorry, everyone.”
The crowd also ate for nothing, no one said anything, one by one they were quick to get started, it wasn’t long before they had grabbed it all, Song Sanxiao removed the fire and asked the people next to him to help watch the stuff, he set up the ox cart, put the basin on it and drove it to the entrance of the Wei Yuan Dart Station.
He had not seen Qi Ying once since he received that slap on New Year’s Day.
After stopping the bullock cart, he carried the basin directly to the door and said to the man guarding the entrance of the dart board, “Today my family is having a happy occasion, so all the spicy hotpot is given away.”
The two men guarding the door had long smelled the scent of spicy hotpot and were craving for it. Upon hearing that it was a gift, one of them busily took it and carried it in quickly, while the other one asked with a smile, “Third Prince Song, what kind of big joy is there in your family that you are not even selling spicy hotpot.”
“My eldest nephew, Song Siwei, has won the scholarship and has a girl he likes, so he has sent a letter back to his family to help her get engaged.”
“This is a great joy, congratulations, congratulations.”
Song San Xiao glanced towards the inside of the dartboard, he knew that the news should soon reach Qi Ying’s ears, and she should be dead in the water by then.
……
When Song Shu and Liu Cui Lan returned home, Xu listened to Song Si’s beliefs again to the two of them, and only then did they believe it was true.
Your sister-in-law can read and write, so she’ll go with her, just the three of you. Remember, when you meet your in-laws, don’t show any fear, and follow the rules of the other family.
Liu Cui Lan had been married for so many years that she didn’t bother about anything but work at home. When she heard that she was going to meet her in-laws, she felt scared, “Mother, I can’t, you have to go with us.”
“What are you afraid of? Your sister-in-law will be there, just listen to her.”
Liu Cui Lan still felt that she could not, “Mother, you should go with us, we have a backbone with you.”
“Wife, just go along ……”
Elder Song made the decision. The family’s affairs had always been under the control of Grandma Song, she went along so that Song Shu and the others would indeed have a backbone, and then there was the fact that Grandma Song had rarely even gone to the county for so many years, so it was the right time to take this opportunity to go to the capital for a look.