Chapter 89: Yet Another Failure

When spring arrived, people started to get busy again.

The students were busy preparing for the exam, while the farmers were busy with looking after domestic animals and crops.

Tang continually pestered Li Fang Yue for information. Li Fang Yue dared not guarantee anything, she would just evade the issue and looked away.

They were struggling financially, Tang desperately hoped that Lu Cheng Yu would be able to get the title of Xiucai so she could show off in the village.

Li Fang Yue didn't dare to promise Tang something that was beyond her and her family's ability. The Secretary-General had taken another concubine recently, they were passionately attached to each other at the moment. Li Fang Yue's sister Li Ru was out of favor with the Secretary-General, she was deeply troubled by the new concubine, she felt sorry that she was not in a position to give help to her sister.

The exam was just around the corner, Tang was frustrated by Li Fang Yue's ambiguous statements, what she wanted was a promise. She started to quarrel with Li Fang Yue. Tang asked Li Fang Yue whether her sister was just a concubine.

How could Li Fang Yue admit it? She avoided that question, she kept saying that her sister and the Secretary-General were very much in love, the Secretary-General promised her sister that he would marry her as his wife once she gives birth to a son.

Tang wasn't satisfied with the answer, the two started to argue loudly, Lin Xiu'er who was walking past the hallway had heard it all.

Lin Xiu'er was shocked to the core when she heard what the argument was about. She walked back to her room in a daze.

......

"What's going on with you? You look unwell." Lu An couldn't help asking when he noticed Lin Xiu'er's expression.

After a while, Lin Xiu'er calmed down and said, "Li Fang Yue's sister is a concubine."

Lu An was stunned by Lin Xiu'er's words. "What did you say?"

Lin Xiu'er calmed down and said word by word, "Li Fang Yue's sister is a concubine. She said it herself."

Lu An's eyes widened. "How is that possible? If Li Ru is just a concubine, why would Cheng Yu marry her?"

Lin Xiu'er thought for a moment and thought, "Yeah!" If Li Ru was just a concubine, why would Cheng Yu marry Li Fang Yue?

"Perhaps Cheng Yu didn't know at first that Li Fang Yue's sister was a concubine."

Lin Xiu'er suddenly remembered that Tang treated Li Fang Yuewell at first, but it went downhill all of a sudden. Lin Xiu'er thought that Tang must have known the truth back then, but she was afraid of losing face, so she kept it from Grandma Lu and the rest of the family.

Lu An's face darkened and he said indignantly, "We have spent so much money for this marriage only to marry a concubine's sister? "

Concubines of rich people was a special existence in the villagers' eyes. They were jealous of their comfortable lifestyle but they looked down upon their status.

Lu An thought about the betrothal presents that Lu Cheng Yu had sent to the Li family and now the family was arguing for 1 tael of silver. Anger simmered inside Lu An, it took him so long to finally calm down.

Lin Xiu'er looked at Lu An and asked in confusion, "You were in town before. Don't you know about this?"

"I've heard people say that the Li family's daughter married Secretary-General, who would have thought that she was just a concubine."

Lin Xiu'er was indignant as well. Li Fang Yue had recently given birth to a girl, so she was less arrogant. However, when she first married into this family, it was not like this. She put on airs in front of Lin Xiu'er. Back then, Lin Xiu'er dared not offend the Secretary-General's sister-in-law.

"An, shall we tell Grandma Lu about this," Lin Xiu'er asked.

There was a trace of malice in Lu An's eyes. He pondered for a moment and said, "Let's talk about it after Cheng Yu's exam."

If Lu Cheng Yu passed the exam, they could let this matter go. But if otherwise, then Lu An would have to talk about it in details with the entire family.

Lin Xiu'er nodded and said, "Then we will wait. It's just a few days away."

......

The Spring Imperial Examination was a life-and-death event for many students. There were students who fainted during the exam every year.

On the day of the Spring Imperial Examination, Lu Lin couldn't help but smile when he saw the nervous students attending the exam.

Chen Xiao Mi glanced at Lu Lin and asked, "What are you grinning at?"

Lu Lin smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just a very different feeling to watch others getting so nervous about exams."

Lu Lin recalled his college entrance examination, he was so nervous that he didn't sleep well the night before the exam. But now he got to sit in his store and watch others getting nervous, he secretly enjoyed this feeling.

Chen Xiao Mi glanced at Lu Lin and felt that was not very cool.

"I heard that there are some customers who burn incense and say prayers to our rooster dolls," Lu Lin rubbed his nose, not understanding the people in this time and era.

Chen Xiao Mi sighed and said, "We sell our dolls to the customers. We shouldn't care what the customers do with the dolls."

Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yeah!"

Roosters and several other dolls which were related to the Spring Imperial Examination were sold out.

......

Chen Xiao Cai organized the dolls in the store. Recently, the dolls sold in the store all had a touch of auspicious characteristic. For example, this bear doll held a heart in its hand with three words written on the heart, "Number One Scholar". Next to it were bunnies and deer held hearts with similar writings.

Recently, quite a few people came to buy dolls with "Number One Scholar" writings.

Chen Xiao Cai had sold a giant rooster in Willow Town for sixty taels of silver.

Looking at the silver in the cupboard, Chen Xiao Cai had the jitters. In the past, he thought that the money he earned was for the Big Boss. He was amazed by the profits, but he was able to keep a level head because he always saw himself as an employee who was earning a regular wage. Now that he knew that there was no 'big boss who was on a business trip', he just felt all the silver in hand had become much heavier.

There was a time when Chen Xiao Cai's dream was to earn a little money and buy 2 mus of farmland like the ordinary people in the village. If he had land, his brother wouldn't have to risk his life hunting. But now, he had just earned 60 taels of silver from selling a doll, enough to buy several acres of land.

Shen Chi cupped his face in hand and said, "The giant doll is really profitable! However, Lin Gege has told us to only sell one from time to time.

Chen Xiao Cai replied, "Lin Gege said that things are precious when they are rare. If we sell them like regular dolls, people won't be interested in them anymore."

Shen Chi tilted his head and said, "I'm not sure whether I really understand, but Lin Gege is really amazing! He has all the genius business ideas and he is such a quick learner on the books."

The tutor that Lu Lin hired for Cai and Chi assumed great airs, he went on strikes. However, as long as the tutor read through the article for once, Lu Lin could memorize how to read all the characters. It was Lu Lin who taught the kids to read when the tutor was not available.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Lin Gege is something else." Chen Xiao Cai secretly admired Lu Lin, but he would never admit it in front of Lu Lin.

......

In the midst of the torment among the students, the government finally released the announcement of examination results.

On the day of the ranking release, many people joined the scene of bustle. Many villagers who were not able to read also surrounded the announcement.

Lu Lin stood in the outer circle and looked at the crowd with mixed feelings.

"I passed, I passed!" With an exciting scream, a student fainted.

Lu Lin thought to himself, "Wow! Someone really fainted because of excessive excitement."

A thirteen-or-fourteen-year-old boy suddenly uttered cries of anguish. "I did not pass, I did not. How can I go back to see my father?"

Lu Lin looked at the young man's outfit and suspected that he was born in literary family. He must be very confident in this exam. So he couldn't take it when he found out that he had failed.

Lu Lin looked at the young man and thought to himself, 'You are just a baby. It's really unnecessary to cry like this. If you can't get the exam this time, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Look at the old Tongsheng standing right next to you, he didn't pass it either, but look how poised he is! Of course, maybe he is used to it and he doesn't care anymore.'

Lu Lin looked at the list and he didn't see Lu Cheng Yu's name.

Lu Lin checked again, there was still no Lu Cheng Yu's name.

Lu Lin shook his head, thinking that Lu Cheng Yu might not have a healthy mentality for the exam. Lu Lin couldn't help but recall some of his classmates in his previous life, they were straight A students, but they tended to get so nervous and fail in big exams.

......

Lu Cheng Yu had once again failed in the exam, provoking an uproar from the village.

"It's useless to marry a lady in town!"

"This exam is really fair, you just really have real materials, and all those attempts to take shortcuts are useless."

"To think the price he has paid to take that so-called shortcut! Tut tut tut, 30 tales of silver as betrothal present!"

"But it's worth a try, if he can pass the exam, he will have a bright official career in the future!"

"It's not that easy, he still has a long way to go after he has passed the exam! "

......

The Lu family was of course in a turmoil. Lin Xiu'er knew that Li Fang Yue's sister was a concubine and had been holding it back for some time. However, she didn't plan to tell anyone before the result of Lu Cheng Yu's Spring Exam was released. Seeing Lu Cheng Yu having failed again, she couldn't hold it back any longer.

Grandma Lu who had high hopes this year was left disappointed.

At this point, Lin Xiu'er exposed that Li Fang Yue's sister was just a concubine, the news was no difference than adding fuel to the flames for the entire family.

Grandma Lu slapped Li Fang Yue right away while Grandpa Lu collapsed in the yard in shock.

Tang was a little guilty at first when Lin Xiu'er exposed the secret. However, she turned around and scolded Lin Xiu'er after Grandpa Lu fainted. Grandma Lu cried her heart out when she saw her husband slumping down on the ground.

Lin Xiu'er was not to be trifled with. She argued back when Tang scolded her for going too far.

Li Fang Yue knew that Lu Cheng Yu didn't pass the exam again, she held her daughter and hid inside the room.

The little baby in Li Fang Yue's arms was frightened by the noise in the yard and started to cry. Li Fang Yue covered the little baby's mouth anxiously.

Li Fang Yue also preferred a boy, but she loved the baby girl in her arms, and she always felt sorry for her daughter that she didn't have enough milk. Tang was different. Tang kept cursing Li Fang Yue and her daughter.

Lu Cheng Yu didn't even check on his daughter when she was crying. Instead, he was quite annoyed by the crying.