Chapter 88 Taking the Annual Examination
"Come, try this braised pork. It's a specialty of my family." Xu picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in Liu Mengmeng's bowl, and then picked up another piece for Qi Zimo.
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo hurriedly thanked them, tasted the delicious dishes, and secretly admired the wealth of the Jiang family.
After the meal, Xu suggested, "You young people must like excitement. I asked the servants to prepare some performances, let's enjoy them together."
Then, the servants served tea and fruit, and a group of singing girls and dancers came to perform. They sang and danced gracefully. Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo were mesmerized by the performance and could not help but sigh at the charm of ancient culture.
After the performance, Xu looked at the three people and said with a smile: "Zhi Yu, your two friends are really talented and beautiful. You should learn more from them in the future."
Jiang Zhiyu smiled and nodded, and said to Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo: "Don't listen to my mother, she always praises others like this."
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo quickly said modestly: "Mrs. Xu, you are too kind. We still have a lot of shortcomings."
As night fell, the Jiang family was brightly lit. Xu arranged for the servants to take the three of them to rest. Before going to bed, Jiang Zhiyu said to them, "Tomorrow I will take you to visit the capital and feel the prosperity here."
On the second day, the three followed Jiang Zhiyu to the most prosperous street in the capital. There were many shops on both sides of the street, with a wide variety of goods. They walked around and finally came to a teahouse.
In the teahouse, an old man was playing the guzheng, the sound of which was melodious and intoxicating. Jiang Zhiyu ordered a pot of tea, and the three of them chatted while sipping tea.
"Do you know? The tea in this teahouse is all shipped from Jiangnan, and the taste is particularly mellow." Jiang Zhiyu said, handing Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo a cup of tea each.
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo tasted the tea, felt the charm of ancient tea culture, and couldn't help but sigh at the beauty of time.
After touring the capital, the three returned to the Jiang family. Seeing that they were having a good time, Xu smiled and said, "You will be leaving tomorrow. I have asked the servants to prepare a banquet tonight for you to celebrate your departure."
That night, the Jiang family was brightly lit and the banquet was sumptuous. Xu personally hosted the banquet and invited many relatives and friends. Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo made many new friends at the banquet and felt the etiquette of ancient interpersonal communication.
After the banquet, Jiang Zhiyu took Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo back to the guest room. The three of them lay on the couch, looking at the ceiling, recalling their experiences over the past two days.
"This month's vacation was really meaningful." Liu Mengmeng said with emotion.
Qi Zimo nodded in agreement: "Yes, we not only saw the prosperity of the capital, but also made so many friends."
Jiang Zhiyu looked at them and said with a smile: "During this month-long vacation, the three of us have grown a lot. I hope that in the future, we will have the opportunity to get together and spend a good time together."
The three of them hugged each other tightly, looking forward to the good times in the future.
As the night deepened, the lights in the Jiang family's guest room were still as warm as day. The three of them were filled with emotion, but none of them slept. Jiang Zhiyu looked out the window, the moonlight was like water, sprinkled on the stone steps in front of the courtyard, and she felt a little reluctant.
"Tomorrow's separation always makes people sad." Jiang Zhiyu sighed softly.
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo looked at each other, their hearts filled with emotion. Liu Mengmeng gently patted Jiang Zhiyu's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't be sad, there will be separations after gatherings, and we will see each other again."
Qi Zimo nodded and continued, "Yes, and this experience has made us cherish each other even more. Madam Xu's hospitality and the prosperity of the capital will become beautiful memories in our hearts."
Jiang Zhiyu smiled, with a hint of determination in his eyes: "Well said, we should cherish every time we get together. Even if we go our separate ways in the future, these memories will become our driving force to move forward."
The three of them were silent for a while. Jiang Zhiyu suddenly stood up, took a piece of paper from the table, and handed it to Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo: "This is a painting I drew. I give it to you as a souvenir of this month's vacation."
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo unfolded the paper and saw a picture of three of them touring the capital together. It was so lifelike that they could seem to feel the laughter and joy at that time.
"Zhi Yu, you draw so well." Liu Mengmeng exclaimed.
Qi Zimo also admired it: "This gift is too precious, we will definitely keep it well."
As the night deepened, the three of them finally fell asleep.
The next morning, the sun shone through the window onto the faces of the three people. Jiang Zhiyu woke up and found that Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo were still sleeping. She got up quietly and prepared to wake them up.
"We should get up." Jiang Zhiyu woke them up softly.
Liu Mengmeng and Qi Zimo rubbed their eyes, got up and washed up. The three of them had breakfast together and prepared to set off back to the Imperial College.
Xu personally saw the three of them off, her face full of reluctance: "I am very happy that you are here this time. I hope we will have the opportunity to see each other again in the future."
Liu Mengmeng and the other person quickly thanked them. Qi Zimo said, "Mrs. Xu, your hospitality makes us feel the warmth of home. We will definitely remember this wonderful time."
Liu Mengmeng also added: "Yes, we will definitely visit you again."
The three of them said goodbye to Xu and set off on the journey back to the Imperial College. Along the way, their topic always revolved around the trip to the Jiang family, and everyone was immersed in memories.
"What do you think of this month's vacation?" Jiang Zhiyu asked.
Liu Mengmeng thought for a moment and said with a smile: "I think this experience is very valuable. Not only did I see the prosperity of the capital, but I also experienced the ancient etiquette and culture, which made me love this era even more."
Qi Zimo nodded in agreement: "Yes, this trip has given me a deeper understanding of ancient life, and it has also made me cherish our current life more."
Jiang Zhiyu smiled and felt very satisfied: "Yes, the three of us have gained a lot during this month's vacation. I hope we can have more opportunities like this in the future." Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is the day of the annual examination.
That morning, the entire Jiang family was busy and nervous.
"Hurry up, hurry up, prepare two carriages. I want to accompany my granddaughter to the Imperial College to take the annual examination." Old Master Jiang ordered his servants to prepare the carriages early in the morning.
Then I'll go wake Zhiyu up." Jiang Zhiyu's mother Xu said with concern.
"Yes, yes, old man, we'll prepare it right away." The servants responded and left, busy figures shuttling back and forth in the morning light.
"Master, the carriage is ready, and Madam has gone to wake up the young lady." A servant reported cautiously.
Old Master Jiang nodded, a relieved smile on his face.
The sunlight filtered through the window and shone onto his graying, energetic face, making him look particularly warm.
Not long after, Xu came out with Jiang Zhiyu.
In the Jiang family compound, the morning light shines through the vermilion gate, sprinkles onto the bluestone slabs, and casts patches of mottled light and shadows.