Chapter 432 Getting Close to the County Magistrate
"Aunt Tong, congratulations, congratulations."
Just as County Magistrate Liu was about to turn the topic to Gu Jingzhe's marriage, he was interrupted by Ergouzi, who came with the hired workers from the fields to toast Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong stood up with a smile, and drank the wine.
"Congratulations, young master, for being the first in the case."
Naturally, we must also toast to today's protagonist Gu Jingzhe.
"Jingzhe, you are the first scholar in our village, and you also the first in the exam. You have to drink from a big bowl." Ergouzi said with a smile.
Gu Jingzhe was not good at drinking. When he heard about using a large bowl, he said, "Brother Ergou, please spare me. I can't drink much."
Er Gouzi said, "Today is only the first time. You have to practice your drinking capacity. If you become the first, second or third place in the imperial examination, you will have to drink a jar of wine. Right, Aunt Tong?"
People around him also started cheering.
Gu Jingzhe blushed and waved his hands, saying, "I don't dare to think about being the first, second or third place."
Even if Gu Jingzhe had the ability, he didn't dare to brag in front of so many people. The lesson Gu Ruinian had taught him was too profound.
Tong Huaqiong said, "Jingzhe is still young, save this wine for when you go to Beijing to take the imperial examination and pass the exam. You will definitely have a feast in the future."
Tong Huaqiong blocked the wine for Gu Jingzhe.
According to modern society, Gu Jingzhe is still a minor at the age of fifteen. How can a minor drink alcohol?
Fortunately, in this era, alcohol is not strong, just like sweet water. Drinking a little will not damage your brain, nor will it make you addicted.
But he couldn't drink from everyone, otherwise Gu Jingzhe wouldn't be able to withstand the villagers' generous toasts.
After hearing what Tong Huaqiong said, everyone ignored Gu Jingzhe and toasted to Old Man Gu, praising him for having a great grandson.
Some people even had the courage to toast County Magistrate Liu.
After all, it's not common to have a meal in the same yard with the county magistrate.
Gu Jingzhe breathed a sigh of relief and asked Tong Huaqiong embarrassedly: "Mom, why did you tell others that I will definitely pass the imperial examination in the future?"
Tong Huaqiong waved his hand and said, "You are already very good. Among all the students in the city, you are the only one who got the first place. Isn't that good enough? If you can't pass the palace examination in the future, who can?"
Tong Huaqiong would not tell Gu Jingzhe to keep up the good work. She had been a student and had gotten good grades, and she hated it most when others said words of encouragement to her when she was happy.
After hearing these words, Gu Jingzhe secretly made up his mind to study harder when he went to Wanliu Academy and to make a splash in the palace examination.
Gu Jingzhe's Golden List Banquet was held in a lively atmosphere
The villagers felt that after Qinghewan had a criminal suspect, they would have someone to protect them whenever they went out, so they were more envious and proud than jealous, and they showered Tong Huaqiong and Gu Jingzhe with compliments and congratulations.
No money anyway.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and had fun with the villagers.
Mr. Gu felt quite unhappy.
At the old house, only he and Gu Honglian came to the banquet. The others were neither in the mood nor in the face to come because Gu Ruinian failed the exam.
Especially when the villagers toasted Grandpa Gu and praised Gu Jingzhe, they would always symbolically comfort Gu Ruinian, which made Grandpa Gu feel even worse.
He had originally thought that his family would produce two scholars, but now there is only one, so Mr. Gu feels that his reputation has been reduced.
However, Mr. Gu was still somewhat relieved to be able to sit at the same table and eat with the county magistrate.
“Isn’t that Yao’s family?”
Tong Huaqiong heard Chen Sufen talking at the next table. Tong Huaqiong looked towards the gate and saw Gu Yaojia from the old house lingering at the door.
The private school is on holiday today, and the children all gathered in Tong Huaqiong's yard to eat candy, and they ate at the table with the adults.
Gu Yaojia usually told the children in the village that his second uncle would pass the imperial examination, but he failed. Today, several children ridiculed him for lying.
He had been following Wei home, and following the aroma of meat and pastries he came to Tong Huaqiong's door.
Knowing that the relationship between the two rooms was not good, he did not dare to go in. He just stood at the door sucking his fingers and looking inside with an envious expression on his face.
He wanted to eat meat, cakes and candy.
"Yaozu, go and invite the Yao family in for dinner." Tong Huaqiong said.
In Tong Huaqiong's mind, there is no need to involve children in adult matters.
Just like in her previous life, her mother and aunt didn't get along, but that didn't affect her good relationship with her cousin from her aunt's family, nor did it affect her aunt's love for her or her mother giving money to her cousin.
What's more, the second wife's daughter-in-law Wei had no conflicts with her, and would even politely call her "Auntie" when they met on the road.
So Tong Huaqiong didn't mind a child from Gu Yao's family coming in to eat.
Yaozu was only busy eating the fruit. Maner came to the door and pulled Yaojia to the table. She put a chair next to Xiaolong for Yaojia to sit down.
Gu Taohua brought a pair of chopsticks to Yaojia, and Chen Sufen picked up some meat and vegetables and put them into his bowl.
The greedy Yao Jia buried his whole face in the bowl and stuffed the meat into his mouth desperately.
When Grandpa Gu saw his great-grandson's greedy look, he sighed.
"Eat slowly, there's more."
Chen Sufen patted Gu Yaojia on the back.
Tong Huaqiong sneered in her heart. No matter how poor the old house was, there would be no shortage of food. Moreover, Tong Huaqiong had people deliver meals to the two elders every day. Even if some of the meals were shared with the Yao family, the children would not starve.
It’s just that all the lucrative things went into Gu Ruinian’s stomach.
She had heard Gu Dahan, who delivered the food, say more than once that Gu Ruinian ate alone. An adult could eat alone while being stared at by a child. Gu Ruinian's mental strength was extremely strong.
Gu Jingzhe's celebratory banquet lasted until mid-afternoon.
After dinner, the villagers helped sweep the yard, put the tables, chairs and benches in order, and brought bowls and pots from home to share the leftovers.
Soon, the yard was empty.
Tong Huaqiong muttered, why hasn't County Magistrate Liu left yet?
So Tong Huaqiong asked Liu Yue'e to serve tea, and Mr. Gu did not leave.
Old Man Gu had his own plans. While drinking, he heard the yamen runners say that the county needed yamen runners. The requirements were not high. They just needed to be literate, strong and able to tie up prisoners.
Although he was not a formal employee of the government, he received two taels of silver every month. He wanted to use his connections with County Magistrate Liu to see if he could get his grandson Gu Fengnian to do the job so that he could earn some money for his family.
"Lord Liu..." Old Master Gu sat for a while, stammering and about to speak.
"Master Liu, do you have any words of advice for Jingzhe?"
It was always bad news when Mr. Gu opened his mouth, so Tong Huaqiong interrupted him.
County Magistrate Liu took a sip of tea and said, "It's true."
Otherwise he wouldn't have sat there for so long without moving.
He didn't mind that Old Man Gu was here. After all, he was Gu Jingzhe's grandfather, and he didn't know that Tong Huaqiong and the old man were not on good terms.
County Magistrate Liu was still thinking that the last time his mother proposed the marriage between Gu Jingzhe and Lu Zhaozhao, Tong Huaqiong declined on the grounds that Jingzhe was just a young student. If Tong Huaqiong wanted to refuse this time, Grandpa Gu could still help to mediate so that the situation would not be hopeless.
"Jingzhe, do you have a girl you like?" County Magistrate Liu asked directly.
Gu Jingzhe's face instantly turned red to his ears.
Tong Huaqiong complained in her heart that County Magistrate Liu was hitting the ball straight, who said that the ancients were old-fashioned.