In the next period of time, the scholars who passed the imperial examination will be very busy. The next day, the official held a deer-crowing banquet, in which all the newly-qualified candidates participated, and they also had to sing and dance. The song was the deer-crowing song and the dance was the Kuixing dance.
Anyway, Qin Dewei couldn't imagine how Mr. Zeng performed, so he didn't have the chance to see it. Magistrate Feng asked Qin Dewei if he could join in the fun, but Qin Dewei refused.
Then all the people who took the imperial exams would have a gathering to get to know each other. This is called gathering in the same year.
Then there are the apprenticeships to teachers and house masters, the provincial examinations, the printing of examination papers, the reception from fellow villagers in Nanjing, and the small-scale private gatherings and carnivals.
So there are a lot of exciting things happening for the new candidates, and the schedule is full. Also, if you win, you can be called "Master" by ordinary people!
Of course, among the more than 3,000 exams, only 4% can continue to be lively after the exam, and the remaining 96% have already packed their bags and are ready to go home.
Among the tenants who were primary school students, not counting Mr. Zeng, Li Chunfang, Shen Kun, and Zhang Huan all won. Only Wu Chengen, who would be the most famous five hundred years later, did not win.
In particular, the Jiangbei quartet has advanced and retreated together for two months, and in the end only Wu Chengen failed to make the list, which was a bit irritating to Wu Chengen.
It may not feel like being the 96% loser, but it feels very uncomfortable to be the only loser among your friends.
In the Jiangbei quartet, the others were busy attending various activities and really had no time to care about their friends. They were also afraid that Wu Chengen would be too depressed, so they asked Qin Dewei to help look after Wu Chengen.
"Brother Wu has been entrusted to your care for the past few days." Zeng Mian took Wu Chengen to Qingxi House and confessed to Qin Dewei.
Qin Dewei glanced at Wu Cheng'en, who was very sad, and sighed: "I heard the flutes and drums in Fengcheng in my dream, and the heaven and the earth have been divided. Three thousand rural roads are all water, and half of the world's conditions are not as good as clouds."
Bang! Zeng Mian slapped the primary school student on the head, interrupting the poetry: "I told you to look at people as long as you look at them, and you are not allowed to write any more poems!"
Qin Dewei was very angry. Mr. Zeng became Mr. Zeng when he won the imperial examination, and he dared to do something to him.
After Master Zeng left, Qin Dewei became worried when he saw the hopeless Wu Chengen.
He, Qin Dewei, travels around the world and is good at showing off and teasing people. He is really not good at comforting people, and his personality has never had the attributes of a warm man.
Master Zeng left his friend Wu to be cared for and comforted by himself, which was simply forcing someone to do something difficult for him.
Suddenly Qin Dewei handed Wu a friend a pen: "How about you write a short storybook to relieve your mood?"
Even though Wu Chengen was depressed and confused at this time, what kind of comforting routine is this? What the hell is this about persuading people to write novels?
Qin Dewei sighed, Wu Cheng'en, like Wen Zhengming, was also a versatile old man who failed to pass the imperial examination.
He also sincerely suggested: "You can make up a story about Tang Monk's pilgrimage to the scriptures and write a journey to the west to vent your anger at this worldly affairs."
Wu Cheng'en continues to be confused. He just failed the provincial examination once, so how can he become angry with the world? Isn't it too early to become cynical after failing to pass the examination in his twenties?
Qin Dewei scratched his head in distress. He thought it was better to forget it. It really wasn't the right thing. Let's ask a professional to comfort Friend Wu.
So Qin Dewei took Wu Cheng'en southward across Banqiao and arrived at the south bank of the Qinhuai River. He saw countless scholars who had failed in the provincial examination wandering around the streets and alleys here.
The small group of people who are proud of the spring breeze are now busy attending official events and have not bothered to come here to celebrate.
Qin Dewei secretly took a few glances at Friend Wu next to him, and saw that his expression was indeed less dejected, and instead showed a bit more hope for the future and expectations for life.
Qin Dewei nodded. Sure enough, he came to the right place. Everyone knew to find professionals. Only a man like Mr. Zeng who didn't know the business would leave Wu Cheng'en to a primary school student like himself.
Qin Dewei casually found the door of his house and stopped there, but Wangba who was greeting guests at the door didn't react immediately.
So Qin Dewei turned around and walked away, saying to Wu Chengen as he walked: "This one is not good."
Wu Chengen couldn't understand. You didn't even look at it or ask a question. How did you know this place wasn't good?
Another doorstep was changed, Qin Dewei still stood at the door, and Wangba immediately came up to him and said with a smile: "Could it be Mr. Qin in person?"
Qin Dewei said to Wu Chengen: "This one seems to be OK!"
Wu Chengen was stunned and speechless. He finally understood the brain circuit of a primary school student. If he can recognize you, he can do it, but if he can't recognize you, he can't?
How much respect do you, a thirteen-year-old brat, have in the old Qinhuai courtyard? Brother Zeng said that this disciple is nicknamed Little Overlord. How can you still eat Overlord's meal here?
Qin Dewei pointed at Wu Chengen and said: "This is Mr. Feng's friend from Jiangning County. I feel bad after losing the provincial examination this time."
Na Wangba quickly added: "I guarantee that you will relieve your worries and forget your worries!"
Qin Dewei took out a piece of silver, stuffed it into Wangba's hand, and ordered: "This is the deposit. He can stay as many days as he wants, and then you go to the county government office to settle the bill with Mr. Feng! If Mr. Feng is not around, Qin will be arrested
Head said!"
Na Wangba quickly put away the money, and while pulling Wu Chengen in, who was still trying to refuse, but still wanted to say goodbye, he said to Qin Dewei: "Don't worry, young gentleman!"
Mission accomplished! Qin Dewei clapped his hands and left, stopping by Wang Lianqing's place to drink tea and listen to some music, although he was always laughed at by Beauty Wang who changed the tunes into a mess.
When Qin Dewei returned home, it was already evening, and then he saw Li Chunfang waiting for him at home.
"Why did Cave Master Li come here by himself?" Qin Dewei asked in surprise.
Because Li Chunfang rarely appears here alone, she usually comes here with Mr. Zeng, ah no, with Mr. Zeng.
"My name is Mr. Li!" Li Chunfang first corrected the title with dissatisfaction, and then said: "I feel something is not right today, so I kindly informed you of the news!"
Qin Dewei was even more surprised: "I'm so good, what's wrong with you?"
It turns out that Li Chunfang and Zeng Xian, as new imperial examination candidates, accepted the hospitality from their fellow villagers in Yangzhou today. This is normal.
Then at the banquet, it was revealed that Zeng Mian was still single and unmarried, which immediately caused a huge sensation.
In this era when men generally get married between eighteen and twenty, an unmarried living person in his early thirties is like a rare treasure.
Yangzhou is located at the intersection of the Canal and the Yangtze River. It is also the center of the salt industry and has a lot of rich people. Immediately, more than one person wanted to propose marriage or work as a matchmaker, and there was not a single poor person!
There was even a salt merchant who claimed to have a fortune of 100,000 gold and proposed to marry his sister to Mr. Zeng!
Damn it! Qin Dewei slapped his forehead, he was so careless!
He was lazy for a moment and actually ignored the attractiveness of Master Zeng and allowed Master Zeng to socialize outside without following him. Now he was attracting bees and butterflies!
A poor scholar and a good scholar are two completely different concepts! A good scholar represents the status of a local official and the privileges of the whole family!
Cave Master Li said with great concern: "Brother Qin, you have to be careful! If this father is gone, it will be difficult to find a better one!"
Qin Dewei is a little suspicious, why do you, Cave Master Li, look so guilty? Why don't you, a Yangzhou native, treat the people from your hometown?
Could it be that you spilled the beans about Mr. Zeng’s single status?