While Xu Zifan was in the examination hall, Lin Ruonan and Xu's mother waited under the shade of a tree outside, while Xu's father sat anxiously in the cloth shop. The three of them shared the same thought: they didn't care whether Xu Zifan passed the exam or not, but whether his body could handle taking several exams in a row.
Although Xu Zifan is feeling much better these days, the pain he has suffered for eighteen years still causes them uncontrollable worry.
Those who witnessed this privately sighed, "Why go through all that suffering? Even healthy scholars who have studied diligently for years rarely pass the exam. Young Master Xu is in poor health; he's only been studying for a short time, and he's already taking the exam? What if he can't hold on and his illness relapses? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?"
"Who says otherwise? Mr. Xu and his wife are really too ambitious. If it were me, I wouldn't dare let my son do such a thing. The cloth shop at home is making money, and there's a good wife to take care of you. Isn't life pretty good?"
"Oh, please don't say that. They're not satisfied with such a good life. Not only are they taking the imperial examinations, but they also want to open a cloth shop in the prefectural city. That's Anyang Prefecture, I've heard it's not much smaller than the capital, it's very prosperous. We've never been there in our lives, we can't compare."
The Xu family has heard similar comments quite often lately, always tinged with disapproval and a hint of sourness. They don't mind; they cherish those who genuinely wish them well. Building connections is a good thing in life, but there's no need to force relationships or care about others' opinions.
Their only worry right now is Xu Zifan. They're only letting him take the imperial examination out of respect for his decision; deep down, they don't really think he'll pass.
Xu Zifan entered the examination hall at dawn and left that same day after submitting his paper. Some candidates looked dejected, some were beaming with joy, and some even looked worried, carrying books and reading as they walked. Only Xu Zifan walked unhurriedly with a smile on his face, as if he were not there to take the exam but to take a stroll. His demeanor attracted a lot of attention.
Lin Ruonan and Xu's mother hurriedly went to greet him. Xu's mother looked Xu Zifan up and down, asking with concern, "Son, how are you feeling? You've been sitting inside for so long, you must be tired?"
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "No, I'm perfectly fine, Mother, don't worry."
Lin Ruonan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling that there were too many people around, she quickly said, "Mom, let's go back and let Brother Zifan rest well. I'll make him some nourishing soup."
Xu's mother nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I've hired an oxcart. Zifan, get on the oxcart and lie down. We'll go back now."
Xu Zifan knew their worries, so he didn't refuse and nimbly got onto the oxcart and lay down on it. Xu's mother and Lin Ruonan followed on either side of the oxcart, talking to him all the way home. They even stopped at the cloth shop halfway to call Xu's father.
Xu Zifan had a rosy complexion and ate a full bowl of rice and a lot of vegetables for dinner. He didn't look unwell at all, which put the whole family at ease. The next day, when Xu Zifan went back to the venue, they weren't so worried.
For five days in a row, it was the same. Some people, seeing that Xu Zifan had taken all five exams without any problems, couldn't help but mutter that his health wasn't as bad as rumored; he looked much better than many other candidates. Others, seeing his calm and composed demeanor, couldn't help but wonder if he was confident or had already given up. Why wasn't he worried about the exam results at all?
On the day the results were released, many people in the town rushed to see them. They were all curious and wanted to know how Xu Zifan had done. They were all shocked to see that Xu Zifan had come in first place! He really had done well!
People's impression of him improved dramatically. They used to think he was just a good-natured, quick-witted, and weak-willed person. Now that he has the added advantage of being good at studying, people suddenly felt that Xu Zifan was a rare young talent. Many even regretted not marrying their daughters to him.
Ordinary people's awe and worship of scholars is blind. When the Xu family closed their cloth shop and prepared to move, many people came to their door with gifts. Some were just a basket of vegetables or a few eggs, but the gifts were small and the sentiments were heavy. Because Xu Zifan was good at studying, most people were blessing them and even saying that Xu Zifan might become an official in the future.
Having experienced many changes in other people's attitudes, the Xu family remained incredibly calm. They sincerely thanked everyone for their heartfelt blessings and gave away all the items they couldn't take with them before boarding a carriage and leaving the town, heading towards Anyang Prefecture with high hopes.
Xu's father had already visited Anyang Prefecture. Upon arrival, they rented a courtyard and had Xu Zifan study quietly at home to prepare for the prefectural examination. Meanwhile, they went out early and returned late every day to find suitable shops and make connections. Time passed quickly.
While the Xu family rented a shop for renovations and inventory, Xu Zifan passed the provincial examination with top honors and was then promoted to the prefectural examination.
Now the Xu family is no longer worried about Xu Zifan taking the imperial examination. They are even happily cooperating with his schedule, getting everything in the shop ready, just waiting for Xu Zifan to pass the examination and open the shop.
Xu Zifan topped the list again in the provincial examination, and this third-place finish caught the attention of the prefect, who specially hosted a banquet for him and several other scholars to test their scholarship and character. Prefect Liang was a fourth-rank official, transferred from the capital, with a powerful background and extensive knowledge. While the other scholars were somewhat reserved in his presence, Xu Zifan remained composed and answered fluently.
Lord Liang took a great liking to Xu Zifan and keenly sensed that he was no ordinary man. On the surface, he gave each of the talented scholars twenty taels of silver, but privately he only told Xu Zifan that he could come to him if he needed anything, or he could speak with Steward Liang.
Xu Zifan successfully obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), much to the delight of Lin Ruonan and Xu's parents. They eagerly awaited his return home.
He asked him what Lord Liang had told him, what the mansion was like, and so on. These were things they had never been able to access before, things they never dared to even dream of, but now they had achieved them so easily, it felt like a dream.
Xu Zifan knew they were a little uneasy, so he reassured them, "Father, Mother, Ruonan, don't be afraid. Our family's life will get better and better. This is just the beginning. Lord Liang is a good official and we can get close to him. Since he asked me to visit him, it would be disrespectful for him if I were timid and avoided him. I will visit him often during festivals in the future. With Lord Liang's protection, our cloth shop will have no problems in Anyang."
Xu Zifan's voice always had a reassuring magic, and Lin Ruonan and Xu's parents felt much more relaxed after hearing it. Xu's parents had started from nothing and built their fortune in town, and now that they were starting over, with their son and daughter-in-law helping them, they had nothing to be afraid of.
Looking at the sky, Xu's mother smiled and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's all get some rest. We'll be busy with the opening of the cloth shop tomorrow. This is a double celebration for our family; things are sure to be booming from now on!"
Lin Ruonan smiled and said, "Mother is right. When our family works together, there's nothing we can't overcome."
That night should have been filled with anxiety and sleepless nights, but because they felt at ease, they quickly drifted off to sleep. This confidence came from Xu Zifan; they didn't know when it started, but Xu Zifan had become the pillar of their family. With him by their side, they feared nothing.
The next day, Xu Family Cloth Shop officially opened. There were dragon and lion dances and drumming at the entrance, making it very lively. The shop was in a good location, and many people stopped to watch.
Lin Ruonan came up with the idea of setting up tea service. Although it was just coarse tea, many people would stop by the fabric shop for a sip after a long day of shopping. Once inside, people naturally felt awkward leaving without looking around. With Lin Ruonan and Xu's mother there to talk and recommend fabrics, a considerable amount was sold on the first day. Of course, this was also related to their opening promotions.
Steward Liang sent a congratulatory gift, inconspicuous to the common people, but enough to let everyone in Anyang Prefecture know that Xu Zifan had gained the prefect's favor, and no one in Anyang Prefecture would be so tactless as to bully them. Xu Zifan kept this kindness in mind and successfully opened his new cloth shop, welcoming his guests.
The new fabric workshop is more than twice the size of the original one in town, and the styles of the ready-made clothes are also more innovative. This is all thanks to Lin Ruonan's investigation in the prefectural city over the past few days. Now, Lin Ruonan makes most of the decisions for the fabric workshop business, and she has lived up to this responsibility, doing an excellent job. Xu's parents don't have to worry about her at all. She has the demeanor of a modern strong woman, and she also has the ambition to make a big splash.
Merchants from the town who came to the prefectural city to purchase goods learned about the Xu family's cloth workshop and came to pay their respects. When they returned, they also brought news of the Xu family back with them.
After several months of preparation, the Lin family had just opened their restaurant. Lin Ruoshan hadn't even been happy for two days when she heard that Xu Zifan had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar. The Xu family's business had grown even larger, and they even had the prefect as their backer. All of this large business was managed by Lin Ruonan alone.
Lin Ruoshan felt as if countless ants were crawling inside her, causing her immense distress.
She'd only taken a small step forward, while the Xu family had already taken a giant leap. She was still secretly pleased with a restaurant in town—and that restaurant wasn't even hers; Lin Ruonan was already managing a large cloth shop in the prefectural city. Most importantly, Xu Zifan had passed the imperial examination, becoming a scholar and no longer an ordinary person!
Why is Lin Ruonan so lucky? Only two people from the entire town passed the imperial examination and became scholars, and Xu Zifan was one of them. She lost that scholar, while Lin Ruonan got the one. Looking back on everything, Xu Zifan's gentleness and protection towards Lin Ruonan, as well as the happiness and glory he brought her, all of this shows that she was blind and missed out on a good man.
If Lin Ruoshan were doing well, she might not be so distressed, but she's not. No matter how much the restaurant earns, it's not hers; she's just a laborer brewing wine for the Lin family. The disparity between the Xu family and her own situation kept her awake for several nights, a agonizing, unsettling pain. She couldn't tell if it was regret or hatred; she felt like she had become that resentful woman from her past life again. But she couldn't help it; she couldn't shake off this resentment. Even after the Xu family moved away, she was still affected by them, as if they were a demon within her.
Aside from the Lin family's distress, everyone else who heard that the Xu family was doing well was full of admiration. This scholar had come from their village, and they all felt proud. Old Master Lin was especially cheerful; everyone in the village who met him would congratulate him, saying how well he had found his grandson-in-law, and how wonderful the marriage was.
In particular, Xu Zifan and his wife even sent several sets of clothes and many local specialties to Old Master Lin through intermediaries, which made Old Master Lin look even better. Everyone who mentioned them praised their filial piety. Although they were gone, their stories circulated in their hometown for a long time. And these stories always inevitably mentioned the wicked Lin Ruoshan. It was impossible for Lin Ruoshan to be forgotten.