Upon receiving the news, Old Master Lin stood at the village entrance early, eagerly awaiting the news. The villagers also crowded around the entrance, their excitement surpassing even that of the Lunar New Year. This was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations! Remembering that they had spoken to him and given him gifts before, everyone was overjoyed.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Xu Zifan jumped down, cupped his hands and called out "Grandpa," then turned around to help Lin Ruonan. The two walked hand in hand to Grandpa Lin and bowed down. "Grandpa, we've come back to visit you."
Grandpa Lin supported one of them with each hand, his face crinkling with laughter, "Good! Good!"
He patted Xu Zifan on the shoulder heavily, his face full of pride and admiration, "Well done, Zifan! You've really made your parents proud; this is bringing honor to the family."
Xu Zifan helped him up and said with a gentle smile, "Grandpa, you flatter me. I still have a lot to learn."
"Hahaha, come on, let's go home. Grandpa will slaughter a pig for you to eat." After saying this, Grandpa Lin saw the somewhat reserved villagers, his lips moved slightly, but considering that Xu Zifan's current status might not be suitable for large groups of people, he didn't say anything and pulled Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan to leave.
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Everyone's here, why don't we all come together and have some fun, like last time? Food tastes better when there are more people."
Lin Ruonan smiled and pulled her familiar sisters-in-law, "Sisters-in-law, if you're free, come sit at my grandfather's house. We can chat for a while. It's been a long time since we last met, and I have so much to say to you."
The couple's approachable nature immediately put everyone at ease. The villagers, being simple and honest, readily agreed, with one saying they needed to go home to get eggs and another saying they needed to go to the fields to pick vegetables. They took care of everything needed for the meal and enthusiastically rushed home to get their things.
Grandpa Lin stroked his beard and laughed happily, "You two are both good people. It was just that I, this old man, was overthinking things, thinking you didn't like crowds. That's how it should be. Fellow villagers are always fellow villagers. There's no harm in being closer to each other without any ill intentions. They all genuinely want the best for you."
Lin Ruonan took his arm and smiled, "Grandpa is right. Don't worry, Zifan and I will not forget our original intentions. Grandpa, let's go home first. We brought you a lot of things. I'm sure you'll like them."
Grandpa Lin was overjoyed and said, "It's good that you're back. You sent so many things last time, don't bring any more in the future. What use is an old man like me to so many things?"
Xu Zifan took his other arm and walked with him. "Now that we are doing well, we naturally hope that Grandpa can do even better. This is all out of our filial piety. When Grandpa stops being the village head, we will bring you over and we will live together."
Grandpa Lin waved his hand, "You all live well, I won't go. I have a house and land here, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "Grandpa, we'll be busy in the future and won't be able to come back as often. Don't you want to see your great-grandson more often?"
Lin Ruonan blushed instantly. Old Master Lin was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said readily, "Okay, I'll go with you then. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I'm still in good health."
The three of them returned home chatting and laughing, then looked at the things they had brought back from the prefectural city one by one. Lin Ruonan secretly glanced at Xu Zifan, then lowered her head and couldn't help but smile. Although she and Xu Zifan had never clearly defined whether they were truly married or just pretending, in the past few months, they had seen each other every morning when they woke up, managed the shop together, and ventured into the prefectural city together. In such a short time, they had experienced so much, which had brought them closer and closer. She finally understood what it felt like to love someone.
Seeing the close and harmonious relationship between the two, Old Master Lin was completely relieved. He had heard that Xu Zifan had passed the imperial examination and that the Xu family's cloth shop was thriving, and he was truly happy for the Xu family. However, he soon heard some gossip, saying that it was originally an arranged marriage, and now that the Xu family was rising higher and higher, he, as the in-laws, could not help at all. Perhaps the Xu family would look down on Lin Ruonan.
He trusted the Xu family's character, but after hearing so much about them, he couldn't help but worry a little. Now that he had seen Xu Zifan's attitude with his own eyes, he had no more concerns.
The villagers quickly arrived at Grandpa Lin's house, and everyone prepared a feast with the same lively enthusiasm as before, even more so than last time. Several schoolchildren were brought by their parents to Xu Zifan to ask for calligraphy lessons. Xu Zifan simply called all the children over and explained to them how to read in order to remember the words and understand their meaning. He also talked about how, without education, one could not live a stable and happy life.
In reality, he was talking about learning skills and principles of conduct, but the children had never heard such things before. They listened intently, absorbing the knowledge like sponges. They held the scholar in great awe, and his words were practically imperial edicts. Whether anyone would actually strive to live a better life because of his words was unknown, but at this moment, everyone in the village was grateful and joyful, and their goodwill towards Xu Zifan reached its peak.
For the next three days, Xu Zifan would talk to the villagers, and some adults were willing to listen to him. He spoke in a way that was very easy to understand, unlike other scholars who spoke in a pedantic manner. Sometimes, when they heard a particular sentence, they would have an "aha" moment and couldn't help but admire him even more.
The way Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan cared for each other touched everyone deeply. Many people said that Xu Zifan's character and temperament were top-notch, and that Lin Ruonan had married too well. She would become an official's wife in the future, and Old Master Lin would be the official's wife's grandfather!
Originally, such glory should have belonged to Lin Ruoshan and Lin Fu, but now it has nothing to do with them at all. Some busybodies even asked Lin Fu to his face what he thought, which made Lin Fu so angry that he went home and threw a tantrum, scolding Lin Ruoshan for being brainless.
He was shameless enough to take the gifts and go back to the village to visit Xu Zifan. He thought that Xu Zifan was Lin Ruonan's biological father and nominally their second uncle, so he should at least show him some respect. As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Even if Xu Zifan left in the future, the title of a scholar would be enough for him.
To his surprise, Xu Zifan didn't give him any face. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he called Lin Ruonan and left. Lin Fu complained to Old Master Lin, but was scolded by the old man and had him driven out of the village.
Xu Zifan, being a junior, couldn't personally drive Lin Fu away, but Old Master Lin was the village head. With just a word from him, Lin Fu wouldn't be able to enter the village.
The news spread quickly throughout the village and town. While they laughed at Lin Fu, they also gained a deeper understanding of Xu Zifan's dislike for the Lin family. Since most people instinctively disliked someone as despicable as the scholar-official, the Lin family's business was soon affected, and their profits plummeted.
Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan had stayed for about their time, so they bid farewell to Old Master Lin and went to visit the county magistrate.
About half a year ago, the county magistrate had seen them, but at that time Xu Zifan had not yet achieved official rank, and their meeting was due to a lawsuit. The magistrate still remembered them vividly, because almost no one had ever taken such a case to court before, leaving a deep impression on him. He never imagined that not long after, when they met again, the other party would already be a successful candidate in the imperial examinations.
The magistrate treated Xu Zifan with equal courtesy, subtly showing respect. Knowing Xu Zifan's achievements, he understood that Xu Zifan's future official rank would surpass his own, and naturally hoped to forge a good relationship. The magistrate's wife also hired an opera troupe in the backyard, and she and Lin Ruonan dined and watched the opera together, enjoying a pleasant time.
When Xu Zifan asked the county magistrate to take good care of Old Master Lin, he said, "My whole family has moved away, but I miss Grandpa Lin the most. I hope that you, magistrate, can help take care of him. I will be very grateful."
"Tai'an, you flatter me. Lin Li is here and everything will be fine. Tai'an can rest assured." The magistrate readily agreed, but at the same time, he knew in his heart that Xu Zifan truly hated the Lin family and there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
When a person reaches a high position, he doesn't need to do anything to those he dislikes; someone will take care of it for him. Xu Zifan is already a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest-level imperial examinations), or even the Zhuangyuan (the top scholar in the imperial examinations). His future is limitless. In this small town, everyone looks up to him, and many people are willing to do things to please him.
As soon as Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan left, Lin Family Restaurant faced suppression from other restaurants in town. All the connections Lin Ruoshan had secretly cultivated severed ties with her. Lin Ruoshan had looked down on the scholar, abandoned him, and caused him so much trouble. There was a world of difference between a scholar and a lower-ranking official; they dared not associate with Lin Ruoshan again.
Lin Ruoshan was devastated. She never imagined that Xu Zifan would pass the imperial examination, and that he wouldn't even glance at her or say a word, yet people would ostracize her because of him. She felt lost. Could she really live a good life relying solely on the spiritual spring? Xu Zifan was like a mountain weighing on her; did she really have a chance to turn her life around?
Just when Lin Family Restaurant was on the verge of going bankrupt, Lin Ruoshan noticed that some people were completely unaffected and continued to buy wine from Lin Family Restaurant every day. She took a closer look and discovered that they were all people who were injured or ill at home. One day, she deliberately said in front of a few of her customers, "If this continues, we may have to stop selling this wine."
The group's expressions changed, and an old woman said anxiously, "Why? Why aren't you selling this perfectly good wine? You...you're making so much money!"
Lin Ruoshan lowered her head and wiped away her tears, choking back sobs as she said, "I've been misunderstood and gossiped about for so long that I've wanted to die. How could I possibly have the heart to brew wine? Now even the family restaurant is about to go out of business. It's all my fault for dragging my family down. What's the point of me living?"
The old woman grabbed her arm, stammering, "No! This won't do! This wine has to be sold, it can't not be sold!"
The man next to him said, "Those people just talk nonsense all day long. What's it to them? Just keep selling. If anyone says anything to you, I'll help you curse them back. It's no big deal. Even the scholar won't bother with you."
Lin Ruoshan smiled through her tears, "I'm content as long as you understand me. As long as you keep buying wine, I will definitely continue brewing for you."
The group felt contempt and disgusted by her affected manner, but their injured and sick family members could only relieve their pain and recover faster by drinking this wine, which was more effective than medicine. They insisted that she continue brewing it.