Chapter 552: Confidence

All credit to original author: Yi Yi Lan Xi

Please read this at https://erzoohobbytranslating.wordpress.com. If you find this elsewhere, it has been stolen.

When the afternoon sun was about to set, Lian Fang Zhou and the others went in the carriage to pick up Lian Che.

It would be surprising if he wasn’t tired after a day of exams!

After the sound of the gong, there was a slight commotion among the family members waiting outside as everyone stretched their necks to look inside.

“Come out! Come out!” Someone yelled. Everyone looked towards the exit and sure enough, they saw the examinees coming out one by one with their baskets.

“Big sister! I missed you so much!”

“We missed you too!” Lian Fang Zhou hugged him and the group laughed. Lian Ze reached out and took the bamboo basket from his hand.

The crowd watched this from the side, showing speechless and disdainful expressions: It was just an exam! Wasn’t this like a naughty little boy who hadn’t grown up and still acted like a baby?

Please read this at https://erzoohobbytranslating.wordpress.com. If you find this elsewhere, it has been stolen.

But Lian Fang Zhou and the others didn’t care about the gazes of the crowd at all. They talked and laughed as they got into the carriage and dove away.

“Che’er must have done well in the exam, look at how happy you are!” Lian Fang Zhou rubbed his little head and smiled.

“Well, I think it was good!” Although he had studied for over a year and was more mature, he was still young and he didn’t know how to pretend to be calm when his heart was happy.

“Our Che’er is the best!” Lian Ze beamed. “You won’t cry tonight!”

Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian laughed.

Blushing, Lian Che whined “Brother!” and hid behind Lian Fang Zhou’s arm in embarrassment.

Lian Fang Zhou laughed. “Your brother is only teasing you. The exam wasn’t so scary, right?”

Sitting up straight in her arms, Lian Che nodded. “When I went in today, I saw a lot of people’s expressions. Some people were pale and their calves were trembling! I was a little worried at first but after I saw the exam question, I wasn’t nervous anymore.”

“That’s because you prepared well and had a good rest the night before.” Lian Fang Zhou nodded. “But don’t relax too much, there are still two days to go!”

“Yes!” Lian Che agreed, “I still have to take first place!”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled but Lian Ze was a little speechless. Why was this little guy so stubborn! He really wanted to compete for first place!

That night, Lian Che’s mental condition was much better and Lian Fang Zhou didn’t need to give him any counseling in the middle of the night.

The next morning, the three of him sent him into the exam room as usual. After he went in, Lian Ze suddenly smiled. “Sister, Brother Ah Jian, let’s go shopping. I want to visit the cotton workshop.” Though he was smiling, his tone was oddly serious.

Please read this at https://erzoohobbytranslating.wordpress.com. If you find this elsewhere, it has been stolen.

Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t help but give him a blank look.

But Ah Jian was a man and understood immediately. After all, they had a wedding coming up and he still needed to arrange the dowry. He nodded and smiled at Lian Ze: “You go ahead, your sister and I will go and finish buying everything for the betrothal gifts.”

She glared at Ah Jian, scolding him with a single glance.

Lian Ze laughed. Rubbing his head, he said: “That is good, you go and have a look around!” He didn’t feel there was anything wrong with the bride picking out her own betrothal gifts at all.

After he left, Ah Jian smiled at Lian Fang Zhou: “Didn’t you want some jewelry? Let’s go and see if there are any suitable ones. If none of them are satisfactory, let’s go to Shuangliu county in a few days. There should be some good ones there.”

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt regret. “If I had known, I could have bought some in Nanchang city! I didn’t think of it at the time.”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled. “It’s the meaning that is important. I will pick some others when I have the chance. The ones at the county jewelry shops are good.”

“That’s fine, I will buy them for you later.” Ah Jian agreed, smiling.

Feeling sweet in their hearts, the two walked away with a smile.

Ancient craftsmanship was really quite skilled in terms of workmanship and beauty. It was not at all inferior to the luxurious jewelry that Lian Fang Zhou had seen in the modern era. And this was still a rural area. Thinking about the really prosperous places like Jiangnan, Jinling, and the capital, the jewelry there must be even more amazing!

Lian Fang Zhou silently made up her mind that if she and Ah Jian didn’t get a chance to explore the world’s landscapes and cities, she would have earned all this money for nothing!

After looking through two stores, everything that needed to be bought had been bought. There was a set of gold ornaments inlaid with gemstones and pearls, a few beautiful jade pendants, and some uniquely shaped hairpins and hair decorations.

They bought a lot of things and the money they spent was just under a thousand taels.

In a small town, this could be considered a big deal.

Ah Jian paid the money without hesitation, his expression casual.

The shopkeeper and the clerk gave him a thumbs up, praising the two of them. They praised Ah Jian for his boldness, calling him a real man, and praised Lian Fang Zhou for her luck in finding a husband who loved her so much!

Lian Fang Zhou laughed secretly in her heart, thinking that they are praising them all over the place but what they are actually praising is their money!

However, everyone likes to hear good words and she felt happy after listening to them.

After the three day test, the four of them went home. Lian Ze accompanied them back so they could have a family dinner together.

When they entered the village, many of the villagers came out to greet them and to ask a few questions about the exam. Lian Che answered all their questions with a modest smile.

Whether they believed him or not, everyone praised Lian Che with a smile on their faces.

Sun Ming also made a special trip and talked to Lian Che for a while before leaving. Lian Che walked him to the door with a smile. Sun Ming could be regarded as half a teacher and he subconsciously respected him a lot.

Then Lian Hai came.

When Zhang Xiao Jun opened the door and saw him, he awkwardly smiled and asked him to wait while he reported his arrival.

Naturally, Lain Hai was a little unhappy about this and stared at Zhang Xiao Jun in dissatisfaction. His eyes were cold but he did not object. Instead he smiled and said kindly: “Okay, then I will thank you! Just tell them I came to see how Che’er did on his exams.”

Zhang Xiao Jun smiled and agreed.

Inside, the family had been talking and laughing but hearing about his arrival, they all felt a little unhappy.

Please read this at https://erzoohobbytranslating.wordpress.com. If you find this elsewhere, it has been stolen.

“The people in their family are really thick-skinned!” Third Aunt complained with a dark expression. “Why are you still asking, drive him away!”

The wife and concubine of Lian Li’s family were putting on a good show every day and the people in the village had gotten used to it. Everyone was full of contempt and at the same time they subconsciously alienated the entire family, including Lian Hai.

To the older generations, such a family did not have a good future and it would be bad luck if they got involved with them. So what if Lian Hai was a scholar? Obviously he wasn’t virtuous enough if he couldn’t control his own family, causing such a mess!

“Let him in.” Lian Fang Zhou said lightly. “Perhaps he has learned to behave. He must have seen Brother Sun Ming leave our house and so he came over. It’s not bad to invite him in.” She smiled at Lian Che. “We don’t have to see him, isn’t he here for Che’er? Che’er can see him! Che’er, you know how to deal with him, right?”

Lian Che nodded.