The township test is divided into three sessions, which start on the 8th, 10th, and 14th days of August, and each test takes three days. Zhao Wei finished his last exam on August 16 and slept for a day and a night when he returned home before he took a break.

After the township test, Zhao Wei lost a lot of weight, and there was a faint trace of tiredness between his eyebrows. But he was in good spirits and relaxed, and he always had a smile on his lips when he talked to his grandmother and sister. Obviously, he was quite satisfied with his performance in the exam and was confident that he would get a good result. Seeing that he was sure, Zhang was also happy in his heart, but he still didn't feel at ease and asked his grandson to write down the questions and answers silently, read them himself, and then let him find two familiar Confucians to read them again. When the two Confucians said that Zhao Wei's article was well written, she really put her mind at ease.

To say the least, it will take ten days and a half months to mark the papers. Before the laurel list was posted, Zhao Wei still had a lot of time to relax. During the previous Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhao Wei was absent from the family banquet because of the autumn festival, and Zhang and Zhao Xiu spent it hastily. When Zhao Wei came home on the 16th, he was so tired that he fell asleep after eating. So by the time the Zhao family set up a family banquet and made up for the regret of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was already eighteen, and the moon in the night sky was already missing, and there was no festive meaning of reunion.

But Zhang took a pair of grandchildren to enjoy the moon and taste wine in the garden listening to the wind hall, smelling the aroma of osmanthus flowers coming with the wind, and felt that today was more enjoyable than the Mid-Autumn Festival, when she and her granddaughter drank and feasted with the Zhao clan people in Beijing. The three grandparents and grandchildren don't pay attention to any rules and etiquette, and sit around a small round table. On the table are all kinds of melons and fruits sent from Zhuangzi and mooncakes made in the kitchen, as well as big crabs sent by the Guangping Palace, and the white porcelain wine pot is filled with freshly brewed fruit wine sent from his hometown. They can eat whatever they like, and they can eat as much as they want.

Zhang drank two glasses, became interested, and chanted a few lines of poetry. Zhao Xiu and Zhao Wei brothers and sisters can sing and harmonize. Zhao Wei was also a little excited later, so he performed a boxing technique for his grandmother and sister under the moon. Zhao Xiu laughed and clapped his hands, and he was about to make a few moves, but he was stopped by Zhang's glare. In the end, he played a well-practiced song to cheer up his grandmother and brother.

That night, the three of them drank a lot of fruit wine. Fruit wine is sweet, but it is also wine. As a result, all three drank too much and had a good night's sleep. When he got up the next day, Zhao Xiu felt a headache and secretly warned himself. Something like wine. It's better to drink less in the future. When you drink it, you are happy, but when you drink it, you will get drunk, and it is really not worth it.

After the family banquet, the Jiannan Hou Mansion resumed its usual pace of life. Although Zhao Wei still practices calligraphy and reading books every day, he is no longer as hard as before, often going out for a walk, going out with three or five friends to enjoy the scenery, or talking about poetry and papers. It was a good time. Zhao Xiu is going to start busy with trivial tasks such as making winter clothes and preparing winter charcoal. Last year was the first time she spent the New Year in Beijing, and she was not prepared for many things. The warmth measures are not very sufficient, and Zhang's health is not very good. Fortunately, the king of Guangping invited their ancestors and grandchildren to live in the hot spring village for a while, otherwise they don't know what would have happened. This year, their hot spring village has also been renovated, and you can stay for a few days at the coldest time. In addition, when the Hou Mansion was built, new facilities such as fire walls and earth dragons were added, and Zhao Xiu had a little more confidence in keeping warm this winter, and presumably the Zhang family would be more comfortable than in previous years.

I just don't know...... After the king of Guangping and Gao Zhen enter winter this year, will they still go to the hot spring Zhuangzi to escape the cold?

Zhao Xiu wondered if he was looking for an opportunity to ask Gao Zhen, and at this time, Fang Renzhu, who had arrived in Jining, finally had his first letter.

Most of the things in the letter are trivial, such as how they are on the road, what scenery they have, what games she and Jiang Wen played, how sad they cried when they broke up, and when the Fang family passed by a certain place after that, which day they arrived in Jining, how the prefect's yamen was, what the local climate was, how their family was settled, and so on, there were more than ten pages written. About Zhao Xiu asked someone to make a letter box that was big and deep enough, so Fang Renzhu didn't hesitate to write a few more.

There is nothing to say about the literary brilliance of the little girl Fang Renzhu. It's obviously just a homely letter, but in her pen, every word is very charming, and the words are very fresh and beautiful. The scenery on both sides of the canal she describes, as well as the local street scenery in Jining, even the daily weather changes along the way, are all picturesque. Zhao Xiu saw it, sighed secretly, and became more and more concerned about how to reply to the letter. My friend's writing is so outstanding, if she casually replies to a letter in full vernacular, it will be too shameless. This is better than the poetry club, at least she still has a lot of time to conceive, and she can keep making revisions, and even attach a few sketches to the letter - Zhao Xiu thought to herself, if she communicates with Fang Renzhu for a few years, she will probably become a real talented woman.

Fang Renzhu didn't mention the matter of communicating privately with Shang Qiong at all, and I don't know if it was the first time I wrote a letter and was embarrassed to mention it, or if there was another channel. However, Zhao Xiu guessed that it was more likely to be the former. She was very vague in the letter, and in the letter, she felt that if Fang Renzhu really had other contact methods with Shang Qiong, such as communication between parents, etc., how could she not know? Why ask outsiders? It's probably because I have nowhere to inquire that I have to go around from Zhao Xiu's side to find a way, right?

Zhao Xiu secretly smiled, but she also knew that the little girl was thin-skinned, so she didn't joke in the reply, but seriously introduced Shang Qiong's recent situation. She really didn't bother to inquire, because Shang Qiong is now stuck in the West Pavilion of the Mingzhi Library, and it seems that she regards herself as a member of the Library, going early and leaving late every day, and even writing her own books in the West Library. Zhao Xiu wanted to know something, he only needed to order someone to find the servants in the library and ask, and everything would be clear.

Of course, Shang Qiong is in the library, and she is not just reading and repairing books. Although he has no merit and fame, he is a family scholar and has a reputation for erudition. Many of the students who will go to the Mingzhi Library to borrow books and copy books are from poor families, and they are not able to get in touch with the rich collection of books compared to the children of the family. Originally, the old Hanlin in the east was Mr. Zhenguan, but his old man was old, and he couldn't go out every day, and besides, how many people's problems could he solve alone? So Shang Qiong is an excellent person to ask for. He has a good temper and is also good at learning, but whenever someone comes to ask, he will patiently explain. After a long time, he also gained an excellent reputation among the students in the capital. Although he is still young, others have begun to call him "sir". His word Yushu, others called him "Mr. Yushu".

The reputation of Mr. Shangjia Yushu gradually spread in the capital. Although his face is still broken, in the eyes of readers, what is the skin? Knowledge and conduct are the foundation of a gentleman. And his name for erudition at this time was better known. Originally, some people thought that he wanted to write books at a young age, and he was too ambitious to succeed. But few people think that way these days. Almost everyone felt that with his talent, it was not surprising that he could write a book or two, and that not writing a book would be a waste of his talent.

Zhao Xiu wrote these things one by one in the letter, snickering as she wrote, guessing that when Fang Renzhu saw these contents, she wondered if she would be happy for her fiancé's excellence while blushing?

Zhao Xiuzheng was writing a reply happily, and Xia Lu, the big girl next to Zhang's side, suddenly came over and sent her a post: "Girl, this is a post from the Marquis of Jingyuan's mansion, please ask the old lady and the girl to come over to listen to the play." The old lady asked the girl to bring it and asked her if she wanted to go. ”

Zhao Xiu was interrupted from his train of thought and sighed: "Put it down, I'll see it later." ”

Xia Lu put down the post and went back, and after Zhao Xiu finished writing a letter, he put away the stationery and prepared to continue writing when he had time. She walked over and picked up the invitation, it was indeed from Mrs. Jingyuan.

Speaking of the Marquis of Jingyuan's Mansion, it is also one of the old nobles, and the friendship with the Marquis of Jiannan is mediocre, but there is still politeness on the surface. His wife is also a royal prince, the daughter of a county lord, and she is very lucky not to make mistakes when standing in line, so she is living quite decently now. Among the old nobles, this family is also a bit powerful, so they are also a little more publicized on weekdays. Whenever there are any festivals, I always like to put on a feast. Anyway, his family has a lot of wealth and can afford such expenses.

Zhao Xiu remembered that his daughter was several years older than herself, she was already engaged, and she was going to get married next year, her temperament was neither good nor bad, that is, the level of the daughters of ordinary nobles, and her cultural level was a little worse, but she was literate, she had read a little bit of the fourth book of women, and she was a little tempered, but she was not annoying, but she was not very likable. His son had married and had a daughter, and the youngest son was about the same age as himself. I heard my brother Zhao Wei mention that these brothers are both fun-loving and noisy, and they are relatively regular, and they are not the same as their children who love to read.

In general, this family has a general friendship with the Jiannan Hou Mansion, and Zhang and Zhao Xiu can go to his family's banquet or not. If you don't go, just find a reasonable excuse and politely decline. Everyone knows each other in their hearts, and the host will not be angry.

Zhao Xiu was bored flipping through the invitation, thinking that it was now autumn and cool, and the big families in the capital had people holding chrysanthemum appreciation parties, flower appreciation poetry parties, and garden parties almost every day. The Zhang family didn't like it, except for the banquet held by the Cao family, she couldn't wait to refuse every invitation. But if you don't go every time, it seems to be too withdrawn. The invitation of the Marquis of Jingyuan's mansion only invites female guests, which is relatively small, but with the style of his family, he must be able to invite all the people who can be invited in the capital. Zhao Xiu thought to himself, once his ancestors and grandchildren went, he would be able to see all the people he should see once, and the feelings that should be contacted could be contacted at one time, which would save trouble. Although listening to the opera is boring, it is at least more lively than enjoying the flowers.

She thought about it, asked Zhang's opinion again, and finally decided to go, and wrote a reply casually. On the day of the banquet, she dressed up and accompanied Zhang to the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion in a carriage. When I arrived at the gate of the house, I saw the carriage in front of the door-

Yo, it's really complete. Qushui Bofu, Meishan Bofu, Anyang Bofu, Zhuguo General's Mansion, Jiang Family, Fang Family, Wang Family, Wang Family, Liu Family...... The carriages of the ladies of each family have arrived. (To be continued......)