The county test is imminent, and this matter has become a hot topic in Shahe Village recently. The vast majority of villagers have no hope for the merits of the imperial examination, but this does not prevent them from talking about it.

In this county examination, there are more than 60 households in Shahe Village, and 13 people have signed up for the examination. In addition to Jiang Yun, Zhu Ming, and Zhong Dayong, three students from Qinghe Academy, there are four students in the village who have signed up, and the rest of the villagers have signed up.

The six villagers who signed up are not young, the youngest is in their thirties, the rest are also in their forties and fifties, and one is even close to 60 years old, which can be said to be an old schoolchild.

These people are all working in the family farm, while continuing to read the books of the sages, and have never given up the pursuit of this path of the imperial examination with literature and Taoism.

Sage Yun: When you hear the Tao, you can die at night. The dynasty did not stipulate the age limit for participating in the imperial examination, so even old schoolchildren in their seventies and eighties could still participate in the county examination, and fight against thousands of troops and horses on this road to the imperial examination, and strive for a way forward.

Don't underestimate the power of old schoolchildren, they are even the biggest opponents of fledgling and sharp-edged young schoolchildren.

Recently, the most discussed in the village is the success or failure results of the thirteen candidates in the village this county test, and some people are bored so that they have opened a handicap, betting on whether these people can win the county test this time, and many villagers have joined in the excitement to bet.

In terms of betting, the most optimistic is Zhu Jin, the son of Zhu Yougui, a big family of the Zhu family, so far, there are 19 people betting, betting that he can be a child this time, ranking second, is Zhong Dayong, the son of Zhong Jin, a big family of Zhong Jin, there are 17 people betting, betting that he can be a child this time.

These two people can be in the front, the most favored, it is not unusual, Zhu Yougui and Zhong Jin are both good-looking people, naturally they can't let their sons be left out in the cold, maybe these nineteen notes and seventeen notes, they are all arranged by the nursery.

So the bets of these two people are actually uncountable, in addition to these two people, the most optimistic by the village people, but among the thirteen candidates, the oldest old schoolboy, there are 16 people betting, betting that this old schoolboy who has not known how many times he has been in the sand can break out this time and go to high school in one fell swoop.

This result is a bit surprising, I don't know if the bettor really put the treasure on the other party, or just a joke, anyway, such betting, not much win or lose, everyone is just playing fun, have fun, will not take it seriously.

Jiang Yun's bet ranked fourth, second only to the old schoolboy dark horse, and got thirteen bets. This result is not unexpected, Jiang Yun's talent, not to mention in other places, in this Shahe Village, it is definitely outstanding, after all, it is from a scholarly family, and the last two generations have shown talents.

Although most people think that this little brother of the Jiang family, who has entered a dead end in his studies and has the name of a nerd, has no hope of taking the test, but there is still no small hope for taking the test for a child, so it is not surprising that he can get thirteen notes.

However, it is certain that among the thirteen notes, there must be a bet cast by Ya Youlan, and Wang Xiulian is likely to vote for a bet, as for the other notes, it is unknown who voted for them.

In addition to these four people, the rest of the people get very few bets, most of them are three or two bets, four or five bets, and there must be some family and relatives friendship support.

In the south of the village, in the courtyard of the big family Zhu Yougui, Zhu Yougui was talking in the living room with Zhong Jin, the old man of another big family in the village who visited.

Zhu Ming and Zhong Dayong had already left for the county seat a day earlier to prepare for the county test, and after leaving, the two of them remembered it.

"Master Zhu doesn't have to worry too much, this county test should be regarded as a child's experience and insight, and you don't have to keep it in mind if you succeed or not. Zhong Jin looks more open than Zhu Yougui.

Zhu Yougui nodded and said, "Brother Zhong's words are good. It's good to have a long experience and insight, it doesn't matter if you don't pass the test, if you pass the test, it's a fluke, and the children's edification. The words were relaxed, but in his expression and tone, he couldn't help but reveal a bit of extravagance.

Looking at the other party, Zhong Jin didn't say anything on the surface, but he was very disdainful in his heart, and his heart said that Zhu Ming, who was in the academy in the exam and was at the bottom all the year round, also wanted to pass the exam this time, isn't that a daydream, wishful thinking.

If it was before, he would not be so disdainful, because the second brother doesn't have to laugh at the eldest brother, his son Zhong Dayong is about the same as Zhu Ming, and laughing at the other party is laughing at himself.

But recently it has been different, recently his son Zhong Dayong suddenly had an epiphany, and his studies have made great progress, especially in this quarterly examination, he was admitted to the top 20 in Qinghe Academy, which is full of talents, and was praised by Jia Xiucai in the academy in public.

At first, when he heard that his son was coming back, after saying the news, he didn't believe it at all, thinking that his son was talking big and putting gold on his face, but Zhong Dayong swore that he went to Zhu Ming to ask, and Zhu Ming actually told him that these were true.

Of course, he also knew that these two people were fox friends and dog friends, and Zhu Ming's words couldn't be taken seriously, so in the end he couldn't help it, so he went to the academy to verify it himself, and the result made him overjoyed, what his son said turned out to be true.

In this latest quarterly examination, his son really got into the top 20, and he really got the public praise of Jia Mengchen Xiucai in the academy.

After confirming the news, he was proud of his son, and his inner ambition couldn't stop swelling, and his eyes seemed to become more open, and he was a little disdainful of Zhu Yougui in the same village, as well as his son.

"Brother Zhong, I heard that your family's Dayong has made some progress in his studies recently. I don't know if he sensed the other party's pride, Zhu Yougui suddenly mentioned this stubble, Zhong Dayong's growth, he still heard it from his son Zhu Ming, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Brother Zhu has won the award, but it's just a little bit of an inch, it's just that in this quarterly examination of the academy, he was lucky to get into the top 20, it's not worth mentioning, it's not worth mentioning. Zhong Jin waved his hand, saying that it was not worth mentioning, but the smugness in his tone could not be concealed at all.

"Oh, in this way, I want to congratulate Brother Zhong! Zhu Yougui praised in his mouth, but he still didn't think so, he didn't believe it was true, he just thought that the other party was putting gold on his face.

Zhong Jin finally smiled proudly and said, "I heard that this time, Professor Jia of the academy also praised this unsuccessful kid in public, at first I didn't believe it, but then I went to the academy to verify it in person, and I learned that this kid didn't lie, what he said was all true!"

"Oh, Brother Zhong, you mean, you went to the academy to verify it in person?" Zhu Yougui couldn't help but be surprised, if this is the case, I am afraid that these should be true.

Zhong Jin snorted and said, "I personally asked several students from the academy, and they all confirmed it, and then I went to meet Jia Xiucai of the academy, and after listening to his personal confirmation, I completely believed it." ”

Hearing this, Zhu Yougui's eyes were already full of envy and jealousy, the other party would not lie, then this matter should be true.

Unexpectedly, this Zhong Dayong is really promising, and then think of his son who is not a weapon, this time the quarterly exam, and he is at the bottom, he is angry in his heart, the same academy, the same teacher teaches, why can he Zhong Dayong have an epiphany, have a good future, and make great progress in his studies, and his son has never been enlightened.

Noticing the envy and jealousy in the other party's eyes, Zhong Jin thought to himself, it is better not to stimulate this Master Zhu too much.

immediately changed the topic and said: "That kid from the Jiang family is also going to participate in this county exam, I heard that he is determined to win this time." ”

Sure enough, as soon as he heard him mention Jiang Yun, Zhu Yougui's mind turned to this, and he said disdainfully: "Just that nerd, fledgling, milky and undried milk, and also want to be determined to win in this county examination? It's just a joke, I don't think he will be able to find the way to this imperial examination if he doesn't plant a few heels first!"

In this academy quarterly examination, Jiang Yun got the tenth news, Zhu Ming and Zhong Dayong didn't tell their families, and Jiang Yun wouldn't publicize it, so Zhu Yougui and Zhong Jin didn't know about it, otherwise Zhu Yougui would have to weigh it before he said it.

Zhong Jin also gloated and smiled: "I heard that this kid's poem about the east wind blowing crookedly has been spread to the county, and the county commander must have heard of it. ”

After a pause, he flicked his chin and lowered his yellow beard, and then lowered his voice and said: "However, I am not afraid of 10,000, I am afraid of just in case, the matter of the imperial examination is unpredictable, if this kid is really lucky, it will not be good, and it will be difficult to suppress it in the future." ”

The Jiang family's hundreds of acres of fertile land have always been coveted by the two families, and if the other party can really get the fame of Tongsheng, it will naturally be very unfavorable for them to act in the future.

Zhu Yougui's face sank, glanced at the other party, and asked, "I don't know what Brother Zhong can do about this?"

Zhong Jin's cloudy old eyes flashed with a gleam, and said, "If this kid wants to go to the county seat, he must take the waterway......" As he spoke, he leaned into the other party's ear and muttered in a low voice.

After Zhu Yougui heard this, he glanced at the other party, and said in his heart that he didn't expect this old dog to be so ruthless.

But in the end, he didn't have an opinion, nodded, and said, "That's it." ”