Idle courtiers

Chapter 396 The night before

"I'm going to the examination room tomorrow, master, are you still studying your homework?" Xun Fangyu waved a fan at Zhou Nan affectionately, and fanned Xu Xuqing over.

Probably God also took pity on the examinees who had suffered so much during the ten-year cold window. The sky was overcast and it looked like it was going to rain.After this rain, the heat will recede and enter the cool season.

However, there was no rain in the dense clouds, and the air seemed to have frozen. The climate before the rain was particularly sultry.Sweat came out one after another, and my heart was still irritated.

"Comfortable." Zhou Nan couldn't help moaning.

Xun Fang said: "Master, didn't you say that if you play big in the big test and play small in the small test, and do your homework before the test, you will get confused."

Zhou Nan: "When my teacher was in the capital, I was going to write a few articles and recite a few model essays today. This really made me play, but I'm still not used to it. It's a hard job! Don't worry about me, my lady. , I will talk with you after I write two more articles."

"Do you find me annoying?"

Zhou Nan smiled and patted her belly: "This study is too hot, I'm afraid the heat will spoil my child, are you ready for the examination room tomorrow?"

"Hey, I forgot to prepare food for the master. I'm going to ask someone to bake some pancakes." Xun Fangyu muttered and stood up.

There are three exams in the township exam, nine days before and after, and the exam room will also provide students with meals.However, in order to save costs, there are only two meals in the morning and evening, only a small bowl of brown rice and a side dish.This amount is naturally not enough.

Moreover, in order to prevent the candidates from eating bad stomachs, not only did they not provide meat, there were not even a few drops of oil in the dishes.When cooking, if there is not enough oil, just add water.

After nine days, candidates who eat a lot of food also fainted due to hypoglycemia and starvation.

Therefore, everyone usually prepares some snacks to bring in.Of course, in order to prevent entrainment, these snacks must be cut into peanut-like pieces.

In order to prevent the pastries from spoiling due to the hot weather, Zhou Nan asked his family to prepare Shandong pancakes for him.

Zhou Nan: "Hard work, lady."

When Xun Fangyu left the study room, he wiped his hands with a wet towel, and then his eyes fell on the desk again.It is full of piles of contemporary anthologies, four books and five classics, and drafts full of words...it can't be more chaotic.

After sending Wang Shizhen away, he began to write questions day and night again.

Everyone in the capital knew that Gu Yan would write a question from "The Analects of Confucius" this time, and all the candidates, like Zhou Nan, tried to figure out every sentence in "The Analects of Confucius" repeatedly.

The competition is extremely cruel, Zhou Nan is actually a little nervous now, and he is quite pessimistic about the future rural examination.

Feeling a little depressed suddenly, he looked at the middle finger of his right hand again, because he had been writing every day for more than a year, and a thick callus had grown on the first joint.

When touched, it hurts slightly.

The papers on the desk were all questions about "The Analects of Confucius". It can be said that he had completely torn this book to pieces and swallowed it all.

Now as soon as Zhou Nan closes his eyes, his ears are buzzing with thoughts, and his eyes are full of "Zi Yue", "Zeng Zi Sai", "Zi Lu Wen", "Yan Hui Sai..."

He originally planned to write another "The Analects of Confucius" topic today, but at this moment, with his own state, it is probably impossible.

Physically and mentally, I'm completely bored.

This state is wrong and must be adjusted immediately.As a modern person who has been taking exams since childhood, Zhou Nan immediately realized that this is not good, and he should do something else to adjust.

That's right, just as Xun Fangyu said, simply go out to play.

Just tomorrow, not only Shuntian Mansion, but also candidates from the entire North Zhili will enter the examination room. Students from the entire Hebei region have flocked into the capital as early as half a month ago.

These days, no one who can study has any wealth.When the scholars arrived in the colorful world of the capital, they were immediately dazzled, indulged in poetry and wine, and Beijing ushered in a period of economic prosperity for the exams that were read every three years.

At this time, Zhou Nan suddenly missed Zhu Congchi, a bad friend, and even missed Lao Guo a little bit. It would be nice to have them to accompany him to have fun, so he wouldn't be able to find someone to accompany him when he wanted to go out to relax now.

Forget it, let no one accompany you, I will go out and float alone.

Zhou Nan took out two ingots of broken silver from the drawer, put them in the pocket, and was about to go out to the tea house to listen to a book.

"Zhou Nan, who said I want to marry you?" A voice came angrily.

Zhou Nan looked up, suddenly surprised and delighted, it was not Ah Jiu who came: "Ah Jiu, it was you, how did you come in."

"Don't ask me this, I will naturally come here when I want to." Ah Jiu was still dressed as a scribe today, and she asked angrily: "Who said I want to marry you? I call the shots, who are you to me?"

Her head was covered with sweat, her willow eyebrows stood erect, and her baby-fat face looked so pink and cute.

Zhou Nan was dumbfounded, and murmured: "If you don't marry me, who else can I marry? Can I marry someone else?"

Ah Jiu: "Shut up, shut up right away, I will never agree."

Zhou Nan was amazed: "Why don't you agree, you have to agree, it doesn't make sense."

"Anyway, I just don't agree, what can you do to me?" Ah Jiu was furious: "I'm a human being, why do you ask someone to come to propose marriage without asking me? Everyone in the Xu Mansion knows I was the last to know about this matter. Zhou Nan, you are too bullying. No, you must give me an explanation today."

Speaking of this, the circles of her eyes were slightly red, and there was endless grievance in it.

Zhou Nan suddenly realized that Ah Jiu blamed himself for not proposing to her.That's right, women are irrational and like the so-called sense of ritual the most.For something like a marriage proposal, there must be a candlelight dinner, and Fan Aling will be very hard-pressed, so as to leave the best memory in your life.

No, you Xu Zhi is an ancient person, why is your consciousness so advanced?

Zhou Nan coaxed her for a long time, but it was of no use. Ah Jiu just kept getting angry.

In the end, he was also annoyed, and he said angrily: "Anyway, it's like this, what are you going to do? I'll pay you for this, and you will live in this house in the future, and you don't have to come here, so you are satisfied?" The deed of the new house was handed over.

"What is this?" Ah Jiu took it and looked it over for a long time, her eyes brightened: "Zimu, this house is not bad, at least worth 2000 taels of silver. You may not be able to buy it with silver. Your sincerity is not bad. Well, I forgive you."

Zhou Nan: "This house was originally my teacher's residence in the capital. Didn't he go back to his hometown in Taicang, so he donated the house to me as a gift for our wedding. Ah Jiu, since you came here in person today, let's make the wedding date Set it down. Tell me a date, and I will discuss it with your grandfather and father."

Ah Jiu snorted coldly: "I never promised you."

"No, you can't if you don't agree!"

Ah Jiu Daqi: "Why don't you agree?"

Zhou Nan: "When you were in Xu Xiang, didn't you say that you were pregnant? You can see that you are pregnant soon. If you don't marry me, there is no movement in your stomach. The crime of deceiving Xu Xiang is not a small one. subject to family law."

"Ah!" Ah Jiu was taken aback, with a look of fear on his face.

Zhou Nan suddenly boldly put his arms around her slender waist, and said softly, "Ah Jiu, I'm really worried that I haven't seen you for the past two months. Everything is fine now, everything is fine."

After all, Ah Jiu is a woman, surrounded by Zhou Nan's masculine sweaty smell, her face blushes suddenly, and her heart suddenly has indescribable sweetness.

At this time, Zhou Nan said thoughtfully again: "We announced to the public that you are already two months pregnant, it's not too late to do it now, and it will be premature at the end of the day."

"Do it... what kind of hands... ah!" Ah Jiu screamed, quickly broke free from his arms, and fled in panic.

As soon as he escaped from the study, he bumped into Xun Fangyu.

Xun Fang said: "Miss Jiu, what's wrong with you?"

"I, I'm going back, Zhou Nan, you are too bullying!" Ah Jiu blushed like an autumn apple.

Xun Fangyu asked Zhou Nan: "What's wrong with Miss Nine?"

Zhou Nan: "Come and ask for a bride price."

Xun Fangyu didn't believe it: "Where is a big girl going to ask her future husband for a bride price?" This is too unbelievable: "By the way, master, you are wrong to blame Miss Nine. Send me a set of exam baskets and the Four Treasures of the Study. They are said to be the utensils used by Xu Ping in his mid-year exams, and I will send you a set of auspicious ones today."

Hearing what she said, Zhou Nan remembered that he had indeed seen a set of exam baskets made of mahogany at Xu Jie's place before. The four treasures of the study in the basket were all first-class and high-quality items, and they were old man Xu's favorite.

At this time, Ah Jiu, who had fled far away, turned his head and shouted: "Zhou Nan, you must hit!"

Zhou Nan felt warm in his heart, and replied: "If you win, I will come back and marry you."

Xun Fangyu covered her mouth and smiled softly.

Tomorrow Mao will enter the examination room, which means that Zhou Nan still has a few hours to rest.

Without further delay, he ate some light food at will, and went to bed.

In order for him to have a good night's sleep, Xun Fangyu asked someone to buy ice cubes and put them in the house.

I don't know how long I slept, Zhou Nan was suddenly awakened by a faint cry, and sat up with a huff.

I saw soybeans rushing in from the outside.

Zhou Nan: "Soybean, what time is it?"

Huang Dou: "It will be Yinshi soon."

Zhou Nan: "Fortunately, I didn't oversleep. Is breakfast ready?"

"It's ready." Huang Dou said with panic on his face, "My lord, it's not good, Madam Ru seems to be giving birth."

"What, Madam is about to give birth." Zhou Nan was shocked.

Huang Dou suddenly burst into tears: "This afternoon, Mrs. Ru was hit by Miss Jiu, and her fetus became gassy. It seems that there is something wrong with Mrs. Wen's words."

Zhou Nan couldn't care less, quickly put on his clothes and rushed towards Xun Fangyu.

When they got to the gate of the courtyard, they saw that the courtyard was full of lanterns, and almost all the maids and women of the Zhou Mansion came over, all with nervous faces.

At the same time, Xun Fangyu's cries of pain came one after another, which made Zhou Nan's heart tremble.

(End of this chapter)