Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 11902

“But from my observation of you, Madam, your nobility has little to do with these external things; it is something you have innately possess.”

"The reason you didn't show it before is that you can be reserved by wearing simple clothes and going makeup-free."

"When you dress up a little, that noble air immediately shines through. Every gesture exudes an air of authority and dignity, making you look like an imperial princess, or even a goddess!"

Yang Ruoqing laughed and waved her hands repeatedly.

"Your flattery has reached a new level; it makes me blush."

"Madam, I really didn't take any pictures, I mean it sincerely..."

"Alright, alright, I believe you're telling the truth. Um, are you almost done packing? Go call Ping An over, I have something to tell you."

"okay!"

……

After Rong Gu left, Yang Ruoqing looked at herself in the mirror alone.

She couldn't tell if someone was an empress or a goddess, but to be fair, with a little dressing up and makeup, this person did look more radiant and vibrant than usual.

But... sigh, when I looked closely in the mirror, I realized that at 34 years old, I do look quite young when I'm not smiling.

Others also praised Yang Ruoqing for looking young, saying she didn't look 34 years old and that she took good care of herself.

However, only Yang Ruoqing herself understood that no ordinary person could fight against time.

She could clearly feel that the fat around her eyes was quietly disappearing, and the corners of her eyes were no longer as lifted and firm as before, with a slight sag and droop.

What does this mean?
This shows that even I can't fight aging; I've just slowed down the aging process a little bit compared to my peers...

Oh well, let aging be aging. Growing old naturally is a normal attitude towards life.

Throughout history, from Qin Shi Huang to Emperor Wu of Han, which outstanding figure has not ultimately been forgotten in the long river of time?

Why should I be an exception?

No exceptions, when the First Emperor sent Xu Fu with three thousand boys and girls to search for the elixir of immortality, didn't he end up finding nothing?
Calm.

……

First day of the day.

The gates of the Luo family courtyard were wide open on both sides, and a red carpet stretched from the main room all the way to the gate, and then along the bluestone official road at the gate, heading towards Qingshui Town.

It stretched for nearly three miles.

Within this three-mile stretch, the Luo family had arranged for people to keep watch at intervals to prevent pigs, dogs, cows, and the like from unknowingly wandering onto the red carpet.

The village heads of the surrounding villages had already convened a meeting with the village chiefs.

The village head solemnly instructed them to go back and instruct their respective villagers to come straight up this road today. Even if they wanted to watch the excitement, they should stand far away. Anyone who disturbed or offended the distinguished guests coming down from above would bear the consequences!

At the entrance of the Luo family courtyard, a large crowd had gathered. Yang Ruoqing helped Luo the blacksmith stand at the front of the crowd, followed by Yang Huazhong, Old Yang, and the village elders.

Next to them are the other members of the Yang family and the Luo family.

Further back, to the area under the pond and the old maple tree, came the villagers of Changping Village, along with their respective relatives, who had come specifically to see this unusual event.

For many people, witnessing officials from the imperial court deliver the good news to a student who had passed the imperial examination was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It wasn't just about sharing in the joy; it was also the most valuable thing they could boast about to others.

"I'm coming!"

The person sent to scout ahead on the main road returned and reported back to Yang Ruoqing and the others.

"Alright, you may leave now!"

Yang Ruoqing waved her hand, then straightened her clothes. Luo the blacksmith and Yang Huazhong also subconsciously patted off non-existent dust from their clothes.

Everyone tacitly took out their new clothes from the bottom of their trunks to wear today. The younger generation, including the sisters-in-law and brothers' wives, were obviously dressed up as well. Yang Huaming even secretly shaved his beard...

Everyone was excited and curious, their eyes fixed on the other side of the road ahead, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

At first, everyone could only see a few black dots, far away, from the other side of the road, seemingly leaping up little by little from the horizon.

Gradually, more and more small black dots appeared behind, and visually it looked as if they were squeezing and pushing the black dots in front of them forward.

As they moved slowly within sight, the black dot at the front gradually revealed a complete and clear outline.

Leading the way were two officers in a row, dressed in blue and red robes, holding up large signs that were almost as big as the door of their woodshed.

Those big signs were something people had only ever seen on the stage before; whenever a high-ranking official traveled, someone would hold up one of those signs behind him.

But those signs on the stage are props for the sake of the show, and they certainly can't compare to the real thing in front of us.

Seriously, it's a really big fan! My arms must have gotten sore from carrying it all the way!
Moreover, these large signs weren't just held up with two panels; Yang Ruoqing and the others observed that the officials leading the way in the front rows were holding up eight panels each.

Behind the sign were people dressed in the same clothes, but holding gongs and drums. As they walked step by step toward Changping Village, the sound of their gongs and drums gradually reached the ears of the people at the village entrance.

How festive!

Further behind were two rows of guards with swords, surrounding three carriages that were clearly standard imperial carriages.

Yang Ruoqing guessed that the three carriages probably contained several messengers from the imperial court who had come to deliver news of victory, as well as the heads of officials from Changhuai Prefecture and Qing'an County.

Behind the three carriages, well, there was a long queue.

The long line of people were all dressed in very distinguished manners; at a glance, they were either minor officials or local gentry.

They were used to a life of luxury, and when they went out, they were always chauffeured around by carriages and served by maids and servants.

But on occasions like today, sorry, they are not entitled to ride in a carriage and can only follow behind on foot.

And they were all walking with such a bouncy, swaying gait...

"They're here, they're here! It's almost time to set off the firecrackers!"

"put!"

"Everyone, step back a bit. Don't keep pushing forward just to watch the excitement. We are the students' family, our fellow villagers. We need to make sure that the messengers who come to deliver the good news see that we are all cultured and polite people, and that we don't embarrass our students!"

Under the leadership of Yang Huazhou and Yang Huaming, the crowd cleared a space in front of the Luo family compound, as had been pre-arranged. On the other side of the pond, members of the transport team and the herb-gathering team were also fully prepared, setting up a cordon to keep the onlookers and villagers from the surrounding area at a safe distance.

Then, on the Luo family's side, Yang Ruoqing, filled with excitement, took a deep breath and steadied herself.

She turned her head and searched for Xiao Qiao in the crowd.

He gestured for her to come closer to him with his eyes.

I already talked to Xiao Qiao yesterday and asked her to help me deal with this situation.

Xiao Qiao was initially hesitant and somewhat timid about such a situation, given her upbringing and background as a daughter from a humble family.

However, Yang Ruoqing encouraged her.

Humans are not given the right to choose their birth, but they can improve their knowledge, temper their character, and cultivate their aura through hard work.

To ensure that you can remain calm and composed in any situation.

Especially for Xiao Qiao, if she had married an ordinary person, it wouldn't matter.

But since she has chosen Dazhi, she must be mentally prepared to go through thick and thin with him.

Look at Xiaohua, she was just a country girl when she married Da'an.

But what happened next?
From the capital to Changhuaizhou... Although she wasn't very literate, she kept learning and improving, and she was doing a very good job as the governor's wife!
If Xiao Hua can do it, Yang Ruoqing believes that Xiao Qiao can do it even better. Yang Ruoqing has a lot of confidence in her eldest daughter-in-law!
Xiao Qiao dressed up specially today, looking very quiet and refined. The pearl flower she wore in her hair was clearly no ordinary item.

That beaded flower was specially made for Xiao Qiao by Yang Ruoqing. It was a pair with the bracelets on her wrist, featuring a low-key luxury with a refined charm, which perfectly matched Xiao Qiao's temperament.

At this moment, Xiao Qiao was holding Nini in her arms. She stood among a group of women, looking somewhat hesitant to back down.

But Yang Ruoqing waved to her directly: "Hand Nini over to the wet nurse, and come to the front."

"Mother, should I... just forget about it?"

"How can you say that? Your husband is the main character today, so you should definitely be the one to take center stage!"

"Xiao Qiao, listen to your mother, hurry up and go over there!"

"Yes, hurry up, they're almost here, don't dawdle."

"Go quickly, be bold!"

Hearing the encouragement from those around her and meeting Yang Ruoqing's encouraging gaze, Xiao Qiao gritted her teeth, handed Nini to the wet nurse beside her, and stepped forward to stand beside Yang Ruoqing.

Yang Ruoqing grabbed Xiao Qiao's hand and let her take her arm, which gave her a sense of security and eased her nervousness.

"Be confident and don't be nervous. This honor today was earned by the men of the Luo family through their own strength!" Yang Ruoqing patted Xiao Qiao's hand twice.

Xiao Qiao couldn't help but recall how, over the years, Da Zhi had never stopped reading, regardless of the weather, the night, or even when he was sick in bed...

Many times, I was so engrossed in reading late into the night that the tea I brewed for him had long since gone cold, but he would just pick it up and drink it without paying any attention to the temperature, which would cause him to have a stomachache.

Those fingers, when writing with a brush, had calluses layered upon layer on the fingertips.

There was a large tile under the desk, which had developed obvious cracks and dents due to long-term wear from the stool...

More than a decade of hard work and study have finally brought him this honor, which is well-deserved. As his wife, Xiao Qiao has witnessed his hard work and sweat along the way, and she is proud of him!

……

Finally, the messengers delivering the good news arrived safely at Changping Village, amidst the sounds of gongs and drums.

Several high-ranking officials, including Da'an, disembarked from the carriages and, led by Governor Da'an, arrived at the Luo family's gate.

The white-faced, beardless envoy who led the group from the capital unfurled a notice in his hand.

This list was not an imperial edict, but a notice of good news, also known as the 'Record of Successful Candidates'.

In Yang Ruoqing's understanding, it means: the admission notice!

The admission notices of this era were much more impressive. But then again, in later generations, if someone were to become the top scorer in their province's college entrance examination and be admitted to one of the two prestigious universities, Tsinghua or Peking University, it seems that local government officials would bring reporters to the student's home.

They not only personally delivered the admission notices but also gave out bonuses, and finally, everyone took a group photo together.

In ancient times, it was the same everywhere. Especially in ancient times, if you passed the imperial examination, it really could lead to upward social mobility...

Following the rules, Yang Ruoqing and the others began receiving the good news. After completing the official procedures, they moved on to the private part of the meeting.

Da'an introduced Yang Ruoqing to the officials who had come with her. Besides the few from the capital, there were also several important officials from Changhuai Prefecture.

"Congratulations, Madam Luo! Congratulations on your son's future!"

"Thank you all for your kind invitation. You have all worked hard. Tea is served in my humble abode. Please come in!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone took their seats, and everything proceeded smoothly.

Not only has Da'an returned, but Dazhi is also in the team this time.

However, Dazhi and Da'an could not immediately leave behind their fellow officials to visit their families, as they had to entertain guests.

Even though Dazhi searched for Xiaoqiao in the crowd several times, and their eyes met across the distance, they couldn't fully express their longing for each other. However, the two, who were of one mind, could understand each other's unspoken words even with just a glance.

Xiao Qiao especially brought Nini over and carried her through Da Zhi's line of sight so that Da Zhi could see his daughter.

Half a year has passed since I last saw her. She was such a tiny baby back then, with a limp neck. Holding her in my arms made me wonder if such a weak child could possibly grow up.
When we didn't see the child for six months, he had grown a lot. He was so big and steady in my arms. He was wearing a pink hat and his eyes were bright like the stars in the sky.

If it weren't for the official business that prevented him from leaving, Dazhi would have loved to rush up, hug Nini, and give her a good kiss!
……

In the kitchen, the Liu family and a few others huddled together, eating melon seeds and chatting about today's guests.

Yang Huaming hurried over from the front yard; he was there to get the thermos.

"Fourth brother, come here! Come here!" Liu quickly spat out the sunflower seed shells in her mouth and waved vigorously at Yang Huaming.

Yang Huaming then came over. "What's up? I need to hurry and get the thermos over there!"

"Fourth brother, is that pale-faced guy sitting with Da'an, who looks like an official with a full head of hair but no beard, a eunuch?"

"Shh!" Upon hearing this, Yang Huaming seemed to be struck by lightning. He was so frightened that he quickly covered Liu's mouth and nervously looked around.

"You damned woman, how can you say such things so casually? Be careful you don't bring this upon yourself!"