Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 106 Farewell
"All right!"

Seeing that Xiao Tao was still comforting him, Sheng Changquan was both amused and exasperated!

"Sister Xiaotao, I understand!"

Seeing that the other person still seemed a little unsatisfied, Sheng Changquan quickly changed the subject and began to instruct, "Sister Xiaotao, since you know what you're doing, I won't interfere."

Sheng Changquan lowered his eyes, not wanting Xiao Tao to see the strange look in them: "Then, don't tell my sister why I asked you to come here today, lest she overthink it."

"Huh? This..."

Xiao Tao hesitated upon hearing Sheng Changquan's words. She felt that there was some truth to what Sheng Changquan said, but she also felt that she should not keep it from her daughter. She was in a dilemma.

"All right!"

Sheng Changquan had fully recovered by this time, and he said with a smile, "How about this then!"

"If you don't ask, then you shouldn't say anything, but if you do, you can say something, okay?"

Sheng Changquan thoughtfully came up with a compromise for Xiao Tao.

However, Sheng Changquan deliberately brought Xiao Tao without alerting his sister, so he guessed that Minglan was completely unaware of what had happened that day.

"Well, okay then!"

Xiao Tao thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

"Brother Quan, don't worry, the girl has her own ideas!"

"You should focus on this preliminary examination for the imperial examination!"

Seeing that the matter had come to an end, Xiao Tao returned to her usual self, supporting her daughter on one hand and advising Sheng Changquan on the other.

"As long as you pass the imperial examination with flying colors, then my wife and daughter will have someone to rely on in the future!"

Recalling the murmurs of her friends, Xiao Tao offered this advice.

After all, that's how the world is. Even the dead need the glory of the living; otherwise, how could there be the saying "bring honor to one's ancestors"?
"Yes Yes Yes!"

Sheng Changquan was both amused and exasperated, and could only agree in accordance with Xiao Tao's suggestion.

"Ok!"

Seeing this, Xiao Tao nodded in satisfaction.

……

Sure enough, after Xiao Tao returned, Minglan didn't mention it at all. In fact, she didn't even notice that Xiao Tao had gone to Zhiyuan Hall. After all, Minglan wasn't very restrictive with the people in her room. As long as it didn't interfere with things, it was fine for them to go out and play with their friends.

Because the most important thing right now is his own preliminary examination, Sheng Changquan temporarily put aside Minglan's matter and began to concentrate on preparing for the exam. Although the preliminary examination is not difficult, the cautious Sheng Changquan will not take it lightly!
Even a lion needs to exert all its strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone a mere illegitimate son like him taking the imperial examination.
So, as the preliminary examination for the imperial examination approached, Sheng Changquan often ran to Zhuang Xuejiu's courtyard, chasing after him every day to ask questions. He looked as if he wished he could live in Zhuang Xuejiu's house!
However, this also alleviated Zhuang Xuejiu and Sheng Hong's concerns about Sheng Changquan.

After all, Sheng Changquan was exceptionally intelligent and talented, so they were bound to worry that he might become arrogant and conceited, relying on his talent and looking down on others. Seeing this, the two elders were naturally relieved.

……

Time flies by.

Because the preliminary examination for the imperial examination was held before the metropolitan examination, Sheng Changquan was the first among the candidates to take the exam. In front of the gate of the Sheng family mansion, the entire family stood to offer their blessings to Sheng Changquan.

However, not everyone wanted to come out; at least, Mo Lan and her daughter Lin Qinshuang were unwilling.

Mo Lan, in particular, still harbors resentment towards Sheng Changquan for pushing her a few years ago, causing her to lose face in front of two foreign guests!

Especially in front of her brother Yuanruo and the "nothing special" Liang family sixth son.

However, since the old lady was standing at the door, personally seeing her grandson off, Mo Lan, as the granddaughter, naturally couldn't be impolite. Especially after being taught by Granny Kong, Mo Lan deeply understood a principle: in front of outsiders, she must learn to disguise herself and package herself as a perfect older sister.

Although Mo Lan misunderstood Granny Kong's original intention, she ultimately made things a little better for her.

Whatever her intentions!
After all, sages judge by actions, not intentions; they only look at what a person does, not what they think.

Lin Qinshuang, on the other hand, was different. Although she loathed Sheng Changquan and felt that he had stolen her Changfeng's things, she still found Sheng Changquan annoying, regardless of Sheng Hong's attention or affection.
Not to mention the matter of Wei Xiaoniang.

However, Lin Qinshuang had one advantage: she was patient and could see the situation clearly. So even though she was unwilling, she still sent Sheng Changquan with her family for the sake of Sheng Hong's favor.

Thus, the scene in front of the Sheng family mansion immediately made Sheng Hong feel quite gratified, and he even felt that his home had become a harmonious and peaceful place.

"Quan'er!"

In the arena, the old lady spoke first: "Don't be too nervous this time. Just show your strength!"

The old lady had already learned from Zhuang Xuejiu that Sheng Changquan's abilities were extremely high, at least enough to pass the preliminary examination. As long as nothing unexpected happened to him, passing the exam was inevitable.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Meeting the old lady's kind gaze, Sheng Changquan bowed deeply to show his respect.

"Cough cough!"

After saying this, the old lady handed the reins to Sheng Hong, after all, he was Sheng Changquan's father and the pillar of the Sheng family.

"The old lady is right!"

Although the old lady's words made sense, Sheng Hong thought about it and still felt that he should warn Sheng Changquan to prevent him from getting too cocky and becoming arrogant.

After all, Confucian fathers are always portrayed as strict fathers, never kind ones. So Sheng Hong put on a stern face, adopted the demeanor of a strict father, and solemnly admonished, "Quan'er, you must remember that there are no small matters in the imperial examinations. You must be careful and meticulous in solving the questions. You must not be careless or negligent, and you must not be arrogant or complacent, or engage in reckless political discussions!"

"you……"

"Alright! Alright!"

Before Sheng Hong could finish speaking, Madam Wang rolled her eyes at him and dismissed him: "All you do is lecture all day long, and now you don't even know how to say a kind word to the child!"

Madam Wang launched into a tirade, completely stealing Sheng Hong's thunder and saying, "Quan'er, you must take good care of yourself this time. Don't be like those other students who ruin their health just because of the exam!"

Actually, Madam Wang was just worried and confused. After all, it was just two preliminary examinations for the imperial examinations. What was so scary about that?

Those candidates who were exhausted were all physically weak, and they collapsed from exhaustion during a major national examination like the provincial examination.

Not to mention, with Sheng Changquan's robust physique, how could he possibly collapse so easily!
To be honest, Madam Wang's concern for Sheng Changquan was genuine; after all, she had raised him for so long, and there was some affection between them.

Thank you so much for the support from the author, Tingfeng Juanyu! I also want to thank readers Tingfeng Juanyu, Quanyongzhiliu, and 20200908063345506 for their donations, as well as other readers who voted! Currently, I'm planning to postpone the release until I have a backlog of chapters… (I'm really terrible at writing…)
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(End of this chapter)