Chapter 9: People who come to congratulate

No one was speaking, and she felt bored by herself. After a long time, she muttered, "Who knows if this little brat cheated? He doesn't seem like a clever child in normal times. How could he possibly come first in the exam?"

"That's right, mother. I don't think Little Uncle's essay is that good either," Chen Ziheng chimed in.

Chen Ziheng was not lying. It's just that the not-so-good essay was written by twelve-year-old Chen Ping'an, not the current Chen Ping'an.

"Maybe the examiners were all deceived by this kid's appearance," the eldest daughter-in-law said, seeming to believe her own words. "The exam room is not that strict. This stinky kid doesn't study well, but he's good at this."

"Enough." Hearing his daughter-in-law's increasingly irrelevant words, Chen Dalang stood up, knocked his pipe, and then said coldly, "Ping'an is not that kind of person."

He knew his own brother. Ping'an is honest and straightforward, and he would never do such a thing. His daughter-in-law is just jealous of Ping'an, which is why she's slandering him like this.

With that, he turned and left, seeming not to want to stay in such a place any longer.

"Mother, I'm going to review my books," Chen Ziheng also left.

"Mother, I still have some work to finish. I'll go take a look," Chen Zijun took the opportunity to say.

"Mother, I'll go help Second Brother." The eldest daughter also quickened her pace.

For a while, only the eldest daughter-in-law was left in the room. Before long, the room was filled with cursing, not only directed at her husband but even the ancestors of the Chen family.

The other two children of the Chen family knew that their little uncle had come first, even better than their older brother, and also, the last time they had a delicious meal at their grandmother's house.

When Jiang Yar and Chen Ping'an arrived home, the Chen family was still lively. If it weren't for the familiar doorway, Jiang Yar would have thought she had come to the wrong place.

Is this still the quiet Chen family from before? The current Chen family was only missing the decorations.

As soon as they arrived, they were surrounded by people, all of them asking about Chen Ping'an's well-being.

"Ping'an, do you still remember me? I'm your second aunt, I even held you when you were smiling," a young woman held Chen Ping'an and said, her face wrinkled with smiles.

Another person pulled Chen Ping'an over, "What's that? Ping'an, do you remember your seventh aunt? I changed your diapers for you. I knew from a young age that our Ping'an is not an ordinary child."

"Ping'an."

"Ping'an."

"..."

Being pulled back and forth, with people constantly talking in his ear, Chen Ping'an felt like his head was about to explode. These village women never seemed to stop talking.

Finally, Mrs. Wu's appearance saved Chen Ping'an.

"Ping'an," she called out, then quickly walked to him, her hand trembling as she touched Chen Ping'an's face, and then said, "My child, you must be tired. Come, I've prepared food for you. Eat quickly."

"I'll go in first, Mother." Chen Ping'an was grateful to Mrs. Wu at least for rescuing him from these aunts and uncles.

Mrs. Wu glanced at Jiang Yar, then said coldly, "Hurry and take Ping'an inside to rest."

"Yes, Mother-in-law," Jiang Yar hurriedly led Chen Ping'an into the house. She had never seen so many people in the Chen family before and was a little dazed.

With Mrs. Wu around, these people naturally couldn't get close to Chen Ping'an. Mrs. Wu smiled and kept them outside, saying, "We've been on the road for so long, Ping'an needs to rest for a while."

"Mrs. Wu, your Ping'an is a scholar."

"That's really good. Such a young age and already coming first in the exam."

"Yes, I think Ping'an might even get the top scholar title."

"This child has always seemed clever since he was little."

The people around kept praising, and Mrs. Wu naturally felt happy to hear it, but she still maintained a bit of composure, "Our Ping'an has been blessed since childhood."

Among all the things that were said, the eldest daughter-in-law didn't hear anything except for the mention of the top scholar title. She couldn't help but feel disdainful. How could Chen Ping'an, at such a young age, have such high knowledge? She kept this to herself, though, and didn't show it on her face.

She walked over, then said, "That's right, our Ping'an has always been different from other children since he was little. What's so special about getting first place?"

Upon hearing her voice, Mrs. Wu gave her a sideways glance. If there weren't so many people present, she would have probably driven her away. She gritted her teeth and said softly, "Why are you here?"

"Mother, our Ping'an has made a name for himself. How could I not come as his sister-in-law?" The eldest daughter-in-law's words were sharp and pointed, making people feel uncomfortable.

At least that's what Mrs. Wu thought. The eldest daughter-in-law must be feeling unhappy, but others didn't see the twists and turns between the two of them. They were still just offering their congratulations.

The eldest daughter-in-law held Mrs. Wu's arm, and the two of them looked like they were getting along well.

After Ping'an and Jiang Yar entered the house, Jiang Yar still seemed to be in a daze. Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Yar, are you scared?"

"A little, just a little," Jiang Yar stammered. She had never seen such a big scene with the villagers before.

When she was in the county, she was happy that Chen Ping'an had solved the case safely, but now she truly felt that Ping'an was different from these people.

She adjusted herself and then glanced at Chen Ping'an, whose expression was still calm. "Ping'an, are you tired? Take a good rest, I'll bring you some food."

They had only had a simple breakfast in the morning, which was not as abundant as the one prepared at home, especially after such a long journey, they were both a little hungry.

"I can eat by myself," Chen Ping'an said as he sat down at the dining table.

He pulled Ginger to sit down with him. Ginger only ate until she was seven-tenths full, then she started to get busy. Although Ping'an had solved the case, she still had to carry on with her daily life. She had to go check if the chickens and ducks in the yard had been fed.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ping'an went to his room and sat at his desk. There was a book in front of him, which contained the knowledge he needed to study for the upcoming imperial examination.

After finally seeing off the guests, Mrs. Wu hurriedly went to see her obedient son. Seeing Chen Ping'an studying, she tiptoed in, afraid of disturbing him.

In the past, Chen Ping'an was the apple of her eye, and now she had to take even more care of him.