Chapter 267: Chapter 112: That’s My Older Sister

At this banquet, the Lord County Magistrate had gotten much of the information he was looking for. He was in high spirits and inevitably had a few too many drinks.

By the time the banquet ended, the Lord County Magistrate’s face was flushed red, and he reeked of alcohol.

But the smile on his face was genuine, a joyous and content expression constantly gracing his lips.

Stumbling his way out, Mr. Cheng ordered his personal attendant with a laugh, "Go summon Mr. Chen. I’m going to have a long talk with him tonight!"

The attendant didn’t dare object and simply agreed. He turned his head and gestured with his eyes to a young servant nearby. "Quick, go fetch Mr. Chen!"

Zhao Jing and Chen De’an took in the entire scene, as did the rest of the fledgling scholars, all without betraying any emotion.

They had already intended to befriend Zhao Jing and Chen De’an, and they had indeed taken action over the past two days.

Chen De’an was approachable enough. He was born with lips that seemed to always be smiling. If you treated him like a brother, he would reciprocate in kind, appearing quite warm.

Zhao Jing, however, was rather aloof, which made people wonder. ’Did he start looking down on everyone else just because he placed first in the exam?’

’Before, they had thought that even though their scholarship wasn’t on par with Zhao Jing’s, the path of the imperial examinations wasn’t determined by knowledge alone. Talent and opportunity were both indispensable.’

’Even if they couldn’t become Scholars before Zhao Jing did, the examination road was long. Who knew when they might surpass him?’

’They were climbing the ladder on their own merit, not relying on Zhao Jing for anything. Why should they have to suck up to him?’

But now, they no longer thought that way.

They were forced to acknowledge that, in addition to his natural talent for studying, Zhao Jing possessed another skill: a shrewd ability to handle matters.

He was truly insightful, and undeniably sharp and capable.

’His arrogance was his flaw, but looking at it from another angle, wasn’t it also a strength?’

’A man so proud and ambitious would disdain doing anything two-faced. If they befriended him, they would never have to worry about being stabbed in the back.’

’Then again, their chances of becoming Scholars this time around were slim. They would continue to live in Qingshui County, so befriending a fellow candidate who had connections in the government office would be a great benefit. Not only them, but their families would also be protected. For them, nothing could be better.’

The crowd swarmed over. Zhao Jing slipped away in the chaos, leaving De’an alone to handle the socializing.

On his way out, he ran into Wang Jun and the others. Wang Jun took the opportunity to invite them to come and stay at his home for a while.

Huang Chen, afraid his homely appearance would frighten Wang Jun’s family and worried about being a bother, flatly refused.

The others also felt that their friendship with Wang Jun was only a recent development. Although they considered themselves good friends by now, they hadn’t known each other long. Freeloading at his home felt improper.

Among the group, only Ding Shutian accepted the offer. The rest made excuses about needing to discuss it with their families and declined for the time being.

As for Ding Shutian, he had lost his close kin one after another in recent years, leaving him all but alone.

He was only able to study for the examinations because his wife supported him with her embroidery work.

’He knew a man should have integrity, that he shouldn’t accept handouts or take what wasn’t his. But rather than let his wife burn the midnight oil until her eyes were bloodshot just to earn a few taels for their travel expenses, he would much rather be indebted to the Wang Family for now.’

Just as the group was reaching the entrance of the county government office, De’an finally managed to escape the crowd and came running up from behind.

At that moment, Zhao Jing saw something—no one knew what—and after a hasty farewell, he quickly descended the steps and walked off.

De’an waved his arms and chased wildly after him. "Jing! Wait for me! Hey, what’s the big rush..."

De’an had wanted to say, ’Are you in a hurry to get reincarnated or something?’ but thankfully, he remembered their fellow candidates were present. He had to save some face for Jing, so he forced himself to swallow the words.

Soon enough, De’an found out why Zhao Jing had been in such a rush to leave.

He, too, had spotted the ox-cart on the other side of the street.

Dashan was sitting on the ox-cart, and beside him sat a beautiful young woman, looking their way with a radiant smile.

’Sis is here to take us home?’

’No wonder Jing took off like a ghost was chasing him.’

De’an started to chase after him too, but Wang Jun grabbed his arm. With a hint of suspicion, he asked a rather presumptuous question, "That person across the street... is she...?"

"That is indeed my sister."

Even though they had somewhat expected it, Wang Jun and the others couldn’t help but look astonished when they heard the confirmation.

The woman across the street was around twenty years old. She wore her hair in the style of a married woman, her face fair and radiant. Her features were stunningly beautiful, a timeless elegance that bloomed gloriously under the bright sun.