Early the next morning, the whole family got up late. It was a really tiring day yesterday.

The family gathered together to have breakfast, and Li Zhongyou came to report: "Madam, the gifts in the front yard have been sorted out. Here is the gift list."

Only then did Zhao Yunlan remember that she had received a bunch of gifts yesterday. These were all exchanges of favor. When encountering such a happy event, you have to accept them.

Old man Li took the Li brothers to see the gifts in the front yard. The third and fourth brothers were all stunned.

"Such a room!" Li Mingzhi couldn't help but exclaimed.

Old Man Li was actually so excited that he could not speak for a long time, so he seemed to be so calm.

Li Zhongyou said from the side: "There are still some in the next room."

Old Man Li rolled his eyes again and lay down on Li Mingyi. Why did he say it was once again? Everyone in the Li family knew.

Li Zhongyou hurriedly stepped forward and pinched the man, while Li Mingli brought a cup of tea and poured it on Old Li's face.

"Hey, which bastard?" Old Man Li woke up. The Li brothers did not answer the question and hurriedly helped Old Man Li sit down.

Li Zhongyou brought a handkerchief and wiped it with Old Man Li.

Mingmei wanted to join in the fun, so she decided to bring her mother and two sisters-in-law with her. As soon as she entered the door, she saw several brothers surrounding her father. Then she saw that old man Li had some water stains on his face and temples.

It's also a little moist and I probably understand.

Ms. Wang couldn't help complaining: "You are really petty and can't calm down at all."

Old Man Li did not refute, but Li Mingli said: "Mother, these gifts can be exchanged for a lot of money!"

Li Mingmei nodded accordingly.

These gifts include common ones such as cakes and fabrics, and more expensive ones such as vases, jewelry, and the Four Treasures of the Study. Zhao Yunlan also saw a piece of fine jade.

The Li brothers also looked through the gift boxes. Li Mingzhi casually picked up a box at his feet and opened it:

"Ha! Who gave you this gift? It's so solid."

The whole family gathered their eyes together and saw lovely gold ingots lying inside.

Old Man Li was beaming and wanted to pick one up and touch it, but Mr. Wang slapped it down with one hand.

Zhao Yunlan looked at the name of the gift giver on the list. It was given by a wealthy businessman named Qian Duoduo. He really lived up to his name, and Zhao Yunlan couldn't help but smile.

This wealthy businessman not only gave gifts to Li Mingren, but also to all the top ten candidates. The first-place judge gave the most gifts.

Otherwise, how can we say that raising people to make people rich makes scholars poor?

I just won the lottery. If all the gifts my family received were converted into money, they would cost up to five hundred taels.

"Let this room be used as a warehouse! Yun Lan will do your best." Wang said and left the front yard with Old Man Li.

Li Mingren also started to get busy, because some guests came to congratulate them today, and Li Mingren had to go and receive them. The three brothers of the Li family also had to receive the guests together with their eldest brother.

Zhao Yunlan took Wu Yi and Li Mingmei to count the gifts again, and finally took out a box of gold ingots and the jade. After Li Zhongyou locked the door and handed the key to Zhao Yunlan to put it away, they left.

There were no female relatives coming to the house today, so Zhao Yunlan and the others could rest for a while. Li Mingren still took the guests to the restaurant for dinner, and had several hot pot meals in a row, which made Li Mingzhi foam at the corners of his mouth.

In the back room of the east courtyard, Li Mingren was talking about the past few days.

"Is there anyone who will give land as a gift?" Zhao Yunlan wondered.

Li Mingren nodded: "He is a country squire. I see that the land deed states that the land is of the best quality, with twenty acres of it! But I didn't dare to take it."

Zhao Yunlan thought to herself: What a guy! No wonder everyone has to use their whole family to support the scholar. The reward is really worth it.

"Yeah, it's right not to accept it. If someone gives you land again, don't accept it. Our family can't make mistakes in these things." Zhao Yunlan warned.

Li Mingren nodded, what the lady said was always right, she was just so blindly obsessed with her.

While the Li family was packing their things to return to the village, Li Mingren received an invitation from the prefect, and Zhao Yunlan was also invited to attend.

At the banquet today, Li Mingren wore a moon-white gown and a sapphire blue blouse. Zhao Yunlan wore a gouache skirt with interlaced moon-white patterns. She wore a sapphire hairpin on her head, which was similar to Li Mingren's.

A set is put together.

Ruiwen looked at his parents and couldn't help but smile: "Mom looks really good today."

Zhao Yunlan: "Ruiwen is also very cute today."

Ruiwen obediently watched his parents go out. Wang and her daughter continued to clean up, thinking about something in their mind.

When they arrived at Liu's Mansion, Zhao Yunlan learned that this time Magistrate Liu had invited everyone who had passed the provincial examination. This time Jinzhou City had invited a total of thirty-two people.

After Zhao Yunlan and Li Mingren separated, they were led to the backyard. The magistrate's house was much larger than that of Li's house. They followed the maid who led the way and walked for almost a quarter of an hour before they saw Mrs. Liu.

Mrs. Liu's surname is Lin, and her name is Lin Yun. Lin Yun is the direct daughter of the Lin family. Now Lin Yun's father is the Minister of Rites. However, as she has grown older in recent years and her relatives have withdrawn from the official career, she is planning to retire and return to her hometown.

Zhao Yunlan stepped forward and bowed: "I have met Mrs. Liu."

Lin Yun smiled and said: "Mrs. Li, please get up quickly. Today I just invite everyone to enjoy the flowers and chat. There is no need to be so foreign."

Zhao Yunlan got up. Although Lin Yun said that there was no need for outsiders, she did not get up and leave the main seat. She still sat upright, but there was a hint of friendliness on her face.

Zhao Yunlan sat down, and the maid served tea and snacks. After that, the two of them never interacted again.

Zhao Yunlan drank tea and ate snacks and watched the ladies being brought in one after another. Lin Yun also sat on the main seat and said a few polite words. I don't know if it was Zhao Yunlan's misunderstanding, but I always felt that Mrs. Liu treated other people badly.

There is less intimacy and more seriousness of a superior person.

Not all the wives who have been elected are here today, some of them brought me for reference, so the female relatives who came are not only their wives, but also my sisters and so on.

Zhao Yunlan did not bring other female members of the family here, not because he did not want to, but because the Li family had not had such an opportunity to participate in the banquet of the upper class before. Zhao Yunlan was also a little worried. Although he had some friendship with Mrs. Liu, but now

The situation was not one that could be overcome by casual friendship. So Zhao Yunlan had to explore the way by herself, adapt to this kind of life first, and then bring her family with her. After all, these things would become normal in the future.

In the front yard, Magistrate Liu spoke to each of the candidates one by one, and finally asked the commentator to sit beside him and discuss knowledge.

The commentator's name is Wen Zhiyu. He has an elegant look. A few hairs on his temples are white, but his eyebrows do not look old because of the happy event of passing the national examination. The clothes he wears seem to have just been made, and the new material can be seen. They are navy blue.

wearing a long gown and a jade hairpin on his head. It seems that the commentator has become a lot richer in the past two days.

Li Mingren was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that Magistrate Liu looked over.

By chance, Mrs. Liu was having a great time chatting with the conciliator's wife over here. The conversation between the two was not obscure, so Zhao Yunlan could hear it clearly.

The commentator’s wife’s name is Qiao Juan, and she has a daughter by her side. She is the eldest daughter in the family. The commentator Wen Zhiyu’s family is also a farmer, but they have a lot of land and some livelihood, so they can continue to support Wen Zhiyu until now. Although the Wen family’s conditions are still poor

Okay, but Qiao Juan also has to do work. It can be seen that compared with Mrs. Liu, Qiao Juan's hands are indeed hands that work all year round.

Mrs. Liu also has a daughter named Liu Ruyin, who is about the same age as Mingmei. At this moment, she is planning to take the girls of the same age who came to the banquet to play in the garden. Liu Ruyin is really like a lady among everyone. She treats people politely and knows how to take care of everyone.

People's emotions. Qiao Juan's daughter looked a little shy, but she became more active under Liu Ruyin's guidance.

Zhao Yunlan observed carefully, and also looked at the ladies during the meal. When a female family member came to talk to him, Zhao Yunlan responded politely, and from time to time he would chat with the female family members next to him.

After a banquet ended, Zhao Yunlan felt a sense of relief, and so did Li Mingren. Zhao Yunlan felt that it was really tiring to chat with these ladies and maintain their manners at all times. And Li Mingren felt that it was because Magistrate Liu wanted to test everyone from time to time.

And it was a bit of a headache because Li Mingren found that those who were ranked after him were very admirable in some intellectual insights.

Mrs. Liu prepared some gifts for the female family members, which were snacks made by the family cook.

Zhao Yunlan brought snacks and met Li Mingren at the door, and the two helped each other get into the carriage.
Chapter completed!