A few days later, the Ministry of Rites at the county government announced the results, and Song Wei passed as the top candidate of the county examination.
This news quickly spread throughout the village.
The villagers, with little knowledge, asked, "What does it mean to be the top candidate of the county?"
Someone proudly bragged, "Uninformed! What else could the top candidate of the county be? It means first place in the county exam! It's equivalent to achieving the top spot in both the prefectural and provincial exams, known collectively as the 'Little Three Yuan.'
The person bragging was none other than Song Yuanbao, who happened to hear that his father became the top candidate just as he returned for his ten-day break.
Song Yuanbao glanced at the envious and jealous eyes of the neighbors, feeling absolutely elated inside.
Although he was young, he remembered certain things very clearly.
