The first to arrive was Pei Wangshu. His friends had passed the Xiucai exam after another, and he had attended their celebration banquets by .
Now only Xu Huaiqian remained.
This was a bit special: Xiucai banquet, birthday banquet, and wedding banquet all combined into .
You didn't need to think to know how lively it would be.
But the livelier it was, the more it highlighted his own lliness. They had all studied and worked hard together, so why had every else passed except him?
Was he naturally worse than others?
Pei Wangshu thought about it. Although he somewhat disliked studying, his scholarship was decent enough. His handwriting was better than Duan Youyan's, and his essays and policy discussions were more solid than Xu Huaiqian's.
It made sense that he couldn't surpass Meng Fangxun and Zhang Bingwen, but why couldn't he even surpass Duan Youyan and Xu Huaiqian?
But then he remembered that Duan Youyan and Xu Huaiqian had worked much harder than him and couldn't help but regret it. Why hadn't he tried just a little harder? Perhaps if he had, he would have passed alongside them.
Now, he wouldn't have to finish attending all his friends' Xiucai banquets with this feeling of melancholy emptiness.
He also wondered, when the academy reopened next year and they moved to Class B, would they still associate with him?
Pei Wangshu thought about it. He wasn't particularly close to any, often spoke disrespectfully to Zhang Bingwen, and during the final push to study hard, they had to drag him along to make up their study group numbers.
People like them, like-minded with common goals striving upward together, would probably have scorned to include him if not for needing the mutual guarantee.
But the time spent with them was truly happy. Meng Fangxun was strict, Xu Huaiqian was sly, Zhang Bingwen was innocent, Duan Youyan was diligent. They might not have approved of his lazy study habits to varying degrees, but they didn't look down on him and did their best to help and pull him along.
It was his own lack of effort; he couldn't blame others.
So, the closer he got to Xu Huaiqian's wedding, the more apprehensive he felt. This was likely his last joyful gathering with them.
It was like awaiting execution—finally, the time to go to the execution ground had come.
Of course, that was an overstatement. Pei Wangshu was apprehensive, but he still wholeheartedly prepared a wedding gift for Xu Huaiqian.
An exquisite yak horn comb.
He heard this kind of comb could soothe muscles and activate collaterals, calm the nerves and strengthen the brain—perfect for Xu Huaiqian. Moreover, thinking of how deeply in love they were, giving a comb also symbolized wishing them a long life together until their hair turns white. He hoped they wouldn't disdain it.
Of course, they wouldn't disdain it. There were no yaks in Changnan. Pei Wangshu had g to great lengths just to have some find and buy the yak horn, let al have it brought back and meticulously crafted into a comb by a silversmith. The effort expended was unknown to any else.
After receiving this comb at the wedding, Xu Huaiqian kept it with him always. Even after he and Chen Liejiu passed away a century later, it was still placed in their shared coffin, as if confirming his blessing now.
They truly did grow old together with white hair.
Preoccupied with his thoughts, Pei Wangshu didn't notice anything different about the road under the carriage wheels when he arrived outside the Chen family compound. But upon alighting and seeing the courtyard adorned with red silk and red paper, more festive and grand than any wealthy family's banquet, he was instantly stunned, his eyes lighting up at the sight, gift box in hand.
So beautiful!
Equally amazed were Duan Youyan and Sheng Yunjin, who had also arrived by carriage.
Since resolving their misunderstandings, their interactions were no longer awkward and strained, each afraid of this or that about the other. They said what they meant, and even if unhappy, could express it clearly to each other.
This avoided many misunderstandings.
Even Magistrate Sheng, who had always been displeased with Duan Youyan, began to be pleasant and kind because of his change.
N of them were truly bad people; it was just their respective prejudices causing misunderstandings. Now that those were cleared up, it was naturally a happy ending for all.
Duan Youyan and Sheng Yunjin had originally planned to visit Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu much earlier to discuss the tribute charcoal matter.
But just before leaving, Magistrate Sheng stopped them again: "What I said is thing, but I'm not entirely sure. Let me send a letter to my family branch, have them send some tribute charcoal for comparison."
Magistrate Sheng had looked carefully. What Xu Huaiqian sent them was indeed silver frost charcoal, but it didn't fully meet the grade of tribute charcoal. Having the two kids rush over to tell them it was tribute charcoal, only for it to later fail to qualify, wouldn't that be a futile joy?
Magistrate Sheng wrote to his family, had them send some tribute charcoal, and after comparing it, only then did he let the two children bring the answer to Xu Huaiqian's wedding banquet.
They didn't come to the wedding empty-handed either.
The world says a broken mirror mended is good—that couples who have split and come back together are truly destined. But a broken mirror is still broken; the crack in the middle can never be removed.
How can a mended mirror compare to that was always flowers full and moon round—perfectly beautiful?
Thinking how he and Sheng Yunjin had almost been impossible to mend, Duan Youyan decided to personally polish a silver mirror for Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu.
He hoped their marriage would be like this silver mirror—forever perfectly beautiful.
They got out of the carriage a step after Pei Wangshu, but like him, were equally amazed upon seeing the dreamlike decorated farmyard, their lips parting in surprise.
"So perfect, so happy." Sheng Yunjin was moved to tears upon seeing the small paper figures of the wedding ceremony strung on ropes filling the entire courtyard.
If they weren't truly in love, how could even a belated wedding banquet be made so festive and grand?
Every detail showed the other, "I love you."
Duan Youyan was also profoundly moved. His own wedding with Sheng Yunjin had been sloppy and rushed because both families were very unhappy.
He never thought much of it before—weren't all weddings like that? But seeing Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu's wedding, he instantly felt he should make up for it for his A-Jin—a wedding that looked just as perfect and happy as this.
Compared to the inner thoughts of Pei Wangshu and Duan Youyan, Meng Fangxun was not so relaxed.
He came with a task.
The Provincial Education Commissir had privately sent some to find him, wanting him to write a epitaph for the soon-to-retire Hanlin Academy Reader-in-waiting , Jiang Hehai.
This frightened Meng Fangxun immensely.
He was just a small Xiucai who had barely passed the academy exam. Even if he was the top candidate of a prefecture, there were countless top candidates from all over the country. What qualification did a small Xiucai from a remote area have to write an epitaph for a fourth-rank official?
Were they mocking him!
But the Commissir had already sent the gift to his home. This epitaph had to be written, whether he wanted to or not.
Asking him to write it meant the Commissir thought highly of him. If he refused, it would be this top candidate being ungrateful.
An official rank higher can crush you to death, let al an official who outranked him by who knew how many levels.
Moreover, in others' eyes, this was completely a good thing. Just an epitaph praising Lord Jiang's achievements. If written well, he would not only connect with Commissir Song but also with Lord Jiang. Of course, if written poorly, he would offend both.
Although Lord Jiang was retiring, his connections in the court were not something a small Xiucai from a remote area could fathom. Whatever little trickled from his fingertips would be enough for them to live on for a lifetime.
The same went for the Commissir. As some pursuing the imperial exams, if he offended the Commissir of a prefecture, who could just mention it to his colleagues, his exam journey would be effectively over.
Wasn't it just writing an epitaph? Write it, he must write it, and write it well.