Chapter 252: Chapter 107: Shooting Oneself in the Foot

Zhao Jing had become a Tongsheng, and the Zhao clansmen were truly delighted.

This was especially true for Mr. Zhao. With such a promising descendant emerging from the clan, he went ahead and butchered the pig he hadn’t even been willing to slaughter for the New Year.

The Zhao clansmen also brought various dried vegetables from their own homes—daylilies, wood ear mushrooms, dried eggplant, and dried beans. Bustling with excitement, they prepared several tables for a feast, complete with a large pot of pork-butchering stew.

The pork-butchering stew was incredibly fragrant. For the common folk, whose diets were often lean, the aroma was enough to make their mouths water.

Mr. Zhao invited Chen Song and Xu Suying to sit at the head table, thanking the couple once again for taking such good care of Zhao Jing.

He also added that he never would have expected Mr. Zheng and his wife to be such people.

Mr. Zheng was a man of little talent and less ambition, utterly base and shameless, while Mrs. Zheng was appallingly foolish and vicious in her methods. If not for Chen Song and his wife protecting him, Jing would have been in real danger.

The reason Mr. Zhao said all this was because De’an had come over just as their group was leaving the ancestral hall after paying their respects to the ancestors.

In the course of conversation, De’an inevitably let things slip. And so, Mr. Zhao found out the reason they had all returned so late.

It was all because of a "good show" put on by Li Cun’s mother and that Mrs. Zheng, which had nearly ruined Jing’s reputation.

But fortunately, Chen Song and his wife handled the situation perfectly. With them protecting him, Jing couldn’t have been safer.

Chen Song and Xu Suying were unable to refuse and could only accept two cups of wine.

A little later, Xu Suying didn’t linger at the head table. Seizing an opportune moment, she went to find her daughter.

But once she reached their table, she found no peace either.

Mrs. Zhao held her hand, repeating over and over, "It’s all thanks to you." The First and Second Aunts also chimed in with relief, "You’re so capable. If we had been there, we probably would have just started crying."

Xu Suying felt overwhelmed. "I really didn’t do much," she said. "The crucial thing was that a few friends our children made spoke up to help. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to calm everyone down."

"But the constables from the government office were willing to step forward, and that was surely out of respect for Chen Song. And when the Lord County Magistrate passed judgment, he definitely favored our side. That’s all a testament to the reputation you and your husband have."

Chattering on, they thanked Xu Suying again and again.

They didn’t just thank her; they also showered Chen Wanqing with so much praise that both mother and daughter felt awkward and could hardly enjoy their meal.

After the feast ended, Mrs. Zhao took Xu Suying with her to the Zhao home. Once there, they were met with yet another inevitable round of thanks.

Xu Suying felt that in just one short afternoon, she had said enough to last her for half a month. Her mouth was dry from talking so much, and she had nearly finished a whole pot of tea by herself.

By late afternoon, the men’s tables finally started to break up.

It was also time to head back to the county seat.

Xu Suying was preparing to suggest to Mrs. Zhao that the young couple return with her. The day after tomorrow was the County Magistrate’s banquet for all the new Tongsheng. It would be better to take them back now rather than having someone make a special trip to send them tomorrow, or having them wake at the crack of dawn to take Dashan’s ox-cart into the county seat.

But looking at the thrilled Mrs. Zhao, and the still-enthusiastic Mrs. Zhao and the Second Aunt, Xu Suying just couldn’t bring herself to say a word.

’The Zhao family would surely rather make a special trip to the county seat tomorrow than be separated from Jing right now.’

So, Xu Suying said to her daughter, "Why don’t you two stay here for the night?"

Chen Wanqing had the same thought. "You, Father, and De’an should head back first," she said. "We’ll stay here for the night and return tomorrow."

Mrs. Zhao beamed. "Let the young couple stay here for a day and spend some time with us. Tomorrow, his First Uncle can drive them over himself in the horse-drawn carriage. I guarantee it won’t delay Jing from attending the banquet the day after tomorrow."

And so, it was settled.

Chen Song had drunk too much and was unsteady on his feet, so they had to let De’an drive the cart.

Although De’an had also had some wine, he was still just a boy. The elders had only poured him a couple of symbolic cups before letting him go off and play.

Whether it was because he had a high tolerance for alcohol or simply a unique constitution, De’an’s face wasn’t flushed and his heart wasn’t racing after two cups. He looked completely unaffected.

As he cracked the whip, ready to depart, he cleverly raised his voice to call out to Zhao Jing, "Make sure you come back early! The Lord County Magistrate has had the essays from the county exam posted outside the examination hall. We need to go take a look."

Although Jing had placed first, there is an old saying: in scholarship, there is no absolute first; in martial arts, there is no second. His essay might have been excellent, but others surely had their own merits. It would do them good to read more of them.

Zhao Jing nodded. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Hearing this, both Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao hurriedly said, "We can’t delay important matters. We’ll send them back to the county seat tomorrow morning."