Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 359 The Merging of the Examination Hall and the Application for the Provincial Examination (Part 2)

As soon as Old Madam Sheng spoke, everyone in the room lowered their heads and dared not utter a word.

This also included Madam Wang, who was currently displaying her formidable power.

At this moment, facing her mother-in-law, Madam Wang no longer had the confidence she had when speaking to Sheng Hong. She was now like a little quail, her face full of fear and worry, and all traces of her previous imposing manner were gone.

After all, when facing Sheng Hong, it was Madam Wang who had the upper hand and he was in the wrong, but now that it was her turn to face Old Madam Sheng, it was she, the daughter-in-law, who was in the wrong.

It's true what they say, fortunes change, and one person is replaced by another!

As for Lin Qinshuang on the other side, the same applies.

In fact, compared to Madam Wang's appearance, Lin Qinshuang looked even more disheveled.

However, although she adopted a humble posture, the composure in her eyes could not be hidden from Old Madam Sheng, who saw through Lin Qinshuang's disguise almost immediately.

However, even Old Madam Sheng was helpless in this situation. After all, the other person was smart and could see the situation clearly!

In fact, Lin Qinshuang was so calm because she had already seen through the situation on the field.

After all, the focus today is on Sheng Changquan's provincial examination, so Old Madam Sheng would never make a big fuss about it.

Seeing this, Old Madam Sheng glanced at Madam Wang beside her with a hint of despair, only to find that she was still shrinking her neck, pretending to be a little quail.

"Ugh!"

Grandma Sheng sighed inwardly, then forced herself to change her mind and opened her eyes.

"Shh!"

Grandma Sheng slowly looked around at the Sheng family members nearby and said solemnly, "Today is the day of Quan'er's provincial examination!"

I don't want to see it!

Grandma Sheng spoke with great weight; though her words were spoken slowly and deliberately, they were firm and resounding, carrying an indescribable air of authority.

"I also don't want to hear anything that would be detrimental to the unity of the Sheng family!"

"Because these things are the very signs of a family's ruin!"

Old Madam Sheng glared at Madam Wang and Lin Qinshuang across from her, her gaze carrying a hidden meaning.

"Boom!"

Immediately afterwards, Old Madam Sheng slammed her cane down hard on the ground, giving everyone a sound like a heavy hammer blow!

"Yes, mother!"

Upon hearing the voice, Sheng Hong was the first to come to his senses. He bent down and carefully approached Old Madam Sheng, bowing and apologizing, "Mother, you are right!"

"It's all my son's fault. He's the one who failed to manage the household properly, which is why this situation has arisen!"

Sheng Hong forced a smile, but a pang of sadness welled up inside him.

"Alas! What a misfortune for our family!"

"My family is unfortunate!"

Sheng Hong sighed inwardly, while a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

After all, it was quite embarrassing for him to lose face in front of his own mother.

In fact, Sheng Hong had always respected and feared Old Madam Sheng, and respected her without question. Therefore, when Old Madam Sheng said that, regardless of whether it was his fault or not, Sheng Hong would rush over to admit his mistake immediately.

Moreover, in Sheng Hong's heart, he had always harbored a secret thought: he wanted to make a name for himself and amaze Old Madam Sheng!
To be honest, Sheng Hong was somewhat awkward in front of Old Madam Sheng. This was not only because of their different statuses—one was a son of a concubine who had been adopted by his legal mother, and the other was the legal mother who had taken in a son of a concubine—but also because of their respective abilities.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Sheng Hong had to say that his stepmother was truly remarkable. When faced with any important matters, she could always calmly come up with a solution, just like she had when he was a child.

To be fair, Sheng Hong admired his stepmother, but precisely because of this, he also wanted to prove himself to her and stand up for his birth mother.

Indeed, the reason Sheng Hong felt so awkward was because of his status as an illegitimate son and the past of his birth mother, Chun Xiaoniang...

Getting back to the point, after hearing Sheng Hong's familiar apology, Old Madam Sheng simply glanced at him calmly, without a trace of change in her expression.

On the contrary, Old Madam Sheng didn't even glance at Sheng Hong. Instead, she turned her gaze to Madam Wang and Lin Qinshuang, staring at them quietly.

“Mother…Mother!”

"Son...daughter-in-law...I know I was wrong!"

Madam Wang dared to argue, but she readily admitted her mistake to Old Madam Sheng.

Knowing how formidable her mother-in-law was, and understanding that she had seen through her thoughts, Madam Wang simply admitted her mistake directly, leaving the punishment to her mother-in-law's discretion.

Anyway, Wang Ruofu accepted it!
Because she knew that if she were punished, Lin Qinshuang would be punished even more severely, since she was the mistress of the house, while the other party was just a concubine!

In the eyes of the old lady Sheng, who valued rules and etiquette, the other party was absolutely incomparable to herself.

"Grandma, Qinshuang knows she was wrong!"

After Madam Wang admitted her mistake, Lin Qinshuang followed suit and then, under Old Madam Sheng's "indifferent" gaze, also admitted her mistake.

Grandma Sheng didn't say much about it, but simply looked away.

After all, these two are elders, and they are out in public, so we still have to save face for them.

"Quan'er!"

Now that the matter had been settled, Old Madam Sheng didn't want to dwell on it any longer. She turned to look at Sheng Changquan, who was not far away, and smiled kindly.

"Quan'er, don't worry about these mundane matters today. Quickly tell your sisters what's going on and then go inside!"

"Grandma, we're waiting for news of your high school entrance exam!"

Grandma Sheng's face softened with kindness as she spoke gently to Sheng Changquan.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Sheng Changquan breathed a sigh of relief.

Today is, after all, the day of the provincial examination. If something goes wrong at this time, it might bring bad luck. Although Sheng Changquan doesn't believe in such things, he would still be upset. That's why he acted this way after seeing Old Madam Sheng step in and subdue everyone.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Sheng Changquan roused himself, nodded solemnly, and then assured his family, including Old Madam Sheng, "Please rest assured, I will do my utmost on this trip and will not bring shame to the Sheng family!"

"Ok!"

Sheng Hong, who was on the side, didn't care that he was admitting his mistake. He nodded to himself and thought that Sheng Changquan's words were very apt.

However, it's not entirely Sheng Hong's fault. After all, he also felt that his son couldn't possibly fail the provincial examination.

Moreover, what pleased him most was that Sheng Changquan had a strong sense of "family honor and disgrace"!
As the head of the Sheng family, who was dedicated to developing the family into a prestigious clan, Sheng Hong naturally admired Sheng Changquan's values.

"All right!"

Sheng Hong's unusual behavior quickly caught the attention of Old Madam Sheng. However, she didn't say much, but secretly glanced at Sheng Hong, who was so happy he was almost out of control, with a helpless smile between her brows.

With a faint smile on her face, Old Madam Sheng looked at the sisters gathered together not far away and said, "Hua'er, you older sisters, go up and talk to him!"

Over there, Hua Lan and three other Lans were standing together. Upon hearing Old Madam Sheng's greeting, the four of them walked up to Sheng Changquan in turn, following the rules of seniority.

Hua Lan was the eldest sister, so she was the first to come to Sheng Changquan's side. She looked at her half-brother and felt a mix of emotions.

However, she harbored no ill will towards Sheng Changquan. After all, he was her younger brother and also part of her maternal family. Only someone insane like Hua Lan would harbor such malice. It's important to understand that after a woman marries, her strength comes not only from her own efforts, but also from the prosperity of her maternal family and the excellence of her siblings—these are all crucial assets that give her confidence.

"big sister!"

Upon seeing Hua Lan approaching, Sheng Changquan spoke first.

"Ok!"

Looking at her younger brother, who was now a head taller than her, Hua Lan nodded, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart. Then she reached out to straighten the slightly wrinkled collar of Sheng Changquan's clothes and said with a smile, "Seventh brother, you've grown up too!"

Hua Lan sighed with emotion: "Back when we first came to Beijing, you were just a little baby."

"hehe!"

Hua Lan looked at Sheng Changquan and suddenly laughed: "I didn't expect you to be so grown up now, and even starting scientific expeditions!"

"Ah? This..."

When Hua Lan brought up the past, Sheng Changquan felt a little embarrassed. He touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Big sister, what you're saying..."

Unfortunately, it's not so bad for other people. At least they don't remember their childhood. But Sheng Changquan is different. With his cheat code, he still remembers how pathetic he was when he was a baby.

After all, he was still very young at the time, and his physical functions were not fully developed. So, he had all the common problems that babies have, such as: breastfeeding, bedwetting, etc.

"hehe!"

Seemingly recalling Sheng Changquan's past embarrassing incidents, Hua Lan laughed even more heartily.

"big sister……"

"All right!"

Hua Lan had laughed enough, so she stopped teasing Sheng Changquan: "Then, your older sister wishes you a resounding success and a place in the imperial examination!"

"Humph!"

Sheng Changquan feigned a hum, then smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words, elder sister!"

"Hmph! You little rascal!"

Seeing Sheng Changquan's smile, Hua Lan was also unconsciously infected and a sincere smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, right, Seventh Brother!"

Suddenly, Hua Lan remembered her husband's instructions and couldn't help but add, "After the provincial examination, don't forget to visit your brother-in-law's house!"

"It's been years, and I've never seen you set foot in my house again!"

Hua Lan said reproachfully, "Could it be that you look down on your older sister and your brother-in-law?"

In fact, Hua Lan knew the purpose of her husband's instructions. He simply wanted to use the relationship between the two families to take this opportunity to befriend Sheng Changquan.

After all, Yuan Wenshao was a military officer. Although the Taizu Emperor had raised the status of military officers in this dynasty, how could the habits formed over hundreds and thousands of years be easily changed?

Therefore, how could Yuan Wenshao remain unmoved in the face of Sheng Changquan, who was destined to be a civil official and had the potential to become the top scholar in the imperial examination?

That's why Hualan made her trip today.

"Ah! What?"

Upon hearing Hua Lan's complaint, Sheng Changquan immediately exclaimed in surprise.

However, he knew that Hua Lan was just joking, but he had no intention of exposing her. Instead, he played along and complained, "Big sister, you've really wronged me!"

After calling out, Sheng Changquan added, "Big sister, you know perfectly well that for the past few years, I've been traveling and studying with my master!"

"At that time, how could I possibly have time to return to Bianliang!"

Sheng Changquan touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Besides, I've been busy preparing for the provincial examination lately, so naturally I haven't had time to visit your house, big sister!"

"Humph!"

Hua Lan was amused by Sheng Changquan: "Good! Good! Good!"

"Big sister misunderstood you!"

"That's what it is!"

Sheng Changquan muttered to himself, feigning indignation on his face.

Following Hua Lan, Mo Lan and Ru Lan also stepped forward to offer their blessings to Sheng Changquan.

However, compared to Hua Lan and Ru Lan's sincerity, Mo Lan seemed a bit off. Her words seemed to hide something, with a hint of sourness.

Sheng Changquan merely narrowed his eyes in response, but said nothing more.

In contrast, Hua Lan glanced at Mo Lan meaningfully, her expression also revealing a coldness.

A person who is so indifferent even to his own brothers—one can easily imagine what his true nature is.

It was at this moment that Hua Lan finally understood Mo Lan's true nature, and her attitude and feelings towards her changed accordingly, becoming more wary and cautious.

As for Minglan, she was focused on Sheng Changquan the whole time, so she didn't notice Molan's sarcastic remarks.

"Brother, you should handle it yourself!"

Minglan was the last to step forward, but she didn't say anything to put pressure on Sheng Changquan. She simply comforted him, saying, "You must prioritize your own health!"

"You're still young, there's no need to rush."

Minglan spoke very softly, and apart from Sheng Changquan, no one else heard her clearly, so no one refuted her, saying that Minglan was talking nonsense.

"hehe!"

Seeing the concern in Minglan's eyes, Sheng Changquan smiled sincerely.

"Sister, don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

"Ok!"

Minglan nodded somewhat reluctantly, and finally gave her seat to Sheng Hong, the eldest son of the Sheng family.

"Changquan, you!"

Sheng Hong had intended to adopt the demeanor of a father and offer some words of advice, but when he recalled the scene where Madam Wang had caused trouble for him, he immediately felt ashamed to say anything more.

Therefore, in the end, all Sheng Hong could do was say dryly, "Go!"

That marked the complete end of this farewell.

"Well then, Changquan will be leaving now!"

Sheng Changquan bowed to the crowd in front of the mansion: "Grandmother, Father, Mother, and sisters, please wait!"

After saying a few words to everyone, Sheng Changquan got into the carriage driven by Xu Changqing and drove off to the examination hall.

Damn it, I didn't save what I wrote before, and it's all gone!!! (It's too late, I'll revise the remaining 4,000 words tomorrow! I'll try to resume updates during this weekend.)

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(End of this chapter)