The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 430: Failure
Tong Huaqiong looked over at Gu Ruinian.

Gu Ruinian's face turned pale and then red.

At that moment, he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"Aunt Tong, the first person to be born on the day of Jingzhe is a role model for all the brothers in our clan. Shouldn't you host a few banquets?"

The person who said this was Gu Daqiang.

Gu Daqiang was overjoyed.

Grandpa Gu insisted on taking back the land, but he couldn't withstand the pressure and gave in. Seeing the disappointment on Grandpa Gu's face, he couldn't be happier.

Gu Ruinian instigated his grandfather to seize his wheat and even came up with a reason to accuse him of being ungrateful. Gu Ruinian couldn't argue with him and wished he could put a sack over his head and beat him up.

Now, Gu Ruinian hasn't even managed to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), let alone a top scholar. Gu Daqiang is as happy as if he had drunk a bowl of ice water on a hot summer day.

Gu Daqiang loudly congratulated Gu Jingzhe, taking the lead in creating a lively atmosphere.

"Among so many students in Ningcheng, Jingzhe's achievement of getting the top score speaks volumes," Gu Daqiang said to everyone. "What do you all think? Should Aunt Tong throw a banquet?"

"Yes, yes."

Led by Gu Daqiang, the people who brought the good news and the villagers and clansmen surrounded Tong Huaqiong and Gu Jingzhe, urging them to hold a feast. Of course, they also praised Gu Jingzhe.

"We definitely need to have a banquet."

Tong Huaqiong was beaming with joy amidst everyone's praise. She ordered Da Han Gu Tao Hua and others to distribute the prepared celebratory money to everyone. The cakes, candies, and melon seeds had already been distributed once and were not enough. Fortunately, Su Chengmin was quick-witted and had already brought some more from home.

Those who came to deliver the good news squeezed the red envelopes inside and felt that their trip hadn't been in vain; Manager Tong was truly generous.

"When our top scholar passes the imperial examination, we'll come back to deliver the good news," the messenger said with a smile, offering auspicious words.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Thank you for your kind words."

After eating cakes, sweets, and melon seeds, the villagers, thinking about the upcoming banquet, happily gathered around the newly appointed scholar, offering their congratulations.

"This is just a Xiucai (a lower-level scholar), there will be Juren (a higher-level scholar) and Jinshi (a higher-level scholar) in the future. Mother-in-law, just wait for the good news that will come to you after the Awakening of Insects," Zhao, the mother-in-law, said to Tong Huaqiong with great joy.

When Gu Jingzhe achieved the top score in the imperial examination, Zhao was overjoyed. Jingzhe had made great strides, and her daughter and son-in-law would also benefit from it.

The village chief excitedly led the villagers to move benches and set up tables, and to buy wine and food.

Tong Huaqiong is going to hold a banquet, and he, as the village chief, is going to help with the preparations.

As the village chief, he felt honored, since Gu Jingzhe represented the villagers of Qinghewan, and it was a source of pride for him to speak of the village's outstanding achievements.

The emergence of a scholar in the village brings many benefits to the village.

Putting everything else aside, if there are disputes between villages that need to be brought to court, Gu Jingzhe can directly submit a lawsuit to the county.

While Tong Huaqiong was in high spirits, the Gu family appeared all the more forlorn in comparison.

Grandpa and Grandma Gu looked like wilted eggplants, feeling rather bitter when the villagers congratulated them. It would have been even better if Gu Ruinian had passed the imperial examination.

When Magistrate Liu said that Gu Ruinian's name did not exist, Gu Youtian got angry and left.

He had placed such high hopes on his youngest son, and had already made arrangements with the clan that his son would use the clan's money to start a business after passing the imperial examination. Now that his son had failed, who would dare to lend him money?

More importantly, he lost face big time.

He returned home in disgrace after failing in his business in the south. The villagers had been gossiping behind his back. The only reason he could still maintain his dignity in front of the villagers was because they believed that Gu Ruinian could pass the imperial examination.

Now that Gu Ruinian's dream of becoming a scholar has been shattered, how can he ever face anyone again?

Gu Youtian's resentment towards his youngest son grew deeper and deeper. First, he made him join a security escort agency, which caused the loss of his shop in the south. Now, he was so confident that he could pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar that he made Gu Youtian lose face.

If his youngest son hadn't been so certain he'd pass the imperial examination, he wouldn't have suffered such a humiliating defeat. Gu Ruinian watched as everyone surrounded Gu Jingzhe, consumed by jealousy.

He felt that the top spot should have been his, and the honor should have been his. He felt that Gu Jingzhe had stolen his luck. He was doing well in the south, but everything went wrong when he met the old lady's family in Qinghe Bay.

He now suspects that everything he has in the city was a scheme orchestrated by Aunt Gu Jingzhe in conjunction with Tianxiang Tower and Young Master Xie.

“You’ve really screwed me over, Ruinian,” the Gu family patriarch said to Gu Ruinian.

If Gu Ruinian hadn't repeatedly emphasized that he was capable of passing the imperial examination with top honors, he wouldn't have offended Tong Huaqiong and Gu Jingzhe so badly.

Now that the Gu family has produced a top scholar, it should have been a source of pride for the clan leader in front of Magistrate Liu, but now the village chief has stolen the limelight.

Jia defended her son, saying, "This is not my Ruinian's fault. Ruinian was thrown from the carriage before the exam and was covered in injuries, which affected his performance."

The clan chief sneered, "You're saying this now, but why didn't Ruinian say it from the beginning? He said he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."

He has completely disgraced the Gu family.

Gu Ruinian forced a calm expression and said, "Grandpa Clan Chief, you can't judge me based on one mistake. It's true that an accident happened during my exam, but if nothing had gone wrong, I would definitely have passed and become a scholar. Don't underestimate a young man's potential; just wait and see, I'll definitely be the top scholar next time."

Before the clan chief could respond, Gu Ruinian's sister-in-law, Wei, scoffed and said coldly, "Second brother, stop making excuses. What if you fail the exam next time? Are you really going to have to take it again and again, until you're seventy or eighty, like that official said?"

She simply couldn't stand Gu Ruinian.

She fed him all the good food and drink, and he used studying as an excuse to do nothing all day. She would have accepted that he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, but the problem was that he didn't.

What? You want the whole family to tighten their belts to support him in continuing to take the exam? How long will it take?
According to Wei's idea, Gu Ruinian was a literate child who could do accounting, so he should find an accountant to make money.

After saying that, Wei turned and left.

Gu Ruinian's face turned red and white as he was being talked about.

Madam Jia was furious.

He was angered by Wei.

Gu Honglian glanced at Gu Ruinian. The new clothes Gu Ruinian was wearing were obtained in exchange for a silver bracelet she had received when she became a mother. The silver bracelet was supposed to be given to her when she married Gu Ruinian.

She accepted that Gu Ruinian had passed the imperial examination at the county level.

Gu Honglian was furious that she hadn't won the bracelet, having wasted her chance.

"Ruinian, you're really useless."

Gu Honglian uttered a sarcastic remark to Gu Ruinian and quickly ran to Tong Huaqiong's side.

Even if she's being cold to her sister-in-law, she's willing to do it today, at least there's a banquet to eat.

After the ancestral hall was bustling with activity, Tong Huaqiong invited Magistrate Liu to her home for a visit. Magistrate Liu was in the mood, as he wanted to act as matchmaker for Gu Jingzhe and Lu Zhaozhao.

"Grandpa, Grandma, let's go together." Magistrate Liu waved to Grandpa Gu and Grandma Gu.

The magistrate's invitation slightly improved Old Master Gu's mood.

Anyway, Gu Jingzhe is also a grandson, and if he wins the top prize, he will look good in the eyes of outsiders.

“Auspicious Year”.

Grandpa Gu was afraid that Gu Ruinian would be sad, so he turned around and comforted him.

"Ruinian, it's okay that you didn't pass this time. You're still young. We can try again next year."

Gu Ruinian's heart was bleeding. He smiled at Old Master Gu and went to Gu Jingzhe and Tong Huaqiong's side.