The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 831 - 178: Hold One’s Head High _3

Chapter 831: Chapter 178: Hold One’s Head High _3

Seeing her eyes filled with disdain and dissatisfaction, Yu Qingxiu couldn’t help but feel disheartened, and she dared not say anything more. Pei Qin held a Third Rank enjoin, which was several ranks higher than the County Magistrate, and the Li family weren’t their legitimate relatives. They had climbed up to associate with them, so it wasn’t wrong for her to uphold her own status. If her mother-in-law really blamed her for this and they offended them, how could they approach them again later?

Although Grandma Li thought this way and still intended to seek their help in the future, the repeated attempts to garner such assistance had left her with a sense of resentment. Even with all the respect she showed, they still refused to visit, looking down on them as if her son’s academic achievement was owed to their great efforts.

Old Man Li saw that Yu Qingxiu was too shy to say more and advised Grandma Li, "You should speak less too! It’s busy during spring plowing, and it’s not something you can blame them for. If someone were to spread the word, who knows if they might hold a grudge against us and trip up Bao Xiang!"

"I just uttered a few words, what’s there to spread around!? Who would dare to spout such nonsense!?" Grandma Li said, glaring fiercely at Yu Qingxiu as a warning not to carelessly speak of these matters.

Now that Yu Qingxiu had married into the family, she was naturally one of the Lis. If she let slip what her mother-in-law had said, offending Pei Qin and the rest was inevitable.

Grandma Li muttered a few complaints, but ultimately, thinking of the upcoming township examination the year after, she held back her comments. When they had prepared all the items for the banquet, they set aside a portion and sent Yu Qingxiu and Li Bao Xiang to deliver it to Pei Qin, "Tell them that Bao Xiang should also go to the Imperial College in Capital Jingcheng to study. Didn’t Fang Liuming go there to study and then passed the Palace Examination to become an official? Let Bao Xiang go too, so that in two years’ time, if he excels, he could stay in Jingcheng and become an official too!"

Seeing Grandma Li’s gaze fixed on her, obviously addressing her, Yu Qingxiu felt somewhat troubled, "Cousin Liuming... He went to Jingcheng after he passed as a Graduate."

"He went after passing as a Graduate, but what about Fang Fu!? He is still only a Scholar! He went! Why shouldn’t Bao Xiang be able to go? Now that you’ve married into the Li family, you should consider your husband’s interests and not let your elbow turn outwards!" Grandma Li said sternly, looking at her.

Yu Qingxiu didn’t dare to continue and simply said, "I’ll try."

"When you get there, you really must speak well! You’re not just addressing her as ’cousin’ now, but rather, beseech them, and insist that they send Bao Xiang to that Imperial College in Jingcheng!" Grandma Li instructed her.

Yu Qingxiu could only agree.

The two of them carrying the gifts once again arrived at Liu’er Alley, "We originally thought of waiting for Wendong to pass by since you’re all so busy, so we decided to bring the gifts over first!"

Pei Qian took a glance at the items they brought, noting the five or six pounds of meat, and she couldn’t help but curl her lips disdainfully. Their family’s fare wasn’t that appetizing, so what was the purpose of this visit again?

Yu Qingxiu, remembering Grandma Li’s words, took a deep breath, exchanged pleasantries, and then tentatively spoke to Pei Qin, "Cousin! My husband has already attained the title of Scholar. Is it possible for him to also go to the Imperial College in Capital Jingcheng?"

Pei Qin’s gaze shifted slightly, "You can go to Jingcheng if you wish, but to be admitted to the Imperial College, you must pass an examination. If you want to try, you’re welcome to do so."

Yu Qingxiu looked at Li Bao Xiang, seeking his thoughts. Going was one thing, but if they failed to be admitted and had to return, that would be an embarrassment. Seeing that Li Bao Xiang defered to her, she said somewhat bashfully, "Cousin... is there any way... to speak to the Imperial College on behalf of my husband? His scholarship is also very good, it’s just that his luck has been bad."

"No," Pei Qin said flatly.

Yu Qingxiu immediately flushed with embarrassment and shame.

Li Bao Xiang’s face also darkened.

"I don’t know anyone from the Imperial College. Fang Liuming went there with a recommendation from Wu Dongsi, and after getting there, he passed the examination. The Imperial College is filled with elites, including many from aristocratic families. If one fails the examination, nobody could help," Pei Qin explained with a frown.

Wu Dongsi, that was the former County Magistrate.

Fang Fu was not a strong scholar, and his placement was quite low when he obtained the title of Scholar. If Fang Fu, who performed somewhere in the middle, managed to get in, Li Bao Xiang believed that with Pei Qin’s help, he would definitely be admitted. His gaze flickered as he asked Pei Wendong, "... Do the three of them intend to go to the Imperial College? It would be opportune to go together, and we would have someone to look out for each other."

"They have no intention of going," Pei Qin replied indifferently.

"No intention to go!?" Yu Qingxiu was taken aback. The Imperial College was a place in Jingcheng; how could they not want to go there?

Li Bao Xiang didn’t believe this. With Shen Songming and Pei Wendong expressing willingness to go, and Fang Liuming already serving as an official in Jingcheng, it would be easy for them to gain admittance, "Is it because Yonglin has no academic title and cannot be admitted? And so Wendong and Zhao Yong don’t want to leave him behind?"