Ge Xiaomao rushed into the door, looked at Fang Yun happily, and then bent down to support his knees and gasped for breath.

“Sit down and rest.” Fang Yun said.

“You… don’t you care at all? He’s the top Child Scholar! And you’re a Double Armor Scholar! Jing Kingdom has never had a Double Armor Child Scholar before. Everyone else says that Jing Kingdom is a barren land, but now, everyone at the Academy is saying that you’ve broken that curse!”

“Really a Double Armor Scholar?” Fang Yun was surprised. He thought he could only get a B grade with the Sage’s words.

“Of course! It’s written clearly on the gold list. Without a Semi-Saint, they wouldn’t release the list. By the way, I could have come earlier, but I watched a good show and came late.” Ge Xiaomao said with a smile.

Yang Yuyi leaned against the door frame of the main room, listening carefully, unable to help but want to know more about Fang Yun. She liked listening.

“What show?” Fang Yun asked.

“Do you know Fang Zhongyong? Before the list was released, everyone thought he was a sure thing, but no one expected it to be you. Fang Zhongyong was okay, just unhappy, but his father made a scene, questioning the county exam and demanding to check the papers. He was like a shrew. Just then, County Magistrate Cai came out and said that if Fang Zhongyong could also make poetry like Mingzhou and get a perfect score on the Sage’s words, then he would go and ask for the Sage’s judgment again.”

“And then?”

“Then the whole room was shocked. Poetry like Mingzhou, even Imperial Scholars and Hanlin Scholars may not be able to do it. How many Mingzhous can a Semi-Saint make? His father got scared. His father also knew that without the approval of the Sage, you can’t get Double Armor. Fang Yun, how did you suddenly become so talented?” Ge Xiaomao said excitedly and admiringly.

Fang Yun pretended to be surprised and said, “Didn’t I tell you before the exam? I met my teacher and he opened my eyes, so I understood many things.”

“Can you tell me who your teacher is? If he can open your eyes, he must be a Great Scholar, or even a Semi-Saint, right?” Ge Xiaomao asked eagerly.

“I don’t know either.” Fang Yun said helplessly.

“By the way, what about Liu Zicheng?”

Yesterday, Ge Xiaomao and others only learned that Fang Yun had been beaten before the exam, so they came to Fang Yun’s house this morning to ask what happened. Fang Yun briefly explained the situation, and these classmates all sympathized with him, but they were all helpless.

“Let’s not talk about his situation. I became a Child Scholar, so he wouldn’t dare to do anything to me. By the way, how did you guys do?”Ge Xiaomao said happily, “Lu Lin also passed the exam, although he ranked 19th and not as good as you, it still made our classmates envious. Mr. Sun also went and couldn’t stop smiling. Now many parents want to send their children to his private school. Ah, Mr. Sun’s tuition fees are going to increase again.”

“That’s good. After we visit the Temple of All the Saints tomorrow, I will go see Mr. Sun,” Fang Yun said.

“But Liang Yuan is a pity. He said he didn’t pass the exam this time and won’t take it again. He’s managing his father’s rice shop. He doesn’t want to, but he has to. However, Liang Yuan has a good business sense, so there’s no need to worry about him.”

Fang Yun nodded and chatted with Ge Xiaomao, discussing holy words and poetry. Fang Yun shared his insights, which made Ge Xiaomao ecstatic and he took careful notes.

Soon, more than ten people came to the gate with their belongings.

“Congratulations, my nephew!” Fang Yun’s uncle walked in with an exaggerated expression, holding a large pig’s head in his left hand and two thousand copper coins in his right hand, equivalent to two silver coins.

Fang Yun didn’t expect even his uncle to be so generous. Jing Kingdom’s money was not the same as the worthless money on Earth.

Here, three copper coins could buy a large steamed bun. In terms of food prices, three copper coins here were roughly equivalent to more than one yuan during the inflation period in China.

Overall, one silver coin in Holy Origin Mainland was roughly equivalent to 300 yuan.

Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan had been working hard to earn money. Before the Child Scholar exam, they had only saved up 13 silver coins. Even though Fang Yun’s uncle was a butcher and relatively wealthy, his family’s savings were at most four to five hundred silver coins.

In Jixian County, four to five hundred silver coins were enough to buy a decent house in the county town.

“Uncle, Aunt, Auntie…” Fang Yun called out all the relatives and invited them to sit inside.

These relatives brought gifts and money. Just four families gave nearly four silver coins.

Before Fang Yun’s maternal relatives could even settle in, more than ten relatives from Fang Yun’s father’s side came, each bringing several times more gifts than usual.

As Fang Yun’s uncle put it, even a fool knew that Fang Yun would at worst become a Presented Scholar in the future.

Once he became a Presented Scholar, with a little bit of effort, he could become an eighth-rank official. If he worked hard, he could even become a third-rank official.

Fang Yun politely entertained these relatives without any arrogance as a future Presented Scholar. None of these relatives dared to act out of line in front of the dual-jade Child Scholar.Fang Yun originally wanted to entertain these relatives and friends, but Yang Yuhuan reminded the county magistrate that there was still a literary meeting there. Fang Yun quickly apologized to his relatives and friends, and they didn’t blame him but urged him to hurry and not to delay Child Scholar’s literary meeting.

Fang Yun hurried to Ji Xiang Restaurant. There weren’t many people on the street, and many people were still crowding around the academy. Fang Yun’s relatives and friends learned that Fang Yun was going to Child Scholar’s place to get money and buy things.

Passing by the alley from yesterday, Fang Yun stopped and looked, took a deep breath, and continued to walk towards Ji Xiang Restaurant in front.

Before Fang Yun entered the door, Zhen, the boss of Ji Xiang Restaurant, came out to meet him. Seeing Fang Yun, he turned pale with anger and said, “Didn’t I tell you not to come? Get out of here immediately. The county magistrate is upstairs. If you startle him, you’ll regret it.”

Fang Yun was stunned, then realized and showed a strange expression, asking, “Didn’t you go to the county academy to see the list?”

Zhen impatiently said, “The Child Scholar’s literary meeting is held here every year. I’m busy as hell. Why would I go to the academy? I told you this morning that you’re not allowed to enter Ji Xiang Restaurant in the future. If you take one more step forward, I’ll have someone break your legs!”

Fang Yun remembered what Zhen said this morning, and his face sank, saying, “Zhen, you’re going too far! As a Child Scholar, I’m rushing to the county lord’s literary meeting. If I want to enter this restaurant, you can’t stop me!”

“I can’t stop you? What did you say? You became a Child Scholar? That’s hilarious! Are you crazy? I know what you’re like. Get out of here! Do you hear me?” Zhen didn’t believe Fang Yun at all.

Fang Yun had worked at Ji Xiang Restaurant for more than two years. At first, Zhen thought Fang Yun might have potential, but as he got to know him better, he looked down on Fang Yun more and more. He even made his son, who was a Child Scholar, pass Fang Yun in the exam. His son was convinced that Fang Yun could never pass the exam in his life, so he became even more harsh on Fang Yun because he wanted to marry Yang Yuhuan but couldn’t.

Fang Yun said coldly, “Since you’re the owner of Ji Xiang Restaurant and won’t let me in, I won’t go in. When the county magistrate asks, you can tell him that you drove me away. Goodbye.”

Fang Yun originally wanted to teach Zhen a lesson through the county magistrate, but he had a better idea.

Fang Yun grabbed a handful of copper coins from his money bag and loudly said to the passersby, “Everyone coming from the south and going north, have you seen the money in my hand? Now I’ll give you a riddle. Whoever answers first, I’ll give them the money! Don’t miss out on this free money. Whoever doesn’t take it is a fool!”People nearby were immediately attracted and soon more than ten people gathered. People from afar saw the crowd and immediately ran over to see what was happening.

The auspicious restaurant was located on the busiest street in the county. In no time, there were crowds of people inside and outside the restaurant. People on the second floor nearby also looked down.

The Wangyuan Jun was sitting by the window. He smiled slightly when he looked out and said, “County Lord, it’s Fang Yun.”

“What’s going on?” Cai County Lord walked over and looked down. Other people also walked to the window to look down.

They saw Fang Yun standing in the crowd, flipping over more than twenty copper coins with his hands.

“Quickly give us the riddle! Did you change your mind?”

“Speak up!”

“Isn’t this Fang Yun? He just won the top spot in the Shuangjia case. Why is he playing here now?”

Zhen the shopkeeper, who was watching coldly on the side, broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this. He couldn’t believe that Fang Yun had really won the Child Scholar title, and even the top spot in the case.

Fang Yun loudly said, “I’ll make a crooked poem as a riddle now. You have to guess an item that everyone has. Alright, listen to me: pointed head, thin body, white as silver, weighs nothing, eyes are on the butt, only recognizes clothes and not people. Who knows what this is? There’s a prize if you guess it right.”

Cai County Lord on the second floor couldn’t help but laugh softly and asked, “What did Zhen the shopkeeper do to offend him? This Fang Yun, his tongue is sharper than a knife.”

“He’s so good at cursing people, no wonder he’s the Shuangjia Child Scholar.” A refined old man in his fifties smiled.

At this moment, someone in the crowd raised their hand and shouted loudly, “I know, it’s a needle! The needle’s eyes are on the butt, right? It only recognizes clothes and not people.”

“Correct answer! This money is yours! The eyes are on the butt and only recognize clothes and not people, it’s a needle!” Fang Yun pointed at Zhen the shopkeeper.

People who knew Zhen the shopkeeper burst into laughter.

Someone shouted, “No wonder he’s the top spot in the Shuangjia case. He’s got great talent and even curses people in poetry! Zhen the shopkeeper, why aren’t you saying anything? Turn around and let us see if you have eyes on your butt!”

Even those who didn’t know Zhen the shopkeeper now knew what was going on and laughed along.

At this time, Duan Huo, who had gone out to buy groceries, came back and saw Fang Yun shouting, “Fang Yun, congratulations on being the top Child Scholar! You’re from our auspicious restaurant. The restaurant’s threshold will be trampled on by you in the future. When you win the top spot in the imperial examination, I can say that I’m friends with the top scholar.”Zhen, the shopkeeper, has offended quite a few people, and immediately someone said with a strange tone, “The champion recognizes Zhen the shopkeeper, but Zhen the shopkeeper may not recognize the champion. In the eyes of Boss Zhen, even the Grand Academician is nothing.”

Zhen the shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead with trembling hands. He cursed Duan Hu’s ancestors eighteen generations in his heart. If Duan Hu had come a moment earlier, it wouldn’t have escalated to this.

Zhen the shopkeeper looked at Fang Yun anxiously and secretly sighed that scholars really don’t need a knife to kill. His tactics were too ruthless. The first Child Scholar of Jing Nation had written a poem in front of his restaurant, criticizing him for only recognizing clothes and not people. The reputation of Jixiang Restaurant was completely ruined.