Chapter 30 — TVF Chapter 30

A Poor Family’s Hereditary Scumbag (2)  According to the original body’s memories, in this world’s provincial exam the ratio between “subjective questions” and “objective questions” was seven to three. There had been many precedents where candidates wrote exceptionally well on the subjective portions, did only passably on the objective ones, and still passed the exam.

So Qin Jingzhou wasn’t particularly anxious, given that he couldn’t dig up much in the way of answers from the original body’s memories.

As long as the objective questions were serviceable, the real focus was on the essays.

Flipping through the plot in his mind, the current emperor was in his forties—a decent ruler who excelled at maintaining stability. During his reign, the political situation was steady and the realm at peace.

Coincidentally, five years earlier there had been a major examination fraud scandal. Even with the emperor’s relatively mild temperament, he had been furious—heads rolled in droves, including one member of the imperial clan.

Because of that, the imperial examinations at this time could genuinely be called fair. No one dared risk cheating against the wind.

However, the original body had failed four times in a row. If he suddenly tested too well, it might arouse suspicion. This provincial exam would admit one hundred and sixty candidates; Qin Jingzhou felt that placing around seventy or eighty would be just right.

Thus, when writing the “essay questions,” he kept things as steady as possible, then made slight flourishes based on the original body’s handwriting to make the script more pleasing to the eye.

When it came time to hand in the papers, Qin Jingzhou walked out of the examination compound with a group of fellow candidates, all of them dusty and exhausted. Five consecutive days in the exam hall was even more grueling than the three-session, three-day exams of ancient times in his original world.

At the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall used as the examination site, Qin Jingzhou exchanged a few pleasantries with acquaintances he only knew by nodding, when a plain-looking man came up to him.

The original body was currently lodging at the home of a clan elder who served as a judicial official. This plain man was that elder’s senior attendant.

They returned home without incident. Qin Jingzhou bathed, changed clothes, ate something simple, then collapsed into bed. His own spirit could have held out, but the original body’s physical condition was already utterly exhausted.

He slept until noon the next day. After washing up and eating a little, he still felt off, so he went back to sleep.

When he woke again, it was already dark—and there was now a refined-looking man in front of him. This was that clan elder who served as a judicial official. The elder examined him for a long while before speaking. “If you hadn’t woken up, I was about to call a physician. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Qin Jingzhou stretched openly. “Just tired. I want to eat and sleep until the results are posted.”

This calm confidence clearly infected the clan elder.

In the past, this younger clansman would always come back dejected after exams. This time, he returned without a word and went straight to sleep. The elder felt… there was a chance!

This clansman was only thirty-two this year. If he passed the metropolitan exam before forty, his prospects would likely surpass the elder’s. Even if he didn’t, he’d still be worth befriending and helping along.

So he asked, “Judging by you, you’ve got some confidence?”

Qin Jingzhou nodded. “I think it should work.”

On the day the results were posted three days later, the clan elder happened to be off duty, so he went with Qin Jingzhou to see the list.

The two sat on the second floor of a teahouse across from the Imperial Examination Hall, waiting for the servant sent to check the list to return. Looking down through the wide-open window, the elder saw his servant sprinting toward the teahouse entrance—and immediately knew his clansman had made it.

The servant rushed into the private room, needing a moment to catch his breath before speaking. “Reporting, sir—Seventeenth Master… Seventeenth Master passed! Seventh place!”

The clan elder was overjoyed. He took out silver and rewarded the servant on the spot. “Excellent!” With that ranking, the jinshi exam was within reach!

Within the clan, the original body ranked seventeenth among his generation.

Qin Jingzhou was somewhat surprised. Seventh? He’d been aiming for around seventieth or eightieth. Was this cohort really that weak?

Nailed by the host’s casual flex, the system couldn’t help commenting, “I think you may have misunderstood your own level of ability.” “I just think the jinshi is basically secured. Obviously, my dear clan elder thinks so too.” Qin Jingzhou changed the topic. “Passing the provincial exam… I don’t have silver on hand. I can’t go home in glory with lavish gifts. My speaking power will still be lacking. I need to find a way to get some money.”

The Luming Banquet would be held seven days later, and he was certain to attend. As for quick money in the meantime—he found a suitable path to riches in the plot.

He calmed down the clan elder, who was even more excited than he was, and asked him to send someone back to the village with a message—telling his father and brothers to stop doing manual labor, and also to make a trip to his father-in-law’s place so the old man could rest easy.

The clan elder agreed readily. “Younger Brother Zhou, don’t worry. I’ll have Steward Li make the trip.”

Qin Jingzhou cupped his hands. “Thank you, Brother. I have something to attend to and need to go out for a few days. I’ll definitely be back in time for the Luming Banquet.”

The elder’s expression turned subtle. “Going to see a confidante? Want me to arrange some people?”

Qin Jingzhou laughed and declined.

With the realm at peace, and with a newly minted juren clansman traveling around the prefectural city with a senior attendant and a servant, the elder wasn’t worried about anything happening.

But Qin Jingzhou was actually planning to do something bigger… well, something of middling scale.

In the plot, a team of imperial secret agents investigating salt permits had fallen into an ambush. The leader of that team happened to be the cousin of the Tenth Prince—the male lead. Later, the male lead was ordered south to the prefectural city to investigate the case, where he met the female lead, who was doing business there… After the two fell in love, the male lead told her the details: his cousin had actually escaped, but without timely treatment, he bled to death.

Qin Jingzhou was fairly confident he could save that team leader without significantly affecting the male and female leads’ fate.

He took his servant and attendant, following the plot’s hints along the way. The original body only stayed in the prefectural city during exams; otherwise, he rented a place in a nearby county. On the road back to that county residence, sure enough, they found traces of scattered fighting by a mountain-side official road: broken armor fragments, arrows, and bloodstains.

The attendant and servant weren’t stupid or blind. They immediately grew tense and begged him repeatedly—whatever their master had been like before, now that he’d passed the provincial exam with a bright future ahead, he absolutely must not risk himself!

Qin Jingzhou smiled. “Look at the bloodstains—they’ve already dried. I’m just going to take a look. If needed, we’ll report it to the authorities.”

His tone was gentle, but somehow… intimidating. The attendant and servant were cowed into silence, not daring to utter another word.

Qin Jingzhou was quite satisfied. Letting out a bit of presence was still effective in this world.

He deliberately took a slight detour and found his target—up in a tree. The servant and attendant worked together to get the man down. Qin Jingzhou checked his injuries. Fortune within misfortune—his internal organs were largely unharmed.

Using materials from his portable medical kit, Qin Jingzhou treated the wounds of the young man, who had lost too much blood and was unconscious.

While their master treated the injured, the attendant and servant noticed the fabric of the man’s undergarments. With the experience they’d gained from serving in a notable household, the two fell completely silent.

On the way back to the official road with the severely injured young man, the master and servants also happened to rescue another unconscious youth.

Qin Jingzhou skillfully treated his wounds as well, then noticed the cloud-patterned brocade at the collar of his undergarment. In Great Liang, cloud-patterned brocade was essentially exclusive to the imperial clan. He pointed at the brocade and said to the two servants, who had performed well, “Kindness used in the right place will be repaid.”

And indeed, it was.

When the two badly injured youths slowly woke up, the first thing they saw was each other… and the bandaged wounds on one another.

Seeing that both were awake and clearly lucid, Qin Jingzhou walked to their bedside. “I advise you to rest two or three days, until the wounds scab over completely, before leaving.” Then he introduced himself. “If you want to thank me, I won’t stop you… but do you have silver?”

The two young men, who had been calmly waiting to negotiate terms: …

After having the servant go out to leave signals according to their instructions, Qin Jingzhou ordered the attendant to bring each of them a bowl of decoction—the painkilling, anti-inflammatory, calming medicine he had refined and improved multiple times in the previous world.

Plants, animals, medicine, and pharmacology were common across worlds. Qin Jingzhou wasn’t worried about the medicine causing problems.

Fifteen minutes after taking the medicine, the two youths could barely hide their shock. They had multiple penetrating wounds, some deep enough to expose bone. When they first woke, the pain had been intense—but after drinking the decoction, the pain was nearly negligible. They could already move freely!

Just by looking at their expressions, Qin Jingzhou knew what they were thinking. “You think my unique medicine is pretty good? Since you’re esteemed gentlemen, why not give a bit more silver?”

The two youths: …We know you’re smart. No need to keep reminding us that you think this situation runs deep, and that paying silver is just to repay the life-saving debt—you don’t want to get involved further.

Four days later, when people came specifically to take the two youths away, they were already able to clean their wounds on their own.

By then, the two had already investigated Qin Jingzhou’s background. His family was merely well-off, but backed by a prominent clan. He had passed the provincial exam in seventh place. A juren of this level was destined not to lack money. They were even more convinced that Qin Jingzhou asking for silver was simply a way of signaling his lack of curiosity and unwillingness to get involved.

In the end, the two left behind two thousand taels of silver.

Qin Jingzhou accepted it with a smile, instructed the attendant and servant to pack up, and—going through the motions—paid a visit to one of the original body’s former lovers, a certain top courtesan.

This courtesan had once supported the original body financially. Later, after seeing his true nature, she had grown distant.

Now that Qin Jingzhou had passed the provincial exam and came again, her attitude naturally changed.

Qin Jingzhou first repaid the favor, then made it clear that he felt guilty toward his deceased wife and had no improper intentions toward her, before taking his leave and returning from the county to the prefectural city.

At the Luming Banquet held in the prefectural city, Qin Jingzhou caught the eye of the Prince of Jin’s heir. Although the Prince of Jin and the emperor were half-brothers, their relationship was as close as that between Emperor Yongzheng and Prince Yi.

However, with so many people and so many ears at the banquet, Qin Jingzhou didn’t say much to the heir. Afterward, he paid a visit to the relay station where the heir was temporarily staying. After receiving a solemn thanks, he accepted twenty thousand taels of silver and returned home to his clan elder’s residence, thoroughly satisfied.

The earlier two thousand taels aside, the twenty thousand from the Prince of Jin’s heir had come through legitimate channels. Qin Jingzhou could now take some of it to prepare gifts and truly return home in glory.

He didn’t hesitate—immediately making large purchases, and even spending several thousand taels on an impressive inkstone to gift to the clan elder.

The elder happily accepted and was very pleased.

Even the elder’s wife—who had always harbored some complaints about this temporarily lodged husband’s clansman—now believed that the clansman’s former selfishness and stinginess had simply been born of necessity. Having now gained the Prince of Jin’s heir’s favor and some financial breathing room, he immediately thought to repay relatives and friends.

She smiled at Qin Jingzhou much more often as well.

Because of official duties, the clan elder couldn’t accompany him back to the village. Instead, he proactively lent him a carriage and manpower.

As an aside, the original body’s father and brothers had already received the good news of his passing the exam—but they hadn’t come to the prefectural city to meet him. The reason was simple… they had no travel permits.

When there’s a scholar in the family, travel permits are easier to obtain—but they still cost silver.

Not even that much silver could be scraped together. One could imagine how dire the family’s situation was.

Of course, the original body’s father couldn’t bring himself to borrow money from neighbors just for a permit. His son had passed the provincial exam—he couldn’t disgrace him! So even though he was desperate to see his beloved youngest son as soon as possible, he held back, and even restrained his other two sons from going to the prefectural city.

Sitting in the carriage on the official road, Qin Jingzhou saw from afar that the village entrance was crowded with men, women, young and old.

Standing at the front was the original body’s father, looking spirited and proud. Beside him stood what should be the “clan heir” of the original body’s branch.

When the carriage stopped, Qin Jingzhou leapt down lightly.

Seeing his youngest son, Old Master Yu was overwhelmed with excitement. He hurried forward, accidentally stumbling. Qin Jingzhou reacted instantly, catching him, smiling broadly. “Your son finally passed the exam. Old man, are you happy?”

The old man smiled so hard his face creased all over, unable to answer.

In such a setting, the more courteous Qin Jingzhou behaved, the more distant it would seem—after all, passing the provincial exam meant officially stepping into the scholar-gentry class, a completely different world.

Everyone present understood this, so seeing how close he was with the old man, the villagers’ joy became much more genuine.

After greeting the villagers, Qin Jingzhou returned home with his father and brothers.

Compared to the neighbors, the original body’s home looked rather shabby, but the courtyard was kept very clean. Stepping into the main hall, Qin Jingzhou saw all of the original body’s family members.

Compared to the heartfelt joy and pride on the faces of the original body’s father, brothers, and eldest sister-in-law, the guilt on his biological mother’s and second sister-in-law’s faces was practically written out in plain sight. The original body’s son kept his head down, not daring to make eye contact at all.

Qin Jingzhou knew what was going on. After sitting down, he asked, “Where’s Little Sister? Where’s Tianniu? Where’s the daughter-in-law at home? Why don’t I see them?”

Tianniu was the original body’s youngest daughter.

The main hall doors were open, so his voice easily carried into the side room with open windows.

The door to the west wing suddenly flew open. The original body’s little sister rushed toward the main hall, carrying a small girl in her arms.

The second sister-in-law immediately stepped forward, appearing to greet them but actually blocking the way. “Tianniu is sick. Don’t come closer—she might spread illness…”

At this moment, the original body’s father and brothers sensed something was wrong, and the eldest sister-in-law lowered her head.

Qin Jingzhou sprang to his feet, walked to the doorway, passed the second sister-in-law, and directly took Tianniu from his sister’s arms.

The little girl was very thin and timid. After glancing at him, she immediately avoided his gaze, then shrank back when she was held securely.

Qin Jingzhou directly rolled up her sleeve, revealing patches of bruising on her wrist—clearly marks left from “someone grabbing her wrist and dragging her when she resisted.”

His face darkened instantly. After coldly sweeping a glance at the original body’s biological mother, his voice turned even colder as he asked his bargain son, “Where is your wife?”

The sister steeled herself and shouted, “He hit his wife. She went back to her natal home!”

The biological mother hurried to speak, trying to suppress her son. “Third Son, today is a great day—you passed the provincial exam! You’re going to lash out at your own family now?”

Qin Jingzhou didn’t respond. He raised his hand and delivered a powerful slap, sending his bargain son Yu Depei spinning in place.

The moment the slap landed, Qin Jingzhou felt sharp pain in his shoulder. Damn it—dislocated! Even so, his expression didn’t change. “I am choosing a great day to discipline my son. What about you, Mother? Would you like to be disciplined as well?”

The biological mother had just opened her mouth when she was struck across the face too.

Her eyes immediately reddened. But meeting her husband’s equally grim expression, she could only clutch her burning cheek and turn away. The marriages of her daughter and Tianniu had already been finalized—white paper, black ink, handprints pressed. No one was backing out now, and no one was making her spit out the bride price silver!

For the sake of silver, even getting beaten was worth it!