Chapter 88: The Imperial Examinations and Dolls

Spring returned to the earth after winter passed.

After Chinese New Year, Chen Xiao Cai pestered Lu Lin for going back to Willow Town to reopen the branch there.

The shop in Forest Town had been open the whole time. The sales had hit record high during the New Year season, which made Chen Xiao Cai extremely jealous.

On New Year's Eve, Chen Xiao Mi called Chen Xiao Cai into his room and told Chen Xiao Cai that both stores at Forest Town and Willow Town belonged to them. There was no other 'Big Boss' behind this.

At first, Lu Lin thought that Chen Xiao Cai was too young to handle this 'breaking news'. However, Chen Xiao Mi felt that his brother was already engaged, and he had been a shopkeeper for so long, Xiao Mi thought it was time that Xiao Cai should know the truth.

Chen Xiao Cai had his doubts before Xiao Mi told him the truth, but it still took him a little while to digest this.

Chen Xiao Mi told Chen Xiao Cai that after two years, when he and Shen Chi officially got married, he would transfer the property and the shop in Willow Town to them.

Chen Xiao Cai didn't expect his brother would suddenly mention this. He blushed and declined.

Chen Xiao Cai had a deprived childhood, so did Shen Chi. They both believed in hard work, so they happened to have the same view about going back to Willow Town and started working.

Chen Xiao Mi knew that Chen Xiao Cai was leaving soon, he was reluctant to say goodbye to his brother, but he let him go in the end.

......

When Chen Xiao Cai arrived at Willow Town, he went into overdrive, happily.

Shen Chi looked at Chen Xiao Cai and asked, "Cai, why are you so happy?"

Shen Chi looked at Chen Xiao Cai and felt that Chen Xiao Cai looked inexplicably pumped.

Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just think our store is going to be re-opened soon. I'm just happy we are going back to work and make money."

Chen Xiao Cai thought that the shop was the big boss's, they were just working for someone else. Now that he knew that the store was his brother and brother-in-law's, he started to see this completely different.

As the shopkeeper of the store, Chen Xiao Cai naturally knew how much money the store would make per month. Chen Xiao Cai did some quick math in his mind, he just found everything too good to be true.

Shen Chi nodded and said, "Yes, I'm excited about going back to work as well."

During the New Year holiday, Lu Lin made quite a lot of delicious food. Shen Chi felt that he didn't deserve to have those yummy dishes because he didn't work much in Forest Town. However, the dishes Lu Lin made were too irresistible, especially the hotpot. When he first tried it, he felt his mouth was on fire, but the more he ate, the more he wanted.

Shen Chi tried so hard to stop eating, but he couldn't control himself.

It was very comfortable to eat hotpot around the stove in winter times. Shen Chi felt he had gained weight.

Shen Chi still couldn't forget how Granny Shen told him that he should watch what he ate now.

Shen Chi scratched his head and thought to himself, 'I need to listen to my grandmother. It's not good to become too fat.'

Chen Xiao Cai glanced at Shen Chi who was in a daze and asked, " Chi, what are you thinking?"

Shen Chi blushed and shook his head, "Nothing."

As soon as Chen Xiao Cai's shop reopened, there was a stream of customers rushing in. Forest Town's store stayed open during the holiday, so the business in the store had been relatively stable, but Willow Town was different. Chen Xiao Cai closed the store for Chinese New Year, so the customers had been wanting to get some new stuff.

Chen Xiao Cai did not expect that customers would actually flock to the store as soon as he reopened it.

The two of them worked hard from early morning to nightfall.

......

In Lu family.

Tang looked at Li Fang Yue's girl in her arms and said unhappily, "Why is this girl crying all the time?"

"She is hungry, I don't have enough milk to feed her."

Tang looked at Li Fang Yue with a frown and said, "You have been eating so many good things, but you just don't have enough milk to feed your own daughter. Tut tut tut, what a waste of food!"

Li Fang Yue bit her lips and lower her head after she was once again scolded by Tang. She was frustrated at herself for not having enough milk. Lin Xiu'er, on the other hand, had no trouble breast feeding her son. Li Fang Yue had begged Lin Xiu'er to feed her daughter, but Lin Xiu'er would just turn her down on lame excuses.

Li Fang Yue could only carry her daughter out and beg other new moms to feed her. Occasionally, she would make some fine porridge to feed the baby girl. But Grandma Lu would scold her for doing that, Grandma Lu said making porridge for babies was a waste of money. These past few days was dark as hex for Li Fang Yue.

Bios couldn't breast feed. Bios in the village could only beg other new moms to feed their babies. Tang was curious about how Chen Xiao Mi was going to feed his baby.

From the people who often went to town, Tang heard that Chen Xiao Mi had hired a wet nurse. And on top of that, Lu Lin had bought three female goats.

One female goat was worth a few hundred cents, three goats had cost Lu Lin at least 1 tael of silver.

Tang turned green with envy after she heard that. But she also found it strange that even if Chen Xiao Mi had saved the owner of the commercial house in town, how come the owner had actually allowed them to raise goats in the backyard!

......

After spring, the Lu family was busy. Tang pestered Li Fang Yue for networking with her brother-in-law for Lu Cheng Yu for the upcoming imperial examination, Li Fang Yue felt so embarrassed, but she dared not disobey Tang.

Li Fang Yue's second brother, Li Hong, was also a Tongsheng and had yet to be a Xiucai. She didn't think networking with her brother-in-law could actually help.

Li Fang Yue's father had asked Li Ru to let the Secretary-General to help Li Hong in the exam, but the Secretary-General said any misconduct in the imperial examinations would give rise to discharge from a post. Even the magistrate's hand were tied, let alone a Secretary-General.

There were so many influential families in town, if it were feasible to pull strings at imperial examinations, they would have done that already. The Lu family had a good opinion about themselves, but they were nothing compared to the wealthy families in town.

However, Li Fang Yue e dared not say that out loud, she was well aware that the Lu family had spent a lot of money to marry her for the sake of Lu Cheng Yu's official rank in the exams. She dreaded to think what would become of her once the Lu family found out there was nothing she could do to help.

Li Fang Yue could only hope that Lu Cheng Yu would be able to pass the exam fair and square.

Li Fang Yue was full of regret. Back then, she agreed to be betrothed to Lu Cheng Yu when she heard that Lu Cheng Yu was willing to give a such a generous betrothal present, but she never imagined that she would lead such a miserable life after she married into the Lu Family.

Grandma Lu was domineering and her mother-in-law was ferocious.

......

After spring, there were some cheap imitation doll shops in town. However, Lu Lin's store had the most exquisite designs and the best sales.

Although Lu Lin had always thought that his store should take a high-end route, he would do some discount promotions from time to time, so the store's image became more approachable.

Yuan Bao was now able to move his tiny arms and legs.

Lu Lin always felt that his baby demonstrated more strength than other babies, and his legs and feet were particularly strong.

Yuan Bao couldn't crawl yet. Occasionally, when Yuan Bao wriggled on his tummy, he would lift his head up high. Lu Lin felt that his son's eyes were particularly sharp when he raised his head. That only made Yuan Bao more adorable considering he was wearing a diaper and had no idea what he was doing.

Business in Lu Lin's store had been very stable.

Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi's savings now had reached a new high, 1300 taels. Lu Lin never felt so rich in both his live.

Chen Xiao Mi carefully put away the jar for their savings.

Lu Lin held his chin and said, "It's still not enough to buy an official title!" Even though in this era you could buy official titles, most of the titles were in some remote areas.

Chen Xiao Mi glanced at Lu Lin and found that Lu Lin was still very persistent about buying an official title.

"Lin, we need to give the matter of buying an official title further thought."

Lu Lin nodded and thought to himself, 'Yeah, things like this cannot be rushed. Me and Mi are still young, we have plenty time for this. In my past life, young men of my age are still at college, but look at me now, I have a family with Mi, and I also have two commercial houses and three properties.'

......

After the weather warmed up, the town became lively and the school was reopened.

The Spring Imperial Examination had become the talk of town again.

Lu Lin launched rooster dolls in the store. There were many other dolls in Lu Lin's store, but the rooster dolls were most popular ones among the students.

Roosters brought honor and were considered a symbol of triumph, they were considered auspicious in the traditional culture. Therefore, a lot of students and their family members would buy one rooster doll.

The moment the rooster doll was launched, the students went crazy.

Yang Heng Zhi went to Lu Lin and said, "Master Lin, you have another busy day today!"

Lu Lin hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Young Master Yang, welcome!"

" Master Lin, you are such a genius! All of my classmates are inquiring about the rooster dolls."

Some students claimed that they found it naïve to buy a rooster doll as an auspicious symbol. However, as far as Yang Heng Zhi knew, those students had secretly let their families buy roosters for them.

The popularity of rooster dolls had surprised Lu Lin, they were selling like hotcakes, which made Lu Lin think about changing the most-treasured piece in the store to a giant rooster doll. Lu Lin had already asked two workers to get started.

"I'm so flattered, Young Master Yang. I just want to do something for the students! Good luck to all the students who are going to attend the Spring Imperial Examination this year!"

Yang Heng Zhi smiled, "Thank you so much, Master Lu, that's very thoughtful of you."

......

As soon as the giant rooster doll appeared in the shop, several established councilors had showed great interest in making an offer.

One of them had directly offered thirty taels of silver.

A young master had bought one lifesize bear for thirty taels of silver.

After that, some of the lifesize dolls on display were sold for 20 taels to 25 taels. Someone bought a lifesize tiger doll for 30 tales days ago, but they were all on display for days.

Lu Lin couldn't believe someone had made an offer on the first day they had put the giant rooster doll in the store.

Other councilors started to bid against each other.

Lu Lin could only sigh in his heart. Parents were willing to do anything for their children, they were willing to spend more than 30 taels of silver on a doll for good luck!

Lu Lin sold the rooster doll to a councilor for 50 taels of silver.

After getting 50 taels of silver, Lu Lin could not help but feel excited.

"Wealth people are so strange!" Chen Xiao Mi held 50 taels of silver, and he couldn't figure out what was in the councilor's mind.

Lu Lin smiled and said, "I don't care what is in their mind, I only care how much they are willing to pay us!"

Chen Xiao Mi, "I agree." In that case, it seemed right.

......

"Lu Cheng Yu is attending the exam again this year!" Chen Xiao Mi said.

Lu Lin nodded, "Yeah! Chen Jing, your cousin, is going to attend it too!"

Chen Xiao Mi pouted and said, "Chen Jing won't make it. as for Lu Cheng Yu, I say fifty-fifty."

Lu Lin rolled his eyes and said, "Who knows."

Yang Heng Zhi, the eldest son of the Yang family, only got the title of Xiucai two years ago. Yang Heng Zhi had a tutor since he was a toddle, and he studied so hard for well over a decade for that title.

Chen Xiao Mi held his chin and said, "Tang spread the word that Lu Cheng Yu will get the title of Xiucai this year. If he can't, Li Fang Yue will suffer big time."

Lu Lin rolled his eyes. He had recently asked Yang Heng Zhi about whether it was feasible to pull strings for the exam. Yang Heng Zhi told Lu Lin that it was impossible for the magistrate to have a say in the exam, let alone the Secretary-General. It was usually the governors who were in charge of the in charge of the examination.