Time Travel: The Noble Family

Chapter 1497: Brother Feifei Extra Story

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Brother Feifei came first in the township examination, earning the title of Jieyuan. Faced with this achievement, Brother Feifei remained very calm, as according to his set goals, this was merely the first step. He still had a long journey ahead.

The evening before the examination, Yueyao sought out Brother Feifei and said with a smile, "No need to study today, spend some time talking with me." For the past three years, Brother Feifei had been fully focused on his studies. However, Yueyao didn’t want him to ignore everything outside his window and focus solely on the classics, as this would easily turn him into a bookworm. Over the past two years, Yueyao had been paying great attention to outside affairs and often encouraged Brother Feifei to go out and converse with young scholars. Besides this, Yueyao also required Brother Feifei to exercise both morning and evening every day. Yueyao had this requirement due to the shadow left by Lian Dongbo. Under Yueyao’s supervision, Brother Feifei’s health had improved greatly, so there was no worry about him fainting during the examination.

Brother Feifei nodded and said, "Mother, let me accompany you for a walk in the garden!" Brother Feifei knew that the next few days would be extremely tiring, so he needed to gather his energy.

The garden of the Earl of Pingyang’s Mansion was well-maintained, with many flowers blooming. As soon as they entered the garden, Brother Feifei could smell the fragrance of orchids.

Yueyao pointed at the orchids in the flowerbed and said with a smile, "Did you know? Your grandfather loved orchids the most."

It was the first time Brother Feifei had heard Yueyao mention his grandfather: "Mother, what kind of person was grandfather?" Brother Feifei had heard others say that his grandfather was a renowned scholar.

Yueyao thought for a moment, her voice softening: "Your grandfather was a well-learned, very gentle man." Yueyao hadn’t thought about the past for a long, long time.

Yueyao talked with Brother Feifei for quite some time, from Lian Dongbo to Yueyao’s own childhood, and then they talked about the amusing stories from Brother Feifei and his siblings’ childhoods.

Brother Feifei listened attentively and occasionally asked questions, creating a very warm atmosphere.

Seeing the moon rise, Yueyao said with a smile, "Let’s go back!" Yueyao deliberately talked about trivial family matters to help Brother Feifei relax. Although Brother Feifei appeared confident, Yueyao knew he was actually quite nervous.

Brother Feifei first escorted Yueyao back to the Main Courtyard.

At the door, Yueyao said, "Feifei, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. When I set such high goals for you, it was to encourage you to have long-term vision, not to demand that you be like Yu Zida."

Brother Feifei replied with a smile, "Mother, I understand, don’t worry about me, I’m fine." Saying he was not nervous was a lie, after all, over a decade of effort had been for this one moment of success. However, having his mother talk to him so much today was still a novel experience for Brother Feifei.

Seeing this, Yueyao laughed and said, "As long as you understand. Go back and rest early, the next nine days will be tiring." The spring imperial examination lasted nine days, testing not only knowledge but also the candidates’ physical strength and stamina.

An Zhichen asked Yueyao, "What did you talk to Feifei about?"

Yueyao replied with a smile, "I talked to Feifei about some of his childhood anecdotes to help him relax and not be too anxious."

An Zhichen chuckled lightly and said, "I think you’re the one who’s nervous." An Zhichen couldn’t see any sign of anxiety in their son, but it was Yueyao who had been on edge these past couple of days.

On the first day of the spring examination, Yueyao felt the day pass unusually slowly. She told An Zhichen, "I’ve never felt so uneasy in my life."

An Zhichen’s composure was something Yueyao couldn’t match. He suggested, "If you can’t calm down, why not go stay in the mountains for a couple of days?" Spending time copying scriptures and reciting scriptural texts could be quite beneficial.

Yueyao shook her head, "No need, I’ll wait at home." The spring imperial examination spanned nine days, and with exams every three days, the candidates rested at home for a night before continuing the next day. Under such circumstances, how could Yueyao go to the mountains to pray?

Seeing this, An Zhichen said no more: "If it really comes to it, bring Sister Yuan here; with a child’s company, time would pass faster." In the past four years, the Princess had given birth to two sons, and Ping Xinrong also had a son. Now the Earl of Pingyang’s Mansion had five children, but Yueyao cherished Sister Yuan the most. Unlike others who valued sons over daughters, Yueyao valued daughters more.

Yueyao shook her head, "No, children are very sensitive; we shouldn’t let them be affected."

The waiting days felt particularly long, and for Yueyao, three days seemed like three years. After the first exam, Brother Sheng escorted Brother Feifei home.