TATLC Chapter 48 — Failed

The spring examinations finally concluded amidst an atmosphere of tension. Chen Jing from the Chen family passed the Tongsheng exam, officially becoming a Tongsheng. Compared to the higher-level Xiucai exam, the Tongsheng exam was relatively easier. As long as someone wasn’t completely hopeless, most students who attended school could pass it.

However, Lu Chengyu failed yet again.

Becoming a Xiucai was notoriously difficult. Lu Chengyu seemed to be hit hard by this failure and hid at home for several days without going out.

His failure cast a gloomy shadow over the entire Lu family.

Normally, Lu Chengyu not passing the Xiucai exam wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, the exam was tough, and there were plenty of people who remained Tongsheng their whole lives. Lu Chengyu was still young.

But the problem was, Tang had been too arrogant. Last year, she maintained an attitude of preferring nothing over settling for less and rejected all the marriage proposals that came to their door. This year, she rejected those people again, saying her son needed to focus entirely on the imperial exams and everything else could wait until after the exams.

A girl’s youth was fleeting. Most of the families who had come to propose marriage before had already married off their daughters.

Now that Lu Chengyu didn’t pass, those families who had been rejected before couldn’t help but gloat over their misfortune.

At this point, Lu Chengyu was already considered an older bachelor, and Lu Tong had reached the age where she’d have to pay taxes. It was clear they couldn’t delay any longer.

Both Lu Chengyu and Lu Tong’s marriage prospects remained unsettled, which caused gossip to spread throughout the village. Much of it mocked Tang for having unrealistic expectations.

When Lin Xiu’er saw that Lu Chengyu failed, she immediately started complaining. Tang still act high and mighty toward her before, bbut now, with Lu Chengyu’s failure, she felt somewhat guilty. he two of them bickered constantly.

Although they didn’t have full-blown fights, things weren’t exactly peaceful.

Since Lu Chengyu didn’t pass, Lin Xiu’er wasn’t as flattering as before. Although she didn’t say it directly, the implication in her words was clear: Lu Chengyu had spent so much of the family’s money yet couldn’t even pass the Xiucai examination.

Lu Chengyu cared most about his reputation. Being complained about by Lin Xiu’er like this, he didn’t show it on the surface, but his mood was very gloomy.

Chen Jing had passed the Tongsheng exam this time and was very excited. Chen Jing had always looked down on Lu Chengyu’s behavior, and now that Lu Chengyu hadn’t passed the Xiucai exam, Chen Jing gloated plenty. Chen Jing felt he could now stand on equal footing with Lu Chengyu.
Meanwhile, Chen Jing, who had passed the Tongsheng exam, was overjoyed. He had always looked down on Lu Chengyu’s pretentious behavior, and now that Lu Chengyu failed, Chen Jing took great pleasure in it. He felt that from now on, he could stand on equal footing with Lu Chengyu.

Although Lu Chengyu was valued by his teacher, failing was still failing. What good would a teacher’s favor do if he still couldn’t pass the exam?

…

At the Lu’s

“Xiao Tong, take these clothes and wash them. You’re almost at the age to get married. When you go to your in-laws’ house, you can’t be this lazy anymore,” Lin Xiu’er shouted loudly.

Lu Tong’s face flushed red at Lin Xiu’er’s words.

She looked at the pile of smelly clothes and couldn’t help but step back.

Lin Xiu’er curled her lip at the disgust on Lu Tong’s face. “Hurry up! How many girls in the village are like you, picking and choosing, afraid of this and disgusted by that? You’re not really a young lady.”

Before, Tang had her nose in the air, waiting for Lu Chengyu to pass the Xiucai exam so she could marry Lu Tong into a wealthy family in town. But now, that dream was impossible. There were quite a few people who wanted to marry Lu Tong, but Tang looked down on this one and was disgusted by that one, offending several matchmakers.

Lin Xiu’er still hadn’t forgotten how Lu Tong had barged into their fourth branch’s quarters earlier and snatched food right out of Lu Songshi’s mouth.

“Fourth Aunt, don’t you have nothing to do either? Why do I have to wash them?” Lu Tong grumbled.

Lin Xiu’er immediately got angry. “You little brat, I still have to cook and boil water! Not all of us can laze around like you. The family has raised you for so many years, it’s about time you learned to do something. If you can’t even handle this, how will you manage at your in-laws’ place? You’ll have to serve your mother-in-law properly. No one’s going to spoil you there!”

“What’s all this noise?” Wang stepped out.

Lin Xiu’er glanced at her and said, “I’m too busy, so I asked Xiao Tong to do some housework. She’s about to get married, and if she can’t do anything, how will she establish herself at her in-laws’ house?” She sighed. “It’s been so long, and no decent suitors have come to propose. If this drags on any longer, we’ll have to start paying the tax.”

Lu Tong’s heart clenched at her words.

She had always thought highly of herself, so hearing Lin Xiu’er talk as if she was some unwanted spinster stung deeply.

Wang looked at Lu Tong with some disdain. The old woman was also very concerned about Lu Tong’s marriage. Recently, the people coming to propose were all what the old lady considered lowly farmers. The matchmakers who came were all using Lu Tong’s age as leverage, telling the Lu family not to be too picky or they might end up with an old maid who couldn’t get married.

Like Tang, Wang also hoped her granddaughter would marry into a wealthy family. But the people coming to propose were far from what she expected. At first, the matchmakers’ words made the old woman angry, but gradually she began to agree. She gradually realized that Lu Tong might not be as outstanding as she had thought.

“Grandma, I’m about to get married. How can I go outside and wash clothes where everyone can see me?”

“Which girl in the village hasn’t washed clothes? You’re the only one who’s barely lifted a finger, no wonder people call you lazy!” Lin Xiu’er retorted loudly.

Wang frowned at Lu Tong. “There’s so much work at home. You can’t just idle around all day. Go wash the clothes quickly.”

Seeing her grandmother side with Lin Xiu’er, Lu Tong felt bitter but had no choice.

She walked away unhappily carrying the clothes, cursing Lin Xiu’er thoroughly in her heart.

She also couldn’t help but resent her brother. If only he didn’t fail the Xiucai exam again, she wouldn’t be stuck with no good marriage prospects, forced to endure her aunt’s sarcasm at home.