The Host is Clearly A Scumbag (Quick Travel)

Seeing that his teacher was angry and wanted to avenge himself, Mingting stopped him and briefly told Su Hengzhong what happened.

Jiang Meimei's abnormality had already been classified by Mingting as an evil magic that can absorb luck.

Gao Jishi would undoubtedly report this, and it would draw the attention from high-level officials. Naturally, specialists will be assigned to deal with her, and it will be inconvenient for others to intervene.

"There is such a dark sorcery? Are you alright?"

Su Hengzhong was shocked, especially after hearing about Jiang Xiao'e's family, and hurriedly looked at Mingting.

"Teacher, I am very lucky and have a good life. She tried to suck my luck several times, but I managed to avoid her."

With that matter settled, Mingting took out the gift he bought.

When he set out, He Gu was afraid that her youngest son would have a hard time when he was away from home, so she gave him five hundred taels of silver.

For Su Hengzhong, Mingting found a Longevity Crane snuff bottle. For Mrs. Su, a bottle of foreign lily-of-the-valley perfume. And for Su Lingyi, a beautiful nesting doll and a set of travelogues.

While the gift was not extravagantly expensive, it was very thoughtful and meaningful, so Su Hengzhong liked it very much.

Previously, Mingting often brought Su Lingyi little trinkets from the market.

This time, given his close call, Su Hengzhong didn't stop Mingting from visiting the inner courtyard.

Mingting's top-ranking exam performance had pleased not only Su Hengzhong but also Mrs. Su, after all, he was her chosen son-in-law.

"Hmm, this fragrance is elegant and lovely."

Mrs. Su likes spices. She fell in love with the lily-of-the-valley perfume as soon as she got it. She repeatedly praised Mingting's thoughtfulness in selecting gifts.

"Making perfume isn't hard. If you like it, I I'll find a way to craft some myself in the future. It is guaranteed to be a hundred times better than this one, and it will be exclusively for you."

"Okay!" Mrs. Su was coaxed by Mingting and smiled, "I like the fragrance of gardenia and plum, and Lingyi likes jasmine."

Mingting nodded and noted it down.

Seeing Su Lingyi was there too, he directly gave the gift to her.

"This set of overseas travelogues is very interesting. Junior Sister can read it to pass the time when you're free."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Su Lingyi accepted the book and began examining the nesting dolls herself.

She opened the largest doll to find a smaller girl inside, and upon opening that one, yet another appeared. This continued until the very end, revealing a total of seven dolls.

Each doll was exquisitely beautiful, and Su Lingyi was utterly delighted and couldn't put them down.

Mrs. Su was very satisfied when she saw the happy smile on her daughter's face.

In this era, arranged marriages were the norm, and they were dictated by the parental authority and matchmakers' words.

At least Mrs. Su had caught a glimpse of Su Hengzhong behind a screen before their marriage. Many couples didn't even know what their spouse looked like before the wedding.

Though Mrs. Su did not give birth to a son, she had stood by her husband's side during his humble beginnings, serving as his virtuous helpmate.

Over the years, Su Hengzhong had always respected her deeply, never taking another woman into his household. The couple shared a loving and harmonious relationship.

Precisely because of this, Mrs. Su hopes that her daughter can also have a happy marriage.

If her daughter and Mingting could become husband and wife, the bond they shared from growing up together would set them apart from other couples.

Mrs. Su had no other ambitions, and she just hopes that her daughter can live a safe and happy life.

That evening, Mrs. Su brought up this matter to Su Hengzhong again.

This time, Su Hengzhong didn't brush it off. Instead, he pondered it carefully for a long time.

"This year's academy examination is coming up, and that boy said he'd achieve the 'Little Triple Crown'. If he can deliver on his word, then what Madam had suggested might be worth considering."

At this point, Su Hengzhong's tone shifted.

"The provincial examination is held every three years. This year is the Year of the Ox, and the provincial examination will be held the year after next. By then, Mingting will be 13. If he passes the provincial exam and becomes a Juren, could head to the capital at 14 to take the metropolitan examination."

"I know you have taken a fancy to Mingting, Madam, but he is still young and his temperament isn't fully formed yet. Lingyi is our only child, so this matter requires further deliberation."

As soon as Su Hengzhong finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through his waist.

Mrs. Su pinched the soft flesh on his waist and twisted it hard, making Su Hengzhong grimace in pain.

"Madam, it hurts, it hurts! Alright, if Mingting passes the provincial exam in two years, I'll bring this up with him."

"That's more like it…" Mrs. Su snorted and released her grip.

"Mingting is a smart kid, he will definitely pass the provincial examination!"

Mingting didn't know about the private conversation between his teacher and his wife. He made a special trip to accompany He Gu back to Xiaohe Village to pay respects to Jiang Xiucai.

After knowing that Mingting was going to take the academy examination this year alongside Wang Zhi, they all praised He Gu for her good fortune, saying her son and son-in-law were both destined for greatness.

Especially Mingting, who passed the prefectural examination at such a young age and even achieved first place.

As they congratulated He Gu, the villagers also regarded Mingting with a mix of awe and reverence.

The Jiang Family's clan leader was especially delighted to see such a promising young member emerge in the clan.

Mingting privately mentioned Jiang Meimei's matter to him. Upon learning that she and her family had committed crimes and been arrested by the county magistrate, the clan leader was so furious he immediately expelled them from the clan register.

Without the support of their clan, even if Jiang San and Guihua returned to their hometown in the future, Xiaohe Village would never accept them.

After spending two days in Xiaohe Village with He Gu, Mingting returned to Shuanglian Town.

With the academy examination approaching, Mingting devoted himself to studying every day. And also, on the 15th and 30th of each month, Su Hengzhong would take him and Wang Zhi to the fields.

In this agrarian era, peasants toiled under the sun, laboring tirelessly.

Su Hengzhong held great expectations for this disciple of his.

He made Mingting participate in farming firsthand, personally experiencing how every grain of rice came from hard work. He hoped Mingting would grow into a pillar of the nation, someone truly useful to the country and its people.

After Mingting's near-mishap in the county, Su Hengzhong also pulled some strings to find a martial arts instructor to teach them self-defense.

No matter what, they must have the ability to protect themselves when they encounter danger, and they couldn't afford to be weak, helpless scholars.

This time, Mingting's opponent had been weak and unprepared, allowing him to win by luck.

But what if he encountered a far stronger enemy next time?

Faced with his teacher's thoughtfulness, Mingting was grateful and trained even harder in martial arts and physical fitness.

By the end of summer, Su Hengzhong had tanned considerably, and Wang Zhi's skin had turned a healthy wheat color.

Only Mingting remained fair and handsome as ever.

Faced with his brother-in-law's resentful gaze, Mingting joked that he was just 'naturally beautiful'.

His boast earned him a light knock on the head from Su Hengzhong.

"Nonsense! 'Naturally beautiful' isn't used to describe men!" Su Hengzhong pretended to scold him.

However, Su Hengzhong was very satisfied to see that the boy had not only grown taller, but also became stronger. After all, only with a strong physique can one study and serve the country better!