Chapter 702: Chapter 789: Slapping the Transmigrator 44
Another spring breeze season has arrived, and in the main hall of the Xiao Family, three women sat neatly in a row.
Ms. Ping occupied the main seat, constantly looking outwards with a face full of anxiousness.
Meanwhile, Anning and Xiao Daya were seated beside her, both of them not in a rush, instead quietly sipping tea and conversing.
Xiao Daya was telling Anning about the camellia she had recently cultivated.
Xiao Daya had cultivated a new pot of camellias named "Top Scorer Red."
Because this camellia plant was taller than usual, and its flowers were particularly numerous, each bloom as red as blood, and the blossoms were large and striking.
Because of its particularly bright red color, the camellia was named "Top Scorer Red."
Hearing Xiao Daya mention Top Scorer Red, Anning turned to Ms. Ping with a smile: "Mom, donât be anxious, big sister has cultivated Top Scorer Red. Youâll definitely cultivate a top scorer; husband is sure to become the top scorer this time."
Even Ms. Ping believed that Xiao Yuan had a high chance of becoming the top scorer, but without any news yet, she still harbored some worries.
As Ms. Ping once again poked her head out to look, Liu Shu hurriedly rushed in, too anxious to even wipe off his sweat, and saluted Ms. Ping: "Old Madam, Madam, Big Miss, our master has done it, heâs become the top scorer, the Advanced Scholar with Six Elements, the true Advanced Scholar with Six Elements."
"Good."
Ms. Ping stood up excitedly: "Spread my word, reward all servants in our mansion with five taels of silver each, saying itâs to celebrate the Masterâs success."
Anning also said: "Prepare the copper coins, distribute some on the street, and let everyone share the joy."
Liu You then had several baskets full of copper coins taken to the streets to distribute, while Liu Shu led some house servants to set off firecrackers at the Xiao Familyâs entrance.
Xiao Dayaâs face was full of joy: "I felt it when my Top Scorer Red blossomed, that A Yuan was sure to become the top scorer this time, and it really happened."
Anning smiled, and after a short while, the news of Xiao Yuan becoming the top scorer spread in the streets, saying the signs were already there because Xiao Daya had cultivated Top Scorer Red. Such a joyful event naturally comes in pairs, indeed, Xiao Family produced another top scorer.
For a time, everyone was extremely curious about the Top Scorer Red.
After Ms. Ping took Anning and Xiao Daya to a restaurant they had already reserved to watch Xiao Yuanâs victorious procession on horseback through the streets, someone came to buy the Top Scorer Red.
Xiao Daya originally did not want to sell it, but the buyer of the Top Scorer Red came from the family of the current Imperial Uncle. They wanted to buy it for their grandson who was studying, hoping for this auspicious symbol. Furthermore, they offered a sky-high price. Xiao Daya, one, wanted to make money, and two, didnât want to offend anyone, so she agreed to sell it.
That one plant was sold for ten thousand taels of silver.
After all, it was the top scorerâs sister who cultivated the Top Scorer Red, no matter how you look at it, it was especially festive, naturally, there were families who wanted to secure this lucky charm and were willing to buy it. If the Imperial Uncleâs family didnât buy it, thereâs no telling how many wealthy merchants would have bid for it.
Actually, in these two years, Xiao Daya had made quite a bit of money from cultivating flowers and plants.
But she earned the most from this Top Scorer Red.
Last winter, Xiao Daya spent the money she earned to buy a manor, she and Xiao Xu had already moved to live there, and she even built greenhouses on the manor following the methods provided by Anning, specifically for cultivating flowers.
Now that she had these ten thousand taels of silver, she would be even more capable of expanding her operations.
The news of Xiao Yuan becoming the top scorer spread quickly, naturally resulting in joy for some families and concern for others.
The Ji Family was of course ecstatic, and Mrs. Ji immediately sent someone to offer congratulations upon hearing the news.
The second branch that had split off from the Cui family was also happy.
Because Cui Siran participated in the Imperial Examination with Xiao Yuan, and Cui Siran also achieved the Advanced Scholar rank; although not in the top three ranks of the first list, he was near the front of the second list. He placed tenth, which is still an excellent result.
This made Cui Ji and Mrs. Sun feel proud and honored.
Naturally, there were those who were not happy.
Cui Yiran was infuriated.
He had not expected that Cui Siran would not only survive but also live well and even achieved the Advanced Scholar rank.
The book clearly wrote that Cui Siran fell ill and couldnât finish the exams at Imperial Examination and was carried out of the examination hall, and after a few days, he passed away. But now, the man was living well and earned the Advanced Scholar rank.
Also, that Xiao Yuan actually became the top scorer.
Thinking about the days Xiao Yuan had lived these past two years, and then thinking about his own days become increasingly derelict, he truly felt regret and dissatisfaction.
He felt that all these changes were because he altered the plotline, because he did not marry Anning.
Cui Yiran believed that this was the stubbornness of the plot. Not long after he traveled through time, he arranged for Anning to break off her engagement with him and then married another woman. As a result, Cui Siran, who should have died, was still alive to this day, and the husband Anning married was getting better and better.
Because Anning came from the family of a prominent Madam, so even if she married into a poor and pedantic family, that family would also become more prosperous and wealthy.
If only he had known this...
If only he had known this, he wouldnât have arranged for Anning; he should have married her instead and then thought about the future.
However, it was too late for Cui Yiran to regret it now.
The eldest branch of the Cui family had long since fallen into destitution.
And the Guan lady, who he thought could give him sons, only gave birth to a daughter and her health deteriorated ever since. She never got pregnant again, and for some reason, none of the concubines in his household ever got pregnant either.
Cui Yiranâs regret reached its peak after Anning gave birth to the heir of the Xiao Family.
Besides Cui Yiran, the Lu family also really regretted it.
They didnât expect the Xiao Family to have such fortune; Xiao Yuan actually became the top scorer of the Imperial Examination.
If that were the case...
Especially for Lu Gui, he thought, if he hadnât divorced Xiao Daya, then he would have had a top scorer as his brother-in-law, and life would be much more comfortable. If his son hadnât gone missing, his son would have been able to study with his top scorer uncle and might have even become the top scorer himself.
After all, they say girls take after their aunts, and boys take after their uncles. His Gou Dan was also a smart child.
Because of these regrets, Lu Gui deeply hated Lu Sanbaoâs family.
But having been oppressed by Lu Sanbaoâs family his entire life, even if he hated them to the extreme, he dared not rebel.
Later on, when Lu Sanbaoâs family came to him again to ask for money to subsidize the second and third branches, Lu Gui truly turned wicked.
Taking advantage of an unguarded moment, he actually killed the people from Lu Sanbaoâs family.
After the murder, Lu Gui didnât flee; he turned himself in at the government office.
He thought his life was just like this, utterly ruined by his mother. There was no meaning in living anymore. Since he had killed the woman who destroyed him, then he should die as well.
When this news broke out, it stunned Xiao Daya for a long time when she heard it.
When Lu Gui was imprisoned, Xiao Daya went to see him all by herself.
Seeing Xiao Daya, Lu Gui was extremely agitated, constantly calling out her name: "Daya, you came to see me. Have you forgiven me? Itâs all my motherâs fault, she always oppressed us. Now that Iâve killed her, have you forgiven me?"
By that time, Lu Guiâs mind was no longer sound.
Xiao Daya was shocked to see Lu Gui in such a state.
She didnât dare to approach Lu Gui and coldly said: "Youâre wrong, I havenât forgiven you. Iâve long forgotten about you. Thereâs no question of forgiveness. You say that our issues were because of your motherâs oppression, but in fact, youâre mistaken. Itâs not all your motherâs fault; much of the responsibility lies with you. You lacked responsibility and couldnât distinguish right from wrong. Thatâs why you ended up here. If you had resisted the first time your mother forced you, she probably wouldnât have oppressed you so much later on. Your repeated concessions only fueled her ambition. Moreover, youâre too selfish, pushing troubles onto others to avoid dealing with them yourself, which wouldnât harm your own interests, right? When you took home those life-saving cotton clothes to please your mother, I already saw through you. The disappearance of Gou Dan made me truly determined to divorce you. Fortunately, I divorced you, so I didnât get dragged into the abyss with you."
After finishing her piece, Xiao Daya left.
She didnât pay attention to Lu Guiâs furious shouting and yelling behind her.
Leaving the prison, Xiao Daya felt an unprecedented lightness over her whole body.
The kind of relief she had never experienced before.
Xiao Yuan and Anning lived many years in this world. Cui Yiran was destitute, but his ambition never died. He approached the future Emperor, the Seventh Prince, hoping to rely on him and let the eldest branch of the Cui family rise again.
However, due to the interference of Xiao Yuan and Anning, Emperor Shengxing did not appoint the Seventh Prince as the next Emperor but bypassed the Crown Prince and appointed the Grandson instead.
Cui Yiranâs last glimmer of hope was shattered. Because of his actions, the Cui family ended up with the tragic fate of being exterminated, and Cui Yiran died in the winter, frozen to death in an abandoned temple, his body left unclaimed.
Xiao Yuan and Anning had a very comfortable life.
Emperor Shengxing treated Xiao Yuan well and later appointed him as the Grandsonâs teacher. When Emperor Shengxing passed away, he specifically instructed the Grandson to respect Xiao Yuan.
Under the guidance of Emperor Shengxing and Xiao Yuan, the Grandson became a renowned ruler, deeply trusted Xiao Yuan, and with Xiao Yuanâs assistance, established a golden era lasting a hundred years, making the Dajing Dynasty the last feudal dynasty, until the last Emperor of Dajing peacefully transitioned the nation to a democratic society.
After Anning passed away, her soul departed from this world and entered the river of time and space again.
When she opened her eyes again, she only felt a severe headache.