<h4>Chapter 358 – Eight-year-old County Official</h4>


    On the fourth day of the store’s opening, the braised food store’s dishes were restored to their original prices. After these few days of free taste-testing and half-price promotions, The Yu’s Braised Food Shop had sessfully established its reputation in the city.


    The fragrance of roasted chicken had seeped into the bones, and the smoked chicken had charred skin with a crunchy texture and tender meat. The roasted duck was delicious yet not greasy, while the white-skinned salted duck was tender and delectable. The appetizing smoked sausages also held its own unique vor. There were also all types of braised meat that burst with vor...and among them, the braised pig’s head meat that was the most popr dish of all.


    The Yu’s Braised Food Shop offered a variety of vorsome dishes. If Zhenxiu Restaurant was the food heaven for the wealthy, then The Yu’s Braised Food Shop would be the affordable equivalent. The middle-ss families in the prefectural city would head over to the braised food store once in a few days to take away a braised meat dish to satisfy their own cravings. When they had guests around, or if it was during festivities, even the poorer folk would grit their teeth and buy a braised dish home for appearance’s sake. The more prestigious families of the prefectural city would also send their manservants to queue up for the store’s limited dishes.


    ‘The Yu’s’ roasted duck, roasted chicken and salted duck were cheaper, and definitely did not lose to Zhenxiu Restaurant in terms of taste and vor. The store’s smoked poultry, rabbit and the likes were unique in vor, and could not be found in even Zhenxiu Restaurant. Unfortunately, these dishes were sold in limited quantities—only ten of each daily. Moreover, it was based on a firste, first served basis; no reservation allowed.


    Those self-proimed wealthy foodies naturally would not miss these delicacies, so they sent their servants to queue since the middle of the night. They were determined to get their hands on a dish to sate their cravings. There was no shortage of wealthy people in even the small Tanggu Town, not to mention such a big ce as the prefectural city.


    As the prefectural city was notcking in wealthy people but there was a limited number of dishes, the demand was naturally higher than the supply. This situation caused people to line up in front of the store earlier and earlier, until eventually there were those that brought their nkets and camped in front of ‘The Yu’s’ closed doors just as soon as the sky turned dark. These people became a sight to see in front of the shop’s doors, and they never stoppeding even on rainy and snowy days.


    Once they had a chance to taste The Yu’s Braised Food Store’s braised dishes, those wealthy children, who thought that eating pork was undignified, would also secretly send a lesser-known servant to queue up in front of ‘The Yu’s’ doors to buy some of the limited quantity dishes along with some braised dishes like braised meat, pig’s trotters and pig’s head. Then they would enjoy them in secret.


    The sales of the Yu Family’s braised meat were so good that simply a pig a day would not suffice the demand. Between the period of time before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, they ughtered two pigs a day, but their braised meat would still be sold out even before the evening arrived. The Yu Family’s pig farm housed more than a hundred pigs, but they would probably run out of pigs around New Year’s. As such, Liu Hu and his son traveled to disaster-stricken viges and towns to buy and secure live pigs. They offered a reasonable price and gave hope of a long-term partnership, so many people were willing to sell their pigs to them.


    The weather slowly turned colder. Time passed unknowingly for the busy Yu Family until it was suddenly the day of the announcement of the results for the college examination. After finishing his examination, Little Shitou had rushed back in time to help his family out during the braised food store’s grand opening, but once the business had stabilized, Xiaocao had rushed him back to the academy to continue his studies. Bing a county official was not Little Shitou’s ultimate goal—it was to disy his talent at the metropolitan and pce examinations!


    Once the results of the college examination was announced, there would be specialized people acting as the informant who would travel to each vige and town to spread the news. After tha, the local county yamen would then carry the good news to the associated families. For this college examination, there were a total of 13 county officials in Tanggu Town. Among them, two were from Dongshan Vige—Qian Wen and Yu Fan! As for Xiaocao’s younger uncle, he still did not be county official as Madam Zhang had wished because he had been eliminated from the college examination at its second stage.


    Only Yu Xiaocao’s oldest aunt’s family was left to care for the braised food store during the time before and after the announcement of the results, as Yu Hai and Xiaocao had returned to Dongshan Vige to await the news. The prefectural magistrate had already sent a person to hint to them about Little Shitou’s results beforehand, but on the day of the announcement, the whole family still eagerly waited for the results.


    The person who came to share the news was the head bailiff of the county yamen. Usually, a task like this would be handled by a normal bailiff, but among the examinees, there was a person from the Yu Family. Who were the Yu Family? They were one of the few in Tanggu Town that could speak directly to Royal Prince Yang, the master of the town. So even if they were of lowly birth, the county magistrate would still have to be courteous with them.


    Aside from the fact that he was extremely capable, the reason Head Bailiff Yue could still maintain his position even after County Magistrate Wu had left was mainly because he was a meticulous person. He eagerly volunteered to ry the news to Dongshan Vige. When he arrived at the vige, a crowd of children immediately surrounded him, asking about the results.


    Once they knew that Yu Family’s eight-year-old son Little Shitou was a county official, the crowd of children ran towards the Yu Family’s residence in order to be the first person to ry the good news.


    The Yu Family had grown in poprity in these past few years. They started a piggery this year, and no one knew what they fed their pigs, but their piglets grew exceedingly fast and were already ready for ughter after just merely half a year. There were also rumors going on about how the Yu Family’s braised food store was booming with business in the prefectural city. How they would ughter five or six pigs every other day to be transported over. Just by this, it was not hard to imagine how sessful the sales were. Liu Shuanzhu and his family also earned a lot from the Yu Family’s business as they no longer had to worry about not being able to sell their chickens. They were also offered a price that was no less than that of Zhenxiu Restaurant’s offer.


    The Yu Family members were not cheapskates, so naturally, they would not be stingy with the people who ryed the good news.


    A fellow viger, Li Yangfan’s son, Li Xiaogui ran breathlessly into Yu Family’s courtyard and, without waiting for his panting to subside, shouted to the eagerly awaiting Yu Household, “Uncle Dahai, Little Shitou made it! Little Shitou is a county official!”


    As soon as Old Yu heard the news, he burst into tears. ‘Thank the ancestors for their protection! A descendant of Yu Family has finally yielded good results! Shitou’s nominal age is only nine years old but he’s studying in the most reputable academy in town and has already be a county official—his bright future most definitely won’t stop here! After so many generations of farmers, we finally have a schr in our family!’


    Madam Liu and Xiaolian embraced each other tightly, crying tears of joy. They were so grateful that they had divided the family back then, or else with Madam Zhang’s stinginess, she would definitely not be willing to pay for Little Shitou’s education. How would Little Shitou be able to be a county official, then?


    Yu Hai was so ted he had no words, and could onlyugh foolishly. It took only a while before the Yu Family’s courtyard was filled with fellow vigers who came to congratte them. After he calmed down from his excitement, Yu Hang took out sunflower seeds, peanuts and candy to serve their guests.


    Yu Xiaocao took out a small pouch containing several pieces of silver which were worth one tael each, and ced the pouch in Li Xiaogui’s hands as a thanks for rying the news. When he left the Yu Family’s residence, those children who were a little slower than him scrutinized the light pouch and jealously asked him to reveal the content of the pouch so they would know just how much the Yu Family had rewarded him. In their opinion, such a small pouch could barely hold a few copper coins—was it worth the effort to fight for such a measly amount?


    But the children lost theirposure once they witnessed Li Xiaogui pour out shining silver pieces that looked like peanuts from the pouch. Silver! Yu Family’s reward for rying the good news was actually silver! A tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand copper coins ah! The children could only hate their parents for giving them a pair of short legs, which allowed Li Xiaogui to overtake them! For a moment, they were overwhelmed with envy.


    At this time, Head Bailiff Yue got down from his horse in front of the Yu Residence. Yu Hai, who had already regained hisposure, greeted him and invited him inside for tea. Head Bailiff Yue onlyughed, “I will be forward and call you Brother Dahai! Brother Dahai, I’vee to congratte you. You’ve got a good son there, bing a county official at such a young age—with high distinction, too! He’s be our Tanggu Town’s youngest granary student!”


    Granary students were the top scorers of the college examination, and even in the whole of the prefectural city, there were only about thirty of them. Once one became a granary student, they could receive six pecks of rice monthly and four taels annually from the government. For a poor family, the help given to granary students could easily ensure that the entire family would not have to suffer from famine.


    Although this measly sustenance was not much to the Yu Household, but the title of ‘granary student’ was regarded as an honor to the entire family—something they could take pride in.


    Whenever the Yu Family sent away one crowd of congrattors, they quickly weed another, and they did not stoping even after dark. At noon, the Yu Family had prepared a grand meal for Head Bailiff Yue, and then they proceeded to stuff a fat pouch filled with ten taels in his hands. Head Bailiff Yue’s original intentions was only to forge good connections with the Yu Family, but this errand had unexpectedly earned him a small fortune, too.


    The neighboring Qian Residence was also bustling with life. Two county officials in one vige—this was a situation never before seen in Dongshan Vige. Thest time someone came to ry the good news was eighteen years ago, when the vige head’s youngest son became a county official. It was also the first time in history that a person from Dongshan Vige became a county official. Back then, it was considered good enough if the vigers did not die of starvation. How could they afford the extra expenses for their children’s education? Now, they actually had two county officials in the vige! All of Dongshan Vige felt so proud they could boast about it for a long time toe.


    Some families were happy, while others were not. While Old Yu wasughing jubntly among his old friends, Madam Zhang was dismal and depressed.


    Madam Zhao, however, was not disheartened. Her father had to sit through the examinations time and time again until he finally managed to be county official when he was nearly forty years old. Last year was a year of disasters, which had led to the academy her husband was attending letting them off for quite a long while. Thus, the dy of his sess waspletely understandable, considering that their family was also not of an educated background. Since he did not be a county official this year, all he would have to do was try again two yearster! Madam Zhao gently consoled the dispirited Yu Bo until he picked himself up and continued to study hard.


    Madam Zhang felt extremely gloomy. Her son had been studying for more than a decade, and yet he still could notpare to Little Shitou, who had only attended a little more than two years of lessons. This had caused her fixation to waver. Back then, the fortune-teller had said that someone of the Yu Family would eventually be a high-ranking official, and since among all of Yu Family, only her son was studying at that time, she naturally thought that he would be the high-ranking official that was mentioned. Now that she looked back on it, perhaps it was not as she thought!


    Discontentment filled Madam Zhang’s heart. She witnessed the hard work her son had poured into his studies, especially the past six months, when the light in his room was barely snuffed. He had pulled all-nighters until he became thin, and he nearly copsed in the examination courtyard.


    And what was that brat Little Shitou doing? Every time he returned home from the academy, he would follow Xiaocao, that wretch, and run around in the wild and the hills. They would catch some fish and trap rabbits, never settling down for even a moment. God was not fair, why was it him who had be a county official instead of her son? Was it possible that since the two of them were of the same surname, that the examiner had confused the two of them? Or...that little brat was blocking her son’s fate of bing an official?