In the Great Xuan Dynasty, the results of the imperial examinations were typically announced half a month after their completion.
However, this matter had nothing to do with Yang Ruxin, so she didn’t pay it any mind.
Upon reaching their destination, the first sight that met their eyes was the brand-new, spacious factory, constructed entirely of green bricks and grey tiles, with the floor paved with bluestone which looked both beautiful and sturdy.
Rusong’s great-uncle, surrounded by his grandchildren, even came forward to personally set off a string of firecrackers, smiling so broadly that the wrinkles on his face deepened.
Yang Rulin was so excited that his face flushed red, and he became somewhat incoherent when he looked at Yang Ruxin. He had never imagined that one day he would achieve such success, enticing people from Beijing to buy the furniture he made. Even Xinxin had said that perhaps in the future even the Emperor and Empress might use his furniture. If that came true...
He was so excited that he hadn’t slept at all the night before.
"Brother Rulin, it’s fine to be excited for a moment, but you can’t always be this way. You need to learn to be calm and steady," Yang Ruxin said with a smile, glancing at Yang Rulin, "From now on, you are the store manager of this workshop, and in the future, you’ll need to stand on your own. If you’re not steady, people will look down on you..."
"Alright..." Yang Rulin nodded vigorously, "I’ll be calm." Then he began rubbing his hands together earnestly.
Yang Ruxin laughed softly.
Yang Rulin became even more embarrassed, but fortunately, people soon arrived to offer their congratulations, all villagers. Yang Rulin began to express his gratitude, slowly relaxing in the process.
The completion of the workshop signified the beginning of work, which naturally meant hiring workers. To be able to work here meant staying close to home. Moreover, the wages paid during the construction of the building had been quite generous, so it was expected that the salary for working here wouldn’t be low either.
In the end, nearly the entire village showed up.
The village chief was even more excited. This was Dapu East Village’s first workshop. Xinxin had said that there would be ongoing introduction of new projects, with the goal of enabling the entire village to earn money and prosper. But that would happen gradually. For now, it was about enabling a portion of the population to become wealthy first, then having the initially wealthy lead the others toward prosperity.
However, whether wealth came sooner or later, Yang Mancang knew that as long as Xinxin was there, their village would certainly transform tremendously.
At noon, Yang Ruxin arranged a banquet for everyone and delivered a speech of encouragement and gratitude. In essence, she assured that more opportunities to work would come gradually. As long as everyone was willing to exert effort, they could indeed build new houses, wear new clothes, and eat meat every day... her words stirred everyone’s fiery enthusiasm.
At noon, with a small gesture, Yang Ruxin organized a banquet where there was plenty of meat to eat, making everyone even happier. In an instant, Yang Ruxin’s status in the village soared.
Some people even started whispering behind their backs that those in the old Yang Family house were fools...
Leaving aside the bustling activity at the workshop, let’s return to the two prospective scholars.
Yang Rusong had been nervous since the day before, truly wishing to check the results in the county town, but he couldn’t go because it was too much trouble and would require spending silver. Nowadays, the Yang Family was not as financially confident as before; he was too ashamed to ask for money. Thus, he had no choice but to pace around the house, hoping to hear the good news, as the County Governor’s Office would send someone to the village if he had passed.
Although he had sounded certain when speaking to Yang Ruxin, at this moment he was plagued with uncertainty. After all, there are many unpredictable factors in the imperial examinations.
"Brother, how about I go to the county town and check the results for you?" Yang Ruyu’s eyes lit up.