Who Said a Study Servant Can’t Win the Imperial Exam?

“Mother, did you sell Xian-Ge’er?”

Cui Zhongyuan’s voice rang out, sharp and demanding.

Old Madam Cui, momentarily stunned by the accusation, finally snapped back to her senses. Her face darkened with anger as she retorted, “What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever say I was going to sell Xian-Ge’er?”

Yes, the family was poor, and prioritizing the eldest grandson’s education was already showing favoritism. But selling her grandson? That was unthinkable!

Cui Yu’s sobbing abruptly stopped, his tears drying up as relief washed over him.

The rest of the Cui Family, who had been frozen in fear, also let out a collective sigh of relief.

Only Cui Xian seemed to grasp the situation. This steward, he thought, must have been sent by “Big Brother.”

It seemed those few calls of “Big Brother” the other day hadn’t been in vain after all.

Cui Xian glanced at his mother, whose face was full of protective determination, and at his father, standing firmly in front of him like a shield. Then he looked at Cui Yu, who had knelt before their grandmother without hesitation, willing to be “sold” in exchange for his younger brother’s future. Warmth flooded his heart.

Thank you, he thought, for fulfilling all my dreams of what a loving family should be.

So this is what family feels like. This is what it means to have loved ones.

How wonderful.

But such a wonderful family-

Cui Xian, who had been an orphan in his previous life, could never stand idly by and watch it fall deeper into poverty, crushed under the weight of hardship and suffering.

Since his arrival in this world, the only lingering question in his mind had been: Who am I, really?

But today, at this very moment, Cui Xian realized-it didn’t matter.

Let the karma of his past life drift away like the wind.

From now on, he was Cui Xian of Hexi Village, a member of the Cui Family.

He would carry on the legacy of his ancestors and shoulder the responsibility of restoring the family’s honor.

With this clarity, Cui Xian felt like a wandering leaf that had finally found its roots in the unfamiliar soil of the Great Liang Dynasty.

A newfound vitality surged through him, and even the corners of his eyes and lips seemed to smile.

Seeing that the family was still frozen in shock, Cui Xian gently reminded them, “It’s probably just a misunderstanding. Why don’t we invite the steward from Pei Mansion inside to clarify things?”

Yes, yes!

Inviting him in to talk would clear everything up.

Eldest Aunt Lin smacked her forehead in realization. “I’ll go open the door!”

But as soon as she opened it, the entire Cui Family was left speechless.

Because the steward from Pei Mansion hadn’t come empty-handed-he had brought gifts.

A whole cart full of lavish gifts!

Rice, fine flour, pork, eggs, live chickens and ducks, lard… The cart was piled high with goods.

There were even two rolls of smooth, high-quality fabric!

The Cui Family had been living in poverty for years.

So the sight of this cartload of gifts was nothing short of overwhelming.

Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief, her gaze fixed on the mountain of goods, her heart pounding like a drum.

What did this mean?

Were these gifts for the Cui Family?

No… surely not!

But then, the next moment, they saw the family steward directing two household servants to wheel the cart into the Cui Family’s courtyard.

The steward first nodded politely to Lin, who had opened the door, then turned to Old Madam Cui with a warm smile. “I apologize for the sudden visit-it must seem quite abrupt. These are modest gifts prepared by the master of the house. Please, do accept them.”

Oh, heavens above!

Modest gifts?

Lin couldn’t help but click her tongue in astonishment, while the Cui brothers, Chen, and the others couldn’t tear their eyes away from the bounty.

But despite their obvious desire, no one dared to speak up and accept the gifts.

After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

From the steward’s earlier words, it seemed these gifts were tied to Xian-Ge’er somehow.

Old Madam Cui reluctantly tore her gaze away from the “gift cart” and forced a bitter smile at the Pei Mansion steward. “To be honest, I’m not afraid to admit it-we are a poor family, lacking both clothing and food. This cart of goods is far beyond what we can bear to call ‘a modest gift.'”

“But as the saying goes, ‘No merit, no reward.’ We cannot accept these gifts. Please, I must trouble you to take them back.”

“Also, I’d like to ask-earlier, you mentioned Xian-Ge’er. Is it because my young grandson has offended someone from your mansion? If he has indeed done something wrong, I will make sure to discipline him properly behind closed doors.”

Her words were polite, seemingly self-deprecating toward her grandson, but in truth, every sentence was a subtle defense of him.

After all, the steward claimed to be from the Pei Mansion.

The Pei Family of Nanyang, a family with two provincial graduates-Old Madam Cui had certainly heard of them.

But what left the entire Cui Family stunned was the steward’s reaction.

Upon hearing Old Madam Cui’s words, his expression changed dramatically, and he hurriedly explained, “No, no, no, Old Madam, you’ve misunderstood! Cui Xian hasn’t done anything wrong; he’s perfectly fine!”

“Not only my Young Master but also my Old Madam, and indeed everyone in the Pei Mansion, hold Cui Xian in high regard. It’s our fault for visiting so abruptly; please don’t blame Cui Xian for this!”

What?

What?!

This statement left everyone in the Cui Family, including Old Madam Cui, utterly bewildered.

They turned to look at Cui Xian in disbelief.

Cui Xian blinked innocently, exchanging puzzled glances with his family.

The steward continued speaking.

“A few days ago, my Young Master and Xian-Ge’er hit it off immediately and had a wonderful time playing together. Ever since returning home, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Cui Xian.”

The steward’s tone was earnest. “As such, my Old Madam instructed me to prepare a cart of gifts and pay a visit, hoping to invite Cui Xian to our mansion to be a study companion for the Young Master.”

“Please rest assured, our Old Madam specifically emphasized that this is not about signing a Contract of Servitude or even a formal employment agreement. Xian-Ge’er can simply move in, and we’ll pay you 500 Wen in monthly wages.”

Five hundred Wen per month?!

The three women of the Cui Family could toil endlessly at weaving for two or three months and still not earn that much!

Xian-Ge’er was only eight years old, and someone was already offering him a monthly wage of 500 Wen!

And not only that-they had prepared an entire cart of gifts and personally come to invite him!

The Cui Family was dumbstruck.

Even Cui Xian was a little surprised-he hadn’t expected his “big brother” to be so generous.

Gifts, a job, room and board-it was all covered.

Wow, they might as well just hand over cash directly.

But soon, Cui Xian realized he had underestimated his “big brother.”

A true big brother doesn’t just send gifts and offer a job; he also sends money!

The steward, noticing the lack of response from the Cui Family after his lengthy explanation, grew a bit anxious.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he slapped his forehead and pulled out ten taels of silver from his pocket. “Oh, right! Look at me, so forgetful! Here are ten taels of silver-please, you must accept them.”

What? How much?

Ten taels of silver!

That’s enough to cover the corvée labor fees for two people.

The Cui Family, having already emptied their savings, couldn’t possibly come up with that kind of money themselves!

“This isn’t right, this isn’t right!”

Old Madam Cui was so overwhelmed by this series of grand gestures that she felt dizzy and disoriented.

Summoning her composure, she replied firmly, “We cannot accept these gifts-nor this silver. As for your purpose here, I understand it well. But Xian-Ge’er is still so young; he cannot bear such great favor. Please allow us some time to think it over.”

No contract of servitude, not even an employment agreement, they said.

But her grandson was only eight years old.

So young, and already being asked to leave home to earn money. The Old Madam’s heart ached at the thought.

The Family Steward looked visibly disappointed but his eyes shone with admiration and respect.

It was clear to him that this family was struggling, living in dire poverty. Yet even so, they were not easily swayed by wealth and material goods.

A family of integrity-poor, yes, but with an unyielding sense of dignity.

No wonder Cui Xian had caught the Young Master’s eye.

The Steward’s respect deepened as he smiled warmly and said, “Old Madam, I must respectfully disagree. These ten taels of silver, you cannot refuse. They are not for you; they are what our Young Master promised to give to Cui Xian.”

“As for the cart of gifts, if you truly do not wish to accept them, then consider them temporarily stored at your home. Our Young Master has been eagerly waiting for Xian-Ge’er to move into the mansion.”

“There’s no need to make a decision today. Take your time to consider. If you agree, just send word to the Pei Mansion, and I will come immediately to fetch Xian-Ge’er.”

“If, in the end, you still decide against it, that’s fine too. But in that case, it may be our Young Master who will trouble you instead, as he’s been talking about moving here to play with Xian-Ge’er. When that time comes, I hope you won’t mind the disturbance.”

“Our Young Master has quite the appetite, you see. This cart of goods might not even last long. If that happens, we might have to bring over another two carts.”

Ah, the eloquence of a steward from a noble household-his words were as smooth as silk.

And with that, the Family Steward, without giving anyone a chance to refuse, pressed the ten taels of silver into Cui Xian’s hands.

Then, just like that, he left.

In the Cui Family’s courtyard, the family stood frozen, still reeling from the shock. The heavy, somber atmosphere that had loomed over them earlier had completely dissipated.

Ten taels of silver, plus an entire cart of rice, flour, oil, and fabric-who could possibly stay upset with all that in front of them?

It was a miracle they weren’t laughing out loud!

This sudden twist of fortune was so unexpected, it left everyone stunned.

Lin, worried someone might take notice, furtively closed the front door.

Then, the entire family turned their eyes to Cui Xian, their gazes filled with awe.

Chen, one hand resting lightly on her belly, voiced the question on everyone’s mind. “Xian-Ge’er, what… what on earth is going on here? Tell us everything, in detail!”