The very next morning, Wang Qingchen and his companions boarded the carriage back to the county seat with their packed belongings.

They had been in the provincial capital for quite some time, and now that they were heading back, everyone was filled with eager anticipation. The journey home was marked by high spirits, as if returning meant some kind of fulfillment.

Wang Qingchen, too, missed his family. Though sometimes he wondered if he was truly Wang Qingchen, or if the soul of Xiao Luo from his previous life still resided deep within him, after so many years of shared life, the Wang Youfu family occupied an undeniably vital space in his heart. So much had changed through the small moments shared daily; even if he couldn't recall every instance of their kindness, the accumulation of these good deeds was reshaping him internally. The Wang Youfu family had thus become an indispensable part of Wang Qingchen's existence.

However, the thought of returning to the county meant staying there for a while longer. Since he had succeeded in the provincial examination and become a Juren, he needed to properly visit the tutors at the county school and gather with his fellow students. These social obligations needed to be handled first, meaning a return home would have to wait a little longer. Speaking of which, his family would surely be overjoyed to hear he passed as a Juren! In this era, passing the provincial exam was a monumental achievement for a farming family. The image of Wang Youfu, Wang Qinghua, and Madam Yang looking at him with relief and pride warmed Wang Qingchen’s heart.

Meanwhile, although Liu Hao and the others had not achieved the rank of Juren, they were considerably less disheartened after the recent adjustments. After all, they were still young; there would be other chances, wouldn't there? If this time failed, they would simply try again later. There would always be an opportunity to pass. Thus, they were not wallowing in gloom on the return trip but were eager to get back, having been away from home for so long.

Watching Liu Hao and the others, Wang Qingchen suddenly remembered something. He nudged Li Yuntai, who sat beside him, and asked, "Hey, you’re getting married when you get back, aren't you? I remember you've been engaged for quite a while."

Li Yuntai had not expected Wang Qingchen to bring this up right then and was momentarily at a loss for words. In truth, very few people in ancient times could discuss their betrothals so openly; people of that age were quite reserved about such matters, especially teenage boys!

Li Yuntai’s awkwardness was unexpectedly overheard by Liu Hao, whose ears were quite sharp. Despite the slight clamor in the carriage and Wang Qingchen’s quiet speaking voice, Liu Hao managed to catch the remark.

"What? Yuntai, you're getting married?" Liu Hao exclaimed in shock.

With Liu Hao’s loud shout, the carriage instantly fell silent, and everyone instinctively turned to look at Li Yuntai. Is Li Yuntai getting married?

Staring at by everyone in the carriage, Li Yuntai’s face flushed crimson, making him even more flustered, unsure how to say anything to ease the atmosphere.

Wang Qingchen, on the other hand, had not anticipated such a result from his quiet query. He instantly gave Li Yuntai an apologetic look; he truly hadn't intended to bring up that topic.

Sensing the sudden silence in the carriage, Liu Hao realized he might have overstepped. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, well, let’s get back to what we were discussing earlier!"

Hearing Liu Hao, the others realized that staring at Li Yuntai was inappropriate. They quickly averted their gazes and resumed their previous conversation. Yet, even as they returned to the old topic, it felt subtly off-key, their minds still buzzing from Liu Hao’s outburst. Consequently, while they continued talking about their prior subject, they diverted a portion of their attention to monitor the exchange between Li Yuntai and Wang Qingchen.

Wang Qingchen found this situation both frustrating and amusing. They were clearly interested but managed not to ask, all while keenly watching him and Li Yuntai. Did they think their curiosity would simply vanish if the two of them stopped talking?

With that thought, Wang Qingchen cleared his throat. Under the expectant gazes of everyone in the carriage, he casually picked up a book, asked Li Yuntai nothing, and began flipping through the pages.

The others were momentarily stunned by Wang Qingchen’s choice to read at such a crucial moment. Could it be over? He had just asked a question, so why was he reading now? Wasn't he curious himself?

Li Yuntai, seeing that no one else was pressing the matter of his marriage, felt his face relax from its blush. He regained some composure and, mirroring Wang Qingchen, picked up a book and began reading.

Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai remained composed, but the others in the carriage were far from it; they were intensely curious! They began nudging one another, trying to prompt the others to voice the questions burning in their minds, but no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out. Finally, Madam Huang, unable to stand it any longer, turned to Li Yuntai and asked quietly, "Yuntai, you’re getting married this year?"

Madam Huang’s question was quite direct, and given that she was an elder who had looked after them, Li Yuntai felt obliged to answer. He lifted his head from his book, looked at Madam Huang, and mumbled hesitantly, "This... this matter depends on my mother and father’s wishes."

Liu Hao and the others were somewhat dissatisfied with Li Yuntai's evasive answer, finding it too perfunctory. However, Madam Huang viewed it differently. She thought that by saying this, the boy showed filial piety, understanding that such matters required parental consent. After hearing his reply, Madam Huang nodded. "You are right; major life events like marriage must follow your parents' wishes."

Hearing Madam Huang agree, Li Yuntai breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his answer had passed muster. If they had pressed further, he truly wouldn't have known what to say.

Thus, under the disapproving glances of Liu Hao and the others, the topic of Li Yuntai’s marriage came to an abrupt end.

After three days and two nights of bumpy travel, Wang Qingchen and his party finally returned to the county seat by sunset on the third day. Upon arrival, a good rest was certainly in order, as Wang Qingchen felt his entire body was ready to fall apart from the journey.

Since Zhao Jing was not studying at the county school, he had already planned on the road that he would stay with Wang Qingchen for one night and return to Qingshan Town the next day.

As for Madam Huang and her son Zhao Cheng, they had given up their rented house in the county seat when they first left for the provincial capital. Naturally, they needed to find temporary lodging first. Finding a place to stay wasn't an instant task, and with night approaching, it was even harder. They would likely have to find an inn.

Wang Qingchen recalled that before leaving for the provincial capital, Madam Huang had stored some of her larger items that she couldn't take with her in the vacant room of the residence they were renting. Since that room was already empty, why not let Madam Huang and Zhao Cheng stay with them? After all, they had lived together in the provincial capital for so long; suddenly separating might make them feel unsettled. Furthermore, since Zhao Cheng was now a Juren, letting him stay would surely be welcomed by Liu Hao and the others.

So, Wang Qingchen voiced his idea. "Auntie, please don't bother looking for an inn. We actually have an empty room here that you could use after a quick cleaning, if you don't mind. I suggest you just stay here; we’ve benefited so much from your care in the capital. If we suddenly stopped living together, we might just get used to you not being around!"

Before Madam Huang could reply, Liu Hao and the others reacted swiftly, jumping in to support him. "Yes, Auntie, Qingchen is right! You should stay here. We have empty rooms lying vacant; it’s better to have someone living in them!"

Madam Huang looked troubled upon hearing this. She had already taken considerable advantage of Wang Qingchen and the others while they were in the capital; staying with them now would feel like burdening them further for free.

Even Zhao Cheng hesitated upon hearing Wang Qingchen’s suggestion. Although Wang Qingchen and the others had treated him kindly, he couldn't keep accepting their hospitality so easily without feeling a pang of guilt.

Wang Qingchen noticed their hesitation and quickly assured them, "Auntie, don't worry. We aren't letting you stay for free; we will charge rent."

Liu Hao, being sharp-witted, immediately understood Madam Huang’s concerns after Wang Qingchen’s comment. He chimed in, "Exactly! We can just treat it like we did in the provincial capital, right?"

Li Yuntai and Qi Jintang also added their invitations for Madam Huang and Zhao Cheng to stay. Finally, Madam Huang looked at her son, Zhao Cheng, and upon seeing him nod in agreement, she consented.

Once the decision was made to stay together, everyone began helping Madam Huang and Zhao Cheng tidy up their room. As for Wang Qingchen’s own quarters, they required no work, as Housekeeper Xu often came by to clean them periodically while they were away.

Just as everyone finished settling the room and were discussing whether to go out for dinner, they heard a knock on the courtyard gate.