Chapter 69

The next morning, as dawn broke, Wen Shi opened his eyes. Once he was fully conscious, he picked up his water bag and drank some water to soothe his throat.

He took off the thick coat he was wearing and put it aside, stood up, and stretched his body a little.

A strong smell of urine wafted over from somewhere, and he instinctively frowned when he smelled it. Fortunately, the wind and rain had stopped. He took out yesterday's answer sheet, laid it out, and continued answering the questions.

He wrote quickly and steadily, and in less than two hours, several sheets of paper were filled to the brim. After writing the last word, he felt a great sense of relief, and his handsome eyes were filled with a relaxed expression.

The sun slowly rose, and Wen Shi looked up at the clear blue sky. For a moment, he was in a daze. A ray of sunlight shone on his desk, and Wen Shi looked at the black characters on the rice paper. They were neat and beautiful.

He has not relaxed for a moment in the past six months, and fortunately, his teacher is willing to share all his knowledge with him. He is confident in himself.

After the writing had completely dried, Wen Shi put away the answer sheet. The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and he even broke out in a thin layer of sweat.

This unpredictable weather is really unpleasant.

At the inn, the weather had improved, and Yingxiang had taken her child out. Compared to yesterday, she was in a much better mood today.

"Baby, eat some vegetables."

Noticing that her son was only eating the meat in his bowl, Yingxiang quickly spoke up.

The little boy, though not very old, already had his own ideas. He looked up at Yingxiang and then put another bite of stewed meat into his mouth.

Yingxiang's expression changed slightly. He smiled and used a spoon to put the eggplant into his mouth.

Yingxiang glanced at her son speechlessly, but didn't say anything. It's not good for a child to be too serious; at his age, he should be mischievous.

These days at the inn, he spends all his time rummaging through drawers and cabinets. As long as he's awake, he never stops. After messing things up, he always puts them back in their original places, so Yingxiang hasn't said much to him.

Her son definitely took after his father; he rarely cries, and right now he doesn't yell or shout either, always playing quietly by himself.

When they grow up, they'll probably be about the same age as Wen Shi.

"Go by yourself."

Two children, one big and one small, Yingxiang walked hand in hand with her son on a bustling street, refusing his request to be carried.

These past few days, the people on the street have been talking about the imperial examinations. It's held every three years, and they wonder how many successful candidates will be selected from their prefectural city this time.

Nowadays, the number of successful candidates in the imperial examinations in the prefectural city can be counted on one hand. While there are many scholars, successful candidates in the provincial examinations are rare. If one has connections and money, one can definitely become an official and embark on a career in government after passing the provincial examinations.

Without connections or money, even if one doesn't advance further after passing the imperial examination, one can still be a candidate. Perhaps one day, these people will have an opportunity. It doesn't matter if they don't become officials for a while, the land under their name will double, and there will be many people trying to curry favor with them. At the very least, they will become wealthy in the local area. Once a successful candidate becomes famous, everything becomes easy, and their family will suddenly prosper.

You should know that even county magistrates would give face to the scholar-official.

Yingxiang took her child for a stroll to digest their food. Afterward, the mother and son sat in a teahouse listening to a storyteller. She placed her son on her lap and watched the storyteller in the center of the hall, who was giving his all and speaking with great emotion. She was very focused.

Reading is one thing, listening to someone tell stories is another. In the afternoon, Yingxiang decided to come back to listen to this person tell stories again tomorrow.

The moment the exam ended, Wen Shi came out of the exam room, carrying his things, his face very calm, and it was impossible to tell whether he had performed well or not.

Compared to those who were sighing and complaining, he was too calm, while many others were overjoyed. Compared to these people, Wen Shi was too composed.

He had arranged to meet Song Xun after the exam, and this was only the first meeting. He headed straight for the inn.

On the way, Wen Shi drank most of the remaining water in the pot and ate all the pastries. Being locked up for three days was really tough, but fortunately there were still two days until the next match, so he could recover a bit.

It's impossible for him not to be hungry or thirsty. It's already evening, and he doesn't know if Yingxiang and the child have eaten yet. He went to a nearby restaurant and asked someone to pack two dishes for him.

If the two of them haven't eaten, they can eat together; if they have both eaten, he can finish it all by himself.

He bought four ounces of roasted pork, a serving of stir-fried potatoes, and two bowls of rice. There was no soup or side dishes. The shopkeeper wrapped the food in oil paper to make sure it wouldn't leak. When he left, the shopkeeper also gave him two pairs of bamboo chopsticks.

Wen Shi returned to the inn, ordered a pot of tea, and carried it directly upstairs.

To his surprise, the house was empty; his wife and children weren't there. He put his things away. It was hot outside, so he didn't necessarily need to eat anything hot.

When he came out, he ate the leftover cakes to fill his stomach, so he wasn't that hungry. He simply read a book while waiting for Yingxiang and the child to come back.

It was getting dark when the mother and son returned.

Knowing that Wen Shi was coming back today, Yingxiang was surprised that he was back so early. Seeing that he looked calm, she didn't want to put pressure on him, so she didn't ask him about the exam directly.

"Husband, have you eaten?"

"I bought food and will wait for you to come back."

Wen Shi looked at his wife and child, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Xiao Leqian touched his slightly bulging belly and called out, "Dad."

Wen Shi understood everything, but he wasn't that petty, nor would he get angry over something so trivial.

"Eat with me."

"good."

There were three high stools. Wen Shi sat in the middle, and Ying Xiang and the child sat on either side of him. When the little guy saw the roasted pork in the oil paper, he looked at his father and opened his mouth wide.

"My husband, please get some rest these next two days."

Wen Shi picked up a piece of meat and handed it to Yingxiang. The braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat was the most delicious. Yingxiang swallowed it in one bite, chewed slowly, and gestured for him to feed the child a bite.

This roast pork is really good, tender and delicious.

What did you eat?

She fed her son a bite, and then looked at Yingxiang when she smelled it.

"Chicken hand-pulled noodles".

"It tastes good, let's go again tomorrow."

"good."

"I've already figured out what I'm going to do next."

As Yingxiang spoke, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. It was a sudden idea, but she already had a plan.

Wen Shi never objected to Ying Xiang; she could do whatever she wanted.

After a two-day rest, he'll be back on the field.

Early that morning, Wen Shi got up and dressed. He was already awake. Ying Xiang groggily got up, walked over to him, and, still half asleep, helped him fasten the two buttons on his clothes.

Wen Shi looked down at his wife, his eyes shining brightly as if they held a thousand stars. Ying Xiang was a head shorter than him. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a tender, long kiss. When the kiss ended, Ying Xiang was mostly awake. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she leaned against Wen Shi.

Wen Shi was wearing a blue long gown, his back was very straight. He reached out and stroked his wife's cheek, and then placed a kiss on her forehead.

"It will be over soon, wait for me to come back."

Yingxiang nodded and watched Wenshi leave with his book box and packages. Not long after, she climbed into bed to catch up on her sleep.

She didn't ask him these past two days, not wanting to put pressure on him. If he was truly diligent and hardworking, this was the moment to shine. If he was careless, he wouldn't be able to hide his efforts. She trusted her husband, and she was sure he would be confident in the next two exams.

For the next half of the month, the weather was sunny every day. When the last exam ended, Wen Shi left the examination hall and breathed a huge sigh of relief. He felt that he had it all figured out, but of course he couldn't say that out loud.

When Song Xun came out, the two walked side by side, intending to find a place to catch up.

Brother Wen, how confident are you?

Upon hearing Song Xun's words, Wen Shi stopped in his tracks and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"It's hard to say, the results will be released next month, it'll be quick."

"Too."

The examiners were all officials sent from the capital. To ensure fairness, they had already been placed under surveillance and were not allowed to contact outsiders until everything was settled.

The examiners were different each time, and they would be sent to various prefectures as the examination period approached. They were all learned, but their preferences were also different.

"And you?"

"I also feel that I answered quite well."

Song Xun smiled after he finished speaking.

The two immediately changed the subject, and after some deliberation, they chose a dumpling restaurant.

I was already hungry, so I should eat something ready-made. Dumplings are something we usually only eat once a year, during the Lunar New Year. We rarely get to eat them at other times.

"By the way, Brother Wen, do you still remember Qi Yun?"

Wen Shi swallowed a dumpling, thought for a long time, and finally asked, "That rich young master?"

It had been two years since he left the county school, and those who didn't know him well didn't have much of an impression of him. However, he did remember Qi Yun; back then at the county school, everyone dressed the same.

Qi Yun always felt that he was different from them. The jade crown and hairband he used to tie his hair were the only things that could distinguish between the rich and the poor. He was very different from them, so he put a lot of effort into it.

Moreover, he was arrogant. Although he tried his best to appear easygoing, his arrogance was very obvious. To put it bluntly, he looked down on people like them.

"He has now married Master Liu's daughter and become his son-in-law. Master Liu also takes good care of his son-in-law."

Upon hearing this annoying teacher, Wen Shi lowered his eyes to conceal his emotions. After a moment, he looked at Song Xun and nodded.

"He also came to take the exam this time, but I didn't see him."

"I heard that his relationship with Master Liu's daughter is not very harmonious."

Song Xun didn't particularly like this teacher either, but he couldn't change him. Fortunately, Teacher Liu didn't deliberately make things difficult for him, so he just kept reading.

He chuckled softly upon hearing this, but did not reply.

"A few others are not planning to participate this year, and a few have gone to study elsewhere."

Song Xun immediately changed the subject, realizing Wen Shi's indifference to the matter.

"I'm also thinking that if I don't pass this time, I might have to take my wife to another place to find a good academy. Brother Wen, does Master Huang accept recommended students?"

As Song Xun spoke, the expectation in his eyes was obvious. Wen Shi glanced at him and shook his head.

"When a teacher accepts students, he personally examines them. You have to wait in line; recommendations are useless."

The two had a good relationship, and Wen Shi didn't hide anything from Song Xun, telling him everything directly.

When Song Xun heard that Wen Shi had written ten articles in one go in order to become his disciple, he greatly admired him. If it were him, he might not have been able to finish writing them all in one go; it would have taken him several days.

“My writing wasn’t very good either. Perhaps the teacher saw that I was trying hard enough, which is why he accepted me.”

"Brother Wen, you certainly have your own unique strengths."

"I'm going back tomorrow, how about we have a few drinks?"

Aren't you waiting for the results to be released?

"No, if I win, someone will naturally send the news back with fanfare. If I don't win, there's no need to keep it. It's better to go back and work harder."

Song Xun did not plan to wait for the results to be released.