Li Qingyao put down his pen and prepared to rest late into the night.

There's still one day left, so we need to conserve our energy.

Put away your writing brushes, inkstones, and exam papers properly; it will be too late to regret it if you ruin them.

Li Qingyao put the two number boards together, curled up slightly, and lay down directly on the number board.

After lying down, Li Qingyao didn't think about how to write his first policy essay. He just tried to clear his mind. He would have to take the provincial examination later and get used to spending the night in the examination hall.

Gradually, accompanied by the candlelight outside the cell and the rustling sound of paper being rolled, Li Qingyao fell asleep.

He went to bed relatively early; most of the other test-takers were still writing.

Li Qingyao woke up at the crack of dawn, awakened by the snoring of the other examinees in the surrounding cells.

The deafening snores rose and fell, shattering Li Qingyao's sweet dream.

After waking up, Li Qingyao tried to fall back asleep several times, but he couldn't resist the noise. He had no choice but to give up, get up, and light the candle.

There was still some water left from the yamen runners' earlier delivery. Li Qingyao picked up the corner of his clothes, soaked it in water, and used the corner as a face towel.

After his clothes became wet and cold, Li Qingyao finally came to his senses after wiping his face. He put the ceremonial board back in place and took out his brush and ink.

Since I can't sleep anyway, I'll take advantage of this lucid moment to think about how to write this last piece.

Li Qingyao adjusted his mindset, read the question again, and slowly wrote down his key points on the draft paper.

That night, Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi couldn't sleep at the inn, and Yan Min tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all.

In Lijiacun, Pan Jinhua was worried about the exam and couldn't sleep well.

"Would the old lady like to rest a bit more after breakfast?"

Seeing that the old lady looked unwell, Yao Niang offered some words of advice.

"Forget it, I can't sleep anyway."

Not only Pan Jinhua, but also Li Xuming and other members of the Li family, didn't sleep well.

The academy exams are about to end today, and I wonder if the young clan leader will be able to make the list.

When Li Qingyao took the county exam, the Li family members weren't so nervous. But now that the prefectural exam was just around the corner, the Li family members were secretly looking forward to it.

"Grandma, it's done!"

Just as I was feeling down, Li Qing suddenly ran in from outside the door, shouting.

"It's done?"

"It's done, Grandmother!"

Pan Jinhua was also extremely excited.

Since last year, she and Li Qingjing have been working on soap formulas.

She had never made it before, but she had heard at some point that the soap was made from wood ash and lard.

The grandfather and grandson experimented together for several months before finally figuring out the right ratio to make soap with the perfect balance of softness and firmness.

However, for the sake of the soap's appearance and fragrance, Pan Jinhua also considered adding pollen or flower juice to adjust the color and enhance the aroma.

However, I later realized that cultivating fresh flowers is difficult nowadays, and rare flowers are even more expensive. If they were used to make soap, the cost would be exorbitant.

During the county examination, Pan Jinhua took Li Qingjing to accompany her to the exam while also going to find Bohe.

Peppermint is a traditional Chinese medicine at this time, but it has a refreshing aroma and can also invigorate the mind.

If added to soap, it gives a slightly cooling sensation when used, making it a good product.

After returning to Lijia Village, the two immediately began making peppermint soap, and now, two months later, the soap is finished.

"It seems like good news is on the way. The prefectural examination is about to end today, and our peppermint soap is ready. What a good omen!"

Pan Jinhua's face lit up with joy.

Li Qing looked at his grandmother with a face full of affection and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Ever since he started making soap with his grandmother, he has been constantly amazed by her genius.

There is no one in the world wiser than a grandmother.

Soap is simply a miracle product!

Who would have thought that such exquisite things were made from wood ash and lard?

In the afternoon, many family members of the test takers had already come to pick them up at the entrance of the examination hall.

Yan Min went to fetch a doctor, while Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi had been waiting at the door since morning.

"I wonder how Yao-ge slept last night?"

"Don't you know what those dormitories are like? How could you possibly get a good rest? Luckily, it's the last exam. Get a good rest after the exam and make up for it."

"The hardships of this scientific expedition are not something ordinary people can endure. The fact that these people survived last night is already remarkable."

"yes."

While Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi lamented outside, Li Qingyao inside the examination hall was indeed suffering terribly.

Nothing else, after fermenting overnight, the smell of the stinky broth became even stronger.

Li Qingyao felt as if the stench was completely surrounding him. If he was already feeling so uncomfortable, how could the people sitting in the stinking cell possibly endure it? They were truly brave.

A student with a bad exam score: How do I get through this? Just tough it out.

Li Qingyao tried hard not to pay attention to the foul smell in the air, focused his thoughts on his pen, and finally put down the last stroke, letting out a complete sigh of relief.

I took a breath, ugh... no, I can't inhale.

Li Qingyao slowed his breathing and impatiently fanned the exam paper, hoping the ink would dry quickly.

The moment he rang the bell, he seemed to hear the sounds of the examinees in the surrounding cells gritting their teeth.

Hehe, gentlemen, I'll be going now.

Following the constables out of the examination hall, Li Qingyao felt relaxed, but he still felt like he had developed a musty smell.

"Brother Yao! Over here!"

The twins had sharp eyes and spotted Li Qingyao coming out of the examination hall immediately, so they quickly went to greet him.

"Brother Yao, you've worked hard. Are you feeling alright? Let's go back to the inn first."

It's no wonder Li Qingduan asked that question; some of the candidates had fainted after passing the exam, which startled the two of them.

Seeing that Li Qingyao was in good condition, I felt relieved.

Do I smell?

"Huh? What?"

Li Qingduan was taken aback by Li Qingyao's question. Was he being tested?

"No, it's nothing, let's go back first."

"Brother Yao probably didn't wash up all night and is feeling a little unwell? It's okay, he'll be fine after he goes back and washes up."

Li Qingyi explained it to Li Qingyao.

"Okay, let's go."

Li Qingyao finished the exam smoothly, and the people who accompanied him were also happy. However, they had been warned by Pan Jinhua beforehand, so they didn't ask Li Qingyao how the exam went, and just told him to rest.

Li Qingyao was indeed unusually lazy for two days. Apart from reciting the essay he wrote for the exam from memory, he didn't read any books or write anything.

The provincial examination was held every three years, and according to the time of its holding, the next one would be next year.

The provincial examination was held in autumn, while the county examination was held in spring. If you passed this time, you would have a year-long break to travel and study, which would be a bit short but would broaden your horizons.

After this policy exam, he realized that working in isolation was not a good idea. He was able to answer that question thanks to his father's influence; otherwise, he might have failed the exam as well.

If the provincial examinations were this difficult, the imperial examinations must have been even more difficult. The phrase "having substance in one's speech" is easy to say, but much harder to achieve.

He only wished that he could pass the provincial examination on his first try while he was still young; he couldn't afford to waste three years after three.