Zhao Qingyan rubbed her younger brother's head again.

Zhao Qingyang saw this and ran to her sister, lowering her head.

In recent years, the young man has grown quite fast, and his height has already surpassed that of Zhao Qingyan.

Seeing Qingyang lower his head, Zhao Qingyan understood and reached out to rub it as well.

Zhao Qingyang happily pulled his test basket and left the house.

Xu Dongsheng, her fiancé, naturally couldn't be left behind.

Yan'er had already given her blessings to her younger brothers, so she couldn't be left out. She lowered her head, like a big puppy begging for a pat.

With a "pfft," Zhao Qingyan couldn't help but laugh, but she still gave her face and touched her a few more times.

"Keep it up, you're the best."

Xu Dongsheng's eyes seemed to be filled with a galaxy, shining brightly.

He nodded and said, "I will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."

Predicting that there would be many carriages today, the group walked to the examination hall.

Fifteen minutes later, when I arrived at the examination hall, there was already a long line of people.

The Zhao family members quickly took their documents and belongings and lined up.

The same suitcase, the same design—they're obviously from the same company. Even if they're not from the same company, they're from the same place.

In an instant, the Zhao family and their entourage became a sight to behold.

Of course, excluding the oldest face in this scene, the remaining three uncles are just passable.

The young men were all handsome and had an extraordinary bearing.

The only drawback is that his physique looks too strong, especially on the second floor.

They didn't look like people taking an exam; they looked more like robbers.

Little Zhao Qingbei is in first place, and Zhao Qingyang is in second place. There's nothing we can do about it; they're young, so we have to give them time.

Zhao Qianci was ranked third, while Xu Dongsheng was ranked last in the Zhao family's group.

When asked why, he explained that he simply wanted to spend more time with his fiancée.

I won't be able to see my new wife for another three days; it feels like such a long time coming.

Looking at the clingy Xu Dongsheng, Zhao Qingyan was at a loss for words. After all, she was the one who made the choice, so what could she do but indulge him?

He followed closely beside me.

The officials in charge of the inspection were baffled by what the Zhao family had brought.

He thought to himself, "Is this family crazy? They're making such a big fuss about moving into the exam hall. They even brought a stove. Are they planning to cook?"

Not only did they cook, they also brought in a baby to take the exam.

This family is really something, letting such a young child participate in the autumn imperial examination.

It would be better if he didn't pass the exam; if he did, his future would be bleak.

Who would want to be dominated by a brat who's barely out of his skin?

Regardless of the officials' inner turmoil, the inspection proceeded smoothly.

Soon, the Zhao family finished their inspection and entered the examination room.

Xu Dongsheng also reluctantly entered the examination room.

The grandfather and grandson, left outside the examination hall, exchanged a glance.

"This has nothing to do with us grandparents and grandchildren anymore. Let's go back. This old woman wants to sleep until the sun goes down."

These days have been so tiring for me.

Now let's leave everything to God.

This time, Zhao Qianci's bad luck struck the cesspool.

Fortunately, there were two seats away from the dung bar, because those two seats were empty.

The old man resigned himself to his fate and first nailed tarpaulin up the examination shed.

Lower the tarpaulin curtain, then roll it up again, making sure the rope is sturdy before you're at ease.

Then came the powdering process, which he was extremely meticulous about, afraid of making even the slightest mistake.

If something unexpected happens and the old man doesn't want to see it, he won't be able to handle it.

Next, we went to the outhouse to fetch water and boil it.

Fortunately, the men of the Zhao family were not the bookish types who were lazy and ignorant of farming. They were quite adept at housework.

Zhao Qianci quickly boiled the water he wanted to drink.

Pour it into a special bamboo tube. Cover it with the lid, making sure no insects get inside.

I wiped the table and seat several times to make sure the paper wouldn't get dirty before I felt at ease.

The brush, inkstone, and water pitcher were all laid out, awaiting the time for the scrolls to be distributed.

The other members of the Zhao family did similar things.

However, whenever he went to the outhouse, he would glance in Zhao Qianci's direction, expressing his deepest sympathy for his grandfather (father).

Zhao Qianci is a man who has weathered many storms.

They don't care about these things at all.

To be able to enter the examination hall and participate in the autumn examination in his lifetime was something he never dreamed of.

After all, being plagued by bad luck is not just a saying; it can really be fatal.

The first day of the exam went smoothly, and the second day went smoothly as well. On the third day, after the exam questions were released, a sudden strong wind arose, and dark clouds covered the sky.

Upon seeing the weather, Zhao Qianci thought to himself, "It's here, it's here."

He got up and calmly lowered the oilcloth curtain, tying it up to ensure it wouldn't be blown open by the wind.

Secure the candle to the candle holder, light it, quickly read the question, and answer it.

The old man didn't even write a draft. The speed was unprecedented.

He knew that God was about to do something.

The rest of the Zhao family did the same, hurrying to answer the questions. Judging from the sky, it was either a downpour or hail.

Their hand speed was so fast it was almost blurry. Luckily, they had practiced sketching regularly.

I'm just afraid something might happen.

After all, with such a remarkable person as the old man in the family, any accident wouldn't be considered an accident.

The wind was howling outside, and although there was an oilcloth curtain in the examination shed, the candle flames were still flickering.

Little Zhao Qingbei simply moved all the writing implements—pen, ink, paper, and inkstone—to the seat, and even the candle, and started answering questions with her bottom sticking out.

Zhao Minggeng immediately removed the table, lifted the exam basket, moved the table to be level with the seat, and then lowered the oilcloth curtain.

Therefore, he could use the exam basket to sit on the desk and answer questions faster.

Grandpa Zhao Qianci seemed completely unaffected, using one hand to shield the candle from being extinguished by the strong wind, while writing furiously with the other.

Finally, just as a clap of thunder sounded, I finished writing the first question.

Then you hear the pattering of raindrops falling.

The wind was also much calmer than before. The old man then sped up his answering of the questions.

Just as Zhao Qianci finished answering all the questions and was letting them dry, he heard a loud bang.

Then a foul odor spread, making people nauseous.

Sensing something was wrong, Zhao Qianci endured the stench, sorted out the exam papers, put them in the exam basket, and put on his mask.

The air was indeed much fresher, although the smell was a bit unpleasant, but it was bearable.

As the heavy rain washed away the debris, a lot of sludge flowed over from the vicinity of the examination site, making the smell seem even stronger.

Zhao Qianci had no choice but to lift his feet and curl up on the seat.

He didn't dare lean against the wall, because he was really worried that if the wall wasn't sturdy, it might crush him. What would he do then? Where would he go to seek justice? It's not like he'd never been in that situation before.

To ensure safety, the old man even extinguished the candles, and just squatted there blankly in the cramped examination room.