February is here, and Ahri's big day is just around the corner.

The spring imperial examinations consist of three sessions held in February.

The first event is on the 9th, the second on the 12th, and the third on the 15th.

Under the lamplight, He Youyou busily tidied up.

I took the items out of the basket, checked them, and then put them back.

After tidying up, he paced back and forth under the lamp, muttering to himself.

Zhao Changqing held his teacup and watched her for quite a while.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer: "Youyou, can you stop and rest for a while?"

As He Youyou paced back and forth, she murmured, "I can't stop. If I stop, my heart will pound."

Zhao Changqing put down his teacup, stood up, and walked to her side.

"Don't be too anxious. Ah Li has already packed everything that needs to be packed. He knows what needs to be prepared. You have to trust him."

He Youyou said helplessly, "Of course I believe him, but I can't control myself, I'm nervous."

Zhao Changqing asked in confusion, "Why are you nervous? So many big occasions and important figures didn't make you nervous, but your child's exam makes you nervous?"

"I don't know either. If I were taking the test myself, I wouldn't have reacted like this. Maybe it's because it's my first time being a mother, I have no experience, and I'm not confident."

"It's okay, you'll get used to it later."

What did you say?

Zhao Changqing didn't answer, but instead pulled her to sit down on a chair.

"Here, let me massage your shoulders to help you relax."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged them.

From shoulder to neck, from neck to head, back and forth, over and over again.

He Youyou breathed a long sigh of relief.

It really felt like I was relaxing.

"Hanzhang, do you think Ah Li will pass the exam this time?"

"Ali is still young, so it's okay if she doesn't pass the exam. She can try again in three years, and she'll definitely succeed."

"I just burned incense for the ancestors of the Han family, hoping they will bless me so that I can win this time."

Zhao Changqing paused, "...When you were burning incense just now, you didn't burn me in too, did you?"

"No, you forgot, didn't you take your own memorial tablet? Now all those remaining are original members of the Han family."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot I took it..."

"What happened to your own memorial tablet?"

"It was burned."

"...You're really something, burning yourself."

"Don't worry, Ah Li is a very promising child. You should trust your judgment."

Under the flickering lamplight, they looked just like two parents who were worried sick about their child.

The two chatted idly for more than half an hour, which finally eased He Youyou's tension a bit.

The next day, the family took Ali to the examination hall, and Zhao Changqing also came.

The carriage stopped outside the Gongyuan Gate. Ah Li got off the carriage and waved goodbye to He Youyou.

He Youyou wanted to say something, but Zhao Changqing stopped her.

"Your emotions are unstable, don't let it affect the child."

"Sigh, I know. But I feel tightness in my chest in the carriage, I'd better get off and walk around."

"I'll stay with you."

The two got off the carriage and strolled back and forth along the street in front of the examination hall.

At this time, the street vendors were selling items related to the exam.

Writing implements, food, candlelight, and the like.

One of the vendors caught He Youyou's attention.

This vendor is selling exam baskets.

But one of his test baskets was designed differently from the others.

Normal exam baskets are square with multiple layers and a handle so they can be carried in your hand.

This exam basket, however, is designed in the shape of a stool, with four wheels at the bottom, so it can be pulled along.

This design is so ahead of its time!

He Youyou pointed at the exam basket and asked, "Hey bro, who made this exam basket?"

Seeing her interest in the exam basket, the young man selling it chuckled and replied, "It was made by the 'Three Madmen' from Bitong Hutong. Madam, would you like to buy this exam basket?"

"The 'Three Madmen' you mentioned, is he a bamboo craftsman?"

"No, he does everything, he just likes to tinker with these useless things. The things he makes are all mishmash and can't be sold at all. He forced this on me, and if I can't sell it, I'll have to take it back to him."

He Youyou smiled and said, "Brother, I'll buy this test basket. Can you tell me where the Three Madmen live?"

Having obtained the information she wanted, He Youyou picked up her exam basket and returned to the carriage with satisfaction.

Seeing her radiant appearance, Zhao Changqing teased, "What? Not nervous anymore?"

"Hmm, now we have something to do. Let's go find Minzhi."

Zhao Changqing said unhappily, "Why do you always ask him for help?"

"This matter really can only fall to Minzhi. He has extensive connections in the capital and knows all sorts of people."

He Youyou went straight to the Cheng family home and placed the exam basket right under Cheng Tingrui's nose.

"Minzhi, we need to support a few people with ideas."

Cheng Tingrui examined the box carefully.

"What are your plans, Youyou?"

“Minzhi, as I told you before, I want to do project incubation and need to cultivate some talent. These people may not produce results in the short term, but I'm not in a hurry. I have some ideas about the selection of these people.”

"Please speak, Youyou."

"Most of these people need to have solid skills, rich professional knowledge, and the ability to consistently produce results; however, I hope that there are a few people among them who have ideas that go beyond reality and can come up with ideas that others cannot, even if those ideas seem useless."

What He Youyou needs is someone with unconventional thinking and ideas that are ahead of their time.

The quantity doesn't need to be too large.

Having four or five geniuses in the whole team is enough.

Give them money, goods, and resources, and see what they can make.

Their role is to inspire thinking and guide direction.

He Youyou gave the address of the three madmen to Cheng Tingrui: "Minzhi, please keep an eye out for me. If you encounter someone like that, try to recruit him."

Cheng Tingrui accepted the note: "Okay."

Then, as if casually asking, "Did Ahri go into battle today?"

"Yes, we just entered the venue and won't be able to come out until the third day."

Cheng Tingrui nodded thoughtfully: "He... is good, he will definitely pass the exam."

After He Youyou left, Cheng Tingrui went around to the small ancestral hall in the backyard.

The first memorial tablet reads: "The spirit of my late father, Cheng Jiduo."

He burned incense and knelt in prayer, silently offering his blessings.

The smoke curled upwards, higher and higher.

Inside the palace, Zhao Wenqi lay on top of his brother, wrinkling his nose and sniffing hard.

"Brother, what's that smell on you?"

Mmm...it smells like hot pot.

On the day Zhao Wenyi left, it was cold, and the He family ate hot pot.

His inner and outer garments were washed, but his outermost fur cloak was not.

After airing it out in a well-ventilated place for a few days and burning incense, Zhao Wenqi still managed to smell it.