The fried rice smells delicious; you can eat it directly without boiling water.
Fried rice alone won't do, so we also made a lot of thin pancakes at home, which at least exempted us from inspection.
The county examination lasts all day, so plenty of food must be prepared. No food will be provided during the examination; only water will be given.
Pan Jinhua and Yan Min then checked the writing brushes, inkstones, and paper. Paper was not allowed, but extra of each type of writing brush and ink was prepared in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
On the day of the county examination, the three children wore five or six layers of clothing. They could take them off if they got hot, but no one would give them clothes if they got cold.
In the morning, Yan Min cooked "Scholar's Porridge" as a way to bring good luck.
The three of them drank the porridge and ate a few boiled eggs. At this time, they dared not cook any greasy dishes, as it would be even more difficult to deal with if they got sick.
All three of them carried their own exam baskets, but Pan Jinhua, Yan Min, and Li Qing went to deliver them together.
There were countless people like them who came to see their children off to the exam, all hoping that their sons would become successful.
The closer you get to the examination hall, the more people there are, holding oil-paper umbrellas and slowly moving inside.
"You may go now, but be careful with your writing and handle things calmly."
"Yes, Grandmother!"
Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi responded loudly, both of them excited and without the slightest sense of nervousness. Perhaps it was because they just wanted to see the imperial examination and didn't place too much importance on the test results, so they were quite relaxed.
Pan Jinhua was helpless; these two children...
"Grandmother, don't worry, Qingyao will definitely pass the county examination!"
"You brat, how dare you talk such nonsense!"
An elderly man with white hair passed by and, upon hearing Li Qingyao's words, couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.
"You little brat, the imperial examinations are so difficult, yet you dare to spout such nonsense. Don't come crying out when the time comes."
"What did you say?"
Li Qingduan was displeased. What was wrong with this old man? He was cursing us before the exam even started. This was intolerable!
Li Qingyao held Li Qingduan's hand, his expression indifferent, showing no sign of being offended.
"The old man is right, I have learned my lesson."
The roll call is coming up soon, and they still need to find partners to form bonds with. There's no need to cause trouble at this crucial moment.
"snort!"
The old man snorted and continued carrying his exam basket. He had been studying diligently for decades, yet he remained trapped in this place, his hair turning white year after year as he watched the world change.
"Brother Yao."
Li Qingduan was puzzled. They were just family members talking, and this old man immediately started mocking them. Why couldn't they fight back?
"We are different from him; let us not try to strike stone with jade."
In Li Qingyao's eyes, the three of them were jade, while the old man was stone.
After years of scientific research, he was still making no progress; perhaps he was on the verge of collapse. They were different; they still had a long future ahead of them. If they angered the old man, the three of them might not even be able to enter the examination hall today, wasting another year, or even…
"Qingyao is right. Qingduan and Qingyi, you must study hard. When you are away from home, you must not act impulsively and think things through carefully."
"Yes, Grandmother."
"Go."
The three turned around and gradually walked into the crowd.
The three found the other candidates they were paired with, and the five of them stood together. They didn't talk much; none of them were in the mood for anything. They just stood there waiting for the examination hall gates to open.
The sky was bright, and the rain was pattering softly.
"Squeak~"
The gates of the examination hall opened.
The yamen runners filed out of the gate, each with eyes fixed straight ahead, their gazes sharp as lightning, their faces stern, making the examinees dare not look directly at them.
Li Qingyao let out a soft sigh of relief. It's finally here.
Before entering the examination room, your identity will be verified and your examination basket will be searched.
The candidates lined up, and two constables checked the list to verify that the candidates were indeed the ones listed.
After the examination, candidates would go to a small shed on the side, where they would have to take off their clothes and be inspected by the yamen runners.
People need to be inspected, and clothes need to be examined carefully as well.
We need to check whether there are any cheat sheets or writing on their clothes.
Therefore, it was simply impossible for a woman to participate in the scientific expedition.
The weather's bad today, so I'm going to strip naked again.
Li Qingyao had been investigated, so he quickly put his clothes back on.
This weather is no joke; even the healthiest person can catch it. Luckily, I had a dish of minced ginger in my basket, so I'll boil some water and have a cup as soon as I get inside.
The fried rice in the examination basket was scattered by the yamen runners, and seeing that no one had smuggled any in, they let it pass.
The tortillas weren't even torn open for inspection; they were just too thin.
Li Qingzhang quickly put on his clothes, picked up his exam basket, and entered the examination hall.
Before long, Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi also entered.
After all the candidates had finished their checks, they waited in the courtyard of the examination hall for the chief examiner to enter. Before long, Lin Pei arrived.
He was dressed in a red official robe and wore an official hat.
With a serious expression, he spoke about some important points to note regarding the exam, repeatedly emphasizing that cheating was strictly prohibited and that anyone caught cheating would be disqualified from taking the imperial examinations.
These words are said every year, but there are always people who take the risk.
After that, the next step was to act as guarantors, in groups of five. If one person cheated, the other four would be implicated. Therefore, the selection of guarantors was crucial; otherwise, one could easily suffer undeserved punishment.
Li Qingyao and his group were alright, but the other two people they swore an oath with were Liu Fuzi's relatives.
The guarantor was Master Liu. If you were to go out and find a guarantor, you had to be a student with a stipend to qualify.
A Linsheng is a scholar who ranks among the top ten in the annual examinations at the county or prefectural schools.
The insurance fee was two taels of silver, which was a considerable sum. Master Liu was a Juren, a higher rank than Xiucai, so his insurance premium was even more expensive.
However, it doesn't mean much to the Li family.
"Liu Zihui, Tongbao of Yaokou County, Li Qingyao, Li Qingduan, Li Qingyi, Liu... five people!"
After calling out many names, the bailiffs finally called out a few names in a loud voice.
Master Liu responded loudly, "I protect Li Qingyao..."
The five people stepped forward again to verify their identities. This time, the guarantor checked their identities. If the guarantor had any doubts about the identity of the person being guarantor, the examinee would be driven out by the yamen runners.
After several attempts, I finally passed the test.
Li Qingyao and the others began to enter the examination room.
The cell is three feet wide and four feet deep, with two boards. The upper board is a table, and the lower board is a stool. If you want to sleep, you can put the two boards together.
The examinee huddled up there, barely managing to get through the night.
Fortunately, they only have one day of exams, so they don't need to stay overnight.
Li Qingyao first carefully placed the examination basket aside, then asked a yamen runner for water and carefully boiled hot water in a corner.
Drink the ginger soup first to dispel the cold.
Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi entered the cell and did the same thing. Their grandmother told them that health was the most important thing, and that as long as they were alive, they could always make a comeback.
After drinking the ginger soup, I felt warm all over, so I quickly soaked some fried rice and ate it with thin pancakes.
Just getting into the exam room took up the whole morning, so I'd better eat something before it starts, so I don't get hungry halfway through the exam and end up in a panic.
There were more than just the three of them eating; quite a few people came to take the exam, ranging from teenagers to people in their fifties and sixties. Many of them had taken the exam several times and were very familiar with the process.
It was my first time taking the test, so I did my research thoroughly to avoid any pitfalls.
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