A large crowd of people of all ages had gathered in front of the Huangshi Town government office.
Today is the day the results of the county examination are released. The county examination is organized by the county government, and only those who pass are qualified to participate in the prefectural examination in April.
This step is solely to weed out those who cannot even write essays, thus avoiding the waste of manpower in subsequent student examinations, and is also the first step in entering the imperial examination system.
Some people were crying, while others were laughing.
A man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a tattered scholar's robe, collapsed to the ground and burst into tears: "Waaah, how come I failed again?"
Another young man dressed as a servant came out and said, "My young master passed! My young master passed!"
In the bustling crowd, a child of about ten years old, wearing a light pink lining, squeezed out. His facial features were distorted from the crowd.
The little body was carried away, saying, "Don't push me, I want to get out."
After landing, he excitedly ran to the girl wearing a red quilted spring shirt: "Huanhuan, Second Brother won! He got first place!"
The person was none other than ten-year-old Liu Huan, her almond-shaped eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape, her face full of disbelief: "So amazing? Quick, let's go back quickly."
In a courtyard house in the town, Su's mother waited anxiously, wringing her hands.
"Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Sitting next to him was a boy of about fifteen years old, wearing a crimson-purple spring shirt with cloud patterns. His long, jet-black hair fell loose over his shoulders. Although he was not yet twenty, his features were already well-defined, but his figure looked a bit thin.
Beneath his sword-like eyebrows, a pair of dark eyes stared at the book in his hand. His fingers were long and slender. In a low, helpless voice, he said, "Mother, stop wandering around. I'm dizzy."
Su's mother gave him a disapproving look. "What do you know? On such an important day, the whole family should be there. But you just won't let us."
Su Yi, who is also known as Stone, said with a mix of amusement and helplessness: "You wouldn't understand even if you went. There are so many people, it's very crowded."
Su's mother glared at him again: "What do you care whether I can understand it or not?"
Cao'er, who was watching the play, couldn't help but laugh out loud. She was wearing a light yellow spring dress and a pair of pearl earrings. Her face was fair and delicate, and she looked graceful and elegant.
When Su's mother saw her daughter laughing at her, she said in an annoyed tone, "There's someone else watching the show right here. None of you are any of the people who give me any peace of mind."
Daishi was stunned. He had been sitting there without saying anything, so how did he get dragged into this?
Su's father puffed on his pipe without saying a word, his tightly furrowed brows revealing his nervousness.
Li Lian, who had been waiting at the door, came in and said, "Auntie, Huanhuan and the others are back."
The speaker was Li Lian, Zhang the widow's daughter, who was fifteen years old this year. She and her younger brother Li Yang went to live with the Su family that year and have been helping out there ever since.
No sooner had they finished speaking than the two outside rushed in like two rockets, followed by Li Yang, who was the same age. Xiao Shi shouted the loudest: "Dad, Mom, Second Brother won! He got first place!"
Su's mother slapped her thigh, "Oh, it worked?"
With hands clasped together, he bowed left and right, exclaiming, "Oh my, this is truly a blessing from our ancestors! What a joyous occasion!"
Liu Huan ran into the house and darted in front of Su Yi, still out of breath: "Shi Tou, you're number one!"
Su Yi looked at the girl in front of him with bright eyes. This morning, she had specially turned out her red jacket to wear for the festive occasion. The stray hairs on her forehead were wet with sweat and stuck to her face.
Her face turned rosy from running, and she looked very proud. You'd think she had won first place.
Su Yi deliberately frowned and looked her up and down.
While Liu Huan was wondering if he had done something wrong, he smiled like a blooming peach blossom, his eyes full of mockery, "You little rascal."
Liu Huan realized she'd been tricked, and, hands on her hips, she said menacingly, "You stinky rock, you actually called me a rascal, let's see what you'll do..."
I'll be checking your calligraphy in a bit.
Su Yi's words subdued her from her agitation. "Ahhhhh, this is outrageous! On such a fine day, I have to write! I want to go back to Maocao Village!"
Grass pulled her back, who was like a maggot. "Alright, I'll grant you one wish today. We're going back to the village."
Liu Huan stopped the wheels: "Huh? Really?"
As she tidied up, Su's mother said, "Of course it's true. Such great news is something we should tell your grandparents so they can bless Shitou and help him pass the imperial examination with flying colors."
Little Stone poked his head out and teased, "Mom, you even know about passing the imperial examination?"
"Your mother knows everything, including that you skipped class yesterday. Should I tell your second brother about it?"
Xiao Shi, being a shrewd businessman, immediately followed suit, flattering her. "Mother, let me pack your things."
The Su family's shop didn't open this morning and they're about to leave. Li Lian said she'd stay behind, "Auntie, you can go back. I'll go open the shop now and continue doing business this afternoon."
Mother Su waved her hand and said generously, "Oh, no need, everyone has a day off today."
Before anyone could continue, Su Yi spoke up: "Chang Sheng, you should stay too."
Changsheng exchanged a glance with him, then lowered his eyes first: "Yes."
"This..." Su's mother couldn't understand their intentions.
Su Yi patiently explained, "Mother, it's really not appropriate for them to go. With so many people leaving, it's worrying to leave the house unattended. Let them stay."
Since her son had said so, how could Su's mother refuse? She gave him a few more instructions and then left.
In recent years, the Su family has opened several shops in town, selling tofu, braised food, general merchandise, chili powder, and other items that villagers find deep in the mountains.
That year was very strange. After the hunter killed the wolf king, all the ferocious wild beasts in the deep mountains disappeared, and even children could go in to gather firewood and pick mushrooms.
Now, no matter how late it is, one person can travel back and forth through the deep mountains.
After everyone left, the two went out one after the other, locked the door, and went to open the shop.
After arranging the items in the general store, Li Lian found one basket a bit heavy to carry.
"Let me do it." Changsheng's hand accidentally touched Li Lian's hand. Li Lian recoiled as if she had been electrocuted, blushing as she turned her head to do other things.
At the foot of the deep mountain, Su's mother gave the oxcart driver money and unloaded the goods into her basket.
Su Yi went to take her basket, but she dodged him, saying, "This is heavy, you can't carry it, be careful not to hurt your hands."
Su Yi insisted on taking it and carrying it on his back, saying very seriously, "Mother, I've only studied, I'm not disabled."
This prompted a few more nagging words from Su's mother: "Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you spouting on such a fine day? You can recite it yourself, but your mother is happy to have some peace and quiet."
Thatched Village is great in every way, except there's no road for oxcarts, so every time I go home I have to climb up it.
Liu Huan, Xiao Shi, and Li Yang are the most resilient; this level of difficulty is no problem for them at all.
The three women, each wielding a stick, slaughtered every tender blade of grass they passed by with their self-proclaimed 'swords'.
Xiao Shi: "Huanhuan, take this!"
Liu Huan, holding a stick, retorted, "Who's afraid of who? I'll beat both of you to a pulp!"
Three childish kids brandished sticks, and the grass, its path blocked, cried out in exasperation, "Are you guys going to leave or not, Stone...?"
The two turned around and looked into the stone's eyes, instantly cowered, and obediently walked forward, even dropping their sticks.
Su's mother joked, "Only a stone can cure the two of them."
Su Yi remained noncommittal, only lowering his head and smiling with pursed lips.
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