The gentle morning light cast a faint golden glow over the Jiang family's accounting office. The room was silent, the only sound being the crisp clatter of abacus beads. Si Yan stood at the accounting desk, his face flushed, his eyes gleaming with excitement and determination. He slammed the abacus down on the account book. The sudden sound, like thunder, instantly startled the sparrows leisurely pecking at food on the windowsill.
"Mom," Si Yan pointed anxiously at the place in the account book where commercial tax items were densely recorded, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "If I pass the imperial examination, our bookstore can be exempted from 30% of the tax!" His eyes were fixed on Su Jinli, as if he was showing her an amazing treasure.
Su Jinli was concentrating on checking the print run of the dialogue book, her brush gently tracing across the paper, leaving behind a trail of beautiful handwriting. Hearing Si Yan's words, she raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise and confusion in her eyes. She turned to look at Si Yan and said, "You're only ten years old, and you even know what a Juren is?" Her gaze was scrutinizing, as if she were trying to find the answer in Si Yan's face.
"I know passing the imperial examination will earn you a fortune!" Si Yan exclaimed excitedly, pulling a crumpled application form from his pocket as if by magic. It looked worn, its edges frayed, as if it had traveled a long way before reaching Si Yan's hands. "I've already registered for the Tongsheng exam under the pseudonym 'Jiang Xiaoyu!'" He raised his chin, a look of pride on his face, as if he had accomplished something truly remarkable.
At this moment, Jiang Yan was carefully bandaging Nian Li's arrow wound. Nian Li accidentally scraped her arm while practicing archery, and Jiang Yan was distressed and focused on treating her wound. Hearing Si Yan's words, his hand trembled violently, and the ointment that was originally intended to be applied to the wound was applied to his daughter's sleeve. "Jiang Xiaoyu?" Jiang Yan raised his head and looked at his son's serious face, his eyes full of surprise, "Where did you get the registration form?" He really couldn't understand how his ten-year-old son got this registration form.
"I traded two strings of candied haws for them with the examiner's servant!" Si Yan proudly shook his abacus, the beads jingling cheerfully as he fiddled with them, as if applauding his "feat." "The registration fee is three cents, and if I pass, I'll save fifty taels of silver in taxes. A sure win!" His little head seemed to be forever calculating the pros and cons, his shrewd expression making one laugh.
Nian Li leaned over curiously to watch. The bandage wrapped around her arm from the arrow bruise swayed slightly with her movements. "Brother, if you don't pass the exam, I'll throw your abacus like a frisbee!" she threatened, half-jokingly, her eyes filled with hope and encouragement for her brother.
Time flew by, and three days later, the day of the imperial examination finally arrived. The sky was a brilliant blue, like a jewel, and sunlight bathed the earth, casting a golden glow over everything. Si Yan rose early, carefully tucked his abacus into his arms with a solemn gesture, as if it were his most precious treasure, his secret weapon for conquering the exam.
The examination hall was bustling with activity. Some looked nervous, others brimming with confidence, each carrying their dreams as they entered this fateful venue. Siyan, dwarfed by the crowd, seemed like a drop in the ocean among the towering figures.
The chief examiner sat behind a tall desk, his expression dignified as he scrutinized each candidate who entered. When his gaze fell on Siyan, a candidate half his height shorter than him, he couldn't help but frown, a flicker of disdain and suspicion in his eyes. He twirled his beard, sneered, and asked, "Can you recite the Analects?" His tone was filled with contempt for Siyan, as if he was certain the child wouldn't be able to answer.
Siyan, however, showed no sign of stage fright. He calmly swung the abacus, his hands flying. The beads danced rapidly on his fingertips, emitting a series of crisp and resounding sounds, as if playing a unique piece of music. "The Analects has a total of 1,000 characters. The fee for copying is five wen per thousand characters. The total cost for copying is seven liang, nine qian and five fen!" His voice was crisp and firm, echoing in the silent examination room.
The entire room fell silent, stunned by Si Yan's answer. Their eyes widened, staring at the tiny figure in disbelief. The candidate sitting next to him couldn't help but secretly give him a thumbs-up, whispering, "This guy's calculations are even better than a bookkeeper's!"
However, Siyan didn't let the crowd's reaction make him complacent. He quickly spread out his test paper, dipped it in ink, and scribbled "On the Ten Benefits of Commercial Tax Reform." His expression was focused and serious, and his handwriting, though a bit childish, exuded a strong and powerful spirit. Finally, he creatively drew an abacus diagram, cleverly integrating his insights on commercial tax reform with its application.
In the exam room, the only sounds were the rustling of students writing and the occasional cough. Siyan was lost in his own world, his mind constantly churning with thoughts about business tax reform. His daily observations and reflections on commerce and taxation now flowed from his pen like a spring.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, and the candidates handed in their papers and left. Si Yan carefully handed his paper to the examiner, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He knew his fate might depend on this one paper.
A few days later, while reviewing the exam papers, the chief examiner was struck by Siyan's answer. His eyes were captivated by the unique argument and clear thinking, especially the abacus diagram, which left him clapping his hands in amazement. "This boy will surely be a worldly genius!" the chief examiner exclaimed, his eyes filled with admiration and recognition of Siyan's talent.
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