So a small unused kitchen on the west side of the manor was converted into a cramped and narrow cell. Xu Mingyan set the questions for himself, prepared all the necessary materials for the exam, and went in to take the exam. If any problems occurred during the exam, he tried his best to endure it and not come out.
Xu Mingyan took his first 'mock exam'. When he came out, his face was sallow, his eyes were dark blue, and he had a lot of stubble. Aunt Tao felt really distressed.
During the days when Xu Mingyan was taking the exam, Gu Lingze had been thinking about the issue of dry food.
There is definitely no convenience food in this era, and there is no technology to make instant noodles.
You can make frozen dumplings, but you can’t bring them in. When checking for smuggled items, even steamed buns and pancakes have to be broken apart, and dumplings are probably no exception.
Fortunately, I can use a pot to boil some hot water to drink, otherwise even the best body would be ruined.
Hot water...? Oh, right! You can make your own noodles!
But Gu Lingze only studied recipes, and didn't know much about the preparation of ingredients. He only had a vague impression, so he planned to try it slowly.
After trying several times, I failed every time. Either the dough couldn't be pulled apart, or it broke when touched after being dried.
After summarizing the previous experiences, Gu Lingze asked Aunt Tao to knead the dough first, and then cut it the next morning. After cutting, he pulled it into uniform lengths, wrapped it in an '∞' shape around two wooden sticks, and then placed it indoors to rise.
When the dough is almost done, take it outside, hang it on the rack, separate the two sticks, and pull them apart from top to bottom until they are thin enough.
However, the last step must be carried out on a sunny day, otherwise the drying time will be too long and the surface will break when blown.
Finally, a decent product was made. Mr. Xu boiled the bone soup, put the prepared noodles into the pot and cooked them, and then added a handful of green vegetables. The noodles were fragrant and the soup was rich. Eating a bowl of it in the cold winter would warm the stomach and fill you up.
"This noodle doesn't taste anything new, but its biggest feature is that it can be stored for a long time and is relatively easy to carry."
"After it's done, roll it into this length." Gu Lingze gestured with his hands, "Then wrap it with a few layers of paper and place it in a dry and ventilated place. You can eat and cook it anytime within a year without it going bad."
"Lingze, what's wrong with your brain? How come you can think of so many things?"
Gu Lingze touched his neck and said with a wry smile, "My master travels a lot, and this was his idea. He mentioned it to me before."
Without saying so, Gu Lingze couldn't explain how he knew the noodles could be kept for a long time, so he could only bring up that elusive "master".
"Your master is really amazing." Aunt Tao said admiringly.
In the second mock exam, Gu Lingze increased the "difficulty of the exam". Not only did he climb up the roof to remove the tiles himself, he also asked Uncle Xu to pile cow dung next to the "mock number room".
Assuming that Xu Mingyan had bad luck in the provincial examination and was assigned to a leaky cell or a room next to a toilet, he could have been prepared in advance.
This time, Xu Mingyan brought some instant noodles and frozen beef broth, and when he came out, he looked much better than last time.
Everything was ready, and Xu Mingyan and his group of five set out for the provincial capital.
The dim sum business was temporarily handed over to Doctor Li and Qiaofu Zhou, and Jinzi and Lingzi were also entrusted to Brother Wu and Mr. Xu.
After arriving in the city, the first thing they did was to find a place to stay. They arrived relatively early, but more than half of the rooms in the inns in the city were full.
After discussion, Gu Lingze and Aunt Tao both suggested moving into Sanyuan Building.
Because of the auspicious name of this restaurant, it is always crowded during the imperial examinations. After all, who among the scholars of this generation does not want to win the top three places in a row, become famous throughout the world, and bring honor to the family.
Aunt Tao just wanted this good luck, but Gu Lingze already knew that Xu Mingyan had the potential to be the top scholar, and he was not worried at all whether Xu Mingyan would pass the exam. He came for the top scholar crispy chicken that Zhao Chengmo had mentioned to him.
After walking for a while, the group entered Sanyuanlou and were greeted by a warm waiter.
"Would you like to stay overnight or stay at the hotel? I will make the arrangements for you."
"Stay in a hotel."
"Okay, please come in, five guests." After saying that, the waiter led them to the counter, where the restaurant owner was standing inside.
"Boss, these five guests are staying at the hotel." He turned around and looked at them, "Dear guests, our guest rooms are divided into three categories: heaven, earth and human. Which room would you like to stay in?"
"There are four Tianzi rooms." Zhao Chengmo replied.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "What a coincidence, you guys. We have four Tianzi rooms left. I'll give them to you right away..."
"I have booked all the remaining first-class guest rooms." A voice came suddenly, and Gu Lingze and the others turned around and looked behind them.
A man was waving a paper fan in his hand, dressed in luxurious clothes and looking very arrogant. There were several servants standing behind him, and both the master and the servants had a smug look on their faces.
"The servants I brought with me have nowhere to live. It just so happens that I have booked all the remaining rooms." After saying this, the man glanced at them sideways.
"Hey, isn't this our great talent Xu? Which miracle doctor has brought you back to health? You can even get out of bed now?" After saying that, he laughed with several servants behind him.
A stove in summer and a fan in winter, mentally ill, Gu Lingze felt that these eight words were just right to describe this person. He was fanning himself in such a cold weather to pretend to be cool, but his brain was probably frozen.
"Zou Yingguang, everything should be based on first come first served. You are also a scholar, you should understand this principle." Xu Mingyan's face was calm and he was not angered by what the other party said.
"Since you said it's first come, first served, then I moved into the Sanyuan Building yesterday. Does that count as me arriving earlier than you?" Zou Yingguang asked arrogantly.
"What if we have to stay today?" When asking this question, Gu Lingze seemed to have a calm tone, but his eyes were filled with coldness.
Zou Yingguang looked at the red mole on his forehead, then sized him up from head to toe, and said with a lewd expression, "Others can't do it, but you can, but..."
Gu Lingze suddenly grabbed Zhao Chengmo's wrist, preventing him from moving.
Zhao Chengmo turned to look at him and found that he was still smiling. He raised his eyebrows and asked teasingly, "But what?"
Zou Yingguang raised his eyelids and said with lustful eyes: "But you have to sleep in the same bed with me." As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Chengmo punched him in the face and he fainted.
The people who followed Zou Yingguang were frightened when they saw the other party knock out their young master with one punch. They pushed one after another and no one dared to go forward.
Gu Lingze stepped forward and tapped Zou Yingguang's chin with his foot, and found that the other party was completely unconscious and not pretending to be dead.
He retracted his foot and said to those men, "Why don't you drag him away? Do you want him to continue to be beaten?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zou Yingguang was half dragged and half carried out by the group of people.
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