Gu Pingsheng got off Zhaocai and entered the Gu family mansion.
He ignored Gu Xingzhi and Qiaoniang, who were waiting for him with concerned expressions, and went straight to the table in the hall where the teapot was placed.
He looked around but couldn't find the cup, and became a little anxious. Gu Xingzhi saw this and quickly asked someone to bring the cup over.
He then asked, "Why are you so thirsty?"
Gu Pingsheng was very restless. Seeing that there were no cups, he rushed to the washroom.
His gait was strange, and his figure had already disappeared before his voice came: "Second Uncle, I'll tell you the details later."
Gu Yaoniang smiled and explained for him, "The silly boy said he didn't dare to drink water in the examination room, and he was too embarrassed to go to the toilet, so he has been holding it in until now."
She recalled picking up Gu Pingsheng just before the exam; he looked rather disheveled and exhausted, yet his eyes were bright. He was carrying his exam basket and peering out the door.
She found it both funny and genuinely heartbreaking.
He stepped forward, weighed the teapot on the table, and then ordered someone to prepare another pot of tea.
The freshly brought tea was very hot. Gu Pingsheng had not yet returned when the servant brought the teacup over. Gu Yaoniang poured a cup herself and set it aside to cool, but then felt that the teacup was a bit too small, so she ordered someone to bring a bowl.
Gu Pingsheng returned to the hall, staring intently at the water glass, and walked over there.
The teacup was indeed small, and Gu Pingsheng drank one cup after another.
At first, the cup was placed on the table. After pouring water into the cup with the kettle, the kettle was put down, and the cup was picked up and poured into the mouth.
Very elegant.
It's just a bit slow.
After drinking two cups, Gu Pingsheng changed his approach. He held the cup in his left hand and the teapot in his right. He poured water from the teapot into the cup and immediately drank it.
This made things much faster.
If he weren't alone in the hall, Gu Pingsheng might have picked up the teapot and started drinking.
Qiao Niang was surprised and whispered to Gu Xingzhi, "Second Master, were you like this when you came out of the examination hall before?"
Gu Xingzhi smiled but said nothing, only looking at Gu Pingsheng with eyes full of affection.
Seeing that Gu Pingsheng had finished the warm tea on the table and was about to get another pot, Gu Xingzhi quickly said, "Be careful, it's hot!"
Gu Yaoniang also said, "This was just delivered. You should rest first. Drinking so much water won't make you feel uncomfortable."
Gu Pingsheng then stopped and smiled sheepishly.
Everyone tacitly refrained from asking Gu Pingsheng how he did on the exam. Firstly, they all had confidence in their child's academic abilities, and secondly, since he had already left the exam hall, any concern they might have for him was already a foregone conclusion.
If Gu Pingsheng hadn't brought it up, they wouldn't have asked, to avoid causing the child unnecessary anxiety.
Most of those who participated in the annual examination were like Gu Pingsheng, having already obtained the title of Tongsheng (a student who passed the preliminary examination). However, some students were recommended by influential figures and were exempted from the Tongsheng examination, allowing them to participate directly in the annual examination.
The provincial examination lasted only one day, unlike the autumn examination which lasted for three consecutive days and candidates were not allowed to leave the examination hall. However, apart from the time, the other requirements were no different from those of the autumn examination.
This is meant to give the candidates some time to adjust. The higher the level of the exam, the more difficult it becomes. It is a tremendous test of both their academic knowledge and physical fitness.
Gu Pingsheng was extremely relaxed. After drinking his fill of water, he began to talk about what had happened that day.
He was full of confidence and had everything under control, but he was dumbfounded when he entered the examination room. The narrow examination shed, where eating, drinking, and relieving oneself all took place, was something he found very difficult to accept.
He said, "Just thinking about having to spend three days there during the autumn examination makes me uncomfortable! By the time I come out after three days, won't I be stinking? No wonder the annual examination is only one day; it's to broaden our horizons so we can be mentally prepared for the autumn examination!"
Gu Pingsheng's words were so amusing that his facial features seemed to dance around with each word, making Qiaoniang chuckle quietly to herself.
Gu Yaoniang and Gu Xingzhi couldn't help but chuckle.
Gu Pingsheng seemed to have thought of something and turned to Gu Yaoniang: "Sister! Guess who I saw!"
Gu Yaoniang hadn't expected him to ask her, so she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who?"
"Take a guess!"
Gu Pingsheng was unwilling to give the answer directly.
Gu Yaoniang chuckled and shook her head: "I won't guess."
No matter how eagerly Gu Pingsheng hinted, he refused to cooperate.
"This is really boring."
Gu Pingsheng muttered to himself, but a look from Gu Yaoniang made him sit up straight, shrug his shoulders, and then say, "I saw Sister Xie!"
But then she asked suspiciously, "Where is she going? She seems even thinner than when I last saw her. And she's carrying a test basket. Do families like theirs need her to carry test baskets for others?"
Gu Xingzhi and Qiaoniang twitched their brows slightly. Gu Yaoniang raised her hand and smacked Gu Pingsheng on the head: "I told you you're stupid! Couldn't she have taken the exam basket for herself?"
Gu Pingsheng was taken aback, scratched his head, and suddenly realized: "Oh! Right. Sister, did you know all along?"
He felt a little embarrassed. He had almost forgotten that women could now participate in scientific expeditions.
But she still had some doubts: "Didn't she just give birth? And there's already a top scholar in the family. If she passes the exam, who will take care of the child?"
Gu Yaoniang was about to raise her hand again when Gu Pingsheng quickly covered his head and smiled ingratiatingly at her, "Sister, don't hit me! If you hit me again, I'll really go crazy."
Gu Yaoniang snorted, "She's not smart now either."
She thought for a moment, then lowered her voice slightly and said, "You know Qin Yuxiu is a reliable person, don't you? Besides, doesn't she want to achieve something great herself?"
"What woman goes out to make a name for herself?"
Seeing that Gu Yaoniang's hand was about to make another move, Gu Pingsheng quickly shut his mouth.
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