"Have you heard? That Wu scholar from the county came back right after the exam. I heard he's lost a lot of weight. When his family asked him how the exam went, he didn't answer. I was planning to go and ask him about my son, but now I can't even go."
After the provincial examination was completed, the examination papers were not yet graded, and all examiners were not allowed to leave the examination hall. Therefore, the results were released relatively quickly, taking about seven days.
Most candidates, especially those from far away, do not return immediately after the exam. Instead, they wait until the results are released before setting off. Wu Xiucai returned without even checking his results, presumably because he knew he had no hope.
Wu, the scholar, also came from a poor family. His entire family supported him to take the imperial examinations. If he passed, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate; if he failed, not only would it cost a lot of money, but it would also waste a lot of his time.
The repeated exams have undoubtedly bankrupted countless families, and it's understandable that they've suffered emotional breakdowns.
Meng Zhao sighed and said, "There are advantages to their late return; at least it shows they are still waiting for the results to be announced."
Instead of giving up and going home, they did not.
As time dragged on, September arrived in the blink of an eye. Madam Gu was extremely anxious, waiting and waiting, but still received no news from Shen Qinghe.
She had even developed a large blister on her lip from anxiety, and couldn't help but curse, "What's wrong with Qinghe? He should at least send some news, whether he won or not! He's driving me crazy!"
Meng Zhao had gotten used to Gu Shi and Aunt Qian nagging in her ear these past few days, so she simply pretended not to hear them and focused on her work.
Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums came from afar. Meng Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and she murmured, "They're here."
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