After waiting at the entrance for a while, a minor official struck a gong and announced that the candidates could line up for a body search and then enter the examination hall.
Yang's heart skipped a beat, she was extremely nervous, and bit her lip as she repeated the same words over and over to the person next to her.
In the past, when Shen Laosan went to take the exam alone and Yang Shi waited at home, she wasn't this nervous. But now, seeing so many people vying for that small spot on the list, she panicked terribly.
Shen Laosan was both amused and exasperated: "Wanniang, it's my exam, why do you look more nervous than I am?"
Shen Jialuo: "Father, you don't understand. Mother is just worried about you because she loves you so much."
Shen Jialuo's teasing eased Yang's tension somewhat. She glared at her son and then let out a long sigh: "I'm not nervous at all. With Lili here, I feel much more at ease."
Lady Yang believed in her husband's abilities. She was confident that as long as he could finish the exam properly, he would definitely be on the list, even if he was at the bottom.
Lili hugged her dad very readily and said earnestly, "Daddy, you can do it! Lili is waiting for you outside!"
Shen Jialuo also hugged Shen Laosan's leg, saying, "Go, Daddy! Daddy is the best!"
After confirming that Shen Laosan had brought everything he needed, Yang was relieved: "It's alright, just finish the exam. I trust you."
Holding his wife, son, and daughter, Shen Laosan felt a warm glow in his heart and was very content.
Shen Laosan patted his wife on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
He then said to the two children, "Wait for Daddy to come back and I'll take you out for something delicious to eat."
"Um!"
Lili and her two companions watched as Shen Laosan entered the examination hall, and then watched as all the candidates in line went in. Half an hour later, the gong sounded to signal the start of the examination, and only then did they leave with peace of mind.
Yang was very uneasy as soon as Shen Laosan came out. Originally, Yang planned to take the two children back to the inn to wait, but seeing how nervous she was, Lili suggested that they go to the teahouse next door to have some tea while waiting.
"good!"
Yang agreed without hesitation, but she was worried that Lili and Shen Jialuo would be bored. However, she was also worried about letting them go back to the inn alone.
Shen Jialuo was very considerate: "It's okay, Mom, my sister and I will stay with you!"
Lili nodded: "Yes, I'm not at ease until Daddy comes out."
Yang knew perfectly well that the two children were being considerate of her, and she was deeply moved.
The shops on the three nearby streets were all closed, and the three of them walked to a place three streets away and searched for a long time.
Many others shared the same idea. The three of them went into the teahouse next door. Luckily, they almost didn't have a seat, but a table of customers finished their tea and left, which made room for them.
"Oh dear, are you gentlemen also waiting for your family members to take exams?"
The waiter enthusiastically led the three of them to a private room on the second floor, chatting with them as he went.
Madam Yang smiled and said, "Yes."
The waiter was probably an idiot; even though Yang only replied with two words, he could make a big deal out of it: "Oh my, our teahouse is full of people just like you, waiting to finish your exams!"
Yang chuckled a few times, not intending to reply, but the talkative waiter, once he started, couldn't stop: "You know what? I just heard the customers at that table over there saying that this year's candidates, there are so many of them!"
The waiter gave a thumbs-up with an exaggerated expression.
Upon hearing that it was related to the exam, Yang immediately lost her listless demeanor: "Ah? What do you mean?"
Lili also perked up her ears to listen.
The waiter led them into a private room, brewing tea for them while mysteriously saying, "I heard that one of this year's examinees is named Pan Wei, and he's incredibly handsome, standing on one leg like a golden rooster spreading its wings. But that's not important. What's important is that I heard he's from the capital, a student of the current Grand Tutor, and extremely talented!"
Lili: "???"
Is this how you use this idiom?
Yang's expression cracked for a moment, but Lili was more curious about Pan Wei behind her.
The current Grand Tutor's students should have already risen to high positions in the government. Why are they not serving as officials in the capital, but instead taking the exams in Nanlin County?
Is there no such thing as "recommendation" here?
In novels, aren't the retainers and students of these powerful figures exempt from the earlier exams and able to directly take the final provincial and palace examinations?
Lady Yang asked the same question: "Why would the Grand Tutor's student be taking the exam in Nanlin County?"
The waiter said, "I heard it from the guests at that table. They said that Pan Wei is a member of the maternal clan of the old princess of the Jing'an Prince's Mansion. He is considered the old princess's grand-nephew. It was through the old princess's connection that the Grand Tutor accepted Pan Wei as his student."
Oh wow!
Secrets of the Capital!
The gossip of the wealthy is always more interesting than that of ordinary people. Lili immediately sat up straight, staring intently at the waiter, showing great enthusiasm.
"Since he still has connections with the royal family and is a student of the Grand Tutor, why would he be here?"
Xiao Er originally only intended to stop there to avoid saying anything inappropriate, but perhaps encouraged by Li Li's gaze, he somehow ended up revealing everything he had overheard.
"Hey, right, isn't that strange?" The waiter lowered his head and whispered, "I heard from another table that Grand Tutor Zeng's previous three students were all handpicked by him, and he was very satisfied with them."
"But as for Pan Wei, well, everyone knows what I mean. How could Grand Tutor Zeng refuse when the old princess personally asked him to? So he took Pan Wei under his wing, intending to teach him well. But unexpectedly, Pan Wei is quite radical, it seems..."
"It seems that he didn't want to be just a student every day anymore and wanted to ask Grand Tutor Zeng for an official position to prove himself. But Grand Tutor Zeng thought he was still young and his temperament was unstable, so he disagreed. Pan Wei felt that Grand Tutor Zeng was looking down on him and deliberately not giving him an official position. After a while, the two of them started arguing. Then Pan Wei came to Nanlin County, saying that he would take the exams step by step to prove himself to Grand Tutor Zeng."
Lili was speechless. This Pan Wei was really something, actually coming all the way to Nanlin County to take the exam.
Is this really true?
The waiter immediately widened his eyes, giving him an expression that said, "You actually don't believe me?"
"Of course! The guests at that table are the owner of the restaurant next to the examination hall. He said that one day, several of Pan Wei's servants went to their restaurant for drinks, and they told him this themselves when they were drunk!"
After the waiter finished speaking with great confidence, he deflated and chuckled awkwardly, "But I only heard it from others. Gentlemen, just take it as a joke."
Lili seemed thoughtful, feeling that since this person's name had come to her ears, there was a 99% chance something was going to happen.
Madam Yang was filled with worry, wondering if Shen Laosan knew about this matter. If he knew about Pan Wei's background, would he feel pressured?
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