The prefectural examination was very different from the county examination. The prefectural examination consisted of three sessions. The first two sessions were held over one day each, after which you could go home. The third session was held over two days, and you had to stay overnight in the examination hall.
Candidates do not need to bring their own writing brushes, ink, paper, or inkstones; in fact, they only need to bring themselves in.
Fortunately, they were allowed to bring their own food, which put Huang and Zhao Qingyan at ease.
After all, the food I prepare myself is clean and hygienic.
If these are all distributed uniformly by the examination center, it's hard to guarantee whether the food is clean.
Given Zhao Qianci's bad luck, if only one out of a hundred buns is sour, then that sour one will definitely end up in his hands.
The night before the exam, Huang was very anxious.
I really can't sleep, and I can't think of any surprises I can give the old man tomorrow morning.
Afraid of disturbing the old man's rest, she stared intently at the ceiling with her eyes wide open.
As dawn broke, Huang still hadn't figured out what method she could use to make the old man bleed some money.
Zhao Qingyan had prepared the meal early, and it was all light and simple.
I'm afraid that if I drink too much soup and water, I'll need to go to the toilet halfway through the day, and it wouldn't be nice to get covered in poop.
Each person receives a small bowl of plain congee, a steamed bun filled with pork tenderloin and scallions, and an egg.
Seeing such a simple breakfast, the people who had recently become picky eaters were still quite surprised.
The food brought to the examination room included plum juice and small cakes.
The reason for making these preparations was entirely due to Zhao Qianci's unlucky constitution.
I'm afraid that I might accidentally choke while eating, which would be a real problem.
Thinking this way is a bit outrageous, but that's exactly what Zhao Qingyan thinks.
There weren't many small cakes, the kind you can eat in one bite. No matter how choking they are, they won't choke you to death.
Alright, everyone quietly packed their things and prepared to set off.
Just before setting off, seeing that Huang Shi hadn't made any move, Zhao Qingyan got anxious. She took out a blood-drawing needle from her spatial storage and, taking advantage of Zhao Qianci's inattention, pierced a hole in his ear.
Blood droplets gushed out instantly, then flowed together.
Zhao Qingyan quickly grabbed some sterile gauze and pressed it against her grandfather's wound. The bleeding couldn't continue, or his clothes would get dirty.
Alright, Zhao Qianci tilted his head, pressed one hand against his ear, and was helped into the carriage by Madam Huang.
Although it's only three streets away, Zhao Qianci is now quite vulnerable, mainly because he was injured before.
When the Zhao family arrived at the entrance of the examination hall, their presence stunned all the candidates and their families.
This is quite impressive! The carriage is followed by strong and robust scholars, though they are carrying a lot of exam baskets.
The young master here is still the master's son; he can't possibly bring in so many things all at once, can he? Would the inspecting officers agree to that?
Just as everyone was speculating, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the face of an elderly woman. Then came a pretty young girl.
After the two of them got out of the car, they were greeted not by a young man, but by an old man with a long beard.
It truly broke the hearts of countless students.
I thought a handsome, refined man would get out of the car, but instead...
It was quite an eyesore. Fortunately, the gong signaling the start of the exam soon rang, and everyone lined up, underwent checks, and entered the exam room.
The Zhao family members again placed Zhao Qianci in the middle, to avoid any problems when he entered the examination hall.
When Zhao Qianci was assigned to his dormitory, he kept praying that it wouldn't be a latrine.
Yes, prayers are very effective. It's definitely not a dung number; it's only two dorm rooms away from the dung number.
Zhao Qianci quickly tidied up the examination room as fast as possible. Fortunately, it was still early and no one was using the toilet yet, so the smell wasn't too strong.
Take out your mask and prepare it so you can wear it at any time.
Today, Zhao Qianci is going to abstain from food and drink. Eating while smelling food makes it easy for his mind to wander.
At noon, as the temperature rises and the students take a break, the latrine naturally becomes the most popular spot.
Zhao Qianci, looking utterly hopeless, leaned against the wall of the examination room, occasionally lifting his mask to take a sip of the plum juice his granddaughter had prepared for him.
I feel like I smell terrible.
Feeling better, I quickly got to writing.
At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Zhao Qianci finished answering the questions.
After careful consideration and checking, and feeling that there were no errors, I dried the exam paper and rang the bell for the examination room.
An invigilator immediately came over and covered up the exam paper. Zhao Qianci tidied up and left the examination room.
Once I sat down at the entrance where students who had finished their exams early could rest, I was finally able to breathe normally again.
At this moment, Zhao Qianci wished time could pass faster. The old man really wanted to sleep, and sure enough, he fell asleep while sitting.
He slept for a full hour without waking up, which terrified the guards responsible for protecting the area. They wondered if the old man had fallen into a deep sleep.
He quickly leaned forward and put his finger under Zhao Qianci's nose. Only when he felt that he was still breathing did he relax.
Sleeping while sitting like this isn't a good idea; slouching in a chair is also very unseemly.
The constable patted him a few times, but couldn't wake him up. Worried, the constable used all his strength and slapped Zhao Qianci on the back.
Zhao Qianci, who was having a sweet dream, was so shocked by the slap that he slid off his chair and onto the floor.
"Cough cough cough." He was completely awake, but Zhao Qianci felt like his lungs were about to be crushed by this guy.
"Brother Cha, are you trying to cause me internal injuries?"
The yamen runner was very embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, I thought you had fainted. I couldn't wake you up no matter what I did, and I used a little too much force. Are you alright?"
Zhao Qianci coughed incessantly, "Do I look like I'm alright?"
The constable was terrified, thinking he was in big trouble. But then he realized that he hadn't done it on purpose; it was just an accident. An accident, okay?
Besides, if a student is sleeping like a log and can't be woken up, it's already considered good enough that you haven't even had to call someone to carry them out.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of his own reasoning, so the constable changed his demeanor.
"You're perfectly fine, aren't you? If I hadn't woken you up, you might not even be able to tell if you were really unconscious. Sleeping is strictly prohibited in the examination room."
It could easily be mistaken for an illness, which would affect your test score. So I meant well.
Zhao Qianci knew perfectly well that the other party was talking nonsense, but there was nothing he could do. He probably had been sleeping too soundly just now.
I stood up, holding onto the chair, patted off the dirt that had stuck to me, straightened my clothes, took a nap, and my mental state was indeed much better.
Huang and Zhao Qingyan waited at the entrance of the examination hall early this morning, and even prepared a watermelon in the carriage, just waiting for Zhao Qianci to come out and eat it.
In any case, as long as Grandpa doesn't have any accidents, it doesn't matter what the exam results are.
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