☆, Chapter 126: The County Examination Begins
On the fifth day of the second lunar month, the county examination, presided over by the county magistrate, officially began. The county examination required five consecutive sessions.
The candidates were nervous, and so were their families. After all, if they couldn't pass this hurdle, they wouldn't be able to obtain the title of "Child Prodigy," and without becoming a Child Prodigy, they naturally wouldn't be able to participate in the prefectural examination in April.
Before sending Zhao Yunjing into the examination hall, Zhou Mujiao made a special check to see if her metaphysical constitution was still there. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed that it was still there.
However, anything can happen. This year, Zhao Yunjing did indeed devote more energy to agriculture than to his studies. If her excellent performance did not affect such an important event as the imperial examination, and he himself underperformed and could not advance to the next round, then he would have to wait another three years.
The Zuo Zhuan, in the chapter "Cao Gui's Discussion on War," states: "One's energy is roused in one go, weakens in the second, and is exhausted in the third." This applies to warfare, and it should also apply to studying. A person's best state is always when they are fearless and undaunted the first time, but once they suffer a defeat...
He is already twenty years old this year. In three more years, he will be twenty-three. There is an old saying that a scholar can become a scholar at seventy. Does this mean that he will not be able to become a scholar even at seventy?
The calmest one in the family was actually the eighteenth.
Shiba is a die-hard fan of Zhao Yunjing and Zhou Mujiao, with only one belief: what others can do, her older brother and sister Jiaojiao can also do; what others cannot do, her older brother and sister Jiaojiao can still do.
So during these three days, Shiba ate and slept well, and even gained some weight.
Her optimism infected Xiao Jiu, who in turn infected Xiao Wu. Zhou Mujiao, who lived with her two younger brothers every day, was also influenced to some extent.
Even if her metaphysical methods are useless, we still have to believe in Zhao Yunjing's strength!
The exam was over. To Zhou Mujiao's left stood Uncle Zhao, and to her right stood Jiang Wuyu. In front of the three of them were five children.
Soon it was noon, and the gates of the examination hall opened. The family members who came to pick up the students started shouting at the top of their lungs, calling out nicknames. It was a cacophony of "Dog Egg" voices. Not only could the students not tell which "Dog Egg" was calling them, but even if they could hear it clearly, they couldn't tell which direction it was coming from.
Amidst the chaos, the extremely loud voice emanating from the tree at the entrance of the examination hall, "Zhao Yunjing, please turn right upon exiting; your family is waiting for you there," stood out abruptly, immediately drowning out the other voices.
Other family members were indignant.
They all shouted with their bare voices, but the Zhao family used some kind of contraption, and once they made that sound, all other sounds were completely drowned out!
Next to Zhou Mujiao were Hu Dasao and her husband, who had also come to pick up Hu Peiran today. Of course, amidst the shouts of "Gou Dan" and "Gou Sheng," their calls for "Xiao Ran" were very faint. Then, after the call to Zhao Yunjing came out, their voices were completely cut off.
Sister-in-law Hu stared in disbelief: "Miss Zhou, what are you using? Why are you making such a loud noise?"
The servant in the tree called out once, paused for a moment, and then the shout of "Dog Egg" started again from the side.
Zhou Mujiao replied with a smile, "It's called a megaphone, also known as a loudspeaker. It's a newly developed product and hasn't been mass-produced yet. However, ordinary people generally don't need it, so there won't be many on the market later. Ade, take Xiaoran and keep shouting!"
"Zhao Yunjing, Hu Peiran, please turn right as you exit; your family members are waiting there..."
Sister-in-law Hu's eyes sparkled. After the county examination, there would be the prefectural examination, the provincial examination, and the metropolitan examination. After the provincial examination, there would be the metropolitan examination. She would use this loudspeaker to announce that her son would be the focus of the entire event.
Zhao Yunjing and Hu Peiran met in the courtyard square after leaving their respective examination rooms. He Jiu and the others were dejected, repeatedly saying that there was no hope.
Zhao Yunjing offered a few words of comfort, and just as the group was about to go out together, Young Master Chen also came out.
Since Lord Chen passed away last year, Young Master Chen has distanced himself from Zhao Yunjing. Instead of causing trouble for Zhao Yunjing, he seems to have become a different person, leading a group of students to study diligently. Within two or three months, they have become equal to Zhao Yunjing, and the academy has formed two groups led by the two of them.
Behind Young Master Chen followed Feng Wei and his group of more than a dozen people. The two groups met face to face, but neither of them spoke.
Zhao Yunjing paused, and Young Master Chen walked past him, bumping into Zhao Yunjing's shoulder hard.
He Jiu was furious: "Hey, you surnamed Chen—"
Just then, the shouts from outside rang out, reaching everyone's ears. The entire examination hall echoed with the words, "Zhao Yunjing, turn right when you go out, your family is waiting for you there." Everyone was stunned for a moment.
He Jiu was stunned: "Brother Zhao, are your servants' voices really that loud?"
"It's done with a megaphone, shaped like a trumpet flower. When you shout, the sound is focused, then amplified by the internal device, and finally propagated outwards."
Zhao Yunjing smiled modestly, "Ajiao came up with this new gadget a few days ago. My family lives on the mountain, and the kids like to play down the mountain. Usually, I have to run down the mountain to call them back for dinner, which is quite a headache. Now that we have this, it's much more convenient. They can hear me as soon as I call them."
He Jiu was both envious and jealous, and clicked his tongue twice.
At this moment, Young Master Chen, who was walking in front of them, suddenly turned around and gave Zhao Yunjing a cold smile: "My younger sister is getting married in ten days. I hope that you and your classmates will do me the honor of coming to my humble abode for a drink."
The two hadn't spoken for over a year, so when Young Master Chen suddenly spoke up, especially for his sister's sake, Zhao Yunjing quickly guessed what he meant.
It's likely that Miss Chen was unwilling to marry just like that, and Young Master Chen summoned Zhao Yunjing because he wanted her to give up completely.
Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting: "I will certainly be there."
Young Master Chen scoffed and turned to leave.
He Jiu was angered again: "Brother Zhao, look at him! He's no longer the magistrate's son, and his studies and literary talent are inferior to yours in every way, yet he's still so arrogant!"
"Brother He, it's best not to gossip about others behind their backs. Let's go."
The Chen residence was to the left of the Examination Hall, but Young Master Chen deliberately took the right side. Zhao Yunjing lagged behind by two steps. Watching Young Master Chen walk to the right, he sighed slightly and followed.
Zhou Mujiao was telling the families of the test takers around her that the loudspeaker wasn't for sale when she heard someone call out from behind her: "Miss Zhou!"
Turning around and seeing it was Young Master Chen, Zhou Mujiao wasn't surprised and nodded to him, "Young Master Chen."
For nearly a year, Young Master Chen had harbored a lot of hatred in his heart, suppressing his urge to see Zhou Mujiao countless times. He had a lot to say just now, but when he got there and saw her, he realized that none of the words he had prepared were appropriate in this situation.
Zhou Mujiao wished him excellent grades, and then she saw Zhao Yunjing. Her face lit up with joy, and she ran over to him, saying, "Brother Zhao!"
Although it was still cold in February, the spring sunshine was bright today, and her smile was radiant. Zhao Yunjing felt that the light this woman brought him was even brighter and more radiant than the sun above.
The two gazed at each other deeply, oblivious to their surroundings, unaware that the young master Chen behind them was looking at them with a strange expression.
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