Chapter 62 Rice Burger: Why do the people at the Imperial College have so many miscellaneous items!
The examination room was very cramped, with a narrow row of wooden partitions. There were partitions on three sides, leaving only one side with a wooden board as a desk. Candidates had to face the aisle to answer questions and could not cover themselves.
Kang Hua's place is tucked away in North Point, where the draft at night can make the ceiling whistle loudly.
The cubicle was usually not very well ventilated, and the air was always filled with the smells of ink, mold from the wooden boards, and the sweaty feet of someone from next door. The stench made Kang Hua dream last night that he had fallen into a jar of spoiled pickled vegetables.
Now that it's mealtime, the surrounding smells are even more mixed and unpleasant.
Most of them tasted like different flavors of instant soup noodles, and Kang Hua was looking forward to eating them. Although he found the instant soup noodles too greasy and thirsty after eating them a lot, they were still better than eating dry, hard pancakes. Despite his complaints, Kang Hua had brought seven or eight pancakes and three kinds of sauce bases in his bag.
If everyone eats the same thing, Kang Hua won't notice the person diagonally opposite him.
But that student was just too eye-catching.
Among the row of examination booths, Kang Hua was the only one wearing the square-collared, wide-sleeved long gown of the Imperial Academy, which already attracted envy. In Bianjing, only students of the Imperial Academy, even those who were commoners, could wear such attire as officials; this was a privilege bestowed upon them by the emperor.
This is nothing. Although Kang Hua looked down on the students of the Imperial Academy who could only enter the academy because of their fathers' favors and always acted arrogantly, he had gotten used to their mannerisms after studying for so many years, so he didn't stare at them too intently.
To his surprise, this man had been eating soup noodles just like him yesterday, but had suddenly changed his food today.
It's something he's never seen before!
He couldn't help but look up and stare.
Kang Hua stared speechlessly as the student first removed his bulging examination bag, which looked as if it were about to burst, from the wall beside him. Previously, half of the strange-looking examination bag had been hidden by his body, and Kang Hua hadn't been able to see what was embroidered on it, only finding it gaudy and dizzying. Now that it was removed, he finally caught a glimpse of it.
The fabric is a pale white brocade, embroidered with... a cat?
The bag was embroidered with countless fat yellow cats in various poses: some were yawning, some were stretching, some were licking their paws, some were rolling around, some were burying their heads in eating jerky with their cheeks bulging, and some were licking their butts with their fat cat legs raised high like chicken legs.
Surrounded by a group of cats, there were four large characters: "Guessed All Correctly".
Kang Hua: "..." What is all this nonsense!
The man didn't notice Kang Hua watching him. He casually pulled out a large oil paper package tied with hemp rope. The package even had a fat cat's face printed on it. Kang Hua understood that this man was an incurable "cat fanatic".
He leisurely untied the hemp rope and then took out something from the oil paper package... What is that thing?
Kang Hua's eyesight was still good. He squinted and examined them for a while before confirming that they were two round rice cakes, slightly browned on the surface, pressed into a compact shape, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. Between these two round rice cakes, there was a thick piece of boneless, braised chicken thigh meat and some crushed rice flour, piled up so high that it took two hands to hold them.
So that's a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)?
No... there's no steamed bun. It should be called "rice sandwiched with meat, meat sandwiched with rice"?
The student carefully used chopsticks to pick up the rice cake with meat and held it over the charcoal brazier to heat it. As the heat came in, the aroma of meat and rice became very strong, and Kang Hua also smelled a unique soy sauce aroma.
The flavor was sweet with a hint of saltiness and savory, and it seemed to have a touch of sweet rice wine. It was cooked until it was sticky and mushy, coating the chicken thigh meat. The chicken thigh skin was fried until it curled slightly, and the fat had melted into the sauce.
At this moment, Kang Hua could no longer smell the strong aroma of the soup dumplings in front of him. He stared intently at the student who was grilling the rice dumplings with meat until they were hot, and even the meat dumplings were shiny with oil. The sauce, when heated, slowly seeped into the two rice dumplings, quickly turning the originally snow-white rice dumplings brown.
It looks delicious.
In fact, it should be quite delicious.
Kang Hua watched with almost obsessive concentration, as if he were savoring the food for him. He watched as the boy held the food in both hands, opened his mouth wide, and chewed with relish, his cheeks bulging up and down, clearly enjoying his meal.
As he bit into it, he could almost hear the slightly charred rice grains on the outside crackling, followed by the soft and sticky center. The rice must be very fragrant when it's hot. With another bite, he tasted the chicken leg meat coated in a thick sauce. The meat seemed tender and bouncy, and the topping was crispy. As he chewed, his eyes narrowed with pleasure.
The meat was juicy and flavorful, with the rich sauce blending perfectly with the rice. After another bite, some of the sauce inevitably got on his lips and fingers, but he wasn't going to waste it. He not only licked his fingers clean but also licked his lips clean with his tongue, smacking his lips with lingering satisfaction.
To put it bluntly, isn't this just a larger version of sashimi? They made a new sauce and coated some fried chicken, what's so special about that, yet you're eating it like this? Kang Hua thought disdainfully to himself, but unconsciously swallowed. He had eaten sashimi before, and it tasted pretty good.
Speaking of which, the kuaifan (a type of rice dish) that was selling like hotcakes outside a while ago seems to have originated from the Imperial College (Guozijian). Now it has become a common delicacy in Bianjing (Kaifeng).
I heard that a new shop opened in the alley behind their house, selling a lot of novelties. I suppose the food this person is holding and that fat cat kebab came from there.
After all, Kang Hua had never been seen outside.
He wasn't envious at all. Although the food at the Biyong Academy's dining hall was terrible, he had booked a "small dining table" at Shenji Restaurant. The meals included a daily mix of meat and vegetables, as well as soup, so he ate very well. Did their Imperial College have that?
Hmph. The Imperial College even has to fence off the alleyway between them and have the local militia on duty, not allowing outsiders to enter. They're treated like the most precious people, all thanks to their parents' influence.
Kang Hua grumbled inwardly, but his eyes remained fixed on the student eating his meat sandwich without noticing that the hourglass in front of him had already run out of time and the soup dumplings in front of him were overcooked. He forgot to lift the lid and continued to stare intently at the student eating his meat sandwich with gusto.
The man was eating when he suddenly stopped chewing, his cheeks puffed out as if he had suddenly remembered something. He quickly rang the bell and asked the soldier for a pot of boiling water. Then, he pulled out a small bag wrapped in cotton thread and gauze from the large oil paper package... a tea bag?
It must be a tea bag; the cotton gauze was woven with extremely large holes, and Kang Hua could see some tea stems and some curled tea leaves sticking out inside.
This was the first time Kang Hua had ever seen tea leaves so tightly bound in a bag. And why weren't the tea leaves steamed, ground, and ground into a fine powder to make tea cakes?
It looks like freshly picked green tea leaves. Is this tea edible? Isn't it bitter?
However… Kang Hua quickly remembered that loose-leaf tea with leaves was also sold outside, but it wasn't very popular with the wealthy, who considered it too vulgar. But in Kang Hua's mind, whether it was loose-leaf or compressed tea, it was all equally bitter. Kang Hua wasn't a tea drinker and couldn't understand what was so good about tea. To him, whether it was ground tea, whisked tea, loose-leaf tea, or tea leaves, even if the tea was whisked until the liquor was "pure white as milk," even if borneol, cinnamon, fennel, and other spices were added and brewed with the tea, he still didn't find it delicious.
The tea shop also had a way of cooking it with ginger, salt, dates, orange peel, dogwood, and mint, which made Kang Hua hesitate. To him, it was almost like drinking medicine.
Over the years, the only drinks he could stomach were Chen Ji's fruit tea and scented tea, but that was because they were almost entirely made with freshly squeezed fruit juice or scented floral aromas, and only a small amount of tea leaves were used, so that the tea flavor was barely noticeable.
But the tea bag that this person took out didn't seem to taste like the strong, bitter, and astringent flavor he had imagined. The student hummed a little tune as he skillfully placed the tea bag into the bamboo teacup, leaving the cotton thread hanging outside, and then poured in hot water.
Soon, a unique and delicate tea aroma wafted into Kang Hua's nose on the breeze.
Hmm? Why does this tea have a sweet peach flavor?
However, brewing tea with a small amount of tea leaves wrapped in this way is very convenient. There is no need to boil tea or make tea, and you don't need so many tea utensils. After drinking, you don't even need to clean up. Just pick up the cotton thread and throw it away.
Most importantly, Kang Hua had never tasted such freshly brewed peach-flavored tea before.
It's different from the peach juice iced tea that Shen Ji often sells in late spring and early summer. Kang Hua took a deep sniff, and the strongest flavor here was still tea. The fruity aroma of peach was just icing on the cake. It didn't smell as cloyingly sweet as fruit juice. It was still a light tea flavor.
But it is precisely this added fruity aroma that makes the bitterness of the tea disappear, leaving only a sweet, refreshing, and palate-cleansing fragrance, which goes perfectly with his glossy rice-stuffed meat.
Tea is especially refreshing; after drinking a cup, you won't feel sleepy.
If it weren't for his aversion to tea, Kang Hua would have been willing to bring some tea leaves in, hoping it would help him stay clear-headed. Although it would have been troublesome to search him upon entry.
This man's tea bag must have been opened and searched by the soldiers. Kang Hua saw several knots on the cotton thread, which must have been made incorrectly when he tied it back in his haste.
This was Kang Hua's second time taking the imperial examination. When he entered the examination hall, he often used ginseng slices to refresh himself. He would put them in his mouth, and they were bitter at first, but then had a slightly sweet aftertaste. They were very hard to eat and very expensive.
But it tastes better than tea.
However, after weighing out half an ounce of ginseng slices, he almost spent a whole string of cash!
While it was usually expensive, it wasn't this expensive. Those medicine dealers were very shrewd; they all knew that students would buy it every year. Therefore, ginseng prices would rise every February or March, around the time of the imperial examinations.
This is something you can't skimp on, Kang Hua sighed inwardly. He'd been taking exams for three days straight, racking his brains to answer questions during the day, but at night he could only curl up on a bench against the wall, surrounded by the sounds of snoring and the stench of sweat and feet. He couldn't sleep well at all. What could he do without ginseng slices? No matter how expensive, Kang Hua had no choice but to accept his fate.
He had considered bringing in tea cakes this year as well, but after trying them a few times, he found that whether it was loose tea or tea cakes, it was too troublesome and unpleasant to drink if they were not properly boiled, mashed, and filtered. After thinking it over, he decided that sliced ginseng was more convenient.
But now, seeing the students of the Imperial Academy drinking this bag of tea, he suddenly understood. How could he not have thought of that! Breaking the tea cakes and balls into smaller pieces, tying them together in cloth bags like this, and dividing them into small bags, would be convenient even for traveling and studying, not just for the imperial examinations. But this tea had leaves in it, unlike tea cakes, and hadn't been crushed. Kang Hua still had some doubts. Wouldn't it be less bitter if eaten this way?
He seemed to be enjoying his drink very much. Kang Hua tried to smell it for a long time, but he couldn't detect any bitterness in the tea leaves. Instead, the longer it was steeped, the stronger the flavor became, and the aroma became more pronounced.
This tea must be made using a different method than other teas.
Why are there so many strange and unusual things at the Imperial College this year?
Kang Hua felt a little uneasy, but then he saw the man leisurely and contentedly finish his strange lunch, taking sips of tea and bites of rice and meat.
After he finished eating, Kang Hua realized he had been so engrossed in watching that he had forgotten to eat. He hurriedly opened the food container, his face fell, and he was immediately filled with disappointment.
His instant soup noodles had been soaking for too long; they were now mushy and mushy.
"Oh well, I'll just have to make do." Kang Hua looked down at the blue bundle he had brought in. Apart from instant soup noodles, he hadn't brought anything else... No, he shouldn't have brought anything in the first place!
This is an important examination venue! Not a teahouse! The focus should be on studying, not on indulging in gluttony. That's what he said... Kang Hua angrily picked up his chopsticks and reluctantly took a bite.
The instant soup noodles still smelled delicious; the moment he lifted the lid, a wave of steam rushed towards him, but he had no appetite. No wonder, even the best food can't be eaten every day! He'd already eaten it for two days straight, and the thought of having to eat it again today made his mouth feel utterly tasteless.
It was especially badly soaked and ruined.
As Kang Hua was eating in a daze, he suddenly heard another faint rustling sound across from him. He couldn't help but glance over again. He saw the person pull out another packet of Xingguo Temple snow crackers from his fat cat-shaped oil paper bag!
Those snow cakes are now very precious, and often there is no market for them even when they are available.
Kang Hua finally recognized something. These snow cakes are becoming increasingly expensive outside, and he had tried to buy them several times but failed. He never expected that this person would bring them to the examination hall to eat!
They even brought a whole bag!
Kang Hua's gaze then fell on the "Ding" character embroidered on his chest. This man was from the Imperial Academy, and the Imperial Academy's student quarters were different from those of the Biyong Academy. He was probably not the son of a high-ranking official. His clothes were also quite simple, but... there were quite a few patterns on them.
He just kept munching on the snow biscuit, oblivious to everyone around him.
Kang Hua endured it again and again.
The student sipped his tea and munched on his rice cake, even sneaking his feet out from under the table and wiggling them. He ate like this for quite a while, leisurely savoring each bite. Afterwards, seemingly too full and sleepy, he let out a long burp, looked around, and appeared to be preparing to lie down and take a nap.
While chewing on half a rice cake, he folded the thick clothes he had brought into a neat square and laid them on the table. Then he took out a small, soft, ring-shaped pillow that he could wrap around his neck from his treasure chest-like pouch.
He casually put it around his neck, smoothed his hair with his hands, and seemed about to lie down for a nap.
Kang Hua was dumbfounded. This man didn't seem to be here to take the exam at all; he seemed to be here for a rest and a spring outing. No, this year's exam questions were clearly very difficult. The first question on the classics the day before yesterday had already made his head spin. How could he be so confident? And he even had the leisure to bring snacks to eat, and then take a nap after eating!
What is that neck pillow of his?
Confined in the examination hall, Kang Hua was unaware of the news outside, so he didn't know that the exam questions that had almost made him cry the other day were similar to those that most of the students at the Imperial Academy had done recently, except for Geng Hao. Even Meng Boyuan, who had the worst memory, still had some recollection of them, so he didn't find them difficult.
They passed the first day of the exam smoothly, and naturally became more composed in the following two days. Not only did they answer the questions calmly, but now that it was the last day, they were also thinking about eating and drinking well.
The student, with a neck pillow hanging from his neck and a snow cake in his mouth, glanced up and finally met Kang Hua's staring gaze. Seeing the look of envy, jealousy, and resentment on Kang Hua's face, he raised an eyebrow and simply stuffed the remaining half of the snow cake into his mouth.
And so the "hissing" sound grew louder and louder.
He deliberately gnawed harder and louder, which angered Kang Hua so much that he angrily picked up the bowl of noodles, turned his head away, and, as if deliberately not giving in, slurped up his own soup cake that had turned into noodle soup.
The man eating a "rice burger" and munching on a snow biscuit was Lu Fang from the Dingzi Study Room of the Imperial College.
He wasn't showing off. Many students at the Imperial Academy had prepared this food like him, all of them buying the "Exquisite Passing Pouch" from Yao Xiaoniangzi. The regular version only contained instant soup noodles, but the exquisite version included "sticky rice wrapped in rice," which is durable, filling, and delicious.
This is indeed an improvement on kuaifan (rice sashimi), but it's even simpler because it's made with a mixture of glutinous rice and regular rice. It's naturally sticky, so you don't need to go through the complicated process of steaming rice like with kuaifan. Moreover, after the glutinous rice is steamed, it's shaped into two thick cakes and then fried on a griddle to create a thin crust. This not only makes it more fragrant but also prevents it from spoiling easily.
Add the pan-fried chicken thigh slices, coat them with a thick, honey-like sauce, wrap them tightly in oil paper, and they can be stored for two to three days in the still chilly March. They can be reheated and eaten again.
Even if it's not hot, it's fine to eat if you're feeling lazy, but Lu Fang considers himself quite particular about food.
This was originally one of the breakfast sets in Yao Xiaoniangzi's daily meals. Because it was relatively expensive, it was considered a "full meal" and not as popular as the chicken and pork sandwich. However, Lu Fang really liked the "teriyaki" sauce inside. He never got tired of the salty, sweet, and thick flavor. He was the first person to suggest to Yao Xiaoniangzi that this glutinous rice wrap be put into the "Passing the Imperial Examination" brocade pouch.
He had even experimented with how many days this stuff could be stored with Yao Xiaoniangzi, and Lu Fang felt a sense of pride thinking about it. He truly deserved to be called the number one bitter gourd of Zhixingzhai! His insight was unparalleled!
Not only is the food diverse, but this "Exquisite Edition of the Examination Preparation Kit" also includes a neck pillow to prevent stiff neck. To facilitate inspection when entering the examination room, the buckle stuffing the neck pillow with cotton can be opened, allowing you to take out all the cotton for the examiners to inspect, and then stuff it back in and buckle it.
This thing is so convenient!
Lu Fang's neck didn't hurt whether he slept on his stomach, lying down, or leaning against the wall. Because his head and neck were supported, although it wasn't particularly comfortable, it wasn't too strenuous.
In contrast, the students from other academies were groaning and twisting their necks after a nap, some even in pain when they turned their heads. He admired Yao Xiaoniangzi from the bottom of his heart. She was so thoughtful. She had never taken the imperial examinations before, so how did she think of hanging a soft pillow around her neck?
He didn't know that Yao Ruyi came from a world where even those on IV drips couldn't ask for leave. In fact, the students at the Imperial Academy at this time were not considered to be suffering. They did not have evening reading or evening self-study. At noon, there were small rooms next to the study hall for resting, which not only had soft beds, but also servants who cleaned and swept them every day.
However, in later generations, unless students attend expensive private schools, classes are often large, and students often have to take naps on small desks, which puts a constant strain on their cervical spines.
Yao Ruyi didn't experience the imperial examinations, but she still grew up in school.
In addition to a neck pillow, Lu Fangna also had a good thing in his pouch.
Kang Hua finally finished his bowl of noodle soup and was carefully rinsing the earthenware bowl with the boiling water he had begged for, then wiping it dry with a rag, when he saw the student from the Imperial Academy opposite him with a soft pillow around his neck and a large cotton eye mask over his eyes, then lying down on the table and falling asleep.
His eye patch was embroidered with two round cat eyes. When he wore it on his face, from a distance, it looked as if he was staring at people with two big, bell-like eyes.
Kang Hua closed his eyes in exasperation. Was this guy really that good at studying? Was he going to be the top scholar? Why did he have so many miscellaneous items? When they entered the examination hall for inspection the day before yesterday, this guy was one of the first in line. No wonder he took the longest to be inspected. Kang Hua didn't know why before, but now he understood.
He brought so many things, but he didn't bring any prohibited items; they were all food and daily necessities. Even though the soldiers found this man troublesome, they had no choice but to let him in.
In the blink of an eye, he was already comfortably snoring softly. Kang Hua took a deep breath, glanced at the huge water clock at the entrance of the passage, and decided to sit down and close his eyes to rest.
The afternoon's papers will be handed out in half an hour.
He should also take a break and rest.
But as he sat with his arms crossed and his back against the partition of the examination shed, he had just closed his eyes when he felt the midday sun was particularly glaring, making his eyelids turn orange-red, and he couldn't fall asleep at all.
He had no choice but to open his eyes again and look at the students of the Imperial Academy opposite him. They were sleeping with their mouths slightly open and drool was dripping out. Kang Hua couldn't help but feel a little wronged.
Next time, he'll ask his mother to sew him a cloth eye patch just as big!
Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw! There won't be a next time! I must pass the exam this year!
But... why didn't anyone do these things before? Everyone says that the three-day imperial examination is the most arduous, and that you'll be exhausted after taking it. As a result, everyone takes this hardship for granted and never thinks about whether it's more comfortable to take the exam.
Now that someone has figured it out, it seems to attract a lot of jealousy.
Kang Hua stared at him for a while, then angrily covered his face with the bundle.
As the bell tolled loudly, Kang Hua groggily opened his eyes, rubbed his sore shoulders and neck, and subconsciously glanced at the person opposite him. The other person had slept well and had already pushed the strange-looking eye mask up to his forehead. He stretched with unusual energy and then stuffed the clothes on the table, the soft pillow around his neck, and the eye mask back into his pouch.
"That pouch doesn't look very big, how can it hold so much..." Kang Hua muttered to himself.
Once the exam questions were handed out, Kang Hua had no time to pay attention to the person. He hurriedly prepared the ink and moistened his brush, then nervously buried himself in answering the questions. Only after filling the draft paper to the brim did he breathe a sigh of relief, raise his head, and rub the back of his neck.
The student opposite didn't try anything new this time, but he seemed to have finished writing and was spreading out his paper, gently fanning it with a small fan to help the ink dry faster.
Kang Hua became even more flustered and hurriedly prepared to copy the ink, only to find that the ink he had just ground was already mostly dry. In his haste, he added too much water, so he had to grind it all over again.
He sighed, and could only calm himself down, wash the inkstone, and grind the ink again. Grinding ink cannot be rushed; if you rush, the ink will be uneven in consistency, and the characters you write will look bad. He could only force himself to be patient and take his time.
At this moment, the man seemed to remember something, calmly picked up his pen again, lifted the lid of his pot-lid-like inkstone, dipped it in the ink, licked the tip of his pen on the edge of the pot-lid-like inkstone, and slowly added a few more words at the very end.
After finishing writing, he looked at it with satisfaction and slowly fanned himself with a fan. When he looked up, he seemed to notice that Kang Hua was still watching him. He immediately became displeased and alert, hanging his arm over his paper as if to prevent Kang Hua from peeking at it.
Kang Hua was furious. It was so far away, and there were wooden partitions in front of each examination booth. How could anyone see what he wrote? It was unbelievable that they thought of him in such a despicable way.
To avoid any misunderstanding from that hateful person, he had no choice but to look away. But then it suddenly occurred to him: Yes, all day long, how come I haven't seen this person grinding ink? I only saw him grind ink once yesterday. Doesn't the ink in his inkstone ever dry? And won't the ink smell bad after being left out all night?
Kang Hua simply couldn't understand it.
The students at the Imperial Academy this year are really strange! Who on earth is guiding them through their confusion? Kang Hua was seething with anger, and because of his anger, the characters he wrote were sharper than usual.
In the alleyway between the Imperial College, Yao Ruyi, who was pickling "March Green" plums, suddenly felt an itch in her nose for no apparent reason. She quickly turned around and sneezed several times in a row.
Someone must have insulted her!
She rubbed her nose, washed her hands, and continued carving patterns on the green plums.
While making the changes, I kept swallowing my saliva because of the sour smell.
These are plums brought from the south by the Grand Canal, called "March Green," and they're in season right now. These plums still have green leaves on them; they're small and green-skinned, and they're so sour they'll make your teeth ache if you eat them on their own. But if you pickle them with licorice, rock sugar, and salt, they become exceptionally crisp, sweet, and sour.
As soon as Yao Ruyi saw a child hawking his wares in the market, she immediately bought one.
She absolutely loves eating this!
Just as I was getting hungry, I heard Tie Baojin running up and down in the yard. Peeking out, I saw that Grandpa Yao was sunbathing in the yard and got sleepy. Tie Baojin ran into the house, brought a small blanket, nudged it with its muzzle, and covered the drowsy Grandpa Yao with it.
Today is the last day of the scientific expedition, Yao Ruyi thought, enduring her constantly itchy nose.
I wonder how the students at the Imperial Academy did on their exams? The exam kits she prepared for them should be quite useful, right? Yao Ruyi chuckled, at least the eye masks and U-shaped pillows for naps are very useful!
She was lost in thought when she heard the lame donkey in the shop braying. She quickly wiped her hands, grabbed some milk, and rushed over to feed the donkey.
Yesterday, she and Lin Wen'an took the donkey to Wen Shiqi's cat and dog clinic. The donkey was just hungry and didn't have any other serious problems. As long as it could eat, it would survive.
Therefore, Yao Ruyi became its donkey mother.
She also invited Zhou Jumu and He Xiang over today. She wanted to make a walking frame with wooden wheels for the lame donkey. The donkey's hind legs were lame, and she remembered that in later generations there were hind-leg carts for disabled cats and dogs, which were tied around the waist with cloth straps. The frame was simple and included protective gear to support the hind leg joints.
She wants to make one for her donkey too!
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Lu Fang: So what if I have a lot of stationery? [sunglasses]
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