Chapter 207 Seeking a Child
The examination hall was very large, divided into several areas, with rows of examination booths crisscrossing each other, making it feel like a huge maze when you walked in.
Xu Jinnian and Fang Qingzhou were not in the same area. The examination booth he drew was a bit far from the main gate of the examination hall and also far from the latrines that the candidates avoided.
This is undoubtedly a lucky thing.
Even though they were some distance apart, Xu Jinnian could still hear the resentful voices of the candidates who had drawn bad numbers, and some even started making a scene on the spot demanding to change exam booths.
However, this request was naturally rejected, and the candidate was scolded quite a bit. In the end, he could only sit down with a bitter face and breathe in the foul-smelling air.
The exam hasn't even started yet, and I'm already starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.
Ignoring the surrounding noise, Xu Jinnian took out two handkerchiefs and carefully wiped the two wooden planks that served as tables and chairs during the day and were pieced together to form a bed at night, so that the dust would not soil the answer sheets when answering questions and affect the examiners' grading.
Upon seeing this, a candidate sitting blankly in the opposite examination booth suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to bring a rag, and a look of annoyance appeared on his face.
He asked the bailiffs who were maintaining order in the examination hall for a rag, but the bailiffs retorted with a single sentence.
The candidate could only take out the clothes he had brought to keep warm and use them as a rag to wipe the two boards, not even letting go of the few grooves and crevices.
Only after wiping did I realize that the tables and chairs were really dirty, and the light-colored clothes were covered in dust.
There's nothing you can do if your clothes get dirty, otherwise you'd be crying before you even have time to finish your rolls of paper.
Xu Jinnian wiped the board clean before taking out the items from the exam basket one by one.
Besides writing brushes, inkstones, and inkstones, there were also stoves, pots, and food.
As for clean water, it would be delivered by servants every day, but the amount was small, just enough for eating and drinking, and forget about washing your hands and face.
Fortunately, Xu Jinnian is not a germaphobe; otherwise, the fact that he cannot wash his hands or wipe his face for nine days would be enough to drive a germaphobe crazy.
After packing his things, Xu Jinnian sat down, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for the next gong to sound.
Seeing this, the students opposite him also sat down to rest.
However, they lacked the skill to cultivate composure, and after sitting still for a while, they couldn't sit still any longer. They started to peek around, chat with the candidates next to them.
If the patrolling officers hadn't repeatedly reminded them not to wander around, they probably would have left the examination hall and started visiting each other's rooms.
Once all the candidates had entered the examination hall, the gates of the examination hall were closed and locked, and the loud sound of gongs echoed throughout the examination hall. The officials moved about distributing the examination questions and answer sheets for the first exam.
Upon seeing the exam questions, Xu Jinnian felt a sense of relief and did not immediately begin studying them.
He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then suddenly opened them, rolled up his sleeves, added water to the inkstone to grind ink, picked up his brush, dipped it in the ink, and began to answer the questions.
Sheng An, Tan Qingrou, and the other two returned to the villa together, but none of them were in the mood for idle chatter.
Liu Yanran suggested, "Since we're just killing time anyway, why don't we go to the temple tomorrow and pray to the Bodhisattva to grant their wish and help them pass the imperial examination?"
Liu Xiaoyun was the first to agree: "Great! I've heard that Lingshan Temple outside the city is very efficacious, let's go there."
Women in this era had their entire lives' honor and disgrace tied to their husbands.
Liu Yanran and Liu Xiaoyun naturally hoped that their husbands could advance further in this provincial examination.
Tan Qingrou also wanted to go to the temple to pray, not only for her brother to pass the imperial examination, but also for a good marriage for herself. She smiled and replied, "I'll go too. My sisters-in-law have to take me with them."
Sheng An didn't believe in these things, but she wouldn't spoil everyone's fun at this time, so she nodded and said, "Let's go together then. We'll set off after breakfast tomorrow morning."
The next morning, three carriages drove out of the city gate and headed towards Lingshan Temple.
Lingshan Temple is located on a mountain about 30 miles outside the city. It is the most popular temple in Nanjing, and countless people come to pray and fulfill their vows every day. Therefore, we encountered many vehicles and pedestrians along the way.
Tan Qingrou and Sheng An rode in the same carriage. In a light and cheerful voice, she praised Lingshan Temple to Sheng An:
"This temple is indeed very efficacious. I heard that most people who have prayed there have had their wishes fulfilled. The fortune teller there is also very skilled. The year my brother took the imperial examination, my mother drew a very auspicious fortune stick, and my brother indeed passed the examination and became a scholar."
Sheng An looked surprised and echoed the little girl's words: "Is it really that amazing? I'll ask for one too later."
Tan Qingrou smiled and said, "Sister An'an's request is sincere, so she will surely get what she wants."
After saying that, she hesitated for a moment, glanced at Sheng An's expression, and then whispered, "I heard that the Guanyin Bodhisattva there who grants children is also very effective."
After saying that, Tan Qingrou herself felt embarrassed, her pink cheeks flushed, and she dared not meet Sheng An's gaze.
Sheng An didn't feel offended; instead, she was amused by her adorable appearance and reached out to pinch her pink cheek: "I'm sorry to have made Xiao Rou worry about her older sister."
Seeing that Sheng An didn't mind, Tan Qingrou breathed a sigh of relief: "Sister An'an, I'm telling the truth. If you believe me, I'll ask her a little more later."
Sister An'an and Brother Jin Nian have been married for three years without having children. Even though her mother has never met Sister An'an, she always asks about her whenever Sister An'an returns to Jinling.
Her mother was an extremely traditional woman who believed that a woman who couldn't bear children shouldn't cling to the title of wife and shouldn't allow her husband to take a concubine; she was definitely not a qualified housewife.
Although she disagreed with her mother's words, An'an's lack of children to rely on was indeed a big problem.
Now that Brother Jin Nian is just a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), there are already many young ladies who have their eyes on him. Once Brother Jin Nian passes the provincial or even the imperial examinations, even more people will be interested in him.
People's hearts cannot be tested. Right now, Brother Jin Nian is very good to Sister An An, but no one can say for sure what will happen in the future.
If Brother Jin Nian changes his mind in the future, and Sister An An has no children, how will she spend the rest of her life?
Tan Qingrou couldn't say these things out loud, but Sheng An could see the worry in her eyes and felt a warmth in his heart: "Okay, I'll listen to our little Rou. I'll offer my prayers later."
Tan Qingrou immediately smiled and said, "I'll pray with Sister An'an!"
Thirty miles is not far; it only takes an hour to get there.
The mountain where Lingshan Temple is located is not high, and the group climbed up smoothly.
As Tan Qingrou said, Lingshan Temple was extremely popular, with the main hall filled with people kneeling and praying for blessings.
Sheng An and the other three waited outside for a while before it was their turn to enter the hall to pray for blessings.
Looking at the compassionate golden statue of Buddha on the high platform, with the chanting of sutras coming from next door, Sheng An felt a rare sense of peace as she stood there, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed devoutly.
Afterwards, Sheng An knelt down before the statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and silently prayed, following his heart's desire:
If the Goddess of Fertility grants a wish, may the child who died tragically with me in my past life and could not be born be reincarnated into my womb, giving me the chance to make amends and allowing the child to grow up healthy and happy.
Sheng An still vividly remembers the nightmare from two years ago. The overwhelming despair and pain linger in her heart, and she feels unbearable heartache whenever she thinks about it.
Perhaps only when this child returns can she truly forget the horror of her dream.
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