The cannon fodder in the Dream of the Red Chamber's story of a substitute bride tries to rewrite her life 11...
After failing the imperial examination, Su Jingxing was extremely depressed.
He felt utterly ashamed to face his former classmates and friends, and fearing ridicule, he locked himself in his study all day, burying himself in books. At this time, only books could give him a little comfort.
In the dead of night, he often dreamed of his cousin's tragic death, and the sound of her holding his hand and crying for his help seemed to still echo in his ears.
Day after day, his resentment towards Jia Wei grew deeper and deeper.
Jia Wei's jealousy and meanness had long since disgusted him. He regretted countless times how he had been so blind to have been seduced by her.
If he had married the third daughter of the Jia family, her dowry would have been more generous than Jia Wei's, and she would have been more gentle and virtuous.
The key is that she brought good fortune to her husband. General Feng'en was so seriously ill, but after she married him, that sickly man named Mingrui's health actually improved day by day.
He had thought countless times that if he had married the virtuous third daughter, his cousin wouldn't have died such a tragic death. His mother wouldn't be in this situation now, having to depend on Jia Wei's mood even if she wanted to eat some meat.
But he hasn't made his fortune yet and still relies on Jia Wei's dowry to survive. He's under someone else's roof and has no choice but to swallow his anger and silently keep this debt in his heart.
After another three years of secluded study, Su Jingxing endured countless sarcastic remarks from Jia Wei. Finally, he persevered and stepped into the examination hall again, carrying his examination basket.
He was lucky this time, drawing a room far from the toilet. He secretly rejoiced, finally free from the nauseating stench.
He felt that God was looking out for him, and that he would surely soar to great heights this time, showing those who looked down on him and mocked him what it meant to not underestimate a young man's potential.
However, fate did not seem to favor him. On the second day of the exam, he racked his brains all morning, writing furiously on the draft paper, and finally finished his draft. He only needed to copy it onto the exam paper in the afternoon, and that would be the end of the exam.
As soon as I stopped to catch my breath and was about to drink some water to moisten my throat, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my stomach, followed by a series of rumbling sounds from my intestines.
He thought to himself, "Oh no, I've got an upset stomach." He tried desperately to hold it in, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
During the exam, candidates could go to the toilet after submitting a request. However, once they left their cell, they would be stamped with a special mark, commonly known as a "poop stamp."
Once this stain is placed on the paper, the candidate is finished. The examiner will consider it unlucky and ignore it. No matter how well the essay is written, it's impossible to get a high score.
Therefore, during the exam, candidates would rather endure the odor and relieve themselves in the small bucket in their cubicle than risk going to the toilet.
This is why Su Jingxing was desperately holding it in and dared not ask for permission to go to the toilet. If he did, his three years of hard study behind closed doors would have been wasted.
However, this time his stomach upset was clearly not something that could be resolved by simply enduring it. It was a laxative given by the little system, which came on quickly and went away just as fast.
If he hardens his heart, goes to the toilet, and has a severe bowel movement, at most his legs will go weak, and that will be the end of it.
But the more he endured it, the more aggressive it became. He held it in for a long time, and when he felt his stomach was less painful, he let out a fart, followed by a torrent of diarrhea.
Instantly, the entire cell was enveloped in a strong stench. Su Jingxing had only one thought in his mind: it's over, he's completely finished.
Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted. The candidates in the next room almost fainted from the fumes too, covering their mouths and noses, not daring to breathe.
Two unlucky constables, covering their noses and cursing, dragged Su Jingxing off the pile of excrement.
As they cleaned the cell, the two of them cursed Su Jingxing's ancestors for eighteen generations in their hearts.
The candidates in the rooms to the left and right were also overwhelmed by the stench, their minds went blank, and they were unable to continue answering the questions.
Realizing it had caused trouble, the little system quickly cast a Breeze Talisman, a Purifying Talisman, and a Calming Talisman.
Just as everyone was covering their noses and complaining, a gentle breeze suddenly blew by, and the nauseating stench was blown away.
Everyone immediately felt their minds clear and their thoughts were organized. They lowered their heads and began to answer the questions seriously.
At noon and in the evening, the candidates who were close to Su Jingxing's room all tacitly went hungry.
The stench from this morning still lingers in my mind. Going hungry for a day or two might just make me feel listless, but I can always get some food outside. But if I were to get a stomachache during the exam like Su Jingxing did, that would be incredibly embarrassing.
This incident also serves as a reminder to all test takers: if you really have an upset stomach, don't hold it in; just run to the toilet right away.
Even if you don't pass the exam this time, you can take it again next time. But if you poop on someone like Su Jingxing and faint, that would be a disgrace to your reputation, and you'd carry that stain for the rest of your life.
The academy now has a negative example of how to teach students, and it is believed that it will be mentioned repeatedly by teachers countless times in the decades to come.
This serves as a warning to candidates taking the autumn and spring imperial examinations: never overeat before the exams. The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds; we must heed them, or we will end up like him, ridiculed for many years.
Su Jingxing was dragged by the yamen runners to a secluded corner of the examination hall, where they brought him cold water and gave him a cold shower.
The examination hall wouldn't open until the appointed time, and he was so smelly that the yamen runners had no choice but to resort to this tactic. They couldn't just let him smell like that forever.
He'll definitely have to be carried out eventually. How can they carry someone who smells so bad? And what will people think if they smell him after he's carried out?
The imperial examinations in the Qing Dynasty were held in March. Although it was springtime in the capital, the temperature was still relatively low.
Especially during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, it was the latter half of the Little Ice Age. Winters were exceptionally cold and long-lasting.
The North Canal is frozen for up to 110 days a year. Even Taihu Lake and Dongting Lake in the south have frozen over many times, and horse-drawn carriages can even pass through the ice.
This year, in particular, there was a cold snap in early spring. While the claim that water would freeze instantly is an exaggeration, the temperature definitely dropped below zero.
Su Jingxing had soiled himself and was then doused with cold water, causing him to shiver uncontrollably and quickly develop a high fever. By the time the examination hall opened and he was carried out, he was almost delirious with fever.
Having learned from Su Jingxing's previous experience of smelling terrible, Jia Wei only sent a servant to pick him up in a carriage this time.
Su's mother and Jia Wei waited anxiously at home, only to find Su Jingxing lying unconscious, soaking wet and smelling terrible.
The servants also learned that their son-in-law had diarrhea in the examination hall, making the examination cell reek. He was soaking wet because the yamen runners had washed him with water; otherwise, the stench was unbearable, and they couldn't have carried him out.
This servant was brought by Jia Wei from the Jia family, so naturally he wouldn't give Su Jingxing any face and told Jia Wei everything he had found out.
Upon hearing this, Jia Wei's face turned extremely ugly. She immediately withdrew her hand, which was halfway outstretched, and coldly ordered the maid beside her.
"Xiao Cui, go and call two strong servants to wash the young master. Remember to wash him several times with the soap we just bought."
"Xiao Hong, have Zhu Zi go and fetch an old doctor to examine the young master."
Mother Su covered her mouth with a handkerchief and wailed, "My son, my poor son! Those heartless people actually washed you with cold water! My son, you've suffered so much..."
Jia Wei rolled her eyes: "Alright, alright, stop with the crocodile tears. If it weren't for you insisting he eat the tonic soup you made that day, he probably wouldn't have had an upset stomach during the exam."
I've told you so many times, you can't eat and drink recklessly before the exam, but you don't listen. You insist that going in for three days of continuous exams is torture and you need to study at home beforehand.
Now look what's happened! You're suffering and humiliated. Your son will be ruined by your ignorance sooner or later.
This time, Su's mother truly cried, and her crying was incredibly heartbreaking.
She was still waiting for her son to pass the imperial examination and avenge her niece, but now she's being told that her son's future has been ruined by her ignorance.
Isn't this tearing her heart out? Her son studied hard for so many years, hoping to make something of himself and bring honor to the family, but now all his hopes are gone!
Jia Wei had completely given up hope on Su Jingxing. The last time she went back to her parents' home, she couldn't help but cry to Jia Daishan about all the unpleasant things that had happened to her since she got married.
Jia Daishan sighed, dismissed the others, and told her, "Father knows that you want to divorce Su Jingxing, but Su Jingxing and his mother are both supported by your dowry. Will they agree to a divorce?"
But if something happens to Su Jingxing and you become a widow, and you two have no children, it's only natural for you to return to your parents' home with your dowry, and remarrying won't be difficult either.
At that time, she still held a glimmer of hope for Su Jingxing, thinking that if he could pass the imperial examination this time and become a Jinshi, it wouldn't be impossible for him to reach the same high position as in her previous life with her father's support.
But now Su Jingxing is clearly useless. Everyone has to look out for themselves. She was given a second chance at life, not to suffer with a good-for-nothing.
So Jia Wei hardened her heart and added a medicinal powder that Jia Daishan had given her to the brewed medicine.
This medicine is not poisonous; whether tested with a silver needle or examined afterward, no trace of it will be found.
This was a secret medicine from the previous dynasty that Jia Daishan obtained. After drinking it, the medicine would not only fail to cure the disease, but would also have the opposite effect.
Su's mother was completely disoriented and could only cry. She had no idea that Jia Wei was already planning to send her and her son on their way.
Su Jingxing's illness came on fiercely, the medicine he drank had no effect, and he remained in a coma, refusing to eat or drink. It would be difficult for him not to die.
They endured this for a week, consulting numerous doctors. Each doctor who came shook their heads and sighed, giving them a sense of dread.
Jia Wei's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she begged the old doctor to prescribe some medicine. No one could see anything wrong with her.
As her son's illness worsened day by day, Su's mother also fell ill from grief.
Jia Wei was so happy she almost laughed out loud, but she had to pretend to be in pain.
The illness came on so timely that another person had to take the medicine. After taking the medicine for several days, Su's mother's condition worsened.
The entire Su family home was filled with the bitter smell of Chinese medicine. Jia Wei was burning the candle at both ends, and her expression was so sad that anyone who saw her would have to praise her as a virtuous wife.
Unfortunately, despite consulting numerous doctors and spending a great deal of money, they were unable to save Su Jingxing's life. After being in a coma for half a month, Su Jingxing finally breathed his last.
Su Jingxing's death shocked his already seriously ill mother, who coughed up a mouthful of blood and followed her son in death.
Jia Wei breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting rid of that annoying mother and son. She moved with her maids and servants to the new courtyard that Jia Daishan had bought for her, telling everyone that she was observing mourning.
At this time, Emperor Kangxi conferred the title of Prince Rui upon Mingrui. Upon hearing this news, Jia Wei stayed in her room for two days without eating or drinking.
Finally, unable to bear the hunger any longer, he got up and drank three bowls of porridge, crying as he ate.
She just couldn't understand why it was so difficult for her to live a better life.
In her past life, she married into the Feng'en General's mansion, but ended up being a widow for the rest of her life.
She was scared and didn't want to marry Mingrui, that sickly man, so she begged her father to change the choice of the groom for a marriage to bring good luck.
She married Su Jingxing as she wished, thinking that she would become an official's wife, envied by everyone, thanks to her husband's status.
As a result, Su Jingxing, that good-for-nothing, not only failed the exams time and time again, but also made himself look so pathetic. Not only did he lose his future, but he was also ridiculed for the rest of his life and could never hold his head up high.
To protect herself, she had no choice but to send Su Jingxing and his son on their way. Reborn, she still became a widow, the difference being that last time she was passive, while this time she was active.
Was she destined to be a widow, or what? Could it be that her rebirth was only for Jia Hui's sake? In her previous life, she married the wrong person and was tortured to death by the Su family at a young age.
She was reborn in this life, and then she deliberately jumped into the fire pit of the Su family, which led to Jia Hui marrying into the Feng'en General's Mansion.
Mingrui, that sickly girl, was actually cured by the "bringing good luck" ritual. If it's so effective, why couldn't she do it in her previous life?
Not only did the sickly boy recover, but he also became ambitious and, through farming, managed to earn Jia Hui the prestigious title of princess.
So Jia Hui is a lucky charm for her husbands, bringing prosperity to whoever she marries, while she's just unlucky, destined to die no matter who she marries!
Jia Hui was also quite surprised. Her adopted second sister was really bold, managing to send the trio who killed the original owner to the underworld for a reunion all by herself.
It seems that people can be kind, but they must never be weak. The saying "kind people are often bullied" is absolutely true.
From then on, she had fulfilled all of the original owner's wishes, and even exceeded them, because she became pregnant not long after consummating her marriage with Mingrui.
Whether in ancient or modern times, having money and power makes raising children easy.
Just like now, ever since she became pregnant, everyone in the Prince Rui's mansion has treated her like a lucky charm, with the entire household revolving around her, fearing that she might be even slightly uncomfortable.
The imperial physician would come to check her pulse once every two weeks, and the two physicians in the manor would provide her with good food and drink. The midwives were carefully selected, almost to the point of checking their ancestors for eighteen generations.
The wet nurses have already started preparations. To ensure that no one will tamper with things, even their families have been kept in the estate and fed well.
I was afraid someone would take advantage of me, and as it turns out, being careful is always the best policy.
When she was three months pregnant, Mingrui accompanied her to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, where they encountered the Eighth Prince's wife, who had just been reprimanded by the Empress Dowager.
Guo Luoluo Minhui's gaze towards Jia Hui was as if it were poisoned. If looks could kill, Jia Hui would have been killed countless times over.
Looking at her slightly protruding belly and Mingrui, who was nervously protecting her like a mother hen, the Eighth Princess Consort's eyes reddened with envy.
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