Chapter 120 (One Day as a Teacher, Lifelong as a Father)
The pens in the examination room stopped as the final bell rang.
According to the different room numbers, the clerks patrolling the examination hall began to collect the answer sheets one by one.
Guo Baiwen's exam room was earlier this time, so he came out earlier after the exam papers were collected. He didn't know if it was because he had put in a lot of effort during the exam, or because he had just relaxed and caught the virus from the people around him who had colds, but he felt a little strained just carrying his exam basket.
I couldn't help but find it a little funny.
It rained far too many times during this exam period. While he was taking the exam in his cell today, he kept hearing someone next to him coughing quietly with their mouth covered.
The person in the opposite room was sneezing incessantly, and to clear their nose, they ran out of handkerchiefs and even used their own sleeves.
Fortunately, the exams are over today. Even if I accidentally get infected, I'll just be sick for a few days.
The examination hall doors hadn't opened yet, and he stood there holding his basket, waiting. The candidates who came out after him all looked pale and sickly, accompanied by occasional coughs—they were practically walking virus-spreading machines.
Guo Baiwen's face remained expressionless, but his feet unconsciously shifted to the side, hoping that the door would open soon.
When Chen Baoyue, who was waiting outside, was about to come and greet him with Maiduo's hand in hers, he waved her hand to stop her. "What's wrong? Something doesn't seem right?"
"There are too many sick people. Maido is too young. It's better for her to stay away from me and these sick people."
"Should we call a doctor to come and take a look?" Chen Baoyue asked nervously. "Should we get some medicine and boil it down to drink?"
"Every medicine has its side effects. Let's talk about it when we get back."
Fortunately, since I was traveling with Maido this time, we booked the largest room in the inn.
When we got back to the inn, we told the innkeeper to add another bed and screen. Knowing that many students had recently fallen ill, he immediately said that he would try to make the meals he prepared from now on as light and delicate as possible.
If it weren't for the difficulty in booking rooms right now, Guo Baiwen would definitely want to stay in a separate room.
When he returned from the exam, he felt like he was covered in viruses. After the waiter brought him hot water, he washed his hair and took a shower, then snuggled comfortably into bed.
The new bed and the screen that separated them were all set up. Chen Baoyue gave the waiter a tip, and while placing Mai Duo on the new bed, she made sure to open the window of the room a crack.
Letting out some air makes the room more comfortable.
Guo Baiwen had been watching her make arrangements, but after being curled up in the cell for several exams, he was finally able to let go of his burdens and relax on the bed.
He wanted to say something more, but he fell asleep without realizing it.
When I woke up again, it was already the afternoon of the next day.
Chen Baoyue was having dinner with Maiduo when she turned around and saw that he had woken up. She said, "You're awake? Perfect timing, wash your face and come eat."
Maiduo is now very skilled at using chopsticks. She saw her father sit up halfway, hugging the quilt, after hearing her mother's words.
He looked like he hadn't woken up yet.
She couldn't help but run her finger across her cheek. "Daddy, you lazybones! The sun's already high in the sky and you're still sleeping! Shame on you!"
"Pfft—", Chen Baoyue couldn't help but laugh, and just put the child's hand down. "Your father didn't sleep well the other day, he's not a lazybones."
Well, Guo Baiwen's mind gradually cleared up after a while.
As her brain slowly processed the information, she realized that Maido had just been talking about her, so she chuckled and wiped her face. "Alright—lazy daddy, time to get up!"
As she spoke, she got out of bed and reached for her shoes on the floor to put them on.
"Did someone come by this morning?" In his sleep, he vaguely felt someone call his name a couple of times, and then his hand was lifted up.
The soft, hushed voices around me made me sleepier.
Then he fell into a deep sleep again.
"Yes," Chen Baoyue handed him the bowl and chopsticks. "I saw you sleeping for so long this morning and was worried that something might be wrong with your health, so I asked the innkeeper to help me invite a doctor over to take a look."
It's been raining a lot lately, and everywhere you look there are people calling in doctors.
He had symptoms like cold, diarrhea, and dizziness, but fortunately, after taking Guo Baiwen's pulse, the doctor only said it was due to overwork and nothing else serious.
Since it's a rare opportunity for them to come all this way, they did give me a prescription, saying that if I still feel tired and sleepy, I should go to the pharmacy to get more medicine based on this prescription.
After paying the consultation fee and watching the doctor leave the room only to be immediately taken to another room by the waiter, she finally felt at ease watching Guo Baiwen continue sleeping.
Guo Baiwen stretched, feeling a bit sore in his neck and shoulders, probably from sitting at his desk for too long. He was surprised to find himself sleeping so soundly in the morning.
"Fortunately, nothing serious happened." After comforting Chen Baoyue, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
Just as the three were eating, they suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.
At this time?
Guo Baiwen and the astonished Chen Baoyue exchanged a glance, and he got up and went to open the door.
It turned out to be the innkeeper. "Scholar Guo, are you planning to stay at our humble abode for a few more days?"
The results of the provincial examinations were announced around the first day of the ninth lunar month. Because it coincided with the blooming of osmanthus flowers, it was also called the "Osmanthus List".
I just finished my exam yesterday, and today is only August 16th. There are still more than two weeks until the results are released.
Some students chose to stay in the state capital to wait for their results, while the majority chose to go back home after the exam to wait for news because they felt the cost was too high.
When Guo Baiwen booked the room, he was unsure of his condition after the exam, so he booked two extra days.
I'll be checking out the day after tomorrow.
Guo Baiwen thought about it for a moment and decided to rest well today, then go out to buy some gifts around dusk, and visit Master Guo and Master Cao tomorrow.
It's perfect to go back the day after tomorrow.
So he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "The day after tomorrow, I estimate I'll be preparing to go back around noon. I'll need the help of the manager and waiter during this time."
"Not at all," the innkeeper said with a broad smile, "I wish Scholar Guo all the best in his upcoming exams."
After seeing the shopkeeper off, Guo Baiwen and Chen Baoyue played with Maiduo in the room for a while, then took a short nap before going out to buy things.
The next morning, they took the children and went out to visit.
Unfortunately, when I went to Master Cao's house, he and his page had already embarked on their journey to the capital to take the imperial examination. Fortunately, my teacher's wife and the others were still at the house.
So after exchanging a few pleasantries, I left the gift and took my leave.
When they arrived at Master Guo's house, ever since he received the letter from Guo Baiwen, Master Guo had been eager to see Guo Baiwen's current condition with his own eyes.
To put it bluntly, countless people are eliminated on the path of pursuing a career in the imperial examinations, and most of those who choose to persevere don't know if they will ever see a brighter future.
So when he heard from the doorman that Guo Baiwen had come to visit, he didn't even change out of his home clothes and went out to greet him early.
"Yizhang! You've grown taller and much stronger."
In the past, we mostly communicated through letters, and only by seeing each other in person could we realize how fast time was passing.
It feels like only yesterday that I was a student in a private school calling myself "Master," and now I'm almost the same age I was back then.
"Is this Maiduo? She looks just like you two," the teacher's wife said, noticing the little girl Chen Baoyue was holding. She teased her for a bit and then quickly ushered her in, saying, "Come on in, come on in and sit down."
The Guo family has been living in the city for several years now. At first, they felt uncomfortable with some things, but over the years, they have gradually adapted to the local customs.
"Let's eat at home tonight." It was rare for the teacher's wife to see a familiar face from the same place, so she couldn't help but feel a little sentimental. "I just bought a lot of seasonal vegetables yesterday, so we can cook some dishes from Xiuning County tonight and have some together."
The state capital is great everywhere, but the prices here are really not cheap.
In the beginning, when she was living off the savings her family had accumulated over the years, she often had sleepless nights.
Until two years ago, Master Guo collaborated with the bookstore, spending his spare time writing articles for others, whether it was writing epitaphs, genealogy prefaces, or birthday greetings, eulogies, etc. The price varied depending on the type of document, and each piece usually earned him twenty or thirty taels of silver, and sometimes he could earn forty or fifty taels.
Even though they didn't receive many offers, their lives gradually became much more comfortable, and they were finally able to establish a firm foothold in the prefecture.
“How can we let you work alone, Master’s wife? Maiduo and I will go and help.” Chen Baoyue pulled Maiduo up. “She just learned how to pick vegetables recently, and she’s very interested in it. She can be of great help.”
“You are all guests, how can we ask guests to come and help?”
"What's the big deal? A teacher for a day is a father for life. There's no such thing as a guest."
Seeing that his teacher's wife was about to say something, Guo Baiwen simply rolled up his sleeves and said, "Teacher's wife, please don't refuse. Let's all have a meal together tonight to make it lively. I'll help out too."
Neither he nor Master Guo were people who believed in the principle of keeping one's distance from the kitchen, so the group of people who had been talking in the main hall quietly moved to the back kitchen.
Some people were picking vegetables, some were washing vegetables, some were in charge of tending the fire, and some were washing and chopping. They chatted occasionally, as if the years that had separated them did not exist.
After everyone had a lively dinner together that evening, when it was time to see everyone off, Master Guo patted Guo Baiwen on the head, something he hadn't done in a long time.
The two looked at each other for a moment, everything understood without words.
On the way back, Maiduo kept pulling at the longevity lock she was wearing to look at it.
This is a jade-shaped longevity lock that my master's wife secretly gave to the child. Even if you don't understand these things, you know it's definitely not cheap.
It wouldn't be appropriate to offer food and gifts during a rare visit, so he and Chen Baoyue initially wanted to refuse a few more times. However, Master Guo suggested that if they were to continue arguing about such things given the current relationship between the two families, they should simply take the gifts they brought with them back with them.
So in the end, they accepted it.
Mai Duo was too young to know the value of the longevity lock, but Guo Baiwen and Chen Baoyue understood it in their hearts.
Seeing the child glancing at the items intermittently, Guo Baiwen pondered for a moment and said, "Someone from the prefectural school told me recently that there are some nice writing implements available. I'll take a closer look when I get back."
Chen Baoyue listened to him quietly.
"When the time comes, pick out some good ones and have someone send them to Master Guo in the prefecture."
“Hmm,” she thought that was a good idea. “When we get back, I’ll carefully put this longevity lock away and give it to Maido when she’s older.”
Guo Baiwen nodded.
The child is young, and there's no one in the family who can watch over him all the time. It would be terrible if something happened because of these valuables.
We still need to be careful.
Fortunately, the business in the prefectural capital was over. After packing their bags and luggage tonight, they could go back tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
