Chapter 107 Chapter 107 County Examination
Around the hour of Yin, a sound was heard in the distance and Yu Li opened his eyes instantly.
In the darkness, she sat up and realized that the noise should have come from the county government office, reminding the candidates taking the county exam today to be prepared.
When Yu Li sat up, Fu Wenxiao next to him also woke up.
Yu Li lit the oil lamp on the table, turned to him and said, "It's time to get up. Let's go to the street to eat something later. Sister Su said that every time there is a county exam, there will be breakfast vendors on the street near the examination hall to provide breakfast for the candidates. We can just go there to eat."
When having dinner at the Wang family yesterday, Mrs. Wang specifically told her a lot about the county examination.
Perhaps because she was young and had no experience in these things, Mrs. Wang pulled her aside and gave her many instructions, and Yu Li wrote them down one by one.
So she also knew where they could have breakfast near the examination hall.
After changing clothes, Yu Li went to the kitchen to boil water and wash up, while Fu Wenxiao checked the things in the exam basket.
The examination basket was prepared for him by the Wang family. Mr. Wang was very concerned about Fu Wenxiao's county examination this time. Old Madam Wang laughed and said that he was not so concerned when he took part in the county examination himself.
Although he felt that with Fu Wenxiao's talent, a mere county exam was nothing, Mr. Wang also sincerely hoped that he could pass the exam smoothly without any problems, so he was quite nervous in all aspects.
After lighting the fire, Yu Li ignored it and returned to his room with disheveled hair.
Seeing him checking the examination basket, she leaned over to take a look. The items inside were very well prepared. She said with satisfaction, "Mr. Wang is thoughtful."
Experienced people are well prepared and don’t have to worry about anything.
Fu Wenxiao turned to look at her and found that her hair was not combed yet, so he took a comb and combed her hair.
Yu Li was already used to him doing her hair and sat quietly.
After her hair was tied up, she reached out and touched it. She felt that it was tied very firmly and would not fall apart easily. It was very convenient for working with, and she was immediately satisfied.
After the water was boiled, the two went to wash up.
In fact, Yu Li felt that it was okay to wash with cold or hot water. Even on a snowy day, she could wash with cold water.
When Zhou found out, she stopped her, saying that girls shouldn't touch so much cold water when it's cold, which is bad for the body, and she kept an eye on her all the time. After being watched by Zhou so many times, she consciously washed with hot water, and she didn't slack off even when Zhou was not around.
She can be lazy, but Fu Wenxiao's fragile body cannot be lazy, and she has to take care of him.
After the two of them had taken care of everything, Yu Li checked Fu Wenxiao's clothes.
Although it is almost the end of February, it has been raining these few days and it is a bit cold, so we have to put on more clothes.
"Are you cold? Do you have enough clothes?" Yu Li asked him.
"Not bad." He smiled at her, "I have two extra clothes to wear."
After confirming that he had obediently put on more clothes, Yu Li felt relieved. Before leaving yesterday, Zhou had reminded her to pay more attention and make sure he wore more clothes before entering the examination hall.
After all, you will be staying in there for a whole day, so you need to wear enough clothes.
After checking again and again to make sure nothing was missed, the two finally went out.
It was still dark at this time, and Shuying Lane was very quiet, but you could still see some people. They were all candidates who were going to take the county exam today. They were all accompanied by their families, and some even came with their entire family. It was a grand ceremony, just to send one candidate to take the county exam, which seemed particularly grand.
Yu Li took a look and seemed to understand something.
As expected, all candidates must be accompanied by their family members, otherwise it would be too pitiful for him to be alone. It is only right for her to send him to the examination center. It seems that she will have to pick him up in the evening when the examination center opens.
There are five sessions in total in the county examination, each lasting one day. Candidates enter the examination hall in the morning and leave in the evening. They are allowed to bring one day's worth of food. If they don't have any, they can buy it in the examination hall with money.
The examination hall was near the county government office, and sure enough, there were things for sale early on in a street nearby.
They came to a small stall selling noodles, such as steamed buns, wontons, etc., set up on the side of the street.
A middle-aged couple was busy at the stall, and there were a few scholars who were having breakfast. There were examination baskets beside them, and it was obvious that they were here to take the county examination.
Yu Li ordered two bowls of wontons, one for her and one for Fu Wenxiao.
Fu Wenxiao asked, "Li Niang, are two bowls enough?" Given her appetite, she only ate one bowl, which made him worried that she would be hungry.
"It's okay." She said calmly, "After you enter the examination hall, I will go to the butcher shop to eat."
After hearing this, Fu Wenxiao said nothing more.
After eating wontons, the two went to the examination hall.
The examination hall was already crowded with people. In addition to the candidates, there were also their relatives and family members. It seemed like there were a lot of people.
Yu Li took a look and found that the ages of the candidates preparing to enter the venue were different. Although most of them were young people, there were also children and elderly people. The youngest child was about ten years old, and the elderly was even around fifty years old with gray hair, and it was obvious that they were not young.
This abnormal age difference made Yu Li a little stunned, and he suddenly realized how much importance people in this world attached to studying and imperial examinations.
No wonder the common people are so in awe of scholars.
When Yu Li was in a daze, Fu Wenxiao pulled her aside and asked in a low voice: "Mother Li, what's wrong?"
Yu Li followed him obediently and whispered, "There are so many people taking the county exam, and their ages..."
Hearing this, Fu Wenxiao understood something. He casually glanced at the candidates of different ages. He smiled and said, "This is their only chance to stand out."
Although I don't know what the world she lived in before was like, it seems that there was no imperial examination. Even if there was, it was in another form. People even regarded literacy as a norm and did not have much respect for scholars.
If everyone could read and write, there would be nothing rare about being a scholar.
At this time, Yu Li saw Yu Lao Da and his family who were sending Yu Jingde and his brother to the examination hall.
Yu Lao Da, Chen and Yu Qin all came. The three looked very nervous. Yu Lao Da pulled his two sons and gave them repeated instructions with a serious look on his face. The Yu Jingde brothers also listened with serious faces.
Seeing them, Yu Li had a deeper understanding of Fu Wenxiao's words.
If the two of Yu Lao Da and his two sons were not scholars, why would the Yu family exploit the interests of others to support them, only hoping that they could pass the imperial examination so that the Yu family could change its status and class?
Although she understood this truth, she didn't feel too moved.
Soon, the sound of gongs and drums came from the examination hall, reminding the candidates to enter.
Fu Wenxiao said, "Mother Li, I'll go in first."
Yu Li hummed, suddenly grabbed his hand, and gave him today's supernatural power.
When she held his hand, Fu Wenxiao knew what she was going to do.
Sure enough, he soon noticed the changes in his body. Because of the late spring cold, his hands and feet had been a little cold when blown by the cold wind, but now he felt warmer and in very good spirits.
Fu Wenxiao stared at her seriously, and after she withdrew her hand, he said, "Li Niang, wait for me."
Yu Li blinked and said, "I'll pick you up after you finish the exam."
She must come to pick him up. If he collapses as soon as he comes out, she will have to give him some supernatural powers in time to prevent him from falling ill when he returns.
After watching Fu Wenxiao queue up to enter the examination room, Yu Li turned and left after he disappeared.
But when I turned around, I saw Boss Yu and his family, and they ran into each other.
When he saw her, Boss Yu was startled and turned back to look at the examination hall. After finding that his two sons had already entered the examination hall, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Jingde and the others should not have seen her, right?
Yu was worried that his two sons would lose their balance when they saw her, which would affect their exams today...
Chen was just stunned and asked, "Li Niang, why are you here?"
"I sent my husband to take the exam." Yu Li said calmly.
Yu Qin was stunned and asked hesitantly, "He... Mr. Fu is really coming to take part in the county exam?"
"Of course, the eldest and second cousins can come, so why can't he come?" Yu Li asked back, and then asked the eldest brother, "Uncle, don't you think so?"
Boss Yu kept his face stiff and said nothing. He felt ashamed and angry, thinking that she was humiliating him.
Ever since he learned that his two sons went to seek justice for him but failed and were forced to kneel down before Yu Li, he knew that this niece from the second house was born to be incompatible with them.
They couldn't defeat them, and for the time being they didn't have the ability to retaliate, so they could only try to avoid them.
Couldn't they just not go see her?
Originally, Boss Yu thought that when his two sons passed the imperial examinations and gained honors, it would be the time to wash away the shame of that day.
But at this time, I heard that Yu Li's husband was almost recovered from his illness and was going to take part in the county examination.
That’s fine, but when Boss Yu saw the word “Fu” written by Fu Wenxiao, he felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
If a person can write such majestic words, can that person be uneducated?
He suddenly lost confidence in both of his sons.
However, no matter how frustrated he was, Yu couldn't show it, for fear of affecting his two sons and undermining their confidence, causing them to end up like himself, unable to even pass the examination to become a Tongsheng.
Seeing that Boss Yu remained silent, Chen and Yu Qin also didn't know what to say.
They had experienced Yu Li's fighting ability, so they didn't dare to speak carelessly in front of her, for fear that she would displease them and slap them.
Sometimes, violence is more effective than any lesson. It can make people remember it deeply and dare not make stupid mistakes again.
Seeing that they had learned their lesson and no longer said unpleasant things, Yu Li naturally did not persist and turned away.
Not until she walked away did Chen's mother and daughter look at Boss Yu, and not surprisingly saw a face covered in blue and red, filled with shame and indignation.
Boss Yu had a gloomy face and walked away with a wave of his sleeves, not caring whether his wife and daughter could follow him or not.
"Dad!" Yu Qin called out quickly.
However, Boss Yu had already walked away, and she could only pout and look at her mother in grievance.
Chen was calm about this, and took her daughter away, saying, "After the exam this afternoon, we will come back to pick up Jingde and the others."
Yuqin hesitated, "What if they meet Li Niang?"
Neither mother nor daughter were stupid, so they understood why Yu Jingde and Yu Jingli suddenly became bad-tempered.
Their reaction was exactly the same as Boss Yu's when he experienced the family split. I'm afraid they all suffered a setback at the hands of Yu Li, and suffered a very bad setback.
This made Chen very angry. She knew that her two sons must have gone to find Yu Li. She almost wanted to slap each of them and scold them for being so stupid to bring humiliation upon themselves.
Chen felt that her two sons were too naive, and also blamed Grandpa Yu and his family for protecting the brothers too well, allowing them to never suffer and know the dangers of the world.
Even Boss Yu, as an elder, suffered losses at the hands of Yu Li. They are just cousins from the next room. Is it possible that Yu Li will show mercy to them?
Why?
Chen was also very worried, fearing that her two sons would see Yu Li and then be provoked by her, which would affect their performance in the county examination.
But even if she was worried, she couldn't stop Yu Li from showing up, so she could only say, "If they can't even stand seeing Li Niang, then this is the only way they'll have to live their lives."
Just like her husband, he worked as an abacus clerk in a rice shop all his life and was not even a student.
Yuqin opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
Although this sounds cold, it is true. If they can't even pass the examination to become a Tongsheng, their future will be the same and it will be a waste of studying so much.
She lowered her eyes and thought of what her cousin Yang Hui said. Perhaps the Yang family was indeed a good place to go...
**
After leaving the examination hall, Yu Li went to the butcher shop.
Zhang Fu, Luo Shu, Zhang Yaoping and others were all there, only Boss Tu was not there. He went to the provincial capital a few days ago.
When they saw Yu Li, they all asked with concern: "Mr. Fu, did you go to the examination hall? Did everything go well? Is everything alright?"
Knowing that Fu Wenxiao was going to take part in this year's county examination, the people in the butcher shop took it more seriously than Yu Li did. They asked him about it every time they met him, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
Yu Li was a little amused, "Don't worry, it went smoothly, nothing will happen."
Zhang Fu said, "Li Niang, why didn't you come to my house for dinner last night? I was waiting for you."
I know that she bought a house in the county town, but because she hasn't officially moved there yet, there aren't many things in the house. The two of them definitely won't be able to make a fire and cook at home, so I want to invite them over for dinner.
Yu Li said, "Mr. Wang came before we even left the house, so we had no choice but to go to Wang's house for dinner."
Hearing this, everyone in the butcher shop was shocked.
"Mr. Wang? Is he the Mr. Wang from the Wang family in the north of the city?" Zhang Yaoping confirmed carefully.
Yu Li nodded affirmatively, "It's him!"
They all looked incredulous: "Mr. Fu actually knows Mr. Wang..."
When they heard Yu Li say that Mr. Wang and Fu Wenxiao were very good friends, they didn't know what to say.
Mr. Wang has a very high status in the eyes of scholars in the county. He is a famous child prodigy and the best student. If even he is so optimistic about Fu Wenxiao, then Fu Wenxiao must be very knowledgeable and will have no problem in this county examination.
Thinking of this, everyone seemed to calm down.
Zhang Yaoping said to Zhang Fu privately: "He is indeed the man chosen by Sister Yu. He is not only good-looking, but also talented. Otherwise, he would not be worthy of Sister Yu!"
"Shut up!" Zhang Fu smiled and slapped him on the head, "Don't say such things casually outside."
Although he also thought so in his heart, and felt that ordinary men were indeed not worthy of Yu Li, he could not agree with it, lest this kid talk more nonsense.
Zhang Fu pondered secretly, and felt more and more that Li Niang's husband was no ordinary person, and he didn't know where he came from.
-
Not only the people in the butcher shop were concerned about Fu Wenxiao's county examination, but even Yu Jin and Yu Xiaogu were also concerned.
Before noon, Yu Li saw Yu Jin coming to the butcher shop to find her and ask about Fu Wenxiao's county examination.
"Big sister, is everything going well this morning? When will my brother-in-law come out? Is he okay? He has to stay in the examination hall for a whole day. Can he bear it..."
Yu Li said: "Don't worry, everything will go well. The examination hall will not open until the evening. He should be fine. I will pick him up then."
If something really happens, immediately give him some supernatural powers to help him get through it.
Thinking of this, Yu Li decided to eat more and convert more superpowers just in case.
"Second sister, let's go eat." Yu Li invited his sister, "Let's go to Zhiweilou today."
Yu Jin was stunned. She seemed to have not expected that Fu Wenxiao was still in the examination hall, and she actually wanted to go to the restaurant for dinner.
Yu Li said confidently, "He's in the examination hall, it won't affect my meal."
The world is big, but eating is the most important thing.
Yu Jin was speechless and finally decided to go out to dinner with her elder sister.
Although it is very important that my brother-in-law goes to take the county exam today, it is more important for my elder sister to have a meal.
The two sisters went to a restaurant to have a meal. Yu Jin originally wanted to pay the bill, but Yu Li paid the bill first.
"I'll treat you today." Yu Li said to his annoyed sister, "You can treat me next time!"
Yu Jin thought for a moment and said, "Okay, when my brother-in-law passes the county exam, I'll treat you all together."
Yu Li patted his head for this and said with a smile, "Well, we'll wait for you to treat us to a meal."
After dinner, Yu Li went to the street to buy something and then returned to the house in Shuying Lane.
After doing all this, she looked at the sky and estimated that the examination hall would soon open, so she went to the county government office.
When Yu Li arrived at the examination hall, he found that many family members were already waiting there.
"Madam Fu!"
A servant came over, and Yu Li recognized him as the book boy beside Mr. Wang, and asked, "Why are you here?"
The servant smiled and said, "Our master asked me to come here. He said that when Mr. Fu comes out, he will let you and him go to the Wang family for dinner. Madam has asked the kitchen to prepare the meal and is waiting for you to come over."
Yu Li: “…” Mr. Wang is so enthusiastic.
While the two were talking, the door of the examination hall, which had been closed all day, was finally opened.
Then the candidates came out one after another.
The expressions of these candidates varied. Some were calm, some were happy, some were depressed, and some looked bleak... All aspects of life seemed to converge on these candidates at this moment.
The book boy had been staring at the examination hall. He saw Fu Wenxiao the moment he came out and said happily, "Mr. Fu is out!"
In fact, Yu Li had already noticed Fu Wenxiao without him saying anything.
The main thing is that this man is very tall among the group of candidates, standing out from the crowd, not to mention that his face is really attractive and makes people notice him at first glance.
Many people at the scene stared blankly, forgetting to react, especially the young girls, whose faces turned red with embarrassment.
When Fu Wenxiao came out, he also saw Yu Li not far away. A smile appeared on his face and he walked towards her without hesitation.
The girls who saw him walking towards them blushed, and when they found that he walked straight past them and walked towards a girl with very fair skin and delicate features not far away, they couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
As expected, handsome young men like this are all taken.
"Li Niang, have you been waiting for a long time?" Fu Wenxiao asked with a smile.
Yu Li looked at him and found that his face was a little pale and there was a look of fatigue between his brows. It seemed that he had been stuck in the examination hall for a whole day, and it was a little difficult for him to endure given his current physical condition.
The servant boy also noticed it and asked quickly, "Mr. Fu, do you want to see a doctor first?"
Fu Wenxiao finally noticed him, "You're here too?"
The servant boy looked aggrieved, "Mr. Fu, I've always been here?" We can't just ignore him and only pay attention to Madam Fu just because he looks ordinary.
Fu Wenxiao was about to speak when suddenly his hand was grabbed by a warm and soft hand.
My heart skipped a beat and I instantly forgot what I was going to say.
Her hands were obviously very strong, and she could send someone flying with a slap, but her palms were unexpectedly soft, so soft and warm that it was easy for people to feel attached to them.
Fu Wenxiao's ears turned a little red, but he didn't refuse and directly held the hand.
Yu Li looked at him in confusion, said nothing, and took the opportunity to transfer his supernatural powers to him.
Sure enough, the fatigue between his brows soon faded a little, and although his face was still pale, it was not that ugly.
"No need to call a doctor." Fu Wenxiao turned and said to the servant.
The servant boy had already noticed that they were holding hands in public, and his eyes widened. Isn't the relationship between Mr. Fu and Ms. Fu too good?
They just came out and they can't wait to hold each other's hands. Do they miss each other so much?
Because Mr. Wang was so welcoming, the two had no choice but to go to Wang's house for dinner again.
Fortunately, Mr. Wang was not the kind of person who was so tactless. He knew that Fu Wenxiao was in poor health and had just come out of the examination hall, so he did not drag him to discuss calligraphy.
After dinner, Mrs. Wang asked the servants to prepare some snacks that Yu Li liked and then sent them out.
As for how Fu Wenxiao performed on the exam today, Mr. Wang felt that there was no need to ask.
With Brother Fu's talent, it should be easy for him to win first place in a mere county exam. If he is not first, it must be that there is something wrong with County Magistrate Zhang, who deliberately suppressed him.
After a night's rest, Fu Wenxiao seemed to be in much better spirits.
Yu Li asked him: "There are still a few days until the next exam, do you want to go back to the village first?"
The county examination consists of five sessions, each lasting one day. The results will be announced after a few days. Those who pass can continue to take the next examination. During this period, candidates can rest for a few days.
Fu Wenxiao first asked her: "Are you going back with your mother?"
"Of course I'm going back!" Yu Li said as a matter of course, "I want to eat the food my mother cooks."
Although the food in the restaurant was delicious and the meals cooked by the Wang family chef were also tasty, she still liked Zhou's meals the best. If she didn't eat them for a few days, she would start to miss them.
Since she said so, Fu Wenxiao decided to go back.
Seeing the two people come back, Zhou was very happy. She asked them about their well-being. When Yu Li said she wanted to eat the food she cooked, Zhou immediately cooked for her without any principles.
As for how Fu Wenxiao performed in the first round of the county examination, Zhou did not ask either, thinking that as long as Magistrate Zhang was not blind, he would not fail him.
Sure enough, the result came out a few days later, and Fu Wenxiao was given a hall title as expected.
You still have to go to the county town one day in advance, stay there for one night, and then go to the examination hall the next day. When the candidates come out of the examination hall in the evening, you will take the next exam after a few days.
Yu Li would personally take him to the examination hall for every exam and pick him up in the evening.
Whether she was sending him into the examination hall or picking him up, she would take the opportunity to transfer his supernatural powers to him. Perhaps it was also because after each exam, although his face looked pale, he did not fall down.
Even during the coldest days of late spring, he was able to come out of the examination hall smoothly.
It was because Yu Li always transferred his supernatural powers to him outside that many people thought that the young couple was very loving. As soon as the husband came out of the examination hall, his wife couldn't wait to hold his hand, and the husband didn't refuse.
Many older people sighed in their hearts that young couples are indeed very loving.
After finishing the last exam, Yu Li went to pick up Fu Wenxiao and still transferred his supernatural powers to him as soon as possible.
Many people who saw this scene remained calm.
It was not until the Yu Jingde brothers and Chen Zhongxun dragged their tired feet out of the examination hall and saw them that their faces changed slightly.
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