Before the college entrance examination, Wei Xi's physical condition improved, and Mei Ruochu also put on her new things.
Besides clothes, they could only take some dry food.
Dry food usually consists of things like fried rice and fried flour. Things like steamed buns and biscuits need to be broken into pieces and checked, so they cannot be eaten even if you bring them with you.
Chen Cui, just like before, rushed to prepare dry food for them - it was also sold in the system, and it looked very ordinary. Although it didn't bring any benefits, it would taste better and make them feel more comfortable eating.
In addition, it is already summer, and not only is the weather hot, but mosquitoes are also starting to run rampant.
When they were at home, the servants of the Wei family would burn moxa and hang mosquito nets, so it was not a big deal. But it was hard to say in the examination room. When they took the provincial examination last time, Wei Xi was assigned a seat close to a well, so he was bitten by mosquitoes a lot.
Chen Cui bought a mosquito repellent bracelet for each of them through the system. It looked like the most ordinary red rope, but it was a high-tech product anyway. The system said that one bracelet could last for a whole summer, and it only cost 10 shopping points, which was considered good value for money.
Finally, there is the problem of summer heat. Chen Cui picked and chose in the system and chose a small thing in the shape of a peace locket. The material is like jade but not jade. It is milky white, but not as warm as white jade. It looks more ordinary.
The system said that it was a kind of stone from their planet that could reduce temperature.
It still costs 10 shopping points each, and the effect is quite average. After wearing it, it can probably reduce the temperature around you by one or two degrees compared to the surrounding areas, so the effect is better than nothing.
Chen Cui also bought some per person, and strung them on the red string in front so that the young men could tie them around their wrists.
It’s no wonder that they are all fair, handsome and refreshing young men, with a little red on their wrists, which looks good and festive.
They all had one, and Chen Cui couldn't let her own son down, so she also bought one for Mu Erpang. However, he was reluctant to wear it, saying that he would wear it before he died next year. Shen Cui put it into the system warehouse for him.
On the day of the college entrance examination, in addition to Zhou, Chen Cui, Mu Erpang and Lao Buyu went to see off the examinees.
Because the journey was very short, there was no need for horse-drawn carriages. Everyone got up before dawn, had a very starving breakfast, packed up simply and set off.
The process of the academy examination is not unfamiliar to the students who have already taken the county and prefectural examinations.
The most different thing is probably that the academic official will personally come outside the examination room to call the roll.
The academicians all came from the Hanlin Academy, and their overall noble demeanor was quite different from that of other officials.
When the students looked at him, they felt more admiration and yearning than fear.
Shen Cui and the others watched the three teenagers line up for roll call.
Of course, they had to undergo a body search afterwards. Wei Shu and Wei Xi encountered no accidents, but Mei Ruochu's luck value dropped by half to only 40 points. When he took off his clothes during the body search, he immediately attracted the attention of the soldiers - in this hot summer, everyone else would wear as little as possible, but he was wrapped in three layers of clothes, as if he wanted to wrap himself up like a dumpling. So several soldiers took him to the other side and checked him strictly like a thief for several times, but they could not find any evidence that he intended to cheat or bring cheat sheets, so they came out to report to the academician.
If it were someone else, the pressure before the exam would be great enough, and after such a ordeal, their mentality might just collapse.
But Mei Ruochu has a strong heart and remains calm.
The academic official didn't say anything. He just asked Mei Ruochu's reaction after being searched repeatedly. Hearing that Mei Ruochu didn't seem to have any hidden agenda, he smiled and said, "It's normal for talented people to have some quirks. Since we've checked and found no problems, let him go."
After the academician finished speaking, Mei Ruochu put on the clothes that had been checked and found to be fine. His luck value returned to normal, and the soldier stopped holding on to him.
After the roll call and body search, the candidates entered the examination room one by one, and a cannon was raised in front of the examination room to seal the door.
Chen Cui also opened the light curtain and observed their Q-version figurines. Seeing that they arrived at the examination seat safely, she did not call Mu Erpang and Lao Buyu to go home. Instead, she found a tea stall in the shade nearby and sat down.
Because the academy examination is different from the provincial examination, the academy examination is divided into two parts: the main examination and the re-examination.
The first day was the main test, which tested eight-legged essays and examination poems. After the candidates are in their seats, the academic official will write the test questions himself in the lobby. After finishing, he will ask the clerk to write them in large characters on a paper two feet high and one foot wide, and then stick them on a wooden sign. The clerk then walks around the examination room holding the wooden sign for the candidates to see. After seeing it, the candidates will copy down the questions and immediately write an essay or poem.
The paper must be submitted before the afternoon 3 p.m., which is before 3 p.m. After the papers are handed in, the academician will work with the president or assistant of an academy five hundred miles away to mark the papers together.
In the first round, half of the people must be eliminated. After the first round, the remaining half can participate in the second round.
So Wei Shu and the others don’t have to stay inside overnight and can come out that afternoon. It just takes half a day to wait.
Most of the parents who were sending their children to take the exam nearby did not leave and were waiting nearby.
Chen Cui was not in a hurry because she could see the movements of the young men, but what happened today also reminded her - when Mei Ruochu participated in the provincial examination, her luck points started to drop after she entered the examination room. It fell off before he was searched during the college entrance examination.
Even though it only takes a short while, it is actually very important.
The subsequent provincial examination will cause you to lose 50 points of luck. If Shen Cui had not upgraded her needlework to level 3 at that time, and had raised her basic luck value of 80 points, after Mei Ruochu took off his clothes, there would only be 30 points left.
A luck value of 40 points made the soldiers interrogate him like a thief, and even alarmed the academician. If he only had 30 points left, he was afraid that he would suffer another misfortune... It might be like before, and he would be kicked out before entering the examination room.
But fortunately, there was a three-year gap in between. To upgrade from level 2 needlework to level 3, one needs to do 1,000 stitches, and now there is only 900 stitches left. As long as she doesn't slack off in these three years, whether it's upgrading the needlework or saving up shopping points to buy him an expensive item that can further increase his luck value, she can still handle it.
Later, before the third hour, the dragon gate opened and a group of candidates came out one after another.
Even though it only took half a day, the examination questions were more difficult than the previous ones and it was a very hot summer, so many people came out with pale faces and unsteady steps.
The parents waiting outside rushed forward to greet them.
Chen Cui and the others came over from the tea stall, but they didn't rush to squeeze forward. They just found a conspicuous position and stood in the outer circle.
Soon, Wei Shu, Wei Xi and Mei Ruochu came out one after another. The expressions and moods of the three were very good, and it was obvious that they performed very well.
After picking up the person, several people left the examination room and stood in the shade to talk.
Cuiwei’s rule is not to check the answers before the test is completely over, so they didn’t mention how they did on the test. They just talked about their feelings after the test. They all said that they felt the test was okay, and then they picked up some details to chat about.
"Did the clerk holding the wooden sign fall down today? I seemed to hear a noise."
Wei Xi said yes, "It seemed to have fallen quite hard. I heard it at the other end. But I don't know where it fell."
Mei Ruochu touched his nose and said, "He fell in front of me. It was indeed a bit ugly, so he got up and left..."
As soon as these words came out, Wei Shu and Wei Xi's faces changed, "Then take a look at the test questions..."
"I can see it clearly." Mei Ruochu comforted them, "I have good eyesight, I can see the words that flash by clearly!"
He had a lot of minor incidents today, but fortunately nothing serious happened, so everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
When they came out, Shen Cui and the others had already had a simple lunch at the tea stall. Shen Cui asked them if they wanted to eat something before going back.
After being bored in the examination room for a whole day, the three teenagers had no appetite. Furthermore, the fried rice they brought in in the morning was indeed very delicious, so they ate it all and did not eat outside. They hurried back to take a shower and change clothes.
As the group reached the gate of the courtyard, they saw the servants escorting out the broker that Chen Cui had contacted a few days ago.
There was no news from the broker in the past five days, and Chen Cui thought that her requirements were too strict and the broker couldn't find a suitable one. She planned to relax some conditions or change brokers to ask after the college entrance examination was over.
Seeing him coming now means that things are looking promising.
"Madam, you came back at the right time. I thought I had made a wasted trip." The broker came forward politely and said, "In five days, I have found three houses that meet your requirements for you."
It was still early before dark, so Chen Cui said she would follow the agent to look at houses, and asked the others to rest.
But Mu Erpang did not let her go alone, saying, "I have been idle all day and I am not tired. I will accompany my mother to see it."
He wanted to follow, so Wei Shu and the others simply said that they hadn't gone back to change clothes yet, so they could just make one more trip and come back to clean up later.
They would be living in the academy for a long time in the future, so their opinions were of course very important, so Chen Cui agreed.
The Wei family's coachman harnessed the carriage, and the broker sat on the shaft to lead the way for them.
The first house we went to was not far from Wenchang Street, but it was very small. Not only was it smaller than the courtyard rented by Wei Shu, it was also much smaller than the old house in Shuiyun Village.
There is no problem with accommodation, but the main room is too small to accommodate a few desks, so it cannot be used as a classroom.
Then the Houya people took them to the second house. The second house is farther away. The space is large enough, but it is not quiet at all - it is not very busy in terms of location, but there is a butcher's family living next door.
Chen Cui was not ashamed of the other person's identity, but the smell of blood was too strong. Moreover, she thought that the butcher would go out to set up the stall during the day and would definitely be at home to prepare the ingredients at night.
After asking around, the neighbors also said that they could often hear the sound of chopping meat at night.
That won't work.
So there was only one family left, and after the carriage had been on the road for about half an hour, the broker arrived.
After getting off the carriage, Chen Cui took a look at the busy streets nearby and subconsciously felt that something was wrong - the first two houses were similar to the slums in the central area of later generations, and the prosperity of this street was no less than Wenchang Street. There are probably no slums near such a good place.
Fortunately, many people came. Although Chen Cui had doubts, she was not afraid that the broker would do anything wrong, so she just followed him.
After getting off the carriage at the street corner, the broker wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "The lady just saw it, it's very lively. If you rent a house nearby, it will be very convenient for you to eat and drink when you come back."
As he spoke, the broker led them into the alley.
The alley is straight and spacious, accommodating five or six adults walking side by side. With this alley separating them, the noise outside is immediately reduced.
After walking for about another quarter of an hour, the broker said they had arrived.
Chen Cui stood at the door dumbfounded. It was not that the place the broker found for her was too shabby or too small, but... it was too good!
Just looking at the door lintel, it is much larger than the small courtyard that Wei Shu rented.
The broker took out the key and opened the door, inviting Chen Cui and the others to go in and take a look first before talking. Not far from the door was a screen wall, and around the screen wall were two spacious back rooms, and then through the hanging flower gate and the winding corridor... after a round trip, it turned out to be a courtyard with three entrances.
A courtyard like this, located in such a location, has enough space so there is no need to worry about being affected by the noise made by neighbors.
Shen Cui smiled helplessly and said, "Don't make fun of me. How can a house like this only cost five taels a month?"
The agent said it was not five taels. "The annual rent here is fifty taels, which means less than five taels a month. Of course, I won't hide it from you. You can see this house. It's big and in a good location. Why is it so cheap? There's a story behind it."
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