After that, they no longer left the small courtyard. They only stayed inside studying and writing essays. With Shi Wuxiang guiding them, they were able to learn more.
Yuan Zhao had originally wanted Shi Wuxiang to eat and wear the best, but since they were pretending to be poor and staying in this small courtyard, it was inconvenient to improve their meals. Fortunately, the thin woman’s mother cooked quite well, otherwise Yuan Zhao would have long been unable to tolerate it.
The two horse drivers were much more carefree. Now there was nothing for them to do, no need to guard or cook or study. After discussing, they decided to go into the provincial city to find some work. They would eat where they worked at noon, saving another meal.
When Yuan Zhao had nothing to do, he would walk around nearby. He did not dare go far, so he could only walk a little more each day. Gradually, he actually reached the streets.
And the day of their imperial examination was already close at hand.
Night of the eighth month, ninth day.
Outside the examination compound, a long queue had already formed. They came in a single carriage, but both horse drivers followed, since they still needed to send Yuan Zhao back afterward.
“Did you bring everything?” Yuan Zhao anxiously kept talking, “All of you check yourselves, your brushes, ink, don’t make any mistakes…”
Shi Wuxiang adjusted his collar for him. “We are the ones taking the exam, yet you’re more nervous than us. Everything has already been checked three times. There is no problem at all.”
“Yeah, little sister-in-law, don’t worry.” Chengdu deliberately called him that, with a teasing tone. “If even basic things go wrong, then that would truly be heaven—”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Fu Ying gave him a hit. “At a time like this, don’t say such unlucky things.”
Hu Lu was so nervous he could not speak at all, even Yuan Zhao and Shi Wuxiang’s intimate interactions could not calm him down.
Shi Wuxiang patted his shoulder. “Brother Hu, calm down. We have studied diligently for three years without slack. Before coming, we even recited all the classics and histories again. Just relax and focus on answering.”
“If I could be as calm as you, that would be good.” Hu Lu felt he was lacking. He knew he was not as good as Shi Wuxiang, yet he did not expect even his emotions to be inferior.
Shi Wuxiang said softly, “I am naturally anxious too, but if everyone is like this, then wouldn’t we all be in chaos? Just stay steady and respond properly.”
“You’re right.” Hu Lu said blankly.
There was something Shi Wuxiang did not say: Yuan Zhao was already very nervous and timid. If he also showed nervousness, Yuan Zhao would probably be so anxious he would get diarrhea.
The queue kept moving forward. They had arrived an hour early, yet there was still a long line ahead.
“You stay here. You’ll go back in a while.” Shi Wuxiang held Yuan Zhao back. “Ahead is the body search. Do you want to watch others undress?”
He lowered his voice at the end. Yuan Zhao froze and immediately stopped moving forward.
“Then I’ll just watch you go in here…” He was uneasy and afraid. Thinking about separating from Shi Wuxiang and staying alone in the courtyard made him anxious.
“Don’t be afraid. Didn’t you say you would just wait for me outside while I do my best inside?” Shi Wuxiang smiled lightly. “In three days I’ll come out, and I’ll still be waiting to eat your cooking.”
Each exam lasted three days, with one day of rest between sessions.
Yuan Zhao knew this and nodded repeatedly. “I will cook and come pick you, all of you, up.”
“Good boy. Go back now. It’s late at night, you should rest well.” Shi Wuxiang pulled him into his arms under the night light and softly soothed him. “You brought enough silver, so if you have nothing to do, just stroll around the streets. I also want to know what good scenery the provincial city has.”
No matter what he said, Yuan Zhao just kept nodding, but how much he actually understood was unknown.
The queue moved forward, and Shi Wuxiang separated from him.
He kept turning back. The flickering torchlight in front of him made it hard to see whether Yuan Zhao was still there in the distance.
“Stop looking! Everyone undress properly!”
He then turned back and began to remove his clothes for inspection. Only after the soldiers checked all his clothing, tools, and food and found nothing hidden did they let him get dressed and go inside.
Once he entered the examination compound, they were separated into different areas. Following the soldiers into a room, there were many small cubicle exam spaces. He secretly felt lucky his position was neither too front nor too back, otherwise he would be troubled by wind from both sides.
Each exam cubicle was a wooden shed, with a very small bed board and a chamber pot in the corner.
For these three days, eating, drinking, and using the toilet all had to be done inside this cramped shed. It was indeed suffocating, but after years of hardship for this moment, enduring a few more days was acceptable.
He was only worried about Yuan Zhao, afraid he would become thin again like before, and only hoped the thin woman’s mother could take care of him a bit.
When all cubicles were filled, the examiners distributed the papers and answer sheets. No matter when they started writing, everything would be collected once the three days were over.
Shi Wuxiang rubbed his slightly cold hands. Fortunately, Yuan Zhao had been forcing him to take all kinds of nourishing medicine these past two years, so his body was no longer as weak as before.
He lit the candle and read through the exam paper. The classics and meanings were mostly things they had memorized before. There were also three essay sections, which could not be delayed.
Shi Wuxiang first completed the earlier classical questions. His brush moved as if guided by divine help, each stroke carefully considered before being written, never smudging the paper.
He flexed his wrist. The remaining three essays would be written tomorrow.
—
Since marrying into the Shi family, Yuan Zhao rarely separated from him. Even when Shi Wuxiang went to the academy later, they still met every few days, so he never felt anything.
But now, being separated for three days in an unfamiliar place, Yuan Zhao only felt his bedding was as cold as ice, and his chest was filled with cold wind… oh, he had forgotten to cover himself with a blanket.
Sigh.
Yuan Zhao sighed as he tossed and turned. Eventually, sleepiness overwhelmed him and he fell into a deep sleep.
The scholars had gone to take the exam, and the thin woman’s mother felt like she was on holiday. She no longer had to restrain her speech and started loudly talking to people early in the morning.
“My courtyard’s young masters have gone to take the exam! They’ll be gone for three days! My son said I can finally talk!”
“There’s also a little husband here. He’s still sleeping. I need to cook for him. I’ll talk more with you later!”
“I didn’t finish talking about the other day. That short-legged bastard was messing around outside, and his wife is fighting with him… I’ll tell you more later!”
Yuan Zhao lay on the warm kang bed in a daze. He did not know how long the people outside had been talking. He had already been awakened while they were still talking. They even discussed many strange things, making him unable to fall back asleep, so he perked up and listened for a long time.
There was no one beside him. His heart felt empty.
Suddenly, Yuan Zhao sat up, got dressed, and washed his face in one go, the series of actions making him feel much more refreshed.
The thin man had gone out to work. The two horse drivers had been told not to take jobs these days. Instead, they wandered around the courtyard because Yuan Zhao was a young husband, and it was inconvenient for two men to stay inside.
When the thin woman’s mother saw him wake up, she quickly waved. “Little husband, how about breakfast with steamed buns, fermented tofu, and porridge? My fermented tofu is really good! I guarantee you’ll eat an extra bun and drink an extra bowl of porridge!”
Yuan Zhao walked forward slowly. “These are fine. Thank you for your trouble.”
“No trouble, we’re being paid!” The woman, though talkative and fond of gossip, had a kind heart. She grinned. “After you eat, I’ll take you around the alley to chat. Everyone here is very friendly!”
“Alright.” Yuan Zhao also smiled.
Breakfast was ordinary food, but the fermented tofu was indeed delicious. Spread on steamed buns, it was fragrant, and it even blended well into the porridge.
After eating, the woman took Yuan Zhao around the alley. After learning he was the husband of a scholar and that his husband had gone to take the exam, the women in the alley inevitably became even more friendly toward him.
He was naturally good at dealing with the village women and aunts, and this time was no exception. He listened to the lively chatter, ate melon seeds, and occasionally chimed in a few words.
“What’s that short-legged bastard about?” he asked at an appropriate moment, satisfying his curiosity.
“You really don’t know anything…” one of the women said. “What else could it be? In the alley next door there’s a man whose legs aren’t even as long as our arms. Ugly and useless-looking, and he’s fooling around behind his wife’s back. His wife is tall and strong, and once she found out, she’s been making a scene every day!”
Yuan Zhao had seen affairs like this in Xiahe Village before, but people there usually kept it hidden. It was never something so widely known. This was simply too shameful!
And honestly, he could not imagine what a man whose legs were shorter than these aunts’ arms looked like. Even more, he could not imagine someone shorter than his own wife.
Ah Xiang was especially tall and very handsome!
The thin woman’s mother saw his shocked expression and laughed loudly. “You don’t have anything like this where you’re from?”
“There are some cases, but nothing this extreme,” Yuan Zhao said a little embarrassed. “If people want to be together, why not just divorce?”
“What’s the point of that?” the woman replied. “They think sneaking around is exciting. If you really let them be together openly, they probably wouldn’t even want it anymore!”
They spoke very bluntly. A young husband like Yuan Zhao, who had never experienced such things, had never seen anything like this. His face immediately turned red, and he only lowered his head to eat melon seeds, not daring to look up.
The other women teased him a little, but did not press him further and continued chatting and laughing.
Yuan Zhao listened with his ears perked up, his mind full of stories about who was fooling around with whom, who had two suitors, and which wife still had no son after many births. Listening like this, he actually stopped thinking about Shi Wuxiang for a while.
The days were getting colder. Yuan Zhao stayed on the heated bed and did not want to get up, but the thin woman’s mother could not stand his laziness. She called him to eat whenever food was ready, and after meals took him out to walk through the streets. In just a few days, he became familiar with three nearby alleys.
Another noon.
After eating, Yuan Zhao borrowed the kitchen stove at the thin woman’s house to cook. He placed all the dishes into a large pot to keep warm, while another pot was already heating water.
After finishing, he quickly called the horse drivers and rushed to the examination compound. By the time they arrived, many scholars were already walking out.
Some had faint smiles mixed with exhaustion, others looked dazed and miserable… just from their expressions, one could already tell quite a lot.
Yuan Zhao grew nervous again, not knowing what Ah Xiang and the others would look like when they came out—but surely they would also be dirty…
“Zhao-ge’er!”
“Did you see Ah Xiang when you came out?” Yuan Zhao asked Hu Lu.
Hu Lu shook his head slightly. “No. We were all assigned to different exam cubicles when we went in, and I didn’t see them when I came out either. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“You go wait in the carriage first. We’ll head back soon.” Yuan Zhao said while still standing on tiptoe, peering inside.
Hu Lu also knew he smelled, so he quickly went into the carriage.
Yuan Zhao kept bouncing on his toes, and soon he spotted a handsome scholar with a pale, exhausted face. He immediately waved. “Ah Xiang! Over here!”
Shi Wuxiang stumbled slightly, then quickly put on a pleasant expression and walked over briskly.
“Ah Xiang, are you alright? Scholar Hu has already come out. Go rest in the carriage quickly. I’ve also prepared food and hot water. Hold on a bit longer,” Yuan Zhao said, reaching out to pat him, but Shi Wuxiang avoided him.
“I smell bad. Don’t get too close,” Shi Wuxiang said.
Yuan Zhao chuckled and did not move closer. “Go get in the carriage first. I’ll wait for Chengdu and Fu Ying.”
After the other two returned, Yuan Zhao originally wanted to get into the carriage, but they drove him out, so he could only sit outside with the coachman.
Back at the small courtyard, Yuan Zhao immediately heated water for them to bathe. The thin woman’s mother had already cleaned all the tubs thoroughly and cleared a room for bathing.
After washing Shi Wuxiang’s back for him, Yuan Zhao took his dirty clothes outside to soak. He did not go help the others bathe, so he asked the horse drivers to bring their clothes out as well, soaking them to wash the next day.
“Ah… bathing really feels good.”
“It feels like the whole body is lighter.”
Yuan Zhao placed the food on the table. “Come eat first. Then rest well. You still have another exam tomorrow.”
The meal was plentiful, but all familiar dishes. Yuan Zhao was afraid that making it too rich would make them uncomfortable.
The entire table was cleaned up. The thin woman’s mother said nothing, only quietly marked a line on the doorframe.
After eating, they returned to their rooms to rest. Yuan Zhao made Shi Wuxiang sit down and began massaging his legs, shoulders, and occasionally his head.
“I saw your candle is almost gone. The others probably aren’t much better. I’ll go buy more tomorrow. I’ll prepare dry rations later,” Yuan Zhao said softly. “The aunt’s fermented tofu is really good. I’ll buy some for you all tomorrow—it’s very fragrant.”
“I’ll listen to you,” Shi Wuxiang said. “What have you been doing these past two days?” You don’t look as listless as before.
Hearing this, Yuan Zhao immediately became energetic and began telling him everything he had heard these days.
Shi Wuxiang did not expect there to be so much gossip in these few alleys. No wonder Yuan Zhao did not look haggard—he had probably been too busy listening to gossip to worry about him.
That was good. Better than suffering.
He also understood this was the thin woman’s mother’s way of caring—keeping Yuan Zhao busy and talking with others so he would not stay cooped up and overthink.
Shi Wuxiang held his wrist and gently rubbed his fingertips. “Rest for a bit. Lie down with me, alright?”
“Alright, let’s sleep.” Yuan Zhao helped him to bed.
The exam cubicle was cramped, only enough space for a bed board and a chamber pot. Everything—eating, sleeping, and daily needs—was done inside this tight space.
Shi Wuxiang almost immediately fell asleep, his breathing steady. Yuan Zhao, held in his arms, was quickly warmed by the bedding and also drifted into sleep.
When he woke again, it was still daylight. The arm that had been tightly holding him had loosened slightly. Yuan Zhao quietly adjusted it back into place, then slipped out to find a doctor.
Even if Shi Wuxiang did not say anything, he still needed a checkup.
“Their bodies are fine,” the old doctor said softly in the courtyard. “Just a bit of internal heat and fatigue from worry. Nothing serious.”
Yuan Zhao finally relaxed a little. “No medicine needed?”
The doctor stroked his beard and nodded. “No need. They will recover after some time.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Chengdu and the others were also grateful. They knew they were benefiting from Shi Wuxiang’s arrangement and thanked Yuan Zhao sincerely.
Yuan Zhao said, “Don’t worry about it. After the next exam, we’ll have the doctor check again. It’s better for everyone to feel at ease.”
Some scholars, due to stress, would fall ill, even being carried out of the exam compound or fainting right after leaving. Yuan Zhao did not want to see that.
Since they came together, they should also return together in one piece.
On the twelfth day.
Early in the morning, Yuan Zhao checked their small baskets one by one, making sure nothing was missing. Each person was given five candles—enough for light and warmth, and essential for writing answers.
In the evening, he prepared their dry rations: steamed buns, flower rolls, sweet buns—all freshly made. Even if they cooled overnight, they would not become too hard. Water was also prepared.
He sent them off to the exam compound as usual, but this time he did not feel as uneasy. After sending them off, he returned to the courtyard and rested, thinking about finding some work during these days. They still had to stay for another month.
After thinking for a night, he decided he might as well continue selling rolled pancakes and egg pancakes—but those required too many ingredients. It might be better to sell the skewers Shi Wuxiang had taught him.
Just boil them, skewer them, sprinkle seasoning, and sell. Not much trouble. The only issue was a pot.
“A pot?” the thin woman’s mother said after thinking. “At the end of the alley inside, there’s a shop that makes pots. They’re always banging and arguing there—it’s very noisy.”
Yuan Zhao thanked her and was about to go take a look when she stopped him.
“I know their family well. I’ll go with you—it might be cheaper. But aren’t you here for the exams? Why are you making a pot?”
“We’ll still be staying a long time,” Yuan Zhao said carefully, still remembering they were pretending to be poor. “We need to do some small business or we won’t have enough money to get back.”
“That makes sense. What are you planning to sell?” the woman asked casually, already curious.
Yuan Zhao said, “We’re going to make some snacks to sell. I’ll let you try them first once they’re done.”
Their food stall also sold those small skewers. He still remembered that strange pot divided into many compartments, each section holding different ingredients. After picking what you wanted, you just poured sauce over it.
The thin woman’s mother did not ask further. She hurriedly led him over. Along the way, whenever she met someone, she loudly announced that they were going to find the craftsman to make a pot, practically shouting so the whole alley would know.
When they arrived at the craftsman’s house, Yuan Zhao finally understood what “a lot of people” meant. The courtyard was full of bare-chested men working furiously. He only glanced once and did not dare look again.
“Xiu-niang, someone’s here!” one of the men called toward the house when he saw Yuan Zhao.
Soon after, a sturdy woman walked out, holding two small stools. Whenever she came out like this, it meant a woman or a young husband had arrived.
She quickly greeted them to sit and smiled. “What do you want made? We can forge pots, do small crafts, even construction work—we’ve got connections for building houses too.”
“I want a pot with many compartments, and it needs to have a bottom where you can light firewood or charcoal,” Yuan Zhao said, not shy, raising his voice slightly. “Can it be made?”
Seeing he was an unfamiliar young husband, Xiu-niang softened her tone. “That’s simple. I’ll have them draw it for you first. If you think it’s fine, then we’ll make it.”
She called a man over casually. The man even took the time to put on his shirt, then quickly drew according to Yuan Zhao’s description. Worried it might not be clear, he even used scraps to build a rough model.
Yuan Zhao nodded repeatedly. “Yes, that’s it. Not too many compartments, not too few—ten is perfect!”
“Alright!” Xiu-niang agreed. “This is easy to make, but we still have other orders. You’ll need to wait your turn.”
“How many days will it take?” Yuan Zhao quickly asked. If it delayed their stall, it would be pointless.
Xiu-niang thought for a moment. “Come back in five days. But you’ll need to pay a deposit first.”
“That’s only natural.”
Before Yuan Zhao could respond further, the thin woman’s mother immediately spoke up. “A deposit? This is my tenant’s family. Their scholar is away taking the exam! You should trust them!”
She added loudly, “They barely have enough to eat right now, just trying to make a small living. They don’t even have startup money!”
Xiu-niang laughed. “Oh? Fine then—but if he runs off, auntie, I’ll come find you for the money.”
The thin woman’s mother waved her off. “How could he run? His husband is still inside taking the exam. If you really can’t find them, just go block the exam compound!”
That made everyone laugh. The matter was settled without further mention of the deposit, and the details were finalized.
By the time the pot was finished, Shi Wuxiang would also be done with the exam. Then they could set up the stall together, and even Chengdu and the others could earn some money too.
On the way back, Yuan Zhao thanked the thin woman’s mother and even said he would cook dinner to show appreciation.
She had a sharp tongue, but she had indeed taken good care of them these days, even bringing him around to hear all sorts of gossip. Ah Xiang had said this was also a way of caring for his mood.
So Yuan Zhao spent his own money to cook meat dishes and even bought some wine, intending to thank everyone in the courtyard properly.
Only then would people continue helping them and looking after them.