The county exams lasted three days. Lu Yu was no stranger to exams; he had passed the county and prefectural tests as a child around ten, becoming a child scholar. However, his last provincial exam two years ago had ended in failure.
After two years of diligent study and guidance from his father, Lu Yu approached this exam with confidence. The first two exams went smoothly, but after submitting the second day’s paper, eating some cold noodles and water, he suddenly felt his stomach twist in unbearable pain late at night.
Lying in the cramped numbered room, he shivered despite the mild weather. Wrapping himself in a thin blanket, he realized the chill came from his stomach, not the air outside.
Biting his teeth, he endured without ringing for the invigilator. Leaving the exam would invalidate his work—he couldn’t give up after answering so well.
Cold sweat covered him. He remembered his mother giving him a small vial of medicine from Eldest Sister-in-law the day before to treat stomach ailments. Conditions in the provincial exam hall were poor, meals insufficient, and the intense focus on exams drained one’s energy—stomach troubles were to be expected. Though uncertain of the medicine’s effect, it could help if illness struck.
Knowing Lu Yu’s picky appetite and weak stomach, Lady Liu had initially thought the medicine unnecessary. Only Shu Rui’s good intentions persuaded her to accept it. She hadn’t planned to put it in Lu Yu’s exam package, merely mentioning it as part of her blessing.
Lu Yu, feeling stronger after Shu Rui’s carefully prepared meals, took the vial with gratitude. Searching through his package, he found the bottle. Luckily, it hadn’t been lost during inspection.
He swallowed a small pill with some water, lay back, and endured the pain for a quarter hour. Gradually, the pain subsided, and he eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, Lu Yu awoke pale, lips colorless, looking exhausted. Despite this, he managed to continue answering questions, though his condition was far from the first two days.
“Those finishing the provincial exam will be relieved to leave the exam hall. After three days cooped up in that tiny space, they’ll rush to every nearby eatery like birds looking for food,” Shu Rui thought.
In the kitchen, he steamed, fried, boiled, and simmered many snacks. Autumn brought fresh seafood to the city more frequently. He had purchased shrimp, crabs, ribbonfish, and small shellfish. For business, he made fish balls and shrimp balls, coated ribbonfish in flour and fried them, and prepared spicy roasted squid.
Qing tried two small shellfish, marveling at their freshness. Though small, these sand-dwelling seafood were often gritty, yet in Shu Rui’s hands, even humble ingredients became exquisite. He had soaked the shellfish with a rusted iron piece, removing the sand perfectly.
“Shall we still prepare them as rewards for the scholars?”
“Of course. If they perform well, it’s a celebration; if poorly, it’s consolation,” Shu Rui replied.
Qing smiled. “So, when we serve guests, we’ll praise the cheerful scholars and comfort the sorrowful ones.”
As they spoke, Lu Ling returned from the main entrance, frowning. The martial arts hall was closed that afternoon, giving Shu Rui the chance to prepare extra snacks and drinks for sale instead of delivering them to the hall. Behind him came Zhong Dayang, who said there was no food at the hall and he had come with Lu Ling to eat at their shop.
“They even cooked shellfish? Those little things are crunchy from sand,” he remarked.
Qing, having met Zhong Dayang before, replied, “We’ve cleaned the shellfish thoroughly—no sand. Try two, with Shao Ge’er’s chive-flower sauce—it tastes wonderful.”
Zhong Dayang peeled one and popped the plump, fresh meat into his mouth. It was truly clean, not a trace of sand, so he immediately asked for a whole bowl.
Shu Rui laughed and served it to him. Seeing this, Lu Ling called Qing Ge’er to bring a portion into the hall and even sent him half a small dish.
Lu Ling also grabbed a bowl for himself in the courtyard, peeling and eating comfortably. The freshness, dipped in a little sauce, was even more delicious.
“Aren’t you going to pick up Erlang?”
Shu Rui noticed Lu Ling was enjoying the food at home, his appetite big, and didn’t want him to finish all the snacks he had prepared to sell. He intended to urge Lu Ling to go fetch Lu Yu from the exam hall.
“I’ll go. I had many dreams last night, even dreaming of him being chased and bitten by dogs in the exam hall, and you were there with a stick helping to shoo them away,” Lu Ling said. “Clearly not a good dream.”
“Don’t take such dreams seriously. Conditions in the exam hall may be poor, but security is strict. Even a fly would be killed on the spot; there’s no way a dog could get in.”
Shu Rui chuckled, seeing how Lu Ling was so concerned about Lu Yu that it even entered his dreams. Lu Ling shook his head and, taking advantage of the moment, grabbed a few shellfish Shu Rui had set aside to take to the kitchen and ate them himself.
That afternoon, Lu Ling went to the exam hall at the appointed time. Lady Liu accompanied him, but they arrived to find Lu Yu’s father already there. He had come straight from the government office, not spending an extra moment on official work, heading directly to the hall.
Father and son glimpsed each other but said nothing. Within a minute, the exam hall doors opened, and students filed out. All three craned their necks, watching.
“My son! What happened?”
They watched as Lu Yu, appearing just moments ago healthy, now emerged, pale and unsteady. Lady Liu gasped, and Lu Yu’s father grew anxious, but Lu Ling reacted fastest, rushing forward to support him.
Ignoring the eyes of the other students, Lu Ling lifted Lu Yu onto his back, taking his package and writing box while Lady Liu and his father followed. They brought him straight to the medical hall.
“Isn’t that Lu Dian Shi? Why is he carrying a writing box so fast?”
Wei Rongming, coming from the government office, witnessed the scene and commented to his companions.
“Look at the person being carried—Lu Master really hurries,” one of the junior clerks said. “It seems Lu Dian Shi came to fetch his young master, but the boy looks unwell. They had to carry him away—probably to the medical hall.”
Hearing this, Wei Rongming raised his brows but said, “I just hope he’s alright. If convenient, I’ll pay a visit later.”
Once the clerk left, Wei Rongming changed his expression. “The Lu family’s young master is so fragile—getting frightened at the exam hall already. How will he fare in the future?”
His companion teased, “That’s only because Lu Dian Shi has raised him well.”
They laughed, feeling quite pleased. Wei Rongming, having previously failed to gain a promotion at the office and embarrassed himself, now practiced a composed demeanor.
“They say his writing is clumsy. Only the Prefect, out of kindness, praises him. This exam is merely experience; we shouldn’t expect much,” they continued joking.
Meanwhile, Lu Ling carried Lu Yu to the medical hall. The family watched anxiously as the doctor examined him and discovered his stomach ailment had flared up. Both Lady Liu and Lu Yu’s father were full of concern.
“Thankfully Eldest Sister-in-law prepared the medicine in advance. I took it, which eased the pain, allowing me to complete today’s answers. Not perfectly, though—I worry it might affect the previous two exams,” Lu Yu said weakly.
“Enough worrying. You’re still young; you’ll have plenty of opportunities. Last night, you suffered already—enduring more could have been dangerous,” his father said, conflicted between scolding and concern. He felt guilty, realizing he had been too strict with Lu Yu’s studies.
Lady Liu sniffled. “It’s really your Eldest Sister-in-law’s carefulness, thinking of him like this. Poor child—he suffered a lot last night and today.”
Lu Ling watched the frail Lu Yu on the examination bed, thinking his dream of dogs attacking him last night was a premonition of his physical weakness.
“Now the exams are done. Whether the results are good or bad is beyond our control. Don’t touch the books for a while; focus on recovering your body. Youth is precious—no future matters if your health fails.”
Lu Yu nodded, listening earnestly, and added, “Brother, please thank Eldest Sister-in-law for me. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll go thank her properly.”
Hearing “Eldest Sister-in-law” repeatedly, his father refrained from scolding, realizing he shouldn’t interfere. He wasn’t foolish—he understood the boy’s discernment. The Ji family’s sons were thoughtful, noticing everything, and knew how to take the good and leave the rest.