Chapter 312: Chapter 127: The Prefectural Examination (4)
Zhao Jing, scribbling furiously in the examination hall, had no idea that the dear sister he was constantly thinking about was about to arrive in the Prefecture.
At that moment, he sat in the examination hall, carefully choosing his words as he worked on his draft, while trying his best to ignore the commotion coming from the person beside him.
The top candidate from Guyuan County had caught a chill the night before and, just as expected, had been coughing ceaselessly since morning.
He had a large, purple bruise on his forehead and dark circles under his eyes. A clear, runny nose dripped down his face. Combined with his messy hair and thunderous coughs, he was a painful sight to behold.
So much so that even the Magistrate and the other examiners—the professors and instructors from the prefectural school—couldn’t be bothered to give him a second glance.
The group made their routine pass by his seat and continued toward the back of the hall.
As for the top candidate from Guyuan County, who had been watching with his heart in his throat, he waited until the group was far away before slumping wearily onto his desk and gasping for breath.
’The Prefectural Examination is just too hard!’
’When will this ever be over?!’
For Zhao Jing, however, the Prefectural Examination wasn’t difficult at all.
As he worked on his draft, he even had the spare mental capacity to calculate approximately when he could hand in his paper and walk out of the Dragon Gate.
The truly painstaking part for him was transcribing his essay onto the final examination paper, because not a single character could be out of place.
But with someone next to him coughing incessantly, each one a thunderous, startling hack, he would be jolted if he let his guard down for even a moment.
Fortunately, Zhao Jing possessed remarkable self-control. Once he was fully immersed in his examination paper, the surrounding commotion gradually faded away until he could no longer hear any other sounds.
Late in the afternoon, Zhao Jing finished answering all the questions on his paper.
He checked it over twice more to ensure there were no omissions or mistakes, then confidently rang the small bell.
There was still a little under an hour left before the official end of the examination. But since the rain had only stopped in the afternoon, the sky was terribly overcast. Though it was only late afternoon, it was already growing dark.
Given the circumstances, Zhao Jing decided not to just sit and wait.
He watched as a constable came over, sealed the name on his paper, placed it securely in a box, and carried it away. Then, he followed the escorting constable and headed for the exit.
Halfway there, he encountered Mr. Sheng, who was returning from his inspection rounds.
The two did not speak.
Making any sound was strictly forbidden in the examination hall. Conversation between an examiner and a candidate was especially prohibited, for fear that some hidden message could be passed between the lines.
Zhao Jing bowed and stepped back, respectfully greeting Mr. Sheng.
Mr. Sheng stroked his fine beard, his eyes filled with even greater admiration as he looked at the young man standing with a straight back.
Because there were still other candidates writing, Mr. Sheng didn’t say much, even though Zhao Jing had already submitted his paper. He simply gave a slight nod, signaling that Zhao Jing could proceed.
Their interaction was that of the purest, most detached relationship between an examiner and a candidate. Not even someone with the most discerning eyes could have guessed they had once shared a table and had a delightful conversation.
...
After leaving the examination hall, Zhao Jing waited for a short while outside and soon saw De’an and Huang Chen walking quickly toward him, side by side.
At the same time, Wang Jun, Chu Xun, Ding Shutian, the top candidate from Taoli County, the top candidate from Guyuan County, and others began to surge out like a tide.
While he was waiting for them to approach, Wang Xiao came up from behind him first.
Wang Xiao had one arm in a sling, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He came up behind Zhao Jing, tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and asked, "How did the exam go?"
Zhao Jing nodded slightly. "It was alright. You should probably wait on the sidelines. It’s crowded, and you don’t want to break that arm a second time. Otherwise, I’m afraid it might become a habit and affect your performance in future exams."
Wang Xiao looked down at his tightly bandaged arm and couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
If not for this injured arm, he too would have been one of the candidates in this Prefectural Examination.
De’an and the others came over. After regrouping, Zhao Jing started walking out with them.
But the crowd was simply too large, and as they walked, they were separated again.
Fortunately, there was an old scholar tree on the street corner, and the group finally managed to gather under it.
Wang Xiao hadn’t originally planned to invite them for a meal, as they desperately needed rest after four grueling days. But then he remembered that the cook Zhao Jing and the others had hired was in jail. If they went back hungry, they would have to cook for themselves.
And in their courtyard, there probably wasn’t a single scrap of meat or a single green vegetable to be found.
So, Wang Xiao tentatively asked, "How about we go get some noodles together?"
All four of them—Zhao Jing and his friends—thought of their empty kitchen, looked at the dark circles under each other’s eyes, and agreed without hesitation, "Sounds good."
And so, off they went to eat noodles.
Each had a bowl of hand-pulled noodles with generous slices of beef. They also ordered six side dishes—three cold and three hot—and a pot of clear tea.
