Time flies, and soon it is the end of December.
Jiang Jie and Mr. Wu also returned from their travels, which made the Jiang family very happy.
"Ajie, tell grandpa where you have been in the past two years." Old man Jiang asked happily.
Jiang Jie: "My husband and I went to the East China Sea, then to South Vietnam, and also visited Shu."
"How did you get there?" Jiang Sanlang asked.
"We first followed the caravan, and then walked thousands of miles with the escort." Jiang Jie talked eloquently and looked very mature.
Jiang Sanlang smiled and bowed to Mr. Wu: "Thank you for your kindness, my son has grown a lot after this trip."
Mr. Wu stroked his beard and smiled: "Children can't study in isolation. Only by traveling around the mountains and rivers can they understand the sufferings of the world. I have decided to let Jiang Jie take the county exam in February next year. If he passes, he can take part in the provincial exam three years later."
Since he decided to teach him, he must create a peerless genius.
If one could pass the imperial examination at the age of eleven or twelve, that would be a once-in-a-century opportunity.
When the time comes, he will want to see if those old guys in the capital still dare to look down on him
On New Year’s Eve, the Jiang family set up four tables for banquets.
The men in the family sat at one table with Old Mr. Wu and Zhang Min, while Yingbao and the girls, including Dani, Erni, Hongxiao and Qiu Rong, sat at another table.
Chunniang sat at one table with her mother-in-law, her eldest aunt Jiang Yunniang, and several sisters-in-law. The other table was filled with children, including Jiang Quan, Zhang Yuying, Zhang Xiaolang, as well as Jiang Jie, Jiang Wu, Yuanbao, Huzi, etc.
Yingbao took out the wine and peach juice she brewed herself and distributed them to the four tables.
She wanted to take out a watermelon, but she didn't dare.
The foreign watermelons in the cave have grown from the size of a fist to the size of a washbasin after she has cultivated and improved them many times. They are very sweet and delicious.
It’s a pity that no one here grows this kind of melon, otherwise she would definitely take one out for everyone to taste.
After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, Jiang Sanlang and his two brothers went to change the door charms, while the children went outside to run around and play.
Lanterns are hung at the doors of every house, illuminating the night.
Jiang Sanlang also paid to hang lanterns on the village roads to make it convenient for children to stay up all night and play.
The brothers Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu are still inseparable when they are together, and they still play wildly with the children in the village.
Because Jiang Jie was going to take the county exam in February, Yingbao had no time to play and spent every day preparing exam supplies for her brother.
For this purpose, she even went to ask Li Xu what should be put in the examination basket.
As for the things to pay attention to in the examination room, Mr. Wu and Jiang Jie explained them.
After the fifth day of the Chinese New Year, Yingbao asked someone to make a study basket for her brother that a child could lift, and even tied a strap on the basket.
Because my younger brother had to carry the exam basket by himself when he walked into the examination room. If he couldn't carry it, he could use a strap to carry it on his shoulders.
The examination basket contained pens, ink, paper, inkstone, books, paper, etc., as well as some food and medicine powder.
A kettle for drinking water is also essential, as well as oilcloth to shelter from wind and rain, and candles and lanterns for lighting.
Li Xu also said that one must bring a few long nails and a hammer, and cover the mouth of the cellar with oilcloth at night, otherwise it would be too cold and impossible to sleep.
When Yingbao heard this, she made some pills for her brother. They were slightly larger than soybeans and could be used to treat gastrointestinal discomfort, colds, etc.
Because the county examination consisted of five consecutive sessions, spanning more than ten days, students entered the examination room at midnight for each session and the papers were collected and left the examination room the next morning.
There was a day between each exam. I would enter the exam room at Chou time on the next day and come out the next day.
After finishing the five exams, you can go home and wait for news.
If the candidates are not adequately prepared, they may suffer from frostbite and become exhausted.
The weather in February is still quite cold. My younger brother is young, and he would not be able to bear it if he had to stay in the trading room for one day and two nights for every exam.
So he must be given a larger cotton cloak, preferably one that can cover the entire body.
I also had to bring him a hand warmer, otherwise his hands would be frozen and he wouldn’t be able to write.
You also need to prepare a mask, in case you draw a number near the toilet and get smoked.
While thinking, Yingbao made a large bag of finger-sized snacks with Wudingzhi, red dates, flour and Poria cocos, and left it for her brother to eat when he was hungry.
You also need to prepare a small charcoal stove and a kettle for boiling water, scissors and a wick remover, as well as a bench.
Because my younger brother is short, his feet can't reach the ground when he sits in the cell. Without a stool, he probably can't even reach the ground to write.
By the time everything was ready, the first month of the lunar calendar had just ended.
Jiang Jie followed Mr. Wu to the county town to meet with several candidates who had signed a guarantor agreement, and also to visit the student who had been guarantor for him. Mr. Wu took care of all these things, and did not let Jiang Sanlang and his wife worry about it.
Chunniang and her daughter also went to the county town and lived in their own house.
After Yingbao entered the county town, she did not go to the medical department or even the specialty shop. Instead, she ran to the place where the candidates gathered by herself to find out what preparations others were making for the exam.
The day of the exam came in a flash. Chunniang and her daughter got up early to cook for Jiang Jie and Mr. Wu, and then sent Jiang Jie to the exam room.
It was only Chou hour at this time and the road was pitch black. When I arrived outside the examination room, I saw that the lights were on and there were people sending the candidates into the examination room.
They held lanterns, or hugged quilts and books, and looked anxiously towards the Dragon Gate in the distance.
There were yamen runners guarding the Longmen Gate, checking and verifying the household registration and examination certificates of the candidates one by one.
Jiang Jie carried the heavy exam box on his back and followed the crowd inside. However, due to his short stature, he was quickly lost in the crowd.
Chunniang, her daughter and Mr. Wu sat in the carriage and waited until all the candidates had entered the dragon gate and the gate was closed before they drove the carriage home.
It was still dark, and Yingbao climbed onto the kang to sleep again. But Chunniang couldn't fall asleep, so she just sat on the kang and sewed clothes.
Mr. Wu said that when Jiang Jie passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, he would have to wear a green robe and could no longer wear baby clothes as before, nor short tops and pants, as that was extremely disrespectful.
So Chunniang used a piece of blue cotton cloth dyed at home to make a small cotton robe for her son, and also made a padded robe for spring and autumn.
Mr. Wu also went to bed and did not wake up until almost noon. After washing and eating, he went out of the yard alone with his hands behind his back, walked around outside the examination room, and listened to the gossip on the street.
Hearing this, he frowned.
Many people are saying that there is a monster in Dongchen Village, Chuanhe Town, who survives by sucking human essence.
This news was spread with great fanfare, and someone even revealed the monster's name, which was Jiang Yingbao.
When Mr. Wu heard this, he was furious. He pointed at someone and yelled, "Who are you? How dare you slander me? Come with me to the government office and we'll have a good talk."
The man struggled hard and shouted, "I'm not the only one saying this, why are you picking on me?"
"Then tell me, where did you hear this rumor from?" Mr. Wu grabbed the man by the collar and said, "If you dare to tell a lie, I will put you in jail for the rest of your life!"