On the day of the college entrance examination, Jing Li did not go with them, but only sent Qin Zhao and Chen Yan'an to their doorsteps.
"I'll wait for you at home." Jing Li tied a sachet around Qin Zhao's waist, and when no one was paying attention, he looked up and secretly kissed him.
Qin Zhao laughed: "It will be taken off and inspected soon anyway."
"Just wear it for a while first." Jing Li said.
This sachet was prepared by Qin Zhao a few days ago. It contained some medicinal herbs, spices, and Jing Li's freshly dried osmanthus. It had a refreshing and fragrant aroma that had the effect of clearing the mind and calming the spirit.
Chen Yanan couldn't bear to watch it anymore and muttered, "They've been together for so long, and they're still so annoying."
Jing Li raised his eyebrows, not paying attention to the sourness in Chen Yanan's words, and asked, "Have you brought your sachet?"
"It's all right, it's all right," Chen Yan'an said, "but why are we wearing this stuff? It doesn't look like an exam, it looks like we're going to a temple fair."
Qin Zhao said calmly: "You will know soon."
Qin Zhao lowered his head and kissed Jing Li on the lips, saying, "See you tomorrow night. Be careful at home."
"I know." Jing Li said, "Keep going, I'm waiting for you to win the small three yuan."
Qin Zhao: "Of course."
Chen Yanan: “…”
These people don't consider his feelings at all!
People who are well-educated and have wives are so annoying!
The two said goodbye to Jing Li and arrived at the examination room at the appointed time, waiting to be called and checked.
They saw He Zhixing and his classmate from afar, and they nodded to each other across the crowd as a greeting.
Yan Xiu, who was acting as a guarantor for each other, has not been seen for the time being, but that man has always taken the imperial examination seriously and will definitely be there on time.
The long street was crowded with people, so Qin Zhao simply stood on the side of the road with Chen Yan'an. Anyway, the yamen runners who called out the names had loud voices, so they could be heard clearly no matter how far away they stood.
But he didn't know that on the second floor of a teahouse on the side of the road, two people were sitting opposite each other and drinking tea.
"The people are definitely here. We'll see them when their names are called out soon. Why are you so anxious?" The two men were of similar age, around forty years old. The one who was speaking was thinner and dressed in official uniform.
It was the prefect of Jiangling.
The man opposite him was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had a fat build. He was Gu Heng's father, Mr. Gu, who had just returned from the county town.
There was a piece of paper on the table in front of Gu Changzhou. It was the test paper written by Qin Zhao during the last provincial examination.
Gu Changzhou has been very busy in the past few months. When he received the letter from his wife, he thought that his son had finally found a competent husband and did not think much about it. It was not until he came back two days ago and talked about this with his wife, and saw the changes in Gu Heng, that he began to wonder how capable this double case leader praised by everyone was.
He and the prefect had been friends for many years, so he asked the prefect to send the test paper of the double-top candidate to him for a look.
At first glance, I found the problem.
This person's handwriting...
Gu Changzhou turned his head to look at the test paper spread out on the table, he felt a layer of sweat on his vest, and looked towards the street more eagerly.
Seeing him like this, the prefect stopped joking and said, "Brother Gu, tell me the truth, what's wrong with this guy?"
"Before listing him as the first in the case, I looked into his past. It is said that he fled to Linxi Village due to the war a few years ago. He was seriously ill when he left and had no memory. He was cured only last year." The prefect said, "A person with an unknown identity should not have been listed as the first in the case, but..."
The prefect paused and sighed, "But his article is indeed outstanding. You know I always value talent. The current emperor also said that talents should not be buried because of their background. That's why I..."
Gu Changzhou lowered his eyes and did not answer. The prefect continued, "And guess what? When the county magistrate of Qiyuan County reported on his work after the prefectural examination, he mentioned that he had written a letter of recommendation to Qin Zhao, but I had no idea about it. What does this mean? It means that he doesn't care about the county magistrate's recommendation at all, and doesn't want to do this favor!"
The prefect said this in a hurried tone: "I have seen many arrogant people, but not many who are as knowledgeable as him. Such talents are rare!"
Gu Changzhou was a little annoyed by his noise: "Brother Yue, what do you want to say?"
"I want you to tell me the truth. What are you doing here looking for this man? Is there anything wrong with him?" The prefect stroked his beard and squinted at him. "If there is nothing wrong with him, don't fight with me for it. I won't give it to you."
Gu Changzhou: “…”
Gu Changzhou said calmly: "Brother Yue, think about it calmly. They even disdained the recommendation of the county magistrate."
"If this article wasn't his extraordinary performance, it would have been able to be published in the capital. Don't you think that people would look down on your small city?"
"…" The prefect put the teacup on the table and said unhappily, "You are so annoying."
Gu Changzhou chuckled and said, "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with him, it's just..."
He shifted his gaze towards the dense crowd on the street and said leisurely, "It's just that I felt he looked like an old friend of mine, and I wanted to confirm it."
The prefect asked, "He lives in the prefecture. Why don't you just go to his house?"
Gu Changzhou shook his head: "It's inconvenient."
The prefect wanted to ask more questions, but drums and gongs were beating in the street and the bailiffs began to call out names.
The students whose names were called walked to the front one by one, and were then taken by the yamen runners to a small room nearby for physical examination.
— "Qin Zhao!"
Gu Changzhou looked at the crowd, and even his breathing became lighter unconsciously. This name is now quite famous in the city, and everyone has heard it. They can't help but look around, wanting to see what this person looks like.
Not long after, a thin man dressed like a scholar walked out from the roadside.
"Look, over there, is that the person you are looking for?" The prefect had seen Qin Zhao during the last prefectural examination, and he raised his hand to help Gu Changzhou point.
But even if he didn't point, Gu Changzhou saw the man first.
The reason is simple: Qin Zhao's temperament is too different from those around him.
Even though they were at such a distance, and even though he could only see his profile, Gu Changzhou could still feel that his temperament was completely different from that of ordinary people, noble and calm.
But this temperament was far from what he had imagined.
Is it really him
Gu Changzhou stared at the figure for a long time without moving away.
The facial features couldn’t be seen clearly from this angle, but the man in Gu Changzhou’s memory was not so thin, nor so... peaceful.
When Gu Changzhou first met that man, he didn't have that much power and was very young. Just like all the young men from noble families, he was arrogant, flamboyant, and aggressive.
But now this person...
So peaceful.
All edges and sharpness have been smoothed out, all brilliance has faded, and he is struggling among the people, trying to make a living.
"I want to see him." Gu Changzhou retracted his gaze, his expression seemed a little tired, "After the palace examination, help me find a reason, but don't make him seem too special, and don't say that I want to see him."
The prefect had known Gu Changzhou for many years and immediately understood what he meant.
Qin Zhao cannot appear too special, which means we cannot invite only him, nor can we invite him in the name of Gu Changzhou.
"I understand. Leave it to me." The prefect said, "Only if he gets first place in the exam this time."
"He will." Gu Changzhou watched the figure walk to the front and was led by the yamen runners into the body examination shed, "...if it is really him."
Since the college entrance examination lasts for two days and one night, you can bring more things besides writing materials, but you still need to undergo physical examinations.
Qin Zhao had been prepared for this. He did not seal the sachet, but used a button. After the yamen runners of the government office checked the contents, he would put the spices back.
After entering the examination room, Chen Yan'an still didn't understand why Qin Zhao insisted on him bringing the sachet, so he threw it into the small bamboo basket he carried with him and ignored it.
Until one hour after the exam started.
The last time I took the provincial examination, it was in April and the weather was cool, so I didn't think there was any problem. Now it is August, and the examination room is not ventilated, and after a while, the smell in the examination room becomes indescribable.
Chen Yanan felt dizzy and dazed by the smoke. He quickly took out the sachet from the bottom of the bamboo basket, took a few deep puffs, and put it on his waist obediently.
The fragrance of medicinal herbs and spices gradually filled the entire room. Chen Yanan finally calmed down and felt a sense of admiration.
As expected, it’s Qin Zhao.
Candidates were not allowed to submit their papers early for the college examination, and it was not until dusk on the second day that Qin Zhao followed the crowd out of the examination room.
There were many people outside the examination room. Qin Zhao and Chen Yan'an had agreed in advance that if they couldn't find anyone outside, they would meet at home. Qin Zhao was about to go home when he heard someone calling him, "Brother Qin, here!"
It was Chen Yanan's voice.
The other person stood on the side of the road and waved at Qin Zhao energetically.
Qin Zhao walked over and asked: "You seem to be in good spirits?"
"It's all thanks to Brother Qin's sachet." Chen Yan'an said, "I just ran into He Zhixing, he said he couldn't sleep last night because of the fumes, and he felt groggy all day today, and asked me why I was so energetic."
Qin Zhao: "Did you tell him?"
"How can that be? This is just provoking him." Chen Yan'an said with a smile, "It's because that kid didn't come to the city with me earlier and missed out on the good things made by Brother Qin."
Qin Zhao ignored his flattery and walked back with his man.
I haven't seen him for two days. I miss his little husband.
However, this time the young husband was not waiting outside the door. When Qin Zhao and Chen Yan'an pushed open the gate, they smelled the fragrance of food filling the yard.
Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows and took Chen Yanan across the yard into the main house.
The table was full of food. Jing Li was putting away the dishes. He turned around when he heard the noise and said, "You're back."
Qin Zhao glanced at the table and understood: "I bought it from Zhenweizhai at the corner of the street."
He knew that his husband wouldn't cook so many dishes after not seeing him for two days.
Jing Li felt a little embarrassed and whispered, "I can't ask you to come back and make it now, it will be too late."
The only food prepared in the examination room was steamed buns and boiled water. Chen Yanan was already starving. He stretched out his hand to grab a scallion pancake from the plate, but Jing Li slapped him away: "Take a shower and change clothes before coming back. You two smell terrible!"
The scent of the sachet didn't last long, and now it had almost dissipated. The two of them were now mixed with the residual fragrance and the sweat smell from the examination room, which was very difficult to describe.
Jing Li didn't even want to be hugged by Qin Zhao, and with a stern face, he drove the two stinky men out of the house.
At night, after Qin Zhao had dinner, he took a hot bath to relieve his fatigue before returning to his bedroom.
The little fish wagged its tail at him in the fish tank.
The kid was miraculously obedient this time and did not catch Qin Zhao off guard when he left. It was cause for celebration.
Qin Zhao reached his hand into the water, and the little fish swam happily around his fingers.
"Missed me?" Qin Zhao said softly, "Daddy misses you too."
Jing Li climbed onto the bed early, watched Qin Zhao play with the little fish for a while, whispered something to him, and then walked towards the bed.
He was held in Qin Zhao's arms and asked, "What did you say to him just now?"
"I told him that you belong to me tonight, and asked him to sleep well and not disturb us." Qin Zhao asked with a smile, "Don't you think I smell bad now?"
Qin Zhao had just taken a bath, and there was only a faint scent of soapberry and herbs on his body.
Jing Li buried her head in his arms: "You look so energetic. I couldn't sleep last night."
"Worried about me?"
Jing Li shook his head.
"That means you missed me." Qin Zhao pulled the thin blanket over and covered Jing Li carefully. He gently patted his back with his palms and said with a smile, "You little fish cub doesn't even need me to coax you to sleep. Someone should reflect on yourself."
Jing Li muttered something softly, and fatigue quickly overwhelmed him in the familiar embrace, and he soon fell asleep.
The college entrance examination results will be released in three days. These days, Chen Yan'an still lives in Qin Zhao's house, helping to dry the osmanthus flowers and clean the yard.
On the morning of the third day, Chen Yanan and Qin Zhao finished sweeping the front yard and the porch, put the broom in the corner, and wiped the sweat from their foreheads: "Your yard is so big, you really should hire someone."
Qin Zhao nodded: "I have this plan."
In the past, the house was not big, and Qin Zhao could clean the house in his spare time while studying. But now the house is big, and the courtyard, the house, the corridor, the flowers and plants all need to be taken care of.
If no one helps, it would take him half a day to clean the whole place.
However, the price of hiring a servant in the capital city is not cheap, and Qin Zhao's debts have not yet been paid off, so he cannot consider these things for the time being.
"I heard that there are poor families in the outer city who are willing to sell their girls and Shuang'er. The price is not high. Why don't you go and take a look?" Chen Yan'an suggested.
Jing Li was passing by carrying steamed buns and paused slightly.
He had heard Qin Zhao say before that in this era, some families who could not afford to raise children would sell their children to wealthy families as maids or concubines.
When I really encountered it, I still found it a little hard to accept.
That's human trafficking.
Qin Zhao noticed Jing Li's reaction and changed the subject: "Let's talk about this later. Let's eat something first. We should go out."
"Oh, that's right!" Chen Yan'an then remembered that today was the day when the results were announced, and they still had to go to the government office to see the list.
The three of them went into the main house together, where the little fish were spinning in the tank, waiting to be fed.
Qin Zhao was about to feed him, but Chen Yanan hurriedly said, "No, don't move, I'll feed him!"
Chen Yanan stubbornly believed that the little fish, like the koi before, could bring good luck to people. Not only did he run to play with the little fish as soon as he opened his eyes every day, he also rushed to feed it three times a day, hoping that the little fish would bless him.
Jing Li was still worried about him at first, but after two days of observation he found that Chen Yan'an did not feed the little fish with bait and earthworms, so he let him take care of the cubs.
Anyway, the little fish likes him very much.
Chen Yanan broke the steamed bun into small pieces and fed them to him piece by piece. Looking at the little fish with bulging cheeks, he sighed, "I finally understand why you like to raise fish. This little fish is so cute. Can't you give it to me? I can buy it with money."
Qin Zhao: “…”
Qin Zhao said: "Impossible."
He doesn't sell children.
"I can sell you but I can't sell him." Jing Li snorted and snatched the steamed bun from Chen Yan'an. "I won't feed you anymore."
"No, sister-in-law, let me feed it for a while, it will be fine in a while." Chen Yan'an wanted to snatch it back, "The results will be announced soon, I urgently need it to bless me!"
The two of them were arguing over it, the little fish opening its mouth and its head swaying from side to side following the direction of the steamed bun.
He shook his fins anxiously, flapped his tail hard, and jumped out of the fish tank, snatching the small piece of steamed bun from Jing Li's hand in one bite.
The little fish fell to the ground with a plop and swallowed the steamed bun in two or three bites.
Qin Zhao was closest to him. He smiled helplessly and was about to bend down to pick him up when he suddenly froze.
Because a faint red light suddenly appeared on the little fish's body.
The light gradually darkened and soon completely enveloped the fish. When the light faded, a plump white baby was lying on the ground.