Shen Linchuan’s older brother and sister-in-law remembered the schedule for the Xiucai exams even better than Shen Linchuan did. The Xiucai exams were held every two years, and over the past eight years, he had made five trips to the county seat just to take them.

Each trip cost a considerable amount of silver just for transportation and lodging—a substantial sum for a rural family.

As soon as the oxcart came to a stop, Shen Hu-zi jumped down. He felt more at ease at the Zhou family’s house than at his own. If he acted up there, his parents wouldn’t scold him, but he’d certainly get a good scolding when he got home.

Zhou Ning was delighted to see the two little ones. He lifted Shen Xiaoyu down, and Shen Xiaoyu’s eyes crinkled with laughter. Uncle Ning was so strong that he could even carry him along.

Shen Dage also jumped down. “Where’s Zhou Da? I don’t see him. Hasn’t he come back from town yet?”

“No, he twisted his back a while back and’s resting at home. He took the family mule out for a walk; he should be back by now.”

Shen Dasao gasped, “He twisted his back? Is it serious? Why didn’t he come over to let us know? We could have come to check on him.”

“It’s not too serious. He strained it a bit while carrying a pig. Dad said it wasn’t a big deal, so he didn’t tell you guys.”

Just as Shen Linchuan was chatting with his brother and sister-in-law, Zhou Da returned, humming a tune with his hands behind his back, followed by the family’s blue-and-white-spotted mule. Seeing the four members of the Shen family, he was delighted. 

“My brother and sister-in-law are here.”

Shen Hu-zi called out “Grandpa Zhou” in a loud voice, which made Zhou Da beam with joy.

Zhou Ning was playing with the two little ones and had brought out all the snacks from the house. The square table was laden with candied fruits and pastries. Shen Xiaoyu sat there quietly eating, clutching a piece of nougat candy that he clearly loved.

Shen Linchuan’s older brother and sister-in-law had arrived this time, carrying bags of all sizes. Since the younger brother in this household had taken the Xiucai exams quite a few times, they knew exactly what to bring.

Unwrapping the bundle, they found a newly sewn small square quilt inside. Although it was already March, the mornings and evenings were still chilly, so it could be draped over his legs during the exam. There was also a sheepskin blanket, which Shen Dage shook out. “This is to lie on the floor; you can wrap yourself in it while sleeping. It’s still a bit chilly at night.”

Shen Dasao then brought over a food box. “These are the rice dumplings I made for you. Heat them up and eat a few later for good luck.” Zhou Ning was puzzled. “Why do we have to eat these dumplings before the exam?”

Shen Dasao explained with a smile, “This is your first time seeing Ning-ger off to an exam, isn’t it? ‘Zongzi’ sounds like ‘passing the exam’—it means you’re sure to pass.” Zhou Ning nodded. “So that’s what it means. I had no idea.”

Shen Linchuan felt a warm glow in his heart. Although his older brother and sister-in-law had been reduced to poverty back then and had even told him not to pursue his studies, now that he was heading to the county seat to take the Xiucai examination, they had put aside past grievances and sent him quite a few supplies.

Zhou Da kept thanking them, “Thank you so much, thank you so much.”

The four adults sat chatting around the square table, while the two children—one snuggled in Zhou Ning’s lap, eating pastries, the other running back and forth in the courtyard chasing the dog, causing Dahuang to start barking.

Shen Dage pulled another money pouch out of the bundle. “I don’t know if you’ll pass the exam…”

Before Shen Dage could finish his sentence, Shen Dasao pinched his arm. “What are you saying? Don’t speak such unlucky words. He’s bound to pass this time. You must always speak of auspicious things like ‘passing the exams and having one’s name inscribed on the list.’ You’re not allowed to say anything unlucky.”

Shen Dage nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, right. Look at me—I’ve got a loose tongue. Your sister-in-law is right; he’s bound to pass this time. Here are ten taels of silver—a small token of our goodwill. Make sure you eat and drink well on the road. We were poor a few years back, but things are different now; our family’s doing much better.”

Ten taels of silver were no small sum for a rural family. If a household had only a few acres of poor farmland, it would take three or five years just to save a few taels. Brother Shen and his wife had earned a fair bit of silver making carts, and out of their deep appreciation for Shen Linchuan, they generously handed over ten taels.

Zhou Da waved it away. “We have enough at home. We have enough.”

Shen Dage insisted, “Then keep it for Linchuan’s future use—it’s the same thing.”

One insisted on giving it, the other refused to take it; the two began to tug at it back and forth. Shen Linchuan hurriedly said, “Big Brother, please don’t strain yourself—my father’s back has only just recovered.”

Hearing this, Shen Dage immediately eased up, and Zhou Da shoved the silver into his arms. “Take it, take it. You have two little ones at home—how could we possibly accept this from you?”

Shen Dasao also urged, “Zhou Da, please take it. To be honest with you, since we started the cart business, we’ve managed to save up some silver at home. We don’t need this, so please don’t think it’s too little.”

Brother Shen and his wife knew the Zhou family were butchers; they certainly weren’t short on ten taels of silver. These ten taels were simply a token of their goodwill.

Shen Linchuan chimed in quietly, “Brother and Sister-in-law, please don’t be so polite. We’re running two stalls now and have a few hundred taels of silver on hand—we’re not short of money. We’re family, so there’s no need to refuse. If you ever really run short, do you think I’d hesitate to help out?”

Shen Linchuan’s brother and sister-in-law hadn’t realized how profitable this little stall was; hearing him say this naturally made them happy. Now, life was looking up for both families.

At noon, Shen Linchuan prepared a full spread of food, which made Shen Hu-zi absolutely ecstatic. He loved the meals Shen Linchuan cooked more than anything—they tasted better than his mother’s cooking!

In the center of the table sat a dish of steaming hot zongzi—both sweet and savory varieties. Zhou Ning preferred the ones with honeyed dates and red beans, while Shen Linchuan favored the savory ones with cured pork and salted egg yolk. His sister-in-law’s zongzi-making skills were truly impressive.

Before they knew it, the day of the imperial exams had arrived. Shen Linchuan made one last visit to the academy, where Master Wang gathered all the students to offer words of encouragement before dismissing them.

Shen Linchuan brought along quite a few self-heating packs. He explained that they could be used to heat food in the exam hall, and many people gathered around in curiosity.

“Just add water to the bowl when the time comes. It’s best to use a metal bowl—it heats up faster…”

Shen Linchuan explained to everyone how to use them and what kinds of food worked best with the self-heating packs. Soups and stews were ideal—they were easy on the stomach and stayed warm. If they wanted to bring rice or other grains, they could steam the rice first and then let it air-dry.

Wang Cai also lingered to listen for a while. “Zhou Youcheng, do you want one of these self-heating packs? It sounds pretty good to me.” 

“Too much trouble. Nothing beats dry rations for convenience. Just a show-off trying to win the crowd’s favor.”

Seeing that everyone in the classroom was gathered around Shen Linchuan, Zhou Youcheng flicked his sleeve and walked away.

Shen Linchuan handed out a few packets to anyone who wanted them, and he also gave everyone some of the vegetable packets he and his Fulang had sun-dried. Aside from Zhou Youcheng and Wang Cai, everyone else in the classroom took some.

Xu Zhifan, having received this rare item, kept examining it. “Shen Linchuan, you’re something else. Now we won’t have to eat cold food in the exam hall. You really know how to get things done. Thanks a lot. How did you make this thing? How does it heat up on its own just by adding water?”

Shen Linchuan didn’t keep it a secret; he explained how the self-heating pouch worked. He figured that way, everyone could make their own when they went to take exams in the future—it was easy enough.

Zhou Youcheng left, but Wang Cai stayed behind. Although he hadn’t taken any of Shen Linchuan’s items, he was also curious about how the thing worked. So that’s how it’s done, he thought.

Everyone had an “aha” moment and murmured, “So that’s how it works.”

After exchanging a few words of encouragement, everyone went their separate ways. Shen Linchuan and Xu Zhifan also left together. Xu Zhifan, acting like a good brother, put his arm around Shen Linchuan. “Bro, you’ve worked hard this past year. I won’t let you down—I still want to be your classmate.”

“Sure, then. Good luck,” Shen Linchuan replied offhandedly.  “What do you mean by ‘good luck’? What do those two words mean?”

Shen Linchuan frowned for a moment, realizing he’d slipped up—he’d spoken without thinking, as was his habit.

“It means to try your best. Think about it—if you add a little oil to the grill, the fire burns even brighter, right? It’ll be a roaring success, and you’re sure to pass the exam.”

Xu Zhifan burst out laughing. “Then I’ll take your good wishes.”

After exchanging a few words of encouragement, the two parted ways. Zhou Ning and Zhou Da were sitting on the mule cart at the gate. All three members of the family had come today. While the others were at the school for the pep talk, he’d gone to the market to buy some food—they still had three days to go on the road.

He’d bought three roasted chickens and ducks, plus ten flatbreads from the Wang family’s stall. Although his family hadn’t set up their pork stall these past few days, business for their flatbreads was still brisk—after all, the town’s scholars were preparing for the exams.

Shen Linchuan climbed onto the mule cart. “Father, I’m all right now.” 

“Uh-huh,” Zhou Da replied, then set off driving the mule cart.

The rural students staying at the academy were also heading home in small groups, carrying their bundles. After resting at home for a couple of days, they would all have to make their way to the county seat. A few students ahead who were going the same way bowed in their direction. “Zhou Da, Brother Shen, and Zhou Fulang.”

Shen Linchuan waved his hand. “Why are you in such a hurry? I’d only just exchanged a few words with Xu Zhifan, and now you’re already gone.”

The students, still carrying their bundles, smiled and climbed onto the mule cart. Zhou Da had been puzzled just a moment ago—why would a group of scholars suddenly bow to him? He was just a pig butcher whom even his own nephew looked down on; having so many scholars pay him such respect startled him.

Realizing they were just hitching a ride, Zhou Da broke into a hearty laugh. “Everyone settled in? Let’s get going, then.”

With three or four scholars on board, the mule cart was quite lively. After studying so hard for so long, the time for the exams had finally arrived, and everyone was able to relax for a change, chatting and laughing all the way.

“Have you all hired your carriages yet?” Shen Linchuan asked.

“We have, we have. The three of us are sharing a mule cart and traveling together. Who knows, we might even run into each other along the way.” 

“Great! We’ll see each other at the county seat then.”

The group of scholars chatted idly, avoiding any mention of their studies. It was a rare chance to relax before the exams, so they simply remarked on the beautiful flowers blooming by the roadside and the lush grass growing all around.

Zhou Da, driving the mule cart, hesitated as if he wanted to speak. He was the type who couldn’t keep a secret to himself; one moment he’d frown, the next he’d twitch the corner of his mouth, but in the end, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning were both sitting up front, and he had a vague idea why his father was struggling to speak.

“Father, did you just see Zhou Youcheng?”

Zhou Da startled and hurriedly said, “Keep your voice down, keep your voice down.”

Zhou Da knew that Zhou Youcheng looked down on him, a pig butcher, and was afraid the students in the cart might overhear. If he wanted to keep it a secret, so be it.

“Uncle Zhou, it’s fine. I never would have guessed that Zhou Youcheng was actually your nephew. We only found out last year—the teacher was the one who told us.”

One of the students, having overheard the exchange, spoke up and offered an explanation on Shen Linchuan’s behalf. It wasn’t that Shen Linchuan had blabbed about it; when the journey first began, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Youcheng hadn’t spoken a word to each other, and everyone had assumed they didn’t even know each other. If the Master hadn’t mentioned it, none of them would have known.

They had formed a prejudice against Zhou Youcheng in their minds. He was the nephew of Butcher Zhou, while Shen Linchuan was the butcher’s son-in-law. In terms of kinship, Shen Linchuan was actually closer to them than Zhou Youcheng—he was, after all, his father.

Shen Linchuan had always been open and honest about it. Zhou Youcheng had been in the same school with them for years, yet they had no idea he was related to Zhou the Butcher from the market.

It goes without saying why he hadn’t mentioned it, but a son doesn’t look down on his mother. Though Butcher Zhou wasn’t Zhou Youcheng’s biological father, as his uncle, he was practically a father figure—and he’d even paid for his education. To show no gratitude, let alone look down on him, was simply unthinkable.

Upon hearing that everyone at the school already knew, Zhou Da hesitated a bit before speaking up, “I just saw Youcheng leave first, carrying his bundle…”

It was obvious his father hadn’t given him the go-ahead. Shen Linchuan chuckled softly. “That works out perfectly. If we run into him later, we’ll just take him home with us.”

Hearing Shen Linchuan say this, Zhou Da let out a sigh of relief. After all, he was his nephew; as an elder, there was no need to hold a grudge against a younger generation. He swallowed the words he’d been about to say.

After saying that, Shen Linchuan continued, “Father, later on, ask Zhou Youcheng if he wants to come with us to the county seat. It’ll save us some travel expenses.”

Zhou Ning tugged at Shen Linchuan’s sleeve with a hint of displeasure, and Shen Linchuan gave his hand a discreet pat. Upon hearing this, Zhou Da’s face broke into a smile. “Alright, I’ll ask Youcheng if he’s willing to come along.”

The mule cart moved quickly. Not long after leaving the town, they spotted Zhou Youcheng walking by the roadside. Zhou Da drove the cart over to him. “Youcheng, hop on. Let’s head back together.”

Zhou Youcheng’s expression darkened for a moment, but when he saw the students on the cart—who were heading the same way as the school—he quickly changed his expression, gritted his teeth, and bowed, so as not to let them see that he looked down on Zhou Da.

“Greetings, Uncle.”

“Ah, come on up, Youcheng. Hurry up.”

“No need to trouble you, Uncle. My maternal grandparents have invited me over for dinner, so we’ll part ways a little further down the road.”

As soon as Zhou Da heard this, he realized, “Oh, so that’s it. Well, then, hurry along—it’s getting dark, and the road is hard to see. Hey, Youcheng, how are you getting to the county seat? I’m heading to Linchuan too—why don’t the two of you go together?”

“Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but my classmate and I have already booked a mule cart.”

“Oh, I see. I should have asked you sooner—it would have saved you some money.”

Seeing that Zhou Youcheng wouldn’t be riding with them—and that the cart was full of students heading home—Zhou Da said no more and drove the mule cart away.

Zhou Youcheng stood where he was, not moving. He waited until the mule cart was out of sight before continuing on his way. Zhou Youcheng was grinding his back teeth in fury. He had thought Zhou Da was a simple-minded man, but he had misjudged him. To be humiliated like this in front of so many people, and yet he still had to act respectfully!

Along the way, the students on the mule cart got off one after another, and the cart picked up speed. Before long, he was home.

Fearing that Zhou Da and his two companions might see that he hadn’t gone to his maternal grandfather’s house, Zhou Youcheng deliberately walked slowly to avoid them. By the time he reached home, dusk was already falling. Hu Caiyun had prepared dinner long ago and was waiting for her son to return. “Youcheng, why did you come back so late?”

“Mother, I ran into Uncle Zhou’s family on the way. They wanted to invite me to go to the county seat right away.”

Hu Caiyun spat out in disgust, “Now they want to ride on our coattails? Why didn’t they do that earlier? Hmph, they must have realized you could pass the Xiucai exam and are regretting it now. They’re just coming over to suck up, thinking they’ll get something out of it. We don’t need their pity.”

“Mom, are you crazy? It costs a tael of silver to get to town by carriage. Riding with Uncle’s family saves us some money. You’re not being stingy now, are you?”

Zhou Fang said irritably. This was just plain foolish. Her eldest uncle’s family was so generous—if they maintained good relations, would they ever lack for food? There would certainly be benefits for her family later on.

If her brother really passed the Xiucai exam, Uncle Zhou’s family would have to rely on them—then the benefits would be even more certain. She couldn’t fathom what her mother was thinking.

Hu Caiyun glared at Zhou Fang. “What benefits has the Zhou family given you, that you’re always taking their side? Back then, when they cut off our family’s support and nearly prevented Youcheng from continuing his studies, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Give me a break. Just look at how Father used to sweet-talk his way into getting silver from Uncle. He wouldn’t even support his own son-in-law, yet he’s supporting his nephew. You’d have to be out of your mind to do something like that.”

“You! Shut up!” Hu Caiyun, unable to argue her way out of it, was furious with Zhou Fang, “They’re just afraid your brother will pass the Xiucai exam, so they’re coming over early to curry favor!”

That night, as they lay in bed, Zhou Ning pulled Shen Linchuan into his arms. Shen Linchuan struggled slightly. “I’ll hold you.”

Zhou Ning readily complied and let go, resting his head against Shen Linchuan’s chest. His little husband was sulking at his again—in the winter, he used to love burrowing into his arms so much.

“Why did you let Father go ask Zhou Youcheng? If he’s riding in the same mule cart as us, I’ll get a stomachache just thinking about eating.”

“Silly Fulang, everyone in the village knows that both Zhou Youcheng and I are going to the county seat to take the Xiucai exam. Since we have a mule cart, wouldn’t it invite gossip if we didn’t ask? Besides, our father is an elder—it would be even worse not to ask, giving people something to talk about.”

“Shen Linchuan, you really do think of everything. Thank goodness Zhou Youcheng isn’t traveling with us. I couldn’t bear to let him eat our food.” Zhou Ning let out a long sigh, dreading the thought of Zhou Youcheng traveling with them—it would be like being forced to eat a bowl of undercooked rice.

“Carriage services in town are in high demand right now. You have to book a month or even a month and a half in advance. If we book now, there’s no guarantee we’ll get a spot, and the prices are steep. It’s cheaper if two or three people share a carriage.”

“I see. That explains why you agreed so readily when Father suggested inviting Zhou Youcheng.”

Zhou Ning smiled and lifted his head; his long hair fell across Shen Linchuan’s chest, making his heart flutter. “Shen Linchuan, I think you’re a bit of a rascal.”

Shen Linchuan wasn’t just eloquent—he was quick-witted too. Even when he argued with his Second Aunt, he did not end up at a loss. He was thorough in everything he did, with a mind full of twists and turns.

“If you’d ended up with a husband who was just like your father, don’t you think Zhou Er’s family would’ve bullied you to death? Pfft, what am I rambling about? Hurry up and give me a sweet kiss.”

Shen Linchuan was most wary of this. In his past life, his Fulang had met a tragic end. Thankfully, in this life, he and his Fulang were together.

Zhou Ning’s cheeks flushed. Shen Linchuan always liked to talk about “love” and “affection” in bed, which made him feel terribly shy. Every time he heard those two words, his heart would race.

Shen Linchuan lifted his head and kissed him. Zhou Ning was so flustered by the flattery that he’d agree to anything Shen Linchuan asked—and the result was that his chest ended up bitten until it swelled again…

The fifth day of the third lunar month was a good day to set out, so they’d packed their belongings two days early. Food, bedding, and daily necessities filled a mule cart to the brim. They entrusted the family’s chickens and Dahuang to Granny Wang, their neighbor, to look after, and after breakfast that morning, the three of them set off with the mule cart.

They had left quite early; by the time they reached the county seat, it would be the eighth or ninth day of the third month. The exam wasn’t until the fifteenth, so they’d arrived a full week early. Most families, to save on lodging and food expenses, usually only arrive two or three days in advance.

Even so, Zhou Ning still felt they were leaving too late; he seemed even more impatient than Shen Linchuan. It took Shen Linchuan quite a while to calm him down, explaining that they’d checked the almanac, the fifth day of the third lunar month was an auspicious day for travel, and that leaving a few days later would mean warmer weather. Only then did Zhou Ning settle down.

The Zhou family’s mule cart was packed to the brim. With nothing much to do in the fields at the moment, the weather was warm, and people were starting to relax again, so the crowd of gossips at the village entrance was growing once more.

As they passed the village entrance, Old Shi called out, “Hey, hauling all that stuff? Are you off to take the imperial exams?” 

“Yeah,” Zhou Da replied. “We’re heading over there early to check it out.”

“Isn’t Zhou Youcheng taking the Xiucai exam this year, too? Why isn’t he traveling with you?”

Shen Linchuan replied with a smile, “My father asked. Brother Youcheng and his classmate have already agreed to travel together, so he didn’t come with us.” 

“It costs quite a bit of silver to go to the county seat. Even with your own mule cart, you’re still spending all that money.”

It was Zhou Da’s first time seeing someone off to the exams, and he was anxious too—though he seemed a bit calmer than Zhou Ning and didn’t show it on his face. He had no time for small talk now; he just drove the mule cart away.

Just a few days ago, he’d even sneaked off to the village’s Earth God temple to pray to the Earth God so that he would ensure his son-in-law passed the exams. Though he didn’t often go out for a stroll, he knew exactly what the villagers were thinking.

When his son-in-law first arrived, the villagers had called him a useless, bookish weakling, not even good at farming, and of no use. Later, when they learned he’d turned his life around and could earn money, they stopped spreading those rumors. Instead, they started saying that studying wasn’t his forte, and if he failed the exams, people would surely make fun of him.

Zhou Da spat under his breath. So what if he didn’t pass? He could just come back and study some more. Xiucai weren’t exactly as common as radishes in a field—though it would certainly be best if he did pass.

Zhou Da and his party hadn’t gone far when Hu Caiyun came along, carrying his sewing basket. Granny Diao asked, “Caiyun, why isn’t your husband and son with Zhou Da? Are your family members splitting up like this?”

Granny Diao was just that sort of person—she loved to see others in trouble. Now that she’d spotted Hu Caiyun, she was deliberately stirring up trouble.

“You know full well our families don’t get along—we cut ties long ago. Besides, they’re so stingy; do you really think they’d let my family ride in their cart?” 

“But Zhou Da just said he asked your family, and you refused,” Granny Diao retorted pointedly. She knew Hu Caiyun would say exactly that, and it amused her immensely.

Hu Caiyun rolled her eyes in exasperation. “It’s just a donkey they have at home. If I rode their donkey, I’d be afraid they’d harm my son, Youcheng. Youcheng is taking the Xiucai exam for the very first time, whereas Shen Linchuan has taken it who knows how many times already.”

Old Lady Shi chimed in, “Zhou Da isn’t stingy at all. When your daughter Fang came over to pay New Year’s respects, he handed over two taels of silver.”

Hu Caiyun was momentarily stumped. Two taels of silver—that little brat hadn’t told her how much she’d given her; she’d just stuffed it all into her own pocket. Even when her brother left to take the exams, she hadn’t seen her take any of it out to use!

No way—she had to get that money back!