Only Recognizes Clothes, Not People

Ge Xiaomao rushed through the doorway, looking at Fang Yun with delight before bending over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

"Sit down and rest." Fang Yun said.

"Y-you, how can you not care at all? That's first among the licentiates! Oh, right, you even got Double-A Honor! Jing Kingdom has never produced a Double-A Honor licentiate. Everyone says our Jing Kingdom is a Heavenly Desolation, but now it's different. The people at the Literary Academy are all saying you broke through the Heavenly Desolation!"

"It really was Double-A Honor?" Fang Yun was immediately astonished. He had thought Appeal to the Sage's Words would only earn him a B.

"Of course! It was written plain as day on the golden list. Without a Half-Sage's confirmation, they would never publish the rankings. Oh, I could have come earlier, but I watched a good show and got delayed." Ge Xiaomao said with a grin.

Yang Yuhuan leaned against the doorframe of the main house and listened intently. She could not help wanting to hear more about Fang Yun; she liked hearing about him.

"What good show?" Fang Yun asked.

"You know Fang Zhongyong, right? Before the rankings came out, everyone thought he was the ironclad Case First. Nobody expected it to be you. Fang Zhongyong was all right, just unhappy, but his father threw a tantrum. He questioned whether there was something wrong with this County Examination and demanded the papers be inspected. He was practically acting like a shrew. Then County Magistrate Cai happened to come out and tossed out one sentence: if there was anything to say, say it at the Literary Assembly. If Fang Zhongyong could also write a State-Ringing poem and get every Sacred Word right, then he would Appeal for Sage Judgment again."

"And then?"

"Then the whole place was stunned. A State-Ringing poem! Even Metropolitan Graduates and Hanlin Academicians might not be able to write one. How many State-Ringing poems did even Half-Sages have? His father got scared. He knew perfectly well that without a Saint's nod, you could never have gotten Double-A Honor. Fang Yun, how did you suddenly become so talented?" Ge Xiaomao said, both excited and full of admiration.

Fang Yun feigned surprise. "Didn't I say before the examination? I met my teacher, and he enlightened me, so I understood many things."

Ge Xiaomao grinned. "Can you tell me who your teacher is? Someone who could enlighten you must at least be a Great Scholar, right? Could he be a Half-Sage?"

"I don't know that either." Fang Yun said helplessly.

"Right, what about Liu Zicheng?"

Before yesterday's examination began, Ge Xiaomao and the others had learned that Fang Yun had been beaten. So this morning, they came to Fang Yun's home to ask what had happened. Fang Yun briefly told them everything. These classmates all sympathized with him, but there was nothing they could do.

"Forget about him for now. Now that I've passed the licentiate examination, he won't dare do anything to me. What about the rest of you?"

Ge Xiaomao said happily, "Lu Lin passed too. Although he only ranked nineteenth and can't compare to you, it still made those classmates envy him. Mr. Sun went too. He smiled so hard his mouth would not close. Quite a few parents want to send their children to his private school now. Sigh, Mr. Sun's tuition is going up again."

"That's good. After paying respects at the Hall of All Sages tomorrow, I'll go visit Mr. Sun." Fang Yun said.

"But Liang Yuan is a pity. He said that if he failed this time, he would stop taking the examination and run his father's rice shop. He doesn't want to, but he has no choice. Still, Liang Yuan has a good head for business, so there's no need to worry about him."

Fang Yun nodded. As he chatted with Ge Xiaomao, they also discussed Appeal to the Sage's Words and poetry. Fang Yun shared some of his insights, leaving Ge Xiaomao wildly delighted as he carefully committed them to memory.

Before long, more than a dozen people carrying things arrived outside the courtyard gate.

"My dear nephew, I've come to congratulate you!" Fang Yun's eldest maternal uncle entered with an extravagantly animated expression, carrying a large pig's head in his left hand and two full strings of copper coins in his right—two thousand coins in all, equivalent to two taels of silver.

Fang Yun had not expected even this eldest uncle to become so generous. Money in Jing Kingdom was not like the worthless currency back on Earth.

Here, three copper coins could buy a large bun. As far as food was concerned, three copper coins were roughly equivalent to a little over one yuan during the years of soaring prices.

All things considered, one tael of silver on the Saint Origin Continent was roughly equivalent to three hundred yuan.

Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan had always worked hard to earn money, yet before he took the licentiate examination, they had only saved thirteen taels of silver. Even if his eldest uncle's family were butchers and comparatively well-off, they could not have more than four or five hundred taels saved at home.

In Ji County, four or five hundred taels of silver were enough to buy a decent residence in the county seat.

"Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, Great Aunt..." Fang Yun called out to everyone in one breath, then invited them inside to sit.

These relatives had all brought gifts and congratulatory money. Just four households of relatives had given nearly four taels of silver.

Before these relatives from Fang Yun's mother's side had even settled down, more than a dozen relatives from his father's side arrived outside. They too brought congratulatory money dozens of times more generous than usual.

As Fang Yun's eldest uncle put it, even a fool knew that Fang Yun's worst possible future was becoming a Provincial Graduate.

Once he became a Provincial Graduate, with a little maneuvering, he could become an eighth-rank official. If he worked hard, he might even rise to become a third-rank high official.

Fang Yun received these relatives with great courtesy, without the slightest arrogance of a future Provincial Graduate. Every one of the relatives was sensible and understanding; no one dared put on airs before a Double-A Honor licentiate who had "broken Jing Kingdom's Heavenly Desolation."

Fang Yun had intended to continue receiving these friends and relatives, but Yang Yuhuan reminded him about the Literary Assembly at County Magistrate Cai's place. Fang Yun hurriedly apologized to everyone. Rather than blame him, his relatives urged him to leave quickly and not delay the licentiate Literary Assembly.

Fang Yun hurried toward Auspicious Restaurant. There were few people on the streets, since many were still gathered outside the Literary Academy to watch the excitement. Only Fang Yun's friends and relatives had immediately withdrawn money and bought things to bring to his home upon learning that he had passed the licentiate examination.

When he passed yesterday's alley, Fang Yun stopped and looked at it. He drew a deep breath, then continued toward Auspicious Restaurant ahead.

Before Fang Yun could enter, Zhen Shopkeeper of Auspicious Restaurant came out to meet him. The moment he saw Fang Yun, his expression changed drastically. He snapped, "Didn't I tell you not to come? Get out at once! The county magistrate is upstairs. If you disturb him, you'll have no good fruit to eat."

Fang Yun froze, then understood. A strange expression appeared on his face as he asked, "You didn't go to the County Academy to see the rankings?"

Zhen Shopkeeper said impatiently, "The licentiate Literary Assembly is held here every year. I'm busy as hell—why would I go to the Literary Academy? I told you this morning that you were not allowed into Auspicious Restaurant ever again. If you take one more step forward, I'll have someone break your legs!"

Remembering Zhen Shopkeeper's words from that morning, Fang Yun's face darkened. "Zhen Shopkeeper, don't go too far! As a licentiate heading to the county magistrate's Literary Assembly, I, Fang Yun, am entering this restaurant. You can't stop me!"

"I can't stop you? I... What did you say? You became a licentiate? That's enough to make people laugh their teeth out! Are you out of your mind? Don't I know what you're like? Get the hell out at once! Did you hear me?" Zhen Shopkeeper simply did not believe Fang Yun.

Fang Yun had worked at Auspicious Restaurant for more than two years. At first, Zhen Shopkeeper had thought Fang Yun might amount to something, but as he came to know Fang Yun better, he looked down on him more and more. He had even had his licentiate son test Fang Yun. His son had decided that Fang Yun could never pass in this lifetime, so Zhen Shopkeeper had grown increasingly cold toward him. And because he wanted to marry Yang Yuhuan but could not, he became even harsher toward Fang Yun.

Fang Yun said coldly, "Since you're the owner of Auspicious Restaurant and won't let me enter, then I won't enter. When County Magistrate Cai asks about it, just tell him truthfully that you drove me away. Farewell."

Fang Yun had originally planned to use County Magistrate Cai's hand to teach Zhen Shopkeeper a lesson, but inspiration struck, and he came up with an even better method.

Fang Yun grabbed a handful of copper coins from his money pouch and called loudly to the passersby, "Friends from north and south, do you see the money in my hand? I'm going to give you a word riddle. Whoever answers first gets the money! Don't miss this as you pass by—free money! Anyone who doesn't take it is a fool!"

The people nearby were immediately drawn over. More than a dozen soon gathered around him, while people in the distance saw the crowd and ran over to see what was happening.

Auspicious Restaurant stood on the busiest street in the county. Before long, a huge crowd had gathered three layers deep inside and three layers outside, and people from the nearby second floors craned their heads down to watch.

Academy Director Wang was sitting by the window. When he leaned out and looked down, he could not help smiling faintly. "County Magistrate, it's Fang Yun."

"What's going on?" County Magistrate Cai walked over and looked down, while everyone else also moved to the windows.

Fang Yun stood amid the crowd, tossing more than twenty copper coins back and forth between his hands.

"Hurry up and give us the riddle! Are you backing out?"

"Say it already!"

"Isn't that Fang Yun? He just became the Double-A Honor Case First. Why is he here playing around?"

Zhen Shopkeeper had been watching coldly from the side, but upon hearing that, sweat poured down him like rain. His mind went blank. He could not believe Fang Yun had really become a licentiate—and even the Case First.

Fang Yun said loudly, "I'll make a crooked little poem as the riddle. You have to guess an object, something every household has. All right, listen closely: Sharp of head and slender of body, white as silver; weighed on scales, it lacks not half a grain. Its eye grows on its buttocks, and it knows clothes, but knows not men. Who knows what it is? A correct answer wins a prize!"

County Magistrate Cai, seated on the second floor, could not help chuckling softly. "How did Zhen Shopkeeper offend him? This Fang Yun's tongue is sharper than a blade."

"He even curses people so brilliantly. Worthy indeed of a Double-A Honor licentiate." A refined old man in his fifties said with a smile.

At that moment, someone in the crowd raised his hand and shouted, "I know! It's a needle! A needle for sewing clothes! Doesn't a needle's eye grow on its buttocks? Of course a needle knows clothes, but knows not men."

"Correct! This money is yours! Its eye grows on its buttocks, and it knows clothes, but knows not men—it's a needle!" Fang Yun said, pointing at Zhen Shopkeeper.

Those who knew Zhen Shopkeeper burst into laughter.

Someone egged the crowd on. "As expected of the Double-A Honor Case First—his Literary Qi soars to the heavens, and even his insults come in verse! Zhen Shopkeeper, why aren't you saying anything? Turn around and let us see whether your buttocks have an eye!"

Now even those who did not know Zhen Shopkeeper understood what was happening and joined in the laughter.

Just then, Duan Hu returned from buying vegetables. Seeing Fang Yun, he shouted, "Fang Yun, congratulations on taking first among the licentiates! You came from our Auspicious Restaurant. From now on, the restaurant's threshold will be trampled flat. When you become the Zhuangyuan, I can say I'm friends with Lord Zhuangyuan!"

Zhen Shopkeeper had offended quite a few people, and someone immediately said in a mocking tone, "Lord Zhuangyuan may know Zhen Shopkeeper, but Zhen Shopkeeper may not know Lord Zhuangyuan. In Boss Zhen's eyes, even a Grand Academician is nothing."

Zhen Shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead with trembling hands, cursing Duan Hu's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart. If Duan Hu had arrived even a moment earlier, things would not have become like this.

Zhen Shopkeeper looked at Fang Yun in panic. He sighed inwardly that scholars killed without using knives. This move was too ruthless. Jing Kingdom's first Double-A Honor licentiate had composed a poem outside his restaurant to curse him as someone who "knew clothes, but knew not men." Auspicious Restaurant's signboard was thoroughly ruined.