Sudden Enlightenment

"Brother Yu, read another set of notes!" The orthodox classics were printed books, and Su Ziji had learned them long ago, so naturally he did not want to waste time on them. His eyes settled on Yu Lü's other notes.

Zhang Sheng also said from the side, "How strange. After listening twice just now, I actually feel as if the blockage in my mind has suddenly cleared. It's even clearer than when I read it myself. Brother Yu, why not read another one?"

That final "Brother Yu" of his was far more cloying than usual. Even Yu Lü, who knew him well and counted him as a friend, could not help rubbing his arm.

"Brother Yu, your voice is perfectly suited to reading these notes. Besides, both sets of notes are yours, so you read them more smoothly. Read another one!" Su Ziji chimed in with a smile.

"Very well, I'll read one more. But in my view, the orthodox classics remain more important." Yu Lü picked up another set of notes and began reading aloud again.

This time, as soon as Yu Lü began, Su Ziji's vision went dark again. The previous prompt box appeared before him, and Su Ziji likewise chose "Yes." Another flood of experience surged in.

After Yu Lü finished reading, he wanted Su Ziji to continue, only to discover him sitting to one side with vacant eyes, as though he did not know what he was thinking about.

"Brother Su? Brother Su?"

Only after being called twice did Su Ziji come back to himself. After a moment of silence, he looked at the prompt:

[Four Books and Five Classics] increased by 5 levels (37/5000), Intelligence +1, Intelligence 12→13!

Su Ziji's spirits immediately soared. Not only had [Four Books and Five Classics] barely reached level 5, but his intelligence had increased as well. With higher intelligence, studying would become easier and comprehension would improve. To put it plainly, Su Ziji's original aptitude for study had only been slightly above average. His current foundation came only from ten years of bitter study.

But at this level, even becoming a Cultivated Talent would be a struggle. In the entire country, only twenty-five Cultivated Talents had been admitted in the last prefectural examination; the Provincial Examination selected one hundred Provincial Graduates, while the Metropolitan Examination selected only one hundred and fifty to two hundred Presented Scholars. It was truly an army of thousands and horses of tens of thousands crossing a single-log bridge. With his aptitude, he could not hope for it at all.

Now that intelligence could be increased, he finally let out a breath of relief. The joy made Su Ziji sigh inwardly. My path is accomplished!

He then thanked Yu Lü. "After hearing your words, I feel as though the blockage in my mind has suddenly cleared!"

Those words came from the bottom of his heart. At such a difficult time, he had thought reaching level 5 would not be easy. He had not expected Yu Lü to lend him such tremendous help.

Of course, Su Ziji also realized that the first Provincial Graduate's notes had granted two thousand experience, while the second had given only fifteen hundred.

Thinking about it, that made sense. The same level of a Provincial Graduate was contained within them, so the second set did not help him as much.

Yu Lü did not know the truth. Su Ziji's solemn thanks left him rather embarrassed, and he hurriedly said, "Brother Su, you flatter me too much. The three of us are studying together here. It is only right that we all benefit greatly!"

Zhang Sheng chuckled. "I told you long ago, we're all friends. Stop putting on these empty formalities all the time. Ah, seeing you thank each other back and forth, it's obvious you both have hopes for the County Examination! Unlike me—even if I've learned a few things now, if you ask whether I can pass the County Examination... ah, dreaming would be easier!"

"Do not belittle yourself." Yu Lü looked at him helplessly, then turned back and said, "Brother Su, we have also heard some rumors about the County Examination."

"If Brother Su has any difficulty, just tell us. Though our strength is meager, we can still help you a little."

Looking at Yu Lü's earnest face, Su Ziji sat upright and thanked him, feeling moved inside. The Yu Family was certainly good, but its rules were also strict. Though borrowing books was easy enough, obtaining even a little money was truly difficult. Yet Yu Lü had still offered of his own accord. Setting aside everything else, that sentiment alone was rare.

"Brother Yu, Brother Zhang, rest assured. If I truly encounter difficulties, I will certainly speak up."

With the County Examination drawing near, the three did not gather for long. Using the excuse of returning home to review his lessons, Su Ziji bade the two farewell. Once he left the inn and walked along streets with fewer and fewer people, he suddenly could not help laughing.

"Heaven truly never seals off every road for a man!"

Since he was already within the county town, even though his lodging was some distance away, Su Ziji still held up his oil-paper umbrella and walked back.

By the time he reached the street, more than half of his cloth shoes were soaked. They had likely become wet little by little from the snow. Though some cotton had been stuffed inside the shoes, making them fairly thick, the sensation now was truly beyond words. Su Ziji even felt that his feet were gradually going numb.

Su Ziji trudged through the snow, deep step and shallow step. Boss Ye Weihan sat behind the counter, dressed in a bamboo-colored robe washed snow-white. His complexion was not much rosier than the robe. When Su Ziji entered, he was hunched over and coughing, the sound as if he meant to cough his lungs out.

A trace of worry appeared on Su Ziji's face. Boss Ye's cough seemed to have worsened.

"Ziji, you're here. Are you preparing to obtain a Stipend Student's guarantee and take part in the County Examination?" Ye Weihan barely stopped coughing before noticing him, and immediately understood Su Ziji's purpose. After all, the County Examination required mutual guarantees and a formal guarantee.

A mutual guarantee meant that a candidate had to find five fellow examinees and draw up a five-candidate mutual guarantee document. If one cheated, all five would bear joint responsibility. Su Ziji had just found people to sign it—Yu Lü and Zhang Sheng.

For the formal guarantee, one had to ask a local Stipend Student to vouch for him, known as "acknowledging the guarantee." This guaranteed that he had not falsely registered his place of origin, concealed a period of mourning, used a substitute, or assumed a false name; that his family background was clean; that he was not the descendant of a prostitute, entertainer, yamen runner, or clerk; and that he himself had not committed crimes or engaged in disreputable work. Only after completing all this could he be permitted to take the examination.

Su Ziji nodded. "Yes, but your illness..."

"It's an old ailment, nothing serious. It has merely snowed recently, so I've been coughing more." Boss Ye coughed several more times, then looked at Su Ziji's feet and hurriedly said, "Quickly take off those soaked cloth shoes. I have an old pair here, covered in oilcloth. They may be slightly ill-fitting, but you can still wear them. Change into them."

Su Ziji felt that his feet had already frozen somewhat bluish-white. Once again, he lamented the bitterness of the poor in this era. Hearing those words warmed his heart. No matter what, Ye Weihan had been his father's friend and had always looked after him. Especially after his father's death, he had used the excuse of hiring a helper when in truth he was giving Su Ziji money for rice. This kindness weighed heavily indeed.

Su Ziji agreed, and then heard a slap. A pair of old shoes covered in oilcloth was placed before his feet. He looked up and saw an unhappy little face, young and tender, calling out, "Father really is something—he even makes me fetch the shoes!"

But your father had not told you to fetch them.

Su Ziji was somewhat speechless. This time, he did not avoid the girl's gaze and silently put them on right in front of her.

"And this—put on the straw rain cape." Ye Buhui's tone was somewhat irritable as she brought over a straw rain cape. Su Ziji silently put it on as well. Before he could speak, his gaze flickered, and he saw a young man.

The young man wore a brand-new constable's uniform and carried an iron ruler at his waist. He seemed to have witnessed the scene between the young man and woman just now. His face darkened slightly, and the look he gave Su Ziji was exceedingly unfriendly. He held himself back before he could speak, but Ye Weihan had already risen. As though he had not seen the constable at all, he treated him as thin air and said, "Let's go, Buhui. Stay home and watch the shop carefully."

Su Ziji silently followed. After they had walked only a few steps, a burst of children's laughter suddenly rang out farther away, accompanied by people talking. The commotion made the two who had just set off look over.

They saw a burly woman approaching with a basket on her arm, handing out meat pies along the street.