I missed you

Rong Zheng returned to the village from the county town. Before he even reached the door, Ye Chen came running out to greet him, calling happily, "Brother Rong!" He turned and shouted into the courtyard, "Brother, Brother Rong is back!"

He stroked Ye Chen's head. The boy's fringe was damp, his back drenched in sweat, and his face flushed red; he must have just been practicing martial arts. Rong Zheng praised him. "Looks like Xiao Chen has been practicing diligently."

"Yes, Brother Rong! I listen to everything you say. I practice every day, and I've been working hard on my writing too." Ye Chen looked proud at the praise.

"You're back." Ye Yun hurried out, his expression excited as he looked at Rong Zheng, who had been away for six days. They had never spent so many days apart since their marriage.

Rong Zheng stepped forward and gently embraced Ye Yun, lightly nipping his ear as he whispered, "I missed you."

Ye Yun's heart raced. His eyes hurriedly scanned the area around the entrance for any passersby. Fortunately, Ye Chen was the only spectator present.

Ye Chen: He was used to it...

Ye Yun said, "You must be tired. I'll heat some water right away. We can eat after you've washed!" He knew Rong Zheng liked to keep clean and always bathed first when he came home from school.

Seeing that Ye Yun had not pushed him away, Rong Zheng released him with some reluctance. "Thank you, husband."

Mm, just wait until tonight~

Over the meal, Ye Yun also mentioned that he had hired a farmhand. Rong Zheng naturally trusted Ye Yun to handle it well, so he said, "Then I'll draw up a contract tomorrow. We can bring Yao Jizheng to the village chief's place to put down our thumbprints and have it stamped."

"All right!"

While they were talking, Wang Zhang-shi learned that Rong Zheng had returned and came over carrying her little grandson, bringing a bowl of wontons her family had made.

"Here, we happened to make wontons today."

Ye Yun accepted them. "Thank you, Auntie."

Wang Zhang-shi turned and asked with concern, "Rong Zheng, how did the exam go?"

Rong Zheng said, "Not bad."

After chatting for a while, Wang Zhang-shi left.

Then the village chief wandered over too. There was only one scholar in the village, and as its chief, he had to show some concern. "Did the exam go well?"

"Not bad."

Smiling, the village chief patted Rong Zheng on the shoulder and chatted with him for quite a while before leaving.

At last, the night grew late and quiet.

When Rong Zheng returned to their room, he saw his husband taking off his outer robe beside the bed. Desire stirred in him. He gently pushed his husband against the wall, leaned in, and lowered his head to nip tenderly at his lips.

In an instant, Rong Zheng's presence enveloped Ye Yun's face. His heart raced, and every breath was filled with Rong Zheng's scent.

After a good while, Rong Zheng drew his lips back a little, maintaining the faintest contact as he murmured, "Husband, did you miss me?"

Ye Yun's cheeks were already flushed... How could he not have missed him?

But he was too embarrassed to be as direct as Rong Zheng and only gave a soft "Mm."

Rong Zheng would not let him off so easily and insisted that he say it. "What does 'mm' mean? I'm asking you, did you miss me?"

Knowing Rong Zheng would not let him off unless he said it, Ye Yun parted his lips. "I missed you!" He felt as though his face was hot enough to cook an egg.

Rong Zheng chuckled softly and leaned a little closer until they were almost pressed together. Then he kissed him deeply, with overwhelming intensity.

It was a winter night, yet the air around them was unusually hot.

Only after a long time could Rong Zheng bear to release Ye Yun.

Ye Yun leaned against the wall, his eyes hazy, his breathing quick, and his chest rising and falling slightly. The corners of his eyes were tinged red, making him look alluringly beautiful.

Rong Zheng laughed softly and pressed a finger against the flushed corner of his eye, utterly content!

At breakfast the next morning, Ye Chen blinked his big eyes and asked in surprise, "Brother, why is your lip split?" Assuming the cold, dry weather had chapped his brother's lips, he reminded him, "Remember to put on lip balm."

In the past, his and his brother's lips would crack and peel in the dry winter weather. They bled, and it hurt quite a bit.

Brother Rong had bought them a clear balm specifically for moisturizing their lips. With daily application, their lips no longer cracked.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Ye Yun was biting into a flatbread. At Ye Chen's words, his face filled with embarrassment, and he gave a vague answer. "I forgot to put it on."

How am I supposed to face anyone like this? It's all Rong Zheng's fault, always biting me.

"Then remember today, Brother," Ye Chen reminded him with concern.

Ye Yun lowered his head even farther, pretending to concentrate on his flatbread as he mumbled a response.

Looking at his bashful husband, Rong Zheng laughed inwardly. How could he be so adorable! He changed the subject. "Xiao Chen, you can start attending school in town this year. Would you like to go?"

Ye Chen hemmed and hawed. He did not want to attend school yet and preferred practicing martial arts at home. Besides, none of his friends in the village went to school, so he would have to make new friends all over again. But if Brother Rong wanted him to go, he would obediently go.

Seeing Ye Chen's hesitation, Rong Zheng gently asked what he thought.

Finding Rong Zheng easy to talk to, Ye Chen honestly explained his thoughts. Afraid Rong Zheng would be displeased, he added, "Brother Rong, if you want me to go to school, I'll go and study hard."

"Xiao Chen, you're still young, so do what you like for now. But in another year or two, you'll still need to attend school, meet different people, and experience different things. Once your horizons broaden, you'll have more choices in the future."

Ye Chen only half understood, but he nodded earnestly, knowing Brother Rong had his best interests at heart.

Ye Yun had not interrupted from beside them. He felt that Rong Zheng truly treated them very well, teaching Ye Chen as though he were his own younger brother.

Meanwhile, in the county town, deputy examiner Xu Huaqing, the county education official, was working overtime to mark the exam papers. Seated opposite him were two assistant examiners helping with the grading.

The two assistant examiners bent their heads and carefully assessed the papers allotted to them. When they came across a paper they considered first-rate, they marked it "recommended" in blue ink. If they considered a paper exceptional, they marked it "highly recommended" and wrote down their reasons before submitting it to deputy examiner Xu Huaqing. This process was called "recommending papers," commonly known as "leaving the room."

Only particularly outstanding papers could receive the comment "highly recommended." The case champion, the candidate ranked first in the county examination, was selected from these papers.

Xu Huaqing took the papers the examiners had marked. Days of grading had left an unmistakable weariness in his eyes. He rubbed them and began examining the papers carefully. Finally, he glanced at the assistant examiner's recommendation and, after some thought, marked the paper "accepted." This indicated that he agreed with the assistant examiner's recommendation.

He sorted the marked papers into two groups: "recommended" and "highly recommended." Once all the papers had been marked, they would be submitted together to chief examiner Pei Guangshen, the county magistrate.

As the head of the county, the magistrate had many duties and could not possibly read every paper. He would only read the "highly recommended" papers, carefully determining the top ten, particularly the case champion. The remaining "recommended" papers were largely left to the education official to assess; he only needed to spot-check them.

Suddenly, a "highly recommended" paper caught Xu Huaqing's attention with its striking handwriting. Strong and forceful yet flowing and elegant, it had a highly distinctive style and could be called superb. Still, handwriting alone could not secure a victory.

He continued reading the contents, his eyes widening in astonishment. This paper was truly the finest among the exceptional. The grading was almost finished, and this was unquestionably the best paper so far, without equal.

Just as he lifted his brush to write "accepted," he hesitated. Once this paper was presented to the magistrate, its writer would almost certainly become the case champion. This candidate's ability simply crushed that of the others.

However, his own nephew, Xu Qi, had also taken this year's county examination. Although the names on the papers were sealed and could not be seen, he recognized Xu Qi's handwriting. After all, he had taught the boy since childhood.

He had not intended to show favoritism, for Xu Qi was a capable boy, and his paper had already been placed in the "highly recommended" category. Without the paper in his hands, Xu Qi stood a very good chance of becoming the case champion in this county examination.

Becoming a county's case champion would bring considerable fame, making him a strong contender for first place in the next round, the prefectural examination. After all, the prefect also hoped that a minor triple first would emerge within his jurisdiction.

A minor triple first referred to a candidate who ranked first in the county, prefectural, and academy examinations. Taking first place in all three made one a minor triple first. Although it could not compare to achieving the triple first in the imperial examinations proper, it was still an accomplishment people would speak of for a long time.

The clan's future would inevitably have to be written by the next generation. With Xu Qi's aptitude, he was the most promising member of the younger generation when it came to reaching the palace examination. Entering officialdom in the future would be the key to leading the entire clan into a higher social stratum.

After weighing everything, Xu Huaqing did not write "accepted" on the best paper. He placed it in the "recommended" category instead. He was not worried that the magistrate would discover his little maneuver. There were over sixty "recommended" papers, and the magistrate would only inspect a few at random, focusing his attention on the "highly recommended" ones.

It could not be helped; some people were closer than others. Whatever happened to that unlucky candidate in the future would have to depend on his fortune.