Meng Anci carried his exam basket to his cell, and a sense of familiarity washed over him. It felt like studying at home; he couldn't feel nervous at all.
After the examiners checked the household registration certificate, they began distributing the test papers. Meng Anci glanced at the questions and started writing.
Outside the examination hall, Jin Shanyao and Meng Anzhi stood in the bustling crowd.
"Auntie... are you nervous?"
"I'm not nervous."
"But you squeezed my hands so hard they're deformed..."
"Oh oh..."
Jin Shanyao quickly released Meng Anzhi, took out the prepared cloth banner and set it aside. The two of them sat cross-legged opposite the examination hall.
The yamen runner silently moved closer to her.
Jin Shanyao up and glanced sideways, " Wu Zhuangzi... we've known each other for a long time, you're going too far..."
Normally, there's no need for gatekeepers to be on duty during imperial examinations, but today Constable Wang temporarily out, so this man was asked to fill in.
Constable Wang specifically instructed that Jin Shanyao must be kept under close watch and prevented from illegally amassing wealth outside the examination hall.
Wu Zhuangzi pretended to be deaf and dumb, standing ramrod straight, not even giving Jin Shanyao a glance.
Jin Shanyao advised, " Zhuangzi... I'm not setting up a stall to make money; I'm promoting Anzhi Hall. Think about it, the provincial examination is such a big event, with half of Qingzhou Prefecture's people here. It's a rare opportunity, and it would be a shame to miss it."
Wu Zhuangzi couldn't help but roll his eyes, but still didn't say anything.
A commotion arose in the distance. Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see a man being escorted by several constables, heading straight for the government office.
"Hey... Constable Wang," Jin Shanyao waved to the last Constable Wang, "Come here for a moment."
Constable Wang approached with a puzzled look on his face. "Miss Jin, did you need something from me?"
Jin Shanyao gestured with her chin towards the entrance of the yamen, "Hey... what happened?"
Constable Wang's face darkened, his tone indignant, "That man is a beast, daring to..."
She stopped abruptly before she could finish her sentence. "Forget it, you're a young lady, you shouldn't listen to such sordid things. I've been so busy with the scientific expedition these past few days, I need to hurry in and report back, I can't talk to you anymore."
After saying that, he hurriedly entered the government office.
Jin Shanyao her tongue. "What's wrong, young lady? Is there something you can't hear?"
She pursed her lips, no longer dwelling on it, and her gaze returned to the gate of the examination hall. In her heart, she prayed that Meng Anci would definitely win first place this time.
Someone nudged her, and Jin Shanyao turned around to see a woman in her Jin Shanyao squatting down beside her.
"I know about this... That man always takes off his pants at night, specifically to scare lone girls."
Jin Shanyao frowned, pulling down his pants... "Isn't that a pervert?" "How come he wasn't beaten to death?"
"Hit him... The little girl is terrified, how can you hit her..." The woman clicked her tongue twice, "Poor thing... People like him are twisted, filthy, and perverted."
The woman felt her legs were getting numb from squatting, so she simply plopped down next to Jin Shanyao.
"Cough cough..." Wu Zhuangzi coughed loudly, glaring at the woman. The woman was so frightened that she scrambled to her feet and scurried away.
Jin Shanyao looked at Wu Zhuangzi and said, "Are you bored? She didn't do any divination or medical consultation, why did you chase her away?"
Wu Zhuangzi remained silent... his eyes still fixed on the distance.
Jin Shanyao gave him a thumbs-up, "You're good... you're excellent."
"Auntie... Auntie..." A familiar little voice suddenly broke in.
Jin Shanyao her head and saw Xiao Huzi running towards her with a notebook in his hand.
"What are you doing here? Where's your mother?" Jin Shanyao helped him up, her gaze passing over Xiao Huzi. She only felt relieved when she saw Wang Jinlian greeting her.
Xiao Huzi threw the notebook on the ground, reached into his purse, took out a coin and placed it on the ground, then sat down himself.
He thrust the notebook towards Jin Shanyao's eyes, his eyes sparkling, and asked, "Auntie, can you help me calculate what one plus two equals?"
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "You're doing your exams at the entrance of the examination hall?!"
"Yes!" Xiao Huzi nodded emphatically. "My mother said I should come to the entrance of the examination hall early to soak up some of the scholarly atmosphere and feel it... though I don't know what to feel."
"Cough cough..." Wu Zhuangzi coughed loudly.
Xiao Huzi turned his head, glanced at him, and continued staring at the Jin Shanyao without saying a word. "Have you figured it out yet? What's the answer?"
"Three"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huzi took out a charcoal stick and wrote the number three in his notebook.
He then took out another coin and placed it on the ground, asking, "What about two plus one?"
"Cough cough..." Wu Zhuangzi coughed violently.
Xiao Huzi looked up, his tone earnest and concerned, "Uncle, is your throat sore? My mom said you should drink more water if your throat hurts. Why don't you go get some water?"
Wu Zhuangzi was instantly speechless. He glanced at the two coins on the ground, then met Xiao Huzi's innocent eyes.
Enraged, she glared at Jin Shanyao, thinking, "Shameless, unscrupulous merchant... he even cheats children out of their money."
Jin Shanyao couldn't help but chuckle. She pretended to count on her fingers and drawled, "Three."
"Three again?" Xiao Huzi scratched his head. "Is the teacher out of his mind? He's the one who set this question!"
After writing down the answer, he took out a coin and put it on the ground. "Can you calculate it for me again... what is one plus one plus one?"
"Cough cough cough cough cough... Oh... cough cough cough cough..." Wu Zhuangzi almost coughed up his lungs, his face red and his neck thick with coughing incessantly.
Xiao Huzi frowned, his eyes filled with worry. "Uncle, constable... why don't you spend five coins to see a doctor too? My aunt is a miracle doctor, she won't lie to you."
He craned his neck to look, and oh dear... he thought he saw the whites of the man's eyes... Never mind, business is more important.
Xiao Huzi's gaze fell on Jin Shanyao again, his expression full of piety, "Auntie, has it been calculated yet?"
"Three."
"Oh no... it's three again," Xiao Huzi picked up the charcoal stick and wrote down the answer. He'd tell his father when he got home that night that he'd wasted his tuition and that the teacher was seriously mentally ill.
Thinking this, he took out a coin and asked again, "How much is zero plus three?"
"Cough cough cough cough..." Wu Zhuangzi coughed violently again.
Xiao Huzi complained, "Uncle... were you doing this on purpose?"
Wu Zhuangzi thought to himself, "You finally figured it out," and was about to say a few words of advice when he heard Xiao Huzi say unhappily, "You keep coughing... what if Auntie makes a mistake?"
Wu Zhuangzi was so angry he almost died on the spot. He picked up Xiao Huzi, lifted him into the air, and shouted, "Whose child is this... whose child is this..."
Startled by the sudden action, Xiao Huzi yelled, "What are you doing? Put me down! I've spent every penny, and I still haven't heard the answer!"
Wu Zhuangzi's eyes widened in anger as he roared, "Three, three..."
"Three..." Xiao Huzi snorted, "I didn't expect you, a mere constable, to actually mimic my aunt's way of speaking, shameless..."
"Oh my god..." Wu Zhuangzi, holding Xiao Huzi, stood on the platform and shouted, "Whose child is this... whose is this? If no one claims him, I'll lock him up in jail!"
Wang Jinlian rushed over in a panic, bowing deeply and apologizing profusely, "Sir, I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Xiao Huzi shouted sternly, "Mother... straighten your back! What are you apologizing to him for? If he dares to lock me up in jail... then go and beat the drum... and beat it for me..."
Wang Jinlian quickly covered Xiao Huzi's mouth and hurriedly left, saying, "My little rascal... please shut up."
Ugh... Xiao Huzi struggled fiercely, but no matter how much he shook his head, he couldn't shake off his mother's hand. Auntie... had taken a penny from him, and hadn't even figured out the answer yet.