Chapter 61: Steady Success

Zhou Ping rushed over to Shen Li and immediately hugged him around the waist.

"I missed you so much, Senior Brother. Did you miss me?"

Shen Li glanced at Zhou Qing, a smile on his lips, his eyes deep and intense, filled with warmth.

"I missed you, very much."

"Then do you also really want to take me to Fushun Restaurant..."

Before Zhou Ping could finish, Zhou Huailin drove the mule cart closer.

He lifted his foot and kicked Zhou Ping on the butt. "You little rascal, get back here."

Then, smiling at Shen Li, he said, "This kid is acting up again. I'll straighten him out when we get home."

Shen Li patted Zhou Ping on the head. "Uncle, Pingzi behaves like this because he's close to me. I don't have any brothers at home, so I've always envied those with siblings who can play and bicker together."

Zhou Huailin replied, "Playing around is fine, but you can't waste money. No one's money falls from the sky."

Last time, Shen Li brought home a cart full of delicious food. It was tasty, but as they ate, the pain of spending money was real too. Even though it was Shen Li's money, Zhou Huailin still felt the pinch.

"You rascal, get on the cart quickly. We're going to pick up your second uncle. If you cause any more trouble, I'll stop bringing you along!"

Pouting, Zhou Ping reluctantly climbed into the mule cart.

He was originally sitting face-to-face with Zhou Qing. But when Shen Li was about to get in and sit next to Zhou Qing, Zhou Ping suddenly remembered something his mother had said and quickly moved to sit next to Zhou Qing.

"Senior Brother, you sit across from me."

Just a moment ago, he was desperate to see me, but now he realizes that his sister is closer!

Shen Li ruffled Zhou Ping's hair and got into the cart to sit across from them.

"How are things at home recently?"

"The main house and the first branch have completely cut ties with us. They even gave us their chickens and pigs," Zhou Qing said with a smile, not hiding anything.

Shen Li already knew this. Although he hadn't seen Zhou Qing in the past few days, he still went to the mountains behind Qingyang Village for night training and occasionally overheard some village gossip.

As they chatted, the mule cart quickly arrived at the county yamen.^[1]

In front of the yamen, a large crowd had already gathered.

There were candy vendors weaving through the crowd, and Shen Li bought a skewer for both Zhou Qing and Zhou Ping.

As Zhou Ping ate the sweet and sour candied hawthorn, he stared at the big red list posted at the yamen's entrance. "Big Sis, why does the character for 'middle' look so strange?"

Zhou Qing was also staring at that character.

The vertical stroke was short at both the top and bottom, making it look as if someone had chopped off both ends.

Standing beside Zhou Qing, Shen Li softly explained, "That character for 'middle' is taken from the top part of the character 'noble'."

Zhou Qing suddenly understood.

It was, indeed, quite particular.

As they were talking, the yamen doors swung open.

Immediately, the crowd surged forward, craning their necks to see their loved ones coming out.

The scene became even more crowded and chaotic.

Worried that Zhou Ping might be trampled, Zhou Huailin grabbed him and tossed him onto the mule cart. "Don't go to the front."

Afraid Zhou Ping might disobey or get snatched away by kidnappers, Zhou Huailin decided to sit on the mule cart himself.

Shen Li stayed with Zhou Qing, squeezing through the crowd.

"They're coming out!"

Someone shouted, and the already crowded scene became even more chaotic.

After a moment of hesitation, Shen Li placed his arm around Zhou Qing's shoulders.

The instant his hand touched Zhou Qing's shoulder, his heart skipped a beat.

On the steps, a yamen officer holding a gong struck it heavily.

"Clear the way, clear the way! How are the scholars supposed to come out if you're all packed together? Spread out!"

At the officer's shout, the crowd immediately dispersed.

Shen Li glanced at the officer with a trace of regret.

Couldn’t he have waited a moment longer before hitting the gong?

"Daughter, daughter!"

Zhou Huaishan was the first to rush out, running all the way.

Seeing him, Zhou Qing immediately smiled and went to greet him. However, Zhou Huaishan didn’t run straight to her.

Instead, he dashed to the big red list, jumped up, and kissed the character for 'middle.'

The surrounding crowd was stunned.

With a twitch of her eye, Zhou Qing hurried over and grabbed him. "Father, what are you doing!"

Looking satisfied, Zhou Huaishan gave the 'middle' character one last glance before turning to smile at Zhou Qing.

"Daughter, you don't understand. The first scholar to rush out and kiss the red list will definitely be blessed by the Stellar God of Literature. This guarantees success!"

Kissed? Guarantees success!

As they spoke, other scholars began to emerge.

Hearing what Zhou Huaishan said, some people looked disdainful, while others smirked mockingly.

One scholar, dressed in a jade-white long robe, glanced Zhou Huaishan up and down and sneered, "You?"

Zhou Huaishan turned to look at him. "Do we know each other?"

The scholar scoffed, "Why would I know someone like you?"

Zhou Huaishan rolled his eyes at him. "If you don't know me, why are you trying to chat me up? I don’t have a weird hobby. Go chat up some other men."

The scholar’s face turned purple with anger.

Zhou Qing silently clicked her tongue. Her father's words were sharp.

She tugged at Zhou Huaishan. "Alright, let’s go. Third Uncle is still waiting over there."

Zhou Huaishan tilted his chin up, rolled his eyes at the scholar again, and followed Zhou Qing.

The scholar stood there, fists clenched, glaring at Zhou Huaishan. "Doesn’t he see what a disgrace he is? How dare he take the exam? He’s an insult to the sages."

Zhou Huaishan heard this.

He stopped, turned around, and responded, word by word, "We have a mirror at home. Go play with your own pee."

The scholar nearly choked with rage.

"Brother Jin, what’s wrong?"

As they spoke, several other scholars approached.

They were all classmates.

The scholar, referred to as Brother Jin, pointed at Zhou Huaishan, "He insulted the sages and humiliated me."

Hearing that their classmate had been wronged, the other scholars glared at Zhou Huaishan and began to surround him.

"Which academy are you from?"

"You’re so old, but you haven’t even learned how to be a proper person before taking the exam?"

"Do you know who you’re talking to? Sun Jin is the top student in our academy. He’s a shoo-in for first place, and you, a country bumpkin, dare to speak so arrogantly!"

Well, now I’m getting angry.

Zhou Huaishan rolled up his sleeves, ready for a fight.

He was about to give these little punks a piece of his mind!

Zhou Qing quickly pulled him back. "Father, stop. Don’t pay attention to them."

Fighting in front of the yamen wasn’t a good idea.

Those scholars had academies to back them up, but her father only had this one chance to take the exam.

However, the scholars continued to close in on them.

"What, you think you can just leave after insulting someone? Apologize!"

"Yeah, apologize!"

"That 'middle' character on the red list is where the top scholar’s name will be. Your spit on it defiled Sun Jin’s name."

Well, now I’m really angry.

Ignoring them doesn’t work, does it?

Zhou Qing was about to...

Before she could act, a yamen officer came rushing out.

"Zhou Huaishan! Zhou Huaishan, have you left yet? Which one of you is Zhou Huaishan?"

The crowd immediately turned to look at the officer.

The scholars surrounding Zhou Qing and Zhou Huaishan also turned to look.

Zhou Huaishan quietly raised his hand.

_____

Footnotes:

[1] Yamen (in imperial China) the office or residence of a public official.