Chapter 90: Picking Up the Slack 

The yamen officer glanced at the student and politely said, "I'll ask the prefect on your behalf, please wait here for a moment."

The student immediately nodded excitedly, then grabbed the barely conscious hand of Sun Zenian and squeezed it tightly.

"Thank you, thank you so much to your entire family, really! Thank you for giving me this chance to pick up the slack!"

Sun Zenian...

The last trace of his consciousness was gone in an instant.

But a trail of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The other officers took the arrested away, and soon the one who went to ask the question returned.

"The prefect said that studying is not easy, so he'll give you a chance. However, the time that has already passed won’t be made up for. All papers will be collected at the same time."

The student jumped three feet high with joy, "Thank you, thank you!"

His face was brimming with excited tears as he followed the yamen officer inside.

People have heard of catching a son-in-law under the list of candidates, but this was probably the first time anyone saw someone pick up a spot for an exam right outside the exam hall.

The gates of the yamen closed again, and Zhou Qing frowned as she looked at Shen Li. "My father must've stepped in some serious good fortune."

No wonder her eyelids had been twitching all morning.

Zhou Huaihai bribed the former prefect, who leaked exam questions and manipulated the rankings...

You could guess with your toes who Zhou Huaihai’s target was.

At least Sun Zenian was trying to ensure Sun Jin’s success.

But Zhou Huaihai? Was he mad?

Like a rabid dog, he wouldn’t stop biting at them!

Wouldn’t it have been better to just succeed on his own?

If the new prefect hadn’t arrived in time, who knows what Zhou Huaihai might have done to her father in the exam hall.

Knowing Zhou Huaihai’s nature, he wouldn’t stop until her father was completely ruined.

The thought made Zhou Qing break out in a cold sweat, despite her relief.

Shen Li, unable to hold back, reached out to gently pat the top of Zhou Qing’s head and said softly, "Master is a good person, so naturally, his luck won't be bad. Feeling better now?"

Zhou Qing looked up at Shen Li, her eyes suddenly widening as she glanced left and right. Then, she leaned in close and lowered her voice, "Do you think this was done by your relative in the capital?"

Shen Li's ears turned red as soon as Zhou Qing got that close.

"N-no."

Zhou Qing eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you stammering?"

She nudged Shen Li in the chest with her elbow. "What’s there to hide? If your relative in the capital really did this, I'd be happy to ride on that big tree for shelter. My father and I would both thank you."

You don’t need to rely on my relatives. Rely on me.

I can be your shelter.

Shen Li wanted to reach out and pat Zhou Qing’s head again, but his boldness had suddenly deserted him.

He cleared his throat and smiled. "It really wasn’t me. I’ve been with you all this time. How could I know Zhou Huaihai would pull a stunt like this? If he hadn’t bribed the former prefect, none of this would’ve happened today."

Zhou Qing frowned and nodded. "That’s true."

Then she waved her hand. "Forget it, no use thinking about it. This is great news anyway. Come on, let me treat you to something nice to eat while we wait for my father to finish."

Shen Li smiled and nodded.

After a hearty meal, they strolled around town.

Fucheng was far more bustling and prosperous than the county town. Eating an oily paper-wrapped spicy chicken drumstick, Zhou Qing wandered along the busy streets, humming a tune in high spirits.

Shen Li walked beside her, turning his head to look at her.

"When Master passes the exam, are you planning to move to Fucheng?"

"Not really. We don’t have enough money for that. Maybe after my father passes the exam."

The main reason was that Zhou Qing worried there’d be too many distractions in Fucheng. She wasn’t sure she could keep Zhou Huaishan in check.

He’d been a dandy for decades in his past life. The fact that she could force him to study this time around was already impressive.

If they moved to Fucheng County, where the world’s temptations were everywhere, he might revert to his wild ways.

She was banking on her father's studies to ensure her comfortable life in the future.

As Zhou Qing finished speaking, she noticed Shen Li had fallen silent. She turned to look at him. "What’s wrong?"

Shen Li sighed slightly. "I have to go to the capital for the New Year. I’ll probably leave in a few days."

Zhou Qing’s heart skipped a beat.

Being together every day had made her not notice much, but now that Shen Li mentioned leaving, she felt a strange, hard-to-describe feeling inside.

"Will you be gone for long?"

Shen Li looked at her, his eyes filled with a gentle warmth. "Hard to say."

After a pause, he added, "If I’m gone for a while, what about Master’s studies? The next county exam is in March."

"It’s fine. You shouldn’t stay stuck in Qingyang Village because of my father. Do what you need to do. There’s still Teacher Hu in the village, and his knowledge is excellent. We’ll just have to ask him to help out more."

Shen Li’s lips moved slightly, but he didn’t say anything.

After a brief silence, he said, "I’ll try to come back as soon as I can."

Zhou Qing just grinned in response.

As they walked side by side, the laughter and bustle of the streets swirled around them.

"I think it’s good you’re not buying a house. You should just wait and buy one in the capital when Master enters the Hanlin Academy. It’ll be more convenient."

Shen Li’s sudden comment almost made Zhou Qing choke on her chicken drumstick.

"The Hanlin Academy? You need to be a Jinshi to get in!"

"Master will definitely pass," Shen Li said with absolute certainty.

After all, Zhou Huaishan had already declared that he wouldn’t let Shen Li marry Zhou Qing unless he became a successful scholar.

Even if Shen Li had to cheat, he’d make sure Zhou Huaishan passed.

"You really believe in my father?"

"Yes, Master may enjoy playing around, but he’s incredibly smart."

Zhou Qing was touched and patted Shen Li’s shoulder.

"If my father really does pass the exam, I’ll light a long-lasting lantern for you in a temple!"

Shen Li nearly dropped to his knees on the spot.

There are so many ways to repay me—no need for that. You could, for example, just marry me!

As they talked and joked, they found themselves back at the yamen gates. Just as they arrived, the gates swung open, and the weary exam candidates began to pour out.

Zhou Huaishan spotted Zhou Qing immediately and burst into tears.

"Daughter, it was so hard!"

Zhou Huaishan’s wailing instantly drew curious stares from the other students.

"My good fellow, this exam was indeed very difficult. I didn’t even finish," sighed one student, looking like a sad little frog as he walked away with his hands behind his back.

Hearing that, Zhou Qing’s heart skipped a beat.

Forcing a big smile, she patted Zhou Huaishan’s shoulder. "It’s okay, if it was hard for you, it must have been hard for everyone. Don’t worry about it, just do your best tomorrow and the day after."

Zhou Huaishan gave her a puzzled look.

"You think I was crying because the exam was hard? How would I even know if it was hard or not?"

I almost thought you were a normal scholar for a second.

"Then why were you saying it was so hard?"

Zhou Huaishan straightened up and, with righteous indignation, wailed, "I was hungry! I only brought one fried dough stick and two eggs, and I ate them all before the exam even started! At first, I was a little full, but halfway through the exam, I was starving and trembling all over!"

"You brought fried dough sticks and eggs?" Zhou Qing stared at him in disbelief. "And you ate them in the hall?"

How did the examiners not throw you out?!

Zhou Huaishan smirked triumphantly. "Good thing I did, or I wouldn’t have had the energy to finish the exam! Oh, and the prefect even had someone bring me hot tea, so I wouldn’t choke and ruin my test!"

All Zhou Qing could do was bow toward the yamen in gratitude. What else could she say?