No matter how busy the summer harvest is, it passes in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the threshing machine, the burden on the villagers' shoulders was much lighter. When visiting relatives and friends, they always praised the machine for its good work. Shen Xiaolang was a scholar who sympathized with the farmers.
It’s not that everyone forgot that Zhuang Keqing also had a share of the threshing machine, but Shen Ling’s reputation for winning two yuan in a row was so loud that the words changed as word spread. In the end, someone even came to Qian Carpenter’s house to place an order. They all pointed out that they wanted the 'Shen's threshing machine'.
Zhuang Keqing didn't care. The idea was not hers in the first place, and she just described the appearance of the thing. Most of the specific operating principles and components were made by Aling, and it was called Shen's threshing machine. It is also worthy of its name.
But if you really want to be more serious, why not call it "Zhuang's threshing machine"?
Ah Ling was married into the family by her matchmaker!
Zhuang Keqing chuckled and teased Shen Ling in his mind.
She didn't dare to say that in front of others, otherwise she would have to have a 'big meal' at night.
When Qin Manzhi on the side saw her daughter's appearance, she knew that she must be thinking about something random and unreliable, so she had to give her a helpless look and went back to her own business.
In ten days' time, the two little ones will have to go out to take the exam again. This time they are going to Qinjinzhou, which is further away than the county seat. They have to start early and prepare all the necessary things.
In this county examination, the government examination is taken once a year, and the college examination is taken twice every three years. Those who pass the examination are scholars, and those with first-class scores are students. They can study in prefecture schools or county schools. The state will provide food for them to ensure that you are safe during your studies. No worries about food and clothing.
Shen Ling had just passed the government examination in May and was qualified for the college examination. It coincided with the start of the college examination in August this year. Zhao Xiucai wanted to let him take the test.
Zhuang Keqing still remembered Zhao Xiucai's original words, he said that Aling "may be successful this time."
But she's not as conservative as the old master, so what's the point of 'probably winning'?
It’s a sure win!
As a result, on the day they left the village to take the exam, everyone somehow got the news. All the people who could come from Erli Village came. The villagers followed the mule cart all the way and sent them two miles away from the village entrance.
Zhuang Keqing was worried that such a bloody scene like tears in the village still happened.
But after all, the villagers' farewells were sincere. If their cart couldn't hold it, they would have had to load more meat, eggs, pancakes, etc.
After waving to everyone who was still standing behind him, Zhuang Keqing put down the pumpkin in his arms and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Girl, is it too hot?"
Zhuang Er was leading Dahei in front.
This time, there was no need for the village chief to come to the house. He packed the parcels early. After greeting his mother-in-law, he handed over the work in the fields to his third brother. He then went to his eldest niece's house and set out on the road with them.
"Second uncle, it's okay. There's a shed set up on the car. But you, do you want to wear a hat?"
Before going out, Li Guihua next door stuffed a few rattan hats into them, saying that the sun was too hot and gave them some shade on the way.
The weather was indeed getting hotter, and it was difficult to travel when the sun was shining brightly at noon. In addition, Qinjinzhou was indeed far away, so by the time they arrived, the exam would be less than half a month away.
This time they were not so lucky. They were able to find a nearby and quiet inn, so they had no choice but to stay three streets away from the examination room.
There is a vegetable market next to it. Every morning it is still dark, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining can be heard through the window. The environment is really noisy.
Zhuang Keqing and Zhuang Er tried to go out and search for two days, and found that other nearby inns were already full. The candidates who were later than them could not even stay in this inn, and could only live in one closer to the city gate. It’s too much to think about where to go.
The college examination is different from the government examination. There are only two examinations, one main examination and one re-examination. However, the content of the examination is exactly the same, including classics, ink meanings, poems and poems, and policy theory. The number of questions is not small, but the time is not enough. It is less than before. There are many candidates who cannot finish writing after one session.
Taking an exam is exhausting enough, and coupled with the poor conditions of the exam hall, poor food, and poor sleep, some of you may be a little weak and may fall ill and faint in the exam room.
Zhuang Keqing didn't need to ask to know how difficult it was to take the college entrance examination. After searching for an inn for two days without success, he concentrated on cooking nourishing medicinal meals, vowing to get Aling in the best condition for the exam.
After eating love meals for ten consecutive days, Shen Ling, who had always been cold and calm, finally breathed a sigh of relief on the day of the exam.
There is no need to take any more medicated food today...
Before the college exams started, the government had blocked off the entire street in front of the exam building. All the test takers could only stop here and watch the candidates queuing up to enter.
Zhuang Keqing was already experienced. He handed over the test basket, only told Shen Ling to eat on time, and then stepped aside to make room for those who came from behind.
As A Ling went to take the exam, she couldn't do anything to help her. She just hoped that she would have better luck and find a proper exam room that wouldn't be leaky or smelly.
The first scene is about scriptures, Mo Yi.
The candidates were fooled by "Zuo Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan" during the government examination. This year, many people spent their time on these two books. Whether it was recitation or Mo Yi, they were all touching. I'm so familiar with it, who would have thought that I didn't take the college entrance examination at all.
This made most of the people who took the exam papers speechless and wanted to cry in the wind in the exam room.
But you still have to answer the test questions.
It can be seen from the style of writing questions in this academic and political examination that he is a relatively safe type. In addition to setting questions from the Four Books and Five Classics, he also used "Holy Edicts and Guangxun" as the finale, and examined the daily life of the candidates. Do you have a good habit of listening to the teachings of the Hadith?
After the first test, many candidates failed in the last test. But this is not unfair. From now on, you will be aiming to become an official and share the emperor's worries. Why did the emperor even say something important on weekdays? Don’t even know?
One day off after the first session, followed immediately by the second session.
Compared with the first test, this test is more difficult. It involves policy analysis and poetry, and tests the candidates' political and literary qualities.
Shen Ling is not afraid. In the past few months, he has written two policy papers and two poems every day. He has already summed up his own way of exposition. Moreover, the test questions this time involve the important matters of people's livelihood in field farming, so he is influenced by rice fields. Inspired by fish farming and threshing machines, his writing became even more fluent.
After copying all the test papers, he rarely handed them in in advance, but instead checked them several times.
The end of the exam is getting closer and closer, not only Shen Ling, but also other candidates are doing the same. Some are flipping through the exam papers to check, and some have not even finished writing the questions, but they can't write them at all. I get angry in a hurry, scratching my head and head, which is pitiful.
At the last moment, the yamen officials did not dare to let down their guard and kept patrolling back and forth, making the candidates feel even more depressed.
It was not until the last moment that the bell in the examination room rang, which meant that the college examination was over. The candidates stopped writing and allowed the yamen to collect the examination papers. Then they all got up, not wanting to waste time here for a few more days.
At this time, the outside of the examination hall was buzzing with waiting crowds. Many candidates drove horse-drawn carriages and mule carts to their homes, blocking the entire street outside the examination hall.
Zhuang Er gave birth to a tall boy, and at this time he was considered unique among a group of people. Although he hadn't found Brother Ling yet, he was already waving wildly in the direction of the entrance to the examination room.
Zhuang Keqing didn't come to join in the fun. She hid in a nearby place with few people, waiting for her second uncle to pick up Aling, and they would go back together.
I have to say that her decision was right.
The entrance was so chaotic, and there was a commotion caused by candidates who fell to the ground after exiting the door, and a stampede almost occurred.
The yamen officials only care about the inside of the examination room. What chaos happens outside has nothing to do with them.
Zhuang Er received Shen Ling, and then escorted the two children out of the crowded street. Then he returned to the inn safely, washed up well, drank some simple porridge and water, and rested.
There were only five short days between the completion of the college examination and the announcement of the results. Zhuang Keqing planned to wait for the news before leaving, so as not to make any mistakes like last time.
None of them have ever been to this state capital, so they can take this time to walk around and find some interesting things to take home. A Ling can also have time to browse the bookstores here and buy some reference books to go back to.
After two days of renovations, it was obvious that in the inn and restaurant, there were groups of scholars talking loudly, as if their energy had been selected by the examiner.
