Top Scholar

Chapter 240 The Second Day of the Second Lunar Month, the Dragon Raises Its Head!
The slip resembled a small fold-out booklet, with the candidate's seat number written on both the left and right sides. The candidate's name and physical characteristics were also written on the right side.

It serves two purposes: first, it functions as an admission ticket upon entry; second, it is affixed to the name section of the exam paper for sealing. When submitting the exam, the right side is torn off and taken with you as proof of your exam performance for verification when results are announced.

Carefully clutching their tickets, the group left the county government office and followed Su Lu to a house in a back alley.

That place used to be my uncle's house, but it was left empty after he moved into the mansion. So Su Lu used to give special training to his classmates there.

The focus remained on explaining the concept of "intercepting and combining" (截搭题). Su Lu meticulously broke down each type of question—intercepting the preceding question, the following question, intercepting both preceding and following questions, connecting to the preceding question, and challenging the following question—as well as long combinations, short combinations, combinations with mutual affection, combinations without mutual affection, combinations separated by chapters, and so on, explaining various methods for solving them. He even composed a formula:
'Sever the connection, break the link, find the key point of the problem first, then analyze the string;'

Long pieces go well together, short pieces complement each other, and unfeeling pieces rely on righteousness to connect them;
The pulse is weak, but the connection is real; this metaphorically describes cause and effect as a boat.
Memorize examples, practice sentence breakdown, and you'll be able to tackle exam questions with ease.

Finally, I spent another day explaining the key points of policy analysis to them...

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the special training ended on the 30th of the first lunar month.

On the first day of the second lunar month, everyone should take a day off to adjust and prepare for the exam the next day!

~~
At this time, Hejiang City had become a haven for scholars. Everywhere—in the streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns, in brothels and theaters—scholars in white robes and scholar's caps were engaged in lively discussions, drinking and making merry, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. They didn't look like they were there for exams; they looked more like they were there for a gathering…

These are all seasoned test-takers who have taken the exam many times. They're basically in the same boat as Su Youcai before; they've studied the same material repeatedly for over a decade or two, to the point where they can no longer concentrate on reading or writing. Their skills have stagnated, or even regressed…

But they still had to keep taking exams, because if they didn't take exams, they couldn't become scholars and would have to take off their robes and work in the fields.

Those students who still have ambition are calming down and preparing for tomorrow's exams. They wouldn't be going out to have fun.

In the study of the Su residence, Su Man was explaining all the necessary exam supplies to Su Lu and Su Youcai...

Both the father and son's exam baskets were made by Su Taixin. Actually, Su Youcai had an old exam basket, and Su Man also had one. But Xia Ge'er insisted that his hands were itching to make them, so he made two new ones.

Su Youcai didn't mind at all and laughed, "My original basketball was unlucky, so it's good to start over with a different one."

"..." Su Man glanced at Xia Ge'er, wondering if he also thought I was unlucky?
However, to be fair, Xia Ge'er's newly made exam baskets are indeed a significant upgrade. Both baskets are three-tiered, square baskets with handles.

The rattan used to weave the examination baskets undergoes more than a dozen processes, including barbing, washing and drying, bending and stretching, cutting, dyeing, weaving, and varnishing, all of which are done by Xia Ge'er himself.

Not only is it intricately woven, but the four corners are also wrapped in copper, and the handle is inlaid with copper floral patterns. The lid and the sides of the handle are also carved with egrets, lotus flowers, and ruyi patterns, symbolizing continuous success and good fortune.

Unlike ordinary baskets, the examination baskets made by Shaq were translucent on all six sides, allowing one to see the contents at a glance from the outside. This was because, according to regulations, examination baskets had to be woven with intricate latticework and have a uniform bottom for easy inspection.

Although county-level searches are relatively casual, it's hard to guarantee you won't encounter a searcher who's deliberately making things difficult, which would really affect your performance. So it's best to strictly follow the regulations.

The exam basket was covered with a waterproof tarpaulin to protect it from rain that day. Lifting the tarpaulin revealed the upper layer of the basket, where stationery was neatly arranged in its compartments, categorized by type.

"The four Kui Xing Pointing to the Dipper brushes are all ready for you." Su Man opened the brush case, revealing four red-tipped calligraphy brushes. Scholars would buy these brushes to enter the examination and answer questions, hoping for good luck.

The red pen tip symbolizes good fortune and also echoes the legend of Kui Xing, the god of literature, holding a writing brush and a dipper, standing atop a giant turtle. In reality, it's just four little white clouds...

“There are two types of ink. One is an ink box.” Su Man said, picking up a copper ink box. Inside, there was an absorbent cotton pad. “Prepare the ink at night, pour it into the box, and it’s ready to use right out of the box. It saves you the trouble of grinding ink on the spot during the exam and having a weak ink color.”

"To prevent the ink from drying out, we also put in an ink stick and a water pitcher as a double precaution." Su Man then picked up a small, palm-sized inkstone with a lid and said, "For grinding ink, use this kind of lightweight pocket inkstone."

"The paper is for drafting. Ten sheets per person. Any more is useless; we'd have to check each sheet for writing, which would be unnecessary trouble." Su Man then picked up an oilcloth bag and said to Su Lu:
"Besides paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, there is also a paper bag. After receiving the exam paper, it is placed flat inside and placed high to prevent folding and ink stains. The cleanliness of the paper is the most important requirement. Even if the article is beautifully written, it will inevitably lead to failure if there is any stain."

“Mmm.” Su Youcai said with deep feeling, “Once when I was grinding ink, I accidentally spilled a drop of ink on the paper, and as a result, I didn’t pass.”

The guys glanced at Su Youcai, thinking to themselves, "He never repeats himself..."

But he'll be entering the game tomorrow, so no one will provoke him.

“In case the exam paper gets stained or damaged,” Su Man said, picking up a small bamboo tube and a pair of sharp scissors. “Try carefully scraping it off first. If you really can’t scrape it off, there’s paste in the bamboo tube. Cut out paper and stick it on. At least it won’t be judged as stained directly.”

He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, the paste is used to attach the exam tickets. Make sure to write your name and exam number under the ticket first. Don't think that you don't need to write them just because you have a ticket. It would be troublesome if the ticket didn't stick properly and fell off."

After introducing the stationery items, Su Man pulled out the second shelf, which mainly contained food.

“Each exam only lasts one day, you enter in the morning and leave in the evening, so you don’t need to bring too much food. You must eat and drink in moderation, just enough to not be thirsty or hungry... It’s very troublesome to relieve yourself in the cell.” Su Man opened a series of oil paper bags and showed them to the two of them, saying: “So the food I’ve prepared for you is small but of high quality. One portion is some filling cakes and pastries, one portion is peeled longan pulp, and one portion is rock sugar, which you can eat as snacks. There are also some ginseng slices. If you’re really feeling weak, you can chew on a slice to help with your thinking.”

"There's also a portion of diced ham, which I'll steam tomorrow morning and bring along. It won't be too hard to eat at noon," Su Man said.

“There’s quite a lot of food here. We’re not like Xia Ge’er, we can’t finish it all in one meal,” Su Youcai said.

"I didn't let you finish it all, so you'll have to figure it out yourselves," Su Man said speechlessly. Her second uncle really didn't seem like someone who had taken the county exam twelve times; he wasn't even as composed as Qiu-ge'er.

The bottom shelf is for storing raincoats, tarpaulins, and water bottles...

The water bottle was made of tin, similar to a military water bottle of later times, only flatter and longer, with a cork stopper to seal the spout. Tea was not allowed, as it could cause diarrhea if it cooled down; therefore, test takers usually brought cooled boiled water.

But my godmother would brew mint and salt plum water every night, which not only refreshes the mind but also quenches thirst, so I could drink less and go to the toilet less often.

Su Lu lifted the full basket of exam materials, which weighed about ten pounds, and laughed, "Luckily it's not too heavy, so it's not too tiring to carry."

“That’s why we have to use rattan, because that’s the lightest basket.” Su Tai grinned. “The one I made for my older brother the year before last weighed ten pounds just for the basket.”

“This is nothing,” Su Man said casually. “If it were the provincial or metropolitan examinations, you would have to carry dozens or even hundreds of pounds of stuff into the examination hall.”

"Then you still need to exercise more," Su Lu said with a smile.

"No need, just pay a little money and the guards will help you carry it in." Su Man smiled, then said seriously, "And the most important thing is the floating ticket, you must keep it with you at all times, otherwise you won't be able to enter the examination hall."

~~
The father and son went to bed early that night.

The next day, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), I got up to wash and dress properly. According to the rules, one had to wear official robes and hat to enter the examination hall, which was the attire of the academy.

So Su Lu was dressed as usual, but Su Youcai hadn't worn this outfit for many years.

The proprietress helped him put on a white robe, a scholar's cap, and tied the ribbon around his waist. She said softly, "Second brother, relax. You're just going to make up for the regrets. There's no other task for you."

"Hmm." Su Youcai nodded and forced a smile, "Don't worry, I've never been eliminated in the first round."

"..." The proprietress was heartbroken. How much courage did Su Lang take to take this step?
She couldn't help but reach out and wrap her arms around Su Youcai's waist, giving him a loving hug, and said shyly, "Don't worry, you're the best."

"Mmm!" Su Youcai nodded emphatically, finally relaxing.

Xiao Tiantian couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "It's so hard to guard against dog food (a Chinese slang term for public displays of affection)."

So she went next door to call her brother, only to find Su Lu staring intently at the book "Three Autumns' Letters of Reminiscence"... Like father, like son indeed.

Su Lu turned to the page for the second day of the second month in his book, *Three Autumns' Sentiments*. This page depicted a scholar in white robes entering the examination hall. Huang E inscribed a poem on it:

"The azure dragon appears in the eastern land, and golden scales leap across the gate of Yu."

A sea of ​​ink surges forth in magnificent chapters, let us pluck the five-colored clouds and soar forth!

This poem is a departure from Huang E's usual delicate and girlish style; it is written in a grand and magnificent style, with a very expansive scope!
Today happens to be the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head. The first line is inspired by this, and in just twenty characters, it depicts a magnificent scene of a dragon rising from the land and a fish leaping over the dragon gate, which makes Su Lu's heart surge and his whole body feel like it's on fire!

The poem was followed by a line of smaller print and a heart-shaped sachet:

'I regret that I could not hold your hand as you journeyed to the treacherous examination hall; may this fragrant sachet help you clear your mind and awaken your spirit, so that your writing may flow with breathtaking power!'

Su Lu then picked up the sachet, carefully put it away, and strode out of the room with his head held high.

The entire family was waiting in the main hall. The eldest aunt got up in the middle of the night to prepare a delicious meal to bid farewell to the father and son.

After the meal, the old man led the two of them to offer incense to the portrait of Su Dongpo hanging on the wall, and prayed devoutly, asking their ancestors to show their blessings and help their unworthy descendants to pass the imperial examinations!
The whole family then saw the father and son off at the gate, and set off two strings of firecrackers to send them off!
There's no need to worry about disturbing the residents, because the county town is filled with the sound of firecrackers at this time, all of which are for sending off the examinees!

(End of this chapter)