On the way back to the academy from the back door, Xu Huaiqian was in a trance from head to toe. The scene of Chen Liejiu kissing him just now kept replaying in his mind, and the corners of his lips were flying, as if the soft and sweet touch was still lingering on him for a long time.

Xu Huaiqian left in a hurry and waited for so long before returning. As soon as he returned, he looked so excited. Pei Wangshu joked: “Which young lady came to flirt with you? You are so happy.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, there is no young lady.” Xu Huaiqian put down the food box that Chen Liejiu gave him. His lips were still raised, with a proud look on his face, “My husband came to see me.”

“Ahem–” Pei Wangshu coughed, and looked up and down at Xu Huaiqian in disbelief, “You have married a husband?” Xu Huaiqian didn’t look like a married man, he was so thin that he didn’t look like a husband at all.

“No, I didn’t marry a husband,” Xu Huaiqian shook his head, and said calmly, “I married into my husband’s family!”

“Ahem–” It was not Pei Wangshu who coughed this time, but Duan Youyan.

Seeing that his reaction was bigger than his own, Pei Wangshu threw him a puzzled look.

 “I’m just too surprised.” Duan Youyan put his fist to his lips and coughed a few times. He waved his hand and asked Xu Huaiqian curiously, “Why did you think of marrying into a family?”

Xu Huaiqian spread his hands to them: “Do you think I’m someone who can get someone to marry me?”

——This.

It’s true.

“But you don’t need to marry into a family.” Duan Youyan frowned, “When you pass the imperial examination, even if you are in poor health, there will be a lot of people rushing to marry you.”

Xu Huaiqian smiled bitterly: “To be honest with you, if I don’t marry into the family, I may not even have my life now, so how can I take the imperial examination. “

Speaking of this, Xu Huaiqian briefly told them what happened, and even gestured with great satisfaction: “At that time, my husband brought such a big bag of silver ingots to me to be his husband so how could I not be moved?”

Pei Wangshu looked at Xu Huaiqian with a look that was more difficult to describe than words. How could a person with such a clear and bright temperament be a person who bowed down for money? He said indignantly: “You married into the family just for money?”

“No,” Xu Huaiqian shook his head, “I did it for my husband’s appearance, he is good-looking.”

Finally, he curled his lips again, “He is the most handsome ger I have ever seen in this world.”

Duan Youyan thought of the red-clothed boy who flashed by the front door of the academy on the day of the entrance examination. He was indeed bright and dazzling, and he didn’t say anything.

 Pei Wangshu pursed his lips in disdain at Xu Huaiqian’s smug expression. How old is he? He has never even been out of Mishan County in his life. He can probably count the gers he has seen on his ten fingers. He said that his husband is the most handsome ger he has ever seen, he is not afraid of biting his tongue in the wind.

Now it is the eyes of the beholder that see beauty. When he has seen more beautiful people in the future, he will know how outrageous his words are now.

Anyway, Pei Wangshu does not believe that a country ger can be so handsome.

He grabbed a handful of peanuts bought from the doorman, shook the folding fan he got from nowhere, and reminded Xu Huaiqian: “Don’t be so happy that you forget to copy my homework tonight!”

“Got it!” When Xu Huaiqian sat down to read, he thought of Chen Liejiu’s kiss and couldn’t help laughing again.

His wife is so nice.

 After pacifying Xu Huaiqian, Chen Liejiu and his brothers squatted on the roadside waiting for him to reunite after leaving the academy.

When Chen Wu and the others saw Chen Liejiu coming back, they hurried forward and said, “Big brother, sis…Is second brother okay in the academy?”

Chen Liejiu didn’t look so relaxed in front of Xu Huaiqian, and pursed his lips: “Not okay.”

“Why not okay?” Chen Wu scratched his head. People say that studying is good. It’s not cold or hot, and you don’t feel tired. You just need to sit in the bright school and read books. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

“He doesn’t eat well, doesn’t sleep well, and he’s lost weight.” Chen Liejiu led them out of Qinglian Mountain. When he hugged Xu Huaiqian and kissed him just now, his waist was so thin that he could hug it with one hand. His chin was also pointed and fleshless. The key point was that the skin color on his face was a little pale.

He obviously got some color at home, how come he became like this after just a few days in the academy!

 Chen Liejiu thought of Xu Huaiqian’s satisfied look after drinking a bowl of chicken soup, and whipped the grass on the roadside with a bullwhip. After breaking them, he told Chen Wu: “You don’t have to follow me to collect debts in the future. You can drive the bullock cart to deliver meals to your second brother every day.”

“——Ah?” Chen Wu was shocked, “I changed from a debt collector to a meal delivery man?”

“You have good speed and you have a bullock cart at home, so what’s wrong with delivering meals?” Chen Liejiu glanced at him, “I will still pay you the wages.”

This is much more cost-effective than collecting debts. Collecting debts takes at most ten days a month, while delivering meals is done every day and there is no danger.

Chen Liejiu touched his chin and thought about it. He felt that he was losing out. Finally, he said to Chen Wu, who didn’t say anything, “When you go to deliver meals every day, follow your second brother to learn some words.” In this way, there will be more than one person in their team who can read in the future, and there will be someone to take care of them if something happens!

 Chen Wu was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped: “… W-why do you want me to learn to read?” He felt dizzy at the sight of those densely packed characters. Wouldn’t it be like asking him to learn to read? !

“If you can’t read when delivering food to the people in the academy, you won’t even know which way the door of the academy opens,” Chen Liejiu said casually, “You won’t be laughed at if you know two characters. Don’t you want to learn? Then I’ll find someone else to earn this money…”

“… Don’t,” Chen Liejiu didn’t finish his words, Chen Wu pulled him and gritted his teeth, “I’ll learn!”

He risked everything to make three hundred wen a month! Where can you earn this much money in the countryside!

After dealing with Chen Wu, Chen Liejiu didn’t relax. His brows were still furrowed tightly.

 When the others saw him like this, they couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong boss?”

Chen Liejiu sighed, “I’m worried about money.”

Everyone couldn’t figure it out. They made a lot on this trip. They all got hundreds of wen in wages, and the boss got even more. With second brother’s method of hatching chicks, and the chicks they helped sell, of course they knew that the boss also made a lot. All these scattered sums added up to more than thirty taels, right? Why is he still worried about money?

“Your second brother’s medicine is expensive. The miscellaneous medicine costs fifteen or sixteen taels of silver a month!” Chen Liejiu raised his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was all a small amount. If he ate more finely, twenty taels a month would not be enough.

He made a lot of money this time, but he couldn’t make money like this every day. If he offended all the clans in the village, he wouldn’t live long.

Xu Huaiqian’s method of hatching chicks is indeed effective. Excluding the bad chicks and the consumed food and firewood, he can earn six taels a month!

This is more than what he earned in a year when he was collecting debts before!

But this is not enough. It is far from enough for Xu Huaiqian’s expenses.

He has never been a husband to others, so he doesn’t know how other people’s husbands are, but for him, his husband deserves to enjoy the best! No matter what, he must equip his husband with the most basic monthly medicine money!

Chen Liejiu’s words made the brothers behind him dumbfounded: “Fifteen or sixteen taels of medicine money!”

Oh my goodness, this is not a sickly person, this is clearly a Pixiu who swallows gold!

No wonder their boss has been working so hard to make money recently. If he doesn’t have some ability, how can he support their sister-in-law. 

Several people wanted to persuade Chen Liejiu to just give up Xu Huaiqian, because he really couldn’t afford to support him.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he remembered that their boss was a ger, and he was about to get the hot flashes. If there was no Xu Huaiqian, where could they find a man who would willingly marry their boss? If this man was not satisfied with this ger, it would be useless even if their boss forced him.

Just like how they never had any romantic thoughts about their boss’s handsome face, if their boss asked them to be his husband, they might wilt on the spot when they entered the bridal chamber!

Everyone stopped talking, and Chen Liejiu kicked the dirt on the ground gloomily. He felt that if he couldn’t even support his own husband, what kind of good husband was he!

 Chen Wu stared at the yellow dirt he was kicking, sighed, and thought wildly: “If this dirt is gold, then we can pick it up whenever we want, and never worry about money again.”

“Lots of dirt…” Chen Liejiu couldn’t help fantasizing about it, and then his eyes lit up, “I know how to make money!”

Everyone was stunned: “How to make money?”

Chen Liejiu happily shouted to everyone: “Let’s go home and discuss!”

It was agreed that they would help Pei Wangshu copy his homework. Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan did not regret it. After class in the evening and dinner, the two bent over the desk in the dormitory to copy the homework.

Although there are counting courses in the academy, these are not tested in the imperial examinations nowadays. Learning some counting is to prevent them from being deceived by their subordinates when they become officials in the future, so most of the homework is copying articles or writing articles.

 This is simply a disaster for those who can’t sit still and don’t like to write.

When Xu Huaiqian was a child, he had to write big characters for two hours without fail, so he had developed a good patience. Duan Youyan was even more so. He could write all the characters seriously even when doing the test paper, let alone doing homework.

Seeing how hard they worked, Pei Wangshu, who thought he had found two good helpers, was lying on the bed holding his full stomach, and his heart was full of joy. It is said that it is difficult to send charcoal in the snow. When Xu Huaiqian was isolated, he resolutely stood by him and sent him charcoal. From now on, his homework will be taken care of by the two of them.

In order to appease the two good helpers, he also encouraged them: “The teacher said that you should study hard. Maybe you two can help me write more homework, and it will be just right for the imperial examination!” Anyway, these are the words that the teacher often says, so it’s okay for him to borrow them.

 Seeing him like this, Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan looked at each other and smiled without saying anything.

The next day, after morning of classes, Pei Wangshu was still savoring the taste of the chicken soup Xu Huaiqian shared with him last night. He was thinking about asking after class if he could buy some when his husband gave it to him again.

It was really delicious, much better than what the chef in the academy made.

 Just as he was thinking, the teacher who was sitting above checking yesterday’s homework suddenly turned black and called Pei Wangshu directly: “Pei Wangshu!”

“Huh?” Pei Wangshu, who was still savoring the chicken soup, stood up without knowing why, “What’s wrong, teacher?”

“You still have the nerve to ask me what’s wrong!” The teacher knocked on the desk with a ruler, “Iy you even need others to do such a small thing as homework for you, then you might as well let others do your studies for you. Why do you still come to the academy to study!”

The teacher was very excited. This Pei Wangshu was completely a dandy boy. He just played around with cockfighting and dog walking every day. He didn’t study hard and didn’t do his homework. He really doesn’t know why the headmaster brought such a person in!

“When did I find someone to do it for me?” Pei Wangshu was very sure. Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan had never left his sight. It was impossible that they had told each other a secret. He didn’t say it everywhere with a loud speaker. He asked someone to write his homework for him. How could this teacher be sure that he asked someone to write it for him?

 Is he trying to trick him?

“When did you find someone to write for you?” The teacher was very angry at his refusal to admit his mistake, and almost threw the homework in his face, “Look at it yourself, is this the kind of handwriting you can write?”

Pei Wangshu picked up the homework that the teacher threw to him in confusion and looked at it. Seeing two very different handwritings, one handsome and one ugly, his face turned pale. He immediately looked at Xu Huaiqian and Pei Wangshu in the back row: You two tricked me!

Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan smiled at him.

It really wasn’t that they tricked him on purpose. Xu Huaiqian had tried very hard to make his handwriting ugly, but the pen tip was not obedient. Although the handwriting he wrote was not as good-looking as his usual handwriting, it was not ugly either; Duan Youyan was the same. He also tried very hard to make his handwriting beautiful, but the handwriting he wrote was still ugly.

 Pei Wangshu was extremely angry at the attitude of the two. If it weren’t for the class, he would have rushed over to ask them if they were still friends. He had rejected the solicitation of the classmate Ding yesterday and stood on Xu Huaiqian’s side, but Xu Huaiqian treated him like this?

“Look at what others are doing?” The teacher saw that he had been staring at the two students in the back row and tapped the ruler. “Wrong is wrong, and you still don’t repent. You are simply stubborn!”

The teacher was very disappointed with these students with such a bad learning attitude. They wanted a chance to take the imperial examination at that time, but the country was always at war, and the restoration of the imperial examination was only in the past ten years.

If he were 20 years younger, would he still be teaching here?

“And the two new students in the back row!” After scolding Pei Wangshu, the teacher called out Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan, “You don’t think that helping your classmate with ghostwriting is a sign of loyalty, right? You are harming him!”

In the eyes of this teacher, Pei Wangshu is still young, and he can be corrected as long as he is taught with care, but two people came to help him. How can he teach him to be good?

 Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan straightened their expressions when they heard that the teacher scolded them, and did not deny their mistakes. They stood up and bowed to the teacher: “Students know their mistakes.”

The teacher saw that Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan had a good attitude, and they did not hold back their writing, so he could recognize their handwriting at a glance. He felt that he still had a lot to teach them, so he calmed down a little and punished them all: “Each of you will receive ten rulers, and rewrite yesterday’s homework three times again!”

“Yes.”

Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan walked up to the teacher without any dissatisfaction and stretched out their hands.

The teacher glanced at them, and beat Duan Youyan hard, but he was much lighter on Xu Huaiqian, a sickly boy, but he still beat him ten times.

It was the first time Xu Huaiqian was beaten since he came to this world. Although it didn’t hurt, his palms were red, and he couldn’t help rubbing them with his hands.

 After beating the two, the teacher looked at Pei Wangshu who was still motionless, and hit him on the back of his hand with a ruler: “Stretch out your hand!”

Pei Wangshu reluctantly stretched out his hand and endured the pain ten times. He felt that he just asked someone to write the homework for him, and he didn’t do anything unforgivable. Why did he keep holding on to it like this?

“What are you looking at me for?” The teacher stroked his beard and said something that seemed to be true, “Maybe one day when you become a scholar, you will thank me, the teacher, and your two classmates.”

After the teacher left, the class was dismissed. Pei Wangshu said to Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan, the two people who made things worse, in a bad mood: “I treat you as my friends, and you treat me like this?”

Xu Huaiqian took the fan on his desk and fanned him: “Calm down, calm down, we are punished together with you, and my palm is still hurting now. “

“Hmph! You deserve it!” Pei Wangshu refused to admit it. Thinking of their expressions yesterday that were obviously gloating but not telling him, he looked at them with a look of “I’m so stupid”. “You knew it would end like this but didn’t tell me. Who can you blame if you get beaten?”

Duan Youyan asked him pointedly: “If we refuse, will you also say that we are not good friends and refuse to help with any homework?”

Pei Wangshu was speechless in an instant. If they didn’t agree at that time, he really didn’t want to be with them!

Xu Huaiqian took the opportunity to ask him: “You are not stupid, so why don’t you like to study.” It is said that Class D is a famous class of moths, but it is actually not bad. Although the students are a little lazy, they are also studying seriously.

Otherwise, they would not isolate Xu Huaiqian because of his poor health.

 But Pei Wangshu really didn’t seem to care about studying. He just muddled through the day, didn’t listen in class, and didn’t do his homework after class. But if he didn’t like studying, why would he come to school to study?

 Pei Wangshu was stubborn: “I can’t pass the exam to become a Xiucai, so what’s the point of studying?”

“Who said you can’t pass it?” Xu Huaiqian looked unconvinced, “You have passed the exam to become a Tongsheng, but you can’t pass the exam to become a Xiucai?”

Pei Wangshu said stubbornly: “Everyone says so!”

Xu Huaiqian thought about it and suggested to him: “Why don’t you try to study with us? Let’s form a study group and take the exam together in August this year?”

“No, no,” Pei Wangshu shook his head like a rattle, “I can’t pass it, and I don’t have the energy you have.”

He saw it in the past few days since school started. Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan would read until the sun went down every night, and sometimes they would light kerosene lamps to do their homework. Pei Wangshu was too self-aware of himself.

He felt sleepy when he read. If he worked so hard with them, he would be driven crazy!

 “No, you have to learn! You have to learn whether you want to or not!” Xu Huaiqian suddenly got angry when he heard that he refused to do it, and showed him his red hand, “I can’t take these ten strokes for nothing!” 

Pei Wangshu saw that his hand was only red with a little mark, not even swollen, and showed him his hand that was almost swollen like a pig’s hoof: “I didn’t say anything even though it was swollen, so what’s the point of your little mark? Don’t force people to learn.” 

“When did I force you?” Xu Huaiqian denied it, “I beat you with this stick, right? You have to find a way to make it up to me?” “But I failed the exam in the end.” Pei Wangshu still said the same old thing. If he was a good student, he would have passed the exam to become a Xiucai long ago, but the key is that he is not. He is just a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved.  

“You have to try to know whether you can pass the exam or not.” Xu Huaiqian disagreed with this statement, “You haven’t even tried, how do you know you can’t?”

In his previous life, he had seen many people who were unknown before the third year of high school, and even the top 500 in the school were unknown. As a result, when they entered the final sprint of the third year of high school, they were admitted to Tsinghua University or Peking University. Isn’t it infuriating?

Xu Huaiqian felt that Pei Wangshu was likely the kind of talent who could get high scores in the final sprint.

“Besides,” Xu Huaiqian was still persuading tirelessly, “You just need to work hard for two months. Just work hard for two months to accompany us in the imperial examination. If you pass the examination and become a Xiucai, wouldn’t it be a good name for nothing?”

“Accompany you to take the exam?” Pei Wangshu’s eyelids turned up, as if he suddenly realized something, “I was wondering why you persuaded me to study, it turns out that you just want to get me to form a friendship.”

Xu Huaiqian didn’t blush when he was exposed. There were not many people in Class D who went to the examination room, and now they were isolated. It was quite difficult to find five people to form a friendship.

 He, Duan Youyan, Pei Wangshu, and Zhang Bingwen add up to four people. If they can find a way to recruit one more person, they will definitely have five people.

Besides, they are all from the same academy, so they can learn from each other and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This is better than fighting alone.

“Just tell me whether you can help or not.” Duan Youyan also stood up and showed him his swollen palm. “His palm was not beaten enough. Do you think mine was beaten enough?”

“Also.” Xu Huaiqian smiled and raised his handkerchief in front of him. “I was beaten by the teacher just now, and you said you would not join us. I was irritated… cough——”

“You are too shameless!” Xu Huaiqian just coughed a syllable, and Pei Wangshu interrupted him in time. “Even if I am included, there are only four of us. It won’t work if one person is missing!” 

“Who said there were four people!” Zhang Bingwen pulled someone out to confront him, “There are exactly five people!”

The person pulled out by Zhang Bingwen saw that they were all looking at him, and introduced himself to them: “I am not talented, Class C, Meng Fangxun.”

“Meng Fangxun?” Pei Wangshu obviously heard of this name, and called out, “The poor student Meng Fangxun who studies particularly hard in Class C?”

The academy is not not accepting poor people, but not those who are not good at studying. For people like Meng Fangxun who are good at studying and have good brains, but only have poor family conditions, the academy will reduce or exempt tuition fees.

Meng Fangxun was not embarrassed, because the whole academy knew about his situation, so he didn’t think it was shameful.

Pei Wangshu asked Zhang Bingwen in confusion: “How did you invite him?” Such a student who is favored by the teacher and the headmaster should not have trouble making friends.

“I paid for his board and lodging in the academy for a year, plus all the expenses required for the imperial examination.” Zhang Bingwen was not vague, he just threw money at it. 

It was a good deal to spend money to hire a top student to tutor them. Xu Huaiqian nodded and did not let Zhang Bingwen go out alone: ​​”I will give you my share later.”

Zhang Bingwen knew that Xu Huaiqian married a ger who was quite generous to him. He had some loose money on hand. Thinking that it would not be much if they were divided, he nodded: “Okay.”

Duan Youyan also said: “I will give you mine too.”

“Okay, okay,” Zhang Bingwen did not care about these, and looked at Pei Wangshu provocatively, “How is it, now you are the only one missing.”

Pei Wangshu looked at this and then at that, and said helplessly: “I can do it, but–“

He looked at Xu Huaiqian: “If your family sends you food again, you have to give me some.”

Pei Wangshu, who was still reluctant to forget his chicken soup, felt that if he didn’t take advantage of it now, when would he take advantage of it.

 Xu Huaiqian smiled: “No problem, my husband said that someone will deliver food to me every day, and you are indispensable.” 

Pei Wangshu was surprised: “Really?” 

“Of course it’s true.” Xu Huaiqian curled his lips, “My husband is the best husband in the world.” 

“Then I will agree with reluctance.” Pei Wangshu happily agreed. It was just a place to help with mutual connection, and he didn’t have to pass the exam. He could eat and drink for free every day. Where can you find such a deal? 

Xu Huaiqian was happy to see him happy, and he was also very happy. 

After the five-member mutual connection group was officially established, their studies quickly got on track. 

The top student Meng Fangxun formulated a set of learning guidelines based on the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. 

Xu Huaiqian’s problem was that except for poetry, he couldn’t make up for it. Other places could be said to be very good, but the words were simple and bold, and his thoughts were also problematic. Although he didn’t quite understand why Xu Huaiqian’s thoughts were so unorthodox, he still explained the importance to him. 

 In this era of loyalty to the monarch, the minister is the minister, the son is the son, the father is the father, the thought in Xu Huaiqian’s article cannot be skipped.

Therefore, Xu Huaiqian needs to make up for this aspect of thought. He doesn’t need to do anything, just memorize the thought.

The problem with Duan Youyan is that his handwriting is ugly and his way of thinking is always crooked. Ugly handwriting can’t be practiced in a day. Fortunately, Xu Huaiqian’s handwriting is very beautiful. There is no copybook for him to practice so let him practice Xu Huaiqian’s writing, which can also regularize his pen strokes.

The way of thinking is even simpler. He can solve the problem. He went astray because he didn’t learn systematically since childhood, so the more he wrote, the more vague he became. He just needs to straighten it out.

Zhang Bingwen is quite standard, that is, his article is not outstanding, but he needs inspiration to be outstanding. Meng Fangxun asked him to go out and play for two hours every day, and not to focus on the article.

——As for Pei Wangshu,

 “How can you do this! Who forces others to study! Help! Help! Help–“

Zhang Bingwen took off his shoes and threatened him: “If you scream again, I will take off my socks and stuff your mouth!”

In short, no matter what, the team was pulled together under their tough attitude.

Except for classes, meals and sleep, almost all time was spent on studying. They even did not go home during the break and made the final sprint in the academy.

Xu Huaiqian could not bear such high-pressure study at all. He often coughed in the middle of the night and could not sleep.

When he couldn’t sleep, he simply got up to recite books, articles, and ideas. He regarded this as the last charge before the college entrance examination. All efforts were worth it. Anyway, he just used all the time he could use and didn’t waste a minute or a second!

The crazy behavior of this group of people stunned the other students in the academy, especially the students in Class D.

 “Meng Fangxun and Zhang Bingwen from Class C work so hard. I know they are going to sprint for this year’s imperial examination but why are the others making a fuss?”

“Is it because they want to pass this year?”

“Most likely. If they pass next year, there is no need to be so anxious.”

“Isn’t this just nonsense? How dare our Class D compare with Class C?”

“Besides, Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan have only been here for a short time. They don’t think that our Class D and Class C are all Tongsheng, so there is not much difference, right?”

Although Class D and Class C are both Tongsheng classes, there is a gap between them. The top few in Class C are almost equivalent to the internally appointed Xiucai, and the ones ranked behind have to rely on luck to pass the examination.

And the top few in their Class D are worse than the last few in Class C. If there are people in their Class D who can pass the examination, it is purely a blind cat meeting a dead mouse, purely relying on luck.

With luck, the questions in that class were not difficult, with luck, there were many scholars admitted in that class, and with luck, his essay caught the eye of the academician.

Think about it, the last few students in Class C had to rely on luck to pass the exam, and if Xu Huaiqian and Duan Youyan were really talented, they would not have been thrown into Class D by the headmaster after the entrance exam.

This proves that the headmaster believes that their knowledge has not reached the level of the Xiucai exam, and they still need to hone their skills for a few years.

Why do they think that they can pass the exam to become a Xiucai by studying hard for two months? If it is so easy to pass the exam to become a Xiucai, then all the people in Class D would be Xiucai now?

It is simply a fantasy. They think they are the son of destiny and can turn the tide.

“Cough cough cough cough——”

At this time, Xu Huaiqian’s inappropriate cough sounded, which made all the students speechless.

 “This sickly guy is really something. If he is sick, he should just stay at home. Why did he come to the academy to study? He also fooled around with the two people who were about to take the imperial examination. Can his body withstand such a mess?”

“Don’t lose your life before entering the examination room.”

“Even if he can make it into the examination room, can he make it out of the examination room?!”

Everyone was stunned when these words came out. This imperial examination is not like studying in the academy, where you can study as you want comfortably.

The examination room was very narrow, and you could only sit down with difficulty. It was difficult to stretch your hands and legs, not to mention staying in such an environment for three days and three nights.

This academy examination is not like the county examination and the prefectural examination. There is one examination every other day, but two examinations every three days, and you have to stay in the examination room.

Everyone didn’t think Xu Huaiqian’s body could withstand such torture, even if Xu Huaiqian had a firm will.

 “Anyway, I think it’s going to be tough for Bingyang this time!”

“I don’t know why he tried so hard to take the exam. I don’t think his family is so poor that he has to take the exam to gain a foothold. Is it necessary for him to risk his life for the sake of passing the exam?”

Many students felt sorry for Xu Huaiqian’s life. They thought it would be difficult for Xu Huaiqian to survive in this imperial examination.

Some wanted to persuade him, while others were afraid that he would be shocked and die on the spot. They couldn’t afford it.

 “And Pei Wangshu, that idiot, is he that kind of guy? He’s fooling around too!”

“They don’t think they can pass the exam just by hiring Meng Fangxun for tutoring, do they?!”

“Even the teacher can’t pry open his stupid head, but Meng Fangxun can?”

“There’s a sickly person, a trembling hand, a sleeper, and a kid in their team. Meng Fangxun doesn’t think he’s that good, and he can drag all four of them through, right?”

“Don’t fail to give them a chance when the time comes.” If he delays it, he will delay himself. It’s only two months, but he doesn’t focus on his own studies, but worries about others. “

“Maybe, if Meng Fangxun fails the exam, he will have to blame these people.”

Listening to the gossip of other students in the academy, and looking at Pei Wangshu who fell asleep while studying, Meng Fangxun silently pricked his hand with a needle: “Get up! Study!”

“Ah!” Pei Wangshu was stabbed until tears flowed, and he had to pick up the book and sit up straight to continue reading.

He wanted to run, but Xu Huaiqian tied him to the stool with hemp ropes all over his body, so he couldn’t run even if he wanted to.

Xu Huaiqian was still cunning, smiling on the surface, but secretly tied him up with a rope and didn’t give him food!

Pei Wangshu had never been so miserable in his life. He shed tears and didn’t understand why he got on their pirate ship in the first place!

 Xu Huaiqian saw that he was distracted, so he picked up the dishes faster: “If you don’t hurry up, you won’t even have soup to drink.”

Pei Wangshu saw this and sped up his writing, because he knew that Xu Huaiqian said he would not leave any for him, and that he had lied to him!

Seeing that he was writing the article obediently, Xu Huaiqian curled his lips. What is meant by “It’s easy to get on the boat but difficult to get off the boat”? This is it!

Do you think his food is so delicious?

Time passes the fastest when you are busy.

 In a blink of an eye, it was August. The imperial examination was approaching, and the teacher did not keep them in the academy: “Go back and rest for two days. Students who want to take the imperial examination can go to the prefectural academy for the examination.”

“I wish in advance that every student who will take the imperial examination can be on the list, and return with honor.”

After two months of hard study in the academy, Xu Huaiqian also felt a lot. He was somewhat confident about his essay, and he was not as flustered as when he first came to the academy. Now he was eager to go home.

He didn’t know what Chen Liejiu has been busy with in the past two months. Except for the day when he came to give him money, Chen Wu came to give him meals afterwards. He hasn’t seen him in the past two months, and he missed him so much.

He was too lazy to pack his luggage. He took a few books and went straight out of the academy.

Yesterday, he asked Chen Wu to bring a message saying that he would return home today. He didn’t know if Chen Liejiu would come to pick him up.

 As he was thinking this, a fiery figure appeared in front of him. Wasn’t it the person he thought about day and night?

He hadn’t seen him for two months. Seeing him again now, he felt completely different. He saw his bright and flamboyant face smiling at him, and his eyes lit up. He wanted to hug him and turn around to ask him if he had been doing well in the past two months.

But he suppressed his emotions and pursed his lips: “I thought you wouldn’t come to pick me up.”

“How could that be?” Chen Liejiu didn’t wait for his happy expression. After hearing what he said, he knew that he hadn’t come to see him for two months and was in a bad mood. He stepped forward and grabbed his hand and shook it, “I’m here now.”

Xu Huaiqian was still a little unhappy: “Two months!” What big thing happened that he didn’t come to see him for two months?

If he didn’t still believe in him, he would have thought that he had recruited a husband and completely forgotten his old love.

 “I have been very busy these days,” Chen Liejiu explained to him, “But I won’t be busy in the future.”

Xu Huaiqian’s eyes lit up: “Are you done?”

“I’m done!” Chen Liejiu handed him the small bag he was carrying and said generously, “These are all what I earned for you in the past two months. You don’t have to worry about the money for medicine in the future.”

Xu Huaiqian took the overweight package and opened it. Seeing that it was full of silver ingots, his eyes widened: “So many?!”

Chen Liejiu took him down the mountain and curled his lips at his surprised expression: “At the beginning, I agreed to make up for the small purse I owe you. Now–“

He raised the corners of his lips and said: “I will live up to my mission!”

At the beginning, he owed me a small purse, and now he actually returned me a bag–

Xu Huaiqian was holding this overweight package and was dragged away by him. He was confused. What could he do to save so much money in two months?

Are you sure it’s not robbery?

Seeing that his husband looked suspicious, Chen Liejiu pressed him on the ox cart and kept it a secret: “You will know when we get home.”

Xu Huaiqian sat on the ox cart with his knees bent at the front of the ox cart. His clothes fluttered in the wind, and his light blue clothes made his pale and delicate face look good.

 Two months later, his little husband seemed to have grown up, becoming as fragile and beautiful as glass, making people want to ravage him.

Chen Liejiu suppressed the throbbing in his heart and rushed home with his bull whip. The evening breeze blew up the last few fireflies in the forest, making the night road bright and beautiful.

“Cough cough cough——”

Xu Huaiqian didn’t mean to spoil the mood. He was really too tired in the past two months. He coughed up blood too many times. Now it has become a habit and he can’t suppress it even if he wants to.

Chen Liejiu turned his head and saw Xu Huaiqian coughing up blood again. He didn’t take a handkerchief, and the blood was sliding down the corners of his lips. It was as red as lips painted with lip balm. Between the starry sky and the little fireflies, it was like a seductive spirit in the mountains.

 Chen Liejiu’s heart seemed to be dancing uncontrollably. When he came to his senses, he had already parked the cart in the forest full of fireflies, pinched his chin, and licked his lips tenderly.

Blood and saliva dripped.

The panting made the leaves in the forest hot.

The hot and lingering touch made Xu Huaiqian’s feet weak while sitting on the ox cart. He raised his head and endured it with rapid breathing, watching the lines between Chen Liejiu’s eyebrows turn from dark red to bright red.

It seemed like blood was about to drip.

“No more kissing!” Chen Liejiu, who also noticed the changes in his body, immediately separated from Xu Huaiqian.

 Xu Huaiqian, who was still in the dark, wiped the water stains on his lips with his thumb, which was not sure whether it was saliva or blood, and silently bewitched him: “I can help you.”

He knew that it was a sign that the ger was about to have a hot flash, and he needed to have sex with someone to relieve it. They were a legal couple, and it was normal for a husband to help his husband solve the hot flashes.

Chen Liejiu hurriedly picked up the bull whip thrown on the ground and drove the bullock cart home: “You are still young, take care of it.”

Xu Huaiqian was stunned.

——Young?

The author has something to say:

Jiujiu: I’m talking about age!