Chapter 66: The Metropolitan Examination

However, Shen Shilang politely declined all invitations, preferring to focus on his studies at home.

Before long, it was time for the metropolitan examination.

The day prior, Su Jinshi went shopping at the game store, carefully selecting items that Shen Shilang could use during the exam. In addition to a down jacket, she purchased a down comforter, knee pads, and leather gloves that exposed only the fingertips.

“Try writing with these gloves first to see if you find them comfortable. If not, I’ll look for another way to keep your hands warm,” Su Jinshi said.

By now, Shen Shilang had grown accustomed to the novel items Su Jinshi gifted him – things that didn’t exist in great Xi. He put on the gloves she provided. The leather was soft and snug, without any padding inside. The finger portions left the first two segments of each finger exposed, allowing for flexibility.

Since most of his hands were covered, Shen Shilang’s fingertips didn’t feel cold at all. He wrote a few lines on paper and told Su Jinshi, “It’s a bit different from writing without gloves, but the impact is minimal.”

He continued writing, filling an entire page. Seeing his smooth, uninterrupted writing, Su Jinshi eagerly asked, “How is it?”

Shen Shilang smiled, “”I’ve gotten used to it.”

“The weather in the capital is still cold, and the exam rooms are open cubicles,” Shen Shilang noted. “Wearing these gloves tomorrow will prevent my hands from freezing while I write.”

Su Jinshi was delighted to have been able to help.

That afternoon, Shen Shilang prepared the items he would need for the next day’s exam, with Su Jinshi assisting to ensure nothing was forgotten.

Early the next morning, Su Jinshi specially purchased soy milk, fried dough sticks, two eggs, and two small side dishes from the store for Shen Shilang.

“In my world, during elementary school exams, we would eat a fried dough stick and two boiled eggs for good luck. Together, they represent 100,” she explained, using tea to write “100” on the table.

“I hope I can achieve good results as well,” Shen Shilang said happily as he finished the breakfast Su Jinshi had prepared before heading to the examination hall with his belongings.

By the time Shen Shilang arrived at the examination hall, a long queue had already formed outside. With Su Jinshi’s help, he didn’t need to bring any dry rations. Just as during the provincial exam, she would discreetly provide him with warm, delicious, and easily concealed steamed buns and pastries.

In the mornings, she also made sure to bring him boiled eggs and porridge.

While waiting in line, Shen Shilang encountered some fellow candidates he had met at the inn previously. After exchanging greetings, someone asked, “Brother Shen, have you seen Xu Liangchuan?”

“I haven’t,” Shen Shilang shook his head. With so many candidates queuing for inspection, Shen Shilang hadn’t noticed. “It’s too crowded to spot anyone specific.”

Another person revealed, “I heard he’s not participating in this examination.”

“Why not? He did well in the provincial exam, why not keep the momentum going?” someone asked, puzzled. “Besides, he’s already come to the capital. Isn’t it a waste of money if he doesn’t participate?”

“I heard he hasn’t recovered yet,” the person replied. “Remember when he had stomach issues at our inn and spent the whole night going back and forth to the outhouse until he was exhausted? He even thought he saw a ghost because of that. We thought it was just hallucinations due to his weakened state, but he seemed genuinely convinced he had seen a ghost.”

“He was talking nonsense when he had a fever, constantly shouting about ghosts,” the man continued. “After the fever broke and he recovered, he remained paranoid. Especially at night, he couldn’t sleep at all. He said he had to keep candles lit in his room and wouldn’t blow them out. But even with candles, the dim light created more shadows, making him even more scared.”

“So he’s afraid of both darkness and light?” someone asked.

“Exactly!” the man exclaimed. “So he couldn’t sleep for nights on end. Closed eyes brought visions of ghosts, open eyes saw shadows that seemed to hide things. His mental state deteriorated.”

“In that condition, how could he take the exam?” The man shook his head and sighed. “So he packed up and went home. Who knows when he’ll recover. If he truly goes mad, I’m afraid his whole life might be… Alas!”

Su Jin Shi privately communicated to Shen Shilang , “I never intended to scare him that badly. Who knew he’d be so easily frightened? He’s even worse than Wei Jianming.”

Look how resilient Wei Jianming was—he didn’t have any lasting issues from the scare.

“It’s not your fault. He brought this upon himself,” Shen Shilang whispered, his lips barely moving.

The others were too busy gossiping about Xu Liangchuan to notice Shen Shilang’s quiet conversation.

Someone then added, “By the way, I heard Xu Liangchuan’s second place in the provincial exam wasn’t earned fairly.”

“Are you referring to how Shi Minglei, the top scholar from Jinzhou, suddenly fell ill before the exam?” someone quickly asked.

“So you’ve heard too,” the person replied. “I heard that Shi Minglei’s knowledge far surpassed Xu Liangchuan’s. Coincidentally, Xu Liangchuan visited him right before the exam, after which Shi Minglei became ill, affecting his performance.”

“I have a friend in Jinzhou who told me that after the exam, Shi Minglei completely severed ties with Xu Liangchuan and openly accused him. Because Jinzhou is far away, the news hasn’t spread widely yet. I only learned of it from my friend’s recent letter,” the man explained. “If Shi Minglei had performed normally, whether he would have placed first is uncertain, but second place certainly wouldn’t have gone to Xu Liangchuan.”

“If true, this is karma for Xu Liangchuan,” one candidate remarked. “I don’t understand why someone as knowledgeable as Xu Liangchuan would need to resort to such underhanded tactics. Even if he couldn’t get second place, securing a spot in the top ten shouldn’t have been difficult. Why resort to such methods?”

“Maybe the ghost he claimed to see was real after all. Even the spirits couldn’t bear to see such a person succeed.”

As they chatted, it was soon their turn for inspection. Shen Shilang passed without issue and found his designated cubicle. Once inside, he arranged his belongings and put on the gloves Su Jinshi had given him.

His hands, which had grown cold during the inspection, immediately warmed up once he put the gloves back on.

Fortunately, the day proceeded smoothly. During lunch, when no one was looking, Su Jinshi discreetly placed steamed buns and hot porridge from the store in front of him.

In the evening, the wooden boards of the cubicles could be lowered to serve as doors, offering some protection from the wind.

…