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Tian Zhixing was furious, his finger pointing at Song Jingyun trembling slightly.
“Are you trying to hit me?” Song Jingyun asked with a smile.
“But this is an examination hall. If you hit me, you might be taken away by the authorities. So, it’s best not to entertain that thought.”
Tian Zhixing’s teeth gnashed together, especially as he glared at Song Jingyun’s innocent and somewhat naive smile. He was itching to slap him but understood the consequences of any misconduct outside the examination hall, which he couldn’t bear.
With a disgruntled snort, Tian Zhixing led his students aside.
Tian Zhixing had not passed the exam and couldn’t pursue an official career. However, due to his resourceful nature and connections, he now worked as a teacher in a private school in the county. He had brought his students to participate in the examination this time.
Seeing Tian Zhixing seemingly retreat, Lu Yuming and a few other students chuckled among themselves.
Jiang Mixia, standing nearby, gave Song Jingyun a thumbs up.
“Look at you go, our young son-in-law is making rapid progress, even getting into arguments,” remarked someone.
Song Jingyun responded with a courteous gesture.
“Oh, not at all, it’s all thanks to my wife’s excellent guidance,” he replied.
The two exchanged a knowing look, understanding each other without words, sharing a smile.
As more and more students arrived at the examination hall, the officials began maintaining order. The county magistrate stood at the entrance, calling out names one by one, conducting checks to ensure no cheating and then allowing the examinees to enter.
Song Jingyun and others joined the queue.
On the side, Lu Yuming sighed.
“What’s wrong? You seem so downcast, like you’ve lost your spirit,” a fellow student nudged him. “You can’t let yourself feel dejected before the exam even starts, how will you manage the test then?”
Lu Yuming scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’ve always been slow and forgetful. It feels like I’m just here to make up the numbers for the exam.”
“We can all pass the exam,” Song Jingyun remarked.
“Really?” Lu Yuming asked, somewhat incredulous.
“Whether it’s true or not, just believe in yourself, hope for the best. We can’t start off hoping to fail,” joked Wang Ren, a student nearby.
“Yes, have confidence,” Song Jingyun nodded, raising his palm.
“What’s this for?” Others looked puzzled at Song Jingyun’s gesture.
“My wife taught me this—it’s called a palm slap for good luck. She says it brings good fortune, so let’s kick things off on a positive note.” As Song Jingyun explained, he proceeded to slap each person’s palm one by one.
Since it was a gesture for good luck, the others didn’t resist. After exchanging palm slaps with Song Jingyun and chanting their names, they entered the examination hall one by one.
Watching Song Jingyun and the others confidently pass by him, Tian Zhixing smirked.
All of them can pass the exam?
Such arrogance! Meng Ziting ‘s success in the provincial examinations years ago was merely attributed to luck, not genuine talent or knowledge. Who does he think he is, dreaming of achieving fame and success based on such meager abilities? Waiting for him to fail spectacularly!
Unable to contain himself, Tian Zhixing spat on the ground in frustration.
“That man is truly annoying, just looking at him makes me uncomfortable,” observed Jiang Youcheng, having witnessed the commotion earlier, now sneering at Tian Zhixing.
“He’s foul-mouthed,” Jiang Mixia nodded. “With such questionable character, the students he teaches are unlikely to excel. There’s no need to pay him any mind.”
Jiang Youcheng agreed, “Indeed.”
Just as Song Jingyun mentioned earlier, if a dog bites someone, should you really bite back? It’s best to stay away from a mad dog like him.
Each session of the county examination lasted from dawn till dusk, spanning an entire day.
Jiang Mixia and Jiang Youcheng decided to visit the Jiang family’s residence, including Jiang Chushi, and catch up.
Seeing his students entering the examination hall one by one, Tian Zhixing realized lingering outside was pointless and prepared to head back.
In the late winter season, when nature had not fully awakened, sparrows, struggling to find food in the winter, chirped and fluttered around trees and eaves, hoping to scavenge for sustenance.
A flock of birds flying overhead, their incessant chatter, annoyed Tian Zhixing greatly. He waved his hands repeatedly, attempting to shoo away these bothersome creatures.
Thud!
Suddenly, Tian Zhixing felt a warmth on the back of his hand out of nowhere.
Upon closer inspection, he saw a mass of yellowish-white substance on his hand, emitting heat even in the cold weather.
What terrible luck!
Tian Zhixing hurriedly searched for something to wipe it off.
Even after cleaning the substance off his hand, he couldn’t contain his anger, pointing at the chirping sparrows and cursing, “You blind wild animals…”
Thud!
Once again, a warmth spread at the corner of his mouth.
The entire world fell into a dead silence.
—
Since it was still early, Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia took a stroll on the streets and found a place to have breakfast.
Fried dough sticks, fried sweet cakes, fried chive dumplings…
They enjoyed a few hot items along with a bowl of steaming wonton or tofu soup.
Delicious and filling.
After finishing their breakfast, the father and daughter bought some pastries from a nearby pastry shop and, as the time approached, they headed towards the alley behind Qiu’s residence.
Jiang Chushi was busy at Qiu’s residence, leaving only Fang Shi and Jiang Maihua at home.
As Jiang Maihua spotted Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia, she rushed into their arms, turning into a bundle of joy. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Aunt Xia and Grandpa!”
“You’re talking nonsense. You stayed at home until the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. It’s only been a few days; how does that feel like a long time?” Jiang Mixia teased Jiang Maihua by pinching her nose.
“But I feel like it’s been a very long time.” Jiang Maihua blinked her eyes and replied in a sweet, childish voice, “Maybe because I miss Aunt so much.”
Her words were sweeter than honey.
Jiang Mixia chuckled, unable to contain her amusement.
Thinking Jiang Mixia didn’t believe her, Jiang Maihua nodded earnestly, “I really do think about Aunt, morning and night.”
“In the morning and evening, what about at noon?” Jiang Mixia teased.
“Well, at noon, Mom always cooks delicious food, so I forget to think about you…” Jiang Maihua trailed off.
“You’re not thinking about Aunt, you’re clearly thinking about good food,” Fang Shi interjected, playfully teasing her daughter. She then brought some fruits over for Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia to enjoy.
These were the usual fruits they had brought from home a few days ago. Jiang Mixia and Jiang Youcheng savored the fruits and tea while amusing Jiang Maihua.
“How are you feeling these days?” Jiang Mixia inquired.
Fang Shi was already three months pregnant.
Due to the cold weather and her thick clothing, her pregnancy wasn’t visibly showing yet, but her movement had started to become a bit awkward.
During the Lunar New Year, Jiang Mixia heard from Fang Shi that she had experienced severe morning sickness in the first two months, feeling nauseous after every meal, which had taken a toll on her complexion even during the festive season.