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“I should be fine, but I’m not entirely sure,” Song Jingyun replied.
“Don’t be modest, Master Song,” Wei Liangji teased. “Look at that smile on your face, you must be brimming with confidence.”
“I’m happy not because of the exam.”
“Oh?” Wei Liangji’s expression turned serious. “Then what is it?”
What could be more important to Song Jingyun than the academy exams?
“I’m delighted because my wife mentioned making grilled meat at home today,” Song Jingyun’s eyes lit up with excitement as he spoke. “It’s been a while since I’ve tasted her grilled meat!”
“No time to waste, I must hurry back. If I delay, my wife might lose patience and change her mind about making it. I must take my leave now.”
With that, he vanished from Wei Liangji’s presence like a gust of wind.
Wei Liangji was left speechless.
Indeed, is there anything more important in this world than good food and not disappointing one’s own wife?
Even matters like academic prospects have to take a backseat sometimes?
As Wei Liangji pondered, Lu Yuming reached out and patted his shoulder, giving him a look that said, “It’s all right, it’s just a habit.”
“Perhaps it’s because Master Song is pure in heart, sincere in his dealings with others, that he excels in studying more than us,” Wei Liangji remarked.
“Not entirely,” Lu Yuming shook his head, then added seriously, “It’s mostly because of his head.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s because Master Song’s mind is truly different from ours, in terms of how it functions,” Lu Yuming replied.
Wei Liangji was left speechless.
Exactly! Exceptional memory, outstanding retention, almost capable of memorizing an entire text at once, understanding various interpretations with just one read.
His mind truly was different from theirs.
Perhaps he had drunk water from Guanyin’s pure bottle, consumed pills from the Grand Sage of the Way, or tasted peaches from the Peach Blossom Garden?
Perhaps Song Jingyun is truly the incarnation of the literary star himself.
As the two bantered, Zhang Yaosheng rolled his eyes.
What’s so different about it? Aren’t they all round, about the size of a watermelon, with long hair on top, oval faces, and supported by the neck below?
Just because Song Jingyun married a good wife—no, married into a good family—does that make him different from them?
What good is a great memory or being an earthly literary star if one doesn’t put effort into studying? Even with exceptional talent, it’s useless without hard work.
Many young achievers become mediocre and lackluster as they grow older because in their youth, they relied on their talents, lacked ambition, and didn’t strive for improvement.
During these snowy days, those living in the town were studying at home, so Zhang Yaosheng carefully observed Song Jingyun’s study habits.
During the day, he only studied for a couple of hours, spending the rest of the time assisting Jiang Mixia with gardening in the yard or sunbathing, or weaving birdcages.
In the evenings, the lights were turned off early at home, showing no signs of diligent study.
Compared to Zhang Yaosheng’s own burning of the midnight oil for study, at least in this aspect, Song Jingyun couldn’t compare!
With such an attitude towards studying, even with exceptional talent, what good does it do?
Confident in his performance in the upcoming exam, Zhang Yaosheng believed he would excel and achieve a good result.
When the time comes, let’s see Zhang Yaosheng shine brightly throughout the entire academy!
Zhang Yaosheng raised his chin, snorted, and passed by Wei Liangji and Lu Yuming, leaving the two looking at each other in surprise.
“What’s gotten into Zhang? Seems quite temperamental,” Lu Yuming scratched his ear.
“Don’t mind him,” Wei Liangji said. “He’s always been like this. Even before you two arrived at the Wende Academy, he always had an air of superiority, unaware that he’s the one being looked down upon. If he ends up last in this exam again, he won’t be able to study at the Wende Academy anymore.”
Every year, new scholars emerged, and with the increasing number of students at Wende Academy, space became limited. To address this, a rule was established in previous years: if a student ranked among the bottom three for two consecutive years, they would have to leave Wende Academy and continue their studies at the county school or another institution.
Zhang Yaosheng had consistently been among the last one or two for the past two years. If he were to repeat this performance in the current exam, he would also have to depart.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuming felt uneasy. This was his first exam since joining Wende Academy, and with its talented students, he was aware that his own abilities were lacking. A poor performance in his debut exam would not only be embarrassing for himself but would also reflect poorly on Hongle Academy, Song Jingyun, and their other friends.
With these thoughts weighing on his mind, Lu Yuming lost interest in playful banter with Wei Liangji and promptly focused on his studies.
Meanwhile, Wei Liangji couldn’t help but keep touching his nose.
Now that the exams were over, would additional studying really improve his grades?
As Song Jingyun made his way back, his mind was filled with thoughts of the grilled meat that Jiang Mixia had planned.
As Song Jingyun walked, he noticed a new stall near the alley entrance.
Operated by a mother and daughter, the stall seemed unfamiliar, not quite like the locals. However, it was exceptionally clean, and customers were plentiful.
Each time the woman lifted the lid, a strong aroma wafted out, drawing Song Jingyun closer to see what was being served.
“Would you like to try our spicy wontons?” the young girl timidly greeted Song Jingyun as he approached. “They’re delicious.”
Spicy wontons.
Glancing at the bowls of customers on the stall, filled with oily, red soup and plump wontons, Song Jingyun’s appetite was piqued. “Yes, I’ll have two bowls.”
“Sure, two bowls of spicy wontons,” the woman cheerfully replied, deftly wrapping the wontons and boiling them in a pot.
Once cooked, she ladled them out, poured in the soup, drizzled with chili oil, and sprinkled with cilantro…
Carrying the bowls of spicy wontons home, Song Jingyun was cautious, his eyes fixed on the bowls, afraid of spilling the soup.
Seeing this, Zhucui and Chengmao took the bowls from him, poured the contents into their own bowls, and asked for directions to the stall to return the dishes.
“What did you bring back?” Jiang Mixia, busy tending to the charcoal fire, noticed Song Jingyun and the others bustling around but didn’t look up. She sniffed the air and remarked, “Smells unusually delicious.”
“I bought some spicy wontons from the new stall at the alley entrance. The aroma was enticing, so I got two bowls for you all to try,” Song Jingyun replied, already handing a wonton on a spoon towards Jiang Mixia’s mouth.
Spicy wontons.
Jiang Mixia suddenly remembered a woman named Yunniang she had seen in the capital city, who made incredibly tasty spicy wontons, along with her adorable and clever daughter. Their spicy wontons were truly delightful.
Regrettably, she was a bit too gentle, allowing her husband to take advantage of her.