Chapter 18: The Exam

In the early morning, Qin Zhao was awakened from his dreams.

“Get up, breakfast is ready, we’re going to the academy.”

Qin Zhao lazily stretched his back, “What are we doing?”

Just waking up, his mind was still in a fog, feeling quite disoriented.

“We’re going to find a classroom.”

Cao Xi was tidying up the mess around him, like trying to organize a chicken coop. He felt a bit anxious, trying hard not to mess things up even more.

Qin Zhao was completely awake after a wave of mental clarity.

While Qin Zhao washed up, Cao Xi set the breakfast table, which consisted of leftovers from last night.

The amount they prepared was quite large, truly reflecting the saying that one fresh dish can lead to three meals of leftovers.

Cao Xi was taking him to Qingsong Academy, which was said to be run by a retired scholar from the countryside, accepting students aged five to fifteen, with a strong faculty.

Qingsong Academy had an entrance examination, and only those who passed would be officially enrolled.

The academy had a well-established system, with uniforms, a cafeteria, dormitories, a library, and so on.

Cao Xi helped Qin Zhao adjust his clothes, thinking that it was a good decision to try Qingsong Academy, after all, the teaching environment was quite good.

“Let’s head to Qingsong Academy first.”

“The Qingsong Academy in the city?” Qin Zhao could hardly believe his ears.

Cao Xi replied, “Yes, let’s go check it out.” After all, taking the first step doesn’t hurt, and even if it doesn’t work out, it’s just a trial.

“I heard their requirements are quite high, and you need to take an entrance exam.”

Qin Zhao felt like a peacock, both proud and a bit anxious, as he couldn’t help but remember his past, which made him feel a bit uneasy.

Having neglected his studies for two years, he was now facing an entrance exam for a top-tier academy, and he felt a bit nervous and restless.

Cao Xi seemed unconcerned.

“Their requirements being high is their business; we just need to work hard. If it doesn’t work out, we can always switch to another private school. No matter where we study, the key is to rely on ourselves.”

Qin Zhao took a deep breath, feeling that he was too tense. He thought about how he shouldn’t care too much about the outcome.

Qin Zhao said, “Alright, let’s go. This is not a matter of switching; I’m smart enough to excel.”

He tugged at his clothes, straightened his back, and stepped out of the academy gate.

Xu Maocai saw two children standing at the academy gate from a distance, and they looked even shorter against the tall entrance.

They gazed up at the gate for a long time, looking around as if searching for something.

He walked over to inquire, “Are you here looking for someone?”

The two seemed startled by his sudden voice, quickly turning around with expressions of fear.

Cao Xi said, “We’re not looking for anyone; I’m just bringing my younger brother here for school, but there’s not a single person around.”

Cao Xi was tall and dressed simply; although he was older, he still had plenty of energy. He explained that he worked as a handyman at the academy.

As they approached, Xu Maocai squatted down to Qin Zhao’s level, looking him in the eye, “Are you here for the entrance exam?”

“Yes,” Qin Zhao replied politely, though Xu Maocai was tall, his kind demeanor was not intimidating.

Xu Maocai said, “You’re here to take the exam.”

“Seven Years Old”

Xu Maocai: “You have a lot of thoughts.”

“At three years old, my parents started looking for a tutor for me.”

Seeing that he wanted to speak but hesitated, Xu Maocai asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qin Zhao: “I’ve been studying intermittently for the past two years,” he said, his tone noticeably low.

Xu Maocai inquired about the reason; there were many who had studied intermittently, each with their own reasons.

Xu Maocai: “Entering this academy requires an exam; aren’t you afraid?” It takes courage to come to Qingsong Academy after not studying for two years.

Qin Zhao: “I’m not afraid; it’s not a tiger’s den. If it doesn’t work out, I can always switch to another place.”

Things were going badly; Cao Xi facepalmed, his proud nature had flared up again.

Cao Xi tried to stop him, saying that Qin Zhao should not rely solely on his past experiences to judge his future.

Xu Maocai was taken aback by the rebuttal, feeling that he was being unreasonable.

“What are you doing here? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to go to another private school?”

Xu Maocai was a bit angry, feeling that he was wasting his time talking to this child.

“I came here by my own choice; they didn’t choose me, so why should I give up just because the exam is strict? Besides, a master can only guide you to the door; it’s up to the individual to walk through it.”

The exam was tightly controlled, and people couldn’t see it clearly. The more Qin Zhao thought about it, the angrier he became, wishing he could grab the old man and make him understand.

Xu Maocai stopped in his tracks and leaned down to ask him, “Who taught you these words?”

A seven-year-old child understands this; it must be someone who taught him, or else he wouldn’t believe it.

“Hmph, we’re not on the same wavelength,” Qin Zhao ignored him.

Xu Maocai couldn’t help but laugh at his proud demeanor; both of them had quite the temper.

Xu Maocai: “Let’s go, follow me in. Let me see how hard you can work,” he finished with a hearty laugh and stepped toward the courtyard.

Cao Xi quickly pulled Qin Zhao along, afraid of losing sight of the only person who mattered.

The courtyard was quite different; what caught their eye was a siheyuan (courtyard house), which had several sections, but they didn’t know how many. They stopped as soon as they entered.

A gentle tutor welcomed them, but he was interrupted by Xu Maocai.

“Bring me the exam questions from the last kindergarten class.”

Xu Maocai waved to Qin Zhao, “Come in with me.”

Qin Zhao was about to step in but raised his head to glance at Cao Xi.

Cao Xi encouraged him, “I’ll wait for you outside. Go for it; you’ll do great.” Cao Xi raised his fist in encouragement.

Cao Xi’s comical gestures eased Qin Zhao’s nerves a bit, and he followed Xu Maocai into the room.

The room was simply furnished, with two sets of desks and chairs and a bookshelf.

Xu Maocai let Qin Zhao sit in the first seat, while he took the upper seat. The tutor served tea, glancing at Qin Zhao with a very satisfied expression.

Xu Maocai took a sip of tea and said, “If you can answer this exam paper well, you can enter the academy to study.”

Qin Zhao lowered his head and focused on the exam paper, silently picking up his pen and starting to answer the questions.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Qin Zhao set down his pen with a calm expression. The proctor glanced at him as he collected the papers, respectfully handing Qin Zhao’s exam to Xu Maocai.

Xu Maocai accepted the paper, commenting, “Your handwriting is quite hard to read.”

He glanced at the questions on the paper and asked, “Who taught you mathematics?”

Qin Zhao straightened his posture, his small face tense. “My sister.”

But inwardly, he disagreed; his handwriting wasn’t bad—he had just gotten rusty from not writing for a long time.

“Oh, that girl from the countryside?” Xu Maocai seemed unsure.

Qin Zhao tilted his head up proudly. “Yes, that’s her.”

Xu Maocai pondered for a moment after hearing this, then wrote a few additional questions on a sheet of paper and handed it to the proctor. “Have him complete these as well.”

The proctor placed the sheet on Qin Zhao’s desk and left without another word.

Qin Zhao was excellent at mathematics, and coupled with the practical training he had undergone over the past two years, his calculation speed now far surpassed that of Cao Xi.

After completing the questions, Qin Zhao put down his pen and looked up at the proctor, who was still staring at the test paper. Qin Zhao cleared his throat twice to signal that the test paper was ready to be submitted.

The proctor, realizing his absentmindedness, quickly gathered the paper and handed it to the teacher.

Xu Maocai reviewed the paper and said, “Come to the academy tomorrow.”

He then turned to the proctor beside him and instructed, “Chen Qi, take some time to introduce him to the academy’s guidelines.”

“Thank you, sir, for giving me this opportunity,” Qin Zhao said, bowing deeply to Xu Maocai.

As Xu Maocai left, Cao Xi, who had been waiting nearby, leaned over and glanced around when she noticed Qin Zhao wasn’t with him.

“Don’t worry, your younger brother will be out soon,” Xu Maocai said. He regretted slightly that while Cao Xi had a natural talent for mathematics, she was a girl.

A moment later, Qin Zhao appeared, walking alongside the young proctor.

“Thank you, Brother Li, for escorting me,” Qin Zhao said politely, cupping his hands in salute before quickly making his way over to Cao Xi.

When Cao Xi saw his face beaming with happiness, she knew the outcome couldn’t be bad. She tried to maintain her composure, but the corners of her lips twitched upward uncontrollably.

Suppressing her urge to ask, Cao Xi sent off the proctor with a polite farewell.

It wasn’t until the large gate of the academy was out of sight that she turned to Qin Zhao, her eyes filled with hope, and asked, “Did you pass?”

“I passed! I will go to school tomorrow… ahhh!”

Before he could finish, he felt himself lifted off the ground. Cao Xi had scooped him up into a tight hug and was spinning him around in circles. The sudden motion was too much for him to handle.

“Put me down!” Qin Zhao exclaimed, his face flushing with embarrassment at the overwhelming embrace.

When his feet finally touched the ground again, he barely had time to steady himself before a wet kiss landed on his cheek, leaving a damp mark.

With a loud whoosh, his face turned bright red, the blush spreading from the kiss down to the tips of his ears. He looked like a freshly boiled prawn.

Then, the other cheek got the same treatment—a firm, affectionate kiss.

This time, Qin Zhao could clearly feel the soft, warm sensation. A tingling numbness spread from his cheek straight into his heart.

Cao Xi, still brimming with excitement, grabbed the dazed Qin Zhao by the hand and said, “Come on, let’s go buy you some writing supplies—pens, ink, paper, and an inkstone!”

Qin Zhao stared at their intertwined hands and muttered to himself, Shameless! A scoundrel! A rogue!

Without him even noticing, she’d taken advantage of him again. How could he possibly guard against her? But as he kept staring, a small smile crept onto his face. In the end, he squeezed her hand tighter, as if drawing strength from the warmth.

They wandered around the market, buying fabric, writing supplies, and even a few related books, before finally heading home.