The provincial examinations of this dynasty were divided into three sessions, held on the 10th, 13th, and 16th of the eighth lunar month. Each session lasted three days, and candidates were required to enter the examination hall one day in advance.
Han Ze’s group set out on the 2nd of the seventh month and reached Yangcheng, the provincial capital, by the 8th. Daring not to delay for a moment, they found a temporary inn upon arrival and immediately sought out a middleman to rent a courtyard.
Since Han Ze and Wang Ziwen were tight on funds, they didn’t have high demands for their temporary lodgings—it simply needed to be quiet and conducive to studying. Zhao Zhengxiu had more money to spare, but he had no intention of renting a place privately. As it was everyone’s first time in Yangcheng and they were strangers in a strange land, staying together made it easier to exchange ideas and look out for one another. He was willing to compromise for the sake of Han Ze and Wang Ziwen. Thus, the three families planned to rent a single courtyard together.
Even so, in a year of the Great Triennial Exams, housing was difficult to find. After visiting several locations, they settled on a small courtyard. The buildings were dilapidated and cramped, and with three families, it was a bit of a squeeze. They could just barely fit, but its saving grace was the quiet atmosphere and its reasonable distance from the examination hall.
The cubicles in the examination hall were even more crude; compared to those, their current living quarters were merely a bit small. This was a minor hardship they could endure—after all, if they couldn’t handle this, how would they survive the environment of the testing grounds? To rise above others, one must endure what others cannot. Besides, being a little crowded hardly counted as suffering. The three men had no objections, and since they were content, their accompanying family members had no reason for dissatisfaction.
After some deliberation, the three scholars decided to lease the courtyard.
…
A newly rented house must be cleaned before it is habitable. Naturally, these tasks did not require the hands of the three scholars. Wang Caiwei and Old Madam Wang (Wang Ziwen’s mother) were accustomed to daily chores; being nimble and efficient, they had their own rooms sorted in no time. Zhao Zhengxiu’s family kept several servants, so his wife, Lady Zhang, was not used to the “toil of well and mortar.” Consequently, she was somewhat clumsy with housework, but after some fumbling, she managed to get the hang of it.
Once the house was cleaned, they checked out of the inn and moved in. After days of travel followed by the non-stop search for housing, the group was exhausted. However, they couldn’t rest yet. Now that they had a place with a kitchen, they no longer needed to eat at restaurants, which meant they needed to stock up on grain. These matters didn’t bother the scholars; Han Erlang and the pageboys of Wang Ziwen and Zhao Zhengxiu took care of it.
After a day of rest, the group was finally settled. The next day, Han Ze and the other two stayed home to focus on their books. As for Wang Caiwei and the other women, they busied themselves with cooking and laundry. The three families came from different backgrounds, so their diets naturally differed. Han Ze suggested they cook their meals separately; Wang Ziwen agreed, and Zhao Zhengxiu gave a helpless smile and agreed as well. Even though they were classmates from the same county school, scholars had their pride. They didn’t want to take advantage of Zhao, and he understood that.
Han Erlang and the two pageboys had little to do besides buying groceries and sweeping the yard; they were so idle they felt like they were growing moss. One day, a sudden commotion broke out next door. Han Erlang stood at the gate and peeked over, spotting a familiar face. He immediately turned and ran inside. Seeing Wang Caiwei, he blurted out, “Sister-in-law, I just saw Liu Xiucai!”
He recognized Liu Xiucai.
Wang Caiwei, who was busy with embroidery, looked up in surprise. “Where?”
Han Erlang pointed next door. “It looks like they rented the house right beside us.”
Wang Caiwei’s almond-shaped eyes widened slightly. What a coincidence.
It wasn’t entirely a coincidence. When Liu Xiucai’s group was renting, the middleman happened to mention that several scholars from their home county had rented nearby. After some thought, they decided to rent there. Being from the same place, even if they weren’t close, they knew of each other; if something happened, it was more convenient to be near acquaintances than strangers.
Han Ze emerged from his room. Having heard the exchange, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Wang Caiwei. “Do you want to go see them?”
Wang Caiwei shook her head, placing her embroidery in the sewing basket. “Let’s wait until they’re settled before we head over.”
No matter how strained her relationship with her eldest sister was, knowing they lived next door meant they ought to pay a visit. She was still her elder sister, and they couldn’t treat her like a total stranger. But before Han Ze and his wife could visit, Liu Xiucai and Wang Caixia arrived at their door.
Wang Caixia sized up the house her sister had rented and remarked, “Isn’t it a bit small?”
Though they were also sharing a rental with others, their courtyard was larger and shared by only two families. It was quite spacious, even allowing for a separate study. Looking at her sister’s place, she saw that not only was there no study, but even the bedrooms were tiny.
Wang Caiwei smiled. As long as her husband didn’t mind, she didn’t find it small. She changed the subject: “When did you arrive?”
Wang Caixia glanced at her sister. Seeing that she truly didn’t care, she found it boring and replied casually, “A few days after you.” She paused, then added, “Han Ze and your brother-in-law are family by marriage; you should have traveled with us. Your brother-in-law’s family arranged a carriage convoy. If we’d come together, you could have hitched a ride and saved some money. The provincial exams are expensive. Besides, the Juren degree is much harder to attain than the Xiucai. Your husband took several tries just to become a Xiucai and only entered the county school last year. There’s really no need for him to sit for the exams this year; it’s just a waste of money. Especially since your in-laws are just farmers…”
Wang Caiwei didn’t think being a farmer was a bad thing. Her family wasn’t as wealthy as her sister’s, but they worked together with one heart to make a good life. Furthermore, the reason her husband had to take the exams multiple times was due to the interference of his eldest sister. Her husband had genuine talent; even if he only entered the county school last year, it didn’t mean he couldn’t pass.
She found her sister’s tone unpleasant, as if her husband was destined to fail. Her sister didn’t even know him, so how could she be so certain? She softly interrupted, “Sister, I assume Brother-in-law is very confident about this exam?”
Wang Caixia wasn’t annoyed by the interruption. Hearing the question, she smiled with a hint of pride. “Your brother-in-law has studied at the county school for four years. He didn’t sit for the last provincial exam because he’d just entered and wasn’t ready. After years of study, his knowledge is very solid.”
She didn’t explicitly say if her husband was confident, but her meaning was clear.
Wang Caiwei lowered her gaze. Compared to her brother-in-law, her husband had indeed entered the school three years later. A three-year gap was significant; even with confidence in her husband, it was hard not to feel a bit anxious.
Wang Caixia picked up a teacup, the smile in her eyes deepening. “Don’t be in a hurry. Your husband is still young; treat this as just gaining experience.”
She might as well have said outright that Han Ze wouldn’t pass this time.
Wang Caiwei’s expression cooled. She felt even less inclined to speak, thinking to herself that after all these years, she finally knew why she never got along with her sister. Her sister was competitive, which was fine, but she liked to build herself up by tearing others down. If her sister belittled her, she might endure it for the sake of their bond, but belittling her husband was something she could not like.
Wang Caiwei stood up, her posture a bit stiff. “It’s time to prepare lunch. I’ll go cook; why don’t you stay and eat with us?”
Wang Caixia also stood up, smiling. “Your brother-in-law is about to take the exams and needs to drink tonic soup every day. The servant at home should have it simmered by now; she’s waiting for us to return for lunch.”
Wang Caiwei didn’t insist. As her sister said, they were a farming family; their meals certainly weren’t as lavish as her sister’s, and they had no “tonic soups.” There was no need to keep them for a meal of simple fare.
When the two women came out, Han Ze and Liu Xiucai had finished their conversation. Wang Caiwei and her sister had nothing left to say, and Han Ze and Liu Xiucai had little to discuss either. After a few dry questions about the upcoming exams, they had simply sat there in silence.
After seeing the couple out, Wang Caiwei looked at Han Ze and said softly, “From my sister’s words, it seems Brother-in-law is very hopeful about passing this time.”
Han Ze sat down and picked up a book from the table, smiling. “Having confidence is a good thing.”
Being hopeful is better than being hopeless. Besides, which Xiucai coming for the exams doesn’t hold the great hope of passing in one go?
Wang Caiwei was still indignant—not because she wished her brother-in-law ill, but because her husband had been so dismissed. She felt it was unfair to him. But seeing that Han Ze didn’t seem to care, her heart eased. Let others say what they will; as long as her husband was prepared, the truth would be revealed when the results were posted. She believed in his talent.
Moreover, even if he didn’t pass, it was no tragedy; he could try again at the next session. During the previous exams, he had been repeatedly drugged by his sister and still pulled through to become a Xiucai. Now that his health was restored, there was no need to worry even if he missed the mark once. With his intelligence, he would become a Juren eventually.
After that visit, Wang Caiwei didn’t mention visiting her sister again. Instead, she focused on her embroidery and taking care of Han Ze. For reasons unknown, Wang Caixia would still drop by occasionally for “small talk.” She didn’t talk about much, only about how she ordered her servant to stew tonics for Liu Xiucai every day, claiming that with them, he definitely wouldn’t faint in the examination hall. She even urged Wang Caiwei to do the same for Han Ze—not even to pass, but at least to ensure he didn’t collapse.
Even with her gentle temper, Wang Caiwei grew annoyed. she replied that when Han Ze was ill the year before last, he had taken medicine for so long that he now couldn’t stand the smell. A single whiff made him vomit, so she couldn’t possibly give him tonics. Besides, one shouldn’t just drink tonics haphazardly.
Wang Caixia was left speechless and stopped coming by after that. Wang Caiwei finally caught her breath.
Old Madam Wang, however, began grumbling: “Every day, that smell of medicine wafts over from next door. A grown man with a perfectly fine body—what’s he supplementing all day? Drinking tonics day in and day out… isn’t he afraid of overdoing it? He won’t be able to sleep at night.”
At first, Wang Caiwei didn’t catch the implication. But seeing Zhao Zhengxiu’s wife flush bright red, she suddenly realized what was being hinted at. Her own cheeks burned with embarrassment. She stared blankly at the old lady, shared an awkward glance with Lady Zhang, and then quickly looked away. She thought to herself: Surely they aren’t aphrodisiacs… it… it shouldn’t go that far.
Old Madam Wang then let out another blunt remark: “If all his strength is spent being busy at night, I don’t believe for a second he’ll have any energy left to study during the day.”
Wang Caiwei & Lady Zhang: “…”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152