WBSGVS Chapter 60 V1

After the preliminary exams, they had to wait another two weeks for the results.

The day the results were posted, naturally, the place was packed with people.

Once the preliminary exams were over, it was already certain that the candidates were included in the list of successful students. The final exams were just for ranking these students, selecting the top three to focus on for the next three years of intensive training.

On the day the results were announced, all four members of the Cheng family came.

Even Cheng Zhaoyang couldn’t hold back; he, having experienced the fear of unfulfilled expectations the last time, was even more anxious to know the result as soon as possible. So, he arranged for a wheelchair, and the whole family arrived early to wait.

Many others were waiting just like them, as this only happened once every three years, and many came specifically to watch the excitement.

It wasn’t time yet, so everyone was just waiting, which made it even easier to let their minds wander.

Cheng Zhaoyang felt uneasy in his heart, unsure why, but it seemed to be the same feeling as when he took the entrance exam. Unable to help himself, he asked again, “Second Brother, you’re sure you’ll pass, right?”

Cheng Zhaohua pressed his lips together, his handsome face showing signs of impatience. “The teacher said that as long as I perform as usual, there should be no problem.”

Mrs. Xiong and Cheng Yue’er smiled happily. “Second Brother is so impressive, he’ll pass!”

“Right, Eldest Brother, stop asking already. You’re making Mother nervous too.”

“Yeah, it’s annoying. You’ve asked so many times.” Cheng Zhaohua complained, but after saying this, he nervously squeezed his hands together.

During the preliminary exam, things didn’t start well for him. The questions on the exam were about the common people’s livelihood, which was the subject he struggled with the most. Through a simple partition, he could hear the people around him, and it seemed like Chen Wen next door was writing with ease. Soon, the sound of pages turning reached him.

This made Cheng Zhaohua even more anxious.

In fact, during the exam, he made mistakes twice and had to change the paper.

Now, hearing his second brother’s answer, Cheng Zhaoyang wasn’t as relieved as Mrs. Xiong and Cheng Yue’er. He felt even more uneasy, not for any particular reason, but because of Cheng Zhaohua’s change in attitude.

Before the exam, whenever Cheng Zhaoyang asked, Cheng Zhaohua was always confident, saying, “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I should be able to pass.”

But now, he was saying, “The teacher said…”

And his tone was filled with impatience—this was not right!

At this point, both his mother and sister thought he shouldn’t ask anymore. Cheng Zhaoyang gave a bitter smile, trying to comfort himself. It was fine, worst case, they could wait three more years.

At that moment, there was a sudden cry from the crowd: “It’s here!”

Almost everyone stretched their necks to see.

Mrs. Xiong instructed, “Yue’er, stay with your eldest brother. I’ll go take a look.”

But Cheng Yue’er couldn’t wait either. She, too, wanted to know the result as soon as possible, so she could have an older brother in government. She immediately grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mother, I’ll go. I’ll go with Second Brother. You wait here.”

Without waiting for Mrs. Xiong to react, she pulled Cheng Zhaohua along and rushed over.

At the door to the notice, it was packed with people. No one dared to touch the notice, but everyone was desperate to get close, staring at it.

Trying to squeeze past was a hundred times more terrifying than the entrance exam.

After all, the final exam only came around once every three years.

Most people start by looking at the top rank.

Cheng Zhaohua was no exception. The two siblings finally managed to push to the front, looking up to see the list. Cheng Zhaohua’s eyes fell on the first name: Chen Wen. His body went cold.

“Brother, your name isn’t on this sheet. Let’s look further,” Cheng Yue’er shouted.

It was so noisy that she had to raise her voice, but when Cheng Zhaohua saw Chen Wen’s name at the top and couldn’t find his own, his face turned red with shame, and he angrily said, “Lower your voice!”

Cheng Yue’er pouted and quickly squeezed past to look further down the list.

Cheng Zhaohua followed, his face darkening. He went through every name, starting from the first one, scanning each, until he confirmed his name was missing, then finally looked away.

The two of them continued checking from top to bottom.

Cheng Yue’er, once full of confidence, now looked increasingly uneasy.

Cheng Zhaohua’s face turned from bad to pale—was he going to fail?

“Brother, there’s only one last page left…” Cheng Yue’er’s voice grew quieter.

Cheng Zhaohua, however, was more ashamed and angry, gritting his teeth as he continued scanning.

One name wasn’t there, then another, then another…

Still nothing!

They kept looking until they reached the last name, but Cheng Zhaohua still didn’t see his name.

Cheng Yue’er was also stunned, and in a panic, she looked at Cheng Zhaohua. “Second Brother, how could your name not be here?”

Cheng Zhaohua wanted to ask the same thing.

How could his name not be there?

Though his start was poor and he had to change his paper twice, he answered the questions well!

How could he not make it?!

Cheng Zhaohua’s heart felt as though it had been struck by a punch, heavy and painful. The pain made his vision blur. “It’s impossible, I must have missed it! I’ll check again.”

At that moment, a middle-aged man beside them also shouted in desperation, “Impossible! I’ve taken this exam three times, how could I still fail? I need to look again!”

A woman, who had come with the middle-aged man and had sharp features, slapped him on the head and snapped, “What are you looking at? If you didn’t pass, you didn’t pass! I’ve supported you for fifteen years; that’s enough! You’re not going to study anymore, you’re going to stay at home and behave!”

The man wanted to resist, but he was thin and weak, and couldn’t overpower the woman. She dragged him out of the crowd.

Cheng Yue’er and Cheng Zhaohua watched this unfold. They both thought of Cheng Zhaohua’s situation. In a way, it felt the same—he was in a situation where a woman was supporting him, but unlike the couple they had just witnessed, they weren’t even married yet.

Cheng Zhaohua’s back went cold. He hadn’t passed!

Would the Wang family still consider him now?

Cheng Yue’er thought about many things, but before she could say more, they were slowly pushed out of the crowd. She was still focused on one thought. As she saw her mother and eldest brother approaching, Cheng Yue’er couldn’t help but speak up. “Second Brother, you mentioned before that Luo Qingli also taught as a tutor and had many students. I saw several names from Huaiyang on the list. Could they be her students?”

“Shut up!” Cheng Zhaohua growled in a low voice, his face grim.

Cheng Yue’er trembled in fear, not daring to say another word.

At this point, Mrs. Xiong and Cheng Zhaoyang also approached. Seeing their expressions, Cheng Zhaoyang’s heart sank, and he didn’t even dare to ask about the result. Mrs. Xiong had a bad feeling and murmured, “Zhaohua, did you pass?”

Cheng Yue’er looked at both of them, biting her lip and remaining silent.

Cheng Zhaohua took a deep breath, forcing out a bitter smile. “Mother, I failed.”

Mrs. Xiong stood there stunned for a long while. She clutched her chest and sighed, “What? Didn’t you say you’d pass? How did you not make it?!”

Cheng Zhaohua felt like he was on the verge of tears. He wanted to know the same thing—he had attended the best academy in the capital!

Why hadn’t he passed?!

And yet, Luo Qingli’s students had made it!

For this round of the exams, Qingli hadn’t been able to predict the exact questions, but she had fortunately incorporated everything into their daily lives. The students had thoroughly grasped the material.

Out of the three hundred people listed, Chen Wen was ranked first, and the others also had good positions, except for one person with limited potential and younger age, who failed.