Chapter 35: Results Released – Taking the Ox Cart to Check the Results with My Son

The results of the first exam were soon announced. Despite competing against the entire Linzhou Prefecture, Jiang Qingshi unsurprisingly ranked high on the Top Rank again. Only those who passed the first exam could proceed to the second, where the number of candidates had already dwindled. By the third exam, the crowd had thinned even further—truly like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses crossing a single-plank bridge, with only about a hundred remaining in the end.

The third exam tested Policy Discourses and lasted two full days. Overnight quilts were provided by the examination hall. Initially, Jiang Qingshi had been somewhat anxious about the Policy Discourses, as his long seclusion in the village had inevitably limited his exposure to current affairs. However, during this period, he had borrowed books from Wei Fengling’s home and listened to numerous explanations of contemporary events from Wei Fengling, which left him feeling suddenly enlightened. Policy Discourses emphasized the practical significance of the essays. When Jiang Qingshi saw that the first topic addressed the drought in the north, he recalled the tutor at Wei Fengling’s house explaining that such discourses must not only be logically sound but also extol imperial virtues. With his exceptional writing skills, Jiang Qingshi began drafting an elaborate outline as he pondered…

After the two-day exam, Jiang Qingshi was utterly exhausted and slept for a full day and night at home, much to Lin Guilan’s distress. However, Lin Guilan’s business was at its peak, and she couldn’t bring herself to neglect it to care for Jiang Qingshi, though she felt she wasn’t fulfilling her duties as a wife.

Jiang Zhimiao noticed his mother’s dilemma and patted his small chest, volunteering to Lin Guilan, “I’ll take care of Father!”

His words startled Lin Guilan. “Oh, my Miao Ge’er, you’re just a tiny child who still needs looking after yourself. How could you care for your father?”

“Don’t worry, Mother! I’ll take good care of Father!”

Lin Guilan had come to accept that her son was precociously intelligent. Though not yet three years old, he was already articulate and eloquent—clearly taking after his father. While she doubted Jiang Zhimiao could properly care for Jiang Qingshi, she knew her son was sensible from a young age and wouldn’t wander off even if left alone at home. Seeing Jiang Zhimiao’s eagerness to stay with his father, Lin Guilan decided to let him keep Jiang Qingshi company.

Jiang Qingshi slept until afternoon. When he opened his eyes, his throat felt parched—the night in the examination hall had been grueling, and now his entire body ached with discomfort. Through his bleary vision, a small figure appeared. Rubbing his eyes, Jiang Qingshi almost thought he was hallucinating as the little figure tottered toward him, holding a teacup.

“Father, thirsty? Drink water!”

Jiang Zhimiao knew his father was skeptical by nature, so he made sure to retain some childish innocence in front of him.

“Miao Ge’er.” Jiang Qingshi struggled to sit up, accepted the teacup, and gently patted Jiang Zhimiao’s head. “Where’s your mother?”

“Mother went to the shop. Business is good!” Jiang Zhimiao patted his chest again. “I can take care of you, Father!”

A warmth spread through Jiang Qingshi’s heart as he gazed at his son, not yet three, claiming he would care for him… Having grown up emotionally detached, Jiang Qingshi had initially felt an indescribable bitterness seeing his son cling only to Guilan and keep his distance. He had even thought the child might be as indifferent to kinship as he was.

But later, at some unknown point, the relationship between father and son began to harmonize. He could clearly feel his son’s affection for him. Though Jiang Zhimiao was still young, babbling his first words, it made Jiang Qingshi experience father-son bonding for the first time—such warmth he never knew existed.

Old Master Jiang had disliked Jiang Qingshi since childhood. Initially unaware of the reason, Jiang Qingshi only understood after Yuan Yuexian’s dramatic outburst: the old master had always doubted Jiang Qingshi was his biological son. No wonder he’d been so distant, withholding any paternal warmth. Thus, when Miao Ge’er was born, Jiang Qingshi didn’t know how to love the child, subconsciously fearing their relationship would mirror his own with Old Master Jiang.

Yet gradually, the invisible ice between father and son thawed… Now, watching Miao Ge’er holding a teacup before him, Jiang Qingshi felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Taking a sip of tea, Jiang Qingshi gazed at his son’s round cheeks and couldn’t resist pinching them. “Miao Ge’er, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you’re still just a little child. Let your father get up and cook for you.”

“No, no, no!” Jiang Zhimiao waved his hands frantically. His father’s cooking… was it even edible?

“You’ve worked so hard, Father! How could we trouble you to cook? Mother has already made arrangements!”

Lin Guilan, ever considerate, had arranged for a neighbor to deliver meals. All Jiang Zhimiao needed to do was notify her, and the neighbor would heat the food and bring it over. Before Jiang Qingshi could react, Jiang Zhimiao toddled out on short legs, then came pattering back just as his father was processing the scene.

“Father!” Jiang Zhimiao blinked. “The food will be here soon!”

What a remarkable son indeed!

Soon enough, the neighbor delivered the meal. Father and son sat at the small square table, both somewhat restrained without Lin Guilan present. Noticing his father’s discomfort, Jiang Zhimiao proactively said, “Father, just tell me whatever you need! You must be exhausted!”

Jiang Qingshi paused slightly, his eyes smiling. “Miao Ge’er has grown up.”

Well, of course—he wasn’t really a child anyway…

“Then take me to see the rankings later!” Jiang Zhimiao seized the opportunity. “I want to celebrate!”

All three exam sessions were completed, and the final rankings were about to be posted. These final lists weren’t anonymized, allowing candidates to clearly see their standing. Though Jiang Qingshi had been somewhat fixated on becoming the Top Scholar, seeing his son’s innocent smile suddenly made fame and fortune feel less important. He lifted Jiang Zhimiao onto his lap, smiling fondly. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

Jiang Zhimiao wrapped his arms around Jiang Qingshi’s neck, swelling with pride. Who else had such an outstanding father? Not only was he handsome, but also immensely learned and talented—leaving others in the dust!

Having missed the last celebration, he was determined to stand by his father’s side this time and share this glorious moment!

After the meal, Jiang Qingshi found his son increasingly endearing. Reflecting on how he’d buried himself in studies lately, neglecting quality time with the boy, he decided to cherish this moment fully.

“Miao Ge’er, I’ve been too busy lately and haven’t spent much time with you…”

Jiang Zhimiao perked up his ears. Could Father be setting the stage to give him some reward?

“How about today, I teach you to recognize some characters!” Jiang Qingshi said with utmost seriousness. “It’s still early, we can learn quite a few characters.”

Jiang Zhimiao’s face immediately fell.

Father? You call this spending time together?

Indeed, the thinking of academic elites differs from ordinary mortals like me…

Forced to accept this “companionship,” Jiang Zhimiao found himself being supervised by Jiang Qingshi for most of the day’s study session.

Two days later, it was time for the prefectural examination results to be posted. Similar to the previous county exam, the final results combined scores from the first two tests into a “Long List,” also divided into A and B rankings, with only one hundred candidates ultimately selected. With nearly a thousand participants in this prefectural examination, the cruel nature of the selection system was evident.

Jiang Qingshi took Jiang Zhimiao along in the ox cart to view the results. Since they weren’t staying in the prefectural city, Jiang Qingshi had set out with Jiang Zhimiao at yinshi (3-5 am). Seeing the small child still sleepy and yawning, Jiang Qingshi felt reluctant and wanted to let Jiang Zhimiao sleep more, but the boy was stubborn – Father had promised to take him to see the results, and he couldn’t go back on his word!

Lin Guilan had originally wanted to come too, but ultimately couldn’t leave the shop’s business…

Both father and son felt somewhat sour about this. They never expected that moving to the county town would leave them feeling like lonely bachelors. Now Lin Guilan was busy with the shop’s business all day, leaving early and returning late, with little time for either of them!

But despite their sour feelings, neither wanted to hinder Lin Guilan from pursuing what she enjoyed. Jiang Qingshi had already started trying to cook for Jiang Zhimiao himself. Seeing his father’s enthusiastic expression, Jiang Zhimiao endured two attempts without vomiting, but for the sake of his own survival, he decided to be honest with his father… continuing to deceive him wasn’t sustainable.

Jiang Qingshi was quite saddened but ultimately accepted the saying “Of a hundred useless men, the worst is a scholar.” Lin Guilan now prepared meals before leaving each day, which Jiang Qingshi only needed to reheat. Jiang Qingshi felt rather useless, thinking that without his wife, daily life would be difficult to maintain.

Due to their busy mother/wife, father and son developed a sense of shared hardship. These past two days, Jiang Qingshi hadn’t continued his studies, instead teaching Jiang Zhimiao some characters when he could. When study tired them out, he would take the little one to stroll through the market streets, buying snacks and trendy little toys.

But both their palates had been spoiled by Lin Guilan’s cooking. Now, no street food tasted particularly appealing, which explained why their mother’s shop business was so successful – none of the other merchants could compare to her.

Jiang Qingshi drove the ox cart to the announcement area, tied up the cart, lifted his son with one arm, and calmly approached the posted results. As firecrackers crackled, yamen runners arrived beating gongs and drums, the noise so loud it attracted even commoners who hadn’t participated in the examination. A long list filled with names was posted on the wall, students pushing and shoving to get closer.

Jiang Qingshi’s tall stature made him stand out like a crane among chickens in the crowd. With just a brief glance, he spotted his name in second place – better than his county exam ranking, but still not the Top Scholar.

The top scorer was someone named Zhuo Zhiming. If memory served, Jiang Qingshi recalled he had also been the Top Scholar in the county exam.

It seemed this Zhuo Zhiming possessed extraordinary talent—not someone to be underestimated.

“Zhuo Zhiming is the Top Scholar again.”

“He was the Top Scholar in Jiangping County’s exam, wasn’t he?”

“Which one is Zhuo Zhiming? Let’s all see what kind of person he is.”

“You might not know this, but Zhuo Zhiming comes from a renowned scholarly family in our county. His ancestors once held official positions. Though their wealth isn’t as substantial as the richest Wei family’s, they place great emphasis on nurturing their descendants. I heard Zhuo’s grandfather even served as an official in the capital! Zhuo Zhiming began his studies with a tutor at just three years old. With such capability, he might even become a Tribute Scholar someday.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhimiao instinctively shrank deeper into Jiang Qingshi’s embrace.

Starting lessons with a tutor at three… Would Father get inspired by this too?

Mother, please don’t earn so much money! I’m afraid our family might become wealthy enough to hire a tutor!

“No wonder he didn’t come to check the results in person—he must have been confident about his success. During the county exam, I think it was his family servant who came to look.”

“I’ve seen Zhuo Zhiming once. He truly carries himself with remarkable composure—nothing like us ordinary, mediocre folks.”

“Ah, there’s no use envying people like him. But let’s not just talk about Zhuo Zhiming. This Jiang Qingshi—I remember he ranked near the top in the county exam too.”

“That’s right… He placed third back then. Speaking of which, Jiang Qingshi is also from Jiangping County. Jiangping County is truly remarkable—the first and second top scorers both hail from there! Moreover, Jiang Qingshi advanced even further in the prefectural examination. No one had heard of him before, which is quite surprising.”

“Exactly, who is this Jiang Qingshi? Although Jiangping County produces many talents, we’re usually familiar with its scholars—yet Jiang Qingshi’s name was completely unknown…”

Jiang Zhimiao listened, his heart swelling with pride. But when he glanced at his father’s face, it remained as calm and unassuming as ever. Father was truly modest by nature. Anyone else would have been eager to claim their identity, yet Father seemed almost afraid of being recognized.

“As for Wei Fengling, the flamboyant eldest son of the Wei family in Jiangping County, his name is absent from the list this time. I heard he didn’t even pass the first round of the prefectural examination. His success in the county exam was probably just luck…”

“Always dressing like a peacock, flaunting his family’s filthy money everywhere—yet he’s nothing but an embroidered pillow! Not just in Jiangping County, but throughout Linzhou Prefecture, Wei Fengling is notorious. Guess what he’s famous for? Everyone knows he’s a notorious good-for-nothing, hahaha… How could someone like him be engaged to the county magistrate’s daughter? In my opinion, only a refined gentleman like Zhuo Zhiming would be worthy of the magistrate’s daughter…”

How could they speak about Uncle Wei like that!

Aside from Jiang Qingshi and Lin Guilan, Wei Fengling was currently Jiang Zhimiao’s favorite person. Wei Fengling treated Jiang Zhimiao exceptionally well—not only granting his every request but also indulging him with delicious treats and fun games daily. If Jiang Zhimiao didn’t stand up for Wei Fengling now, even he would feel like an ungrateful wretch.

“You only… gossip behind others’ backs! If you have the nerve, say it to Uncle Wei’s face!”

The two or three men were chatting animatedly when suddenly a childish, furious voice rang out. They craned their necks back and forth, searching for the source of the voice, and after several rounds of looking, finally fixed their gazes on a red-faced little child being held by a slender man.

“Well, look who it is—a toothless little brat,” said one man with a loud laugh, revealing two yellow front teeth. “What, have the standards for the prefectural examination dropped so low that even this child can take it? And he has to be carried here too! Seems like his parents are overly eager for their son to become a dragon, hahahaha…”

It was rare to see someone holding a child while checking the exam results. Though the man appeared to be mocking Jiang Zhimiao, he was actually ridiculing Jiang Qingshi. The man holding the child, though dressed elegantly and handsome as jade, was carrying a child—hardly the demeanor of a scholar! Since when do men take care of children?

“I didn’t come to take the prefectural examination,” Jiang Zhimiao retorted sharply, forgetting to act naive in front of his father. “But my father did, and he’s much better than you!”

“Your father?” The yellow-toothed man looked Jiang Qingshi up and down. Though Jiang Qingshi’s clothes were neat, they were clearly not made of expensive fabric and even seemed somewhat shabby. The man couldn’t help but feel contempt. “What’s your father’s name? He’s quite good-looking—looks like the type who’d live off a woman and take care of kids.”

This remark sparked roaring laughter from the crowd. Some of the men had barely passed the exam, others had failed, but regardless of their results, they all derived some shallow satisfaction from mocking Jiang Qingshi. It was the first time they’d seen a man bring a child to check the exam rankings!

“I saw this brother arrive in an ox cart earlier,” another chimed in. “Looks like he traveled a long way—his hair is still covered in dew. Could it be he just finished working the fields this morning and rushed over to join the excitement?”

The group burst into laughter again.

Jiang Qingshi merely smiled. His studies had now sharpened his mind and clarity, like sweet dew nourishing his heart, and trivial worldly matters could no longer cloud his vision.

What was the point of engaging in petty arguments with these people? To him, they were nothing but a bunch of clowns.

“Who’s bullying my brother here?”

Suddenly, a clamor of gongs and drums erupted, deafening and flamboyant. Everyone turned in unison to look toward the source of the noise.