While washing up, his face was tense. Scenes from the dream flashed before him intermittently.
Having had two nightmares in a row, his head was splitting, and he felt inexplicably restlessness.
In fact, one could say he was carefree. Under comfortable conditions, he could fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and sleep soundly until daybreak. He rarely dreamed. Occasionally, if he did dream, it was mostly about school system reforms, like no more morning classes, or the nanny accepting a bribe from his second brother and secretly buying them a case of spicy strips... This was the first time he had had a nightmare like this.
Why did he suddenly dream of such things?
Was it because he missed them during the day, so he dreamed of them at night? Or... was it a premonition?
But a premonition implied foreseeing the future.
If people could foresee the future, they wouldn't say 'the world is impermanent'.
Fang Zichen thought this, but he still felt unsettled, his spirit wandering. However, the prefectural exam was crucial now, and he couldn't afford to dwell on irrelevant thoughts.
Once ready, carrying his basket, he went outside. Li Yisheng was already waiting there with several people.
Li Yisheng's second aunt was talking to a young man. Her voice wasn't particularly soft. The sky wasn't yet light, the streets were empty and silent. Fang Zichen unavoidably overheard.
"My son, you must do well on the exam! The hopes of our Li family rest entirely on you."
"You must not disappoint your father and mother's hopes."
Though the early morning hour of maoshi (5-7 AM) brought a slight chill to the air, the young man's forehead was slightly damp, his speech somewhat incoherent, his body trembling slightly, clearly very nervous.
Fang Zichen shook his head inwardly. Regardless of this person's knowledge, with this mindset, his mind would probably go blank upon entering the examination hall.
Fang Zichen glanced at Li Yisheng. Li Yisheng's face was expressionless, as if he was already used to it.
"Did you bring everything?" Li Yisheng said. "Don't be so careless that you forget something, only to find out inside that you didn't bring your brush!"
Fang Zichen forced himself to perk up and checked again. "I have everything."
He didn't talk back. Li Yisheng found it slightly strange, thinking he was just being careless and only starting to get nervous today. "That's good."
Fang Zichen climbed into the carriage. The servant flicked the whip, and the carriage moved slowly towards the examination hall.
Li Yisheng watched until it disappeared from sight, then sighed melancholically.
Just as he was about to turn and enter the door, his second aunt suddenly asked, "Was that your friend?"
"Mm," Li Yisheng nodded.
"How long have you known him? Why haven't I heard you mention him before?" Second Aunt Li asked.
After Li Yisheng gave up on the imperial examinations, he had thrown himself wholeheartedly into medicine. He didn't often go out for fun, so he didn't have many friends. Yesterday, when she saw him bring back someone with an exceptionally outstanding demeanor and extremely handsome looks, and call him a friend, Second Aunt Li was inevitably surprised and curious. But Li Yisheng had been busy all day yesterday, and she hadn't found a chance to ask.
"We just met," Li Yisheng said.
"Just met?" Second Aunt Li frowned deeply. "A-sheng, it's not that your second aunt wants to criticize you, but look at you, you just met someone and you bring him home? What if he has bad intentions? What then?"
Li Yisheng felt displeased. "Second Aunt, Zichen isn't that kind of person."
"One may know a person's face but not their heart," Second Aunt Li said. "Besides, how long have you known him? How do you know what kind of person he is? Moreover, he's supposed to be a scholar, but look, does he have any of the demeanor of a scholar? The prefectural exam is imminent, and he doesn't even know to review properly. He comes to Yuanzhou and his eyes are dazzled, like a country bumpkin. Look at the things he brought back yesterday, what are they? Only a poor wretch who's never seen anything good would treat an ordinary pair of children's shoes like a treasure."
Li Yisheng was annoyed. He hadn't been in a good mood to begin with, and now it was worse.
His grandfather had two sons. Li Yisheng's father was the eldest son.
Both his father and second uncle had inherited the family business and studied medicine. However, Second Uncle Li's medical skills were not refined. Some years ago, he made a mistake and killed a patient. The Li family medical hall paid a large sum in compensation. That wasn't all, their reputation suffered, and for a time, the Li family medical hall had no visitors. Five or six years later, when the incident was gradually forgotten, the Li family medical hall was able to reestablish itself.
Although the Li family had practiced medicine for generations, they always felt that studying medicine had no future and wanted to pursue an official career. Since the eldest branch's Li Yisheng had no hope in the imperial examinations, the Old Master Li placed his hopes on the second branch.
Li Yixing had been well-behaved since childhood and studied diligently. He was often praised by his tutor in school.
This time, taking the exam, the tutor said he had a high probability of passing. The second branch of the Li family was practically looking down on everyone.
Just after Li Yixing passed the county exam, Second Aunt Li started putting on airs, looking down on everyone.
Li Yisheng was extremely fed up. Second Aunt Li continued talking on her own.
"This is my home," Li Yisheng interrupted her, no longer maintaining surface politeness. "This medical hall was opened by my father himself, it's his private property, not the Li family's. Therefore, I can bring whoever I want, and I can make anyone leave."
Second Aunt Li immediately fell silent, looking embarrassed.
Though the sky wasn't yet light, a long line had already formed outside the examination hall.
By the time the inspection was complete and he had received his number, Fang Zichen's legs were sore.
This time, he was lucky. His cubicle was at the front, quite far from the latrine. He would have to stay in the cubicle for three days this time. The county-level exam had been more manageable, candidates departed in the evening after submitting their papers, and cleaners would enter to empty the nightsoil buckets. Furthermore, it lasted only a single day, meaning most examinees, focused intently on reading and composing their essays, had less cause to frequent the latrine. This time, it was three days, and during this period, unauthorized personnel were not allowed inside the examination hall. Whoever was close to the latrine would probably suffer a bit.
The examiners had not yet entered. Fang Zichen went into his cubicle and leaned against the wooden wall, resting with his eyes closed.
After last night's dream, he missed Zhao Ger and his son terribly. He really missed them.
____
Xiaohe Village.
Zhao Ger got up as soon as the morning light appeared.
He had slept late yesterday. After Fang Zichen left, he had gone to sell chili sauce, then taken the blueprint Fang Zichen left to find someone to build the roast duck oven. When he returned, he didn't rest, staying busy. It didn't feel like much then, but during dinner in the evening, with one less person chattering beside him, the suppressed emotions came flooding back.
At night, he couldn't sleep at all. He missed Fang Zichen. Had he reached the prefectural city? Had he found a place to stay? What was he doing now? Was he, like himself, preparing to sleep? That man was so particular, was he used to staying outside? Was he missing him and their son?
Guaizai didn't speak either. During the last county exam, he would say he wanted his father. But perhaps knowing it was useless to call out, this time he was quiet. He sat all day on the threshold of the courtyard gate, looking out, as if expecting Fang Zichen to suddenly appear.
Having slept poorly the night before, morning found him weary. Yet, an inexplicable agitation coiled tightly within Zhao Ger.
Guaizai was hugging his pillow, sleeping soundly.
The morning before last, when Guaizai got up and searched the house without finding Fang Zichen, he realized his father was gone.
He knew Zhao Ger also missed Fang Zichen, and that seeing him cry would make him feel worse. He tried to hold back, but how could he? So he hid by the goat pen again and cried secretly.
He missed his father, missed him terribly. But he still didn't neglect the chores he needed to do.
Seeing him listless, Zhao Ger told him to go out and play. He shook his head.
"Guaizai must go dig for worms. Chickens eat worms and grow big big. Father is taking the exam, very hard very hard. When the chickens are big, when Father comes back, Guaizai will kill a chicken for Father to eat. If there are good things to eat at home, Father won't be willing to leave later."
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