Chapter 50
Spring passed swiftly, and before one knew it, a continuous stretch of clear weather for half a month had made the weather quite hot.
Fang Yu had switched to his summer clothing early. After reading for over a shichen (2 hours) from dawn, when he pushed open the door, the courtyard was already bathed in blazing sunlight.
In the cloudless azure sky, not a hint of wind could be found. The sun beat down, making the tree leaves droop limply. All the trees in the courtyard hung listlessly downwards, with only two old camphor trees still resisting the scorching sun.
The Fang residence was welcoming its first summer with its masters in residence. The greenery in the houses and courtyards had only been planted around the tenth lunar month last year. They had sprouted, blossomed, and grown a bit since spring, but they ultimately couldn't provide much shade or block the sun. Still, the estate was cooler than those old mansions where towering greenery predated the buildings.
Qiao Hezhi was worried Fang Yu would get too hot while studying. To help, he had a hand-pulled fan installed in the study. He also put two pots of orchids in front of where the air blew out. This way, whenever a servant pulled the fan's rope, it would send out a breeze that carried the orchids' fragrance. It was a very refined and pleasant idea.
However, Fang Yu only found this interesting for about two days. Although the fan did provide some cooling, it needed a servant to stand there and pull the rope constantly. This was not practical for long periods. Furthermore, the fan itself made noise. The sound often broke Fang Yu's concentration while he was trying to write his essays.
He only used this hand-pulled fan when the midday heat became truly unbearable. He also had the orchids replaced with two pots of evening primroses. Summer wasn't just about heat; mosquitoes and insects were a genuine source of irritation. They were fewer during the day, but by night it was pure torment—buzzing annoyingly by the ear. One could spend a whole shichen just swatting mosquitoes.
He withdrew his eyes, which were stinging from the sunlight and seeing spots, and noted the sun's position indicated it was almost noon. Usually, Qiao Hezhi would have brought him a cup of cooled mung bean soup or tremella fungus soup by now, but today there was no sign of him. His mouth felt somewhat dry.
Just as he was about to go to Xiaotong Courtyard to look for him, Qiao Hezhi arrived first.
"Why have you come out? Have you finished today's studies so early?"
"It's hot inside, I came out for some air." Seeing Qiao Hezhi neatly dressed with some fine sweat on his forehead, Fang Yu stepped forward and wiped it for him. "Have you been out?"
"I knew you'd be hot. I heard a new icehouse has opened in the city, so I hurried over to buy some ice." Qiao Hezhi let Xuezhu take a basin to the study. "You can enjoy the breeze in the pavilion for now. It won't be as hot when you go inside later."
Hearing there was ice for cooling, a smile appeared on Fang Yu's face. Ice in summer, charcoal in winter—the consumption during these two seasons was too distressing to calculate in detail. If not for a fairly well-off household, it would be truly miserable.
"That means I won't have to suffer the sweltering heat while studying this afternoon. But you haven't brought me any soup this morning."
Fang Yu held Qiao Hezhi's hand, putting on a bit of an act. Since summer began, he had grown accustomed to the daily soup, and missing it today felt off.
"It's been ready since morning. I just didn't have free hands to bring it while busy with the ice." Qiao Hezhi smiled. "Early this morning, the tenant farmers from the village delivered some produce. There are early-ripening plums, and crucian carp and river shrimp from the paddy fields. Since you love cold dishes in summer, I simmered some sour plum juice and cooled it in the deep well. I also steamed the crucian carp and shrimp, let them cool, and dressed them. They should be perfectly refreshing now."
Upon hearing this, Fang Yu's mouth watered. In the sweltering summer heat, no one could resist a plate of cold dressed crucian carp and shrimp.
Shelled river shrimp drizzled with a sauce of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and a mix of ground spices, garnished with scallions and cilantro. One shrimp at a time—first the enticing flavor of the sauce, then biting into the firm, sweet meat of the shrimp.
He could eat a whole plate by himself.
"I added sour orange juice to today's sauce."
"You have a keen sense of taste." Qiao Hezhi placed a plump shrimp into Fang Yu's bowl, feeling deeply content as he watched him eat. "Just the other day, didn't you mention that while both vinegar and sour orange juice are sour, the sour orange juice is more clear and refreshing? So today, I made the dressing for the shrimp specifically with sour orange. The flavor really is better this way."
"Everything you make is good." Fang Yu said, "I see each shrimp is large, and the crucian carp are plump with tender meat. I suppose this year's harvest from the fields must be good too."
Qiao Hezhi nodded. Speaking of the harvest, he instinctively thought that by that season, Fang Yu would already have left for the examinations. A dull feeling settled in his heart, but he didn't show it, only saying, "The tenant farmers reported at the shop that the crops are growing well, free from pests. They eagerly brought some of their own raised chickens and rabbits to Uncle's workshop, asking for some medicine that can suppress pests."
"Uncle's workshop has things like that too?"
"Is there anything strange or unusual that Uncle doesn't have? The other day he even said he'd send me some insect-repellent incense. I told him to send it quickly; if it works, we'd suffer less at night."
Fang Yu chuckled. Nowadays, there were things on the market similar to later-era mosquito coils, made from mugwort, sulfur, and other items, which also had some insect-repelling effect. If he had free time, he'd probably go to Lin Xuan's place and tinker with mosquito incense too. But it was already the end ofthe sixth lunar month, and by the end of the seventh lunar month, he needed to begin preparations to leave for the prefectural examinations.
The academy was pushing studies intensely, and at home, Qiao Hezhi was keeping a sharp eye on him. With daily studies so heavy, he had no extra energy to tinker with other things, so he simply focused wholeheartedly on his studies.
…
The days quickly turned to the seventh lunar month. Starting from mid-month, Qiao Hezhi began preparing the items Fang Yu would need for his journey to the prefectural city to take the examinations.
Yuncheng belonged to Yongjiang Prefecture. From here, with fast horse-drawn carriage, one could reach the prefectural city in two and a half days. Although not considered far, Qiao Hezhi did not plan to have Fang Yu leave just at the time of the Provincial Examination.
Qiao's father had done business in the prefectural city before. Qiao Hezhi heard that the local customs and lifestyle there were quite different from Yuncheng's, with significant variations in food. Previously, there had been scholars who suffered from acclimatization issues, leading to illness that hampered their exams. It was a pity to travel so far only to be unable to demonstrate their true ability, and then have to wait another three years of arduous study for the next attempt.
Learning from these past experiences, he prepared everything early and made clear arrangements, so that Fang Yu could arrive at the prefectural city ten days to half a month in advance to adapt to the environment, avoiding any exam hindrance due to acclimatization.
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