Chapter 51
Once outside the city, Fang Yu lay flat in the carriage and began to doze. The journey was long and tedious; passing time with his eyes closed was better than nothing. Otherwise, sitting for over two full days would surely leave his butt stiff.
Fortunately, the carriage was spacious, and he was the only one inside. He could still lie down with his legs bent. Before departure, Qiao Hezhi had repeatedly advised him not to appear wealthy while traveling. Even the clothes prepared for him were all plain and simple. Aside from his scholar registration token, he carried no valuable accessories. The only exception was this large-scale carriage, chosen precisely to suffer less on the road.
The official roads immediately outside Yuncheng were broad and smootg, providing an easy journey. Having had little sleep the night before, Fang Yu curled up in the carriage and was soon sound asleep.
The carriage jolted him awake. He pushed himself up from the floor, lifted the curtain, and looked outside. Outside, the sun was blazing. Dust on the road was kicked up two feet high by the horse's hooves. They seemed to have reached a sparsely populated area, as there were hardly any travelers on the road now. Looking further into the distance, one could see yellowed rice and dried-husked corn in the hillside fields.
Occasionally, they spotted two or three villagers wearing straw hats, barefoot with their trousers rolled high, herding cattle or cutting grass.
The official roads here were much rougher than those outside Yuncheng. Every time the horse broke into a gallop, the violent jolting sent sharp shocks right through his tailbone.
"Master, after another half shichen, there's a tea shed. We can stop there to have some dry rations and catch our breath, and let the horse graze. In the afternoon, we'll press on directly to Huining County to stay for the night."
"Alright."
Fang Yu waved a folding fan in the carriage for a while. With the curtain down, the inside felt like a steamer. But rolling up the curtain let in choking dust. It was truly stifling. His conditions were still good, having a carriage to ride in. He wondered how less fortunate students endured the blazing sun—if they didn't shed a layer of skin, they'd surely lose pounds of sweat.
The imperial examinations were truly a blessing and a curse. They offered a rare chance that most people could only dream of, yet they also demanded great suffering just to reach the testing grounds.
During the examination season, many people would come out to watch. Perhaps the scholar passing by today might return as a juren with an official rank. Even if he never passed the higher jinshi exam, he could still earn a living as a teacher and educate others. Moreover, with enough patience, and if the family had money and connections, one could even donate funds to become an official, raising the family's status.
Fang Yu lost himself in thought until they reached the tea shed mentioned by the coachman. By then, many people were already resting there to cool off—traveling villagers, merchants, but mostly scholars.
He asked the coachman to take the horse to graze. At a dry, cracked table, he drank a bowl of bitter tea and ate some dry provisions. Qiao Hezhi had packed a food box for him, containing marinated meats, cold dressed cucumbers, and meat-filled pastries. Such fare did not keep well in the summer heat and would last only a day at most—but that was enough to reach Huining City, where he could restock with longer-lasting travel provisions.
In the afternoon, after swaying for over two shichen, Fang Yu moved from inside the carriage to sitting outside. When the sun tilted west, painting the clouds across the sky, they finally reached the city.
Huining City was a small town, nowhere near as prosperous as Yuncheng. The land was poor, and there were no notable local industries. One incompetent county magistrate after another had left it languishing in mediocrity. Its only advantage was as a required stop for examination candidates traveling to the prefectural capital. Every year during the examination season, the city was at its liveliest.
Taking full advantage of the season, the city’s inns and eateries raised their prices outrageously, preying especially on out-of-towners who arrived by cart or on foot with their bedrolls and bundles. It was common for a shop to charge one price to locals and a much higher one to visitors for the very same item.
Upon entering the city, having sat in the carriage for a full day, Fang Yu's legs were swollen and sore. He didn't care about the inn's prices and booked a room on the street nearest the city gate.
The cost of stabling the carriage and lodging the coachman came to a full tael of silver. Fang Yu suspected the unscrupulous innkeeper was sizing him up and charging accordingly. But just then, he overheard several scholars grumbling as they entered, complaining that the inns deeper in the city were demanding even higher prices.
"Scholar, are you staying or not? There are only five rooms left. If you sincerely want lodging in the city, it's best to settle early. Otherwise, prices will only rise later. All the inns in the city are in high demand this season."
"I'll stay." Fang Yu took out a broken tael of silver from his money pouch and gave the waiter a few copper coins: "Please also bring some hot water to my room."
"Right away! Room Earth-8, I'll get you a lucky number plate. This humble one will bring hot water shortly. After freshening up, you can stroll the streets outside the inn. The local bamboo shoots are at their freshest and tenderest right now. You should try them, sir."
"Thank you, little brother."
Fang Yu went upstairs. The inn was quite noisy, filled with the sounds of people coming, going, and checking in. Looking around, all were candidates for the exams—some nearing middle age with beards, others not yet thirty with youthful faces. From the corridor above came the sound of someone reciting texts.
He tutted, found his room, and entered. The Earth-grade room was quite spacious, containing a table, a bed, and a washroom screened off by a partition. The money spent seemed worth it. Spending money was one thing; what annoyed him most was spending money without getting comfort.
When he left, Qiao Hezhi had stuffed him with plenty of silver—two pouches of broken silver kept in different places, along with small-denomination silver notes, convenient to carry and inconspicuous to use.
He carefully put away the money, removed his outer robe, and wore a thin garment. He was prone to sweating, and his back was already soaked through. The waiter was efficient, soon bringing hot water.
"Do you find bathing dull, sir? Would you like some incense, soap pods (皂角), or flower petals?"
"Just some soap pods, please."
"Very well, but those cost extra."
"..."
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