Chapter 45 The County Examination Begins!

Uncle Lin spoke to Xi Sheng, “Young Master truly amazed everyone today, but that Scholar Gu is clearly targeting him.” Was their young master someone to be bullied at will?

Xi Sheng’s gaze was cold as he glanced at Scholar Gu. “Look into this Scholar Gu,” he ordered. His apprentice was not to be bullied by just anyone.

Uncle Lin hurriedly responded, “Yes!”

Scholar Gu felt a chill run down his back, his eyelid twitching. He glared at Lin Xi, “You’d better give me a reasonable explanation!”

Scholar Gu didn’t stay for long before leaving. Lin Xi’s face turned pale; his master was angry—he was doomed.

It was all because of Li Su and Chen Ping! Li Su deserved to die; Chen Ping even more so!

After Scholar Gu left, everyone looked at each other, gathering in small groups, discussing something. Judging by their expressions, it was gossip—not literary debate.

“Su Brother! You really are a genius!” Lin Ze exclaimed in awe, and he was truly fortunate to have befriended Su Brother.

The changes in the group left Lin Ze feeling as if he were living in another world. Compared to his former self, he had changed so much, all for the better, thanks to Su Brother.

The three of them admired Li Su greatly; it seemed that any problem brought to Su Brother could be solved.

Li Su noticed Lin Xi watching him, and glanced at Chen Ping, who was also staring. An idea, mischievous and sly, formed in his mind.

With a bright smile, Li Su walked over to Chen Ping and patted him on the shoulder, “Thank you, Brother Chen. If not for you, I wouldn’t have performed so well today.”

Chen Ping was momentarily confused. What did Li Su mean by this?

After thinking it over, Chen Ping figured Li Su was grateful he had persuaded him to come—otherwise, he wouldn’t have attended and wouldn’t have astonished everyone again.

Chen Ping’s mouth twitched; he couldn’t smile, and he was so angry he gritted his teeth, his expression twisted. Li Su was here just to show off.

From Lin Xi’s perspective, the two were chatting and laughing. That damned Chen Ping—how dare he mock him!

Lin Xi glared fiercely at Chen Ping, who thought Lin Xi was glaring at Li Su and paid no mind.

Lin Xi believed Chen Ping held him in contempt. Furious, he laughed in spite of himself. Fine, fine, even someone like Chen Ping dared to look down on him—he would make Chen Ping pay.

After the day’s events, Lin Xi spent a considerable sum preparing gifts for Scholar Gu. Scholar Gu’s mood improved somewhat, but his attitude toward Lin Xi was not as cordial as before.

Over the next few days, Scholar Gu found himself targeted; all his past deeds were laid out on his desk—a blatant threat. The only person he’d offended lately was Li Su.

Lin Xi told him Li Su was merely a common country youth, but Scholar Gu suspected Lin Xi had been deliberately placed by someone to provoke him into offending Li Su—a cruel scheme, using another’s hand to exact revenge.

Scholar Gu, furious, confronted Lin Xi. Lin Xi was bewildered and hadn’t even reacted before Scholar Gu severed ties with him.

Lin Xi felt guilty and fearful, worried as well. In his frustration, he hired some men from a gambling den to break Chen Ping’s leg.

No one knew Lin Xi was behind it; everyone assumed Chen Ping had brought it upon himself. After all, last time Chen Ping had caused Li Su’s head to be struck, so Chen Ping’s broken leg seemed only natural.

With no money at home, Chen Ping’s leg went untreated. He became a cripple, unable to take the imperial exams, spending his days at home cursing his fate, growing increasingly unstable and mentally unsound.

Lin Xi, no longer Scholar Gu’s apprentice, found his days growing harder. Even his own father and mother blamed him, making him depressed and distracted in his studies.

Li Su was aware of all this. Chen Ping’s fate was expected; Scholar Gu and Lin Xi’s situation, though not his doing, he guessed must have been his master’s handiwork.

Li Su felt a touch of gratitude in his heart—protected so fiercely by his master, it seemed the old man was not as heartless as he appeared.

...

In the months that followed, Li Su studied diligently, his days filled with busy learning. His master seemed to have an endless supply of books, and with Li Su’s remarkable ability, his master was always pulling out more for him to read.

Li Su returned home about once a week, each time bringing things back and forth.

With his second sister-in-law Dong Fangfang’s belly growing larger, his mother and second brother now came to the city every day to sell spicy chicken skewers. They’d even bought a shop, no longer exposed to the elements.

Feng Cuicui often visited the private academy to see Li Su, bringing him skewers to share with his classmates. Li Su was both amused and helpless, but complied, as it was his mother’s wish.

In the days ahead, the scholars in town continued organizing various activities, but Li Su never attended. Gradually, the discussions about him faded.

This winter was particularly cold for Li Su. With no heating, he shivered under his blankets. He noticed his master suffered from chronic leg pain in the cold, yet the old man always pretended nothing was wrong.

When Li Su returned home, he found it even colder. Next year, after the county exam, he would build a heated kang bed and renovate the house.

As the exam approached, both his master and his family hoped Li Su would focus solely on his studies, so he quietly postponed these plans.

Although he felt the tasks wouldn’t take much time, neither his master nor his family would allow it, leaving him with no choice but to obey. Perhaps this was the burden of love.

Deep down, Li Su still felt a subtle pride.

Time passed, and February arrived. The county examination began in the midst of the cold.

Li Su, Lin Ze, Ren Shuhua, Qin Ming, along with another scholar from the academy, formed a group of five.

The day before the exam, Lin Ze, Ren Shuhua, and Qin Ming were extremely nervous. Previously, they hadn’t cared much, knowing they wouldn’t pass, so there was no need for nerves—it was just a formality. This year was different. They had studied earnestly, worked hard, and now worried only they themselves might not pass.

“Su Brother, how are you not nervous at all?” Qin Ming asked, his voice trembling.

Exams, exams, exams—his teacher was his secret weapon. In his previous life, Li Su had taken countless exams since childhood. He truly felt no anxiety about this one.

He even looked forward to it—a chance to test his progress.

“It's just habit. If you’ve worked hard, you have to accept any outcome. This is just one exam, and the margin for error is high.” Even if he failed, it wouldn’t be fatal, though he refrained from saying such unlucky things before the exam.

Habit, he said? Yet other scholars who’d taken many exams were still nervous—Su Brother truly had a remarkable mindset.

After a few joking words with Li Su, the three calmed down.

The next day, Li Su set out directly from Xi Sheng’s house, with lunch prepared by Uncle Lin.

Li Su himself was calm, but Uncle Lin and his mother were beside themselves with anxiety. “Young Master, you’ll surely succeed, you…you…” Uncle Lin was so nervous he forgot what he wanted to say.

“Uncle Lin, Mother, don’t worry. Look at how composed my master is.” Xi Sheng sat serenely in the carriage, personally escorting his young apprentice to the imperial exam.

Feng Cuicui was also present, having come early without telling Li Su in advance. When Li Su saw her, his heart skipped a beat.

It was his first time taking an exam with family accompanying him!