Volume One: From Farmer to Scholar Chapter 31: The Examination for Young Students

Ice was selling like hotcakes in Xuanyi County.

With the profits from selling ice, Su Laibao took out twenty percent and sent it to the Xie family.

The business of refined sugar had cost his worthy nephew quite a bit, so they could not afford to lose money again with the ice.

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The days of diligent study passed in a flash; before they knew it, another year had gone by.

Chu Liu and Su Biao had grown another year older.

On the first day of the new school term, Wen Lan Cang spoke slowly, “You have already completed the Four Books and Five Classics, and your poetry and prose can be praised. Over this year, your hard work and progress have not gone unnoticed by your teacher—I have seen it, and kept it in my heart. In the past, I only focused on imparting knowledge and rarely spoke of the imperial examinations, but today, it is time to discuss them…”

“It is said that the first honor gained from the exams is to become a Scholar, but passing the Child Student exam is the most crucial step…”

At this point, Wen Lan Cang paused involuntarily, a trace of bitterness in his heart.

Old sorrows welled up once again.

After calming himself, Wen Lan Cang continued in a gentle tone, “The Child Student exam consists of the County Exam, Prefecture Exam, and Academy Exam. The County Exam is usually presided over by the county magistrate, and all counties within a province hold their exams at the same time. Examinees must submit a guarantee form for mutual supervision…”

For example, the County Exam required the endorsement of a guaranteed student.

Merchants belonged to a low social status and could not participate in the imperial examinations. Su Biao was originally ineligible, but his family possessed a special document granting privilege, making him an exception.

In addition, five examinees must form a mutual guarantee group—if one cheats, all are implicated.

This system encouraged mutual supervision and reporting.

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After passing the County Exam, one proceeds to the Prefecture Exam.

Passing the Prefecture Exam earns the title of Child Student, making one eligible for the Academy Exam.

Only after passing the Academy Exam does one become a Scholar.

If a Child Student fails to become a Scholar, he may continue to take the Academy Exam in the future.

But without the title of Child Student, he must start from the County Exam.

Thus, the Child Student exam is the key step on the path to honor.

“The content of the County, Prefecture, and Academy Exams is familiar to your teacher, and I have also prepared exam questions from the past ten years.”

“If you master the material well this year, you may try your hand at the County Exam next spring—if you don’t pass, it will still be valuable experience, preparing you for the next attempt…”

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Time flew by, and soon it was the New Year.

On the day of the Minor New Year, Wen Lan Cang looked at Su Biao and Chu Liu with satisfaction and said, “Next February, for the County Exam, you can go with confidence—your names will surely be on the list.”

Both had made great academic progress, and their poetry and prose were well-polished; Wen Lan Cang knew the time had come.

Returning home, Chu Liu told his family that their teacher had decided they should sit for the County Exam.

The whole family’s faces lit up with joy.

They had not expected this day to arrive so soon.

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Wang Cuicui and Zheng Mei busied themselves sewing new clothes and shoes for Chu Liu.

February was still cold, so Zheng Mei set about making winter garments.

Chu Liu reminded his mother that when entering the exam academy, the officers would check their clothes, tearing open the winter garments to look for hidden materials.

Wearing winter clothes to the exam would be a waste.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Mei grumbled, saying the officers deliberately ruined the clothing.

She then began sewing lighter garments, making three in succession.

For the exam, wearing several layers of light clothing meant at worst having to remove them, sparing the fabric from being torn.

Then, they bought an exam basket in town.

The Xie family no longer cared about spending a little extra.

Over the past two years, Chu Liu no longer received the fee for writing, but he now earned shares from the ice business.

Especially this summer, when Chu Liu guided Su Laibao in making popsicles, earning another handsome profit, from which Chu Liu received a generous share.

Together with livestock and tofu production, the Xie family’s life had grown much more prosperous—they bought another ox, and many farming tools were replaced with new ones.