mesbooks Chapter 107 Palace Test
Chapter 107 Palace Test
Fortunately, Zhang Ping'an had finished writing the test paper, and the examination room he was in did not leak. In addition, there was oil paper prepared in the examination basket, so there was no need to worry about the test paper getting wet.
Only then did Zhang Ping'an stop writing, heaved a sigh of relief, and started to eat something. He was really tired after not eating or drinking for most of the day and being so tense.
The rain continued for more than half an hour before it began to slowly subside, but it was still very cold in the examination hall. This period was the time of late spring cold, and Zhang Pingan estimated that the weather would not be very good in the next few days. He couldn't help but feel a little worried. The examination not only tested knowledge, but also physical strength. This was an era where a cold could be fatal.
After finishing his meal and taking a few sips of water, Zhang Ping'an began to check the test papers. He estimated that it would take about an hour to collect the papers.
At this moment, there was a sudden noise not far away, as well as the sound of heavy objects falling and students crying, but it disappeared after a moment.
Zhang Ping'an didn't even raise his head. During the exam, he didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to other people or other things.
At 3 p.m., the bell in the examination hall rang and the papers began to be collected. By this time, the sky had already darkened, indicating that the next rainstorm was about to come.
When Zhang Ping'an walked out of the examination room, he saw his elder brother-in-law and his father waiting for him not far away. Liu's father was also beside them. Passersby had to deliberately walk around his elder brother-in-law, which was ridiculous.
"Dad, Uncle Liu, brother-in-law, I've finished my exams. Let's find a place to shelter from the rain and wait for Liu Shengyuan and Li Mingxuan." Zhang Ping'an knew that his father must have prepared some for Li Mingxuan as well when he saw that his father had several oil-paper umbrellas.
Father Liu nodded with a worried look on his face. Taking an exam on a rainy day is a test for all students. He wondered how his son Ayuan would fare.
Everyone found a teahouse to sit down, and Zhang Pingan discovered that his mule cart was equipped with a carport. "Dad, did you install the carport today? It would probably be much more expensive to install this in the provincial capital than in our county."
Zhang Laoer nodded and replied: "It is much more expensive than installing it in the county, but the weather has been bad these days. It would be bad if we get caught in the rain when picking you up. Although we have hats and raincoats, I think it is safest to install a carport. The exam is the most important thing, and we cannot save this money."
Liu Sanlang also nodded.
When you order tea in the teahouse, a small plate of melon seeds and peanuts are given as a gift. Zhang Laoer and Liu's father have no appetite for them. Zhang Pingan pushed the plate in front of his brother-in-law and said, "Brother-in-law, eat it. Don't waste it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Father Liu stood up and shouted, "Ayuan, here!"
Zhang Ping'an turned around and saw that Liu Shengyuan and Li Mingxuan's examination rooms should be very close to each other, as they came out together.
Everyone stopped drinking tea and stood up to walk out. Liu Sanlang quickly poured the melon seeds and peanuts into his pocket to avoid wasting them.
Li Mingxuan looked fine, so he must have answered well. Liu Shengyuan looked a little serious, and his father felt a little nervous when he saw it, but he didn't ask any more questions.
It was just past 3 p.m. when the sky became pitch dark. Zhang Laoer hurriedly asked everyone to get on the car and go back to the inn. They hurried all the way, but as soon as they entered the inn, heavy rain poured down again.
The good atmosphere in the inn was gone, and the students were groaning. Zhang Pingan then realized that the roofs of several examination rooms had collapsed that afternoon, and there were many more rooms leaking. In comparison, the smelly room was nothing.
One of the students said angrily in the lobby of the inn: "The province allocates money every year to repair the examination halls. No matter what, the roof of the examination hall should not be collapsed by rain. It is obvious that the previous repairs were just a pretense. We don't know who embezzled the money. We should unite and file a complaint with the province."
A small number of students whose examination rooms were also affected by the leaking rain nodded in agreement, while most students stayed out of it.
The student leading the speech grew increasingly agitated. Despite the heavy rain, he dragged everyone to the government office. "I don't believe the prefect won't take action on this matter. Let's go together and ask to see the prefect and explain this matter clearly!"
Saying that, he was about to go out.
But the small group of students who had just agreed with him suddenly fell silent. One of them advised, "Zi Yan, forget it. It's still raining heavily. It's not too late to talk about it after the weather improves. It's already like this now anyway."
Others also tried to persuade him.
However, Zhang Ping'an knew that this was the end of the matter and there would be no other variables. No matter how angry these students were, they could not change anything. An examination in a prefectural city could not be easily invalidated.
Zhang Laoer pulled his son upstairs to wash up and go to bed, as he still had two exams to take!
The ground was damp when it rained, and he definitely couldn't let his father and brother-in-law sleep on the floor. Zhang Ping'an ignored his father's dissuasion and asked the shopkeeper to book a room. The price had increased again in the past two days and had reached 200 wen per night, which made Zhang Laoer and Liu Sanlang very distressed.
After dinner, Liu Shengyuan came to chat with Zhang Pingan and said worriedly: "Ping'an, the roof of the examination room next to me collapsed today, which scared me. I wrote a word dirty, and I feel that I will fail the provincial examination this time."
Zhang Ping'an was more optimistic and consoled him, "Look, the candidate next to you had his roof collapse, but yours didn't. That means you're just luckier than others. The exam results haven't been announced yet, so it's hard to predict. I actually think our chances of passing are higher this time. After all, the exam room is leaking with so many people, and those who were mentally unstable and loud were all carried out. So there are far fewer people left to take the exam normally."
"That's the only way I can think of it," Liu Shengyuan nodded and went back to his room. He had to go to bed early today because he had to get up early tomorrow to take the exam.
Over the next two days, just as Zhang Ping'an had predicted, the weather was as bad as ever, with continuous wind and rain. Fortunately, the roof of the examination room was quite sturdy, so there were no leaks. He wore a thick coat to ensure he would not catch a cold.
What was particularly surprising was that the homework Master Lin had assigned had actually hit the nail on the head: "At the end of the Ji Hai year, in the spring of the Geng Zi year, a great epidemic struck Jin, infecting tens of thousands. Pestilence spread. Every household was filled with the pain of zombies, every room was filled with wailing. Some families perished, others even their entire clans were wiped out. Some believed the epidemic was caused by ghosts and gods. Those who succumbed were the poor, those who lived in thatched houses, and those who lived in thatched houses. Those who lived in stately homes, with their doors covered in mink and beards, were rarely found. This was because yin and yang were out of balance, and the cold and heat were out of season. This was the cause of the epidemic, and the foolish people hung talismans to ward off evil. How ridiculous!"
On the third day, after finishing the test at 3 p.m. and walking out of the examination room, Zhang Ping'an felt that he had overcome another hurdle in his heart. Although the sky was still dark and the rain was pouring, he was in a good mood.
Zhang Laoer gained experience over the next two days and, following the example of other students' families, asked Liu Sanlang to ask the inn's kitchen to boil a pot of ginger soup and put it in a teapot when the exams were almost over, so that he could drink it in time to drive away the cold.
"The three days of exams are finally over," Zhang Laoer couldn't help but sigh. He had been worried these past few days, and food and accommodation were expensive. Money was spent like water, and it really hurt!