Chapter 60 Setting the Date

Wang Xuezhou looked steadily at the red envelope before him. After a moment, he leaned forward and raised the man's hand.

"An elder commands respect, so Manager Qiu need not do this. It is merely a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."

Although he had no idea why the other party had suddenly changed his mind, he neither cared nor was he curious. Since the matter had come to an end here, and he had no intention of dealing with the man again, why make things difficult for Manager Qiu?

A trivial matter...

Manager Qiu found him somewhat unfathomable.

Did the young master say this because he was truly unaware of the details, or because he had already learned the truth and made up his mind, thus letting it go without a second thought?

Thinking of this, Manager Qiu gave a bitter smile.

Given this young master's caliber, his excuse must have seemed quite clumsy and laughable, yet the other party was still willing to treat him with courtesy. Truly, he was a scholar!

"As long as the young master does not hold a grudge. I have aging parents and young children to support, so I was..." Manager Qiu let out a long sigh, a genuine note of sincerity entering his voice as he presented the red envelope with both hands. "I wish the young master success in the imperial examinations and a future as bright as brocade."

Wang Xuezhou reached out and accepted it. "Thank you."

After seeing Manager Qiu off, Wang Xuezhou opened the red envelope and glanced inside. It contained five hundred taels in silver banknotes.

With an expressionless face, he tucked it into his robe, then opened the letter sent by Zhu An. The very first line was an apology.

Zhu An wrote that a few days prior, he had suddenly received a letter from his mother and learned that, entirely without Wang Xuezhou's knowledge, Madam Zhu had sold his manuscripts without giving him any share of the profits.

This had made him extremely furious, and he had already written to his mother to fight for what was rightfully his. However, since the manuscripts had been sold long ago and could not be reclaimed, he could only insist that his mother hand over the due proceeds, and he felt deeply apologetic toward Wang Xuezhou on her behalf...

Between the lines, one could feel Zhu An's indignation, yet since it was his own mother, he was utterly helpless.

Wang Xuezhou thought for a moment and wrote a reply stating that he did not mind, the matter was already in the past, and urging him to focus on preparing for the exams with peace of mind...

Having asked Axe to deliver the letter to Manager Qiu, Wang Xuezhou completely put the incident behind him.

With his current financial abundance, let alone passing the county examination, he had more than enough funds even to pass the provincial examination.

The *Great Qian Legal Code* comprised over five hundred articles, and memorizing them word for word within three months was indeed quite challenging. Based on the commentary and sub-commentary, Wang Xuezhou first gained a rough understanding of the contents, and then categorized and memorized the material accordingly.

Such a study method proved to be significantly more efficient.

When Zhao Xing and Qi Xian asked about it, he did not keep it a secret and shared his study technique with them. After listening, Qi Xian gained some insights, and his study efficiency improved considerably.

The only pity was that mathematics could not simply be memorized; one had to comprehend the formulas and apply them proficiently to truly master the subject.

The three of them studied, ate, and slept together, which made discussing problems among themselves quite convenient.

Within the span of a single month, each felt he had improved by leaps and bounds.

Ever since Master Zhou discovered that Wang Xuezhou still learned these two subjects with extreme swiftness, he abandoned conventional teaching methods and began tutoring him specially and frequently.

Once, Zhao Xing and Qi Xian accidentally overheard a bit of this advanced instruction, and they hurriedly backed away covered in cold sweat.

It was not that they did not want to learn, but they simply could not keep up!

Trying to bite off more than one can chew leads to indigestion; both remained very sensible.

Time flies like a weaving shuttle, and the shifting stars mark the passage of months.

As summer gave way, the eighth month officially arrived, and the dates for the院试 (the Academy Examination) were announced—the exams would take place at the end of August.

Upon learning the news, Master Zhou informed them at once.

"You have already walked the road to Huaiqing Prefecture once before. This time, you will arrange the journey yourselves. Travelling to the examination is also a part of your journey through the imperial examinations."

Having said that, Master Zhou strode away with carefree grace.

Lü Dasheng turned green with envy. "You get to go out on your own. I'm so envious! I wonder when my turn will come..."

Zheng Guangyuan rolled his eyes. "They are going to take exams, do you think they're going out to play?!"

He still harbored lingering fears about the dangers of the last trip to the examinations.

With that in mind, he reminded the trio, "It's not safe outside. You should discuss having your families send you, or hire two bodyguards to go with you."

Zhao Xing nodded. "We need to talk it over."

As the three of them packed their belongings, they walked out amidst the envious gazes of the others.

"I... well, you all know my situation. My family probably can't afford to hire bodyguards," Qi Xian said apologetically and awkwardly as he looked at the other two.

Zhao Xing's family was slightly better off, but they were hardly wealthy either. Hearing this, he pondered for a moment. "Just the three of us traveling might not be very safe, and since we share a mutual security bond with the students of the Ruhai Academy next door, it would be best to travel together. Chundan, what do you think?"

Wang Xuezhou nodded. "I have no objections. Let's travel together!"

Once the three of them reached an agreement, they went to consult Master Zhou together.

The departure date for the examinations was set for the sixteenth day of the eighth month.

With the date fixed, each returned home to pack their things.

Axe did not accompany Wang Xuezhou back to the Wang family; instead, he stayed at the academy to continue practicing martial arts under Wu Hua's guidance while preparing supplies for the upcoming journey.

Xilang Village was in the midst of the busy farming season.

Soybeans, sorghum, and sesame plants had all reached the critical harvesting period.

Sesame in particular.

From planting to harvesting, it required meticulous care. Harvesting too early meant the crop was unripe; harvesting too late meant the pods would burst open right before your eyes, scattering the seeds onto the ground at the slightest touch, making them impossible to gather.

Although cultivating sesame was time-consuming and laborious, it served as the primary source of income for the people of Xilang Village.

After pressing the seeds into sesame oil, the entire village collectively sold it to the grocery merchants, fetching a handsome profit.

Before Wang Xuezhou even reached home, he spotted the busy figures of Wang Chengzhi and the others from afar.

The villagers of Xilang Village greeted him warmly when they saw him. "Oh! Our little scholar is back! Didn't I hear you were about to take your exams? When is it?"

"Fourth Aunt, I am not a scholar yet! Please don't call me that. I've just come back to prepare for the exams."

Fourth Aunt instantly perked up, her voice raising a notch. "What? You're going to take the exams already? When?"

"In a few days."

"In a few days?!" Fourth Aunt grew somewhat anxious.

Quite a few people who had overheard the conversation gathered around, and within moments Wang Xuezhou was surrounded. Facing their persistent questions, he said helplessly, "We set off on the sixteenth of the eighth month."

Fourth Aunt stomped her foot. "Oh my! There are hardly any days left!"

"Indeed, I'll be leaving right after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Then we'll all have to go see you off..."

Listening to the lively discussion around him, Wang Xuezhou quietly retreated and walked toward his family's sesame field.

Just as he reached the edge of the field, he heard Wang Xuewen wailing dramatically: "To love what is good and know its evil, to hate what is evil and know its beauty—such people are rare under heaven..."

Wang Chengzhu stood beside him holding a switch. As Wang Xuewen recited at the top of his lungs, he had to bend over to harvest the sesame plants.

He looked thoroughly disciplined and subdued.

"Eh? Chundan! What are you doing here? Hurry back home!"

Wang Chengzhi straightened up, wiping the sweat from his brow, and hurriedly waved the sickle in his hand to signal him not to come closer.

Wang Xuezhou put down his belongings. "I've come to work."

"No need, no need!" Old Man Wang pushed him away, telling him to go back quickly.

Wang Xuezhou shook his head. "It's fine, Grandfather. I'm just exercising my body! Only with a strong body can I endure the exams."

"Is... is that so?" Old Man Wang hesitated.

When the eldest grandson was studying before, he certainly hadn't said things like that...

Then, reflecting that this grandson had already surpassed the eldest, he relaxed his stance.