The Prime Minister’s Darling - Chapter 10
After Xiao Liulang entered the examination hall, Gu Jiao left, carrying the basket on her back.
She was going to the market to sell the wild mushrooms and dried wood ear fungus in the basket, and also do something else.
Divine Academy’s reputation had spread far and wide, and plenty of people came to take the exam. There were locals, and there were also foreigners like Xiao Liulang.
Each referee held a recommendation letter from a village school, county school, or prefectural school, and they entered the corresponding examination hall.
Because their levels were different, Xiao Liulang and Gu Dashun were assigned to different examination halls.
Xiao Liulang was in the last row.
Divine Academy prided itself on its high level of education, and most of those who came to attempt the admission exam were at least scholar-officiates. It was not easy to pass the exam to become a scholar-officiate these days, so it was already commendable for Gu Dashun to have become one before the age of 20.
Xiao Liulang was only 17 years old, and the youngest among all the examinees.
He was also the most handsome.
Alas, he was a cripple.
All the other examinees looked over with curious gazes, but their gazes did not linger, and they soon turned their attention to filling in their papers.
In the morning, they would be tried on poetry; in the afternoon, on the classics.
Most of the examinees who could come here were erudite and well-learned; it was not difficult for them to compose some poems on the spot. However, the classics in the afternoon were a different story.
Topics for the classics exam were all derived from the original Four Books and Five Classics, and examinees were strictly to compose their answers in the eight-segment essay format.
The eight-segment essay was composed of eight sections: introduction, supplementation, preliminary exposition, initial argument, central argument, latter argument, final argument, and conclusion. It did not allow for figures of speech, had to be written in the tone of the sages, and quotations could only come from the Cheng or Zhu schools. The restrictions were severe.
In addition, the topics this time were very difficult. After a day, practically all of the examinees’ faces had turned green.
When Xiao Liulang came out, his classmate had been waiting outside the examination hall for almost an hour.
“Liulang! Here!” He waved at Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang went over on his walking stick.
His classmate said, “I heard a lot of people complaining that the classics this year is tricky. Sigh, just your luck. The topics this time were personally set by the dean. If nothing had happened to you back then and you were able to take the exam with me, then it wouldn’t have been so difficult… It’s all that evil woman’s fault!”
Xiao Liulang glanced at him, his furrows deepening.
His classmate continued, “By the way, has she been bullying you these past few days? I was so worried that you wouldn’t be able to come today.”
Indeed… I almost couldn’t make it.
Xiao Liulang paused.
Suddenly, as though sensing something, he raised his head to look ahead.
At this moment, the exam had just ended; the street at the entrance of the academy was packed with throngs of people.
A slender figure with a small basket on her back stood against the wall with her arms crossed, looking a little nonchalant.
From time to time, people would walk past her while giving her all sorts of looks because of her face; however, she was unfazed by them. She was not angry, ashamed, or embarrassed.
Soon, her classmate spotted Gu Jiao as well, and frowned. “Ah! Why is she here? Don’t tell me she’s here to cause trouble for you! Tell me honestly, did you have to escape from your home today?”
Actually, Xiao Liulang was not sure if Gu Jiao was here to look for him. He only knew that she was leaning there, clearly waiting for someone…
Due to the sheer number of examinees coming out from the academy, Gu Jiao’s attention was eventually drawn towards them.
Gu Jiao turned her head and looked over. In the sea of people, she spotted the handsome young man with a single glance.
She smiled and walked towards Xiao Liulang.
“Are the exams over?” she said.
“Yes.” Xiao Liulang nodded. “Have you been waiting for a long time?”
“No.” Gu Jiao tugged at her ear.
“Didn’t you go to the market? Why haven’t you gone home?” Xiao Liulang had seen the wild fungi in her basket and knew that she would go to the market. However, the market would have closed by noon.
“I happened to have something to do nearby,” Gu Jiao said.
“What business could you have here?” His classmate rolled her eyes.
However, Gu Jiao’s words had reminded him.
He had finished class early that day and went to the medical hall. There, he discovered that Doctor Zhang had come again, and even saved a person from their deathbed.
“Are you sure it’s Doctor Zhang?” Xiao Liulang was slightly taken aback.
Previously, during the dispute at the medical hall Doctor Zhang had also suffered some superficial injuries. Actually, the one who attended to the assailant’s wife was not Doctor Zhang; he was completely innocent. Nonetheless, the incident had riled him, provoking him to proclaim that he would never come again for the rest of his life.
His classmate replied firmly, “Of course! I saw that person being carried in with my own eyes—he was covered in blood, his neck was crooked, and his breath was gone. Other than Doctor Zhang from the capital, who else can save him?”
Gu Jiao looked at a little ant on the ground silently.
His classmate continued, “If Doctor Zhang can even save someone like that, he will definitely be able to treat your leg. Don’t worry yourself with all these, I’ll go ask when Doctor Zhang’s consultation hours will be.”
“When will you be going?” Gu Jiao suddenly asked.
His classmate gave her a disdainful look. “Why should I tell you?”
Gu Jiao: “…”
They had dinner in town. His classmate insisted on bringing Xiao Liulang to try the Yangchun noodles near the academy, saying that they tasted like home.
After dinner, Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao took a mule carriage back to the village. This time, Xiao Liulang had requested a ride with a carriage.
Night had completely fallen. There were no oil lamps in the carriage, and the bright moonlight streamed in from outside.
Gu Jiao sat opposite Xiao Liulang. She stretched out her long legs, tensing her toes.
She had bought new shoes.
Unlike the embroidered shoes which a daughter of a rich family would wear, they were just a pair of cheap cloth shoes. The shoes were plain and black, but they looked surprisingly good on her.
She looked very adorable as she played with her shoes, and her eyes seemed to be filled with stars.
The mule carriage stopped at the village entrance, as usual.
After the two of them got out of the car, Gu Jiao also followed behind him as usual, keeping that usual distance.
The news of Gu Jiao having a falling out with Gu Dashun for Xiao Liulang’s sake had already spread throughout the village. Xue Ningxiang had been keeping vigil by the door, only to see the two of them walking out of the night one after another.
Was I really not seeing things the last time?
Did the two of them really get together?
“Idiot Gu!”
As her voice broke the silence of the night, Xue Ningxiang turned around and returned to her house.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang stopped outside their house and turned to look at the young man who was trotting towards them. It was Gu Ershun from the second branch of the Gu family.
Gu Ershun and Gu Xiaoshun were both from Madam Liu’s family. However, Gu Ershun had always been closer to his cousin, Gu Dashun, rather than his own younger brother.
Gu Jiao only glanced at him indifferently before looking away. She unlocked the door and entered the house with Xiao Liulang.
Gu Ershun strode over, and stood at the door with his hands on his hips. He exclaimed angrily, “Idiot Gu, what do you think you’re doing?! How dare you treat Big Brother like that! Do you know that you almost delayed Big Brother’s exam!? You even embarrassed Big Brother in front of the entire village!”
Not listening, not listening…
Gu Jiao stepped through the doorway and was about to close the door.
Seeing that she was ignoring him, Gu Ershun was furious. He stepped one foot into the house and held the door with one hand. “How dare you!? Grandpa asked me to look for you! Hurry up and kowtow to Big Brother to apologize! Otherwise, I’ll beat you to death!”
Gu Jiao tugged at her little ear impatiently.
Annoying.
“Did you hear me? If you don’t settle this today, don’t even think about…”
Halfway through his sentence.
Gu Jiao raised her foot and kicked him, sending him flying!
