"The Son of Heaven guards the nation's gates; the ruler dies for the altars of soil and grain—wasn't that said by that one guy?" Xu Huaiyi grew so agitated he could hardly stay seated on the sofa. "Wife, hurry up and tell me, what else did he do?"
Compared to him, Gu Huanxi's reaction was rather indifferent. "He elevated the status of the Military Examination to be roughly on par with the imperial examination, so it's a balance of civil and military affairs. The imperial examination no longer tests only the Four Books and Five Classics; it also includes arithmetic and law. He also drew from the Tang dynasty's examination system to add a special selection, recruiting some special talents…"
Xu Huaiyi's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. "Isn't that just like special admissions for students with particular skills?"
"Well, you could say that. But it mainly recruits talents proficient in arithmetic and law, to serve in the Ministry of Revenue or as County Captains. The official positions aren't high, and the career prospects are quite limited—basically, reaching the third rank is the ceiling…" At this point, Gu Huanxi paused, eyeing his eager expression. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you want to go?"
Back in his school days, Xu Huaiyi was a complete academic underachiever. Later, relying on his strong physique, he joined the military. After struggling for a few years, he was reassigned to the police station in his hometown town, working as a grassroots officer. There weren't usually any major cases, just dealing with trivial disputes. It wasn't dangerous, just mentally draining.
After transmigrating once, does he want to return to his old profession?
Xu Huaiyi responded vaguely, "I haven't decided yet. I'll make plans after we get to the capital."
Seeing this, Gu Huanxi narrowed her eyes. "You're not thinking of taking the Military Examination, are you?"
Xu Huaiyi had an animal-like keen insight into his wife's emotional shifts. Hearing this, he immediately straightened his back and said with utmost seriousness, "No, absolutely not!"
Gu Huanxi snorted and reminded him, "The Military Examination isn't just about martial skills; there's also a written test. You'd better learn traditional characters first."
Xu Huaiyi was dumbfounded. "Traditional characters?"
"What else? This is ancient times. You're practically illiterate right now. Not only do you have to relearn how to read, but you also need to understand the texts. Oh, and those texts aren't in plain language—they're all full of 'zhi hu zhe ye,' pure classical Chinese, written vertically, without even punctuation." Gu Huanxi watched with amusement as his face grew darker, then added, "By the way, you also need to practice your calligraphy. If your handwriting is sloppy, no matter how good your essay is, it won't pass."
After hearing this, Xu Huaiyi let out a despairing wail. "Then what's the point of me taking the exam?!"
His handwriting was already a mess, and that was with a hard pen. If he switched to a brush, would it even be legible?
Gu Huanxi irresponsibly said, "Nothing is difficult for a determined heart. If you start working hard now, after three to five years of practice, you should be about ready."
Xu Huaiyi didn't think he had that kind of perseverance and gloomily replied, "We'll see. Hey, wife, you could take the exam, right? You know traditional characters, and you've practiced calligraphy. Your major in college was finance and accounting—wouldn't passing the arithmetic exam and entering the Ministry of Revenue be a piece of cake for you?"
He grew more excited as he spoke. "That transmigration predecessor, living under the red flag, surely wouldn't discriminate against women. Did he improve women's living conditions and give them new opportunities?"
Gu Huanxi said, "Does encouraging widows to remarry count?"
Xu Huaiyi let out an "uh," blinked his eyes, and forced a dry laugh. "Hehe, as the founding emperor, he must have lost many lives during the conquest. Encouraging widows to remarry was just following the times and boosting the population. That policy is still commendable. Anything else?"
"Women can establish households independently, own private property, are allowed to divorce, and can even attend women's schools…"
Xu Huaiyi nodded repeatedly. "Hmm, not bad. They can even study and attend school. That’s an opportunity for women to rise, right?"
Gu Huanxi rolled her eyes. "In women’s schools, they learn refined arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or practical skills like cooking and needlework. They only scratch the surface of the Four Books and Five Classics and are hardly encouraged to take the imperial examination."
"Ah? So women still can’t become officials?"
"Right. However, there are female officials in the palace, and the Imperial Medical Bureau has female physicians, though their ranks are relatively low. Most teachers in women’s schools are also respected women. I suppose that counts as an opportunity for women to rise."
Xu Huaiyi pondered for a moment before asking with concern, "What about commerce? Are merchants looked down upon?"
In ancient times, social hierarchy was emphasized: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants at the bottom. Even if they amassed great wealth, they were mocked for their "stink of copper," and their descendants were barred from taking the imperial examination.
Gu Huanxi replied, "Merchants are still at the bottom of the social ladder. However, their descendants can take the imperial examination and become officials, much like everyone else. But the commercial taxes nowadays are very high—several times more than farming taxes. The founding emperor was quite lenient toward the common people, abolishing many harsh taxes and levies. He was probably afraid, after all, since the previous dynasty fell because the people were exploited to the point of rebellion."
"Then let’s farm!" Xu Huaiyi pointed excitedly at the storage compartment at the back of the cart. "All the grains we just harvested are there—sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts—all rare things in this era. Whatever we plant, we’ll make a fortune!"
"And there are chili peppers and tomatoes. With my chili sauce-making skills, I could build a business empire! Rounding it up, it’s no different from that transmigration predecessor conquering the world—equally earth-shattering and sweeping across the land, hehe…"
Gu Huanxi, "…"
He was still lost in his excited self-indulgence, completely oblivious to Gu Huanxi’s exasperated look. "Oh, my restless heart can hardly be contained. I thought transmigrating here meant suffering and hardship, but it turns out we’re here to get rich! We need to flee famine quickly—I can’t wait any longer…"
Gu Huanxi couldn’t take it anymore and threw a pillow at him. "Wake up! Stop daydreaming in broad daylight. Go check the pot—are the pig trotters ready?"
"Okay, okay…" Xu Huaiyi chuckled foolishly for a while longer before scurrying off to the kitchen.
The pig trotters were already stewed to a tender, soft texture, the broth milky white. He sprinkled in some salt, tasted it, then stir-fried tomatoes with eggs. With a balanced mix of meat and vegetables and two bowls of rice, the meal couldn’t have been more satisfying.
Gu Huanxi drank two large bowls of pig trotter soup. To her surprise, the soup was quite effective in promoting lactation. After taking a nap, she felt her chest swelling, just as her daughter woke up. She quickly picked her up to try feeding.
Ah Li drank with her eyes narrowed, her long eyelashes fluttering, while Gu Huanxi felt a strange and unfamiliar surge of emotion welling up inside her.
It seemed as if the separation between mother and daughter caused by cutting the umbilical cord had, at this moment, reestablished a new connection—one that was even more intimate and inseparable.
From then on, she gained a new identity: A'Li's mother. And this identity would fill her with pride and honor in the days to come.
Truly, a mother's status elevated by her child.
In the following days, Gu Huanxi peacefully rested during her postpartum confinement, cared for her daughter, and focused on recuperating. Meanwhile, Xu Huaiyi devoted himself entirely to preparing for the famine escape. The couple lived at the foot of the mountain, enjoying a tranquil and comfortable life.
Even after Gu Huanxi finished her traditional Chinese medicine, no one came to disturb them. It was as if everyone had forgotten about the family of three who had been driven out.