◎Pay me three hundred taels of silver, and I guarantee to solve your troubles.◎
The curtain stirred with the breeze, the gentle wind flipping through book pages like ripples shimmering across a lake.
Ping’an stayed alone in the courtyard for quite some time. Sometimes he sat on the ground, browsing through those Classics and philosophical collections. He had only heard that the Eight-legged essay examination system required thoroughly mastering the Four Books and Five Classics, memorizing numerous Exemplary essays and Model examination papers, but he never realized there were so many books to read.
He felt somewhat sad, his nose tingling with emotion. Lifting his head, he struggled to keep tears from falling.
The path of the Imperial Exam was truly arduous…
He must rescue his father from suffering as soon as possible!
…
The Supplementary Imperial Examination was held at the Provincial Examination Hall, which bordered Pingzhou Prefecture, approximately seventy to eighty li away.
Chen Yan brought only A Xiang carrying his Kao Xiang, traveling at full speed on horseback. They arrived at the examination hall entrance just in time for the security inspection.
Dusty from his journey, he entered the examination hall and settled in. Knowing he had come in haste, he focused even more on maintaining stability—avoiding unconventional arguments and elaborate rhetoric. His straightforward and sincere writing style won the Director of Education’s favor. Since the Ke Examination didn’t require name concealment or transcription, the Director could even review papers in person. Appreciating Chen Yan’s essays, he immediately ranked him first and praised him face-to-face: “Shen Qian Yuan’s student is truly no ordinary talent! May you soar like a dragon across the heavens and achieve great accomplishments!”
Chen Yan responded with neither humility nor arrogance, offering a deep bow to the Director. As evening approached, Chen Yan originally planned to rest at an inn near the examination hall. Remembering he hadn’t brought any change of clothes, he simply took A Xiang to a Noodle shop for a meal before mounting his horse to begin the journey home.
…
Ping’an, exhausted by his mother, spent half the morning spacing out and half the afternoon sleeping. Only after waking up did he regain some energy, his previously stalled brain beginning to process thoughts again.
No matter how good a strategy is, if it fails twice, it shouldn’t be used a third time. He needed to devise a new approach.
Having slept soundly through the evening, he was now full of energy. Lying on his parents’ large bed, he rolled from the edge to the center, from the headboard to the footboard.
Lin Yuebai laid him down on the pillow, but he immediately sat up again: “Mother, let’s play Shuanglu.”
“Be good and sleep now. Mother is very tired.” Lin Yuebai had also had a long day—while Ping’an was napping, she had to listen to her mother-in-law’s chatter in the main courtyard.
Zhao Shi was extremely anxious, her right eyelid twitching all day. Over twenty years of relentless cultivation had left her emotionally strained and insecure.
Though Lin Yuebai didn’t expect Ping’an to become exceptionally successful, she could understand a mother hoping her son would achieve greatness. She spent the entire afternoon silently listening to Zhao Shi recount stories of her husband’s childhood, such as how Yu Guan’er hid the house deed in the doghouse when he was two years old—all to relieve stress.
“I don’t want to sleep yet!” Ping’an protested.
“Whether you want to or not, you must sleep.” Lin Yuebai was so tired her eyelids were fighting to stay open. Holding his arm while patting him, she chanted: “If you wear your mother out, your father will find you a stepmother. With a stepmother comes a stepfather, no one to cherish you or care for you, just like the little cabbage in the field. Little cabbage, white and pale, two leaves standing upright, no one to cherish you or care for you, just like the little cabbage in the field. Little cabbage, white and pale…”
Ping’an grew drowsy from the chanting and dreamed of sleeping in a field of cabbages.
…
When Chen Yan returned home covered in dust and exhaustion, only a single lamp remained lit in the courtyard. Ping’an’s little wooden horse lay discarded in the center of the courtyard, while “Black General” kept in the large wooden bucket was singing cheerfully.
Ping’an had already fallen asleep. Lin Yuebai drowsily draped her clothes over her shoulders and rose: “Didn’t you say tomorrow? Why have you returned overnight?”
Having said this, she instructed the maid on night duty in the side room to light the lamp and fetch hot water.
“Everything went smoothly, so I decided to return early,” Chen Yan said while going to check on his son.
Hearing that everything had gone smoothly, Lin Yuebai knew he had passed the Ke Examination. Though it was late, she still sent Jiu Huan to check the main courtyard—if the master and mistress hadn’t retired yet, she should report the news to prevent her mother-in-law from lying awake with anxiety.
Ping’an had been awakened by the noise but kept his eyes shut, pretending to sleep while hoping to overhear something useful.
Noticing his long eyelashes fluttering, Chen Yan felt mischievous and reached out to tickle the sole of his foot.
Ping’an, extremely ticklish, rolled over in the blankets, giggling as he scrambled to the foot of the bed.
Chen Yan stood by the bed, slanting a glance at him as if still reproaching him for secretly hiding the Examination Pass.
The atmosphere grew awkward. Ping’an gave a dry laugh, “Father, have you eaten?”
Chen Yan: …
“I’m a bit hungry,” he added.
Lin Yuebai chided, “At dusk, you slept instead of eating when I called you. Now, when it’s time to sleep, you’re crying out that you’re hungry.”
Ping’an explained, “I’m too hungry to sleep.”
Chen Yan, wide awake and not calling for servants, still in his Student’s Confucian robe, rolled up his sleeves and decided to cook himself: “What would you like to eat?”
“Egg and shredded pork noodles,” Ping’an said. “No scallions, no salt, no eggs, and no pork.”
“…” Chen Yan replied, “You’re just being cheeky.”
Despite his words, he tied on his Sleeve Loops and headed to the small kitchen. Soon, he returned with three bowls of plain boiled noodles and a refreshing dish of seasonal vegetables seasoned with ginger juice and aromatic vinegar. Setting up a small dining table on the Arhat bed in the outer room, the family of three gathered around the small table under the light of a single lamp, eating noodles together.
Time seemed to stand still. Ping’an thought, if Father didn’t have to serve as an official and could just be an ordinary wealthy person—or even not particularly wealthy, just having enough to eat and wear—the family could be together, and even plain boiled noodles would taste delicious.
Lin Yuebai waved a hand in front of his eyes: “What are you grinning foolishly about?”
“Mother, Father’s boiled noodles are really tasty,” Ping’an said. “What other dishes can Father cook? Teach me.”
Nowadays, he wanted to learn everything, storing skills for the journey ahead—one can never have too many talents.
“Your father makes excellent boiled water,” Chen Yan remarked.
Lin Yuebai chuckled softly at their banter.
Ping’an made a funny face: “Today, Mother and I helped Father air his books.”
The couple exchanged a knowing glance. Chen Yan said, “Thank you for your hard work, my dear.”
“Ping’an worked hard too! I moved all those books by myself,” Ping’an interjected eagerly.
“Is that so,” Chen Yan chuckled. “Then your efforts shouldn’t go unrewarded. Tell me, what insights did you gain?”
“Father is truly amazing, having read so many books,” Ping’an said. “When I grow up, I want to be just like Grandfather!”
“Good boy,” Lin Yuebai responded, then suddenly sensed something amiss: “Like who?”
Ping’an yawned and flopped down to sleep.
“Brush your teeth,” both parents shouted simultaneously.
Ping’an stiffened in refusal but was dragged away by his parents together.
In this era, toothbrushes were made by bundling hog bristles onto handles carved from animal bones—a method said to have originated in the palace, gradually becoming popular among the wealthy and even exported abroad. However, the hog bristles were coarse and stiff, and the experience was as one might imagine.
Yet he had to brush his teeth every day. Those who had time-traveled knew that dental health in ancient times was directly linked to lifespan.
It was already past midnight. After brushing and rinsing his mouth again, Ping’an was so drowsy he could barely keep his eyes open, his head drooping heavily. He had no idea how he ended up being carried to bed.
In his dream, he developed a soft-bristled toothbrush, invested in mass production, and it even became a tribute item for the imperial court. Then money bred more money, and he eventually became the wealthiest man in Da Yong, taking his parents and grandparents on a carefree voyage across the seas.
…
Late at night, the main courtyard remained brightly lit. The elderly couple sat fully dressed, showing no intention of washing up or going to bed.
Upon hearing that Chen Yan had returned home, passed the Luyi exam, and taken first place, Zhao Shi’s anxious heart finally settled. She made vows before three portraits on the wall, thanking the founding masters of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism for ensuring Yu Guan’er’s success in every examination.
Just as Chen Laoye was about to tease her, the maid Feicui entered after announcing herself at the door: “Master, Madam, the gatekeeper overlooked an invitation during the day. Seeing lights still on in the main courtyard, he asked me to bring it in.”
Chen Laoye, being amiable by nature, wouldn’t scold servants for such a minor mistake. He opened the invitation, immediately closed it, then opened it again, rubbing his eyes to verify repeatedly.
“What’s wrong?” Zhao Shi asked, having just finished her devout prayers to the founders. Rising from the kneeling cushion, she took the invitation and immediately threw a Doucai dish to the ground in fury.
Chen Laoye didn’t even have time to feel sorry for the broken dish.
It turned out Chen Pingye had been released from prison, and his family was hosting a banquet to welcome him back.
Zhao Shi trembled as she clutched the invitation: “Shameless! Utterly shameless! Holding a celebration for a murderer? What would the Meng family think?”
The Meng family was Chen Jingshi’s in-laws, their relatives by marriage. Meng Wan was Chen Jingshi’s niece. Zhao Shi had met Meng Wan – a pure young girl, clear as spring water.
Two years ago, when the Northern and Southern Chen families showed signs of reconciliation, Second Master Chen had sought to arrange a marriage between his eldest son and the Meng family’s youngest granddaughter, Meng Wan. Chen Jingshi, impressed by Chen Pingye’s handsome appearance and scholarly achievements, agreed to act as matchmaker.
Unexpectedly, three days after Meng Wan married into the Northern Chen family, she was murdered. Her body wasn’t discovered in the dry well in the backyard until half a month later. During the autopsy, the coroner miraculously extracted a four-month-old male fetus from her womb.
The case caused a huge scandal at the time. Those who knew Meng Wan firmly believed in her character, certain she couldn’t have committed adultery before marriage. But with ironclad evidence and the Circuit Intendant’s impending inspection, the Prefect rushed to close the case, sentencing Chen Pingye to only two years of penal servitude.
Sun Zhixian had once bypassed protocol to appeal to the Circuit Intendant, pointing out doubts in the case and hoping for a retrial. Not only did he fail, but his superior reprimanded him for poor governance. During the subsequent official evaluation, he received a mediocre rating, missing his promotion opportunity.
The Southern Chen family only had two proper scholars – Chen Jingshi and Chen Yan. Since Chen Jingshi had initiated the marriage arrangement, he naturally stepped forward, but ended up humiliated like Sun Zhixian. Chen Jingshi even had his student status revoked by the Education Circuit Intendant.
These past two years, Chen Pingye served his prison sentence, the Meng family mourned their lost granddaughter, Chen Jingshi’s future was ruined, and Chen Yan became intensely driven, studying day and night.
Now that the murderer had completed his sentence, they actually dared to host a lavish welcome banquet.
This wasn’t an invitation – it was a declaration of war. They wanted to showcase the Northern Chen family’s influence to the entire county while deliberately provoking the Southern Chen and Meng families.
Chen Laoye hurriedly helped his enraged wife sit down properly as she trembled with anger.
Suddenly struck by a thought, Zhao Shi told her husband: “We must make sure Yu Guan’er doesn’t find out about this.”
As women themselves, Zhao Shi truly understood her daughter-in-law’s feelings. Who would want to spend every day facing a bookworm? Her daughter-in-law was too mild-tempered—if it were her, she would have taken action long ago.
Now that Chen Yan had become more open-minded and gradually more talkative, although the household had gained another “problem child,” at least it was no longer so lifeless. The chaotic days… were at least lively.
Just as the family of three was beginning to live happily and nearly putting the old case from two years ago behind them, the North Chen family suddenly stirred up trouble, widely inviting guests to welcome and celebrate the murderer’s return.
“Living in the same alley, with North Chen’s banquet causing such a commotion, Yu Guan’er isn’t deaf or blind,” Chen Laoye remarked.
“All you do is make sarcastic comments,” Zhao Shi shot him a glare.
With a clever expression, Chen Laoye said, “I have an unfathomably brilliant idea. Grant me three hundred taels of silver, and I guarantee I’ll solve your problem.”