Chapter 373

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The morning's thin mist still shrouded the Chai Family Xiao Yuan Zi Zi; the gray-green donkey cart was hitched up with a creak. Chai Mi patted the donkey's neck and instructed, "Dad, take it slow on the road! Watch the path, go around the ditches and bumps!" She turned to Chai Xiu, who was hugging a small cloth bundle, "Xiu'er, got everything? Fountain pen, pencil, eraser, admission ticket, and the two sugar cakes and boiled duck eggs Mom made for you?"

"Mhm, Sister, it's all here! The pen's filled with fresh ink, the duck eggs are still warm!" Chai Xiu answered crisply.

Su Wan clung to the cart rail, her eye rims still red: "Xiu'er, don't panic when you get there. Read the questions carefully before putting pen to paper. At noon, eat something hot, don't eat cold food and upset your stomach!"

Chai Youqing, sitting on the cart shaft, held his back ramrod straight, gripping the whip. He clicked his tongue impatiently: "What's with all the fuss? All these people watching, like we're seeing off a top scholar. Let's go! Giddyap!" He shook the reins lightly, and the gray-green donkey stepped off steadily.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Song Qiushui ran out from the house, clutching something in her hand which she stuffed to Chai Xiu, "Xiu'er, here! The peace talisman I begged for yesterday. Tuck it in your pocket, bless you to place first!"

"Thanks, Sister Qiushui!" Chai Xiu carefully tucked it away.

Chai Mi nodded at Song Qiushui: "Alright, let's get going, Dad. The sooner we go, the sooner we're back. Our family prodigy is still waiting to come back and harvest corn!" She winked at Chai Xiu.

Chai Xiu burst out laughing: "Sister!"

Chai Youqing didn't look back, just hollered: "Giddyap!" The donkey cart, creaking away, carried the father and daughter and the whole family's hopes onto the country dirt road.

The road wasn't exactly smooth, but the donkey walked very steadily. After a long silence, Chai Youqing finally spoke: "Xiu'er, sitting steady? Not too bumpy?"

Chai Xiu leaned against the sack holding millet: "Not bumpy, Dad. This donkey's really steady, way better than that inverted donkey of my sister's."

The corner of Chai Youqing's mouth curled up slightly: "Hmph, this donkey, bought for a high price, how could it be unreliable?" He paused, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tension, "... Anyway, Xiu'er, when you get there, do as your sister said. Eat when you should, drink when you should. However you test is however you test. Don't put a counterweight on yourself. Whether the Old Chai Family ancestral tomb smokes green or not doesn't hinge on this one time."

"Dad, I know." Chai Xiu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a streak of determination, "I just want to write down everything I know. Teacher An said the questions aren't hard."

Chai Youqing snorted: "Teacher An's a cultured person, whatever he says is right.... That brain of yours, who'd you take after? Certainly not me or your mom."

Chai Xiu grinned: "After my sister, of course! Sister's smart too, and knows how to make money!"

Chai Youqing didn't pick up the thread. After a while he asked: "... Thirsty? Your mom was afraid you'd get thirsty this morning, she even brought a thermos of hot water."

Chai Xiu fished out the small thermos, poured some into a bowl, took a sip, and asked with concern: "Dad, your back holding up? Driving this long a way."

Chai Youqing straightened his back: "Better long ago! This bit of road counts for nothing. Back in the day you Dad..." Before the words fell, the donkey cart lurched violently. The right rear wheel went "clang" and sank into a mud pit. The cart body tilted instantly.

"Ah!" Chai Xiu cried out in alarm.

"Whoa—! Don't panic, Xiu'er! Hold on!" Chai Youqing hurriedly reined in, jumped down to inspect, cursed, "This damn road! Which immoral bastard dug a ditch and didn't fill it!" He yanked the reins hard, pushed the cart to help, "Giddyap! Giddyap!"

The donkey strained its legs, muddy water splashing, but the wheel just spun in the mud, wouldn't budge an inch. Chai Youqing panted heavily: "Damn it... Xiu'er, you get down first, lighten the load a bit."

Chai Xiu nimbly jumped off the cart: "Dad, I'll help you push!"

"You push what push! Stand to the side, don't get covered in mud!" Chai Youqing frowned, looked around, spotted a figure carrying a hoe in the distance, hurriedly waved and shouted, "Hey! Old Brother! Old Brother! Lend a hand! The cart's stuck!"

The distant figure approached; it was a fellow villager.

"Aiyo! Youqing! Taking Xiu'er to the exam? How'd you end up here?" The villager recognized them, set down the hoe and came over to help, "Come on, I'll help! Xiu'er, stand to the side!" He and Chai Youqing, one pushing, one pulling, the donkey also gave a mighty heave, "One! Two! Three! Go!"

The wheel "gululu" rolled out of the mud pit. Chai Youqing wiped sweat: "Aiya, thanks, Old Brother Song! Helped a huge favor! If we'd missed the timing it would've been ruined!"

The man waved his hand: "Cough, neighbors, what's with the formalities! Hurry up! Don't delay the kid's big event! Xiu'er, test well! Bring glory to our hamlet!"

"Yeah! Thanks!" Chai Xiu thanked loudly.

Chai Youqing hurriedly hitched up: "I'll treat you to wine later! Giddyap!"

The donkey cart back on the road, speed noticeably faster. Chai Youqing muttered: "This... person's not bad."

The donkey cart hurried fast and slow, finally arriving at the County Town Primary School gate. Outside the exam venue, voices boiled, parents and students squeezed into a cluster, looked just like a big market fair.

Chai Youqing pulled Chai Xiu, squeezing to the school gate, a bit bewildered: "My good heavens, this many people? Xiu'er, is it here?"

Chai Xiu tiptoed to look at the hanging banner: "Mhm, Dad, right here!"

In front of the school there was a big bus. Outside the bus, An Baoyu saw Chai Xiu arrive and hurried over to receive her.

Afterwards Chai Youqing put the donkey cart at his second sister Chai Chunhua's place.

This was also the main reason Chai Mi had Chai Youqing come; his cart still had a place to be put.

If it were Chai Mi coming, she truly wouldn't even speak to the second aunt.

Afterwards Chai Youqing brought Chai Xiu onto the bus. The exam location was at Chili Chili Primary School south of the county town.

This was also to avoid the possibility of county town kids cheating on their home turf.

The bus arrived quickly, then everyone got off.

Chai Youqing stuffed the cloth bundle holding food to Chai Xiu: "Here, hold tight. Go on in, don't be scared. Dad's waiting right under this big tree. As soon as you come out you'll see me."

Chai Xiu nodded: "Dad, you find a place to sit a while, don't keep standing, your back can't take it."

"Know, know, hurry in! Look, everyone's going in!" Chai Youqing waved his hand repeatedly.

A middle-aged teacher dressed properly held a megaphone and shouted: "Exam students queue to enter! Parents please wait outside!"

Beside them, a city parent spoke softly to their child: "Baby don't be nervous, just treat it like usual practice! Mommy brought you chocolate, replenish energy!"

Another parent whispered to the kid's dad: "Look at that kid, comes carrying just a cloth bundle, parents don't even tag along nagging..."

Chai Youqing heard it, glanced over, didn't make a sound, silently squatted down under the big tree roots outside the crowd, subconsciously fished out his dry tobacco pipe, thought a moment, then tucked it back. Chai Xiu queued up, looked back at her dad's figure squatting under the distant big tree, small, lonely yet steadfast. She clenched the cloth bundle in her arms, took a deep breath, straightened her small frame, and followed the queue into the school gate.

Inside the exam venue, all was quiet, only the rustle of pen tips scratching paper. Chai Xiu received the exam paper, first scanned through it rapidly.

The math problems were indeed not hard for her, as Teacher An said. She picked up her pen, barely pausing, writing away with a scratch-scratch. Clear, smooth train of thought, paper neat and clean.

The proctoring teacher paced past her, saw her astonishing answering speed, especially the math part almost all mental arithmetic, steps concise and clear, couldn't help stopping to look twice more, said quietly to the teacher next to him: "Which school's this kid? Hands really sharp. That application problem, few steps and the result's out, steps even more concise than the standard answer."

The other proctor leaned close to look at the school name on Chai Xiu's paper: "Ganzhu'er Primary School?... Oh! Is it the 'little prodigy' Teacher An keeps mentioning? Tsk tsk, lives up to the name."

Chai Xiu was completely immersed in answering, utterly unaware of the outside world.

After math came Chinese.

When writing the essay, the essay topic was — Cold Gate (Humble Origins).

Sister Chai Mi's focused profile when melancholy, Dad's silent back when bent over work, Mom's gentle smile when handing over a hot duck egg, and the peace talisman Song Qiushui stuffed to her... scene after scene vividly surfaced before her eyes.

The words flowing from her pen carried the fragrance of earth and the warmth of home, all the more sincere and moving.

Though clothes were worn and meals were meager, he was no commoner. Without a penny, how could one say there was no hope of land and kingdom in the future? Today's unknown nobody—who knows he won't shake the four seas tomorrow? Some are born with destiny upon them; some, the time has not yet come. Ten years of luck, a dragon trapped in a well; one moment of power, and he rises into the blue clouds... Others look down on you, that's fine. But you must not look down on yourself—who wasn't born poor, who hasn't gone without money? Now we are not as good as them, but we will have our day to rise. We must not only stand up, but stand higher... Even a broken tile has its day to turn over; the east wind will turn south...

Outside the exam venue, time passed bit by bit. Chai Youqing squatted until his legs went numb, anxiously watching the sun climb higher. "It's been half a day already? Why hasn't she come out? Did the questions stump her? Impossible... Or is she hungry?" He stood up to stretch his numb legs.

A few parents nearby were also discussing:

"I heard this time the questions were lively, and the essay wasn't easy to write."

"My boy said the last math problem was really hard; he couldn't solve it."

Chai Youqing pricked up his ears, and his heart grew even more anxious: "Hard? Xiu'er won't... no, no, Teacher An said it wasn't hard..."

Finally, the school gate opened, and the children surged out like a tide, some jumping excitedly, others listless and dejected.

Chai Youqing hurriedly stretched his neck to look, and at once spotted Chai Xiu walking out with a cloth bag on her back, her small face calm, neither joyful nor sad. "Xiu'er! Over here!" He hurriedly waved.

Chai Xiu walked over quickly: "Father!"

Chai Youqing snatched the cloth bag and asked anxiously: "How was it? Hard? Did you answer them all?"

Chai Xiu smiled: "Father, you have a whole pile of question marks—which one do I answer first? The questions... were all right. I finished the essay, and did all the math too."

Chai Youqing breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help pressing on: "Then... then that last math problem, I heard it was really hard? You..."

Chai Xiu blinked and said lightly: "Oh, that one? I solved it. I used two methods, and the second one was even simpler."

Chai Youqing's eyes lit up; he wanted to grin but held it back, putting on a stern face: "Mm... as long as you solved it. Hungry? Father will take you to a restaurant... uh, to eat a bowl of noodles?"

Chai Xiu shook her head: "Not hungry, Father. Let's hurry home. Sister and Mother must be worried. Besides, you're not familiar with this place, and the teacher said the car leaves in a little while."

Chai Youqing felt wonderful inside, but put on a tough front: "Fine! Home! Let your sister make you dumplings with mutton filling!" He instinctively reached to take Chai Xiu's hand, then felt it wasn't proper since his daughter had grown up, and let go. "Come on, get in the car!"

On the way back, the atmosphere was much lighter.

After returning to town, Chai Youqing first went to Second Sister's home to fetch the donkey cart, then chatted a few words with An Baoyu before leading Chai Xiu home,

Chai Youqing drove the cart and couldn't help humming an off-key little tune.

Chai Xiu listened to her father's off-key humming and asked with a smile, pursing her lips: "Father, what are you humming?"

Chai Youqing coughed dryly: "Just humming!" He fell silent for a moment, then asked with some uncertainty: "... Xiu'er, do you really think you did well?"

Chai Xiu thought seriously: "Mm. I wrote everything I should have. The essay... I wrote about our family... I wrote about my sister these past years."

Chai Youqing felt warm inside, but also worried: "... You wrote about family matters? Will that do? Won't people want to read it?"

Chai Xiu said firmly: "Teacher An said genuine feeling is best. I think I wrote it... quite smoothly."

"Mm." Chai Youqing grunted in reply, fell silent for a good while, and his voice dropped low: "... Xiu'er, study hard. Study like Teacher Hou said, and go far. At home... there's your sister. Father's back... can do more work from now on."

Chai Xiu's nose felt sour, and she nodded heavily: "Mm! Father, I will definitely study hard! When I do well, I'll earn a big brick house for our family! I'll buy you and Mother a sofa with a sponge cushion!"

Chai Youqing finally couldn't help it, chuckling "hehe": "Nonsense!... Fine, Father will wait to sit on your big sofa! Giddyap! Home we go!"

The donkey cart returned to the gate of Chai Family Xiao Yuan Zi Zi in the glow of the setting sun. Just as it stopped steadily, Su Wan, Chai Mi, and Song Qiushui all came out from the front yard to welcome them.

"Aiya! You're back! How was it, Xiu'er? Worn out, right?" Su Wan rushed up first, sizing up her daughter from top to bottom.

Chai Mi's eyes were fixed on Chai Xiu's face: "How did you do? Smooth? Hungry? The dumpling filling is all mixed, just waiting for you to come back and boil them!"

Song Qiushui squeezed in, asking eagerly: "Quick, tell us! Was that question weird? Did anyone copy your paper?"

Chai Xiu, surrounded and questioned by her family all at once, felt a bit embarrassed: "Mother, Sister, Sister Qiu Shui... It was all right, I finished them all. Quite smooth. Not very hungry."

Chai Youqing, while unloading the cart, couldn't help interjecting, his tone carrying a barely contained pride: "Xiu'er herself said the questions weren't hard! She wrote the essay about our family's work, and solved that last big math problem with two methods!"

Su Wan patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief: "Aiyo! That's good, that's good! May the Bodhisattva bless! Hurry inside and rest!"

Chai Mi's eyes instantly lit up bright and bright, and she patted Chai Xiu's shoulder excitedly: "Great! I knew my sister would definitely make it! Qiu Shui, boil water! Cook dumplings! Celebrate!"

Song Qiushui cheered at once: "Oh! Eating dumplings! Xiu'er, if you get first place, Sister will weave you the biggest, prettiest flower wreath!"

Chai Xiu looked at her excited family, and on her tired little face finally bloomed a big smile: "Mm!"

Actually, Chai Xiu didn't know what kind of result she could get; it would be good enough to make it into the top thirty of the county.

But as someone going to school for the first time, she didn't dare to hope too much.

After all, beyond people there are people, beyond heaven there is heaven.