Chapter 126

Chapter 126

"Impossible! I remember it clearly. It was my fifth younger brother and I who came here that day. The old master called out to me as he was coming up from the foot of the mountain and gave me this copper coin."

The temple master also found it unbelievable. "Donor, do you still remember what he looked like?"

Having not seen the old Taoist priest for many years, Lu Yao had long forgotten his appearance, but he could still vaguely recall his general attire. "He was wearing a tattered Taoist robe, with white hair and beard, and I think he had a round cap on his head."

The temple master returned the copper coin to him and said, "It must have been our great senior brother. Please follow me to the back courtyard, donor."

Lu Yao greeted the two children and followed the temple master to the back courtyard. The more he thought about it, the more miraculous it seemed, but since he had time-traveled to ancient times, this was even more peculiar.

Behind the main hall, there were two smaller halls, which looked more dilapidated than the main hall in front. This centuries-old temple, like the declining Taoism, was gradually fading away with time.

Lu Yao thought to himself, no wonder they were in such a hurry that their great senior brother had manifested to ask for help in rebuilding the temple. If they didn't repair it soon, it might collapse.

Qingxuzi led Lu Yao to a wasteland nearby, where a few stone tablets were erected. He pointed to the one on the far end and said, "This is the grave of our great senior brother."

The name of Lingxiao Daoren was carved on the stone tablet.

Lu Yao stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed several times. Whether by coincidence or the spirit of the immortal, the red string holding the copper coin around his neck suddenly snapped, and the coin rolled into the wild grass and disappeared from sight...

Lu Yao clutched his pounding heart, too shocked to speak.

Coming out from the back courtyard, Lu Yao discussed the matter of rebuilding the temple with Qingxuzi. Lu Yao was willing to fund the entire reconstruction of the Qingyun Temple.

The old temple master, trembling with excitement, said, "Donor, are you really willing to rebuild the Qingyun Temple?"

"I promised your great senior brother, and I must keep my word. I will send people over the next few days to survey the land and estimate the costs, aiming to complete the temple within a year."

"Wonderful, truly wonderful! The ancestors of the Three Pure Ones will bless you with peace and prosperity for a lifetime!"

Lu Yao clasped his hands in salute. Seeing that it was getting late, he called on his younger brother and Lin Zijian to go down the mountain together.

On the way back, Zhao Beidou asked him, "Brother-in-law, why did the temple master call you to the back courtyard?"

"To discuss the construction of the temple. I saw that the Qingyun Temple was in disrepair for many years and plan to help rebuild it."

Lin Zijian, sitting next to him, looked at Lu Yao in surprise. He thought rebuilding a temple would cost a lot of money. Although he had never asked Zhao Beichuan about the family business, it seemed they were indeed very wealthy.

Back at the inn, Lu Yao arranged for Zhao Beichuan to handle the temple reconstruction. This task would take more than a day or two, and a reliable person was needed to oversee it.

He allocated 3,000 taels of silver from the account for the initial expenses, with more to be added if needed. Lu Yao calculated carefully; the Qingyun Temple wasn't very large, and 10,000 taels should be enough to rebuild all the halls.

Leaving the temple reconstruction aside for now, with the autumn exam approaching, it was indeed a year of great examinations. More and more scholars from out of town were arriving in Ping Prefecture!

Scholars from all over were preparing to showcase their talents in this examination, with everyone discussing the imperial examination. As the saying goes, a golden juren, silver jinshi, and poor xiucai reflect the societal hierarchy. The regional examination was the most challenging hurdle in the imperial examination, akin to crossing a single log bridge among thousands of troops. Passing the juren examination essentially meant changing one's family status.

In the Wu Dynasty, a successful candidate could become an official, even if it was the lowest seventh-rank county magistrate, an achievement beyond the reach of ordinary people.

If one could advance further and pass the jinshi examination to serve in the capital, it would be an extraordinary stroke of luck, a step into the heavens!

At noon, Lu's Inn was full of people. Lu Yao, having some free time, went to the front to greet the guests. Listening to their discussions about the imperial examination was quite interesting.

"I believe the top scorer in this autumn's examination will likely be among Qiu's son, Lin's son, or Zhao's son."

"Why do you say that?"

"First, Qiu's son, the grandson of Qiu Dafan, was born into a family of scholars. It is said that he could recognize characters at three and compose poetry at five. By the age of ten, he had already passed the xiucai examination!"

"Incredible!"

The speaker stroked his beard and continued, "But he is not the most remarkable. Lin's son is even more knowledgeable. He is the grandson of the former director of the Guozijian, Lin Jingxian! Although he started participating in the examinations later, he is like a dragon emerging from the water. This year, he topped both the county and prefectural examinations. If not for an old xiucai overshadowing him in the academy exam, he would have achieved a triple first!"

Everyone sighed in regret.

Someone asked, "Who is Zhao's son?"

"The most mysterious of the three is this Zhao's son. He is young but knowledgeable. Although he was unknown for many years, he surprisingly took second place in the prefectural examination and third in the academy exam. Although his rank is lower than Lin's son, if he comes from a farming family, that would be truly remarkable!"

"Yes, yes! It's hard for a poor family to produce a successful candidate. I think Zhao's son is better than the other two!"

"I also favor Zhao's son. I heard he is very famous in the prefectural school, diligent and hardworking, a model for students to emulate. If only my son were half as diligent, he wouldn't have failed to pass even the child examination."

Sitting at the back, Lu Yao nearly burst out laughing, feeling extremely pleased as others praised Xiaodou. He wished he could jump in and tell them, "This is my brother, from our family!"

When there were half a month left until the regional examination, Lady Lin finally arrived.

*

She first took a carriage to the He family to express her gratitude and then came to Lu's Inn to find someone.

Stepping down from the carriage, she stood at the entrance, looking at the richly decorated inn. She couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Lu Yao had quite the ability to turn a small breakfast shop in a town into a large inn in just a few years.

As she entered with her attendants, a waiter came over and asked, "Madam, do you have a reservation? We still have the Mei Residence and Xia Pavilion available upstairs. Would you like to take a look?"

Lady Lin declined, "I am here to see your boss."

The waiter said, "Please wait, I will get him."

After a short while, Xiaonian came out from the back. Since Lu Yao was mostly away, the staff usually called Xiaonian or Ma Kuan for any matters.

Xiaonian sized up Lady Lin and, after a moment, tentatively asked, "You are Lin Zijian's mother, right?"

Lady Lin nodded gracefully. She was also sizing up Zhao Xiaonian. She remembered this girl, who should be Zhao Beidou's sister. When Lin Bo returned last time, he mentioned this person to her.

"Please, have a seat. I will go and get my sister-in-law," Xiaonian hurried off to call Lu Yao.

After waiting for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Lu Yao returned, approaching from behind with a smile on his face. "Sorry for the wait. There was an issue at one of the other shops earlier. Please, have a seat, Madam Lin! Xiaonian, please brew a pot of Lushan Cloud and Fog tea."

Madam Lin sat down with a faint smile. The two had not seen each other for about seven or eight years. Now that they were meeting again, Madam Lin's face had wrinkles, while Lu Yao had hardly changed, looking even more handsome than before.

"I've been causing you trouble these days."

"Oh, don't mention it. If it weren't for Old Lin helping Beidou back then, I wouldn't have the knowledge I have today."

Madam Lin didn't take credit for it. "That was also because Beidou was willing to put in the effort. If he hadn't, your father-in-law wouldn't have valued him so much."

Lu Yao nodded with a smile. "I've always wanted to visit you, but I've been tied up with trivial matters. I was planning to go to Shang Jing after this provincial exam, but I didn't expect you to come first."

"I should have come earlier. Some time ago, I heard that Zijian was injured, and I was anxious at home." Madam Lin hesitated to speak. "Unfortunately, I couldn't leave because something came up at home. I could only write him a letter. Now that it's resolved, I came here without delay."

"Is Zijian doing well?"

"Yes, he's fine. He studies with Beidou every day and is at home now. Let me take you to see him."

Xiaonian brought the tea up, "Please have some tea, Madam."

Madam Lin looked at her. "Xiaonian has grown into a young lady."

Lu Yao, being astute, spoke before Madam Lin could, "Yes, she's of marriageable age this year. It's really hard to let go."

Madam Lin was taken aback for a moment but quickly responded, "It's inevitable. She'll have to start her own family sooner or later."

After drinking a few sips of tea, Lu Yao led her to the Changrong Street house.

On the way, Madam Lin became increasingly surprised. The Zhao family seemed to be more than just about making money. Lu Yao's attire and demeanor were no different from those of noble people in the capital. He was meticulous in his dealings with others, and the place he lived in was an area only affordable by wealthy families in Ping Prefecture.

After getting off the carriage and entering the Zhao house, the courtyard was very simple, with only two gatekeepers and a few servants.

As they reached the door of the west wing room, they heard the debate inside. After listening for a while, Lu Yao knocked on the door with a smile.

The room fell silent for a moment, and Zhao Beidou got up to open the door. "Sister-in-law is back." Seeing the woman standing behind Lu Yao, he was startled and immediately bowed, "Beidou greets Madam Lin."

Madam Lin raised her hand, "Good child, you've grown into such a dignified and handsome young man."

Hearing his mother's voice, Lin Zijian, who was inside, was startled. His hand holding the book trembled slightly as he slowly got up and walked to the door. "Mother, you've come."

Madam Lin looked at her son carefully. After not seeing him for three months, he had grown a little taller and put on some weight. It seemed he had been living well at the Zhao house.

Lu Yao gave his younger brother a knowing look. The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and surely they had things to talk about.

Zhao Beidou quickly said, "Zijian, talk to your mother. I'll go have something to eat in the front."

Madam Lin followed Lin Zijian into the room. The west wing room had three rooms in total. The northern room was occupied by Zhao Fengchun, and the southern room was occupied by Zhao Beidou. However, these days, because the barbecue at the restaurant had been selling late into the night, Xiaochun had been resting at the restaurant.

An extra bed had been added to the southern bedroom. Although there were guest rooms in the front, the two young men usually slept in the same room.

Madam Lin looked around. "Are you getting used to living here?"

"Yes."

"About the previous incident, Uncle Lin spoke to me. He misunderstood your relationship with Miss Zhao, so he kept advising you. His intentions were not malicious."

"I know."

Seeing her son's distant manner, Madam Lin felt a little hurt. "Are you blaming your mother?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Madam Lin hesitated, and with the imperial examination approaching, she didn't want to affect his mood. She could only sigh, "Forget it... As long as you're alright. I've already arranged for a house to be rented in the city. Move there with me tomorrow."

Lin Zijian had wanted to refuse since he was doing well here, but he knew he couldn't trouble others forever, so he nodded, "Alright. I'll say goodbye to... Lu Fulan later."

Madam Lin stroked her son's head, "Don't overthink things. Focus on your studies and strive to become the top scholar in the exam."

"Yes."

Madam Lin left after staying for half an hour. Ever since she left, Lin Zijian had been feeling down.

Zhao Beidou, seeing him like this, was very worried. The imperial examination tested not only knowledge but also mindset and state of mind. Seeing Lin Zijian's appearance, it was clear he was hiding something, which was very unfavorable for the exam.

"Zijian, is something wrong at home?"

"No." Lin Zijian gathered his books and clothes, packing them into a bundle.

"Then why do you look so troubled? Is there anything we can't talk about?"

Lin Zijian's nose tingled, and his eyes turned slightly red. After hesitating for a moment, he revealed what had been on his mind.

His father had taken a concubine and had a son, favoring the younger child. His mother, trying to gain favor, had put a lot of pressure on him.

"My mother expects me to become the top scholar in the exam to gain face in front of my father, but she never asked if I've been struggling or tired. To her, I'm just a tool to compete with the child born to that concubine."

Lin Zijian had been an only child for over ten years, doted on by his parents and grandparents. Growing up surrounded by love, the emotional gap after encountering such a situation was immense.

Zhao Beidou didn't know how to comfort him, "Zijian, there are some things I don't know if I should say."

"You can say anything." Lin Zijian wiped the corner of his eye.

"I think you're being too sentimental."

"Huh?" Lin Zijian was stunned.

"Do you know how much work a man your age had to do back in the village?

When my father passed away, my older brother was about our age. He would get up before dawn every day to chop wood and make breakfast, carrying a pancake the size of a palm to the fields to plow and plant. After a busy day, he still had to wash clothes, make dinner, twist hemp ropes, and mend clothes for me and my sister when he returned home at night... He often couldn't sleep until midnight."

"Do you think, compared to your life now, he had it hard and tiring?"

Lin Zijian fell silent.

"Or if you think you're different from my older brother, then compare yourself to me. When I was young and just starting my education, I got up at 3 AM to start memorizing books. Whether it was winter or summer, rain or snow, I went to the primary school by myself.

Back then, our family was too poor to afford ink. In the winter, I practiced writing with a brush dipped in water. Even though my fingers froze and developed sores, I didn't dare slack off. Do you think I had it hard and tiring?"

Zhao Beidou saw Lin Zijian deep in thought and continued, "Your grandfather put in so much effort to raise and cultivate you. He's old and not in good health, yet he still reads books to us every day. Do you think he's tired?"

Lin Zijian's vision blurred, and he remembered how his grandfather had seen him off with a cane before he left. Tears welled up and overflowed.

"Zijian, studying is not for others. Whether it's hard or tiring doesn't matter to others. What's important is to live up to yourself and not forget your original aspiration."

Original aspiration.

Yes, from the very beginning, studying was never for others!

Lin Zijian remembered the first time he studied, when his grandfather had asked him why he wanted to study.

What had he said back then?

'I want to become someone as knowledgeable as you, Grandfather!'

Lin Zijian wiped away his tears, and his gaze gradually became resolute. "Beidou, thank you!"

*

In the blink of an eye, it was time for the provincial examination.

Since the provincial examination was held in autumn, it was also called the Autumn Examination or the Release Examination. Those who passed became candidates, and the top scorer was called the Chief Candidate.

This exam was crucial for the candidates' futures, so it was stricter and longer than previous exams.

It lasted five days, during which the candidates couldn't leave the exam venue. Everything from eating and drinking to using the restroom had to be done inside.

This time, Lu Yao had prepared 'instant noodles' for Xiaodou again. These were simple to eat and stored well, much better than steamed buns or large pancakes.

Lu Yao prepared a bag not just for Xiaodou but also for Lin Zijian and a few of Xiaodou's friends.

During the previous college examination, Lin Zijian had asked about Xiaodou's food, and Lu Yao had promised to bring some for the next exam.

Each fried noodle cake was the size of an adult's palm, and cooking two was usually enough for a meal. Several jars of meat sauce were also prepared, and all you had to do was scoop some into the noodles.

As long as Xiaodou performed normally and didn't leave the exam early, he had a good chance of success.

Statistically, nearly one-third of candidates left the exam early every year.

Some left due to health reasons—too much stress, food poisoning, fever, etc. Others left for psychological reasons. Being confined in a small examination room with constant surveillance could easily break those with weaker minds.

The rest left due to foul smells or cheating. Anyway, as long as one could endure these five days, they were halfway to success.

The day before the exam, the whole family held a pep talk for Zhao Beidou, partly to ease his nerves and partly because the family hadn't gathered for a meal in a while.

Lu Yao personally cooked six dishes, symbolizing smooth sailing, hoping the exam would go smoothly the next day.

Zhao Beidou, either naturally calm or just having a big heart, showed no signs of pre-exam nerves and kept his head down, focused on his meal.

Zhao Beichuan patted him and said, "Wait, listen to your sister-in-law first before you continue eating."

"Mm, okay," Zhao Beidou said with his mouth full, wondering what his sister-in-law was going to say.

Lu Yao said, "As the only scholar in our family, everyone has seen your hard work over the years. No matter how you perform in the exam, I hope you won't be discouraged and will see this as a life experience. May you top the list, go from a peasant in the morning to a high-ranking official by evening!"

Touched, Zhao Beidou swallowed his food and tears welled up, "Thank you, sister-in-law!"

"Ahem, I'd like to say a few words too."

Zhao Beidou wiped his tears and turned to his older brother.

Zhao Beichuan said, "Well, there are golden houses in books, and there are jade-like beauties in books. Do your best in the exam and try to get first place!"

"Hehe, it's jade-like beauties."

"Whatever jade, it'll be yours if you pass."

The whole family burst into laughter, and the meal was filled with joy and warmth."